Free Tammy Falkner - [Faerie 02] by The Magic of "I Do" Page B

But he glanced down at his watch and noticed the time. He didn’t have time to pay a call on Katherine right now. But he’d be certain to do so very soon. Finn stepped back into the modiste’s shop, and the tinkle over the door drew Colette out to greet him. The moment she saw him, the sway in her step grew almost provocative. It was most unfortunate that she no longer tempted him.
    “Is Miss Thorne ready to depart?” he asked.
    “Almost,” she said, as she stepped close enough to graze his arm with the side of her breast. “A lovely young lady,” she said, watching his face.
    “She is quite dear to her family,” he said. He refused to fall into Colette’s trap.
    “Will you be attending Ackley’s soiree tomorrow night?”
    He hadn’t planned to attend. But it would be the best and only way to get close enough to Katherine to find out the truth of her situation. She always attended Lord Ackley’s soirees. They were known for their debauchery. Ackley had married his former mistress. She walked about in polite society but was still shunned in a lot of places. So she liked to throw parties where men could bring their mistresses and feel comfortable that no one would be the wiser. These parties usually required masks, but it was fairly easy to find out who was who after speaking with them. He knew Katherine intimately; he felt certain he could find her in a crowd.
    “The soiree?” Colette pressed.
    “I haven’t decided yet.” She looked up at him like she was waiting for an invitation. “I have invited a lady to attend with me.”
    Colette laughed. It was a throaty sound, more like a purr than merriment. It made his skin crawl. “Who is the lucky chit?” Colette asked. She pointed toward the back of the shop. “Certainly not Miss Thorne?”
    “Certainly not,” he spit out, trying to look appalled. “Her father and my brother would skin me alive for even thinking of taking an innocent to such a place. I rather like my stones just as they are.”
    ***
    Claire stood behind the curtain and gritted her teeth so loudly she was surprised Finn couldn’t hear her. But he kept talking with the lady he called Colette. And Claire listened. She’d take his stones herself if he even dared to attend a soiree with the modiste. She was awfully familiar with his person. And he seemed to be enamored of her breasts. He hadn’t taken his eyes off them as they talked.
    Claire pushed the curtain to the side and stepped into the entryway. “Miss Thorne,” Finn said with a quick bow. “Did Colette see to your every need?”
    “Not the way she wants to see to yours,” Claire muttered.
    “Beg your pardon?” Finn asked. His eyes twinkled, so she knew he’d heard her.
    “I have a small wardrobe to send with Miss Thorne,” the modiste said. “We just happened to have a customer who ordered a lot of clothes and left for the continent before she picked them up. We have been waiting for the right person to come along and claim them. We shortened the hem on this one, and we’re working on the rest.”
    “You look lovely, Miss Thorne,” he said. His eyes jumped about on her body, rather like he was watching a tennis match. Did she discomfit him? Perhaps a bit.
    “Thank you,” she replied. Her heart thrilled at the tiny compliment. “If you’d send the rest of the clothing to Robinsworth’s address?” he asked of the modiste.
    “Robinsworth’s address?” The modiste looked startled. “Rumor has it that’s where you’re residing, my lord.”
    Finn looked down his nose at the woman. “You’re certainly not implying that there’s anything untoward happening at Robinsworth’s?”
    Claire thrilled as the modiste said, “Certainly not.” She turned to Claire and curtsied. “It was an honor seeing you today, my lady.”
    Finn held out his arm and Claire laid her hand upon it. He led her out of the shop with a determined stride. It wasn’t until they were outside that he took a deep breath. “What’s your