He acknowledged her words with the barest of nods.
Oh well. He was a tough nut to crack. She followed Lady Chesterfield into the damp and drizzly night, wondering what the hell to do about the mess she’d made of this whole situation.
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Eighteen
The Duke of Granville’s carriage rolled to a stop in front of Waterson Manor. A tiger jumped to the ground and opened the door only a moment before the duke stepped out, dressed elegantly in white pantaloons, a black coat, and crimson waistcoat. Once Lord Granville was escorted into the house by the Waterson’s butler, the boy resumed his position and the carriage rolled around to wait in the back of the manor.
“Pissin’ down, it is,” the tiger, Edmond, muttered as he jumped to the shiny wet cobbles. “Night not fit for man nor beast.”
“Mind your tongue, lad. ’Tis fine enough for the likes of you,” the coachman replied as he loosed the horses from their traces. “Oy, who’s with ye back there?”
“Oh, ’im?” Edmond rubbed his hands together.
“It’s Russell.”
Avery tossed his hood back and jumped to the ground. Riding on the back of the carriage, Avery was sure his employer hadn’t noted his presence— exactly as he’d planned it. After all, how could he explain that he was there to assure himself of Miss Ramsey’s well-being?
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A note had been shoved beneath his door sometime during the night, and the contents had frozen the blood in his veins.
Russell,
I am most displeased. Your mission was clear, and you failed to carry it out. Do not be surprised if those you care for come to sudden harm.
Be ready for my instructions if you’d like to protect them. You know what I can do.
Prachett
Harm to himself, he could stand. Pain was a familiar friend after all these years. His aunt was safe enough with Mrs. Comstock watching out for her. But even thinking about Prachett harming Leah made rage thunder through him. He’d had to make sure she was safe.
Rounding the back of the manor house, Avery found his way into the back garden. He peered through the windows of the house.
People milled about, dressed in their lesser finery for a smaller gathering. But even the poorest-dressed among them still shone like a polished gem. They chatted and laughed easily, the cares of the world as foreign to them as the colonies.
Bitterness lodged in the back of his throat. He coughed quietly, then resumed searching for her.
His efforts were rewarded only a moment later. Leah followed Lady Chesterfield into the room, a delicate smile on her face. A footman took her wrap, revealing GeekGirlsDontDateDukes.indd 178
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her creamy shoulders and smooth arms, framed as they were by the delicate ivory lace of her dress. She laughed at something Lady Chesterfield said, tilting her head back in abandon, revealing the slender column he’d love to kiss.
Lord, she was beautiful.
He curled his fingers into a fist as he fought the urge to go to her. He was nothing to her, nothing at all. She was here for the duke. And he was only here to see that she remained unharmed by Prachett or his men.
They couldn’t know that this glittering debutante was the maid from Granville House, could they?
The rain had stopped, but the air was cold, thick, and damp. Music started in the house, the plaintive sound of a pianoforte, seeming to echo the strain in his chest.
He slapped his hand against the brick.
Thinking of her was such foolishness. Why perpetuate a fantasy?
Avery turned and looked through the window once more. She stood at the back of the room, a polite smile on her face as addressed the gentleman next to her. His stomach dropped. The gentleman next to her was none other than his employer. The man she seemed determined to catch.
Jealousy roared through Avery. He dug his fingers into the brick, gritting his teeth so hard they ached. He could not tear his gaze away from the couple.
Why should he care? Granville was a gentleman, despite his age, and would make an exemplary match for Miss Ramsey. He’d always been kind to Avery. So why did Avery want nothing more than to rip her away from the duke’s side?
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The song ended, and a polite smattering of applause sounded.
He spent nearly an hour by the bush in the back garden, growing more and more angry as Leah remained by the duke’s side. Avery’s employer took a glass of ratafia from a passing servant and offered it to her. A cold wind kissed Avery’s burning skin, but it did nothing to cool his rage at the sight of the duke’s hand brushing Leah’s. She blushed, smiling down at the glass in her gloved hands.
Damn it.