Page 21 of Four Promises to Love

If you want to scratch a mutual itch, I am happy to oblige. But if you try to hurt my kin, you will have to go through me.

The memory of his glinting gaze—both sensual and threatening—sent a shiver through her. Owen was a problem, all right. But she suddenly realized he was also wrong.

“I have another idea,” she said.

“What is it?” Nell asked.

“Since the Harringtons are a close-knit bunch, we will use that against them.”

Tansy’s forehead creased. “How?”

“I just need to convince one Harrington that Madame Seraphina’s services are the answer to their Bloody Thom problem. If I find the loose thread, I will unravel the family’s resistance.”

Nell tilted her head. “Who is the loose thread?”

“I will soon find out.” Finn smiled slowly. “What do we know about the routines of the ladies?”

Block my path, will you, Owen Harrington? Well, I don’t have to go through you. I shall simply go around.

Six

“What a lovely coincidence seeing you here, Madame Seraphina!” the Duchess of Grantley exclaimed. “Won’t you join us for tea?”

Although it had been surveillance, not coincidence, that brought Finn to Chuddums’s popular tearoom, she responded with a serene smile. The Hawks had ascertained that the Harrington ladies took tea at the Leaning House on Tuesday afternoons, and the owner, Mrs. Pettigrew, always saved them the best table by the bow window. The trio looked like a summer bouquet in their bright, fashionable frocks and beamed at Finn as if she were a long-lost friend.

Their friendly reception relieved Finn. She’d been concerned that Owen might have disclosed their first meeting to his family to discredit her. Obviously, she needn’t have worried. A gentleman did not admit to his female kin that he’d trawled for pleasure in the streets of London—and ended up drugged and relieved of his personal belongings.

Finn would use his reticence to her advantage.

“How kind of you to offer, my ladies,” she said smoothly. “But I would not wish to intrude.”

“We would enjoy your company,” the Countess of Manderly said.

“With your help, we may also sample a larger selection of Mrs. Pettigrew’s delicacies.” Xenia Harrington’s brown eyes radiated warmth. “You would be doing us a favor.”

“In that case.” Finn slid into the empty seat next to the duchess, brushing her onyx skirts into place. “Thank you for the invitation.”

Mrs. Pettigrew set another place, and Finn found herself sipping the tearoom’s signature robust Assam from a blue-and-white patterned cup. Conversation was easy. The women asked how she’d become a medium and about her “family of assistants”; these were questions to which Finn had ready answers. She said her calling had chosen her, not vice versa. As for her assistants, they were a family, brought together not by blood but by a shared vision (this was true). When the duchess commented that Tansy seemed “as sweet as a lamb,” Finn had to stifle a grin.

The lively repartee relaxed and bemused Finn. These ladies were unusual for the upper crust; warm and affectionate, they invited her to abandon formalities. By the time the food arrived—delicious sandwiches and baked goods assembled on mismatched platters—she and her companions were addressing one another by their given names.

“What do you think of our village, Seraphina?” Xenia tore a morsel from a fluffy currant bun, slathering it with butter.

First rule of the game: stick to the truth as much as possible.

“I think that it is full of possibility,” Finn replied.

“That was my reaction precisely.” Gigi’s violet eyes danced. “Chuddums captured my imagination from the moment I arrived. The village is full of magic—and secrets.”

Finn adopted an enigmatic tone. “The secrets were what drew me.”

She knew her ploy was successful when gazes widened around the table.

“Do these secrets have to do with Bloody Thom?” Gigi asked breathlessly.

“Bloody Thom is our local ghost,” Xenia said. “He was the original owner of Bottoms House and was mysteriously murdered there eighty-odd years ago. It is said that he cursed the village.”

Finn knew all about the legend. To supplement Nell’s eavesdropping, she’d done her own reconnaissance. She’d even made the ultimate sacrifice—and allowed Wally to take her on a tour. After listening to him drone on for hours, she knew more about Chuddums than any person in their right mind ought to know. Yet she had to tread carefully and keep her story consistent with what she’d told Owen.