The carriage dipped as Mr. Banks joined Quinn inside the dim interior at last. “Thank you for seeing me at such short notice,” Quinn began immediately.

“Your message claimed the matter was important, so here I am.” Banks sat his hat on the empty seat beside him.

“It could very well be,” Quinn promised. He tapped the roof and the carriage lurched forward. He’d given orders that they circle around until his discussion was done. “It is about the night of the Dalton fire.”

“You know the fire was ruled an accident, my lord. It is unfortunate the rumors began and I’ve done all I can to quash them. But Mrs. Dalton has a fortune in gems. I’m not sure there is anything else I can do for them.”

“What of the other man I told you about?”

“The fellow you claimed to have died that night, too?” The investigator shrugged. “I’ve found no trace of his body.”

Quinn grunted. “You’re sure?”

“I had seven of my best men scour all the usual places anatomists hide bodies or take them. They found nothing.”

Quinn thought he might know why that was. “Mr. Small was in the house the night of the fire, and he got out, although he suffered burns. I saw his suffering and injury with my own eyes. I saw what appeared to be his death.”

“Appeared to be?” Banks sat up straighter, eyes widening. “Are you saying he did not die?”

“I’m not convinced he did now, although it seemed a very convincing death at the time.” Quinn leaned forward. “I believe I saw Mr. Dennis Small on the street today, here in London.”

“I say. Where was this?”

“St. James, outside a property I inherited from my father.” Quinn had realized, almost too late, that a man in a wide-brimmed hat and coat had been following his carriage on the other side of the street for quite some time, and had seemed familiar to him. Except the fellow shouldn’t have been, since he was supposed to be dead. It might have been merely a trick of the eye or his imagination, but he would swear he’d seen the late Mr. Dennis Small in St. James today.

“A chance sighting from a distance, perhaps? Are you sure it was him and not his twin?”

“No. Dennis Small had no family, as far as I know. But I am not certain it was him, which is why I wished to speak with you immediately.” He shook his head. That brief moment of surprise and recognition troubled him greatly. “You’ve been looking for a body when the man might be walking around whole and hearty.”

Quinn had only had one good long glimpse of the man’s face—a familiar fresh burn pinking his right cheek—before the fellow had turned away. Small had suffered an identical burn. He’d disappeared as soon as Theodora had called out to Quinn and when he’d turned back, the fellow had already disappeared.

“A fellow with a new burn to the side of his face, one that matched my recollection of Mr. Small from the night of the fire, followed my carriage for several blocks, and then rushed away when Miss Dalton stepped out onto the street. He was watching me, or he was watching her. The ladies describe him as a harmless enough fellow, but what if they were deceived in his character? What if I was, too, about his demise? If Small knowingly acted to convince us of his death, there must be a reason for doing so.”

Banks whistled. “That’s very disturbing.”

If Dennis Small was actually alive, was it possible that trouble lay ahead? The fellow had been following Quinn’s carriage. If Quinn hadn’t imagined the sighting, and Mr. Dennis Small had indeed survived the fire, he had a bad feeling that Mr. Dalton’s death might not be the accident he wanted it to be. “I need to know if Mr. Small is alive or not. I need to see his body—alive or a corpse.”

“Small’s surviving the fire would have changed the focus of my investigation somewhat from the very beginning.”

“You said yourself Dalton was alive when the fire reached him. He might have gotten out, you said. But what if he couldn’t? What if he was prevented from seeking safety by Small for some reason, and the man suffered those burns not as a result of bravery, but from malicious intent? Those gems found on Mr. Dalton could have been motive enough for murder.”

Banks’ eyes narrowed with suspicion. “That would mean Miss Dalton’s suspicions were correct after all. That the fire was not an accident by her father. And it was Small who’d claimed Dalton had started the fire with his last breath.”

“Indeed, he was the only person who could have known the truth. Perhaps it all comes back to this Small fellow. But no matter what the case may be, I must know that Miss Dalton and her mother will always be safe once they leave my protection.”

“Of course, of course. I completely agree. Two women are no match for a murderer, if that is what this Mr. Small turns out to be. And they are wealthy, which could make them a target for unscrupulous scoundrels.”

“Exactly. If Small is alive, if he learns about the recovery of the gems, he might increase his interest in the Dalton women. He may already know about the stones, and may be watching for a way to reach them.”

“I’ll redirect my investigation immediately,” Banks promised. “Have your servants remain on guard.”

“I will.” Quinn asked to be returned to Mr. Banks’ place of business, and then handed over a handful of coins. “For the extra runners you might want to hire.”

“Thank you,” Banks said. “I’ll send daily reports from now on.”

“Directly to my hand, and to no one else. Not even to my secretaries. I do not wish to alarm the women of the household.”

“Of course.” Mr. Banks departed quickly, a pleasing haste in his steps.

Quinn had the carriage return him home, and was surprised to see an acquaintance of his mother’s on the verge of departing. Lady Berkley was a woman best avoided, so he made to pass her by with just the barest nod of greeting, but the viscountess’ next words stopped him in his tracks.

“I understand congratulations are in order.”

His elevation to earl was not a subject he wished to crow about. “Hardly,” he replied coldly. He hurried inside to prevent further conversation with the woman.

Once safely there, he was confronted by his mother pacing the entrance hall. Given she was worrying her lips, something she rarely did, he immediately tensed. “Mama, why are you looking like you have bad news to share with me?”

“Oh, dear. Well.” Mama stared at him imploringly. “I’m afraid I’ve gone and put my foot in it rather badly.”

He ushered his mother into the study and shut the door. Only Theodora was at her desk at this hour, nearly hidden behind piles of paperwork. “How?”

“Well, Lady Berkley came to call, as you likely saw. You know how much I detest her. We came out the same year, married the same month, and had the same number of offspring more or less. Every year, our friends are forced to choose between attending my ball or hers, because she somehow always holds hers on the very same night as mine.”

Quinn nodded, well aware of the rivalry between the women. It was a nasty little competition between women who could have been friends and allies, if not for their stubbornness. “Go on.”

“We were talking about how my event would not happen this year, because of your father, and she was looking very smug, and one thing led to another and…I don’t quite know how she got the better of me.”

“What did you say to her?”

Mother lifted her gaze to the ceiling as if seeking divine intervention. “I told her you were engaged to be married.”

“Mother!” He took a pace back, stunned. Behind him, Theodora gasped, too. He heard her stand and start shuffling papers as if she meant to flee the room. Quinn would, too, if the situation were not so dire and involved him. “How could you do this to me?”

“I am angry about this, too,” Mother complained, beseeching him with bright, tear-filled eyes. “I am so sorry! She was so obviously pleased about the timing of your father’s death. And then she told me her son had won the hand of Lord Corby’s daughter, who you know I’ve always adored, and I just blurted it out.”

He clenched his jaw to hold back a sailor’s curse his mother had never approved of. He took a moment to rein in his temper. “Who did you say I am engaged to?”

“Now, Quinn, darling—”

“Mother. The name,” he snapped. “And it better not be that squeaking mouse Father wanted me to marry last month. I’ve finally gotten rid of her father.”

Theodora fled toward the door.

“Well, I did not say a name exactly, but…” Mother’s attention followed Theodora.

He stared at her in shock. “How could you allow Lady Berkley to leave believing that I am engaged to Miss Dalton?”

Theodora gasped as her hand fell away from the doorknob. “Why me?”

Mother shook her head quickly, and then stretched imploringly for Theodora to come take her hand. “I am so sorry, my dear!”

Quinn’s heart began to beat very fast at the idea of being married to Theodora. It wasn’t panic that stirred his emotions, though. It was longing and excitement. “Mother, I am very cross with you. You will have to call on Lady Berkley immediately and renounce your statement.”

“You will make a liar out of me?”

“Mother, you are a liar,” he said crossly, keeping an eye on Theodora’s face. He was rather relieved that she did not seem offended by the idea of marriage to him. At least not yet.

“But Quinn, if I deny it, all everyone will talk about is my state of mind. They will say your father’s death drove me to delusions.” Mother turned away, walked a few steps and sagged into the nearest chair. “I’ve been trying so hard to look everyone in the eye after what he did. I’m always worried someone knows where he fell ill and who he was with. What she was to you,” she whispered. “I’m afraid I’ve made things ten times worse now.”

She sniffed and then dropped her head into her hands.

Quinn moved to her side, squatted down next to her chair. “Mother, if I do not correct Lady Berkley now, she will gossip, and what then happens to Theodora’s reputation when the lie is revealed, as it must surely be? Her presence will be questioned, rather too coarsely for my taste.”

“I could do it,” Theodora said quietly behind him. “I could be engaged to you.”

He swiveled around to stare at her. Yes, she knew him well enough to play the part of a besotted bride, but this was too much. “Don’t even think of going along with this nonsense.”

Theodora beckoned him to follow her across the room, and he did so, unable to predict her next words. She stopped by the far window, a frown marring her pretty features. “There is no reason to further embarrass your mother,” Theodora whispered quickly. “I am here, and we already assumed people would misunderstand you hiring a woman as your secretary.”

“This is grossly unfair to you,” he complained. “Mother needs to correct her mistake.”

“And she will, or we will, eventually.” Theodora winced. “From what I can tell, Lady Templeton has suffered a great deal at your father’s hands, everyone has, and I will not have it on my conscience that I helped her lose the respect she deserves. I cannot imagine what she must be feeling right now. I have met Lady Berkley before, and she’s a spiteful, mean old biddy. She will lash your mother from morning to night for weeks to come, should the truth come out. You don’t want that.”

“But you’re more than happy to pretend that you like me enough to marry?”

“I do like you.” Her shoulder lifted as she shrugged. “If we went along with it for a little while, what’s the harm? So much less than what could happen. Let society think what they like for now, and later, after a time, I can go away, and your mother can simply say we did not suit after all.”

He considered the matter. It was asking a lot of Theodora to play along with this charade, just to help his mother save face. “No.”

He turned back to his mother.

“Quinn, you know me,” Theodora began as she caught his upper arm. “I would never insist you go through with the engagement. Let your mother save face with this small lie. Any gossip later on will blow over very quickly.”

Of all the women he’d known, only Theodora could convincingly play the part of his betrothed. They were already intimately involved. His real problem lay in her insistence that she would never expect to marry him. “Don’t you think it would feel odd to play at being betrothed to each other?”

“Not really.” Her lips lifted into a soft smile. “I’ve been engaged before and know what is required of a proper engagement.”

“I’m not sure I’d be convincing,” he warned.

Theodora’s brows drew together in a frown. “It would help to explain why Mother and I are still here, when we should have already found a new home for ourselves. No one believes a woman could be competent as a secretary, or enjoy the work as much I do.”

He caught her fingers. “Fools.”

“This will not be the disaster you fear,” Theodora promised. “We make a good team already, don’t we?”

A shiver of desire swept over him. If Theodora was really his betrothed, there were any number of small indiscretions they could share and be forgiven for. He could also keep an eye on her better, too. If Small was the fiend he feared, and watching them even now, Theodora could be his next target.

Unwittingly, Mother had ensured Theodora’s safety.

“So, we are engaged?”

Theodora’s eyes lit up with pleasure as she smiled at him. “Indeed.”

He smiled, liking the idea very much. “Shall I go down on one knee, too?”

Her eyes widened. “That is perhaps overplaying your part.”

“It would be expected if we were in love.”

“But we are not in love,” Theodora promised.

“Are you sure you’re not a little in love with me?” Confident his mother could not see what he did, Quinn lifted Theodora’s hand to his lips. At the last moment, though, he placed the tips of her ink-stained fingers against his lips.

Theodora gasped softly as he kissed several of them.

“Being engaged could be very enjoyable for us,” Quinn whispered against her fingers. “But being married could be better.”

Theodora gently pulled her hand back. “Just remember this is a temporary engagement.”

Not if he had any say in the matter.

Now that the moment presented itself, he knew Theodora should be his wife. No other would do. He liked her. His mother seemed to like her, too. He could also hand over the estate affairs to her if she wanted control of them, without a qualm. Or they could do everything together.

“I’ll do my best to remember this is all meant to be pretend, but I make you no promises I always will.” He turned about to face the room.

His mother was watching them, worrying her lower lip. “Well? What did you decide?”

“We are engaged,” he announced.

His mother beamed at both of them. “I knew you would understand.”

“Later, we will unravel the mess that you’ve made of our lives,” Quinn warned her. “I will expect your full support and participation to make this situation convincing.”

Her smile fell.

“Lady Templeton,” Theodora began, stepping around him.

“Yes, dear,” Mother replied, another bright smile bursting over her lips. “And my name is Maggie when we are alone.”

“Maggie, there is just one small matter to discuss.”

Quinn frowned, wondering what might be bothering his betrothed now.

Theodora turned to him. “Would you excuse us a moment, my lord? I need to have a private conversation with your mother, if you do not mind.”

That seemed ominous. He nodded slowly. “Don’t yell too loudly at Mama, my dear,” Quinn advised.

He left the room, but instead of retreating entirely, he lingered on the other side of the door to listen. Quinn thought it a good idea to know how Theodora and his mother spoke to each other when he wasn’t around. He eased as close to the gap in the doors as he dared to listen.

“…have the truth between us,” Theodora was saying in a firm voice. “Lady Berkley did not goad you to do this, did she? You announced an engagement for a reason you will not reveal to your son. What is it?”

Quinn gaped in the telling silence.

“You are as perceptive as your mother has always claimed,” his mother complained.

What was this? Quinn moved his eye to the crack between the doors and peered through.

Theodora was standing over his mother, hands on hips. “Do not change the subject, Maggie dearest. I am very cross with you right now.”

He almost laughed at how his mother pretended to cower. Theodora just stood there waiting.

“Clever women like you are always a pleasure to deal with,” mother exclaimed after a moment, then sat up straight again. “But we’ll rub along together quite well, I suspect. That is why I chose you for this endeavor.”

“The reason—and no more delay with flattering me!”

Quinn had never heard Theodora so angry before. She was cold and unforgiving. He couldn’t be more impressed. Mother had ruled the roost for a long time. Many women gave way to her immediately, but not Theodora Dalton apparently.

“Oh, very well,” mother grumbled. “We are in mourning, and then the season will begin. Louisa will have her chance to charm the gentlemen, and my son will be back among the ton where he belongs. It worries me that my son will be the Duke of Rutherford sooner than we ever planned for. I cannot have him make a mistake at such a time that might see him matched with an unsuitable woman.”

“I doubt he would make such a mistake and marry the wrong woman.”

“I am not so sure of that. Quinn’s long-term friendship with that mistress he had is proof that he’s just like every other man.”

“That woman underestimated his appeal. I’ve already seen to it that she never bothers him again.”

“Did you now? Well, that is well done of you.” Mother beamed. “A betrothal will take him off the marriage mart before the season even begins…”

“…and allow him to make the right choice at a time of his choosing,” Theodora finished.

“Exactly.”

There was a long pause, and Theodora’s hands slid off her hips. “So, you are using me.”

“Well, yes. I hope you don’t greatly mind the part you must play in all this.” Mother fell silent a long moment. “Never think I would deliberately entrap anyone I care about into a loveless marriage such as I had?”

“I would never agree to that,” Theodora promised. “Neither would he, I believe. I am surprised he is willing to go along with such a lie.”

He was going along with it because marriage to Theodora was what he wanted in the end. He’d settle for a temporary understanding, and a real engagement—complete with a proposal, flowers, and loving whatnots—would come when he was sure Theodora’s feelings for him were reciprocated.

“My son is imminently sensible and very forgiving. Patient, too.” There was another long pause, and Quinn strained to hear anything. “All I want is for him to marry someone he loves.”

“As do I.” He pondered what Theodora wanted for her future as she began to pace the room. “I want your promise that you will not make any arrangements for a marriage to actually take place. No new gowns ordered, no inquiries sent to the church. If you do anything that commits either one of us to actually marry, I shall call the whole thing off immediately and let you drown in your embarrassment. Do we understand each other?”

“Absolutely, my dear. You and I will get along famously, don’t you agree?”

“Oh, absolutely.”

Quinn smiled widely and backed away, delighted with what he’d heard so far. A fake engagement engineered by his mother should have been alarming, but he should have known Theodora was more than a match for his mother’s own managing tendencies.

She would indeed be the perfect wife for him one day. Just as soon as she realized she was already part of his family.