Page 28 of The Earl's Secret
“Very well. When would you prefer?”
“Never,” she said honestly, sighing when she saw that her answer made his smile widen. “But if we must, then once we return to Castleton.”
“You will provide me a moment of your time alone, then?”
“I will,” she promised, wondering as she did if she was setting herself up for another encounter with him that she should be avoiding. Although she knew, within, that as much as she tried, she would never be able to keep herself completely away from him. His pull on her was too strong. She would simply have to do her best to remain stoic until he left their estate. Eventually he would have to see to his own responsibilities, would he not?
Thankfully, he let go of the topic for the remainder of the ride, and soon enough, Cassandra’s mother awoke and they arrived at their destination. Cassandra wondered how many guests would be in attendance, for Lady Embury was always quite eager to invite as many titled guests who lived within a reasonable distance as she could to her gatherings.
Devon offered both Cassandra and her mother an arm as he escorted them up the stairs, and she gratefully greeted her friends, who were waiting within along with their parents to welcome their guests.
“Oh, I am so glad to see you,” she said to the sisters, who said more with their expressions than their words as they noted her arrival with Devon and without her brother. “I have much to share with you, although most will have to wait until later,” she said meaningfully.
They nodded as there wouldn’t be time at the present, and soon enough, Cassandra was shown to her bedroom. There would be much more time tonight to tell them all that had occurred – regarding treasure hunting. As for her encounters with Devon... that might be a topic best avoided for now.
* * *
For the secondtime in a matter of weeks, Devon found himself in a new country house, a strange bedroom, and Lady Cassandra on his mind.
The fact she was sharing each home with him was actually somewhat comforting, for at least he knew he could keep an eye on her.
The dinner and dance were to be held that evening, of course, and in the meantime, Devon went searching for the billiards room, which turned out to hold none other than Lord Whitehall, better known to the lot of them as Anthony Davenport. He wasn’t the closest of his friends, for Devon had always had a difficult time understanding Whitehall’s reluctance to enjoy life but rather to focus on what could go wrong. Still, Whitehall understood Devon better than most and had fit well in their small circle of men seeking out adventure, despite usually questioning ideas brought forward by anyone else.
“Whitehall, didn’t expect to see you here,” Devon said, clapping the man on the shoulder.
“Nor you,” the viscount said. “What brings you all this way to Harwich?”
“Well,” Devon said, looking around to ensure that they would not be overheard, “you recall Gideon’s riddle?”
“Of course.”
“I accompanied him to Castleton to help search for clues. Then Gideon was called away on some pressing matters at a secondary estate, so I am doing what I can in his absence. He should hopefully return shortly.”
“You are staying at Castleton alone, then?”
“The rest of the family is there,” Devon said, not mentioning Cassandra’s name lest Whitehall read something into it. “And Gideon should be back soon.”
“Your own family is fine with that?”
Devon hadn’t heard from his brother since he had told his family that he would be delayed in meeting them at their own estate near Newmarket, but he hadn’t been overly concerned. Once he was finished with this business, he would spend the rest of the summer with them. His father had always ensured that he had excellent stewards and men-of-business in place to deal with everyday matters, and his brother could deal with any urgent situations that arose. Devon hadn’t had any concerns with allowing them to continue to do what they did best.
“My family spends enough time with me that I’m sure they are happy to have a reprieve,” he said instead, to which Whitehall simply grunted – as was his way.
“And just how is your treasure hunt going?” Whitehall asked.
“We haven’t found anything as of yet,” Devon said with a sigh. “Although I suppose you could say we have determined where the treasureisn’tas opposed to where it is.”
“I thought you said Addison was away.”
“He is.”
“Then who is this ‘we’?”
Devon realized his mistake too late, although he supposed there wasn’t much harm in sharing this part of the story.
“Before Gideon left, Lady Cassandra revealed that she also got her hands on a copy of the riddle. Apparently, its author made a draft version that was stuck in some book she was reading. An unlikely coincidence, but there you have it. She has insisted on helping with the search. It is actually part of the reason Gideon asked me to stay – to ensure she doesn’t impede our hunt or get into any trouble.”
“That cannot be much help, having to look out for a woman as you try to make your own discovery,” Whitehall remarked dryly, to which Devon reacted with annoyance within that surprised him.
