The Paid Companion | Herophine

Chapter Eight

Felix

Felix lowered himself into the chair across from Hero and glanced back once more toward the lean, angry young man who was just leaving the club. “I'll see Burnley is here this afternoon.”

“Yes.” Hero did not look up from his newspaper.

“I saw him watching you a few minutes ago. I swear, if looks could kill, you would have cocked up your toes by now.”

Hero turned the page. “Fortunately, looks do not have that effect upon me. At least, Burnley’s do not.”

“I believe that he has conceived a deep hatred of you,” Felix warned quietly.

“I cannot comprehend why. He is the one who got the lady, not me.”

Felix sighed and sank deeper into his chair. It worried him that Hero refused to show any signs of concern about Roland Burnley’s clear and unwavering dislike of him. But, then, at the moment his friend was focusing all of his attentions on his scheme to catch his great-uncle’s murderer. And when Hero concentrated on a venture, it consumed him until it was completed.

Such intense single-mindedness could be a decidedly irksome trait at times, Felix thought. But he was forced to admit that it was likely the reason why Hero had, in the matter of only a few years, managed to rebuild the once-depleted Tiffin fortunes to their current very high level.

Although he knew that Hero was not interested in hearing any warnings about Roland Burnley, Felix felt obliged to deliver another one.

“Rumor has it that Burnley’s financial situation has deteriorated to a very low point,” he said, trying to ease into the subject from another angle. “He is trying to recoup his gaming losses in the hells.”

“If he has resorted to gambling to provide an income, his financial status will only decline further.”

“No doubt.” Felix leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. “I do not like what I see in his face when the two of you are in the same room.”

“Then do not look at his expression.”

Felix sighed. “Very well, but | advise you to guard your back.”

“Thank you for the advice.”

Felix shook his head. “I do not know why I bother.”

“I apologize if I do not seem to be suitably grateful. The thing is, I have other matters on my mind at the moment. I am about to proceed to the next step of my plan.”

Once Hero set one of his convoluted schemes in motion, there was no known force that could halt it, Felix reminded himself. Usually his friend's elaborate machinations concerned financial investments, But occasionally he applied his talents toward other types of strategies, invariably with the same degree of success. A smart man did not get between Hero and his goal, whatever it happened to be.

“The word has gone out that your mysterious new fiancée is in town to enjoy the pleasures of the Season for a few weeks,” Felix said. “There is a good deal of speculation about her, of course. As you instructed, I let it be known in certain quarters that she is from a wealthy, landholding family in the North.”

“There are no rumors going around to the effect that I obtained her from an agency?”

“Of course not,” Felix snorted. “Everyone remembers the vow you made last year, naturally, but they all assumed at the time that it was a great joke. No one believed then and no one believes now that a man in your position would actually go through with such a nonsensical notion.”