“I met His Grace at White’s,” her father told her. “He’s an excellent chess player. I’m still confounded on how he managed to outwit me on that last game.”

  His Grace relaxed. “A gentleman never reveals his secrets.”

  Her father’s eyebrows rose in curiosity. “You won’t give me a hint?”

  “I’m afraid not.”

  “A shame. I’m not sure I can figure out how you did it.”

  Though His Grace apologized, she suspected he enjoyed keeping her father in suspense.

  “Well, my dear, enjoy this dance,” her father told her.

  She accepted the Duke of Augustine’s arm and went with him to the spot where other couples were waiting to dance. She felt the weight of someone’s eyes on her and glanced over in the spot where Mr. Tumilson had been standing. He was still there, and his gaze was on her.

  Had he been watching her the entire time? Probably. It was his job. How bored he must be. Nothing unfortunate had happened to her so far. It was just as she’d told her father. She was in no danger. Maybe after this evening, Mr. Tumilson could tell her father the same, and her father could let the matter go.

  Chapter Four

  Byron had to stifle back a yawn as the Duke of Dormondton approached him. He used to think spending an entire night watching someone’s residence was boring. This was far worse. How was it possible these people really enjoyed going to balls? All they were doing was wasting time when actual work could be done.

  “What do you think?” the duke asked once he reached him.

  Byron shrugged. “So far, nothing out of the ordinary has happened, but it’s also too soon to dismiss the possibility someone intends to harm your daughter. You can’t gather much in an hour.”

  “That’s true. I hadn’t thought of that. I suppose it will take a good amount of time to figure out who the culprit is.”

  “Criminals don’t act when they’re being watched. The benefit of this evening is that I get acquainted with how your daughter is when she’s in a social situation. I haven’t seen her act clumsily.”

  “That’s my point, exactly. She’s not clumsy. I know she thinks she is, but, as you see for yourself, she’s graceful.”

  Yes, she was. The incident at the stairs was easy to explain since she’d been scared and running from the rat. The theatre, though, was a different matter. “You said she almost fell from the balcony at the theatre?”

  The duke nodded. “I went to get something to drink, so I left her in the balcony by herself. While away, I heard ladies screaming. I ran into the house and got there in time to see Eleanor hanging from the rail. She claims no one pushed her. She thinks she tripped on the hem of her gown. To be fair, the gown was a bit longer than the ones she usually wears, but she managed to walk into the theatre without any problems.”

  That was strange. Byron crossed his arms and directed his gaze to her. She wasn’t talking with the gentleman she was dancing with. They both seemed to be lost in their own thoughts. Byron let his gaze go to her feet. She seemed adept at moving them. The steps to the dance were fast.

  His attention went back to the expression on her face. She looked as uninterested with this gentleman as she had with the other one. “Are you pairing her up with gentlemen you hope will marry her?”

  “I thought I’d start her dance card with some gentlemen who aren’t potential suitors in order to ease her into this evening. In the past, I tried setting her up with gentlemen who are looking for a wife right away, and she said it made her more nervous. Once she has a couple of dances, she says she’s more comfortable.”

  Perhaps that was why she seemed out of place here.

  “You’re due to dance with her after the next gentleman,” her father said. “In the meantime, I just thought of another gentleman who manages money well. It will help us keep up the charade that you’re here to improve your financial standing if you talk with him.”

  Byron nodded and followed the duke to a group of three gentlemen who were lounging in chairs to the side of the room. He glanced back at Lady Eleanor. Her gaze was on him. It was curious that she felt the need to keep tabs on where he was all the time. Usually, when someone knew he was there to watch things, they ignored him and let him do his job. He could only hope if anyone noticed the way she kept looking over at him, they would think she was romantically interested in him. Otherwise, his work was in jeopardy.

  He directed his attention back to her father. They reached two gentlemen, and her father introduced him to Lord Steinbeck and Lord Worsley.

  “I told Mr. Tumilson I would help him with his financial endeavors, and Mr. Jasper referred me to you both,” the Duke of Dormondton said. “I thought you three might have some advice for a novice. Out of everyone at White’s, you are the wealthiest, and I credit that with your investing prowess.”

  “I can’t say that we’re wealthier than Lord Edon, but he acquired the bulk of his fortune through wagers,” Lord Steinbeck replied.

  Byron noticed the slight frown of disapproval on the duke’s face. Apparently, the duke wasn’t all that enthusiastic about Lord Edon. Byron didn’t know who Lord Edon was, so he had no frame of reference for this disapproval. If he did, it would help him understand the duke better.

  “You’re not still upset Lord Edon is still a member of White’s, are you?” Lord Steinbeck asked.

  Byron was impressed Lord Steinbeck noticed the duke’s reaction since the duke had been subtle. Most people missed little things like that.

  His Grace gave a shake of his head. “I don’t care how he acquired his fortune. I’m just not pleased when people pretend to be something they aren’t. A gentleman ought to have the courage to be who he really is, rather than lying to everyone about it.”

  Ah, so that was it. The duke valued honesty. But he wasn’t so honest that he was willing to put his daughter’s life at stake. That was understandable. There were times when it was best to lie. As a Runner, Byron did plenty of lying. It was hard to catch someone by being honest.

  “We understand your point,” Mr. Worsley consented, “but what’s done is done. Like it or not, we still have to interact with him at the gentlemen’s club.” He cleared his throat. “But you came to us seeking help on your friend’s behalf. We’re more than happy to offer advice.” He directed his gaze to Byron. “Have you done any investing in the past?”

  Now, this was something he could be honest about. “No, I haven’t.” That’s what happened when one barely had enough to cover his expenses from month to month, which was something he doubted anyone in this room understood.

  “How much money would you like to invest?” Lord Steinbeck asked.

  Thinking over how much discretionary income he might receive from this job after he paid his sister back, he said, “I could probably invest a pound.”

  “Only a pound?” Lord Steinbeck asked, not hiding his surprise.

  Was that too little? It was a great sum of money to Byron. By the shock on the gentlemen’s faces, it was apparent that this was a pathetic amount to invest.

  The duke laughed. “My friend likes to joke. He couldn’t afford to dress in something this fine if he only had a pound to invest with. He will start with fifty pounds. That’s still a small amount, but he wants to make sure he learns how to properly invest before he puts in any real money.”

  Byron managed to maintain a stoic expression in case Lord Steinbeck noticed his disbelief. Fifty pounds? Was that what wealthy gentlemen considered a paltry amount of money? If so, it was no wonder why they bought such expensive clothes and had such extravagant balls.

  The two gentlemen relaxed and chuckled.

  “Your friend did an excellent job of fooling us,” Lord Steinbeck said. “I thought he was serious.”

  “I did, too,” Lord Worsley spoke up. “He could be an actor at the theatre with skill that good.”

  Byron chuckled along with them so they wouldn’t realize he’d never seen fifty pounds at any time in his life as a Runner.

  The gentlemen continued to give him advice. They used terms, people, and businesses he hadn’t heard before. He was able to get a general idea of what they were talking about, but he wasn’t sure if he could take any of this information and start investing. Considering he’d never see the “paltry” amount of fifty pounds in his life, he decided to settle for nodding rather than asking questions.

  After they were done, the duke said, “It’s no wonder you two and Mr. Jasper are among the wealthiest gentlemen in London. I introduced you to Mr. Tumilson with the intention of helping him, but as it turned out, you helped me.”

  “We’ll be happy to discuss investing any time you want,” Lord Worsley told him.

  “It’s a shame all of you are married,” the duke replied. “My daughter would benefit from a marriage to one of you. But alas,” he shrugged, “fate has not permitted such a match.”

  “I’m sure your daughter will find someone,” Mr. Worsley said. “You’re a titled gentleman with money. That attracts just about anyone.”

  Lord Steinbeck gestured to Byron. “Isn’t he your daughter’s suitor?”

  “My association is with His Grace,” Byron interrupted, “but I have recently made his daughter’s acquaintance. In fact, I’m due to have a dance with her soon.”

  “Maybe he’ll be the one,” Lord Steinbeck told the duke. “If he follows our advice, he’ll have more than enough money to see to her comfort in ten years.”

  “Yes, perhaps things might play out that way.” The duke led Byron over to the outskirts of the room where they had a clear view of Lady Eleanor. “That went better than I’d hoped. With any luck, the rest of the evening will go just as well.”

  “If it goes too well, that will make it difficult to detect anything suspicious,” Byron replied.

  “I hadn’t thought of it that way. At least you’re here and can see what’s happening with her.”

  Byron’s attention went to Lady Eleanor, and once more, she was looking in his direction. He was tempted to shake his head but managed to refrain from doing so. She would make a terrible Runner. Her father, at least, was making an attempt to be subtle.

  The music ended, and since her father was looking at him expectantly, Byron headed in her direction. Thank goodness her father hadn’t set him up to have the first dance with her. It had taken him a while of watching people dance to get acquainted with the steps. He had learned the steps years ago when his sister entered her Season. He and their mother were hopeful she’d find a titled gentleman. They had used the last of their family’s money for her. He knew he’d be fine since he could earn a living, but ladies didn’t have the same advantages a gentleman did.

  Mindful to keep up appearances of the hopeful suitor as her father wished, he asked her, “May I have this dance, Lady Eleanor?”

  “You may, Mr. Tumilson.”

  He gave a swift scan of the other couples to make sure he guided her to the right spot. In his time as a Runner, he’d had to put on a pretense of being someone he wasn’t, but he’d never once had to play the part of a wealthy gentleman who was looking for a bride.

  How did gentlemen act around ladies they were hoping to court? He studied the gentlemen to see if any of them seemed romantically interested in the ladies they were dancing with. Out of the group, he detected two of them. They were offering flirtatious smiles at their partners. One leaned toward his partner and said something that made her blush and giggle. He caught the other besotted gentleman adjusting his cravat.

  Following their lead, Byron adjusted his cravat then gave Lady Eleanor a smile so wide it almost made him uncomfortable. He hadn’t smiled this widely since he was a child at the candy store. Since he couldn’t come up with a joke to make her laugh, he settled for leaning toward her and whispering, “In the future, you shouldn’t keep looking at me while you’re dancing with other gentlemen. Someone’s apt to realize your father hired me to watch over you. Now, if you wouldn’t mind, please laugh so others with think I said something funny.” Then he straightened up, grinned at her, and waited for her to laugh.

  She stared at him, and for a moment, he thought she wasn’t going to laugh, but then she let out a hesitant chuckle.

  Before anyone realized her laugh had been forced, he leaned forward and whispered, “Perhaps you could try that again. Pretend I’m witty.”

  She made another attempt at laughing. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better. He would just have to settle for it.

  The music finally started, and they began to dance. Which was a relief. He didn’t know how much longer he could pretend to flirt.

  “I don’t see how it’s fair that you can keep watching me, but I can’t look over at you,” Lady Eleanor said.

  Glad no one was paying attention to them, he said, “I have to watch you. It’s why I’m here. You’re supposed to act like I’m not in the room. It’s how I’ve done it in the past with others, and I always managed to figure out what was going on.”

  “There’s nothing going on this time. You must realize that by now.”

  “That’s not true. You haven’t tripped once all evening.”

  She frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “Your claim is that you’re clumsy. I haven’t noticed anything clumsy you’ve done all evening. In fact, you’ve handled yourself with surprising grace. Now, stop frowning. We have to pretend we’re enjoying each other’s company.”

  “I have been known to trip from time to time. Just because I haven’t done it yet, it doesn’t mean I lied when I said I was clumsy. Why, just this morning, I bumped into the doorway on my way out of the bedchamber. I might not be tripping all over gentlemen, but I have my moments.”

  “Everyone has moments in their life where they trip or bump into something. That doesn’t mean anything. Remember to smile. Your father could be watching, and I don’t want him to think I’m doing a lousy job of pretending to be interested in you.” He gestured to his face where he had maintained a smile the entire time they had been talking.

  She started looking for her father.

  “You can’t do that,” Byron said. “And smile. People might wonder why you’re not interested in me. If you want another gentleman to get jealous, he needs to think you might accept me as a suitor.”

  Her gaze went back to him. “I don’t feel like smiling. You keep criticizing me.”

  Really? “I’m not trying to. I’m trying to help you. Your father could be right about something being amiss.” By the expression on her face, he realized she’d been hoping that he would conclude her father had nothing to worry about. “I don’t know if someone is seeking to harm you or if there’s something else they’re after, but you aren’t prone to accidents. The incidents with the balcony and with your carriage were probably done on purpose.”

  “Why would someone want to harm me? I barely know anyone. I can’t think of a single person I’ve upset during my brief time in London.”

  Giving up on the notion that he could talk her into smiling since she still refused to do so, he settled for letting his own smile go. “Anyone could be after you for any number of things.”

  “What kind of things?”

  Good grief. Did she really expect him to go through a list? Since she stared expectantly at him, he sighed. “Perhaps someone is jealous of you. Maybe you have attracted the interest of a married gentleman, and the wife found out and wishes to stop him before he makes his intentions known to you.”

  Lady Eleanor laughed. While he didn’t see what was so funny about his statement, he laughed along with her since the laughter was a hearty one. Now people might finally think she was interested in him.

  “In case you haven’t noticed,” she began, “I’m not the most attractive lady in the room. I’m a wallflower.”

  “There could very well be a gentleman in London who prefers wallflowers.” When she gave him a pointed look that let him know she wouldn’t accept that scenario, he continued, “You are the daughter of a wealthy gentleman. Perhaps someone envies the money you have.”

  “And how far would this person get by murdering me? If I die, they won’t inherit anything. It seems that if the person were a gentleman, he’d be better of marrying me to get to my father’s money than killing me.”

  Yes, that was a good point, and it was one that had crossed his mind, which was why he was quick to suggest that a married gentleman was interested in her.

  After a moment, he ventured, “It could very well be that your charming personality won over a prominent member of that lady’s group you went to, and out of jealousy, another lady wishes to cripple or murder you in order to stop your social engagements.”

  This time she rolled her eyes. “If you’d been to the Ladies of Grace social, you would have seen me sitting and listening to the others talk. I didn’t say more than a couple of words the entire time I was there. I think they only let me stay there out of pity.”

  “I find it hard to believe you said so little during the Ladies of Grace social since you’ve had no trouble talking to me.”

  “You’re different. I don’t have to worry about making a good impression to you so I can become a member of your group. Also, my father hired you to watch over me. It’s not like anything romantic will ever happen between us.”

  “All that aside, you do know how to talk, and you manage to hold yourself with grace. You might have the appearance of being a wallflower, but you’re not one once someone gets to know you.” Inspired, he continued, “Perhaps that is what threatens this person who seeks you harm.”

  “I don’t see how I could be threatening to anyone for any reason.”

  “There is always a reason someone feels threatened. One way or another, I’ll figure out who wants to harm you and why.”

  “This is all pointless, but you’re just as determined as my father is so I can’t stop you.”

  He was surprised she wasn’t more appreciative of his efforts. If someone was trying to protect him, he wouldn’t make that comment in such a dismissive manner.