A Lady of Distinction by Deborah Simmons

Author:Deborah Simmons [Simmons, Deborah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bennett Street Books
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Morgan was in a foul mood.

It was this dismal weather, he told himself as he dressed. And the endless, wretched bookwork. And the coxcomb with his dire tales of vengeful mummies. And a certain Egypt expert who thought him no better than a thief. When Chauncey stepped forward brandishing a linen strip, Morgan turned on him.

“Don’t you dare hand me a new neckcloth!” he said, having managed to knot his current one into a hopeless tangle.

Chauncey scowled at him. “It wouldn’t hurt you to start looking like an Englishman,” he muttered.

“Yes, it would. That’s why I left the country in the first place,” Morgan said.

“Over a neckcloth,” Chauncey said, obviously skeptical.

“Among other things.”

“My, aren’t we in lovely spirits this morning?” Chauncey said. “Have a bad night, did we?”

“You know very well I was right here all night,” Morgan said.

“Well, there’s the problem,” Chauncey said.

“I have no business being anywhere else, and neither do you,” Morgan said, a warning in his voice. But was it for Chauncey or himself?

“Can I help it, if the maids here take a liking to me?” Chauncey asked.

“Yes. And you better hope that neither the earl nor his butler find out what you’re doing,” Morgan said, sitting down to tug on his boots. “I don’t care to get tossed out of here, not just yet anyway.”

“Well, I shouldn’t mind leaving. The whole house is in an uproar over the baronet’s wild tales,” Chauncey said, shaking his head.

“I don’t suppose you found anything interesting in his room?” Morgan asked.

“Not a thing,” Chauncey said. “And let me tell you, it took some doing to lure that valet of his away. I never saw such a queer card. I can’t imagine the coxcomb paying him enough to merit such devotion to duty.”

“More likely, it’s the opposite, and the poor sod’s wages are garnished for any infraction.”

“Maybe,” Chauncey said. “Whatever it is, he sure does a job. The place is neat as a new pin. Either the valet keeps it all in perfect order, or the coxcomb’s the cleanest fellow I ever met.”

Morgan snorted.

“And he sure doesn’t seem like much of a scholar,” Chauncey said, shaking his head. “There wasn’t a book or even a stack of notes lying about.”

“Odd,” Morgan said. “From the way he carries on, I’d expect every inch of the premises to be covered with hieroglyphs.”

Of course, Juliet was orderly, as well, though he’d never seen her bedroom. The thought made Morgan clench his teeth. There was certainly slim chance of that happening since he had barely even seen her yesterday. After the rest of the town house had been searched, the earl had set his secretary, a pinch-nosed fellow with beady eyes, to check the contents of the ballroom against the purchase list. With both the secretary and the coxcomb hovering about, private speech was impossible.

During dinner, Juliet had said little, and later in the evening Morgan had made his obligatory visit to the ballroom only to find it empty, except for a footman who eyed him suspiciously.

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