Blackwood said dryly. In truth, he had been silent, but he was not about to allow West's prompt to go begging. "I was hoping that you would humor me, and tell me the source of your information. I can think of no one save your father who was aware of my visits."
"The servants."
The colonel shook his head. "I did not forget to take them into account, but it is not possible that they spoke to you. They would not speak of it to anyone."
West could not entirely temper his smile. He shrugged to draw attention away from it. Blackwood had forgotten, however briefly, that he was now in the company of the Duke of Westphal. Those servants who had been loyal to his father were, for the time being, in his employ. They might have reservations about relating certain events to him, but they would not hold their tongues if he pressed.
"You will not explain it to me?" asked the colonel.
It seemed to West that he was being small by not telling Blackwood what he wanted to know. Getting a little of his own back was not a particularly pleasant feeling. "Miss Ashby," he said finally, watching the colonel's reaction closely. "I will not ask if you know who she is. I can see that you do."
Blackwood struck a thoughtful pose, cocking his head and tapping the right side of his nose with his forefinger. "She was at the Abbey today for the service?"
West nodded slowly. "In addition to the title and considerable fortune the duke has left me, I have also inherited a ward. What do you make of that, Colonel? It seems he was possessed of a sense of humor after all."
"I had not thought of it in that light."
"What else can I do but find the bloody humor of it?" asked West. "He is already dead, so however much I wish to do so, I cannot kill him."
The colonel thought it was a good sign that West's own sense of humor had finally surfaced, no matter how black it was. "I cannot conceive that Miss Ashby will upset the equilibrium of your existence. She can be the very least of the responsibilities you have inherited."
Both of West's eyebrows lifted. "She is a person. She is female. Female persons are always more difficult to manage than land and money. You smile, but you know it is true. You cannot help but have noticed that North is deuced unhappy with Elizabeth. And East? He has got himself between Mrs. Sawyer and Lady Sophia and would welcome a cup of hemlock at this juncture. Even South, who can be bloody brilliant on occasion, has been acting most peculiar. Mark me, there is a woman involved for he pressed me to loan him my cottage near Ambermede for a trysting place."
West saw that the colonel did not blink an eye at this last bit of intelligence. "Hah! You know about that, do you? I thought I detected your fine hand in the thing. Then it is not a tryst at all—or not only a tryst—but an assignment from you." He held up a hand. "No, I do not want you to confirm it."
"And I will not. The very last thing I need is the four of you tripping over one another. It seems to happen in spite of my desire that it be otherwise."
"It is rather remarkable that East has not shot one of us by now."
Blackwood's dark eyes dropped to West's boot. "More remarkable that you have not stabbed one of them."
"They say that very thing from time to time."
The colonel did not doubt it. "Tell me about Miss Ashby," he said. "How did you come to learn about my visits to the duke from her? I have never had occasion to meet her."
West related what Ria had told him. "Does she sound as if she is not a handful? She listens at doors, if you can credit it. That is just the sort of thing that causes no end of problems."
Since West was called upon to do it frequently in the course of his work, the colonel thought he was being somewhat harsh in his assessment of Miss Ashby. "I doubt it is her practice to engage in eavesdropping."
"I couldn't say. She only apprised me of this one instance."
The colonel coughed to cover his chuckle. "Careful, West, your tone puts me in mind of
"The servants."
The colonel shook his head. "I did not forget to take them into account, but it is not possible that they spoke to you. They would not speak of it to anyone."
West could not entirely temper his smile. He shrugged to draw attention away from it. Blackwood had forgotten, however briefly, that he was now in the company of the Duke of Westphal. Those servants who had been loyal to his father were, for the time being, in his employ. They might have reservations about relating certain events to him, but they would not hold their tongues if he pressed.
"You will not explain it to me?" asked the colonel.
It seemed to West that he was being small by not telling Blackwood what he wanted to know. Getting a little of his own back was not a particularly pleasant feeling. "Miss Ashby," he said finally, watching the colonel's reaction closely. "I will not ask if you know who she is. I can see that you do."
Blackwood struck a thoughtful pose, cocking his head and tapping the right side of his nose with his forefinger. "She was at the Abbey today for the service?"
West nodded slowly. "In addition to the title and considerable fortune the duke has left me, I have also inherited a ward. What do you make of that, Colonel? It seems he was possessed of a sense of humor after all."
"I had not thought of it in that light."
"What else can I do but find the bloody humor of it?" asked West. "He is already dead, so however much I wish to do so, I cannot kill him."
The colonel thought it was a good sign that West's own sense of humor had finally surfaced, no matter how black it was. "I cannot conceive that Miss Ashby will upset the equilibrium of your existence. She can be the very least of the responsibilities you have inherited."
Both of West's eyebrows lifted. "She is a person. She is female. Female persons are always more difficult to manage than land and money. You smile, but you know it is true. You cannot help but have noticed that North is deuced unhappy with Elizabeth. And East? He has got himself between Mrs. Sawyer and Lady Sophia and would welcome a cup of hemlock at this juncture. Even South, who can be bloody brilliant on occasion, has been acting most peculiar. Mark me, there is a woman involved for he pressed me to loan him my cottage near Ambermede for a trysting place."
West saw that the colonel did not blink an eye at this last bit of intelligence. "Hah! You know about that, do you? I thought I detected your fine hand in the thing. Then it is not a tryst at all—or not only a tryst—but an assignment from you." He held up a hand. "No, I do not want you to confirm it."
"And I will not. The very last thing I need is the four of you tripping over one another. It seems to happen in spite of my desire that it be otherwise."
"It is rather remarkable that East has not shot one of us by now."
Blackwood's dark eyes dropped to West's boot. "More remarkable that you have not stabbed one of them."
"They say that very thing from time to time."
The colonel did not doubt it. "Tell me about Miss Ashby," he said. "How did you come to learn about my visits to the duke from her? I have never had occasion to meet her."
West related what Ria had told him. "Does she sound as if she is not a handful? She listens at doors, if you can credit it. That is just the sort of thing that causes no end of problems."
Since West was called upon to do it frequently in the course of his work, the colonel thought he was being somewhat harsh in his assessment of Miss Ashby. "I doubt it is her practice to engage in eavesdropping."
"I couldn't say. She only apprised me of this one instance."
The colonel coughed to cover his chuckle. "Careful, West, your tone puts me in mind of
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