Page 96 of Outrageous

She was grateful to be seated behind her father, and not to have to meet his gaze. Never had Eva seen her impeccable father so dusty and mud-spattered; he looked a decade older than when she’d last seen him. Was it possible for a man’s hair to go gray in so short a time? Because the Marquess of Exley’s inky-black hair was indeed a striking and snowy white at his temples. His eyes were still more cutting than the sharpest blades, but the skin beneath them looked bruised.

When they cantered up to the Greedy Vicar’s small stables Mr. Norton and his son Anthony came out of the inn.

“Welcome back, my l-lords,” Mr. Norton stammered, his gaze flickering between the men and finally landing on Godric. “Er, I’m sorry, sir, but the magistrate is off on the circuit.”

Godric nodded.

“That is just as well,” the marquess said in his precise, diamond-sharp tone. “I don’t wish for an audience.”

Nobody said a word as the five of them trooped into Mr. Norton’s small coffee room.

The marquess cut a cursory glance around the small but impeccably clean room. “Have you any other guests?” he asked.

“Uh, no, my lord.”

“Then I will engage your entire inn for the evening.”

“Er, Papa?”

He turned those cold eyes on her, and Eva swallowed. “There are only two rooms.”

“As to that,” Norton said, looking as if he couldn’t believe his mouth had opened and he’d shoved words out of it, “I’ll quickly make my two other rooms ready.”

“I thought you had only the two rooms?” Godric demanded, and Eva realized Andrew hadn’t told him about the others.

Norton winced. “No, I’ve got four.”

Now Godric looked just as grim as the other two men.

Eva yawned; she wanted to crawl into bed and leave them all to it.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Fleming,” Norton babbled. “It’s just that, well, Mrs. Crosby kept the rooms locked, you know.” He shifted from foot to foot.

“What’s this about rooms? And who is Mrs. Crosby?” Tommy said, his gaze fixed on Eva in a way that made her squirm.

“The cook here,” she answered. “It’s a long story. But if the rooms are habitable?” she asked Norton, eager to get away from the penetrating stare of her father and equally disconcerting eyes of Tommy, a man she’d never seen serious for more than thirty seconds but who now looked as old and stern as the marquess.

“Aye, ’course.” Norton all but sprinted toward the stairs.

Godric stepped up beside her. “I’ll bunk with Andrew, sir. Eva may keep the room she is already in and you and Lord Byer can have the other two.”

The marquess looked at Godric as if he were something he’d inadvertently carried in on his boot. Eva saw the earl’s face redden, but he did not look away. She was proud of him. Meeting her father’s gaze head-on was not for the faint of heart.

Godric turned to Eva and gave her a reassuring smile. “You go up, Eva. I’ll pop in to collect my things in a few minutes.”

Her father said to her, “Take an hour to put yourself to rights and then come to the coffee room.”

Eva was at her bedroom door when she realized Tommy had followed her. “Could I talk to you a moment?”

Eva would have rather not talked to anyone—ever again—but nodded. When she went to close the door, he shook his head.

“It’s not proper, Eva. Leave it open.”

Eva stared at him; just who was this stodgy, bossy man? His stern expression suddenly infuriated her. “Why are you here?” she asked rudely.

“Gabe and Drusilla have their hands full, and I knew your father would come alone if I didn’t force my company on him.” Tommy closed the distance between them and took her chin in his warm, slightly roughened hand and tilted her face up. “Has Visel—” He stopped, his jaws clenching. “Has he—”

Why, the nerve! “That’s none of your concern,” she said icily.