Scoundrel With A Noble Heart (sequel of Disgraceful)

Chapter 37

The moment she arrived at the paneled door to Matthew's office, Marguerite suddenly felt an almost overwhelming urge to flee. It took hours for her to gird herself for the 'investigation', but at the last minute, she felt her resolve weakening. She turned to leave, but stopped after a few steps, turning back and starting for the door again. She took a deep, steadying breath, and before she could change her mind again, she raised her hand and knocked three times. Her heart leapt when she heard Matthew's voice from within the room.

"Come in."
Drawing another fortifying breath, Marguerite turned the knob and gently pushed the door open.

On the other side of the room, Matthew sat behind a huge mahogany desk, his head bent down as he scribbled with a quill pen. When he glanced up from the paper, he appeared slightly taken aback to see Maggie instead of one of the casino staff.

"Maggie. I thought you'd gone to the foster home."

At the mention of the place, Marguerite felt a little pang of guilt. She knew the children were expecting to see her, especially Colin, who was still adjusting to his new situation, but today wasn't just another day. It was a very special day for her, the day she'd been waiting for since forever, and she wanted it to be perfect, so she decided to stay home and make sure everything was properly prepared.
"I'm taking a day off."

She closed the door behind her and crossed the room, and Matthew waited until she settled in the chair across from him before asking,
"Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Instead of answering, Marguerite extracted a gem studded pocket mirror from her pocket and set it on the table in front of him. Looking at the unfamiliar item, Matthew put down his quill with a slight frown.
"What is it?"

"I found it in the carriage yesterday."

It took Matthew a while to get a grasp on it.
"Ah, yes. Last night I gave somebody a lift home. I suppose this belongs to her."

"Oh? I didn't know you had a female friend."

"She is not a friend. I just met her and got introduced by a friend, one of our regular patrons."

"Is she a lady of nobility?"

"No. It's Miss Anja Pavlova, the opera dancer. A friend brought me to the theatre last night and introduced her to me. Later I gave her a ride home. She must have unwittingly dropped it off."

"Anja Pavlova? The famous dancer?"
Marguerite feigned surprise.
"Matthew, you're so lucky to have been able to get near her. Tell me, is she really as beautiful as they say?"

Refraining from giving a prompt reply, Matthew took his time to consider the right answer to that tricky question. He'd wager Marguerite wouldn't want to hear either yes or no. What she needed to hear from him was assurance.

"In all honesty, that doesn't really concern me. I barely know her, and I always think it's what's inside that counts."
Keeping his tone and expression neutral, he reached out to take the article.
"Good thing you found it. She might have been looking for this. I'll have it sent to her as soon as possible."

Matthew thought he'd given a tactful word of assurance, but evidently his answer failed to put Marguerite's mind at ease, because she continued to probe.
"Tell me more about her. Do you know the men in town are anxious to make her acquaintance?"

Suppressing a frustrated sigh, Matthew leaned back to his chair.
"Well, she is a good performer. Very professional."

"Do you plan to meet her again?"

"Whatever for?"

"Well, perhaps you want to spend some time with her, to know her better-"

"Maggie, actually Miss Pavlova is pretty nice, but I don't think we have anything in common."