Page 47 of Tempting the Highland Spy
Harrison waited until she was out of earshot, then leaned closer. He lowered his voice, not quite a whisper. “Is she usually that ill at ease?”
“In my observation, her nerves tend to be a bit tightly strung. But I’ve never seen her so…tense.”
As he picked up his glass and took a drink, his attention discreetly slid to the heiress and her dinner companions. “Do you know who those women are?”
“I’ve never seen them before. Neither in Scotland nor in New York.”
“I need you to find a plausible reason to continue your conversation with Miss Fairchild and make contact with those women. We need to know who we’re dealing with before the exhibition.”
“That will not be a problem.”
Opening her velveteen reticule, she fished around for her coin purse. A few moments of dedicated searching later, she produced a tiny pearl button she kept in the small silk purse for just such an occasion. With the button cupped against her palm, out of sight, she bit back a smile at Harrison’s look of confusion.
His brow furrowed. “What do you have there?”
She could not resist a little smile. “Justification for paying Miss Fairchild’s table a visit.”
“One could never accuse you of lacking resources.”
“I always believe in planning ahead. You never know when you’ll need an excuse to make the acquaintance of your mark.”
Adopting a placid expression, she rose. “If you will excuse me, I need to speak with my dear old friend Belle.”
“Don’t be long, darling,” he said for effect.
Darling.My, how lovely the word sounded on his lips. In any case, she put aside the thought and proceeded to Belle’s table.
The salt-and-pepper haired woman stared up at her. She was actually quite beautiful, but the severity of her hairstyle and her expression created an impression that reminded Grace of a bird of prey.
“Belle, I do believe you might have lost something,” Grace said brightly, even as she met the hawkish woman’s gaze.
Belle looked up from perusing the menu. “Whatever do you mean?”
Grace extended her hand, revealing the button. “I spotted this on the floor, near where you’d been standing. Is there some chance you might have dropped it?”
The heiress glanced at the button, then ran a finger over the fasteners on her high collar. “Thank you, but it isn’t mine. I do appreciate you taking the time to be sure.”
“Of course. It’s no trouble.” She allowed her attention to wander to Belle’s acquaintances.
Spotting the movement of her gaze, Belle appeared flustered. “Grace, I do apologize. I should have introduced you to my friends.”
Motioning to the older woman, Belle lowered her voice. “Miss Winterborne—oh, I’m sorry, I meant Mrs. MacMasters—I’d like you to meet my dear friends Lady Sybil Lansbury and her niece, Lady Edythe Penderant.”
Mrs. MacMasters.Grace’s first instinct was to look behind her, as if it might be possible that Harrison’s newly acquired sister-in-law, Lady Evelyn, had happened upon the restaurant in a fortunate coincidence. She stopped herself, holding herself quite still as she processed the name. Goodness, she was accustomed to answering to an alias, but this one would definitely take some getting used to. Belle might as well have addressed her as a queen, the name sounded so very foreign to her ears.
Offering wan smiles, Lady Sybil and Lady Edythe offered equally bland pleasantries. When none of the trio invited Grace to join them, she took the initiative and seated herself rather boldly at Lady Sybil’s side.
The coldness in the woman’s eyes contradicted the faint smile that still danced on her lips. For a heartbeat, Grace held Lady Sybil’s gaze, then trained her attention on the younger woman.
“So, tell me, will the two of you be at the gallery this evening?”
Lady Edythe shook her head. “Sadly, no.”
“I regret we did not allow time in our schedule,” Lady Sybil added, her manner stiff as the waiter’s starched white collar. “But it cannot be helped now.”
“Lady Sybil and Lady Edythe are dear friends, and they are like kin to my fiancé. The bond between their families goes back for generations.” Belle mirrored Lady Sybil’s uneasy posture. “We have much to accomplish, what with the restoration of the ancestral estate and such.”
“I can only imagine how daunting the challenge must seem,” Grace said.
Belle pressed her lips into a bow. “I rather enjoy the prospect of restoring that grand old house to its former majesty.” As the waiter approached, she motioned him to the table. “I look forward to seeing you this evening. Do be sure to seek me out. I’d be so disappointed if Donnal did not have an opportunity to make your acquaintance.”
“Of course.” Taking her cue, Grace rose and excused herself.
Before she could take her leave, Lady Sybil reached out unexpectedly. Through the lace of Grace’s gloves, the chill of the woman’s hand permeated her skin. Gooseflesh peppered her arms, and she swallowed hard against the urge to pull away.
“Do take care, Mrs. MacMasters.” Studying Grace’s features, she pulled her lips into a taut, crooked slash. “Perhaps we will have occasion to spend more time together. I sense it’s a most interesting story that has brought you here. I do expect that someday very soon, you will tell me all of it.”
