Page 20 of A Masked Lady for Mr. Kenworthy
This time, Rupert and Lady Faye exchanged glances. And when the young lass looked at him once more, her cheeks turned pink.
Rupert gave Thomas a pointed look, which Thomas shied away from. Then, he smiled at Lady Faye.
“Thomas and I will contact you discreetly if there is any more pertinent information to give you before the party,” he said. “But for now, your mission is to try your best to seduce Lord Turlington. Once you have his trust, we can go from there.”
Rupert gave Thomas another stern look. Then, he rose to his feet, offering Lady Faye his hand.
“Now, let us get you a carriage to see you home,” he said. “We can attribute it to the marquess’s kindness after your near miss on the path in the park.”
Thomas nodded, impressed. He should not be surprised that his partner was so adroit. But even after so many years, Rupert’s sharpness never ceased to amaze him.
Lady Faye gave Rupert a grateful smile.
“Thank you, Lord Daleshire,” she said. “Will the two of you be accompanying me?”
Rupert began to shake his head, but Thomas nodded his firmly.
“I will,” he said. “It would not do to send you off alone. I shall go to see that you get home safely.”
This time, Thomas turned his back on Rupert’s odd expression. Instead, he smiled at Lady Faye, offering her his arm to escort her from the dank interrogation room back downstairs and to the front door of the manor.
Chapter Fifteen
Faye followed the men out of the manor and to the carriage that had been summoned to take her home. To her surprise, she was not concerned about traveling alone with Mr. Kenworthy. More surprising still was how safe she felt in the hands of him and the Viscount Daleshire. Just a short time prior, she had been certain they were going to hurt her.
Now, she was delighted she had met them, albeit under such odd circumstances. They were, after all, agents of the Crown, and they regularly risked their lives to defend Great Britain. She felt certain they could help protect her from Mayson and that they would, indeed, help take care of her mother. In her heart, she knew she could trust them, and, for the first time since Mayson’s arrival at her family’s home, she felt a shred of hope that things would turn out right for her and her mother.
When they reached the coach, Lord Daleshire bowed to her.
“I cannot apologize enough for our error,” he said, giving her a warm, sheepish smile. “And for putting you further into this whole mess. I do hope you can find it within yourself to forgive us.”
Faye curtseyed to him, returning his smile.
“All is forgiven, my lord,” she said. “You were simply trying to do your job. I can hardly fault such good men for such a noble task. And I am more than happy to help, especially if it puts my cousin where he belongs.”
The viscount blushed, his smile turning into one of both relief and pride.
“You are too kind, Lady Faye,” he said. “A very good woman, indeed. Please, have a safe journey home.”
With that, he turned to Mr. Kenworthy, shaking his hand.
“We shall speak more about our plans when you return,” he said. “I trust that all will be well on your trip.”
Mr. Kenworthy nodded, returning the viscount’s handshake.
“I shall return here straightaway afterwards,” he said.
Lord Daleshire returned to his manor with a final farewell, and Mr. Kenworthy helped Faye into the carriage. Butterflies fluttered wildly in her stomach as the man’s hand touched hers. It amazed her, as she would have thought she would never want him to touch her ever again. Yet as he released her hand to step into the carriage himself, she found it was all she wanted.
The first part of the trip was a quiet one. It was not an uncomfortable silence, but it was clear Mr. Kenworthy was in deep thought. Faye pretended to be thinking, as well, but she could not help watching the man from the corner of her eye. She could see him frequently stealing glances at her, and she could feel the heat rise to her cheeks. Why was he having such an effect on her? Could it be that they really were attracted to one another?
After another few moments of his secretive glances, Faye looked directly at him. Rather than hurriedly looking away from her in embarrassment, he held her gaze. They stared at each other briefly, and Faye felt the butterflies begin stirring anew within her. Knowing that he worked for the Crown and that he was a good man made her even more attracted to him. And she thought, from the way he was looking at her, that he might feel some attraction to her, as well.
When the man cleared his throat, Faye realized she had been holding her breath. She shifted in her seat, giving the man a sheepish smile, uncertain of what to do with herself now the trance had been broken.
“I sincerely apologize for treating you so harshly,” he said. Then, he chuckled uncomfortably, shaking his head. “My, that was a terrible understatement. One could hardly call pointing a pistol at you and kidnapping you merely harsh treatment.” He sighed, running a hand through his ash-blond hair. Faye could see he was struggling to find words, and she understood he was regretful for everything that had happened to her at his hand. She gave him a warm smile.
“You need not apologize to me,” she said sincerely. “I will admit that, at first, I was very afraid. But now I know who you are, I understand you were simply doing your job. And, if I were you and had thought of me as you did, I would have done precisely the same thing.”
