Page 54 of My Gentleman Spy
Chapter Twenty
Will spentthe rest of the day and the next settling into the family home. True to his word Francis steadfastly refused to relinquish what had once been Will’sroom.
“I can make him move rooms if you wish,” offeredAdelaide.
“He is fine where he is; possession is nine tenths of the law. It wouldn’t be fair for me to come back after all this time and expect him to give up the room. Besides, I have lived as a lodger in a tiny garret, I wouldn’t know what to do with such a large space,” repliedWill.
He gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. Adelaide reached out and took hold of his hand. She stood silently smiling at him for a good minute orso.
Will knew what she was thinking. All that mattered was that he was sleeping under his parent’s roof once more. Her eldest son was home and the war with France wasover.
“So, do you have plans for the day?” sheasked.
Will had given Hattie sufficient time to find her way to her uncle’s house. Time to enjoy the illusion of having given him the slip. This morning he intended to pay Felix Wright a visit and set Hattiestraight.
“Just going to catch up with an old friend,” hereplied.
He hailed a hack out the front of the house, and made his way over to Argyle Street. Stepping out from the carriage, he paid the driver and with purpose headed toward number seventy-five.
Reaching the front steps, he stopped and checked that his waistcoat and jacket were straight. He had a speech carefully prepared as well as a plausible cover story to keep Hattie in her uncle’s good graces. It was time to end the game and make a formal offer for Hattie’s hand inmarriage.
He knocked on the door. When the butler opened it, Will handed over his callingcard.
“Mr. William Saunders for Mr. Felix Wright if he is at home,” saidWill.
The butlerfrowned.
“I am sorry sir, I don’tunderstand.”
A slight sinking feeling fluttered in the bottom of Will’s stomach. He cleared this throat and attempted a secondapproach.
“This is Mr. Felix Wright’s house is itnot?”
“Yes sir, it is. Mr. Wright however has not been in residence for some time. He is currently attached to the British envoy in Washington, District of Columbia. That is in the United States of America,” the butlerreplied.
Will ignored the man’s attempt to show off his knowledge of world geography. He was too busy worrying about the sinking feeling which had started to make itself feel at home in the pit of hisstomach.
“Oh, I do apologize. A friend gave me this address, she must have been mistaken. By the by how long has Mr. Wright been in the UnitedStates?”
The butler thought for amoment.
“Coming up for four yearssir.”
As the door closed, Will remained on the front steps. He was too angry to move. Hattie had lied to him even as he offered to take her home to herfamily.
The whole time they had been together on the boat. All through the long afternoons of passionate love making, she had been planning to make her escape. She had promised to not tell him any morelies.
“Deception by omission is still a lie, Hattie,” hemuttered.
For someone who claimed to be unskilled at the art of deception, Hattie was slowly revealing herself to be quite the artisan. Even Will was man enough to acknowledge that her lies were what hurt him themost.
He had shared some of his deepest secrets with her, confided the pain he felt over the loss of Yvette, yet Hattie in return had continued to live a lie. She had used him, and then betrayedhim.
He gritted his teeth. He was done with being a gentleman. When he finally did run Hattie to ground, he was going to make her pay for her lies. For having so shamelessly stolen hisheart.
