Romancing the Earl by Darcy Burke

Author:Darcy Burke
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Intrepid Reads
Published: 2015-04-21T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Cate pushed her half-eaten dinner away and stood up from the small round table situated in a corner of her chamber. Grey had departed a little while ago to meet Wade, which had left Cate alone, her mind tortured with images of Lord Norris intertwined with a faceless woman.

With a groan, Cate circulated the chamber, wishing she’d thought to take a book or two from Stratton’s library to occupy her evening hours. She glanced down at her dressing gown, regretting her decision to prepare for bed. She didn’t dare leave her chamber in this state, not when the house was potentially teeming with lascivious men.

Though, she wondered if encountering one would be so bad—one in particular, anyway.

Cursing her own foolishness at such thoughts, she flopped down on the bed and stared at the canopy. A pale blue thread dangled from the edge, looking as unfinished as she felt.

Unfinished?

She wasn’t sure how else to describe it. Unfulfilled perhaps. She didn’t particularly wish to marry, but she longed for intimacy. For a feeling she couldn’t yet name.

A knock on the door jerked her to sit straight up. She strained to listen, wondering if she’d misheard. Who would be calling on her at this hour? Had one of Stratton’s guests become lost?

A second knock came, louder and more insistent than the first.

Tentatively, Cate inched off the bed and made her way slowly to the door. The third knock was sharper and accompanied by a male voice.

“Miss Bowen, I wish to speak with you.”

Norris.

Exhaling her relief while at the same time feeling a burst of anticipation, she opened the door. “You’re not at dinner.”

“No. I tried, but I became distracted.”

From the women likely draped across the table? Cate worked to stifle the pleasure that rushed over her. “What happened?”

“May I come in?”

“Of course.” She stood aside as he passed into the chamber and closed the door. This was entirely inappropriate, but she didn’t care. She didn’t live her life by Society’s rules and she didn’t plan to start, well, ever.

“Dalby has disappeared.” He turned to face her. His eyes looked a bit wild, with a glazed sheen.

“That’s awful. I’m sorry you didn’t have a chance to speak with him.”

“I did, actually. Earlier, after I saw you in the library.” Nothing about his demeanor indicated he’d been affected by what she’d said, or if he even recalled it. Whereas she’d relived the moment a hundred times in her head and wished desperately she could take it back. Or see it through. She really couldn’t decide which.

“You did speak with him?” Why, then, was he upset?

“Yes, he told me the name of the man who enlisted him to steal the tapestry at Cosgrove and he bears a striking resemblance to the villain who also recruited this afternoon’s would-be thief.”

She inhaled sharply. “This man is quite committed to obtaining the tapestry.”

“Yes, but not for himself. He has an employer, but Dalby didn’t know his identity. He was to deliver letters written by Crane—the man who hired these thieves—to Wade later tonight, but now that he’s gone, I doubt I’ll ever see them.

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