Leaning back, he continued his perusal down the table. His mother, he noted looked happy, composed and surprisingly refreshed considering she probably hadn't retired until close to dawn. Her golden hair was arranged in a becoming chignon, and her midnight blue gown exactly matched her eyes. She and Caroline looked so much alike, he knew exactly what his sister would look like in twenty-five years-absolutely beautiful.
Austin's gaze continued moving along the guests and he raised his brows when Miles nodded to him over the rim of his coffee cup. Could the fact that his friend hadn't yet departed for London indicate that he might already have something to report about Miss Matthews?
A frown pinched his brow and his gaze swept over the guests once again. And just where was Miss Matthews? One chair at the table remained conspicuously vacant.
Not that he was anxious to see the damn impertinent piece. No indeed. In fact, if he didn't need to find out what possible connection she could have to William, he'd dismiss her from his thoughts entirely.
Yes, he'd dismiss her big golden brown eyes that could change from smiling to serious in a heartbeat, and that thick, curling auburn hair that begged to have a man's fingers sift through its luxurious length. He wouldn't give her mouth another thought. Hmmm… her mouth. Those delectable, full, pouty lips-
"By cracky, your grace, are you feeling all right?"
Lord Digby's voice yanked Austin's attention back to reality. "I beg your pardon?"
"I inquired about your health. You groaned."
"I did?" Bloody hell! The woman was a nuisance even when she was absent.
"Yes. Kippers affect me that way, too. Onions as well."
Lord Digby leaned closer and lowered his voice. "Lady Digby can always tell if I've indulged myself at dinner. Blasted woman knows every morsel I put in my mouth and locks her bedchamber door if I've sneaked so much as one bite of onion." He cast a pointed look down the table at his five daughters. "Something you might want to keep in mind when you're ready to choose a wife."
Good God. The thought of being leg-shackled to a Digby daughter chased away his remaining appetite. Throwing a meaningful look at Miles, Austin excused himself to Lord Digby and rose.
"Where are you off to?" his mother asked.
Walking over to stand behind her, Austin dropped a quick kiss on her temple. "I have some business with Miles."
She turned her concerned gaze searching his face, no doubt looking for the telltale signs of fatigue that he knew often shadowed his eyes. Knowing she worried about him, he forced a smile and made her a formal bow. "You look lovely this morning, Mother. As always."
"Thank you. You look"-her voice dropped to a confidential pitch-"distracted. Is something amiss?"
"Not at all. In fact, I'll make it a point to join you this afternoon for tea."
Surprise sparkled in her eyes. "Now I know something is wrong."
Chuckling, he excused himself, then made his way to his private study to await Miles.
Austin leaned his hips against his mahogany desk and regarded Miles, who lounged in Austin's favorite maroon leather wing chair. "You're absolutely certain she's never been in England before she arrived six months ago?" Austin asked.
"As certain as I can be without actually looking through mountains of ships' passenger logs." When Austin frowned, Miles quickly added, "Which is exactly what I shall do once I reach London. But until then, I can only relate what Countess Penbroke told me. We engaged in a lengthy chat last evening, one that nearly resulted in my losing an eye to the hazard she'd dressed her head with. Look here." He pointed to a small scratch on his temple. "I'm probably scarred for life."
"I never said this mission wasn't without certain dangers," Austin said blandly.
"Downright fraught with danger if you ask me," Miles muttered. "But while I fetched Lady Penbroke numerous cups of punch and dodged her feathers, she told me, quite emphatically, that this is her niece's first visit to England. I believe Lady Penbroke's exact words were 'And it's about damn time.'"
"Do you know how long Miss Matthews is planning to stay?"
"When I asked Lady Penbroke, she fixed a steely look on me and informed me that as the gel had barely just arrived she'd not made any plans to send her back to America."
"What about her family?"
"Her parents are both deceased. Her mother, Lady Penbroke's sister, died eight years ago. The father passed away two years ago."
"Any brothers or sisters?"
"No."
Austin raised his brows. "What did she do after her father died? She can't be much older than twenty. Surely she didn't live alone."
"She is two and twenty. I came away with the impression that Miss Matthews's father left her comfortable, but far from wealthy. She settled her father's affairs, then moved in with distant relations on her father's side who lived in the same town. Apparently these relatives have a daughter close in age to Miss Matthews and they're great friends."
"Did you find out anything else?"
Miles nodded. "When Miss Matthews sailed to England she arrived with a hired traveling companion named Mrs. Loretta Thomkins. They parted company when the ship docked. Lady Penbroke understood that Mrs. Thomkins planned to remain in London with family. If that is the case, she won't be difficult to locate."
"Excellent. Thank you, Miles."
"You're welcome, but you owe me a boon. Several, in fact."
"Based on your tone, I'm not sure I want to know why."
"I asked so many questions about her niece, I believe Lady Penbroke entertains the notion that I fancy the chit."
Austin stilled. "Indeed? I imagine you promptly disabused her of that notion."
Miles shrugged and flicked a bit of lint from his sleeve. "Not exactly. Before speaking to Lady Penbroke, I brought up Miss Matthews to several well-connected ladies. The mere mention of her name induced giggles, twitters, and eye rolling. If Lady Penbroke spreads the word that I've shown interest in her niece, perhaps some of the twittering will stop. Miss Matthews strikes me as a nice young woman who does not deserve to be cast out. In fact, now that I think of it, she's really quite lovely, don't you agree?"
"I hadn't particularly noticed."
Miles's brows almost disappeared into his hairline. "You? Not notice an attractive female? Are you ill? Feverish?"
"No." Damn it, when did Miles become such a blasted pest?
"Well, allow me to enlighten you. What Miss Matthews lacks in social graces, she more than makes up for with her lovely face, smooth complexion, and dimpling smile. Her beauty is quiet, understated requiring a second look before it can be fully appreciated. While fashionable society decrees her height unfashionable, I find it fascinating." He tapped his chin with two fingers, his expression thoughtful. "I wonder what it would be like to kiss such a tall woman… especially one with a lush mouth like Miss Matthews possesses. Her lips are really quite extraordinary-"
"Miles."
"Yes?"
Austin ordered his clenched muscles to relax. "You've wandered off the subject."
Miles's face bore a mask of pure innocence. "I thought we were discussing Miss Matthews."
"We were. It's simply not necessary to mention her… attributes."
A gleam sparkled in Miles's eyes. "Ah. So you did notice."
"Notice what?"
"Her… attributes."