An Inconvenient Arrangement: Rose Room Rogues ~ Book Three

by Callie Hutton

  Dante had received the summons from the Home Office contact yesterday afternoon. Once Lydia had arrived later that evening to work on the books, he’d showed it to her.

  My Dear Mr. Rose,

  I would like to see you and Miss Sanford in my office at eleven tomorrow morning. We must discuss the case.

  Sir Phillip DuBois-Gifford

  Lydia had returned the note to him. “I wonder what this is about?”

  Dante had shrugged and stuck the note into his pocket. “We will find out soon enough.”

  He brought his mind back to the present. “No, thank you, my lord. Miss Sanford and I are expected at a meeting. I’m afraid I must decline your offer of coffee.”

  Sterling rubbed his hands together. “Yes. The meeting. Lydia told me about it.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other. “How goes the investigation?”

  Dante was surprised that the man seemed familiar with their assignment. However, always cautious, Dante merely said, “Not as well as we had anticipated, but I’m hoping we will finish up soon.”

  Sterling nodded. “Yes. Some of these things can be quite trying.” Out of nowhere the man said, “I understand you punched the Ambassador in the nose for getting out of hand with my daughter.”

  Well, then.

  The man apparently knew more than Dante had thought. “Yes, my lord. I was uncomfortable with the Ambassador’s actions and when Lydia—er, Miss Sanford—attempted to stop him and he refused, I believe I did what any man would do.”

  He nodded again. “Indeed. Thank you for seeing to my daughter, Mr. Rose.”

  “I don’t wish to seem rude, my lord, but Miss Sanford and I need to leave shortly if we are to make our meeting on time.”

  “Yes, yes.” Lord Sterling slapped his thighs and stood. “I will send for her.” He stuck out his hand and shook it once more. “Nice to see you, lad.”

  Lad? He’d not been a lad for ages.

  With that he left the room and within minutes Lydia entered. “I’m ready.”

  Dante pushed the unusual meeting with Sterling aside and escorted Lydia out the door and down the steps to his awaiting carriage.

  Once they were settled and Dante tapped on the ceiling to alert his driver that they were settled and ready to leave, Lydia said, “What did my father want with you?”

  Dante shrugged. “I have no idea.”

  “He asked me to wait in my bedchamber until he sent for me because he wanted to have a word with you.”

  He smiled. “That was about all we had. A word. He offered me a drink, and then coffee and asked about the investigation. I assume someone told him about the altercation with the Ambassador at the inn.”

  Lydia shook her head. “I didn’t tell him. I guess the word has spread around Polite Society.” She looked out the window at the passing stores as they left the better part of London to the place where Sir Phillip had an office. Or a residence. Dante never did figure out if the man lived there or not. It was certainly not in the best neighborhood.

  She cleared her throat. “Now don’t panic, but I’m afraid my father has designs on you.” She avoided his eyes, which was very unlike the Lydia he knew.

  “While I am flattered, I’m afraid I don’t lean in that direction.” He grinned, but just to be certain he understood what she said, he asked, “What sort of designs?”

  She sighed and finally looked at him. “He has never given up on me marrying. Although he encourages my work with the Home Office, he still imagines me married with children clinging to my skirts.”

  “Perhaps he wants grandchildren.” The picture that popped into his mind of Lydia’s body swollen with his child, caused him to almost smile. Almost. “You are an only child.”

  “It’s not humorous, I’m afraid. I thought he had given up on that the last year or so.” She looked back out the window again. “Perhaps us working together had not been a good idea.”

  Truthfully, Dante had no idea how to respond to that. Yes, he found Lydia attractive, smart, and easy to talk with. She was generous with her time, stepping in to help at the club, and every one of the staff had nothing but good things to say about the daughter of a viscount working in a gaming business.

  Did he still want to take her to bed? Absolutely. Was he having a hard time keeping his hands off her? Yes. Did he want to take the chance of moving things further along, knowing that those actions on his part might very well lead to something he’d sworn all his adult life to avoid?

  Ah. There was the crux. He had no answer to that one.

  Lydia had gone through a difficult interview with her father earlier that morning. Father had heard about the house party and how Dante had come to her defense and punched the Ambassador.

  Even though Dante rarely attended ton events, attacking the Ambassador in public at a house party—a highly daunting occurrence—Lydia was not surprised that Father had known about it.

  What had been even more alarming was Father’s questions about Dante, his brothers, his club, and how long the assignment would last. Then when he asked to speak with her partner before they set off for Sir Phillip’s home, she grew quite nervous.

  Would her father demand Dante apologize to the Ambassador? Or worse yet, somehow tie Lydia’s reputation into the entire matter and pressure Dante to rescue her from ruin? Everyone knew what the rescue would involve.

  Since Dante hadn’t looked bruised when she arrived in the drawing room, they apparently hadn’t come to fisticuffs. Neither had Father declared a wedding was to take place post-haste which most likely would have given Dante a pallid look.

  “Don’t let that disturb you, Lydia. Your father and I had a nice chat. Remember I know him from the club.” He pointed his finger at her. “Which is another reason for you to stay hidden in the office when working on the books. You might have been able to fool other club members with your mask the night you dealt at the vingt-et-un table, but I’m sure your father would recognize you in a flash.”

  She relaxed a bit knowing their conversation had been friendly. But she didn’t believe for one minute that Father wasn’t sizing up Dante as a potential son-in-law.

  Dante leaned back on the squab and regarded her. “I don’t think we need to concern ourselves about working together. I feel there is a good chance Sir Phillip is not happy with our non-progress.”

  Lydia sighed. “I believe you are right. Do you think we might be removed from the assignment?” What if Sir Phillip did remove them from the investigation? Dante would go back to his normal life, and with him back at the club, there would be no reason for her to continue with the books since Driscoll would resume the job. Just as everything had been before she’d come into his life. Chances are she would never see him again.

  Now there was a depressing thought. They rode in silence for the rest of the time as she dwelled on how to keep Dante in her life. The only two ways she knew were to become his mistress or his wife.

  She would have a hard time with the first one since she knew so many people discretion was unlikely. Dante was most adamant about the second one.

  Sir Phillip answered the door himself at their knock. “Good morning, Miss Sanford, Mr. Rose. Please step into my office.”

  The man seemed rather cheerful, so perhaps he wasn’t planning on removing them from their assignment.

  Once they all settled into chairs, with Sir Phillip behind his large, very cluttered desk, and Lydia and Dante sitting in the chairs in front of the desk, Sir Phillip cleared his throat. “Thank you for coming so quickly.” He leaned his forearms on the desk and studied them. “Where are we in this investigation?”

  Dante sat up straighter. “Not far, I’m afraid, sir.”

  Sir Phillip drilled him with his eyes. “Perhaps giving the Ambassador a bloody nose at an inn during a house party set you back a few steps?”

  Lydia tried not to smile at Dante’s uneasiness.

  “‘Tis hard to say, Sir Phillip since I don’t believe we were very far along before
that incident happened.”

  “But it might keep the Ambassador far from you. How do you propose to gather information from him if the man is concerned that you might attack him again?”

  Dante glared at the man. “If he would keep his hands off—” Lydia nudged him.

  He took a deep breath. “I have no idea what you’ve heard, sir, but I did not attack the man. He was behaving in a grossly improper way toward Miss Sanford. She had asked him to leave her alone, but the snake was drunk and refused to listen to her. I did what I had to do.” He tugged on the cuffs of his jacket.

  Lydia felt the color rise to her cheeks when Sir Phillip swung his head in her direction and stared. “And what about you, Miss Sanford. Do you feel it was necessary for Mr. Rose to defend you in such a manner?”

  She hesitated and could feel Dante’s eyes boring into her. “Yes, I do. No other man at the table did anything except stare at the Ambassador. I asked him more than once to leave me be. I even elbowed him, but he would not stop.”

  Seeming satisfied with their explanations, Sir Phillip nodded and continued. “I still think you two are the best chance of us uncovering the individual who is passing along secrets to the Ambassador. However,” he nodded at Dante, “while you are defending Miss Sanford’s reputation,” he swung his attention to her, “and you are defending his actions, Miss Sanford, the Crown’s secrets are leaking from a high echelon source.”

  They both jumped when Sir Phillip slapped his hand on the desk. “We need that information!” He stood, dismissing them.

  “We will not fail at this, Sir Phillip.” Dante helped Lydia up from the chair and they made their way out of the office, down the corridor to the door, then down the steps to the awaiting carriage.

  Once they settled in, Dante said, “That was not as bad as I had imagined. However, I believe a respite to a tea shop so we can go over our movements so far, and what we need to do in the future, is in order.”

  Lydia nodded. “I agree. I’ve never failed at an assignment before, and do not intend to do so now.”

  “Me, neither. Nothing would please me more than seeing the Ambassador shipped back to Germany. And whoever is passing secrets sitting in prison.”

  They stopped at the small tea shop they’d visited before. Once they’d ordered their tea, Lydia said, “I think a visit to the Embassy is in order.” She hesitated, watching for Dante’s response. “By me. Alone.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “Absolutely not.” He tapped his finger on the table in a cadence.

  Lydia covered his hand with hers. “Listen to me. If I go and apologize for what you did—” She held up her hand as Dante started to object. “I can get back into the Ambassador’s good graces.”

  “That is precisely where I do not want you to be.”

  Lydia shook her head. “Let me finish. If the Ambassador thinks I disapproved of what you did, I might regain my position to his inner circle again.”

  “No. That is not going to happen.”

  She sighed, then looked up at the waiter who brought their tea and laid it all out in front of them. “Thank you.”

  As she poured their tea, she continued. “You are with me every time I am near the Ambassador, so nothing will happen.”

  He accepted the cup of tea from her. “And what about a visit to his office? Didn’t you just say you wanted to go alone?”

  “Yes. But for heaven’s sake, it’s an Embassy. There are people all over the place.”

  Dante shook his head. “I still don’t like it.”

  “We must begin to move forward with this. Sir Phillip is losing patience and I agree with him. As he reminded us, while we are working on this, secrets—most likely vital ones—are being passed along to a foreign country.”

  They both remained silent as they drank tea and nibbled on small sandwiches and biscuits. Finally, Dante said, “I will allow this. On one condition.”

  Lydia huffed. “I don’t need your permission, Mr. Rose. This is a good strategic move, and you know it.”

  “That is why I am allowing it.”

  “Don’t. Say. That. Word. Again,” she growled.

  He had the nerve to grin. “I apologize, Miss Sanford. I will re-phrase that. I will have no objection to your plan providing I accompany you and wait in the carriage.”

  Lydia sat back and thought about it. She doubted very much if she would be in any sort of danger visiting the Ambassador at the Embassy. However, since this would be their first encounter since the debacle at the inn, it might not be a bad idea to have Dante nearby.

  “Very well, then. When I arrive home I will pen a note to the Ambassador, asking for an appointment.”

  “And the minute you receive an answer, you will notify me.”

  She gritted her teeth. He was so stubborn. “Yes. I will notify you.”

  Dante raised a finger. “Also, you will only accept an appointment with him during his normal business hours. No after-hours visits.”

  “Of course. I am not foolish.”

  Lydia finished the last of her tea and placed the cup in the saucer. After patting her mouth with a napkin, she said, “All right, so why don’t we talk about something more pleasant.”

  Dante raised his brows. “Such as?”

  “Such as when can I deal cards again at the Rose Room?”

  14

  Lydia took a deep breath as Dante’s carriage came to a stop in front of the German Embassy. She had a ten o’clock appointment with the Ambassador. He’d returned her missive for a meeting immediately after receiving it. That was a good sign, she hoped.

  Dante stepped out of the carriage and reached for her hand. “Assignment or no, if he gets out of hand, I want you to leave immediately.”

  Lydia shook her skirts out and adjusted her hat. “I’ve told you before, with it being only ten o’clock, the embassy is full of people working. I doubt he can do anything nefarious.”

  Dante snorted. “I don’t trust the man.” He shook a finger at her. “And neither should you. He’s already tried once to take advantage of you, and he is suspected of passing Crown secrets. I hardly consider him an upstanding individual.”

  She patted him on the cheek. “I will be fine.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her as she turned and walked into the Embassy.

  “Miss Sanford to see the Ambassador,” she said when she walked up to the man seated behind the desk. He was a young man, stocky, and pleasant. He bowed. “Certainly.” He waved to a comfortable looking chair against the wall, under a huge mirror. “Please have a seat there and I will advise the Ambassador of your arrival.” His English was flawless, his German accent heavy.

  He bowed again and strode away, almost as if he were marching. She smiled, her familiarity with the German people and their abrupt mannerisms was quite telling in the young man’s affectation.

  The room was large and airy. Floor to ceiling windows allowed quite a bit of light. The floor was marble, with an image of the German flag imbedded in the center.

  Despite it being a normal workday, silence surrounded her, most likely those serving the Embassy hidden away in offices behind closed doors. Within minutes, the young man returned and once again bowed. “If you will follow me, Miss Sanford, I will take you to the Ambassador’s office.”

  She followed him through a maze of doors and corridors. Carpet muted their footsteps, and everything remained quiet. They passed a door where she could hear a man’s voice speaking in German. Nothing of interest, however.

  Eventually they came to the end of a corridor and her guide rapped twice on the door in front of them.

  “Eingeben!”

  The young man opened the door and again bowing, waved his arm toward an immense wooden desk behind which sat the Ambassador, who rose to his feet. “Ah, Miss Sanford. How lovely to see you.” He nodded at the young man. “Du darfst gehen. Ich möchte nicht gestört warden.”

  So, he did not want to be disturbed? She was sure he hadn’t known she
understood his command. Perhaps Dante had been right and seeing him alone might not have been a good idea. She fumbled in her reticule and wrapped her fingers around the hat pin she had slipped in there. Just in case.

  Once the Ambassador was settled in his seat, he said, “May I offer you tea?” He made a face. “I don’t like the drink myself, but you English seem to be in love with it. Give me a good bier.” He laughed at his own joke and Lydia smiled back.

  His nose was healing, but the yellow and green marks would take another week or so to fade.

  “No thank you for the tea, Ambassador. I have just broken my fast.”

  “Ah yes, you English ladies like to, how do you say, loll about in bed?”

  There was no point in arguing the point. The man had some definite ideas about her country and its residents. She was not here to act as ambassador for England. “Yes. Sometimes.”

  The Ambassador leaned forward in his chair and placed his arms on the desk. She was already uncomfortable with the way he kept eyeing her. “What brings you here this morning, Miss Sanford?”

  She tried her sweetest, most innocuous mien. “I wish to apologize for Mr. Rose’s actions at the inn last week.”

  The Ambassador scowled. “He is a rude man. I meant no harm. I was merely offering some attention to a beautiful young woman.”

  That was hardly the case, but either the Ambassador didn’t remember what he’d done, or his idea of how to offer a young lady his attentions was not part of the etiquette book she’d studied with her governess.

  She smiled. “I hope we can continue to be friends.”

  “What about Mr. Rose? Why was he so forceful?”

  Lydia crossed her fingers in her lap, about to spew out falsehoods. She waved her hand in the air. “Mr. Rose is of the mind that I welcome his attentions, and therefore is of the opinion that he must be my champion.” She lowered her eyelashes and looked at the Ambassador, offering a sultry smile. “Even when I do not need it.”