Always True to Her (Emerson Book 2) (4 page)

“But you must let me see Lord James,” said Irene to
the Earl of Layton’s insufferable butler. “If he is truly not at home, I wish
to wait for him. Inside.” Hopefully before anyone noticed she was trying to
gain admittance to a gentleman’s home and with her maid very much not in
attendance. Irene had pulled the hood of her cloak over her head to disguise
her appearance, but the longer she argued with the servant, the greater the
chance someone passing by would recognize her.

“Did I just see a mouse run across the floor?” Irene
pointed to the interior of the grand foyer. When the butler turned to see the
rodent interloper, Irene pushed past him and entered the house. “Now, if you
will please tell Lord James I am here.”

“I cannot do that, Miss Wallace.”

“Cannot or will not?”

The butler simply raised one brow.

“Very well. I shall conduct a room-by-room search.”

The butler’s look of horror was almost comical.

“I do not wish to have you escorted from this house,
miss.”

“What is your name?”

The butler looked like he was considering not
answering. Finally, he bit out “Williams.”

“Frankly, Williams, I believe it would please you to
no end to have me escorted from the premises. But let us compromise. If you
tell me Lord James is truly not at home, as opposed to not receiving, I will
not conduct a search.”

“He is not at home,” said Williams, who then pointed
to the door.

“You interrupted me, Williams, which isn’t very good
form, is it? What I was about to say was that I will not conduct a search, but
will instead sit here, in the entryway if I have to, until Lord James
returns.” She smiled at him. “Though I wouldn’t mind a spot of tea in the
sitting room while I wait.”

Williams simply stared at her in disbelief.

She could tell no tea was forthcoming.

“Very well. Will you at least tell me the name of
Lord James’s daughter?” She’d been thinking about the beautiful girl all
morning and the way she’d so trustingly laid her head upon her father’s
shoulder.

She was lost in her thoughts, so she barely caught the
sneer that fleetingly crossed the butler’s face. But it had been there.

“She’s a beautiful little girl,” said Irene. “And
you are fortunate to have her as a guest.” When the butler gave no response,
she continued. “I imagine the Earl of Layton would be most displeased to learn
you were not treating Miss Emerson with the respect she deserves.” She knew it
was none of her concern, but she could never abide it when people were cruel to
children.

Irene and the butler were so focused on their conversation
that neither noticed the two people who’d entered through the open door.

“Is there a problem?”

Irene turned to find Lord James and his little girl
in the foyer. He’d just put his daughter down and was now studying Irene with
an intensity that was most unsettling.

He was unsettling. She’d only seen him fleetingly
earlier, so she’d had no idea just how tall he was, how broad he was in the
shoulders. She had to look up to meet his eyes. They were dark brown, the
color of rich chocolate, and they were staring back at her as if he could see
right through her. As if he could sense the heat rising in her.

She averted her eyes, only to find his daughter
staring up at her. However, Miss Emerson’s gaze had none of the intensity of
her father’s. Only a simple curiosity. Irene smiled at her.

Miss Emerson smiled shyly back, then leaned against
her father.

And just like that, Irene’s heart skipped a beat.
Here was a large, muscled, dangerous man. And there was his sweet little girl
leaning against him. Irene watched as Lord James squeezed the little girl’s
shoulder, then bent down to help her with her coat. But apparently the ribbons
under her bonnet had become knotted. He gently tugged at them, while she waited
patiently.

After a few moments of futile struggling, marked by
no help at all from the butler, Irene interceded. “Please allow me.”

“I can get it,” said Lord James, despite all
evidence to the contrary.

“I believe your fingers…” On his strong tanned
hands. “…may be too large to undo the knot. And I am afraid you are only
tightening the ribbons and soon poor Miss Emerson will become strangled.
Please allow me to introduce myself. I am...”

“Miss Irene Wallace, daughter of Viscount Ainsworth,
sister to Cedric. I saw you on my way out of your house.” He stopped
struggling with the knot for a moment and smiled at his daughter. “Perhaps
we’ll have to cut the ribbons,” he said to her.

“You will most certainly do no such thing,” said
Irene. “If you will but allow me to assist Miss Emerson, I am sure I can
loosen the offending knot without destroying her pretty bonnet.”

Lord James rose and Irene was forced once again to look
up at him. Not that looking at him posed any particular hardship. But there
certainly was a lot of him.

“My daughter can be shy around people she does not
know. I would not wish to frighten her.”

“Nor would I. But may I at least ask her if I can
help?”

He grunted some sort of assent. Or possibly just
grunted. Irene took the opportunity to bend down to the little girl. “Miss
Emerson, my name is Irene Wallace. Do you think I can try to loosen that
knot?”

Miss Emerson worried her lip for moment, then
nodded.

Irene knelt on the floor in front of her, then
reached for the strings and gently began to rub the knot between her fingers.
“This is a beautiful wool bonnet. I expect you brought it with you from
America. I have never seen its equal in London.”

Miss Emerson studied her, but did not speak.

Irene continued. “I am ever so anxious for spring
to arrive so we can have an end to the cold weather. Though I daresay if I had
a bonnet as beautiful as this, I would wish to wear it as long as I could.”

Miss Emerson reached out hesitantly, as if to touch
a strand of Irene’s fair hair.

“Sweeting, I don’t think you should,” said her
father gently.

“It’s all right,” said Irene. “If I can irritate
poor Miss Emerson with my bungling, she can certainly touch my hair. Go ahead,
sweetheart.”

Miss Emerson carefully touched Irene’s hair, looking
at the different colors of gold in it. “It’s pretty,” she said.

“Thank you. I think your hair is pretty, too. I
just wish I could loosen this knot so we might see more of it.”

The knot finally came undone and Irene was able to
remove the bonnet. Miss Emerson smiled at her radiantly.

“Thank you,” said the little girl.

“It was my pleasure.”

*

James had watched the scene before him with mixed
emotions. He’d heard Miss Wallace’s defense of Anna as he entered the house.
He didn’t know what Williams had said, but it was a good thing for the butler
that James hadn’t heard it. He didn’t know if this woman knew Nicholas, but he
was heartened both by her defense of Anna and then by how gentle she’d been
while untangling the bonnet.

He’d noticed her earlier on his way out of
Ainsworth’s house, of course. He’d nearly run her over. It was a sign of just
how beautiful the woman was that she could attract his attention while he’d
been seething mad. She was simply stunning. He wouldn’t mind touching her
fair hair, as well. But this was neither the time nor the place. And she was Cedric’s
sister.

He wondered why she was there. Had her grandmother sent
her to convince him not to press forward with the magistrate? It wouldn’t
work. He was insulted they’d even try.

But then she’d been so gentle with Anna and it had
done something to him. He’d softened just the tiniest amount. Not toward her
brother or father. Nor toward the dragon dowager. But Miss Wallace had shown such
kindness to Anna. That deserved some consideration on his part. She’d even
let his daughter stroke her hair. No other lady of his acquaintance would have
done that, save his sisters, along with Ava and Maude, their cook.

It was hard to believe she was related to Cedric.
But she was and James had to be on his guard.

She broke into his thoughts. “Perhaps, my lord, you
would like to order a hot drink for Miss Emerson?”

Of course.
He should have thought of it himself. He still had so much to learn. “Williams,
some warm milk and biscuits for Miss Emerson. And I suppose some tea for Miss
Wallace and myself.” He said the last part only grudgingly. He didn’t know
why she was there, but he didn’t think it could be in his best interest.

“You are too kind, sir,” she said, barely keeping
from laughing.

“Yes, well, it wasn’t as if I was invited to tea
when I was at your home earlier today. I’m surprised your grandmother didn’t
set the dogs on me.”

“If we had dogs, she might have,” said Irene, still
suppressing a laugh.

“I suppose we can go in the sitting room and you can
tell me why you are here.” He motioned for a footman to take their coats. “But
I do not wish for Anna to be with us if this conversation becomes heated.”

“Unfortunately, there is every possibility it will.
Perhaps her governess could take her?”

“She doesn’t have one.” And he’d never place her in
Williams’s care.

“Perhaps she might play with toys in one half of the
sitting room while we converse in the other.”

“She doesn’t have many toys.” He hated admitting to
such a thing. But perhaps it would help Miss Wallace recognize the importance
of his mission. If he did not have the means to provide his daughter with such
basics – and it tore him apart that he didn’t – then mayhap she would speak to
her father on his behalf.

“Then may we go to Lord Layton’s library, instead?”
she asked.

The request surprised him, but he nodded, then
motioned for her to precede him down the hall until they reached the
well-stocked library. But instead of taking a seat, she went to the shelves
and began searching.

“Are you growing bored with my company?” he asked,
as he admired the sway of her hips which he was almost certain was an
unconscious motion on her part.

“I have a feeling the problem you and I shall have
will not be one of boredom,” she said, going from one bookshelf to the next.

James could imagine any number of ways he and Miss
Wallace could entertain each other, if she weren’t a lady and he didn’t have
Anna with him. “Can I help you find something?”

“I’m looking for a book for Miss Emerson.”

That wasn’t what he’d been expecting. “My daughter
is learning to read English, but does not quite have the proficiency yet for the
books in Layton’s library.”

“Ah, this should work,” she said, as she pulled a
heavy volume from the shelf.

Without thinking, James reached out to help her, his
fingers brushing against hers as he did so. He felt a shock go through his
body. And from her sudden discomfited expression, he believed she had felt it,
too. Her accompanying blush flooded his body with lust. As a distraction, he
examined the book in his hands. “It’s a book of art.”

“I had a feeling Lord Layton might have such a
volume. It has reproductions of great pieces of art from museums all over
Europe. I thought perhaps Miss Emerson might like to look through the book
while you and I converse.”

It was a remarkably kind and intelligent suggestion,
making James wonder if this lady was truly related to Cedric. He placed the
book on a table, then pulled out a chair for Anna. “Would you like to look at
the book while Miss Wallace and I talk?”

His little girl nodded, then readily sat in the
chair, which he pushed closer to the table. In the meantime, Miss Wallace had
already gone to the settee halfway across the room. She was a rather assertive
young lady, always leading the way.

Fortunately, her actions also afforded him an
excellent view of her backside. It was a reminder of just how female she was.
And he was usually quite persuasive with women.

Perhaps this Miss Wallace was a soft touch. He might
be able to persuade her to help him with only a few kind words. She was
obviously unmarried, though three years past her debut if he had to guess. She
was likely starved for male attention. It shouldn’t be that hard for him to
turn her into an ally.

When he joined her, he gave her the smile that had
brought more than a few women to his bed. He was pleased to see it made her
blink in surprise. She took a step back, bumping into the settee. He reached
out to steady her and felt that damned shock again.

She pulled away and sat, looking off balance in all
ways. He took a seat in the chair opposite her, trying to regain his own
composure. He decided to go on the offensive.

“I must say, Miss Wallace, you are not what I was
expecting of Cedric’s sister.”

“Yes, well, I imagine my brother had better things
to do in America than talk about his younger sister.”