Page 16 of Beauty and the Rake
“Word got out that I’m not living in the house Casper left me. He’s trying to find out everything he can about where I am and what I am up to.”
“Interesting.”
“Do you think you should have your man look into it?” Roxanne asked.
“I’ll request a meeting with him and see what he suggests.”
“I think that’s a wise move,” Graham said dryly. “It was unnerving for Roxanne.”
Arthur turned to his sister. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll have the matter looked into.”
“Thank you. I’ll feel much better knowing who hired him.”
At that point the butler popped his head in the room after knocking and announced dinner was ready. The trio walked intothe dining room together. A long mahogany table sat in the center of a room of gold and cream.
A footman pulled out a chair and Roxanne sat, noting she was to Graham’s right. Since there were only the three of them, options were limited. Roxanne wondered if Graham used the room when alone or if he dined in a breakfast room or perhaps even his study.
Soup was served as soon as everyone was settled. Roxanne peered into the bowl as the footman placed it in front of her. Squash soup. Popular with the aristocracy but not one of Roxanne’s favorites. Still, she politely tasted it and consumed several spoonsful. There would be many more courses, and no one wanted to fill up on the first one. She decided to approach the subject of a holiday on the Isle of Wight now.
“Arthur, I had a letter from Pamela. She’s staying with Georgiana on Wight and has invited me to join them. Since we’ve discussed the fact that you need a holiday out of the city, I thought this would be perfect. We could stay at a hotel for a week or two, then head to the country. I think you’ll find the sea air a big help.”
She didn’t have to wait long for a reply. He set his soup spoon on the plate which held the bowl of soup. “If you want to go visit with your friends, go. I plan on leaving for the estate by week’s end. The seaside does not interest me. Not at the present time.”
“But…”
“Enough. You’re a widow, a dowager countess. It is much easier for you to travel without a man to accompany you. You do not need me to go with you.”
Turning to Graham, she posed a question. “What do you think? Should I go alone or go on to the country with my brother?”
Graham’s eyes had a twinkle to them. He knew exactly what she was hoping to accomplish. “Don’t bring me into this. I haveno opinion on the matter, nor should I. This is between you and Arthur.”
She blew out a breath, frustrated. Men! They stuck together no matter what. “I should have expected this.”
“Expected what?” Graham asked with a smirk on his lips. Lucious lips, is what Roxanne always thought. For a second, she wondered how they would feel and taste on top of hers. That could never and would never be. He might be cordial and a gentleman, but there was still a cheeky rake that waited in the background for the perfect situation to come to life.
“The answer I got. Very well, I’ll go by myself.”
“I could accompany you. I need to go check on a project near Brighton. I could take you as far as you can go before taking a ride to get over to Wight.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I can make it to Wight on my own.”
Graham nodded but didn’t say another word or try to change her mind. She saw him cast a glance at her brother. The two of them were probably in this, thick as thieves.
“Do you know how long you’ll be in Wight?” Arthur inquired. “I had a missive from Uncle Charles that he and Aunt Violet would like to drop by the estate for a visit on their way to Dover.”
Her agreement with Arthur had been to hostess social events when she returned from France. “Do you know exactly when they’ll arrive? I’ll make my plans around their arrival.”
“I’ll check when we return home. I know Uncle Charles gave me a time frame.”
A smile crossed her face. It would be good to see their mother’s sister and her husband. As they had, until recently, lived in India, a visit was always most welcome. It was where her parents were going when they were mysteriously killed. Murdered. Her aunt and uncle had returned to their home onthe border of Scotland while she was still in France. Roxanne figured she hadn’t seen them since her wedding to Casper.
“It will be good to see them.”
“Yes, it will,” Arthur agreed.
Dinner progressed without another incident. Roxanne was impressed with Graham’s cook. The dishes served were quite amazing, not only in presentation, but taste. She knew he was trying to impress her. For a moment she wondered if perhaps he had hired a more experienced cook for the evening because a lot of what was being served was a bit more sophisticated and complex than one’s everyday cook might prepare.
She decided not to broach the subject because that would only encourage Graham, and she truly only wanted to enjoy the meal and not get into a deep discussion about any of it. She knew he was waiting on her to do just that. Roxanne was having no part of it. Besides, frustrating him was more fun to watch.
