Discovering the Devil

S e v e n t e e n

XVII

"REALLY, HARRY? A doctor?" Percy asked.

Zachary was silent, but he looked just as amused.

"She looked sick," Harry snapped. "Don't you people call for doctors when you're sick?"

"She looked fine. If you weren't so infatuated, it would've been clear that the only thing Miss Redwood suffered from was too much drink."

"I'm not infatuated," Harry muttered. Percy rolled his eyes. Zachary's lips twitched. "I'm not!"

"Of course not," Zachary said smoothly.

"It's okay to like her," Emma cooed. "I think it's very sweet."

"You think everything is sweet, Emma," Harry sniped. He wasn't appreciating all of this speculation with him and Miss Redwood, even though he had been the one to invite it. On second thought, he should've known nothing was wrong with her. Charlotte's drinking games were infamous; they almost always got drunk the first night he arrived. But, he saw her pretty, pale face and red eyes and all sense left him. He could never think straight when it came to her.

"No need to be rude, Harry," Emma admonished. "Like I said, it's alright to like her. She clearly feels a great deal for you too."

Harry turned his head in her direction. "What makes you say that?"

Emma took the teensiest nibble of her pastry and smiled wide. She'd gotten his attention. "Oh, I really shouldn't say."

"Don't tease us, Em," Percy chastised. "You clearly want him to know."

"No, I only wanted to reassure him of his feelings. I won't betray Penelope's confidence. What kind of friend would that make me?"

They weren't friends, Harry thought irritably. Emma hadn't known her longer than twenty four hours. In fact, calling Miss Redwood and Emma acquaintances seemed a touch too intimate. But, of course, they all knew that. She was dangling a chunk of beef in front of a salivating dog, hoping it would take the bait. Harry would be lying if he said the meat wasn't tempting, he wanted to know exactly how much his housekeeper had said about him. However, he refused to bite. "It would make you a terrible one," Harry agreed.

"So you really don't care to know what she said?" Emma prodded.

Harry regarded her through narrowed eyes. "You just want to see if my ears will twitch."

Emma raised an impressed brow. "Will they?"

Harry allowed for a stretch of silence. Percy and Zachary shifted a fraction in their chairs. It also looked like Emma was holding her breath. Goodness. Harry didn't think he'd ever paid so much interest in his friend's love lives. Why were they so interested in his? "Politics. Gossip. Religion."

Emma's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm sorry?"

"Those were all things we used to talk about before you all became so bloody invested in me and my housekeeper. Do you think we could circle around to those subjects, please?"

Emma groaned. "Oh, Harry."

"Your ear would've twitched if you'd answered the question," Percy said. He gave his wife's hand a squeeze. "That was a clever try though, Em."

"Apparently it wasn't clever enough," Emma said. She winked at Harry. "Don't worry, I won't give up."

Harry shook his head. "I don't think any of you will."

"Well, since you're desperate to talk about gossip, I have something interesting to share." Emma smiled the way women did when they were about to share something scandalous. "Lord Vatterly is divorcing his wife."