Page 56 of Sir Durham’s Disarming Asset

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A knock came at her own sitting room door.

She called to allow the servant to enter.

“Friendly?” She was surprised when it was the Ashley butler who appeared and not the maid she expected.

“Miss, Lady Ashley requests your presence in the main salon.” The aged, congenial fellow could hardly form the words, he looked so stricken.

“Are you well, sir?”

“I am. I am, Miss Butler. Do come. My lady is very worried.”

“She is?”

“Mr. O’Neill, too. And Sir Raphael has just arrived as well.”

What was the matter? She would rather stay here and continue with her marvelous discovery of Vaillancourt’s secrets.

“Please—please, m-miss.” The aging butler stepped aside and held out a hand to encourage her to go down.

Chapter Fourteen

Hawthorne Trading Company

1 Clements Lane, Lombard-street

London

Zeph marched into the offices of Scarlett Hawthorne well after five o’clock, more than an hour since her arrival home from her visit to Cosette. Gus and Kane were with her. Behind them came Dáire O’Neill, who was a most unhappy fellow. None of those three was pleased about her visit to Cosette, but they had not explained why that was so. Other than that she had gone without leaving any word of where she went or why, she was in the dark as to their displeasure. They would explain all to her, they’d said. But others were needed to help do that fully.

Then Rafe had arrived, his dark eyes wild with worry as he offered his own coach for them to leave for Scarlett’s offices.

She’d readily accepted. Zeph had no reason to refuse any of them their invitation to go to the City to meet their friends. Rafe’s company was her solace, even though he’d told her he would not discuss the current matter, as there was much she needed to learn, but she could trust that everyone had her welfare in mind.

“I trust you do,” she’d told him, and he accepted that with some surprise and much sorrow.

She trusted him implicitly. Above all others, she had that regard of him. And why not? He had saved her, body and soul. If he said this meeting would benefit her, she believed him—and had told him so.

Still, it was odd to be escorted to a visit to the City offices of Hawthorne Trading Company at this hour when most Londoners retired to their dressing rooms to prepare for their dinners. She anticipated the meeting with a certain inevitability. These people, all friends, had much in common. More than they had told her. Much she did not need to know. Until now.

Zeph heard the distinctive, sultry voice of Scarlett Hawthorne in the middle of a discussion with another lady. “This is the first time you have seen him in more than a year?” Scarlett asked.

“It is,” was the answer. “I was shocked. O’Neill’s man came to take me to a small café, where he sat near the window, dining with a lady.”

Todd Carlton, Scarlett’s man, appeared in the entrance to the office. To all five visitors, he nodded. “Come in, please.”

“Good evening, Zephora, my lady, my lord, O’Neill.” Scarlett was pleasant but businesslike as she offered Zeph and Gus chairs beside this lady whom she had previously addressed. “Zephora, allow me to introduce to you Giselle, Lady Carlisle. You know the lady’s husband, Lord Carlisle. Lord Ashley, of course, is here. I believe, Zeph, you know Vivienne, Lady Appleby, and Lord Halsey very well.”

Zeph greeted them each in turn. Lord Halsey had not seen him since the birth of his and Inès’s baby. She congratulated him. “I hope Inès and your son are well?”

“Thank you.” He looked as if he’d had little sleep. “They are.”

Scarlett went on. “Also, I understand you have not met this gentleman before. This is Lord Appleby, Vivienne’s husband.”

“Thank you. Yes, how are you tonight?” Zeph greeted both.

“Good.” Viv smiled and reached for Zeph to kiss her on both cheeks. “All is well,” she murmured.