Page 12 of Miss Desirable
Dorning swung his walking stick. “Dimwitted Dorning. Don’t tell Jeanette. I was never much of one for the books. You’ll be at Angelo’s on Tuesday?”
“Depend upon it, and by the time I am done with you, you will be able to best all six of your brothers at once.”
“I already can,” Dorning said, assaying a roguish smile, “with my rapier wit and my signature charm. If I could beat Ash with foils from time to time, I’d be forever in your debt.”
Xavier bowed. “Consider it done, and my thanks for your assistance today.”
“You will explain the situation to Catherine?”
“Most assuredly.”
“Until Tuesday, then.” Dorning saluted with his walking stick as he would have with a foil and strode off.
Xavier turned his steps in the opposite direction.Lord Fart. He would pass that appellation on to Goddard, who had a former soldier’s fine, if irreverent, sense of humor.
Though why would a lordling who did not pay the trades number among Belcher’s callers? Xavier let that question drift to the back of his mind as he spied a footman out walking some nearby household’s pet canine.
A fine, sizable beast with a silky coat and waving tail. One of the Dorning brothers raised and trained dogs, then sold them for exorbitant sums to dandies and Corinthians, also to lonely dowagers and spinsters.
Xavier liked dogs, but then, he liked cats and horses too.
He also, somewhat to his dismay, liked Catherine Fairchild. On that thought, he crossed the street and took himself in the direction of Soho, where he was certain to find decent French cuisine and the music of his native language spoken in all its delightful variety.
* * *
“You have a caller.” Deems held the card tray out to Catherine, though his air of injured dignity spoke more articulately than the violet lettering on the linen stock. “I again reminded Monsieur that this is a house of mourning and further indicated that the hour is inappropriate for a condolence call. His reply was less than well-mannered.”
Good for Monsieur. “You will please show him in.”
Deems drew himself up, then left Catherine’s private parlor with a disparaging glance at the window she’d opened.
Le vieil âne.She’d found Fournier’s characterization of Deems fortifying. Monsieur’s presence in her parlor was a tonic of a different magnitude.
“If you please,” he said to Deems, “a tea tray is in order. You will be sure the kitchen uses a proper quantity of leaves this time and sends along a few sandwiches. The noon hour approaches, and Miss Fairchild’s appetite must not be neglected.”
Deems pokered up again. “Anything else,miss?”
“Thank you, no.”
The look Deems gave Fournier should have withered the ferns potted beneath the window. The butler withdrew on a single shallow bow aimed in Catherine’s direction.
“He was never this bad when my parents were alive,” she said, rising and offering Fournier her hand. “Papa said Deems lent the household consequence, so Mama and I put up with him.”
Catherine wasn’t wearing gloves, and too late, she realized Fournier wasn’t either. Such a warm grasp he had.
“You have not yet given Deems the happy news of his impending retirement. Wise of you. The element of surprise should never be surrendered lightly. I found this among the post at the front door.”
He passed over a sealed missive, no return address.
“You snoop through my mail now?”
“Somebody does, else why leave those letters lying on the sideboard hours after they arrive? This is from Mr. Belcher, I believe.”
Catherine looked more closely at the letter. “How can you tell?”
“That is a clerk’s fine hand on the direction. The paper is good quality, but not too good, and also clean, meaning it was delivered by messenger from somewhere in London. No franking, no postage due. Besides,”—one corner of his mouth kicked up—“I prevailed upon Mr. Sycamore Dorning to accompany me when I delivered your note to Belcher’s offices yesterday.”
Catherine resumed her seat. “Involving the Dornings was a very great presumption on your part, monsieur.” How did she feel about that? She knew Sycamore Dorning in passing, knew he was protective of his wife and family and that he ran a gaming hell doing business as a fancy supper club.
