Page 10 of When the Rogue Returns
“Oh, please do not insult my intelligence.” With an elegant roll of her eyes, Lady Lochlaw laid her arm along the back of the settee. “Any woman would leap to snag a rich young baron like Rupert, but especially a woman of her sort, grasping enough to go into trade.”
Inexplicably, that raised his hackles. “What did you expect a widow to do after she was deprived of the husband who’d provided for her? Starve?”
The minute he spoke the words he regretted them, for her ladyship’s gaze narrowed on him. And why was he defending the wife who’d deserted him, who had set him up to pay for her crimes? Mrs. Franke might not evenbehis wife. He must remember that, and stop antagonizing the woman who was going to pay Manton’s Investigations.
“Forgive me,” he said. “I have a tendency to speak too bluntly. All those years in the army made me ill-suited for the company of ladies ‘of true breeding’ like yourself.”
She softened. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say ‘ill-suited.’” Her gaze trailed down him. “Even ladies of true breeding sometimes enjoy a taste of wild game, if you take my meaning.”
He stifled a sharp retort. “If you don’t mind, my lady, I have a few more questions about the case.”
Her eyes glittered briefly. Then she managed a smile. “You are all business, aren’t you, Mr. Cale?”
“It’s what I do best.”
“Well, then, I hope that in the midst of your dogged pursuit of the truth, you will do me one teeny-tiny favor.” As he stifled a groan, she bent nearer to whisper, “I need you to keep your true reason for being in Edinburgh secret.”
Oh,thatkind of favor. Thank God. “I assure you I am always discreet.”
“Of course,” she said hastily. “You see, I don’t want my son to guess why I’ve brought you here. Technically, he holds the purse strings, though he loans them out to me without a thought. But I should not want to give him a reason to take them back.”
“Right.” He was beginning to get an interesting picture of this baron—young, impressionable, entirely under his mother’s thumb.
Except for his interest in Mrs. Franke.
Lady Lochlaw flashed him her shark’s smile. “But I need you to join us on several social occasions, so you can observe him and Mrs. Franke together. Tonight we three are going to the theater, and I’d like you to accompany us. I was hoping you could pretend to be someone... well... more appropriate.”
“Like who?” he said coolly.
“Perhaps a distant cousin, come from London to visit me.”
“Don’t you think your son will know that I am not your cousin?”
She waved her hand dismissively. “He pays no attention to such things. I have a hundred cousins.” A scheming smile crossed her lips. “And if you play one, then you can be the concerned male relation, asking questions that no other man could.” Her eyes lit up. “Except, perhaps, a suitor. You could pretend—”
“No, my lady,” he cut in. “I would never presume.” Clearly he’d be using that phrase quite often with his new client. “And if a stranger suddenly appears in your life as a suitor, your son will not only grow suspicious, but may start investigatingmysuitability foryou.”
Her face fell. “I hadn’t thought of that.” She gave an exaggerated sigh. “Very well, a cousin it is. You needn’t change your name—there must be a Cale somewhere in my line.” She glanced at him. “You don’t mind, do you? The client who recommended Mr. Manton’s services said that your employer actually had to do a bit of playacting to find out his information.”
“I’m accustomed to that,” he said truthfully. “I used to serve as an agent for an investigator on the Continent.” Only occasionally, though she needn’t know that. “But your story won’t hold water for long if your son grows curious.”
“It won’t need to hold up long, because you are going to make sure the matter is resolved quickly. We’re having our annual house party at Kinlaw Castle next week, and I want to have every bit of ammunition against Mrs. Franke by then.” Her voice took on an edge. “In case my fool of a son decides to announce an engagement to her.”
“I see,” Victor said. “That’s not much time, especially if I’ll be spending part of my days and nights at social affairs, as you requested.”
Then it dawned on him. If the widow and Isawereone and the same, Isa would know it was a lie.
Yes. She would.
A smile curled his lips. And she would wonder what he was up to, and she wouldn’t be able to say a damned thing. He liked that idea. Let her shake in her boots for a while. That might prompt her to unveil her real purpose more swiftly.
“I’m sure you can manage it, Mr. Cale.” The baroness flashed him a sultry smile. “It’s what I’m paying you for, is it not?”
The butler appeared in the doorway. “Mrs. Franke is here, my lady.”
Victor stiffened. What the devil?
“Send her right up, if you please.” Lady Lochlaw smiled brightly at Victor. “When I got your message that you were arriving today, I invited Mrs. Franke to take tea with us. I thought you might as well get right to it, and form your first impressions without my son around and without having to resort to subterfuge. Clever of me, wasn’t it?”
