“Of course not,” she said sympathetically. “After all, you’ve only owned Penryddn House for ... how many months now?”
“I’ve been rather busy,” he snapped, “and, as a rule, we don’t choose to entertain social calls.”
For the first time, Mr Aubrey spoke, his expression severe. “What precisely have you been busy with, Sir Gareth?”
For one taut moment, Sir Gareth surveyed him with dangerously narrowed eyes. Then he let out a derisive snort, shrugging his big shoulders as if he were displacing a gnat. “Naturally, you wouldn’t understand how many issues are involved in the management of a gentleman’s estate, Aubrey. Even the greatest of fortunes can’t elevate a family’s history or blood, can it?”
Mr Aubrey’s cool, speculative gaze didn’t falter, but Rose’s fingers tightened around his arm. “Estate management is terribly important, it’s true.” She fluttered her eyelashes shamelessly as she looked up at her companion. “We must take time to admire the state of Sir Gareth’s fields and cottages on our way back home today, to appreciate the results of all his months of work.”
The state of those hopelessly overgrown fields and long-abandoned cottages shimmered like a spectre in the darkened passageway between them and their host.
“If you had any idea—!”
“Ahem.” A discreet cough sounded behind Sir Gareth, cutting off his furious snarl. The same unlikely butler who had shown the party into the entry hall now stood behind him; Montrose didn’t lower his gaze in any show of deference when Sir Gareth rounded angrily upon him. Instead, he gave his employer a pointed look as he murmured, “If you recall the plan we discussed earlier ...”
“Of course.” Pasting an unconvincing smile on his face, Sir Gareth turned back to Rose and Mr Aubrey and gave them a short, sharp jerk of his chin in the barest semblance of a nod. “There’s a small matter I must attend to before I can sit and take tea with you. Responsibilities of the estate, as my man-of-business has come to remind me. If you can find your own way to the sitting room...”
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and strode away, swiftly disappearing from view. His not-a-butler-after-all – who must, Rose supposed, be the same ‘thoroughly nasty fellow’ who had escorted poor Miss Thomas from her home in India – did not move. Instead, Montrose stood in silence with his gaze trained suspiciously upon her and Mr Aubrey, as if only waiting for them to attempt some large-scale theft of any available silver.
She gave him a dazzling smile. “Is the sitting room ahead, then?”
The expression on his stubbled face didn’t soften. “Second door to the right.”
“Excellent.” Tugging Mr Aubrey with her, Rose swept past that lurking figure of suspicion and down the corridor to the space where, in fact, the door was already cracked open and bright light spilled into the corridor.
Tall windows brought sunlight splashing into the small room, where the furniture and furnishings were nearly as faded as those within Gogodd Abbey but were, as promised earlier, free of cobwebs and any other Gothic accessories. Serena was looking sulky in one corner – at least, that was the expression she wore when she saw Rose and Mr Aubrey arriving without their host in tow – but Georgie and Miss Thomas were in the midst of a laughing and mutually delighted game of wordplay and had somehow managed to sweep Beth into the game as well. Rose’s ordinarily shy younger cousin nearly choked on her own giggles at a scoring point from Miss Thomas as Rose entered the room, while Georgie admitted temporary defeat with a shout of laughter.
With no sly questions about dragons to deflect, Rose entered into the game with vigour. She didn’t dare leave in search of Rhiannon until Sir Gareth was safely back under the eyes of Mr Aubrey and her cousins; but when he did return from his errand, he would find her in the role of a perfectly innocent guest with no secrets to hide. Fortunately, that was a surprisingly enjoyable role to play. The tea that Miss Thomas poured for her was delicious, the game was genuinely amusing, and even Mr Aubrey wore a faint smile of contentment on his lips as he sat on the sofa beside her, reading his book in peace ...
So, all in all, it took Rose far too long to understand that their host was not planning to rejoin them. Whatever scheme had lain behind today’s social invitation, it couldn’t have relied upon asking her probing questions after all. But when she finally glanced at the tall grandfather clock in one corner and realised, with a sinking feeling, exactly how much time had passed since his departure, she began to wonder whether his plan might have relied less upon her presence in his house … and more upon her absence from Gogodd Abbey, where his escaped dragons had been hidden.
Chapter 19
The grandfather clock chimed a long and doleful rebuke, and Rose cursed her lack of forethought. She had been so ferociously prepared for Sir Gareth to attempt trickery here at Penryddn House, it had never occurred to her that her own home might require protection.
She had to return to save Griff!
Wait. Sir Gareth had invited the entire family for tea, hadn’t he? He wouldn’t find his way nearly as clear as he’d hoped. Even if he dared attempt to search the house with Rose and her cousins away, Aunt and Uncle Parry were both still firmly ensconced in residence, having refused his invitation. He might be able to intimidate Carys into allowing him into an empty house without any supervision, but with Gogodd Abbey’s host and hostess both at home, he’d never manage to roam further than the public receiving rooms.
Griff, at least, should be safe for the moment ...
But Rhiannon was very much not, and Rose couldn’t wait a moment longer to go in search of her.
“I beg your pardon.” Setting down her latest half-drunk cup of tea with regret, she jumped to her feet, smiling apologetically. “Miss Thomas, if you wouldn’t mind ...”
A flash of movement in the corner of her eye stopped her just before she could finish her half-formed request for directions to the nearest water closet.
Montrose, the scowling man-of-business, had shifted position as he lurked just outside the partially open door – all the better to keep an eye on them. Swiftly, Rose shifted to a different plan.
“We’ve all been so curious about this astonishing house,” she finished, smiling brightly. “Serena, especially.” At her words, she saw Serena startle out of her own preoccupation with a suspicious look. Still, Rose’s cousin didn’t attempt to deny the self-evident truth. “I think you mentioned you might be able to give us a proper tour after tea?”
It had been Georgie, not Miss Thomas, who’d made that earlier suggestion, but Serena leapt to her feet before their hostess could debate the point.
“Oh, yes! Who cares for tea and silly word games when we could be exploring? Just think, there must be dozens of secret passageways honeycombed in these walls!”
“Not ... that I know of.” A faint, worried line appeared between Miss Thomas’s elegant brows as she looked between Serena and Rose. “I’m quite sure that my uncle would prefer to lead any tours of the house himself. It may be officially in my name, but he’s made it very clear ...”
“In your name? Wait, is this actually your house, Amina?” Georgie smiled broadly and made an exaggerated half-bow from her slouched position on the sofa beside Miss Thomas. “Good heavens, that makes you one of our primary local landholders! You’re quite an important member of our community now, you know. If those old cats on the parish council ever realise that they can deal with you instead of your terrifying uncle, you’ll find yourself roped into hosting half the social events on their calendar. They’ll—”
