Chapter Twenty
Dunstan’s London house was modest compared to Warrington House but was on prime property, being on Arlington Street.
His neighbors included the Earl of Sefton, whose wife was one of the patronesses of Almack’s.
Tony had met the lady several times, and she had scrutinized him from head to toe before giving him acceptance.
Almack’s was a bore, but it gave him access to members of the ton who did not often attend more liberal entertainments.
Being part of a respectable family helped as well.
Dunstan’s butler led him into a nice-sized parlor overlooking the street. Subtle tones of dark green and gold decorated the parlor and there were potted plants placed here and there. The fireplace was crackling nicely, and it made Tony wince with the memory of another fireplace.
Dunstan appeared, pulling on the cuffs of his shirt as if he had just donned his jacket. He must have noticed Tony studying him. “Forgive me. I was in my painting clothes. I hope you have not been waiting too long.”
“No, not at all. This is a charming room.”
“Thank you. I rather like it. The light from the windows gives the room a different aspect depending on the time of day. It never feels the same or boring, but I am sure you do not care for such things.”
Tony ignored the jibe about his lack of art appreciation. “I have come about Miss Sterling, not your thoughts on your parlor.”
Dunstan smiled. A jibe for a jibe. Tony suspected Dunstan was enjoying this.
“Coffee? I roast my own beans. I import them from Java as I have a contact in the East India Company.” Dunstan gestured for him to sit.
Why would an artist have a connection in the East India Company? “No. I thank you. I hope this will not take too long.” Tony noticed that the earl was genuinely surprised.
“My, what has happened?”
“Miss Sterling is well, I assure you.”
“Good to hear. She left me but a few hours ago in fine health. I am intrigued though. Please, go on.” He poured himself a cup of coffee, added a lump of sugar, and stirred while he waited for Tony to answer.
For some reason the stirring played on his nerves. “I need to know if you are courting her seriously. Do you intend to marry her?”
Dunstan laughed, which put Tony on edge. Men laughed when they were uncomfortable. Well, he would be, if asked the same question.
“The season has just begun. Is there a reason for this hurry?”
“We are in April, Lord Dunstan.”
Dunstan narrowed his eyes. “Miss Sterling is lovely, do not misunderstand; my attentions towards her are honorable. However, if there is something I should know I beg you to tell me now. Or are you here to invite me to dinner at Warrington House?”
“I just wanted to make you aware of some things pertaining to her background. I don’t want lack of information about her family to be a hindrance to your marital plans.”
“Ah, yes, she has told me about her parents. Tragic, really. I am repainting her parents for her, did you know that? I think a larger portrait would be more flattering than the two smaller ones.”
So, he had more than an interest in her. “It is actually about the miniatures that I have come.”
“I have returned them to Miss Sterling. I no longer have them.”
“I am aware, but when she got home she noticed they were not in quite the same state as she gave them to you.”
Dunstan stopped stirring. “Whatever do you mean?”
“Her mother’s lock of hair was missing and she noticed they had been taken out of their frames.”
“I see,” he said, taking a sip of his coffee. He did not look as shocked as he should have in Tony’s opinion or in any way repentant.
“Why did you take them out of their frames?”
“It is an artist’s thing. You would not understand.” He waved a hand negligently in the air.
“Let me be the judge of that.”
He pinned Tony with a stare. “I took them out of the frames to measure the dimensions of their heads and faces so as to enlarge them on the obviously larger canvas. It is hard to measure if it is within its frame.”
Damn, that made sense. “Did you find anything else within the frame?”
Dunstan looked curiously at him, his head slanted at an angle. “Was I supposed to? There was nothing more hidden within. No love note or poem. For if I had I would dearly have loved to be the one to have shown her.”
He may as well have said, no secret document from the Prussians. Tony didn’t believe him for a second.
“She was aware there was no missive inside the frame. She simply was upset that they had been tampered with.” He watched the earl’s reaction closely. Nothing but a small narrowing of the eyes. “What I want to know is why you kept her mother’s hair?”
He put his cup down carefully on the table. “Simply an oversight, I assure you. I am sure I have put it somewhere safe. I shall go and look for it now. I am sorry if this has upset Miss Sterling. That is the last thing I intended to do. If you will excuse me, I shall go and look for it.”
Tony nodded, and he watched as Dunstan left the room.
He used the time to study the room more closely.
Books on artists, pigments, travel books, and history.
Other than the art books, these books would not be out of place in his own rooms. He smelled the coffee from the spout of the coffee pot. It did smell good.
He picked up a book that looked like it was about the sciences.
“You know,” Dunstan said from behind him, “that some scientists say that if one were poisoned over a certain period of time, they could extract that poison from the victim’s hair and tell what poisoned him… or her.”
“Is that what you wanted the hair for?”
“No. It was just something I read once and frankly, it is none of my business what her mother died of. Here, I wrapped it in some velum to keep it safe on your way home.”
Tony did not know whether to thank him or punch him. He knew he was lying about the hair being simply forgotten. He could tell by the way he had glanced up to the right when he had said it. Why would he want a lock of hair? It made him suspicious.
Dunstan gave him the folded velum. “Please give Miss Sterling my sincere apologies.” He picked up his coffee cup again, taking a seat in one of the olive-green chairs.
Tony decided, now that he had the hair, that he would test Dunstan further. “Did you know she has thirty thousand pounds as a dowry?”
Dunstan’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. “Is that so?”
Tony gave him an assessing look. “Are you telling me you did not know?”
The earl smiled into his cup. “Yes, I knew. There is gossip from here to Land’s End about her father. It is none of my business how her father died either. I do not see why she should pay for her father’s folly too.”
“I’m glad you think so. She deserves someone who sees her for who she is. So, in light of that? Do you intend to marry her? I would like an assurance, on her behalf, of your intentions.”
“Well,” he said, walking over to the window and looking out. “I am not at the point of proposing.” He turned back towards Tony. “I am sorry if that is disappointing. That is not to say I would not do so in the future.”
Tony could see that Dunstan was playing it cool. There were subtle things that told him that he was in a state of, not panic, but discomposure.
“She would like to marry sooner rather than later. She has not set her cap at anyone else. If that makes a difference.”
“I get the feeling it is not she who wishes to marry early but you, Lord Ashton. She does not seem burdensome and has a good relationship with your mother and sister. I see no reason for urgency. Unless there is something you are not telling me?”
“I am her guardian, and I do not wish her heart to be broken if you change your mind. I believe she has fond feelings for you.” There, he had told him the lie he hoped would push his hand.
The man now looked more than concerned. As he should be. Would this convince him to marry her? Tony had planted the seed, but did he really want Dunstan to marry Lucinda? His head said yes, but his heart… oh his heart beat strangely at the thought of another man’s lips on hers.
“Thank you for letting me know. However, who is to say if she will want to marry me? After this unfortunate incident that is.”
“I could not say.”
“Perhaps a note of apology? Until I can give one to her personally, that is.”
Tony nodded, and Dunstan put down his half-drunk cup while summoning a footman for paper and ink from his study.
The footman arrived, and the earl sat at a small card table to compose his apology. Would Lucinda accept his apology, or would she decide to cry off this courtship? He may be clean, but he was not the most honest.
Dunstan handed the note to Tony, and they shook hands.
He was relieved to take his hat and coat from the butler and leave.
He was eager to return to Lucinda. To give her back her mother’s token.
To relieve her anguish. Tony was happy that Edward had not taken it upon himself to visit Dunstan.
He would undoubtably have been distracted from his mission and invited the man to dinner to discuss art and bore the rest of them to death. Well, maybe not all of them.