Chapter 106 - That which lies buried
Leon glanced at Scarlett’s back as she and her retainers walked down the cold stone hallways of the Withersworth mansion’s underground cellars. The woman walked forward as if the master of this place, despite its real master being right beside Leon.
“You appear well-informed of the layout of my home, Baroness,” Lord Withersworth said as their group passed by a set of doors with signs next to them. They looked like storage rooms, some of them marked for furniture and the sort.
“I would say it is not as much me being well-informed as me ensuring I have the correct people by my side,” Scarlett replied. She gestured towards the white-haired person walking next to her. Fynn—a young man that Leon could only describe as ‘odd’—had his gaze fixed forward. “He is accustomed to detecting that which does not belong.”
The Lord didn’t seem to object, though he did send a look towards Fynn, letting out a short harrumph as the young man turned a corner and began moving down another corridor.
The Withersworth’s cellar network was surprisingly extensive for something that was built in a large, populated city. Just from how far they had already walked, Leon judged that it spanned at least the entire estate, maybe even a bit beyond. It was old as well.
He wasn’t sure what all the space was for, to begin with. His own family’s home back in Steepmond had a much smaller cellar area. One only needed so much storage.
As they continued forward, soon turning around yet another corner, Leon turned his eyes towards the man next to him. “Lord Withersworth. Could you tell me what exactly it is that we can expect here? I’d prefer as many details as possible regarding potential threats and the related circumstances, to be suitably prepared.”
The older man looked between him and Scarlett walking at the front. “Has Baroness Hartford not already told you what you need to know? She seems perhaps even more familiar with the specific circumstances than even I, though I would very much like to know how.”
Leon shook his head. “Unfortunately, she hasn’t seen fit to share much with me yet.”
He wasn’t sure if it was out of some petty sense of revenge or if she just enjoyed keeping him in the dark. Whatever the reason, he’d accept it for now. At least if it helped convince the woman to put the whole betrothal mess to a rest. If she took things too far though and tried to use him in other ways…
He wouldn’t stay still.
Not that he had seen signs of that yet. From the looks of it, Scarlett legitimately needed his help with whatever it was that troubled the Withersworths. He’d been curious about her underlying motives at first, but the previous meeting with Lord and Lady Withersworth had made things clear enough. She needed money. And she was willing to use a favor from him to get it.