Chapter Six
“G ood afternoon. I have an appointment with Lord Danby.” Malcolm handed the butler his card.
“Please come in, Lord Kingsbury.”
Malcolm stepped into the bright, cheerful foyer of the Earl of Rawlings’s home. He glanced around at the bright blue damask wall coverings and the pretty crystal sconces before catching sight of Lady Adeline Amberley across the gleaming white marble floor. She sat on the second-to-bottom stair, unmoving and staring glassy-eyed straight ahead.
He was about to call out to her when her brother strode into the foyer. “Lord Kingsbury, right on time. Ready to go for a ride?”
“Absolutely. Danby, what’s is the matter with your sister?”
“My sister?” George twisted around. “Addy, what in God’s name are you doing sitting on the stairs?”
Hearing her name seemed to snap her out of her trance. Lady Amberley shot to her feet. “Nothing at all.” Her hands shook rather badly as they smoothed down over her skirt.
Not convinced at all that there was nothing amiss, Malcolm stepped forward. “Are you all right, Lady Amberley. Did you fall on the stairs?”
George strode over to his sister and grasped one of her hands. “Addy?”
But she shook her head. “No, I didn’t fall. I am fine.”
“George,” a loud voice bellowed from down a hallway to the right. A moment later, an older gentleman came striding into the foyer.
Danby turned to the man. “Father, what’s the matter?”
But Lord Rawlings stopped mid-stride when he spotted Malcolm. Danby crossed back across the foyer to his father. “Father, please let me introduce Lord Kingsbury. Kingsbury, this is my father, Lord Rawlings.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Malcolm replied politely.
Lord Rawlings’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t realize there were any more Kingsburys left.”
“I am the last one, sir.”
“That’s why he is in town. Going to find a wife and secure his title. Right, old chum?” Danby punched him in the arm.
Malcolm gave him a tight smile.
The Earl of Rawlings gave Malcolm a small nod of acknowledgment. Then he turned to his son. “I need to speak with you immediately.”
“Can it wait? Lord Kingsbury and I have plans to go riding in the park.”
“No, it cannot. I need your counsel on the matter…of the auction. It must happen as soon as possible.”
Malcolm stepped away from the two men so as to appear he wasn’t listening. They continued to argue in low tones about the urgency of organizing this auction. What items would they be selling? Ancient artifacts, perhaps? He would have to casually ask Danby about it later. They could be participating in an art auction or selling off some of the family jewelry to make some money. He would hate for his friend’s father to be the culprit he was looking for, but Malcolm’s gut told him something was amiss.
Lady Amberley practically vibrated with nervous energy as her gaze bounced back and forth between her father and brother. Malcolm watched her carefully, her face so wan she looked like she would swoon.
Lord Rawlings turned on his heel and marched back down the corridor.
Danby came over, his expression tight. “I am afraid I will have to reschedule. I am terribly sorry.”
Malcolm nodded. But he couldn’t tear his gaze from Lady Amberley’s pale face. “Perhaps instead, your sister might accompany me on a walk? Pardon me for saying so, Lady Amberley, but you look like some fresh air might do you some good.”
Lady Amberley’s eyes widened, and then she nodded. “Yes, thank you, Lord Kingsbury, I do believe I could use some fresh air.”
Danby looked between them. “All right, yes. Keep him company, pet. That will make me feel better for canceling our plans. Mr. Boone, please tell my sister’s maid to fetch her things. She will be going walking with Lord Kingsbury.”
“Right away, sir.”
Danby swung to Malcolm. “Take care with her.”
“Of course.”
Then Danby disappeared down the corridor after his father. Malcolm turned his full attention to Lady Amberley. “Tell me, are you feeling up to walking? You look quite like you would blow over in a stiff breeze.”
“I’m fine,” she replied again in that wooden tone that worried him. She most definitely was not fine, but he wasn’t about to press the lady. Luckily, her maid arrived quickly with her wrap and a velvet bonnet.
When they stepped outside, Lady Amberley raised her face to the sun and took a deep breath. She stood there for a long moment, and Malcolm took the opportunity to study her. Dark ringlets framed her face. She wore a simple day dress of navy wool. Had she been curled up reading in her library? What had made her look so wan?
Her maid came after them and helped her mistress into a vibrant blue pelisse that complemented her dark blue bonnet. Once she was ready, Malcolm winged out his elbow. Lady Amberley still looked dazed but slid her hand through his arm. The chill in the air already pinkening her cheeks.
“Which way?”
She blinked up at him.
“As you know, I am not familiar with London,” he said. “Please take the lead, my lady.”
“Left. We will head over to St. James and take a stroll around the square.”
They headed left along the pavement with her maid trailing behind them. Lady Amberley glanced over at him. “Thank you for this. I did very much need some fresh air.”
“You won’t tell me what’s wrong?”
“No, I can’t.” She shook her head vehemently.
Malcolm let it be, and they walked silently for a few minutes. A cold gust of wind slapped them in the face as they turned a corner. Malcolm tucked Lady Amberley closer to his side. When he glanced down at her, he saw that she looked preoccupied with her thoughts as she chewed on her bottom lip.
“What have you been reading today?” he asked, hoping that the question would distract her from her thoughts.
“Ancient Greek queens of the Hellenistic period,” she replied. But then her gaze flew up to meet his, her eyes wide. “I mean Greek myths, some of my favorite ones.”
Hmmm. He didn’t believe that for a moment. Greek queens of the Hellenistic period was an oddly specific topic to read about. Just like it had earlier when he’d heard the word auction , his gut told him something was not as it seemed.
“Lord Kingsbury, what has brought you London? Are you leaving the service?”
Leaving the service? He never considered it. Being a navy man was who he was. He couldn’t imagine what life outside the service would be like.
He shook his head. “No, I gave my crew two weeks’ shore leave. We have been on duty for nine months now in the North Sea.”
“Oh, I see. I read in the paper that you were in town looking for a wife, so I thought you were leaving the service to take up your title.”
Malcolm swallowed hard. “You did? Yes, well… Rather, I am…” Damn, he was bungling his alibi.
He paused to look over at those wide whiskey-colored eyes studying him through her spectacles. This might be the opportunity he needed to find out if Rawlings had the artifacts. If he wooed the lady a bit, she might tell him what her father and brother were up to.
He bet that her reading up on Greek queens of old was not a coincidence. “I am interested in settling down, but I am not interested in taking up my title. What about you, Lady Amberley? Your brother mentioned he was trying to find you a husband this fall.”
Her cheeks blushed a charming pink. And her lashes fluttered down as she glanced away. “Yes, he is helping me. If I cannot find a husband soon, my father has plans to marry me to Lord Bellamy.” She huffed, her breath making a white stream in the chilly fall air. Then she glanced up at him with a wry half-smile. “He is sixty-two years old.”
Malcolm couldn’t stop his wince. He laid a hand on hers, where it lay tucked in the crook of his arm, and pulled her closer as an unexpected urge to protect her swelled in his chest. “What is he thinking? Shackling you to a man old enough to be your grandfather?”
She shrugged. “I expect it has to do with his finances. Everything has to do with his finances,” she muttered. Then she clapped a hand across her mouth. “Pardon me, Lord Kingsbury, I should not be speaking so freely about family problems.”
“You can speak freely about anything with me, Lady Amberley. I have no interest in gossiping. But yes, let’s change the topic away from matrimony. Tell me, what would you do if you could do anything with your life outside of marriage?” Her startled look made him laugh. “Surely women have dreams of adventure, too? I’ll tell you mine first. When I was young, I always wanted to be a cartographer. Travel to the ends of the world where no one has ever been and draw maps.”
“Have you a talent for drawing?”
“I like to think so. I enjoy it. So, tell me yours. What did little Adeline Amberley want to do if she had choices?” Her name rolled pleasantly off his tongue. “Adeline Amberley, your name is very lyrical.”
Lady Amberley laughed, and the sound filled him with satisfaction. “Quite purposefully. My mother loves alliteration, and after my father had his heir, he let her name me what she wanted.” She chewed her bottom lip for a moment. “I suppose if I had the choice, I would be a museum curator. All those special items from around the world waiting to be cataloged and researched. It would be fascinating.”
“You wouldn’t want to search for items in the wild?”
“No, thank you,” she said primly. “I am more comfortable at home with my books.” Then she scrunched her pert little nose. “Of course, I have never really been on a proper adventure. I have never gone anywhere. Perhaps I would take to it like a duck to water.”
Malcolm tried to picture Adeline Amberley packing all her books to go off adventuring and chuckled at the thought of the petite lady falling over as she tried to heft the pack full of books.
“I am offended by your laughter, sir.” She glared up at him. But the effect was ruined when her lips quirked into a small smile.
“I promise that was not my intention.” He smiled down at her.
They walked in companionable silence for a few moments. Malcolm watched the breeze sway the tree limbs in the park, blowing dry leaves to the ground. Lady Amberley’s expression once again became downcast. The urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her until she forgot whatever was troubling her rolled through him. At a loss for an appropriate way to distract her from her thoughts, he simply squeezed her hand and walked beside her as they made their way around St. James’s Square.
Malcolm was surprised as they arrived back at the Rawlings residence. Their stroll had gone quickly, and he found that he was reluctant to let the lady go. A feeling that seemed to arise each time they met.
She turned to look up at the house, her blue bonnet tipped up. He caught an expression of resignation flitting across her face. “Thank you for suggesting the walk; it did much to improve my spirits.”
Remember your assignment . “Lady Amberley, I hope we have the occasion to meet again soon.”
“I hope so, too.” She fled up the steps to the house.
At the top, she gave a small wave before going inside. Malcolm shouldn’t find her so adorable; she might well be embroiled in her family’s scheme to sell stolen artifacts. But her mix of bookish knowledge and impish innocence was so charming. He doubted she was involved, but his gut said her family certainly was. He just needed to prove it.