She quickly shook herself out of the stupor she’d been falling in, and concentrated harder on her plans. So, Gordon would just have to stay away from the dining room where she and Ashton would be. That was the only way.
* * * *
Nicole twisted her hands as she paced the hallway. Tonight was the dinner party. She’d been overjoyed when she received Ashton’s invitation, and thankfully, luck was on her side for once because her father was away on business. She had previously discussed the plans with Gordon and he couldn’t wait to help her. But now she needed to stay focused and to make certain that Ashton didn’t know Gordon was snooping through his home.
A coach pulled up in front of the house and stopped. Nicole’s heart hammered faster. Ashton had arranged to have Mr. Nickerson and his companion pick up Nicole. They would be her escorts.
A man with thinning brown hair climbed out of the coach and reached up to help a woman out. Nicole watched out the window, taking deep breaths, mentally reminding herself that tonight wasn’t any different from when she’d searched through General Babcock’s study to find the journal. Then again, she wouldn’t be the one sneaking around the house tonight. It was up to her to make sure everyone stayed in the dining room for a good hour.
Angela was with Nicole when she met the middle aged man at the door. He didn’t resemble anyone she remembered from the masked ball, but it wasn’t Mr. Nickerson who made her nervous, either. It was the woman beside him. Confusion creased the woman’s narrowed gaze as she switched her focus between Nicole and Angela. Nicole had learned by now to trust her first instincts, and right now they were telling her to be leery of this lady.
“You must be Miss Bastian,” Mr. Nickerson greeted in a cheerful voice.
“Yes, I’m Miss Bastian. Are you Mr. Nickerson?”
“That’s correct.” He nodded. “And let me introduce you to my friend, Mrs. Browning.” He motioned toward the other woman.
Nicole smiled as sweetly as she could. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The tightness around Mrs. Browning’s smile relaxed a bit. “Indeed, it is a pleasure to meet the woman who has captured Ashton Lee’s attention.” She elbowed Glynn. “Isn’t it?”
Chuckling, he nodded. “It certainly is.”
Nicole motioned toward Angela. “And let me introduce you to my housekeeper, Mrs. Phelps.”
Nickerson bowed slightly in greeting, but it was Mrs. Browning’s reaction that caused Nicole to wonder. The woman’s eyes widened as if she somehow recognized Angela or her name. Surely Mrs. Browning would say something if she had known Angela…yet, as the seconds ticked by, neither woman acknowledged the other.
“Shall we be off?” Mr. Nickerson asked.
“What time should I expect Miss Bastian to return?”
Nicole glanced at Angela and crinkled her forehead. It was odd that Angela’s voice was so snippy with Mr. Nickerson.
“No later than eleven,” Nickerson answered decidedly.
“Thank you. I shall be down here waiting.” Angela met Nicole’s gaze. “Enjoy yourself tonight. I’ll see you at eleven and not a minute later.”
Nicole gave her friend a nod before following Nickerson and Browning out to their carriage. He assisted the other woman inside the vehicle before helping Nicole. She sat across from Mrs. Browning. Once Nickerson climbed inside and the carriage jerked into action, Nicole breathed a little slower, trying to regulate the quick beat of her heart.
“So tell me, Miss Bastian,” Glynn began, “if you live here in Belle, what were you doing at General Babcock’s masked ball over a week ago?”
Nicole explained about visiting her cousin, hoping she related the same story she’d told Ashton. She also mentioned how she and Ashton had met.
“Oh, my.” Mrs. Browning giggled. “Cinderella? That is just adorable. So tell me,” she leaned forward and raised an eyebrow. “Do you still think of him as your Prince Charming?”
The comment took Nicole completely unaware and she couldn’t stop the blush of embarrassment flooding her face. Mr. Nickerson and Mrs. Browning must have noticed because they laughed.
“Well, I can’t deny that during the ball—before I learned his identity—I thought of him as my charming prince.”
“So you don’t think of him that way any longer?” Mrs. Browning asked, still wearing a smirk.
Nicole couldn’t stop her smile from widening. “Perhaps from time to time, I do.”
For the next little while of their ride, neither Glynn nor Mrs. Browning asked Nicole anything personal, for which she was relieved. When the carriage came to a stop in front of a large cabin, Nicole’s jaw dropped. Ashton’s house took her breath away. Such splendor and grandness carved in each log, and each piece of wood that made up the wrap-around porch.
As she walked with Glynn and Mrs. Browning up to the front door, Nicole couldn’t take her eyes off the place. Deep down in her gut, a knot formed and tightened with every step she took. Doubt sneaked over her and made her seriously wonder about Ashton’s wealth. He hadn’t been a partner in the railroad for very long. Could he have really made so much money to afford a nice place such as this?
A well-dressed servant opened the door for them and took their cloaks before pointing toward a large room off to Nicole’s left. As they entered, she was disappointed that she hadn’t seen Ashton yet. Instead, another man and woman were sitting together on the sofa. When the man noticed them, he quickly stood. By the white strands of hair threading through his blonde sideburns and beard, she guessed him to be middle aged like Glynn Nickerson.
“Larson,” Glynn began, motioning his hand to Nicole, “let me introduce you to Miss Bastian.” Glynn’s gaze swung to meet hers. “Miss Bastian, this is Mr. Larson and his wife.”
Nicole greeted both with a hearty handshake. Immediately, she noticed the glassy-eyed look of Mrs. Larson. The poor woman appeared in a different world even though she stared at Nicole.
Seconds later, strong footsteps came down the hallway, and she turned to watch the door, hoping it would be Ashton. When he strode inside, her heart did a silly flip. Each time she laid eyes on this man, he became more handsome. Tonight he was breathtaking, wearing a dark gray suit jacket and white silk shirt with a midnight blue vest.
His gaze skipped quickly over the others in the room and landed on her, staying there as he sauntered toward her. The closer he came, the faster her heart beat. He reached her and lifted her hand to his mouth. She couldn’t stop watching the way his lips moved across the back of her fingers.
“Miss Bastian, welcome to my humble home. Your presence makes these dreary walls brighter.”
His words, along with his hypnotic stare, were melting her. His mind must not be functioning either, because there was no way his walls were dreary—and his home was far from being humble.
“Mr. Lee, I fear you are exaggerating.”
He straightened, but still kept hold of her hand. His smile widened. “Not at all, my dear. Seeing your beauty makes everything brighter in my world.”
She could get lost in his eyes, and right now, she had no wish to find her way out. Being under his scrutiny suited her just fine. However, if she didn’t do something to break this incredible contact, she feared she’d swoon in his arms at any moment. Either that or she’d make the first move to kiss him.
“Actually, Ashton,” she lowered her voice, “you are the one who makes the world brighter.”
She didn’t think it possible for his hazel eyes to turn a darker green, but sure enough, they were heady with desire right now. It was all she could do not to let him hold her in passion’s embrace.
It took all of her control to yank her gaze away from his and glance at the others. They were far enough away from Nicole and Ashton as not to hear their conversation. Mr. Larson’s wife and Mrs. Browning stood near the window chatting, and Glynn and Steve were over in the far corner, whispering. Both of them aimed accusing glares toward Nicole. Unease ran through her. What had she possibly done to caus
e them doubt?
Ashton seemed to have snapped out of his haze as well. He straightened and turned to his other guests. “Thank you all for coming this evening.”
Glynn and Steve broke apart as the women joined them. All four walked closer to Ashton and Nicole. The glares from Ashton’s partners disturbed her, yet in the back of her mind she tried to convince herself that they had nothing to be curious about. They didn’t know what her family did for a living. Perhaps they looked at her in such a way because she had captured the interest of their co-partner.
Ashton greeted the others and brought them into a conversation, yet it didn’t distract from the way his eyes kept meeting hers, or the tender way he smiled at her.
Soon enough, the meal was announced, and Ashton took her hand and escorted her in to the dining room. He sat her next to him at the end of the table. As she ate, she wasn’t paying attention to the meal as much as she concentrated on Ashton, and especially the two other men in the room. She couldn’t shake the feeling of trepidation warning her that something was not right. Although the feeling brought a bitter taste to her mouth, she continued to eat the food placed in front of her.
Keep them in the dining room for at least one hour, Gordon’s instructions echoed in Nicole’s head. Snapping out of her dazed state, Nicole remembered that her brother was here—somewhere in Ashton’s house.
Her palms moistened and her heartbeat hammered irregularly. Just one more thing to be nervous about.
“Mr. Lee,” she began after a moment of silence, “I haven’t told you yet what a lovely home you have.”
He smiled wide and straightened his shoulders. “Thank you, Miss Bastian.”
“I must admit, I have never met a bachelor as yourself who lives in such a large place.”
The others around the table chuckled, which pulled her attention away from Ashton. She wanted to throw them a scowl for interrupting, but refrained.
“Oh, Miss Bastian,” Mrs. Browning said, “I can’t believe this is your first bachelor’s residence that you have been invited to.”
Nicole hesitated before replying. If she wasn’t mistaken, the other woman’s comment almost sounded like an insult. Was Mrs. Browning implying that Nicole wasn’t innocent? “Oh, I assure you,” Nicole quickly said, “this is the first.”
The two other women exchanged glances, and even the men rolled their eyes. She wanted to slap them—all of them. How dare they treat her this way.
“Thank you,” Ashton said, tapping Nicole’s hand softly. “I actually lived in a townhouse for the longest time, and only purchased this home a few months ago when I came into some money.”
Red flags rose in Nicole’s mind. Came into money… That could be taken a few ways, and one of them wasn’t good at all. Did he come into money by robbing the train? She couldn’t shake the feeling. It seemed the more information she obtained from him, the guiltier he appeared. Yet why couldn’t she harden her heart toward him?
“Oh, how nice.” She couldn’t think of anything else to say, not with the doubts in her head.
“But I’m happy that you approve of my house.” He nodded to her and gave her a wink.
“Very much so.”
When Ashton set down his utensils and lifted his linen napkin to pat his lips, Nicole panicked and glanced at the clock on the mantel. They hadn’t been at the table an hour yet. She still needed to keep them entertained for at least fifteen minutes. But how?
“Why don’t we—” Ashton began.
Nicole quickly cut him off by saying, “So tell me, how is the investigation going on the train robberies?” She moved her gaze to the other two partners.
Grumbling, Mr. Larson dropped his utensils on his plate and sat back in his chair, appearing very upset over the topic. “It’s not going very well, if you must know,” he snapped.
Glynn shook his head. “Unfortunately, Larson is right. The police have no leads at all. There is nothing that points to a suspect.”
“Nothing?” she asked, wondering why Mrs. Merriweather had heard differently.
“Nothing,” Ashton answered with a frown. “Sometimes I think there is a ghost who is robbing our train.”
“That’s terrible,” she said with much sympathy. “Just make sure the police don’t stop looking.”
“Miss Bastian?” Mr. Larson asked in a leering tone. “What makes you think the police are going to give up looking?”
She shrugged. Stirring her fork around the mostly empty plate, her mind scrambled for some kind of answer. “Well, you see…” Think Nicole, think! “My…Uncle Michael…um, well, he had his house robbed once, and the police had no suspects. After a month, the police had just given up trying to find the culprit. I just hope that doesn’t happen with you.”
“Well,” Ashton said, “I think we should adjourn to the other room.”
Nicole held her breath as she glanced at the clock again. No! It was still too soon. She must stall them somehow. Yet, it was too late. The men were already standing.
She lifted her glass of wine to take one last sip when an idea hit her. It was the only thing that would stall them a few more minutes.
After she swallowed the wine, she started choking. Laying on the dramatics, she clutched her throat and met Ashton’s wide-eyed stare. Hitting her chest a few times, she tried to make it appear that she needed help.
“She can’t breathe!” Mrs. Browning exclaimed hysterically.
“Pound on her back,” Glynn said in a rush.
Immediately, Ashton was beside her, doing what the others had told him. She sagged against him, hoping to create a more helpless charade. She had to admit, that holding her breath was getting more and more difficult to do, especially with them all watching her. There was only one other thing she could do. Closing her eyes, she went limp in Ashton’s arms.
High, panicked voices from the others echoed in the room. Ashton cursed and gently laid her on the floor.
“Nicole. Look at me,” he demanded. “Open your eyes and look at me.”
“Blow in her mouth,” Mrs. Browning said, her voice sounding closer than before.
“Perhaps elevating her head will help,” Glynn suggested nearby.
“Oh, don’t be ridiculous, Nickerson,” Mr. Larson snapped. “Elevating her will only make it worse.”
“Is she still breathing?” Mrs. Browning practically shouted. “Ashton, put your fingers to her throat and feel if she has a pulse.”
Within seconds, Ashton’s fingers pressed against Nicole’s neck and warmth spread through her. It was all she could do not to shiver from his touch.
“Yes, I still feel a pulse.”
“How did you know to do that, Mrs. Browning?” Mr. Larson asked.
“I volunteered as a nurse at the hospital for a brief time.”
“People, please!” Ashton said in a worried voice. “Help me with Nicole.”
“Blow in her mouth,” Mrs. Browning repeated.
Nicole remained relaxed as Ashton pulled her mouth open. Seconds later, his lips touched hers. Although this wasn’t a passionate moment, it was hard not to sigh with happiness. But when he blew into her mouth, she couldn’t keep up the pretense any longer and she coughed.
“Thank the Lord,” Ashton muttered softly as he laid his forehead against hers.
“Is she all right?” Glynn asked.
Blinking her eyes open, she stayed in character. She hadn’t realized how close everyone was. She took a deep breath and met Ashton’s gaze. His relieved expression let her know he—out of all of them—was the most worried. Guilt weighed in her mind and she wanted to apologize for putting him through that, but it was the only thing she could think of to do at the moment. Hopefully, he’d never have to know she was feigning it the whole time.
“How do you feel, my dear?”
“Better.” She took another deep breath and struggled to sit.
Ashton’s hand on her shoulder kept her on the floor. “Not yet. Take another couple of deep breaths first. I want to
make certain you are well enough before we have you rise.”
She nodded and did what he’d instructed. There was so much sweet emotion coating his eyes that it made her heart lurch. Even his voice was enhanced with care.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
The others had stood and were now chatting with one another. She couldn’t be sure what time was on the clock now, but she was certain she didn’t have to stall them any longer. Hopefully, her brother had searched through Ashton’s study and was out of the house by now. If not, she’d have to think up something else to do to divert the guests’ attention. And then later, she’d scold her brother for not being better at his job.
NINE
Ashton’s heartbeat was still careening fast, and he feared he’d be the one losing consciousness next. Never had he been so scared. Or worried.
He’d heard of people who died because they were choking. As he watched her choke, thoughts ran through his mind, and he didn’t want to think of what he’d do if she’d died. Although he’d just met her, his heart had become involved. The idea of losing her made him physically ill.
Staring deep into her eyes, he stroked her cheek. “Are you feeling better now?”
“I am, thank you.” She sighed deeply. “Ashton, you…saved my life.”
His heart warmed. “And such a beautiful life to save.” He winked. “Here, let me help you up.” As she lifted, he slipped his arm around her shoulders to help her sit up. Then, taking her elbow, he assisted as she rose to her feet. She seemed to wobble slightly, so he slid his arm around her waist. “Would you like to sit here or in the sitting room?”
“I think I can walk.” She smiled.
He kept his arm around her waist as he helped her out of the dining room and into the other room. Thankfully, his friends were the ones with him tonight, because if he had done something like this to Nicole in a room full of people, they for sure would be gossiping and passing judgment. But his friends wouldn’t say anything. Of course, Nickerson and Larson knew how infatuated Ashton was with Nicole, even if he didn’t think he should be.
Too Many Secrets Page 7