Fairfax Twins Collection: Three Book Box Set by Claudia Stone

Author:Claudia Stone [Stone, Claudia]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2019-08-01T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Earlier that same day...

Rob's day had not quite gone to plan. He had envisaged a morning of riding, then an hour or two spent with his solicitor in the nearby spa town of Tunbridge Wells, followed by a leisurely afternoon meal in the company of the children and Miss Smith.

His visions for the day had been shattered, however, the moment that he had awoken. A heavy rain fell outside the window, scuppering his plans for a hard ride across the moors.

His next course of action, a meeting with Mr Hargreaves, his solicitor, had taken far longer than he had anticipated. The old, portly man had presented him with a slew of leases to be signed, a delicate letter from the Prince Regent, asking for a loan, and the rather perturbing news that Fabrizio had visited him, asking for an advance on his allowance.

"I already gave him one," Rob had retorted, "He can't need more money already?"

Apparently, he did. Mr Hargreaves—who was at pains to mention that he in no way indulged in gossip—had heard it on the village grapevine that Signor Piraino's visits to Blakefield, always coincided with a flurry of missing objects.

"Silverware, paintings, one of the late Lady Dunstable's rings," the solicitor had listed off for Rob, his round face creased in a frown. "I rather fear the young lad might have got himself in a spot of trouble, your Grace. I wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise."

"And you won't mention it to anyone else?"

"Oh, heavens no!" Mr Hargreaves had replied, with shock; he was nothing, if not a man who knew what side his bread was buttered on.

The meeting with the solicitor had ended, though not before Mr Hargreaves had imparted the rather worrisome news that the family of Miss Gretchen could not be located. Robert, out of a sense of duty, had wished to offer them a sum of money, given that the girl had died under his roof.

"I'll ask Mr Dunstable if he knows anything of her background," he had said in reply to this news.

He had not envisaged that a meeting with David Dunstable would be as imminent as it ended up being. Rob had returned home to find Michael's younger brother ensconced in his library with Miss Smith and the children.

He paused at the door to observe them; David was horsing around with the children by the bookshelves, while Miss Smith had watched them with what could only be described as affection in her eyes.

An unfamiliar feeling stole over Robert at the soft look upon the governess' face. If he had taken a moment to try and decipher the uncomfortable stabbing in his gut, he would have realised that it was jealousy. As it was, he took no time to try to tame the wild beast inside him, before he spoke.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" he called into the room.

Miss Smith turned to him, her green eyes wide and startled at his cool tone. Blast, he thought; he hadn't meant to sound so irritated.

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