Free Heiress on the Run (Harlequin Romance) by Sophie Pembroke Page B

instead.’
    As if that was any safer a topic. ‘What do you want to know?’
    ‘Her name would be a good start. Where you met. What she’s like. That kind of thing.’
    ‘You realise you’ll probably never see her again after today, right?’
    ‘Oh, I don’t know,’ Sylvia said airily. ‘At the very least, there’s the theatre trip you promised faithfully to let me come along on...’
    Damn it. He’d forgotten that. He’d have to ask Faith to try and score an extra ticket.
    ‘You forgot. Didn’t you?’
    ‘Of course not,’ Dominic lied. ‘I just need to ask Faith something...’
    ‘Aha! So her name is Faith. We’re getting somewhere.’
    Dominic rolled his eyes. Apparently she wasn’t giving up on this one any time soon. ‘Her name is Faith Fowler, she’s a tour guide I met in Italy and hired to come over and run this tour, and she doesn’t like stately homes. That’s about all I know.’
    Sylvia’s brow furrowed. ‘Except this one. She likes this stately home. Don’t you, Faith?’
    Glancing up, Dominic saw Faith approaching, too late to steer her away from his sister’s insatiable curiosity.
    ‘I love these tea rooms,’ Faith said, not really answering the question. ‘And the scones are to die for.’
    ‘I’ll introduce you to Russell before you go,’ Sylvia replied, suitably distracted. ‘He’s a marvel in the kitchen.’
    ‘Faith, we’re going to need an extra ticket for the theatre tomorrow,’ Dominic said. For some reason, the idea of Faith and Sylvia getting chummy made him nervous.
    ‘Not a problem.’ Faith whipped out her tablet and made a note. ‘We’re in the box anyway, and I think there are a couple of extra seats at the very back. Or I can always just skip it.’
    ‘No. I need you there.’ The words came out too firm, even to Dominic’s ears, and both women looked at him in surprise.
    ‘I’ll still be around to get you all there and home again,’ Faith said.
    ‘Still, you don’t want to miss the play,’ Sylvia said, but she was looking at Dominic. He tried to keep his face blank. The last thing he needed was his little sister questioning his motives for hiring Faith. And he didn’t want to explain that he needed to keep Faith close until he discovered what secrets she was keeping.
    ‘I’m not much of a theatre person,’ Faith said with a tight smile.
    She was lying again, Dominic thought, wondering when he’d got so adept at spotting even her little fibs. But why? Why wouldn’t she want to go to the opening night of the play she’d been so excited to score them tickets for?
    ‘Is this another wardrobe issue?’ he guessed, and Sylvia started staring at him again.
    Faith flushed, the pink colour clashing with her scarlet cardigan. ‘Not entirely. I could always wear my black dress again.’
    ‘You’ve worn that dress every evening this week,’ he pointed out. ‘It’s going to fall apart if you dry clean it once more.’
    Faith blinked at him. ‘I didn’t think you’d notice.’
    ‘I didn’t think he could tell one dress from another,’ Sylvia added, glancing between them. ‘It must be a very special dress.’
    ‘It’s really not,’ Faith told her.
    ‘So go buy a new one,’ Dominic said. ‘You can go shopping while we’re in meetings tomorrow. Just put it on the card.’
    ‘I really don’t need—’
    ‘I’ll come with you!’ Sylvia clapped her hands together with excitement. ‘It’ll be great! I’m in town anyway for that evening, and I love a good shopping trip...’
    Faith glanced between them, and suddenly Dominic felt just a little sorry for her. Not enough to get her out of a shopping trip with his sister, though.
    ‘Well, that would be...’ Faith started.
    ‘Expensive,’ Dominic finished for her. ‘That’s the word you’re looking for. Expensive and exhausting.’
    ‘Oh, shush,’ Sylvia said. ‘You want her to look her best, don’t you?’
    He didn’t care, Dominic realised. He didn’t care what she wore,