Byron pulled on his cravat too tight, which ruined the look he was going for. With another groan, he removed the cloth from his neck. He released his breath and slipped it back around his neck, making sure one end was slightly longer than the other. Then he proceeded to wrap the longer end around the shorter one.

  When he was done with the cravat, he tucked the fabric under his waistcoat and released his breath. He left the mirror and retrieved his dress coat. He couldn’t believe the thing had cost him so much money. It was good the duke was paying him well, or he’d abandon the case because these clothes were expensive.

  No, he couldn’t abandon the case. Not when it involved Eleanor. He put his hat on then slipped on his gloves. He took another look in the mirror and shook his head. He didn’t look anything like the person he was. He looked like a doll someone crafted to put on display in one of those fancy shops. Were people like Eleanor’s father really happy with this kind of life? Didn’t the endless pursuit of socializing and straining to impress others ever get exhausting? Wasn’t there a time when they thought it might be nice to do whatever they wished without worrying about what others thought about it?

  It didn’t matter how he felt. What mattered was that he do his job. “Your job is to make sure nothing bad happens to Eleanor. It doesn’t go any farther than that,” he told his reflection.

  He took a deep breath, released it, and left his house. The walk to Eleanor’s townhouse wasn’t all that far, at least not in his opinion. He rather enjoyed long walks. It gave him time to relax and think over how he should proceed with his investigations.

  When he reached the street of Eleanor’s residence, his gaze went to Lord Swenson’s townhouse where he’d seen the Duke of Winnett leave in a huff a few days ago. After some investigating, Byron learned that the Duke of Winnett was in debt to Lord Swenson. Byron had discovered as much as he could about the debt. Given that this debt was accumulated at White’s, which was an establishment known for keeping secrets among members, he couldn’t find out too much. In the end, he’d concluded that it boiled down to a series of card games. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to pin a crime on the Duke of Winnett.

  Byron reached the front door of Eleanor’s home and knocked on it. He glanced up and down the street. Already, carriages were on their way to the ball. No doubt, this was going to be a long evening. He could only hope Piers would leave him alone.

  The footman opened the door then escorted him to the drawing room. Byron sat and waited for either Eleanor or her father to show up. This time, her father happened to be the first one to see him, and judging by the slight scowl on his face, he wasn’t happy.

  “What’s wrong?” Byron asked, straightening up in the chair.

  Her father sat across from him and placed his hands on his knees. “You are a gentleman. Sure, you don’t have the same upbringing as the nobility, but you certainly have the same passions that noblemen do when it comes to ladies.”

  Byron resisted the urge to shift in the chair lest he give his apprehension away. Her father hadn’t detected his interest in Eleanor, had he? Just the thought made Byron mentally curse himself. He had been fighting the truth, even from himself, for a while now. By admitting it, he had allowed it to come to light. And he didn’t like that. There was no way he could ever end up with someone like her. Their social stations would never allow it.

  Her father leaned forward. “I insist you be honest with me. I need to know if my daughter is attractive to gentlemen who are looking for a wife.”

  Byron relaxed. Good. Her father hadn’t picked up on his attraction for Eleanor.

  Her father let out a heavy sigh. “Not a single bachelor other than the Duke of Winnett has expressed an interest in marrying my daughter. I don’t understand it. She had gentlemen lining up to dance with her at the last ball. A couple of those gentlemen have excellent connections with influential members of the Ton. Tell me, is my daughter appealing or is she not?”

  Given that the duke was oblivious to his feelings, Byron felt he could safely—and honestly—answer the question. “I assure you that your daughter is desirable for marriage.”

  “So why is no one interested in visiting her?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I paid the Duchess of Ashbourne to make it so that Eleanor wouldn’t have any trouble securing a husband this Season.”

  “The Duchess of Ashbourne can’t guarantee a lady will get a husband. All the duchess can do is teach the lady how to dress and act in a way that will attract gentlemen.” And the duchess had done that. Byron hadn’t been aware of how desirable Eleanor was until she’d had those lessons. He cleared his throat. “The duchess did her job, Your Grace.”

  “Then why has no one except the Duke of Winnett asked to talk to her?”

  Noting the frustration in the gentleman’s voice, Byron shrugged. “I haven’t the slightest idea, but it’s not the duchess’ fault, nor is it your daughter’s fault.”

  “Are you telling me there’s something wrong with all of the gentlemen in London?”

  Of course, there wasn’t. To suggest such a thing would be ridiculous. There was no way all of the gentlemen in London except for him and the Duke of Winnett wanted a romantic relationship with Eleanor. He frowned. Was it possible the Duke of Winnett had something to do with this?

  “I’m sorry I’m late,” Eleanor said as she came into the room. “I couldn’t decide on the best type of necklace to wear.”

  Byron joined her father in standing. He turned his attention to Eleanor, and on its own accord, his gaze went to the pearl drop necklace just above her cleavage. There wasn’t much of her cleavage exposed, but the little that was there tempted him with ideas on how she might look if he were to take her gown off. Face warm, he glanced at her father. Thankfully, her father wasn’t looking at him.

  “I spent the entire day practicing everything the Duchess of Ashbourne taught me,” she told her father. “I won’t disappoint you.”

  “I know you’ll do your best,” her father replied. “You’re mindful to do as you’re instructed. I’m just not sure the duchess knows what she’s doing.” His gaze went to Byron. “I’ll get my cane then be back.”

  Eleanor waited until he was out of the room before telling Byron, “Your sister came by yesterday with Heather. I like her. She seems nice.”

  “She is nice.”

  “Does she know that my father hired you as an investigator?”

  “No, I didn’t specify who your father was when I mentioned you. I don’t give her any details about the cases I work on.”

  “I didn’t mention that you were hired to watch over me, either. I suppose she assumes you’re really my suitor then?”

  “If that’s what came up in the conversation you two had, then I suppose so. My sister is discreet. She doesn’t go around telling people I’m a Runner. But if you two were to discuss that, it would be all right. She knows better than to go through London warning potential suspects that I’m following them around.”

  “Considering the fact that you won’t tell me or my father who the current suspect is, I have no trouble keeping it a secret from her.”

  He arched an eyebrow in amusement. “Are you trying to get me to tell you who the suspect is?”

  “I don’t need to do that.” Before he could ask her what she meant by that, she added, “It was awkward having her think you are my suitor. Heather was the one who kept going on and on about it. I didn’t bring it up. I am wondering, though, when you’re done with your investigation, will your sister want to talk to me if she thinks I rejected your proposal? Heather made it sound like you were going to propose to me. Of course, we both know this is all a pretense, but no one else does. I hate to say it, but the members of Ladies of Grace think we will get married.”

  Considering how often Piers pestered him about Eleanor, Byron wasn’t surprised to hear that the ladies in that group believed a proposal was imminent. “It is awkward when you are playing a part that isn’t real, but it has to be believable.”

  “You’ve done a good job of acting. I haven’t played the part as well as I could have. I suppose you’re better at this because you’re a Runner. You probably have to pretend to be many things in your line of work.”

  “Not as often as you’d think. Most of the time, I hide in the shadows and observe people. I’ve never had to play the role of a suitor before.”

  “Really? But you’re so good at it.”

  He wasn’t so sure about that. It was possible they noticed his interest was actually real.

  Eleanor glanced at the doorway then turned her attention back to him. “Don’t tell my father, but it’s not easy for me to pretend to be someone I’m not. He wants to blame the Duchess of Ashbourne, but it’s not her fault I haven’t received any missives from potential suitors. I do my best to act like I’m having a good time at the balls, but I don’t. Deep down, I’m a wallflower.”

  “No, you’re not a wallflower.” She was too beautiful and too charming to be a wallflower.

  “When I’m not out in public trying to do everything the duchess taught me, I am still a wallflower. It’s hard to play the part of a socially exciting lady. As soon as I come home, all I want to do is retreat to my bedchamber. I prefer to be alone or with a couple of friends. At least then, I don’t feel worn out.” She glanced at the door again. “Tonight is going to be difficult for me to get through. What’s worse is that my father will demand the duchess pay him back if I don’t get someone to take an interest in me.”

  “That would put a lot of pressure on any lady.” He used to think ladies were fortunate because all they had to do was wait for a gentleman to approach them. The burden, he had figured, was on the gentleman who risked rejection. Now, however, he realized it was equally difficult for a lady to wait and hope she’d get an offer.

  He turned his attention to the doorway as her father approached.

  “Whose ball will we be attending tonight?” Byron asked her father.

  “The Duke of Winnett is hosting the ball this evening,” her father replied. “You must dance with him twice, Eleanor. It’d be in bad form if you picked someone else over him like you did last time.”

  “I don’t want to dance with him,” she argued.

  Her father waved her comment aside. “That’s silly. He’s been nothing but kind to you. Also, he’s your only suitor at the moment. You can’t afford to be picky when the duchess has failed so miserably. I can’t have you enter a second Season. It would be embarrassing. If all goes well this evening, you will have more promising suitors to choose from. Then you don’t need to dance with the Duke of Winnett ever again.”

  That was little consolation to Eleanor, Byron knew, but her father was either oblivious or unconcerned about his daughter’s plight. No doubt Eleanor’s worry over how things would go this evening had just increased. It was a shame he didn’t have more money to his name. If he did, he might be able to offer her an alternative to the Duke of Winnett. As it was, she had to hope someone else would come along and offer his suit.

  Quite frankly, Byron didn’t understand why someone better hadn’t come along already. Was it possible suitors had been trying to make their offers but had been unable to? What if missives were coming but were being intercepted? Could the footman or butler of this household be talked into making sure nothing got to Eleanor or her father?

  One way to find out was to see if the Duke of Winnett had any such missives in his possessions. Though some criminals would burn evidence, some weren’t that smart. If Byron did find the missives, that would be a crime he could pin on him. Suddenly, Byron was glad he had to attend a ball this evening.

  “Well, I’m ready,” her father told them. “Let’s see if the Duchess of Ashbourne can do a better job this evening.”

  Byron offered Eleanor a sympathetic smile as the three left the room.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Eleanor noticed that Byron had managed to disappear shortly after their arrival at the Duke of Winnett’s residence. She wished he would tell her what he was looking for. Whatever he’d been doing in the past week hadn’t yielded anything useful. Otherwise, he would have told her father about the duke being a suspect by now.

  She took a deep breath then sipped her drink. She’d already had one dance with the Duke of Winnett. Thankfully, he was currently talking to her father. Since her father was distracted, this allowed her an opportunity to relax.

  Her gaze went across the room. She’d been here for a half hour, and Byron was still missing. Just how many rooms was he looking through?

  Someone approached, and her attention went to the Duchess of Ashbourne.

  “You won’t attract gentleman by staying to the side of the room,” the lady kindly warned her.

  Eleanor smiled. “I’m sorry. I just needed a moment to myself.”

  “You don’t care much for these social activities, do you?”

  “No, I don’t. Once I marry, I won’t have to keep doing this, will I?”

  “That depends on the gentleman you marry. My advice is to choose someone who doesn’t like these social engagements any more than you do. Then you won’t have to do them much.”

  “Does such a gentleman exist?”

  The duchess nodded. “Believe it or not, some gentlemen feel more comfortable at home like you do. Not everyone enjoys these things.”

  “Do you enjoy them?”

  “I enjoy my job, which is helping ladies and gentlemen find a suitable marriage partner. My hope is that everyone I teach finds a love match. It’s always best when couples love each other. The more suitors you can get, the more options you have.”

  “I’ve been trying to get suitors, Your Grace.”

  The duchess placed an understanding hand on her arm. “I know, and you have attracted a good number of gentlemen. You might not be aware of it, but I notice the way some are looking your way.”

  They were? Eleanor scanned the room but didn’t see anyone looking at them.

  “No one is looking now since I’m with you. Most are aware that I’ve been hired to assist you in finding a husband. It tends to make gentlemen shy when I’m around. They don’t want to seem like they’re too eager for marriage. It doesn’t help with a person’s reputation.”

  “I’m sure it doesn’t.” Eleanor took another sip of wine. “Give me another minute, and I’ll return to my spot near the dance floor. I will do everything you instructed. You won’t have to pay my father back.”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ve dealt with plenty of people over the years. I can handle your father. Whatever he says, I want you to know you’re doing everything perfectly. You’re not the reason no one has asked to pay you a visit. It’s possible it might be your father. Gentlemen do take into consideration who their father-in-law will be when picking a wife.”

  They did? Shocked, Eleanor watched as the duchess walked away from her. So her father was an important part of the equation when it came to finding a husband? If so, that might explain it. She had barely known her father before coming to London. She didn’t know much about him even now. But she had been dismayed by how difficult he was.

  She took another sip of her wine then went to the table to set down her glass. She could do this. She could go out there. She would ask her dance partners questions to get them to talk, she’d smile and laugh, and maybe she’d find a way to tell them that they didn’t have to worry about her father. The last part would be a bit challenging, but if she let them know her father didn’t spend much time with her, then they’d know her father wouldn’t be a big part of their marriage. That might reassure them about taking a chance in asking to court her. Exhaling, she straightened up and headed for the dancing area.

  ***

  Byron opened the last drawer of the desk in the library but didn’t find anything of interest. With a sigh, he shut the drawer and straightened up. The Duke of Winnett, it seemed, was one of the more intelligent suspects he would be dealing with. If the duke had intercepted any missives going to Eleanor, he had quickly destroyed them so as not to leave any evidence behind. That meant Byron was going to have to tell Eleanor’s father about his suspicions so he could get her father’s permission to question the butler and footman.

  Byron made his way to the door. He gave another scan of the library to make sure he hadn’t missed anything. Unfortunately, nothing stood out. The Duke of Winnett was meticulous. Everything was set in order. There wasn’t a single book out of place. Minus the inkwell, there was nothing on his desk. The chairs had been lined up with one another. The chessboard had all of its pieces in place. A gentleman who went through the lengths of organizing his library like this paid close attention to the details. While Byron was intrigued by the challenge of this case, he worried about what this meant for Eleanor.

  He slipped out of the library. The hallway was empty. He stuck to the shadows of the passageway in case someone happened to come by. Would it be wise to investigate more of the townhouse? While the Duke of Winnett would be distracted by the ball, the servants wouldn’t be. He’d had to hide behind the drapes in the library when one of the servants came in to check on the fire in the fireplace. He’d only managed to narrowly avoid being caught. The music from the ballroom made it impossible to hear footsteps.

  At least any footsteps that were on the main floor. There would be less noise upstairs. Byron reached the edge of the hallway where he could see if anyone was entering the townhouse. A gentleman removed his hat and the lady removed her hat and shawl. They then handed their things to the footman who stood by the door. Byron waited as they went to the ballroom. The footman turned his back to him and searched for a place to put the things.

  With a glance to make sure no one else was nearby, Byron tiptoed his way to the stairs and hurried up the steps before anyone noticed him. The Duke of Winnett’s bedchamber was easy to find. It was the only one with any bedding in it. That was odd, considering how often he’d seen wealthy people decorate rooms they never used. Perhaps the Duke of Winnett didn’t have money to spend on things he wasn’t going to use. He was in financial trouble with Lord Swenson.