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?”