Deception (11 page)

She pointed into the garden. “She is fascinating. First, she circled the property, making her incantations and tossing something I suspect was salt. Now she circles the house, every inch, and muttering low and constant as she goes.”

The woman outside wore a rather old morning dress. It was out of fashion and likely handed down from a lady’s discarded wardrobe. She must have been in her twenties, but she was more put together than he expected for someone chanting as the sun came up.

“My valet tells me she claims to have been sent from The Company.”

“Interesting.”

“Perhaps it is just a precaution because you are my guest.”

“Or your Mr. Tybee had us followed home last night.”

He couldn’t deny the possibility. No one had ever sent a conjurer to his home before, and they had been attacked. “I have asked her to join us for breakfast when she has completed her work.”

Lillian looked up at him and amusement sparkled in her eyes. “That will make for an interesting morning. You do surprise me, Dorian.”

“How so?”

“She is clearly beneath you, and yet you have invited her to your table.”

“I do not keep with the old traditions that place one person above another because of financial situation.”

“You keep servants. Are they not beneath you?”

“I employ many people. It is not as if they are indentured.”

“I noticed the butler calls you milord.” She was baiting him.

“You are looking for flaws. I do not instruct my staff on how they address me. They are comfortable, and it keeps up appearances for the neighborhood. I do not consider myself nobility, however explaining the fact to everyone I meet is tedious at best.”

She took a deep breath and her breasts rose. “I suppose that is true.”

“That you are looking for my flaws?”

She grinned. “Perhaps, that too.”

“You are delightful.”

“Not so, but thank you.”

The woman in the garden passed to the far window and continued toward the front of the house.

He returned his attention to Lillian. “Do you want to return to the archives today?”

The fun banter they had enjoyed died. She fiddled with a porcelain statue of a man riding to the hunt. “To be honest, Dorian, I do not mind staying here today and resting. Would you think me indulgent if we passed the day without working?”

A wisp of hair had escaped her braid and draped across her cheek. He brushed it back behind her ear. Her gaze remained locked with his. The warm softness of her skin sent a shock of desire through his body. “I think that is a marvelous idea. We have certainly earned a day of rest.”

“We still have much of the book I borrowed from Shafton to go over if you are feeling neglectful of your duties.”

“True, though I am sure we can find many things to occupy our time for one day. Would you agree, Lilly?”

He almost thought she blushed, but it was gone an instant later.
Progress.
The notion brought him more joy than it ought. He’d made many young women blush over the years, but something about flustering the great Lillian Dellacourt intrigued him beyond words.

Stuart cleared his throat from the doorway.

Dorian took half a step back.

“Your guest has nearly finished her…um…duties and agreed to break her fast with you.”

He offered Lillian his arm. “Shall we?”

As soon as she touched him, her heat penetrated layers of clothing and spread through his body. He escorted her into the dining room.

The long elegant table had come with the house. It was out of proportion to the way he used the room. He’d never hosted a formal dinner, and most times, he supped in his study.

He led Lillian to a long sideboard filled with meats and delights that filled the room with sumptuous aromas. After serving himself from the sideboard, Dorian sat at the head of the table. Lillian took the seat to his right. There was something perfect about her taking a seat next to him, about her being in his house, at his table.

From the doorway, Stuart announced, “Mrs. Abigail Higginbotham.”

Lillian expected a more dramatic entrance. Anyone who be-spelled and conjured should be outrageous in some way. The woman, in her mid-twenties, was actually quite well dressed. Perhaps the morning dress she wore was outdated and worn at the wrists, but she was clean, neat and curtsied prettily once inside the breakfast room.

Dorian stood and bowed as if Mrs. Higginbotham was a lady of means. Lillian’s heart leaped at the sight of him. Most titled men had no regard for people they deemed beneath them, but he wasn’t put out by the fact that the lady was probably quite poor and had an unusual occupation. He treated her like a lady, crossing the room and making the introductions.

“Mrs. Higginbotham, how good of you to come. I am Dorian Lambert and this is my associate, Miss Lillian Dellacourt.”

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir. I apologize for arriving without an invitation, but I was told your needs were urgent.” Her diction and manners indicated she was educated.

Things were not always what they seemed, especially within The Company. Lillian herself had learned to imitate a lady during her training to become a hunter.

Once they were all seated and eating, Lillian’s curiosity won her over, and she couldn’t resist prying for some information. “Mrs. Higginbotham, may I ask what you were doing this morning.”

“I was laying down a circle of protection around the house.” She might have been talking about writing a letter. She said it as if it were a standard morning occupation.

“Do you often engage in such activities in the morning?” Dorian asked.

She nodded. “Protections spells work best at the first light of day.”

“I see. Fascinating.”

“How do you protect the house?” Lillian asked.

Abigail stared back for a long beat before she responded. “I am a witch, Miss Dellacourt. It is what The Company has hired me to do.”

Dorian leaned forward. “Are you really? Did someone inform you we had need of such a service this morning, madam?”

She chewed a piece of sausage and swallowed. “Tom woke me in the middle of the night and delivered a note from Mr. Tybee. The note specified you needed a safe place outside of the castle. The castle is, of course, already protected. I might have come sooner, but such things must wait for the light of day.”

“I see.” Dorian’s gaze met Lillian’s

“Is something amiss?” Abigail asked.

Dorian said, “I apologize, Mrs. Higginbotham. We suspected we had been followed home last night, and you have just confirmed the fact for us.”

Abigail’s smile created a lovely transformation. “Tom has quite a habit of knowing what is happening. I guess he reported your incident back at headquarters, and then he was sent to fetch me.”

“Well, whatever the catalyst, we are grateful for your assistance.”

“No need to be, it is what I do. Just as you keep order within the castle and the lady kills demons, it is my purpose to protect certain structures from infestation.”

A footman entered and held a small, silver platter out toward Dorian. He opened the message and excused himself from the breakfast room. The footman followed him out.

Lillian found the witch a curiosity. She’d worked for The Company for over five years, and the only employee she’d ever met who was not a hunter or instructor was Dr. Barns. In one night and morning she’d met a door keeper, a witch, and Tom. She was still trying to decipher Tom’s roll within The Company. Stable-boy, messenger, or spy, she wasn’t sure.

Lillian found Abigail intriguing. “How long have you been working for The Company, Mrs. Higginbotham?”

“Only a few months, Miss Dellacourt. I was hired to protect the castle.”

“You have gathered quite a lot of information in such a short time. How do you know what rolls Dorian and I play within the organization?”

Abigail’s grin lit her face. “I’m a witch. I know things.”

Cryptic at best
. Lillian didn’t mind a challenge. “If you do not mind my asking, what did you do before joining the demon hunters?”

“I’m surprised you know nothing about me. It seemed as if his lordship was also unfamiliar with my skills. I thought he knew everything that went on within The Company.”

“Drake Cullum often keeps his own council. We are all only told what we need to know. So you see, you have us at a disadvantage.”

The witch’s smile brightened. “The answer to your question is a bit complicated.”

Lillian felt she had overstepped. She didn’t want to be rude to her companion. On the contrary, her curiosity was honest and well meant. “I will not be offended if you choose to keep your own council. My question was impertinent.”

She waved off Lillian’s worry. “Not at all. That is not why I hesitate to tell you. To be honest, it is not a secret. I’m concerned this will be my last meal with you and the marquis, once you know of my past.”

Lillian chuckled. “Unless you are a demon in disguise, I feel certain that will not be the case.”

She took a deep breath and put her fork down next to her plate. “My father put me out several years ago, and I was forced to travel with a carnival for a while. I was in Kent when I met Mr. Cullum. He stopped in to have his fortune told. You can imagine my surprise when I read the things in his past and future. I suppose he was impressed, because he offered me a place to live and employment. He told me I could help your cause and perhaps better my situation.”

Drake Cullum was a constant surprise. “Why would your father put you out, knowing you had no means to support yourself?”

“My father is a gentleman. My particular gifts did not fit into his world, and I could not suppress them no matter how I tried.” She rubbed her arms.

Lillian could not subdue the rage welling up in her belly, though she kept her tone even. “How old were you?”

“Sixteen.”

Lillian dropped her fork and gripped the edge of the table. She wanted to go out and find Higginbotham so she could strangle him.

“You must not think so meanly of my father, Miss Dellacourt. He did not know what to do with a daughter who could see things no one else could.”

“He should have tried harder.”

She shrugged. “Perhaps he could have. He did his best, and I have made a life for myself, which is quite satisfying.”

“I’m glad for you. I hope working for The Company will continue to be a fulfilling situation.” The entire conversation was inappropriate for two people who had met only a few minutes earlier, but if Abigail minded, she did not say.

The witch sipped her chocolate and relaxed against the back of the chair.

Lillian liked her immediately.

Dorian returned and the personal exchange ended.

“Is everything all right?” Lillian asked.

“My mother has been informed that I am in town and asked for us to attend her ball this evening.”

Lillian was sure her face betrayed her displeasure at the idea of attending a society event. Meeting Dorian’s mother only added to her anxiety. Abigail’s presence forced her to keep silent on the subject. Another, less intimate, question came to mind. “How did she know you were here?”

He shrugged. “Probably the servants. My mother is aware of my occupation. I’m sure she has requested to be informed of my coming and going.”

Abigail giggled. “Your mother sounds like a fascinating woman.”

His grin was enough to make Lillian’s stomach tighten and make other places tingle. “She is a formidable and remarkable woman. I quite like her.”

Abigail rose. “Fine praise from a son about his mother. I am sorry to leave in such a hurry. You are most kind to have invited me to break my fast with you, but I must be going. I have several duties to perform today.”

Lillian rose and crossed to the witch. “It is good to meet you, Mrs. Higginbotham. I hope to see you again.”

“Oh, I’m certain our paths will cross, Miss Dellacourt.” She curtsied and left the townhouse.

* * * *

Lillian didn’t let the drizzle soaking the bottom of her skirts bother her as she walked slowly through the pretty English garden. In spite of his remarkable ability to remain quietly in the shadows, she knew Dorian was there long before he stepped onto the path.

Still, he took her breath away. She suppressed the surge of desire warring with her determination to keep her distance from the intriguing man.

Hatless and with his hair loose, the dark waves fell about his face. He looked younger, almost innocent.

“You are making a habit of following me.”

“I suppose that is true. Do you mind terribly?”

She didn’t, which was particularly surprising. “Not as much as I might have expected.”

Her reward for honesty developed into the most delicious grin. She ached to kiss his lips until his happiness became indelible. She had not wanted to make another person happy since she’d been sold, so her mother could live a more comfortable life. She’d often wondered if it had made her happy, but she had never seen her again and so the question remained unanswered.

Heat flashed across her cheeks. She never blushed, and yet Dorian had elicited the response almost every day. What was it about him?

“Why are you walking in the rain?”

“It is a lovely day, and this little drizzle feels as though it might wash away the troubles of the world. I am indulging in a fantasy.”

He offered his arm, and she slid her hand through the crook in his elbow. “It is a lovely idea. I would love nothing more than to return to a normal life where demons were a thing of myth and tales.”

“What would you do with your days?”

“I might spend more time at the country estate and in London, managing my holdings far more profitably so I could give some land to Brice. I would court you properly.”

“Is that what you are doing?” No one had ever courted her. Not many men were brave enough to woo a woman who could best them in a fight.

“I am trying, but under very difficult circumstances.”

“If there were no demons, I would be the unwilling mistress of an earl, or worse after he died, probably ended up in the streets. You’d never have known me and our paths might never have crossed.”