Page 71 of A Dangerous Engagement

“No, my lady.”

“And you, Mr.Merrick? Have you seen a key lying around?”

“No, my lady. Is someone missing a key?”

“Yes, Mr.Ratley has lost a key of mine. Would you care to help us look for it?”

“I’d be happy to help.”

They all started up the stairs. Mr.Merrick needed to get the papers he had copied to the Home Office. All would be lost if Lady Blackstone found them in his room.

He had trusted Felicity to return the original papers, but she had not yet had a chance to tell him that she had been successful. She would reassure him with a smile.

They walked slowly up the stairs. She kept trying to catch Mr.Merrick’s eye, but he did not look at her. He probably was too afraid of exciting suspicion, and Lady Blackstone did keep looking over her shoulder at them.

Once they reached the top, Felicity said, “Mr.Ratley says he had the key near here.”

“I had it at Lady Blackstone’s room,” Mr.Ratley said. “I locked her door after returning something for her. I should have put the key in my pocket, but I don’t remember exactly what I did with it. I walked away with Miss Mayson.”

They were all looking around the floor. Would it be too suspicious if Felicity looked on the table and pulled out the key from behind the vase? Mr.Merrick certainly couldn’t risk it, not with the papers somewhere in his possession.God, please let someone look behind the vase.

“Perhaps one of the servants found it and didn’t mention it to you,” Felicity suggested as she bent and stared at the floor, inching along, looking from one side of the corridor to the other.

“I have already questioned the servants,” Lady Blackstone said.

“It must be somewhere.” Felicity peeked through her lashes and saw Mr.Merrick also examining the floor. He suddenly glanced up at her, and she winked. Then she kept her head down and her eyes on the floor, not daring to glance at him again.

Mr.Merrick gradually moved toward the little table with the vase.

She hadn’t intended for him to reveal the hiding place of the key. She’d only meant to put him at ease that she had taken care of the papers. But he kept moving toward the table.

Meanwhile, Lady Blackstone seemed to look more at Felicity and Mr.Merrick than she did at the floor.

“Perhaps Mr.Ratley dropped it in his room,” Felicity said.

“I have been over every inch of my room and haven’t found it.”

Mr.Merrick stooped and used his hand to feel all around the floor at the base of the table that held the vase.

Felicity looked away from him, forcing herself not to stare. She bent even lower as she moved farther away from the light. She heard the slight scrape of metal on wood. Then Mr.Merrick’s voice said, “Is this your key?”

Felicity straightened and turned toward the others. Mr.Merrick was holding up the key.

Mr.Ratley stepped toward him and took it in his hand. “I believe it is.”

“Let me see it.” Lady Blackstone took it from him. “Where did you find it?”

“It was on the table there, behind the vase.”

Lady Blackstone said, “I have another key, but now at least I won’t be worried about the spare. Thank you, Mr.Merrick.” But her eyes were full of suspicion as she stared at him.

“I am glad to be of service.” Mr.Merrick smiled and gave her a slight bow.

“Truly, thank you,” Mr.Ratley said, looking very humble as he clasped Mr.Merrick’s hand. “I must have dropped it somehow, and it landed on this table.”

“Or someone could have found it on the floor,” Felicity said, “and put it on the table.”

“That is probably exactly what happened,” Mr.Ratley said. “I’m just so in love with my fiancée, Miss Mayson, that I lose my head sometimes. I’m sure that is what happened in this instance.”