Keepsake (The Distinguished Rogues Book 5) (7 page)

Damn
. Instead he said, “Did he by chance mention where he was going? Perhaps I can run him to ground at the club or some other destination and ask my question there.”

A public discussion wasn’t really what Kit wanted, but he could certainly draw him aside long enough to demand his wife’s location.

The old man frowned. “He called for his carriage unaccountably early this morning, I believe, but did not expand on his destination. His cousin is in the morning room presently. Perhaps Miss Crewe might be able to help you and shed some light on when the earl will return.”

Kit bit his lip and glanced around. What if Miranda was in this house right now? He’d be a fool to rush away without checking. “Yes, that will do for now if she has time to see me.”

Gibbs hurried off at a slow shuffle while Kit paced the entrance hall. Above him, all seemed quiet, and when Gibbs opened a door at the end of the short hall he heard only the faint clatter of silverware on porcelain dishes. Eagerness gripped him. Could Miranda be just a few yards away?

Gibbs appeared. “Miss Crewe will see you now.”

Kit hurried forward, eyes darting into the rooms he passed for signs of his wife. He found none between the entrance hall and the breakfast room he was led to.

Miss Crewe stood alone beside the long mahogany board and dipped a curtsy, her bright red hair gleaming in the morning light spilling from the window behind her. “My Lord Taverham. What an unexpected pleasure.”

He studied Miss Crewe carefully, looking for nervousness. He found nothing in her matter that hinted she was anxious about his visit.

“Thank you for seeing me on short notice, Miss Crewe. It’s been far too long since we’ve met.” Kit bowed to Louth’s cousin, a woman who’d been part of Martin’s household for years but was rarely seen about in society. Miss Whitney Crewe preferred to keep to herself whenever possible.

She smiled, revealing slightly crooked teeth and dimples that gave her a much prettier countenance. “It pleases me to be remembered. I’m sorry Martin is not here to greet you. I hope you don’t mind conducting our discussion while I’m still at breakfast. The hour is early and I simply cannot drag myself away from the paper’s astounding news today. Would you care to eat? The coffeepot is still hot if you prefer that over tea. In my experience men often do.”

The butler moved to the sideboard in anticipation, but Kit waved him away with the flick of his hand. “Not today, thank you, and please don’t let me interrupt your breakfast. I only need a moment or two for my enquiries, and then I will be on my way.” Kit drew out a dining chair and sat across the table from her so she might be at ease, noting as he did so that the butler remained, hovering at the door to act as chaperone.

Although he did not care for servants who lingered, it was necessary as Miss Crewe had not married, did not even have suitors as far as he could tell. Still, even though their families were longtime friends, a chaperone was absolutely necessary to preserve her reputation and avoid gossip. He’d have to choose his words with care so the butler had nothing to gossip about.

He met the woman’s frank stare directly. “Did your cousin say where he might be headed so early? White’s, or Tattersall’s for an auction? I had hoped to speak with him this morning. It is an urgent though private matter.”

Miss Crewe fiddled with folding the paper closed, trying to hide the front page from view. The headlines proclaimed
Marchioness of Taverham Alive and Returned Triumphant to Society.
Kit gritted his teeth. Of course Miranda’s return would be celebrated. Half of society had thought her murdered with her body lying in a shallow grave, either by his hand or on his orders. He’d never raised a hand to any woman, but there just might be reason enough to murder Miranda now for this little stunt.

“Martin tells me so little about what he’s doing these days.” Miss Crewe winced. “He was gone when I woke and his note, slipped under my door during the night, professed to not knowing what time he might return. I was to eat alone this evening again.”

Damn. Kit might never find him as quick as he needed. “Is that usual? Being abandoned so much when he comes up to town?”

“That is mostly the case of late, both here and in the country, so I am growing used to it.” She smiled slightly and shifted in her chair as if made uncomfortable by his question. “Usually I have his company at meals, but he has been so busy this season that seeing him has become an event in itself. My chaperone is quite disapproving of his behavior and wishes he would settle down.”

He glanced at the butler, raising a brow at him. Where was the chaperone and who was
she
? “Is that so?”

“Oh, yes. Gibbs certainly worries for his master too,” Miss Crewe continued. “We’ve had many discussions on the topic of finding him a wife. Mrs. Higginstonby claims him too wild still to wed. Have you been introduced to her?”

All of Kit’s senses tensed. What a ridiculous name. Surely that could be his Miranda in disguise. He sat forward eagerly. “No. I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure.”

“It might have a fleeting chance of being pleasurable if the lady could stay awake through the interview. She naps almost all day long. She won’t rise before noon I expect.” Miss Crewe chuckled at that as if she was pleased and glanced at the butler with a blush. “Oh, don’t scold with that look, Gibbs. Lord Taverham would never spread gossip that my chaperone couldn’t keep her eyes open long enough to prevent any indiscretion even if she were right there in the very room while it happened.”

Kit ground his teeth. He certainly wouldn’t start gossip of that sort, but Louth should be made to employ a better chaperone for his cousin. Surely he couldn’t know or approve of that sort of behavior. But since Mrs. Higginstonby didn’t sound much like she shared his wife’s former demeanor, he concluded they would not be one and the same. “Perhaps another time.”

“If you are extremely unfortunate, then yes.” Her gaze narrowed slightly. “I must confess when Gibbs announced you I had wondered if you might have brought your wife with you.”

Anticipation rose again. Miss Crewe had not been a guest at his wedding and to his knowledge had no connection to Miranda. “Do you know my wife well?”

Her lips turned down. “I have not had the pleasure of an introduction, which is why I was so very keen to meet her today. The papers say such conflicting things, and it is not every day that I have a chance to meet a runaway bride.”

Disappointment slammed into him. Coming here was another dead end. “No, it isn’t.”

Her mouth opened slightly. “Forgive me. Martin is always suggesting I curb my interest of the macabre and unusual goings on in society, but it is all so fascinating to me. No doubt that is why his estate has so few visitors. I tend to startle acquaintances with my blunt and often poorly timed questions. It has been an age since Martin has even hosted a house party, so perhaps that is for the best. One less opportunity to embarrass him.”

Although astonished by her candor, her response did answer several questions at once. Miranda had not been living at Martin’s country estate these past years. Miss Crewe had been in residence there for at least five years since her parent’s deaths and claimed not to know her. “I wasn’t offended, but I will admit to you that my wife’s behavior perplexes me. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

Miss Crewe nibbled her lower lip and then regarded him, her head tilted slightly to the side. “In my experience, that is the retort of every guilty man. But that matters not to me. I’d rather like to know how you will attempt to convince her to stay this time round. Do you need any help winning her over? I am sure that if you lost that put-upon expression, had your valet run a razor over your jaw, and smiled a great deal more, she would melt in a puddle at your feet. You have a nice smile. A lady would be hard-pressed not to grow to like your company.”

Gibbs cleared his throat quite a few times.

As Kit realized he’d been flirted with, he began to see why Miss Crewe did not move in society. If she talked so forwardly with all Lord Louth’s friends, he’d surely find himself with none at all or an utter scandal on his hands. Such bluntly worded praise would make a man feel they were being led into a willing seduction. But Kit felt uncomfortable in the extreme. He wasn’t one to lead a lady on. He was married. “I’m sure we will come to a mutual understanding in due time.”

“Of course.” She smiled widely, then laughed. “Just be yourself and do not worry. A woman would have to be mad to turn aside from such a handsome husband.”

Was Miranda mad? She’d certainly turned away from their marriage for long enough. He stood quickly and nodded to Miss Crewe. “Thank you for your time, Miss Crewe. I appreciate your honesty and your candor.”

“Liar. I’ve made you uncomfortable, but I can see now your heart is in the right place.” She smiled at the butler. “Do show Lord Taverham out, but please be quiet when you close the front door behind him. Remember, we don’t want Mrs. Higginstonby woken early. You know how difficult she can be if she doesn’t get at least ten hours’ rest.”

Kit followed Gibbs out. He glanced back over his shoulder as he heard soft humming start up behind him. “Is she normally like that? So outspoken and flirtatious?”

Gibbs smiled awkwardly. “I’m afraid so. She claims she can read a man’s mind better when he’s caught off guard and makes use of direct speech whenever possible to determine a man’s true intentions. She wasn’t truly encouraging you, and you’re not the only one she has startled by her act. She teased Lord Ettington once the same way, shortly after his marriage.”

Ettington wasn’t one to suffer fools and Kit shuddered. “How did he take the impertinence?”

The butler stared at him. “He laughed and laughed, so hard he was near to tears for some minutes after. He then invited her to meet his uncle, insisting that Miss Crewe needed a worthy target.”

Kit smiled tightly. Ettington’s uncle had turned his back on women entirely a long time ago, entrusting his lands and fortune to Lord Ettington, his twin sister’s son, on his eventual demise. “Having met the duke once or twice myself, I’m not sure I’d put my money on Miss Crewe to win in that confrontation. He is rather clever himself and just might turn the tables on her.”

“One can only hope.” Gibbs paused. “I wish you luck in your search for your wife today, my lord. You have not asked directly, but I have read the papers too, as Miss Crewe has done, and we both concluded you might have come here in search of her. Miss Crewe would not have minded the question you wanted to ask and attempted to do discreetly. We have never known Lady Taverham to be at one of Lord Louth’s estates.”

Kit grunted that he’d been so transparent, said good-bye, and plodded down the town house’s front steps. He paused at the base to wait for his carriage to draw up and considered where to go next. Miranda had few acquaintances in London that were not his too. Perhaps she would not go to the normal places at all. He’d have to consider where she ought not to be.

His eyes stung and he rubbed at them in annoyance. Once he could have stayed awake for days but no longer. He was getting old. Almost thirty. Old enough to know when he was utterly beaten. He would not find her by stumbling all over London in exhaustion. When the carriage stopped, he had his coachman take him home.

CHAPTER SIX

The burned-out ruin nestled beside the brook on the outskirts of London sent a chill racing through Miranda’s heart. She glanced anxiously at Martin’s stunned expression, then started up the overgrown garden path, wishing her eyes deceived her. But it was very clear the occupant she had expected to find in this place might have moved on long ago. Weeds infested the once-pleasant front garden, and when Miranda craned her neck toward the formerly thriving kitchen garden, she had trouble discerning edible plants.

The front step wobbled as she put her weight upon it and she stopped. “Hello. Mr. Miles Fenning? Are you there?”

Silence, except for the faint scrape of a branch against a blackened window frame as it tossed against the glass in the soft breeze. She took another cautious step and stretched to knock on the charred front door. Slowly, with a creak that sent gooseflesh up and down her arms, the door opened to reveal a catastrophe inside.

The once-cheerful entrance hall lacked its polished and normally rug-strewn floor. Flaking plaster walls and ceiling let the pitiful sunlight shine directly through to the ground beneath. A few tangled weeds attempted to flourish around the house footings where the sun reached them.

Mr. Fenning couldn’t live here anymore. Which meant Miranda had a serious problem. Fenning and Christopher were gone.

Martin’s arm curled around her shoulder and he squeezed her to his side. “Dear God. Miranda. I am so sorry. I didn’t know about this.”

“Where are they? I cannot believe this is happening. Stay here.” She pushed out of his arms and hurried away toward the carriage she’d left behind at the garden gate. On her way past, she handed the picnic hamper intended for Mr. Fenning to the nearest groom. “Enjoy with my compliments. I will return soon.”

Then she turned on her heel and strode toward the nearest cottage in search of answers. This house at least sported no weeds in the garden. An old man halfheartedly cropped at the long grass at the side, pausing occasionally to view her approach. At the gate she stopped. “Forgive me, but I wonder if you might help me.” She gestured toward the ruined house she’d just left. “I was wondering if you could tell me what happened over there.”