“Miss Blake is correct. I wish to speak with him. That is all.”
Annie rose slowly. “All right, then. Jack works in the stables. You’ll find him there, no doubt.”
“Thank you, Annie. I mean it.”
“You’ve been a splendid help this day,” Henrietta assured her.
But Annie looked unconvinced as she slipped through the door and out of sight.
Henrietta surged after her. “Come along, then! Let’s find Jack!”
But Grayson sank lower in his chair, exhaustion seeping bone deep. “It’s no use. Whoever this Jack is sold the necklace. I’m going to have to tell my father I lost the damned thing.”
Henrietta stopped, her hand on the door, and turned slowly toward him. “Actually,” she said quietly, “I lost the necklace. Tell him it was my doing. He cannot hurt me.”
Grayson shook his head. “Absolutely not.”
Henrietta appeared directly in front of him and crouched down, steadying herself by putting her hands on the chair’s arm, her fingers brushing his elbow.
He eyed those slim, white fingers, so stark near his dark coat.
“Grayson, let’s go speak with Jack in the stables. All hope is not lost. Besides, even if we do not gain a necklace, we do gain the end of a mystery. I’m curious.” She tilted her head and ventured a smile. “Aren’t you?”
Even if he wasn’t curious—and he had to confess to a bit of curiosity—her smile would tempt him to the moon and back. He stood on heavy legs and followed her into the hallway.
“I’ll go out the front door, and you go through the garden,” she said without looking back at him.
He did as she bid without question. They would raise eyebrows were they to stomp through the house and head toward the stables together. Most of the guests this year had also been in attendance last year and likely suspected the true nature of their relationship at that time. Neither of them could afford to be at the center of gossip this year. He’d promised not to embarrass Lady Willow, and Henrietta needed to impress the ton.
Grayson slipped into the garden, ignoring the couples strolling there. How would he avoid gossip when he could barely keep from touching Henrietta? And yet she seemed entirely unaffected by his presence. He was a fool for thinking she might want him as much as he wanted her. Was he a fool for ending his agreement with Valingford?
The stables rose into view and so did Henrietta, slipping through its doors.
Grayson’s steps quickened, and he could not pretend the prospect of finally finding out the mystery of the missing necklace pulled him forward. No, Henrietta pulled him. He thought he’d convinced himself to be practical, but a mere glimpse of her slight, energetic form threw all practicality into shadow.
He joined Henrietta inside and entered a bustling world of activity. Grooms and stable boys bustled about, caring for guests’ horses. It was a small but well-designed quadrangle layout, and Grayson nodded in admiration. “The ventilation looks fine,” he said absently to Henrietta. “But I wonder if I should talk to the stable master. To discover the differences between the system here and at Crestwell House.”
“To better improve your own stables or to help improve these?”
“Either. Depending.”
She chuckled and nudged his arm with her elbow. “I think we should find the mysterious Jack.”
“Of course.” He shook his head and refocused. Jack first, stable master later. “But the stable master could lead us to Jack more easily than we could lead ourselves.”
Henrietta stopped her forward march. “Excellent point.” She glanced up at him, mischief dancing in her grin. “Now, how do we identify him?”
He itched to kiss her. He wove his fingers together behind his back. “He’ll be the one barking orders.”
Henrietta jerked her gaze away from him and leveled one corner of the room with a focused stare, scanning her head across the room, searching.
Grayson watched her, unable to search for a Jack or a stable master when she stood so close, requiring so much of his attention.
“Not that one, Teddy!” A voice rose above the general hum of stable activity. “That’s Lord Preston’s saddle your puttin’ on Lord Cowart’s horse.”
“They look the same ta me,” a blinking Teddy replied.
The owner of the first voice strode forward, another saddle in hand. “Not a’tall. See this here?” He bent low, showing the young groom a detail Grayson could not see. Then he pointed to a similar spot on the other saddle. “And there?”
