Page 23 of The Bachelor Spy
“No particular reason.” Blake kept his expression carefully innocent.
She was utterly at sea about the whole thing.
No one had told her.
And five months?
He swallowed the growing lump in his throat. “It is my duty in Freddie’s absence to ensure you are taking proper care of yourself.”
And would it also be his duty to divulge his suspicions about her … condition? Dash it! He’d done many dangerous things in his life. Most ending in some painful injury or his near demise. But this?
Heat rushed into his face until his scalp tingled.
This was decidedly not something spies were trained to handle.
“As well as I can manage, but”—Grace leaned forward, holding his gaze with that particular intensity that meant she’d latched onto something interesting—”if you are so concerned about my welfare and the well-being of Havensbrooke, your timely arrival could not be more providential.”
Why did he suddenly feel nervous?
“In fact, you’re perfect for what’s possibly happening around here.”
“Tending patients?” He raised a brow.
“No.” She grinned, leaning close, those eyes aglow. For some reason, it put him more on edge than he already was. “A possible mystery.”
He released a long sigh. Ah well, let her bring on all her mysteries. He preferred something familiar to the entire telling-your-cousin’s-wife-she’s-with-child business. Completely outside his area of expertise. “Is there?”
She glanced toward the door and back at him, eyes narrowing. “Would you happen to know the items Frederick kept in his grandfather’s bookcases?”
Well, that was unexpected. “Some of them, I would think. Why do you ask?”
“I know you have a very good memory and an uncanny ability to notice things.” She nodded, studying him as if attempting to decipher his thoughts. His grin only crooked wider. Let her try. “But we’ve had some rather odd occurrences lately. First, a painting went missing from the morning room. Then, a few nights ago, someone broke into Frederick’s study.”
Blake’s amusement faded instantly. “Broke in?”
“Smashed one of his glass bookcases, rifled through papers, pulled books from shelves.” Her voice dropped conspiratorially despite the empty room.
“A thief from among the patients, perhaps?”
“I thought of that initially, and it may still be the case.” Grace lowered her voice even further. “But here’s the curious part—they didn’t take anything of obvious value. The silver was untouched. Frederick’s medals were still in their case. Even the money in his desk drawer remained.”
The ease Blake had been feeling suddenly evaporated. “They were searching for something specific.”
“Exactly!” Grace’s eyes lit up with that particular enthusiasm she reserved for mysteries. “That’s precisely what I thought. And what’s more curious—the new maid, Miss Gale, was remarkably knowledgeable about the break-in. She noticed the dust pattern where something had been removed from the shelf and recognized that the intruder either must have been let in from outside or was already within the house.”
Blake’s pulse quickened. “Miss Gale?”
“I’m sorry to cast aspersions on our staff, Blake.” Grace’s nose wrinkled with her frown. “You know very few of them are mystery novel readers, if readers at all. But Miss Helen Gale is either an avid reader of detective fiction, an amateur sleuth in her own right, or”—Grace’s eyes widened dramatically—”the thief herself.” She paused. “She arrived just last week, supposedly from a London household.” Her lips pressed together, expression growing more determined. “I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something about her that doesn’t quite fit.”
No doubt Grace was talking about Evie.
Dash it all! It would have been far better for everyone if Evie hadn’t piqued Grace’s considerable curiosity. Until Blake knew the true nature of Evie’s presence here, the less Grace suspected about her, the safer everyone would be. “If she’s from London, dear Lady Astley, there is a very good chance that explains her behavior entirely. Londoners are notoriously peculiar and suspicious by nature.”
She studied him, her frown deepening in a way that suggested she wasn’t buying his explanation in the slightest.
“Perhaps we should take a look at Frederick’s study,” Blake suggested, hoping to redirect her attention. “I might recognize if something specific is missing.”
She shook her head. “No, you need to rest first. We can investigate later.” She took another bite of sandwich, brow creasing as she chewed thoughtfully. “Besides, there’s been nothing new for nearly a week, so perhaps they found what they were searching for.”
