Page 58 of Devil in Her Details

He didn’t pause in his wiping. “I asked a question.”

“A question that implied.”

“Fine.” He directed a wicked lift of his lips her way. “You win.”

Lilly scoffed, reaching for her tea to take a sip. “You must be one of those men obsessed with cleanliness,” Lilly said, cup hovering before her lips, eyeing the man. “Like my brother.”

The man simply shrugged. “With some things, yes. With other things, no.”

Right. He had no qualms about getting bloody, she supposed. Her gaze lifted to her footman appearing at the door.

“The Earl and Countess of Lyndhurst,” Hewitt announced, his gaze moving, with great professionalism, to the row of daggers on the tea table before averting his gaze, “request an audience.”

Lilly leaped to her feet. “Allie and Leo are here?”

Hewitt inclined his head.

Her head whipped to Dagger. “Hide!”

His brow furrowed, and he set his dagger aside and rose to his feet. “What’s the problem?”

“What’s the problem?” Lilly exclaimed. “They can’t see you here!” Her gaze darted around the room, and she pointed to the curtains framing the tall windows. “The curtains! Get behind the curtains.”

He scowled. “Can’t I just slip out?”

“No, I can’t take the chance. They won’t sit around and wait; they’re probably on their way up as we speak!”

“Quite right,” Hewitt agreed.

Lilly panicked. “Dagger!” She rushed over and pushed the man in the direction of the windows. The devil didn’t move an inch.

He sent her a brooding look. “You didn’t hide me from the servants.”

What was he . . . sulking? “They are different!” She didn’t have time to explain. Couldn’t he tell for himself?

“How?”

“They just are!”

“You mean they can be silenced.”

“What are you talking about?” Lilly hissed. “Hide! They will never leave if they see you.”

“Fine,” he muttered, already moving.

Lilly let out a deep breath and smoothed out the skirts, her eyes widening on the tea table. The daggers! Oh, no—

Her friends swept into the room behind Hewitt, who bowed and hastily took his leave.

Drat.

Their suspicious gazes narrowed on her.

Lilly sighed. They’d never been made to wait if they called on her. The one time they’d called on her. And that had been when she’d just arrived. They must be concerned for them to be here.

“Did something happen?” Lilly asked lightly, gathering a smile. “Or are you perhaps unhappy with your purchase?”

“Of course not!” Allie said, her gaze turning to saucers when they fell on the weapons on the table.