“Were you, by any chance, delayed in your visit to Gogodd Abbey?” she asked hollowly as she stared down at the sketches. They were beautifully detailed, as one would expect from the sort of preeminent dragon scholar whose visit would send her usually mild uncle into a tizzy of anticipation.
... The same visitor whose comfort and happiness she had planned to ensure for the sake of her family’s reputation and in gratitude for everything they had done for her.
How could the famous Cornelius Aubrey possibly be so young and handsome? Her uncle had called him the most impressive scholar in their field!
“Disasters beyond measure!” Mr Aubrey echoed her conclusions exactly. “No one would ever believe all of the unnecessary dramas that delayed me along my journey here. And the so-called ‘library’ I was forced to endure for nearly an entire week of torture—!”
He winced. “Still, none of that matters now. The relevant point is that I cannot visit Mr Parry’s neighbour before I’ve spoken properly to my host. You see, I promised—”
“Mr Aubrey!” Shifting forwards on her seat, Rose cut him off, unable to wait an instant longer. Scorching waves of humiliation swept across her skin as all the possible consequences spun through her head. “I beg of you, if you could possibly find it in your heart to forgive my impertinent presumption and please not mention our unfortunate meeting to my uncle nor let anyone find out that we spent this time so improperly confined in a closed carriage, alone together—”
“Your uncle?” Frowning, he leaned forwards to study her face more closely through his spectacles, his head tilted only inches from her own and his breath warm against her cheek. “Wait. Are you telling me that your uncle is Mr Parry? Then—”
A sharp rap sounded on the carriage door. It swung open before either of them could move, and a tall, dark-haired gentleman stepped up to fill the space with his astonishingly broad shoulders.
“Well, well! It appears,” said the Ghoul of Penryddn House, looking from Rose to Mr Aubrey with a wide and dangerous smile, “that I have visitors. How unexpected.”
Serena would have been delighted. That was all that Rose could think as she looked Sir Gareth up and down, from the tumbling waves of his dark hair to the sardonic curl of his upper lip and the intimidating breadth of his chest underneath the unbuttoned folds of his jet-black coat. He would have been the perfect model for any of Aunt Parry’s villains, and if she hadn’t been in the middle of a mounting whirlwind of panic, Rose was quite sure she would have enjoyed his appearance, too.
Unfortunately, she was far too aware now of his hard and calculating gaze passing between her and her companion as possible consequences spiralled rapidly towards unstoppable disaster.
“We beg your pardon,” she said swiftly. “I’m afraid our coachman took a wrong turn, but we did hope we might possibly ask you, while we’re here—”
“Nothing about dragons!” Mr Aubrey cut her off with surprising firmness. “Certainly not.”
“Ah ...?” Blinking, she turned back to him and found the formerly harmless and abstracted scholar looking startlingly dangerous, his lean jaw firmly set and his pale green gaze narrowed upon their reluctant host.
“‘Nothing about dragons?’” Sir Gareth let out a derisive snort. “Well, that begs all manner of questions, I must say. However, as I haven’t any dragons on this property, I’m afraid I couldn’t have told you anything useful, regardless. Whatever led either of you to believe I could?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all!” Cursing both herself and the absurdity of this situation, Rose held up a warning hand to silence her uncle’s most admired visitor. Brilliant or not, Mr Aubrey was clearly the last person who should be allowed to help in their escape. “We were only hoping to ask you for directions.”
“Hmm.” Sir Gareth’s mouth twisted even harder. “I can’t say I’ve had any other such accidental visitors since I moved here many months ago. And I’d hardly think it difficult to find your way back to the main road from here.”
For goodness’ sake. Rose set her own jaw behind her smile. “You’re quite right, of course. We’ll simply turn around and leave you in peace, then. Farewell!”
“Oh, I don’t think so.” Moving closer, he braced one large hand on the doorframe, far too close for comfort. It really was a large hand, she noted unhappily, and it was covered with a surprising number of marks for a wealthy gentleman of leisure. The lines of numerous deep scratches – some still a bright and painful-looking red but others faded to a near-white – marked his tanned skin along with what looked like ... was that a burn? No, not quite, but ...
She was so focused on that curious mark that it took her far too long to absorb his next words. “You mustn’t leave without satisfying my curiosity. Am I not to be allowed even the names of my first guests? Or are you too afraid to share them?”
“Certainly not.” Mr Aubrey spoke before Rose could catch up. “Cornelius Aubrey at your service, sir.”
“The noted dragon scholar.” As Rose’s stomach sank, Sir Gareth’s face took on an arrested look. “This seems an odd spot to conduct your sort of research.”
“I am paying a social call upon a friend and colleague.”
“Mm.” Sir Gareth turned to Rose, his tone sceptical. “Then this rather lovely young lady must be ... Mrs Aubrey?” His gaze landed and remained upon her unadorned hands.
“Certainly not,” said Mr Aubrey coolly. “She is the niece of—”
“Actually—!”
“— My very good friend Mr Humphrey Parry.”
Oh, Lord. Hot panic transformed into cold despair.
“My closest neighbour, Humphrey Parry?” There was something unsettling in Sir Gareth’s tone, but Rose couldn’t parse it through her own tumbling horror as he looked down at her with unhidden disdain. “How very unexpected. Rural life must be far more scandalous than I’d assumed if Mr Parry allows innocent young ladies in his care to ride unchaperoned in closed carriages with his friends and colleagues for their entertainment. When I pass the news of such delightful intimacies to our mutual acquaintances in London—”
“He does not!” Rose blurted. “He never would.” It’s all me, she finished in silent misery.
