They went into various trinket shops. Samantha was lured into buying a pin box of wood mosaic Tunbridgeware for Miss Donaldson. Salverton looked about for some less common little gift he might buy for Samantha, but found nothing to please him. At that end of the Parade stood the Pump Room, with Jonathon Sykes standing guard.
“
They
’
re not here,
”
Sykes announced.
“
I
’
ve had a look in the Pump Room as well.
”
“
We
’
ll go on to The Laurels,
”
Salverton said.
“
That
’
s a bit of a problem, melord.
”
Salverton lifted an imperious eyebrow.
“
Trouble with the carriage? The horses?
”
“
Neither one. The trouble is, Fletch has turned up. I ducked inside when I saw him, but he
’
d have spotted the pair of you and will be keeping an eye on you from some dark corner.
”
“
How could he be here so soon?
”
“
He came on horseback. Something must have happened to his rig. I thought of putting it out of commission, but knew he
’
d only hire a nag, and there
’
d be no outrunning him on the road.
”
Salverton looked at Samantha and noticed her lips were moving unsteadily. He didn
’
t mention having cut the reins.
Sykes continued.
“
He
’
s ridden on to Tunbridge Wells and got here not five minutes behind us. Pity. We
’
ll have to take evasive action. We don
’
t want to lead him to Darren and Wanda.
”
“
I don
’
t know what he can want with Darren,
”
Samantha said, furrowing her brow.
“
It must be Wanda he
’
s after.
”
“
P
’
raps she was in on the robbery he was put in jail for, and he
’
s after her to recover the loot,
”
Sykes suggested.
“
Wouldn
’
t surprise me much.
”
“
I don
’
t care if he does find her,
”
Samantha said.
“
Let us go on to The Laurels, Mr. Sykes.
”
“
Fletch is a rough customer. If Wanda was his bit of skirt, he
’
d not let your brother off unharmed. He
’
s killed before, though they couldn
’
t prove it.
”
“
Oh, dear! In that case, I daresay we must take evasive action. What do you suggest, Mr. Sykes?
”
“
Food,
”
he said firmly.
“
You
’
re beginning to look peaky, Samantha. The rosebuds are fading from your dainty cheeks. You must feed yourself. It will soon be coming on dark. Easier to lose Fletch under cover of darkness.
”
Samantha was ravenous. An ice was no luncheon for a busy girl. It had been hours since they had eaten, and might be hours before another opportunity arose. She gave Sykes a grateful smile.
“
Tea would be nice,
”
she said to Salverton.
“
And don
’
t you worry about Fletcher, my dear,
”
Sykes said.
“
I
’
ll lure him off for you. You just take this young lady to a tearoom and feed her, melord. The Tunbridge Tearoom does a dandy tea. Lord Egremont always took his lady there when they was on the strut here in town. You won
’
t be rubbing elbows with the muslin company there. Shocking how bold the lasses are becoming. One of them all but shanghaied me into a doorway. I had to put up quite a fight.
”
“
They
’
ve been giving Salverton the eye as well!
”
Samantha said indignantly.
“
They
’
ll throw their bonnets at anyone,
”
Sykes scowled. Salverton bridled up like an angry mare.
“
Not that I mean to deeneegrate your phiz, melord. My meaning was that even you being stiff as starch and with a charmer like Miss Oakleigh hanging on your lucky arm isn
’
t enough to stop them. They
’
d proposition an archbishop
—
and be taken up on the offer, too, to judge by what I know of the clergy.
”
Salverton felt obliged to defend the clergy.
“
Your ecclesiastical acquaintances must be quite different from mine,
”
he said.
“
I avoid the lot of them as much as I can. Freeloaders! What more do they know of the almighty than you and me?
”
“
How will you lose Fletcher?
”
Samantha asked, to avert a religious argument, for she saw that Salverton was ready to take issue with Sykes
’
s views.
Sykes patted the side of his nose with one finger and assumed a wise expression.
“
H
’
expediency,
”
he said.
“
There
’
s the ticket. I
’
ll lose him, never fear, and go to the Tunbridge Tearoom to meet you after the sun
’
s set. You eat up now, miss. Don
’
t rush yourself. Tell Meggie that Sykes sent you. She
’
ll do you up a proper tea.
”
He darted off before Salverton could exert his authority by naming a different tearoom.
"I don
’
t know which of them is more capable, Fletch or Mr. Sykes,
”
Samantha said, adding to Salverton
’
s ill humor.
“
It begins to seem that Mr. Sykes has met his match. Fancy Fletcher getting here so soon after you disabled his carriage.
”
“
You
’
re the one who suggested it! How was I supposed to know he
’
d hire a horse?
”
Of course he should have known. Sykes would have known.
“
You need your tea, Edward. You
’
re becoming quite testy. I wasn
’
t accusing you of foolishness.
”
They looked around and found the tearoom Sykes had ordered them to. It was more than respectable. The tables wore linen nappery and a vase of flowers. The service was good, and the tea and sandwiches both plentiful and tasty.
Salverton
’
s mood softened in this civilized atmosphere, away from Sykes.
“
These delays make it unlikely you
’
ll be able to join Lady Louise at the opera,
”
Samantha said in an apologetic tone.
“
That
’
s one advantage, at any rate,
”
Salverton replied. It struck him that he had never liked the opera. One had to go, from time to time, to please the ladies, but really it was a dead bore. The current vogue for Italian tenors especially displeased him.
“
Don
’
t you like it?
”
she asked, surprised,
“
No, I don
’
t.
”
“
Then why do you go?
”
“
It is expected of one,
”
he said stiffly.
Samantha just shook her head.
“
You spend your days doing what is expected of you, Edward. Surely you could have your evenings to yourself. Even a peasant has that much freedom.
”
He sipped his tea, trying to remember the last time he had had an evening to do what he wanted to do. Not since taking up with Lady Louise. If he wasn
’
t working nights at the House, he was accompanying Louise to some musical soiree, or the opera, or a ball or rout, usually of her choosing. Did he really want to spend the rest of his life doing such things? Surely there was more to life than that.
“
One does what one must,
”
he said vaguely.
“
One!
You
’
re not
‘
one.
’
You
’
re you! My goodness, when are you ever going to enjoy yourself if you don
’
t do it now? I noticed this afternoon that you have a few gray hairs, and some little wrinkles on your forehead. You
’
re no longer a boy.
”
“
Don
’
t talk like that!
”
he said gruffly.
“
I
’
m only in my thirties. You make me sound like Methuselah.
”
“
Oh, no. He had nearly a millennium to live. You have only forty odd years left
—
if you
’
re lucky. Papa died at fifty-nine. He was a worrier and worker like you. Perhaps that
’
s why I feel comfortable with you, despite your
—
strict ways.
”
“
I
’
m glad you feel comfortable with me,
”
he said, and decided to venture into forbidden territory.
“
I was afraid, after this afternoon, you might feel otherwise.
”
“
I did, for a few hours, but it
’
s over now. It
’
s foolish to let a little thing like that embarrass us. I have been thinking about it.
”
He gazed directly into her eyes.
“
So have I.
”
She met his gaze, and suddenly all the discomfort was back.
“
It
’
s like damming up water,
”
she said, trying for an air of objectivity.
“
All your
—
er
—
masculine energy has been building up, and a little was bound to trickle out when
—
when
—
the opportunity arose,
”
she said, blushing.
“
A trickle?
”
he asked, chewing a grin.
“
Well, perhaps a little more than that. Will you have some of this plum cake? It looks nice and fresh.
”
He passed his plate, smiling broadly now. Samantha could not suppress a little laugh as she put a piece of cake on the plate.
He admired her dainty wrist and hand as she poured his tea. A sensation of ease engulfed Salverton. It was pleasant, sitting chatting with Samantha, taking tea, and forgetting the world for a while, enjoying a little discreet flirtation with a beautiful lady. He hadn
’
t given a thought to politics all day. It would be nice to come home to this relaxing mood at the end of a hard day. It would add years to his life. Gray hairs? He hadn
’
t noticed them.
“
How many gray hairs?
”
he asked.
Samantha laughed.
“
Vanity, Edward, from you? You
’
re the last man I would suspect of it.
”
“
What do you mean by that?
”
“
Only that you don
’
t seem to care for such trifles as fashion. Your jackets are well cut, but those small buttons are not in the latest fashion, and your cravats
—
well!
”
“
I had this jacket of Weston! He makes all my jackets.
”
From a pattern, the same pattern he had been using for six or seven years.
“
I believe it
’
s those few gray hairs that have brought on this concern,
”
she said,
“
Color them with tea if they bother you. There were only three or four, just at the temples. How old are you anyway? Thirty-eight, thirty-nine?
”
“
In my thirty-third year.
”
She blinked in surprise.
“
A third of a century.
”
“
Don
’
t put it like that! I
’
m thirty-two.
”
“
Is that all? I had thought you were that age when I saw you at Celine
’
s wedding five years ago.
”
He scowled.
“
But you had hardly changed when I met you in London yesterday,
”
she added swiftly.
“
Imagine, it was only yesterday that I called on you. I wager you
’
re sorry I did.
”
“
On the contrary. I
’
m glad of it.
”
“
I know you will help keep the family name out of court. Lady Louise wouldn
’
t like that.
”
He ignored the reference to Louise.
“
I wasn
’
t thinking of the family reputation, actually. I needed to be shaken out of my lethargy.
”
A rueful smile curved his lips. It made him look five years younger.
“
You
’
re a very good shaker-upper, Sam.
”
It was the first time he had used her nickname.
“
If that
’
s a compliment, I thank you. If, as I suspect, it
’
s a setdown, then I am sorry I disturbed your solemnity.
”
“
I didn
’
t say solemnity. I said lethargy.
”