part0025

W hen they reached King’s Cross Station, they stepped onto the platform and straight into a flurry of activity, but only after making sure Lady Penelope had already set off on her merry way to sort out her dressmaker problem.

“Now that we’re here, where do we go?” Evie asked.

“The restaurant, of course. We could make discreet inquiries. Find out if the Duchess has been dining there. Is it far from here?”

Evie looked down at her shoes. She could manage a walk around the village, but anything more than that would be too strenuous. “We’ll have to get a taxi.”

As they strode out of the station, Evie took a moment to adjust to the different pace; the cars, the bicyclists and people… so many people hu rrying by with such haste, they became a blur.

Evie wondered if Sergeant Newbury had unearthed anything of significance. As far as she knew, he had only interviewed Bicky’s houseguests. She assumed he had also spoken with all the estate workers. If anyone new had been seen in the village, someone would have noticed.

The shooter had to be someone everyone knew.

Someone everyone trusted.

Evie wondered if the police had stepped up their investigation. After all, there had been an attempt on a peer’s life…

During the drive to Piccadilly Circus, Evie talked about the dog she might get and avoided all mention of the subject uppermost in their minds for fear it would sound too odd to the driver.

“I hope you realize a dog will need to be walked a couple of times a day,” Tom said.

Evie slanted her gaze toward him. “Yes, of course.”

“And you’ll also have to train him.”

“You mean, teach him tricks?”

“To sit on command,” he said.

“Oh, I suppose I could hire someone to do that for me.”

“And where will it sleep?” he asked.

“I’m sure I could have something suitable made for him.”

“A dog sized fourposter bed?”

Before she could answer, the taxi came to a stop outside the restaurant.

“I missed the sights,” Evie said. “I should spend a day being a tourist.” Seeing the customers walking into the restaurant, Evie tugged his sleeve. “I’ve just realized, we’re not dressed properly.”

“The clothes we’re wearing. We’re not dressed for lunch.”

Tom pushed out a long breath. “We have traveled the length of England to get here and now you refuse to set foot inside a restaurant because you’re wearing the wrong clothes. Would it be so bad if we walk in dressed as we are?”

Evie gave him a lifted eyebrow look. “We’ve come this far, let’s not ruin it by making a bad impression or worse, being turned away.”

While Evie turned to leave, Tom refused to budge.

“We’re both foreigners,” he said. “I’m sure they’ll make an exception for us.”

“Would you also like me to be loud, obnoxiously so? After all, it’s almost excepted of Americans abroad.”

The edge of his lip kicked up. “You sound offended. ”

“And I am.” Evie’s voice hitched. “Over the years, I’ve had to endure so many prejudices, I don’t wish to prove anyone right. I simply cannot do it. I won’t.”

A man striding by turned to look at Evie. A couple shook their heads.

Tom smiled. “See, you were just loud. I knew you had it in you.”

When he took a step forward, Evie grabbed hold of his arm and dug her heels in.

“Are you honestly telling me you won’t go inside because you’re wearing the wrong dress?”

“I’m dressed for the country. This would be a major faux pas and… and it won’t serve our purpose of blending in. I assume that’s what we need to do.”

Tom gave his jaw muscles a thorough workout. “What do you propose we do?”

“The house isn’t far from here.” She reached for his hand and checked his watch. “In fact, it will work out perfectly. We’re far too early for lunch. That would make us even more obvious.”

When they reached Evie’s Mayfair house the butler, Edgar, barely batted an eyelash as he stepped aside to allow both the Countess of Woodridge and the chauffeur into the house .

While Evie had expected a different reaction from her stuffy butler, she felt too much relief to worry about it. In Evie’s mind, another battle had been won as Tom had insisted going in through the servant’s entrance.

Evie had put her foot down. “I really don’t mean to stand outside my own home and argue with you. Now, do as you are told… Please.”

The words rang in Evie’s mind as she made her way up to her bedchamber with Edgar fast on her heels.

“My lady, Peters has taken the day off. Whom do you wish me to send up…”

“Edgar, please get a hold of yourself. I realize this is all out of the blue and I’m sorry for catching you unawares. If Millicent isn’t here, then I shall have to manage by myself.”

“B-by yourself, my lady?”

“Yes, Edgar. Now, please don’t make a fuss. Mr. Winchester and I will show ourselves out. No need to stand on ceremony.”

Evie thought she heard Edgar murmur Tom’s name under his breath as if in disbelief. A sure sign he had noticed Tom’s entrance by the front door. When he emitted a huff, Evie stopped and turned.

“Edgar. You are beyond reproach. Your service to me has been exemplary.”

“If you have anything to say, anything appropriate to say, then do so within my hearing. Otherwise… Well, I really must get on.”

“As you wish, my lady.”

“I do wish it, Edgar.”

Evie went through her wardrobe and wondered how Caro or Millicent managed to make such swift selections from so many choices. It seemed for every choice she made, she had to make two more.

She settled on a pale green dress and matched it with the softest shade of fawn shoes with double straps only because she found a hat with both colors on it.

When she finished dressing, she checked the clock on the mantle and realized it had taken her an entire hour to change.

Caro and Millicent definitely earned their keep and deserved a raise.

As she strode down the stairs, she suddenly realized Tom wouldn’t have anything suitable to wear since all the clothes he had been producing had come from the man he’d met at the pub, Sir Bradford.

Belatedly, she realized that had probably been the reason why he’d tried to talk her into going into the restaurant dressed as they had been. He’d known he wouldn’t have anything appropriate to change into.

By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, she had given herself a good talking to. “So help me, I will never again assume… ”

Edgar cleared his throat.

Evie looked around the entrance hall and saw no sign of Tom.

“What have you done with Tom?”

Her butler’s eyebrows shot up. “I’m not sure I know what you mean, my lady.”

“Tom Winchester. I expected him to be waiting for me here.”

“Mr. Winchester is waiting for your ladyship outside.”

There hadn’t been an ounce of mockery in Edgar’s tone. In fact, he’d used the reverence reserved for royalty.

Holding the front door open for Evie, Edgar inclined his head.

Evie took a step forward only to stop. “Mr. Winchester?”

“Tom Winchester.”

“One and the same, my lady.”

“And you don’t have a problem with that?”

“I don’t believe I do, my lady.”

Something had transpired, but she didn’t have any time to delve. “Please don’t alert the staff of my arrival. In fact, pretend as if I’m not here.”

“As you wish, my lady.”

Evie strode out almost in a daze. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Edgar had been bribed into compliance .

Lost in her thoughts, she experienced the second surprise of the day. Although, if she really thought about it, her entire day had been filled with them.

She found Tom leaning against a roadster. He had swapped his country tweed suit for a smart ensemble of the finest cut. The light gray suit, white shirt and sea green tie, matched with caramel brown brogues, complimented her clothes.

“I suppose I should apologize for taking so long,” Evie said in her breeziest tone, “but you might not have noticed my tardiness since you were probably busy mugging someone for their clothes.”

Smiling, he held the car door open for her.

Evie wanted to say something about the motor car, but she couldn’t get her mind off the fact he had managed to procure an entire outfit from thin air while she had battled through an already available selection.

As she settled into the passenger seat, she said, “I suppose I should ask where your clothes and the car came from, but then I would also have to ask about Edgar. I’m sure you did something to him and he’ll never be the same again.”

Tom smiled. “The less you know, the better.”

“I paid good money to get a stuffy butler of the first order. I hope you haven’t damaged him.” She looked around her. “This car smells new.” And his clothes looked new.

Sitting back, she decided to leave it all alone. Her resolution lasted two seconds. Leaning toward him, she sniffed him.

That earned her a raised eyebrow look.

“You look and smell cleanshaven.”

As he took off, his sleeve shifted enough to reveal his watch. It looked different to the one he’d worn earlier.

Again, Evie leaned in and, tugging his sleeve back, she had a closer look.

“We have plenty of time,” he said.

Time… courtesy of the oldest luxury watch manufacturing company, Patek Philippe.

Evie had a horde of questions but she kept them to herself and settled for watching Tom expertly weave his way through London traffic.

“People seem to be growing attached to their motor cars,” she remarked. They had already converted the stables at the house into a place to house the motor car. She had the room for it, but not everyone did. “I almost yearn for the days of horse drawn carriages…” In the next breath, she said, “I think I should have called the restaurant and made a booking for us.”

“No need to worry. It’s been taken care of.”

Evie slanted her gaze toward him, her curiosity urging her to ask for clarification. “With so much taken care of, I hope the Duchess complies and makes this impromptu trip to London worth our while. It would be unkind of her to ruin our haphazard plans by not turning up.”

“And if she had a generous bone in her body,” he said, “she could even own up to plotting both your downfall and Bicky’s?”

“Yes, that would be perfectly lovely of her. Of course, I would then have to pay her a visit in prison…”