Storm of Bells

20. Secrets Beneath the Dust

When I returned to the manor house about an hour later, a tall, dark figure was standing outside, atop the steps, legs spread, arms crossed, in front of the manor. I didn't need to see the icy glitter in his eyes to know for whom he was waiting.

'Hello there.' Alighting from the coach, I waved at him. 'Wonderful morning for a little drive, isn't it?'

His granite face didn't so much as twitch. 'Where have you been?'

'Oh, just on a little visit to the village.' Reaching up, I turned the red bonnet on my head until it sat askew, allowing some stubborn strands of hair to peek out. 'Why?' I grinned. 'Did you want me to buy you something?'

'Most definitely,' he said, enunciating each word slowly and distinctly, 'not.'

'What a surprise.'

Eyes narrowing infinitesimally, he took a step forward. 'Why did you go to the village? What did you want there?'

'I bought a few little things, like this.' I tapped the fire-red bonnet. 'How do you like it?'

His eyes narrowed further. 'Was it expensive?'

'No. And besides, I paid with my own money.'

'Well, in that case, I like it very much.'

'Thank you so much for the compliment, Sir.'

'You're welcome, Miss Linton.' He took another step forward, his intense eyes not straying from me for an instant. 'And that is all you did?'

'Yes.'

'Well...' For the first time, his pose relaxed just a little bit. 'If that's the case...'

'Oh!' I snapped my finger. 'Except for hiring three dozen people.'

'What?'

'Or maybe four dozen. I kind of lost count halfway through.'

Silence.

Icy silence.

The kind of silence insomniac bears wish for during hibernation.

But below the surface of the silence, I could feel the coming explosion building. His eyes started burning with cold fire. His mouth opened. Any moment now...

'You did what?'

I blinked.

The voice hadn't come from Mr Rikkard Ambrose. Who...?

I stepped to the side, just in time to see Lady Samantha come rushing down the front steps. Completely ignoring her son, she rushed past him and, a moment later, threw her arms around me to hug me close.

'Did I hear right? You took care of hiring some reliable people? Oh, Lilly, you're wonderful! I searched and searched, but haven't been able to find a single servant in the entire house! I have no idea where all my son's staff ran off to, but whoever they were, they certainly can't be relied upon if they vanish at the first hint of guests arriving! And neither,' she added, with a meaningful look at her son, 'can the man who hired them. Aren't you glad you have such a caring fiancée with so much foresight?'

'Glad. Foresight.' Mr Ambrose swallowed. I saw a certain muscle in his cheek twitch. 'Yes. So glad. Very...glad...indeed.'

'Aww! That's so sweet of you, Darling.' Reaching up, I cupped his face and batted my eyelashes at him. 'You're always so sweet to me.'

That muscle twitched again.

'Perhaps you could let go of her, Mother. I'd like to show Miss Linton in private how "glad" exactly I am about all the things she has done.'