Theo awoke with her usual queasy stomach and headache, a reminder that she had yet to tell Stone of her delicate condition. But now with Odey’s unexpected return, and all the inherent uncertainty thrust upon their tenuous reconciliation, she needed more time to be certain. After a bit of tea and dry toast, she was back in the pink and decided to keep her scheduled visit with Mr. Harrington. She had hoped to have some word of the mystery buyer by the time she returned from the house party. Perhaps she could explain her story to the new owner and convince them to sell it to her?

Hopeful for good news, she had the carriage brought around and headed off. Once she was settled in her man of affairs’s office, she tried to be patient as he went through his usual accounting of her portfolio. As she had long ago come to expect, everything was right and tight, not to mention a few investments that were performing above expectations. Pleased but still anxious for the news she truly came for, she waited.

“As to our last order of business, the property adjacent to your orphanage was indeed sold.” The man looked up, and for once was reluctant to tell her anything.

“Yes, I am aware of that fact, Mr. Harrington. To whom was the property sold?” She didn’t mean to be so crisp with the loyal man, but her patience had shredded with every moment that had passed.

He ruffled a few pages held in his hand and waved the dust motes from the beam of sunlight shining down on them. “Well, my lady. As to that…”

He huffed and puffed and fussed until she lost all patience. Leaning forward in a fit of unforgivable rudeness, she snatched the pages from his hand and read the words printed there. It was a copy of a bill of sale. Ah-ha! At last! She scanned down the page past much of the legal language that would put a corpse to sleep and found the pertinent section. As she read the words, her heart skipped a beat and then plummeted to the floor to lie at her feet.

The purchaser of the land was listed as Achilles Denton, the Earl of Stonemere.

Under no circumstances would she allow her upset to show in public. So she dug deep, kept her British composure, and handed the pages back to Mr. Harrington. “Thank you for getting to the bottom of this issue for me. I hope it wasn’t terribly challenging.”

“Not at all. I merely enquired of Lord Stonemere’s man of affairs, as I had some notion of who had purchased it,” Mr. Harrington tossed off, as though the connection were obvious.

“And how would you have known how to find his man of affairs?” Suspicion burned in her gut as she eyed her employee.

“Well, I had the address where I send updates on your holdings and from which I receive an additional retainer fee.” As though he had only just become aware of what he revealed, his eyes flew wide until the very orbs in his head seemed to pop forward.

“I see. Thank you, Mr. Harrington.” Fury thrummed through her veins as Theo rose and departed the small office. The poor little man trailed after her, mumbling excuses and apologies for which she had no time. The audacity of her husband to meddle in her affairs, and then his utter betrayal, buying the land she had wanted right out from under her! It was outside of enough.

On the street in front of the office, she found her carriage waiting, but the coachman and groom were having a hard time controlling the cattle. One of the front mounts was attempting to rear up. In desperate need to be in the coach and in private, Theo wasted no time in charging over to the horse, wrapping her shawl around his head, and taking a firm grip on the bridle. “Please check the tack and ensure everything is as it should be. The horse is behaving very oddly.”

“Yes, my lady.” The groom adjusted the saddle of the harness to check it was secure and still attached to the shafts. As he moved it, the animal attempted to rear again. Once it had resettled, the groom pointed out, “My lady, the animal is bleeding from beneath the saddle. ’Tis no wonder he’s agitated.”

Theo looked closer and wanted to horsewhip whoever would do such a thing to an animal. “You will remove the harness immediately. I shall hail a hack and send a stable boy back with a fresh harness and mount. Do see that everything arrives home safely.” And with that decision made, she turned and went in search of a cab to carry her home.

One of Mr. Harrington’s runners helped her hail a vehicle, and she was ensconced alone for her journey home. As she rode, she considered all she knew of her husband. Only a few days ago, she had failed to trust him, and as a result, nearly damaged their relationship beyond repair. She needed to give him an opportunity to explain why he bought the land and why he was paying her man of affairs to report to him.

Half an hour later, she strode into the study and found him talking with Odey as they looked over a stack of papers. She barreled ahead, needing to address both issues immediately. “Stone, I have just come from Mr. Harrington’s office. I had to take a cab home because someone appears to have tampered with the carriage harnesses, which left one of the poor beasts agitated and bleeding. I have already set the stable master to deal with it, but you should be aware that something is not right. Our staff is not normally so careless. You should address it posthaste.” Even to her own ears, she sounded like a field marshal, but she was at a loss for how to manage the storm of emotions raging inside.

Stone cast an odd glance at Odey before addressing her. “Is that all, Theo?”

“No, I also need a word with you in private.” She stood with her feet spread, ready to do battle. She imagined he could see the fury wafting off her like smoke from a fire.

“I shall go follow up with the stable master and see if I may be of assistance.” Odey rose and quickly departed the room, closing the door gently behind his retreating form.

“Well, now that you have unceremoniously booted my brother from my study, what may I do for you, Theo?” Stone sat behind his desk and steepled his fingers beneath his chin as he looked at her with what she had come to call “the look of displeasure.”

However, she was beyond worrying about possible punishments. Righteous fury fueled her once again as she launched into her tale. “Do you remember the piece of land I mentioned just before the Hawksburys’ party?”

“Vaguely.” Stone raised one brow.

“Yes, well, I’m surprised you do not have a better recollection of it since it appears you are, in fact, the mysterious buyer.” She folded her arms over her breasts and waited.

“Obviously not mysterious enough to evade your detection.” He pushed back from his desk and stood. “It seems you have found me out.”

“Indeed, it does seem that way. Today has been very educational, you know. I also learned that you also pay my man of affairs a monthly stipend to keep informed of my investments.” Her heart pounded as she waited for him to deny it. Hoped he would tell her it was all some silly mistake.

Instead, he cleared his throat, leaned against the front of his desk, and crossed the ankles of his boots. “Yes, about that. I daresay I have been doing just that.”

The storm broke loose within and found various cracks in her shell to escape. And there were so many cracks. “We discussed this after I found out you saw him, and yet you failed to mention this arrangement? Failed to be honest with me? Used your supposed honesty only days ago to convince me I was mistaken about you and that hussy at the house party? You, sir, are a cad and a lout.”

Beyond reason, she stepped forward, slapped him across the face with a resounding crack of her bare palm, and then fled the masculine confines of the study. Hurt and so very angry, she kept running straight out of the house. Three blocks along, she found herself on the dowager countess’s doorstep, tears streaming down her face.