Right Number, Wrong Girl

I wanted to delve more into what Nora had told me last night, but for now, I needed to just get through the door and break the bad news to Nancy.

And Hugo.

I doubted he’d be that happy about having to spend the next ten days with me.

I wasn’t happy about having to spend it with him.

That amount of time close to Lord Hugo struck me as rather dangerous.

The large, ornate doors opened, and Rupert smiled down at me. “Ah, Miss Hopkins. Good morning. Do come in.”

“Thank you, Rupert. How are you today?”

“Very well, thank you. Yourself?”

“I’m okay, thank you. I don’t suppose Nancy is around, is she? I need to speak with her about something?”

He frowned. “I believe she’s in Her Ladyship’s office. Would you like me to fetch her?”

“I don’t want to disturb her if she’s busy.”

“I’m sure she’s only catching up on her administrative work. Why don’t you follow me over there and we’ll see if she can spare you a few moments?”

“That would be great, thank you.” I stepped inside and proceeded to follow him through the house into an area I’d never been before.

This house truly was the largest building I’d ever been in. It seemed to go on forever, winding and curving through the hallways until we finally reached a small wing to the side that was a collection of three rooms.

Rupert knocked on the middle door and waited for Nancy to call out, then pushed it open. “Nancy, do you have a moment? Miss Hopkins is here.”

“Of course. Please send her in.”

Rupert stepped aside and gestured for me to go in. “Will you find your way back or would you like me to wait for you?”

“I’ll take her back. I’m due a break. Thank you, Rupert,” Nancy said from inside.

“Anytime.” He bowed his head and disappeared.

I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me.

Nancy turned around and fixed me with a stern look that said I needed to get the hell on with it. “Well?”

God. I did not like this woman.

“I have some bad news.”

“If you’re going to tell me that Camilla will not be coming home today or tomorrow, then I don’t want to hear it.”

“All right, then. I won’t tell you.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose, dipping her head. “Sophie…”

“Her grandmother passed away yesterday afternoon. Her entire family is devastated, and she can’t leave them. She’ll be back two days before the party.”

“That doesn’t help me,” Nancy said. “At this point, she might as well not even show up. There’s no way to explain who she is two days prior.”

“That’s why I’m here. Lady Devon returns tomorrow, so we’ll just explain everything. She spent all of fifteen minutes with me.”

“She will not take kindly to the idea she was lied to.”