Page 83 of A Game of Scandal

“I’m only surprised,” I said stiffly, keeping my words careful. “You’ve been curiously absent.”

“Have you missed me, Felicity?” he asked. “Didn’t you get the flowers I sent?”

“Yes,” I said through gritted teeth. “And I noticed the men keeping watch too. They’ll report that I kept my end of our agreement.”

“I expected nothing less.” He inclined his head. “People are nothing if not predictable, particularly if one knows where to apply pressure.” His eyes moved over my shoulder and his smile widened. “Speaking of which, I think I must take my leave.”

With that, he came to an abrupt stop, bowing over my hand and striding away through the crowd.

I spun to see what it was he had noticed, and felt my stomach drop at the sight of Ash sauntering towards me in an impeccable dinner suit. A shock of fear that he was in danger mixed chaotically with a burst of pure joy at the sight of him, leaving me weak at the knees.

“What are you doing here?” I gasped, reaching for his arm at the same time as he asked, “Was that Laing? Why did he have his hands on you?”

When my words registered, his face showed surprise. “What do you mean, what am I doing here? You asked me to meet you here. Do you think I’d go to the trouble of wrangling an invitation and come to this hellish place for anything less? Do you have any idea how uncomfortable these suits are?”

I gaped at him. “You’re uncomfortable?” I asked, gesturing wildly at the acres of fabric that were trying to consume me whole, and to the feathers that quivered on top of my head. “You?”

A smile tugged at Ash’s lips. “You look … fluffy.”

“That doesn’t matter at the moment,” I said, snapping back to attention. “What does matter is that I didn’t ask you to meet me here. Laing must have.”

“Laing?” Ash’s brow crinkled. “Why would he do that?”

“Possibly because the place is rigged with explosives, and he would be quite happy to get rid of you.”

To his credit, Ash absorbed this without any discernible surprise. “But wouldn’t that mean blowing you up as well?” he asked. “I thought he wanted to marry you.”

“Yes,” I said. “I did too, but either he’s decided I’m expendable after all, or I’m to be removed before the bomb goes off. He doesn’t know that we know it’s here. At least…” I paused. “I don’t think he does.”

With Laing you couldn’t be sure of anything. My head ached and I couldn’t blame it all on the ridiculous feathers.

Thankfully, Ash seemed to follow this garbled explanation. “So what you’re saying,” he said slowly, “is that I wore the dinner suit for nothing?”

A giggle slipped through my lips, a rising hysteria mixed with genuine gladness that he was here. “I think you look handsome,” I said, and it was perfectly true. Ash was drawing more than one set of eyes, his tall, rangy figure the picture of elegance. In other circumstances I would be happy to stand and admire him.

“Of course you do,” he said smugly. “Now, I suppose you’re searching for the device?”

“Yes,” I said. “And four eyes are better than two.”

Together, and as discreetly as possible, we began to search the room, including the tall flower arrangements that were scattered about the place. But there was nothing: no sign of where such a device might be concealed.

“I’ve checked all the arrangements along this wall,” Ash replied. “It’s not there. And I don’t see anywhere it could be. There’s so little furniture here, because they’ve left all the space for dancing.”

I was inclined to agree, when suddenly Mari and Oliver appeared at my side. Mari was pink-cheeked, while Oliver looked even more serious than usual. Mari gave me a brief nod.

“You found it?” I asked.

“Not us,” Oliver replied. “One of Max’s men. In the card room.”

“Ash!” Mari exclaimed. “What are you doing here?” Her eyes narrowed. “And why are you all dressed up? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you even wear a jacket before.”

Oliver glowered. “Who is this man and why have you seen him in a state of undress?”

Ash’s eyes sparkled and he opened his mouth, but before he could say something outrageous, I cut him off. “This is Ash, and he’s not important right now. Take me to the bomb.”

“Now that’s hurtful,” Ash murmured as a smirking Oliver led the way.

Glancing over my shoulder at the room, I froze for a second as my eyes met Laing’s. He was standing a little apart from the crowd, watching us with a look of cool calculation.