Home > The Most Eligible Viscount in London(7)

The Most Eligible Viscount in London(7)
Author: Ella Quinn

One of Miss Stern’s black brows rose, reminding him sharply that she would not be on his side. “Why do you care?”

Hell and damnation!

He didn’t even know the answer to that question. “I wish to speak with her.” The second brow rose, joining the first. Damn. “I feel as if we left things”—left things what?—“Er. Unfinished.”

Closing her eyes for a moment, she shook her head, then addressed him as if he was an imbecile. “It is my understanding that you were perfectly clear.”

Gavin gritted his teeth as his normally steady temper began to fray for the second time today. “Will you please simply tell me what I wish to know?”

That was obviously not the right tack to take. Miss Stern’s chin rose and her eyes narrowed. “I am not sure that I would. Fortunately, I do not know. She is going to write to me once she arrives.”

Gavin didn’t believe that for a moment. The ladies were as thick as two thieves. This was how men went mad. “Can or will you tell me when she left?”

“It might have been yesterday or it could have been the day before that.” Miss Stern glanced at the maid. “Can you get the stool for me, please?”

“Yes, miss.” The servant, no older than a schoolgirl, hurried to where Miss Stern stood and picked up the stool.

“Thank you.” She curtsied to him. “Good luck on your hunt, my lord.” The tone of her words told him that she most certainly did not wish him luck, and that he’d need a lot of that particular commodity. “The butler will show you out.” A slight smile tilted her lips. “But you already knew that.”

Gavin bit down on the inside of his lip, willing himself not to respond with more than a bow. At least he knew now that Lady Exeter was unlikely to help him. He wondered if Exeter would.

“Ah, Turley.” The Marquis of Merton strolled out to the terrace. “My sister-in-law said she had left you out here.”

Literally left him. “I came to ask her if she knew where Miss Featherton had gone, but she was unable to tell me.”

“Indeed.” The man sounded unconvinced of the truthfulness of his sister-in-law’s assertion. “If so, that will not be the case for long. I was sent to tell her a letter from Miss Featherton had arrived.” Merton motioned for Gavin to follow him into the house. “Would you like to wait until she has had an opportunity to read it?”

He was tempted to ask Merton if he could compel his sister-in-law to reveal Georgie’s location, but thought better of it. Gavin knew enough of the lady to know she could not be made to do anything she did not wish to do, and Lady Merton would support her. “It won’t do any good.”

Merton gave Gavin a sympathetic look. “I take it there is some difficulty between you and Miss Featherton and the ladies have closed ranks as it were.”

“That sums it up neatly.” Georgie couldn’t be that far if a letter had already arrived. Unless it was sent by a messenger. In that event, she would only be less than a day’s travel from Town. Littlewood was only a few hours away. But if she was there, why wouldn’t Littleton have written him? “Is it possible to discover if the letter was franked and by whom?”

“I believe I am able to do that.” Merton stepped to a bellpull and tugged.

As if waiting to be called, a footman entered the parlor and bowed. “My lord?”

“Ask Parkin to attend me in my study.”

“Yes, my lord.” The servant hurried out.

“It is better for us to leave this room,” Merton said. “My wife might decide to join us, and as much as I enjoy her company, I do not believe she will be particularly helpful concerning this matter.”

Anything but, if Miss Stern’s behavior was an indication. “Thank you.”

“Indeed you should. It is only my duty to my fellow gentleman that compels me to assist you. If my wife discovered what she would deem as my perfidious involvement, I’d be in her black book.” Merton grimaced. “Not a very comfortable place to be.”

Gavin fought the grin attempting to form. “I don’t doubt that at all.”

They reached the study and had just settled down with glasses of claret when the butler arrived.

“My lord, you wished to speak with me?”

“I did.” Merton set his glass down. “A letter arrived for Miss Henrietta today. Can you tell me if it was franked?”

“Yes, my lord. Lord Littleton franked it. I thought it might be from Lady Littleton and had it sent to her ladyship immediately. Is something amiss?”

“Not at all. I was merely curious. Thank you.” He waited until the door closed before saying, “You have your answer. What do you intend to do with the information?”

Gavin knew what he wanted to do. “Go to Littlewood?”

Merton picked up his glass of wine and drank. “Once there, what will you do?”

Convince her to marry me.

“As I thought.”

Gavin panicked for a second, thinking he’d spoken the words out loud, then Merton continued, “As I thought. You don’t know. It does not take a soothsayer to tell you that whatever caused Miss Featherton to leave Town must be repaired before she will accept you.”

But the problem was that he couldn’t fix it. Not and remain sane. “Thank you. I shall take your advice.”

“I would not wait too long if I were you,” Merton added as Gavin stood. “She might be upset now, but once she calms down you will have a better chance to convince her of your suit.”

If only his friend knew the truth. He bowed. “Thank you, again.”

“I’ll see you out.” Merton rose. “And, Turley, I do wish you good luck.”

Not long later, Gavin was once again on the pavement, and he began to walk. He was starting to feel rootless. He’d been so sure Georgie would accept him. He had even imagined her in his house, managing everything and everyone. Children would follow and his empty abode would be filled with the sound of the laughter that had been missing since his mother’s death. But what was the chance that she would marry him if he refused to love her?

Not very good.

Was she in love with him? The thought stopped him, causing a man behind him to mutter a curse and brush past him. She must love him if she wanted him to love her. Could a marriage work if only one of the parties was in love? Gavin started forward again. He wanted her friendship and her affection. He even wanted the inevitable arguments so they would have an excuse to make up. Damn. What he wanted was her in his bed as well as his life. Were not lust and deep friendship enough to mimic love without the dangerous elements of the emotion? Could he convince her that they were? Or perhaps the question was how would he convince her friendship and passion were enough?

Despite Merton’s advice, Gavin could not repair the damage he’d done without seeing her. What he required was a new way of approaching her. A way to make her believe she would have everything she wanted, just not in the way she thought she wanted it.

Yet, first he must determine if she would give him a second chance, and the only way to do that was to write to Littleton and ask him for the information. If Littleton would assist him. He had his wife to deal with as well. Gavin turned up the short path to his house. If Georgie was at Littlewood then why had Gaven not heard from his friend by now?

Hot Books
» House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1)
» A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire
» From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1)
» A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime
» Deviant King (Royal Elite #1)
» Den of Vipers
» House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2)
» The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #
» Sweet Temptation
» The Sweetest Oblivion (Made #1)
» Chasing Cassandra (The Ravenels #6)
» Wreck & Ruin
» Steel Princess (Royal Elite #2)
» Twisted Hate (Twisted #3)
» The Play (Briar U Book 3)