Where on earth was Mortimer?
She hadn’t told him where she would be searching at any given time. Of course, she could be wrong in her speculation, so it was probably best if he went off to search on his own. He must have his own thoughts about where this ledger might be hidden. If Lord Havendish was involved along with his wife, there might be a chance that the ledger was in the man’s study.
She strode past a maid, head held high.
The girl didn’t even give her a second glance.
Louisa smiled. All she had to do was walk the corridors with confidence and she wouldn’t look suspicious. She was dying of curiosity to see what was so special about this ledger that those frightening brothers wanted it. No doubt they were in some sort of power struggle with the women of the club. That was the only thing that made sense to her.
They should most definitely copy the pages before handing it over. Come to think about it, they still had copies of the betting book of White’s. Well, Ophelia still had them, if she hadn’tthrown them away. Would that help Mortimer? If so, they might not need to hand over the ledger to the brothers at all.
How satisfying that would be!
They had dared to approach her brother. Let them dare to try again! Of course, one of those brothers was keeping an eye on Leo now, so if they did decide to take this route, they’d have to tread carefully.
Louisa padded along the hallway where Lady Havendish’s chamber was located, her steps light, her pulse steady. Finally, she reached the door and quickly, quietly, slipped inside, gasping when she felt the presence of a chest pressing up against her back.
The door clicked shut.
Warm breath brushed her ear.
“Lady Louisa.”
*
This was foolishness.Utter madness.
Oliver pushed into the chamber with Lady Louisa, his chest pressing into her back. Whatever madness possessed him to do so had begun the moment he’d caught a glimpse of her entering the ballroom. A vision in black silk, she had appeared like an angel of death, ready to claim what she had come for, and at that moment, it felt as if she had claimed him. He had planned to remain in the shadows, but his feet wouldn’t obey his command. And when their gazes had locked through the octopus tentacles in the tank...
She had touched that tank as if touching him.
And then another man had appeared at her side.
A strange, unfamiliar sensation had twisted his gut. He didn’t like it.
So, he had retreated and kept to the shadows, yes, but he followed her the moment she’d slipped from the ballroom.
She whirled to face him. “Lord, you scared me!” she exclaimed, her hand flying to her chest. “What do you think you are doing?”
“I am following you.”
“Why? Do you not have somewhere else to search? No, wait, that’s not even the point. Step back, let me see you.” Her gaze dragged over him, slow and deliberate, from top to bottom, a bold flash of appreciation sparking in her eyes before she said, “You still look much more dashing in Talbot livery.”
His ears caught fire, and Oliver abruptly turned to lock the door, sealing them in the chamber alone. “I didn’t plan on following you to search at all, but I changed my mind.”
“Oh? Why all of a sudden?”
“I found it impossible not to keep an eye on you,” he admitted.
The grin she sent him could have sweetened any bitter potion. “Really? That is your excuse?”
He shrugged, his gaze dropping to her mouth before meeting her eyes again. “I was also annoyed by your,” a cough, “our companion.”
“Ah, Reaper. No that, I do believe.”
Oliver cursed inside, striving to gather his deuced wits. “It would be much more enjoyable to leave without him.”
“He does have a way to dampen the mood, does he not?”
