Page 54 of Sir Durham’s Disarming Asset

“I am not to blame!” Cosette fisted her hands, letting her outrage show. “Yet everyone condemns me, too. People stare at me in the shops. I hate it.”

Zeph took the girl’s hand and gently opened her fingers.

The door to the hall opened and Monsieur Lenoir stood aside to allow another man to enter.

“Good afternoon, Mademoiselle Butler.” Lenoir strode to Zeph, seeming to burst with some pleasure that escaped her understanding, unless…unless it was that he had pleased Tauzain.

But why?

“Allow me to introduce you to our neighbor, Monsieur Tauzain.”

The guest was tall, slim, his face handsome despite its sharpness of nose and cheek. Gracious, he was. Of tone and words, he was certainly affable. In his movements, he was a man who seemed to float across the floor.

He bowed over Zeph’s hand and spoke in excellent Parisian French—and as he touched her, she suppressed revulsion. His narrowed eyes captured her—and bound her to him.

She pulled away from him. She could not bear to be held against her will by anyone. She had survived that once and would no longer permit herself to endure it again.

She was polite—and brief.

She had to leave.

“Allow our majordom to hire you a fiacre.” Lenoir was loath to let her go.

But she insisted. “Merci beaucoup.”

Tauzain was more accommodating. “I could summon my own groom in the nearby stables.”

“Please do not trouble yourself, monsieur.” She smoothed on her gloves and collected her reticule. “A public carriage will be in order.” And I do not want your groom learning where I live. Although, come to think of that, she now did not trust him or Lenoir.

Her anxiety claimed her heartbeat. She had to get out of here.

*

No. 15 Queen Square

London

Rafe gazed at Kane with trepidation at his friend’s obvious alarm. “What’s wrong?”

Kane had arrived at Rafe’s house unexpectedly, explaining to the butler that he had to see Rafe immediately. The tall, dark-haired Earl of Ashley, who ran much of Scarlett’s espionage ring, would not sit, but paced. “Zephora told us last night that Monsieur Lenoir and his daughter Cosette came to see her yesterday.”

“I know. She came here and told me the same thing. Jean Lenoir went to her with news that he had saved money from her father’s investments.” Rafe reserved his judgment that this was not the worst of what Kane had to tell him. “Why is this a problem?”

“Maybe an hour ago by now, Zeph left our house unaccompanied and walked to hire a hack a few streets away.”

Rafe knew Zeph’s boldness. Often it was useful. This time…? “Alone?”

“We have a man following her ever since she came to live with Gus and me.”

In addition to one of Dáire O’Neill’s men I hired to follow Zeph, she is well protected. Rafe went to the sideboard and poured them both suitable whiskies. As he handed one to Kane, he said, “Zeph’s been rash to go out alone. Other than that, tell me the problem.”

“Scarlett and Carlton have had one of O’Neill’s men watching Lenoir’s house for many weeks.”

“You suspect Lenoir of what?”

“Nothing other than the fact that he goes to his bank often.” Kane snorted. “I think he goes just to check his money is still there.”

“So, what is it that disturbs you?”