Page 9 of The Scholar's Key
“How could I what?” her mother said, holding her head high. “I only invited my dear friend to tea.”
Percy narrowed her eyes. “I know exactly what you are doing.”
“I have no idea what you mean. And I would suggest that you speak to me respectfully.”
Percy took a breath, telling herself that aggravating her mother would not help her cause.
“You are trying to arrange a match between me and Lord Stephen.”
“I am doing nothing of the sort,” her mother said. “Rather, I am introducing you to an eligible young gentleman with a reputable family line. I thought you may wish to come to know him better. You must admit, he is rather handsome, he seems agreeable, and is the kind of man you typically favor.”
“That is true,” Percy murmured. “But I cannot promise anything. Not yet.”
Her mother was right. He was everything she had always said she wanted.
So why did he feel so wrong?
CHAPTER4
With nothing on their schedule the next day and mercifully no planned visits with Lord Stephen, Percy convinced her mother to accompany her to call upon Cassandra’s Aunt Eve – now titled Mrs. Compton, as she had married a second son, which, had been scandalous at the time.
As for explaining her visit, Percy had simply told her mother that Cassandra had asked her to impart a letter to her aunt and to see with her own eyes how she was doing, to which her mother had readily agreed to accompany her.
“Have you met Mrs. Compton before?” Percy asked as they ascended the front steps.
“In our youth, we knew one another,” her mother said, her eyes taking on that misty quality that they did when she reminisced. “She was a spirited woman, if I do recall.”
“If she is anything like Cassandra, I can imagine so,” Percy murmured as she knocked on the door.
“Lady Fairfax, is that you?”
They turned before the door opened to see a woman in an elegant rose dress with lace adornments standing on the other side of the street, waving frantically.
“Why, it’s Lady Westingham!” her mother exclaimed. “I have not seen her in years. I will return in a moment, Persephone. Please do make my apologies to Mrs. Compton and tell her that I will be in shortly.”
Percy shrugged as her mother ran off and the door opened, a butler standing on the other side.
“I am here to call upon Mrs. Compton,” she said, passing the butler her card. He glanced down at it before opening the door wider and allowing her entrance.
“One moment, please, Lady Persephone,” he said. “I shall go tell her that you are here – that both of you are here.”
“Oh, my mother is…” Percy began, trailing off as the butler was already walking away, obviously not listening to her. It was not until she glanced behind her that she realized she was not alone in the foyer. “Mr. Rowley!”
“Lady Persephone.” He inclined his head toward her. “It appears we have the same idea this afternoon.”
“Ah, yes, you decided to call on Mrs. Compton alone, I see,” she said indignantly. “Didn’t trust me to do the job?”
“As it happens, I have the key,” he said, reaching down into a pocket and holding it up for her to see. “I thought it best that I come and see if I could locate the necklace, and then involve you if needed. It seems a job that you shouldn’t concern yourself with. I’m sure you have many other obligations.”
“Nothing pressing, I assure you,” she said, perturbed. This was far more interesting than any social call.
“I might point out,” he continued, “that you also came here alone.”
“My mother has accompanied me. She shall be here shortly.”
“I meant that you came without me, when you promised you would wait,” he said pointedly, to which she sniffed and looked forward, watching for the butler to return.
“Did you really think Mrs. Compton would just hand over what is likely her most prized possession to you?” she asked incredulously, returning her gaze to him. He was leaning back against the wall, his face in shadows, allowing her to study his plain clothes in a slightly faded black.
