Chapter 79
Before she could ask another question, something beyond his shoulder caught her attention.
A portly gentleman was walking along one of the adjoining paths with a young woman beside him, most likely his daughter. There was something familiar about the older man’s face, though it took Cassandra only a moment to place him.
Cassandra slowed her steps. "That is Samuel Laci."
Pulse quickening, Draven followed the direction of her gaze.
He knew the name.
Samuel Laci was the name the overseer had given during the interrogation, one of the people possibly connected to the smuggling operation Draven’s men had been investigating. Until that moment, however, the man had existed only as a name in a report.
Now he was standing a short distance away, smiling and conversing with his daughter as though he had nothing more troubling on his conscience than deciding where to take his morning walk.
Draven’s face went blank. Cassandra instantly missed the twinkle in his eyes as he spoke about Norham, though she would never admit to such a thing.
"Who is he?" Draven inquired and it sounded innocent enough.
"Mr. Laci? He is an acquaintance of my father’s. A business acquaintance, I believe. They have known each other for years."
Draven looked at the man again. "Your father does business with him?"
There was no reason for her to suspect anything unusual in his questions, and he was careful not to give her one.
"From what I understand. My father has known the man’s family for quite some time. Edmund even went to school with Mr. Laci’s son." She answered, entirely unaware of the significance her words held for Draven.
He absorbed the information without further comment.
He had no intention of telling her that he had heard Laci’s name under very different circumstances. Not here, not while they were meant to be enjoying a harmless morning promenade.
But he intended to look into Samuel Laci thoroughly.
"Would you like to greet him?" Cassandra asked innocently when she sensed his interest in the man.
"There is no reason not to." He acquiesced, seeing no other way around it.
They altered their course and approached the older man.
Samuel’s face lit up when he saw her, but the warmth quickly gave way to surprise when he noticed her companion. He paused for a second look and quickly straightened as they approached.
"Cassandra, my dear. And Your Grace." He called.
"Mr. Laci. It’s good to see you."
"The pleasure is all mine. My darling Cecilia hasn’t been feeling her best, but I thought a little fresh air and a gentle walk might do her some good. And with weather this lovely, it would be a shame to waste the day indoors." Samuel grinned at Cassandra, and the sight of it did nothing to improve Draven’s mood.
Yet Draven noticed the older man’s attention lingered on him, longer than was appropriate.
"So," Laci said eventually, with a smile that was courteous enough to conceal the curiosity beneath it, "I understand you have been enjoying the park this morning."
"We have," Cassandra replied while Draven stood rigidly beside her.
"And Your Grace? I can’t say I’ve seen you around here in quite some time."
"I have been enjoying the company." Draven answered, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
It offered Samuel very little, especially when he had been fishing for information.
Samuel’s lips thinned slightly. "I see."
Cassandra, perhaps sensing where his curiosity was leading, deftly steered the conversation in another direction. Samuel followed her lead without protest, though not before Draven noticed the peculiar look the man cast his way.
He filed that away with everything else he now knew.
When they eventually took their leave, Laci remained watching them for several seconds after they had turned away.
Cassandra did not seem to notice.
She slipped her hand back into the crook of Draven’s arm as they continued along the path, leaving the busier section of the park behind.
The noise of the other promenaders gradually grew fainter as the two of them found themselves walking beneath a line of trees where the morning sun filtered gently through the leaves.
Laci continued to linger in his thoughts despite his efforts to put the encounter out of his mind.
There were simply too many coincidences surrounding the man for Draven to dismiss them as chance. He would need to look into Laci’s business dealings more closely, his connections to Nathaniel Ashford, and, above all, any possible link he might have to the smuggling operation.
Draven also considered how this might affect Cassandra. If her father were found to be involved in the operation, it would give her yet another reason to bring down her family. But this was no minor matter. The consequences of such a revelation would be immense, and if word of her father’s involvement ever became public, Cassandra would inevitably be caught in the fallout.
Even so, Draven had already made up his mind that, whatever the investigation revealed, he would not allow Cassandra to suffer for it.
Whether Nathaniel was involved or not, he would shield her from the consequences as best he could.
She was going to be his wife, and from this point forward, she would be under his protection. He intended to make certain that nothing, not even the actions of her own family, could harm her.
"I will be leaving for Norham soon," he said to her at last.
"Soon?" She blinked, surprised.
"I have several matters that require my attention there. I have also avoided my mother for long enough."
A shadow passed over her features. "How long will you be gone?"
"A week. Perhaps two."
She looked away from him, and for a moment he wondered whether she was disappointed.
Their arrangement had only just begun, after all. His travels might possibly pull her plans to a halt.
"Do not worry. When I return, we will pick up right from where we left off."
"Who said I was worried?" She sniffed, peeved at him for even drawing such a conclusion. Ridiculous. What could have given him that idea?
"No?"
"I don’t like what you are implying." She scowled at him for good measure.
"When I return to the capital, our plans will proceed exactly as we agreed." He repeated, hoping she heard the sincerity in his voice. "And when I next travel there, you will come with me. As my wife."