“It’s best to still be cautious. There are still fortune hunters and rogues lurking about.”
“So are you,” Selena teased. “And we are getting on better than I expected.” The last she murmured almost to herself, though, honestly, it was much too soon to really tell.
“I’m quite surprised myself.” Those dark eyes glinted in the soft glow of candlelight.
Selena’s breath caught. Why did that look remind her so much of her dream? She could feel a flush spreading across her cheeks and quickly looked away.
“Anyway,” he continued. “What do you hope to gain from watching people play cards?”
A great question. She was searching for clues, but she had no idea what these clues might look like. Any woman in this room could be a member of the organization she sought. It was a good thing she hadn’t set her sights on becoming a detective. Her sleuthing skills were truly dismal.
“I’m not sure what I am looking for to be honest,” she admitted reluctantly, then followed with a defense, “But it’s better than not looking at all.”
“Why are you so set on finding these women?”
“Tell me, why did you and the rest of your gang decide my greatest attribute and my greatest flaw is my brother? Do I truly have nothing good or bad about me other than Saville?”
“Of course you have. We were just . . .”
“Foxed and alive with revelry?”
“Would you believe me if I said we were all scared of your brother?”
Selena nodded in thought. “I can certainly believe that. Though it still doesn’t excuse you lot.” And it still didn’t make her feel better about the entire affair. Some things, once done, cannot be undone.
“You are right. There is no way for me to defend ourselves on that score. We are in the wrong.”
“Let us not talk about that any more now.” There were other, more important matters at hand. “I really must sharpen my detective skills.”
“If you are thinking of seeking out a real detective, please don’t.”
She turned to him. “Why not?”
“My sense of peace.”
A light chuckle left her lips. “Do not worry; I have no intention of going that far.”
“Good. Your brother is already itching to send you to Fielding Park.”
Fielding Park? She snorted. “He can try.”
Come to think about it... Selena had first met Warrick at Fielding Park. She’d found him utterly enthralling with his bold, angelic features and hair the same shade as the deep hazel of his eyes. He had changed in many ways since then, but those two striking features still remained the same.
On the outside, Warrick might look the charming, pampered aristocrat, but Selena had more than once caught a glimpse of the cold, hard steel beneath his countenance. A wily, if a bit blundering, beast at his best; a lazy beast at his worst. Back then, he’d been so intimidating with his good looks and big size. Today, the only thing intimidating about the man was his presence in her dreams.
Silence filled the space between them. Not uncomfortable, but contemplating.
Warrick shifted beside her, inching a step closer. His lowered voice trailed pebbles across her skin. “Shall I escort you home?”
Selena blinked. “Now? I still want to observe the people in the room.”
“I truly did receive the shortest end of stick between the two of us,” he muttered, almost sounding petulant. “Not only must I watch over you, but I also promised to help you find a secret club I, you, know nothing about, while you dig for information on curses. I must have lost my mind.”
“Will you hush? I am trying to concentrate on finding a clue.” Anything, really.
“But we haven’t discussed the most important matter.”
“And that is?” Selena asked, surveying all the woman in the room.
