Page 21 of The Unfortunate Debutante
Simeon followed the butler through a narrow hall lined with tapestries and portraits. The butler stopped outside of an open door and gestured that he should go first. Simeon walked into the room and saw Lord Downshire sitting at a large mahogany desk.
“Come in, Mr. Martin,” Lord Downshire said, pointing to a chair in front of the desk. “Thank you for coming so soon.”
Simeon walked over to the proffered chair and sat down. “Lord Lansdowne and Lord Jonathon indicated that time was of the essence.”
Picking up the calling card on his desk, Lord Downshire gave him a long, curious look. “Why are you not making use of your title, Lord Wentworth?”
“I prefer not to use my title when I am working as a Bow Street Runner.”
Lord Downshire dropped the card onto his desk. “Interesting,” he muttered. To Simeon, he said, “My brother informed me that you are trustworthy and loyal.”
He remained silent and lifted his brow. What did one say to that?
Sitting back in his chair, Lord Downshire wiped his hand over his chin in agitation. “I need someone that can keep my ward safe this Season, or at least until the threat passes.”
“I’m afraid that I am unavailable for the entire Season,” Simeon declared, rising abruptly from his seat. “I have other responsibilities.”
Lord Downshire frowned. “I will pay you double your usual fee.”
Tugging down on his waistcoat, Simeon asserted, “Money is not the issue.”
“Is it the familial connection?”
It was Simeon’s turn to frown. “No,” he stated curtly.
“I apologize. I don’t mean to imply that you harbor any residual feelings for Mrs. Martha Maddix,” Lord Downshire stated.
Simeon eyed him with frustration. “I am well aware that Mrs. Maddix is married to your wife’s cousin, but that’s not why I am turning down this assignment.”
Lord Downshire leaned forward and placed his forearms on the desk. “My ward, Miss Emma Pearson, is being targeted by a spurned suitor from her past, Mr. Peter Lockhart,” he shared, grabbing a piece of paper from his desk and extending it towards him. “He has made false claims, sued me for breach of contract, and has made himself an utter nuisance.”
Accepting the paper, Simeon looked down and saw the list of all the civil proceedings over the past two years. “It’s expensive to file all these court cases. Is Mr. Lockhart wealthy?”
“No, but he is a solicitor.”
“Ah,” Simeon said, nodding. “That would make sense. But for what purpose?”
Lord Downshire rose from his chair and walked over to the drink tray. “Miss Pearson’s brother was the agent assigned to guard my wife in Scotland. When Rachel was attacked, David gave his life to save her.” He stopped speaking and poured two snifters of brandy. “When we went to pay our respects to his family, we found that Emma’s father had also died, and she was left alone. She had little food on the shelves and an overbearing suitor pressuring her to marry.”
Lord Downshire picked up the snifters and walked one over to him. “By taking Emma in as my ward, I feel that we are honoring David’s ultimate sacrifice.”
Simeon took a sip of his drink. “That is honorable of you,” he remarked as he lowered his glass.
Waving a hand dismissively in front of him, Lord Downshire said, “Emma has become part of our family. I daresay we got the better end of the deal.” He took a sip of his drink. “I can’t forbid Emma to leave the estate, and I need someone I can trust to watch over her when she’s in town.”
“How exactly is Miss Pearson being targeted?” Simeon asked, silently cursing himself for even posing the question. He didn’t want this job, so why was he asking pertinent questions?
Placing his empty glass down on his desk, Lord Downshire explained, “Someone placed a burr under her saddle and spiked her drink with laudanum at her ball.”
“Why do you suspect Mr. Lockhart is behind this?”
Lord Downshire shrugged. “Who else could it be?” He shifted his gaze towards the opened window. “Outside of the Season, we live in Scotland. An outsider would be identified nearly immediately. Emma is a lively young woman and couldn’t possibly have any enemies.”
Swirling the liquid around in his snifter, Simeon asked, “What about you? Do you have any enemies in town?”
“None that I am aware of,” Lord Downshire answered. “I rather detest being in Town. The only reason we’re here is for Emma to have a Season.”
Simeon brought the glass up to his lips and sipped his drink. He investigated crimes, went undercover, and arrested criminals. He did not have time to sit idly by and watch a pampered young woman mingle in Society. “I’m sorry…”
