By The Begonia- Book 4

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

William East stood in the shadows of the empty corridor upstairs in Lady Fairfield’s house, using his dark cloak and mask to his advantage to hide. He strained to hear the words of his sister and the unknown man on the balcony over the ballrooms music. Shifting through the shadows nearer to the archway, he lent back into an alcove with suit of amour and listened harder to the soft voices.

“I wanted to see you again.” His sister’s quiet voice drifted out to him. So she had seen her companion before he concluded, straining to hear the mans reply. There was silence for a while and the slight rustling of skirts before he heard a low chilling voice.

“Did you want more lessons?” Lessons? William tried to muse the man’s meaning but had no idea what was being talked about. Then his brain identified the cool, emotionless voice. Lord Ellis Dexter. William froze in fear. Lord Dexter was not someone to trifle with. His mind whirred with ideas. Could this work to his advantage? He relaxed when he realised it could.

There was silence on the balcony and William really wanted to know what was happening. Did he dare go and look around the curtain? Edging out of the alcove, he twitched the curtain to one side and peered around it cautiously. Dexter was kissing his sister. This got better and better. He dropped the curtain back into place and trotted away, light on his feet, careful not to make a sound.

~

Ellis scowled at the swishing curtain. Why did things never go in a straight forward manner when he was with Madeline East? Then he redirected his anger about being abandoned, rather then doing the abandoning he thought guiltily and directed it at the evil bastard who had hit his Madeline. His Madeline. Yes he mused sitting down on the chaise lounge, she was his and he would make sure of it in every sense of the word. His. But what if… he shoved the negative thoughts aside until he could think them over in private. Now he just wanted to go home to scheme and consult and simply mull the idea over.

~

Scott sat in Ellis’s silent study and wondered what his friend and colleague wanted this time. Business between them had been slow recently and Ellis had already had his favour for the month. The study door slammed open and Ellis stalked in, rubbing red eyes and shoving his loose wavy blonde hair out of his eyes cursing its length. His shirt was loose and open to reveal an impressively built chest Scott wished he had even a close equivalent off. Ellis plonked himself down behind his desk ignoring his visitor completely and searched the top drawer for a leather strip to tie his hair back in its small customary pony tail. With a growl of frustration he eventually found one and tied his hair back efficiently, rubbing a hand over his face again.

“Ellis? What did you need from me?” Scott asked in what he hoped was a business like manner, rather than the frustrated, impatient and frankly nosy way he was feeling. Ellis looked up at him through surprised red eyes before he managed to force his icy cold veneer over his feelings.

“We have a new customer,” he started unenthusiastically and unwilling to get to the real reason he had called Scott there. Scott waited for him to elaborate, strumming his fingers impatiently on the arm of his chair. Ellis glowered at him before elaborating in the most minimal way he could.

“I have assigned men to it already. I’ll tell you about the actual case later.” He fell into silence again. It was Scott’s turn to glower.

“Please tell me that it’s it.” He snapped, “I’m sure even you wouldn’t have sent me a message at three o’clock in the morning just for that. It’s urgent, the runner told me, reply as soon as possible he said. ‘I need you to a job’. That was all it said on the piece of paper but still I turn up at half past eight to see you and are you awake waiting for me? No! I had to wait forty five minutes and you are beating around the bush and won’t tell me what is going on. Just spit it out Dexter!”