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“Barely got to see you last night,” Fin said ingreeting.
Indeed. The swarm of ladies that found Sebastian as he arrived hadn’t left him alone all evening. One very good reason why he hated attending such events. Had he been able to further his acquaintance with Caroline Staveley, the nuisance of it all would have been worth it. But that blasted Haversham had put a rather quick end to that plan with whatever awful thing it was he’d said to the lady that sent her scrambling back to her own home before Sebastian had even been able to say hello. “Yes, well, I barely got to see anyone Iwantedto.”
A ghost of a smile tipped Fin’s lips. “So none of those girls should count on being the Countess of Peasemoreanytimesoon?”
Sebastian scowled in response. “Felicity told you.” He shouldn’t have been surprised about that. She was probably too eager to run to Fin with tales of Sebastian looking forawife.
Fin shrugged. “Felicity and I keep no secrets from each other, notanymore.”
Not after the last one got a handful of people killed. But Sebastian held his tongue instead of saying as much. After all, what was the point in stating the obvious? “And all the better when they’remybloodysecrets.”
At that, his cousin laughed. “You don’t really think Grandfather will cutyouoff?”
“Grandfather, no.” Sebastian heaved a sigh. “Grandmother in a heartbeat. Vicious oldharpy.”
“Sheadoresme.”
“Shewould.”
Fin laughed again. He was much more jovial these days than he had been in years past. Felicity, for all that she was a foolish little thing, had done that for his cousin. If only there was a way for Sebastian to pickherbrain. She knew the Staveleys better than he did. Actually, Fin did as well, now that Sebastian thought about it. He’d never involved his family in an operation before, but it might be easier to get something useful from Fin than it would be Lady Staveley, at this point, especially with bloody Haversham in his way all thedamnedtime.
“You’ve known Lady Staveley a while,” he began cautiously, in an effort to keep the conversation light and to keep Fin from becomingsuspicious.
His cousin nodded. “She and Georgie were lifelong friends.” He leaned back in his seat and studied Sebastian. Blast it, he might be suspicious after all. “She’s Beckford’ssister.Why?”
Sebastian shrugged slightly and schooled his features into a look of boredom that he’d perfected over the years. “I don’t know her well at all. I’d hoped for her assistance.” Hopefully that would assuage any suspicions Fin might have. “She seems engaging, but the whole Haversham thing is odd to me. Is he at all like her late-husband?”
At that, a bark of laughter escaped Fin, louder than most of his laughs in any event. Then he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “Not in a single,solitaryway.”
Sebastian figured as much but also figured saying something so ridiculous would be the fastest way to loosen Fin’s tongue a bit. “You knewStaveleywell?”
Fin was still blotting his eye and then shook his head. “He was a decent fellow, honorable, but I wouldn’t say I knew him well. Rarely came out of his library long enough to engage anyone in conversation.” Then all the mirth left his countenance as he sobered up. “I was the last one to see him alive, you know. If I hadn’t run into him on his way to Prestwick Chase—” he cringed “—If Pierce had gotten his hands onFelicity…”
She’d most likely be dead at the hands of her first husband. But Felicity had lived, and Staveley had died. Sebastian knew that part. Everyone knew that part. “Poor fellow,” hemuttered.
Fin agreed with a nod of his head. “I owe him every ounce of happiness I’ll ever have the rest ofmydays.”
If only the man had left his deciphered code some place obvious, Sebastian would be happy the rest ofhisdays. Wait. What was that? “He rarely came out of hislibrary? Odd place to spend all of one’s time.” How many books were in that particular room? And how damned long would it take to go througheachone?
“Staveley was unique,” Fin said, still solemnly, still obviously contemplating what could have been if he hadn’t stumbled upon the late viscount when he hadlastyear.
Sebastian frowned a bit. “All right. So explain to me how Lady Staveley can go from a hermit-like library-dweller to…Haversham?”
“How cananylady have anything to do with Haversham?” Fin countered with a scoff. “One of life’s greatest mysteries. Whatever hold the bastard has over the fairer sex, I’ve neverunderstoodit“
Sebastianunderstoodit. After all, it was one of the reasons women flocked tohim. Women, for some reason, liked the challenge of a man with a wicked reputation, as thoughshewas the key to reforming him. Utter nonsense. But that’s what it was. Still, he didn’t feel like explaining that to his cousin, not when his thoughts were suddenly very focused on Staveley’s library and how the devil he was going to search all those many books,undetected.
Chapter16
Marc strode through the servants’entrance at Staveley House and immediately bumped into Caroline’s cook. The excitable woman from the previous night. He prepared himself for another ear-shatteringscream.
“Pardon me,” hemuttered.
The woman’s eyes rounded in her face, but she blessedly did not wail as she’d done before. And a moment later, a relieved smile spread across her face. “I am sorry about last night, milord. You did take ten years off my life,though.”
Who knew how many she had left, then. “I certainly didn’t mean tofrightenyou.”
The cook shook her head as though she readily accepted his apology. “Will you be coming in that way—” she gestured toward the servants’ entrance with her head “—allthetime?”
