Chapter 66

"How, exactly, are you planning to accomplish this?" Liam asks with visible amusement, leaning across Marcus's desk as he shuffles some papers away. "I mean, you just dashed all of her hopes of getting her daughter in the Luna position, and now you want to set her up with an adulterer who is happy his wife is dead?"

"She deserves it, if anybody does," Marcus mutters under his breath, sliding the last of his paperwork into the out box for his admin assistant to deal with later. "That woman is a complete pain in the ass, Liam."

"Be that as it may, I'm still not sure how you expect to pull this off," Liam responds. "Though I'd personally love to be a fly on the wall during that conversation."

"You are not helping, Liam."

"I'm not trying to help!" Liam exclaims, laughter dancing in his eyes. "Good lord, man. You're on your own for this one. Evelyn must really have you wrapped round her little finger if you're seriously considering this."

"I've considered it already," Marcus says. "I'm doing it. Now is the time for action."

"You know that if you try to arrange a meeting with this woman, she's going to assume you've realized what a terrible mistake you've made in snubbing her daughter," Liam points out. He doesn't sound reproachful; in fact, his voice is full of glee.

"I'm glad this is so amusing to you," Marcus says drily, shooting Liam a look.

"Oh, this is the most fun I've had in ages," Liam says. "Our lives are a shit show at the moment, Marcus. I've earned a bit of entertainment, I would say."

"You've earned it?" Marcus rolls his eyes. "If we ever get this mess sorted out, I'm taking Evelyn on a week-long tropical vacation. Maybe two weeks. And you are not invited."

"Please," Liam scoffs. "As if I want to hang around watching you and our good doctor make moon eyes at each other all day and night. I can arrange my own holiday, thank you very much. I've amassed so much overtime lately, I could probably go to Aruba for a month."

"Aren't you getting paid handsomely for all that overtime?" Marcus asks.

"Yes, but that's hardly the point."

Marcus laughs. He really does value Liam and his friendship, in spite of all their mock bickering. Marcus isn't sure how he'd get through these trying days without Liam's irreverent sense of humor to bolster him up.

"To answer your question," Marcus says, "I'm not going to arrange a meeting with her myself. You're right, that would put her focus in all the wrong places, and I do not want a repeat of that horrible living room scene. It was like something out of Jane Austen."

"You must really love Evelyn if you're willing to face Lydia's mother again for this fool's errand," Liam remarks casually. Marcus freezes in the midst of packing his briefcase and doesn't respond.

"Aha! I knew it," Liam points an accusing finger at him. "You are in love with her. Are you going to tell her?"

"I don't know," Marcus says honestly. "I'm - well, for the first time in my life, I'm a bit nervous about this kind of thing."

"You? Nervous? I don't believe it," Liam says. "Mr. Ladies' Man? The lupine Prince Charming? Nervous to talk to a woman? Never thought I'd live to see the day."

"Liam."

"Marcus, of course you're nervous! It's the first time you've ever felt seriously about a woman. It's easy to be charming and suave with women when you're not actually emotionally invested in them."

"Not the first time," Marcus murmurs, suddenly feeling a wrench in his heart. His thoughts flicker to Nicole, with a whisper of guilt swirling around his heart.

Liam's face softens, and his tone becomes sincere.

"Marcus, it's natural to feel nervous around Evelyn, and it's also natural to feel conflicted about moving on from Nicole," he says gently.

"It just feels foolish," Marcus confesses. "I only met Nicole a few times; we didn't even really go out on any kind of proper date. She didn't return my feelings at all, and my feelings were only in the infancy stage, anyway."

"Yet your wolf called to her," Liam says. "You were drawn to her. We aren't humans, Marcus. It's not common for our wolves to find mates in that way, but it's not exactly unheard of, either. Frankly, I find it astonishing that you've encountered it twice."

"What do you mean?"

"You feel the same way about Evelyn as you did about Nicole, yes? Like your wolf is drawn to her, calling out to her, and her to you?"

"Yes," Marcus answers warily, wondering where this is going.

"That's rare, Marcus. I've found it borderline inexplicable that you had this experience twice in a row, especially in so short a time span. It almost makes me wonder…"

"Wonder what?" Marcus asks sharply. "Liam, do you know something?"

"I know nothing," Liam says. He smiles, an attempt at levity, but it's strained. "I only wonder."

"And what do you wonder?"

"I sometimes just wonder if your instincts about Nicole's death being a false report were spot on the first time."

Marcus draws in a sharp breath, his head spinning.

"Do you think that Evelyn is really Nicole?" he whispers.

"No," Liam says firmly. "I don't. It's not possible. No makeup artist in the world is that good. Charles would have seen through her by now. It's just strange, that's all. And it makes me wonder."

"Well, keep wondering," Marcus says, attempting to get ahold of his feelings. "I have a date to arrange."

"I think it's best if you wait in the car," Marcus apologizes to Eveyln outside the tea room. "The sight of you is only going to remind her that I jilted her daughter, and we need her to be in a good mood for this."

"Don't worry, I can wait," Evelyn says with a grin. "I trust you to give me a full report."

Marcus grins back. "Don't worry, carina. I will."

He slides out of the car and enters the tea room, glancing around until he spots Mr. Robinson waiting for him at a window table. Marcus strides over, offering his hand.

"Mr. Robinson, so good of you to meet me today," he says.

"Pleasure," Mr. Robinson says, looking pleased with himself. "I'm always open to hearing a new business proposition, especially from such a distinguished member of my son's household."

"You flatter me, sir," Marcus says. A server comes over, and Marcus orders a pot of Earl Grey. "I know your time is valuable, so I won't dawdle. My accounts need an extra set of eyes, and I was wondering if you had anyone at your firm who you could recommend to…"

As Marcus talks, he keeps watch out of the corner of his eye. Ah, here she comes. Lydia's mother bustles into the tea room in a flurry of chatter and activity, hustling inside to join her monthly book club.

They always meet here, Marcus's sources told him, and mostly eat cake and drink champagne all afternoon under the excuse of discussing their latest book pick, which none of them ever read.

As he expected, Lydia's mother does a sweeping look around the room, searching for anyone of import to interrupt. Her eyes light on Marcus, and a look of outrage flashes across her face before her good manners smooth it away.

Marcus deliberately meets her eye, and she nods at him coolly. Marcus waves her over, apologizing to Mr. Robinson.

"You must excuse me, sir, but I've just seen an important acquaintance of mine. Perhaps you'll allow me to introduce you?"

Mr. Robinson puffs up with importance. "Certainly, sir, certainly! I'd be honored."

Lydia's mother approaches, looking pained at having to converse with the man who threw over her daughter, but there isn't any way for her to snub him without it becoming a source of gossip. After politely greeting her, Marcus introduces her to Mr. Robinson.

"Mr. Robinson just sadly lost his wife in a terrible accident," Marcus says solemnly, and Lydia's mother's face melts into an expression of pity underlaid with an eager hunger. Charles's father is a handsome man, all Roman nose and perfectly styled gray hair, of which he still has a full head.

"Oh, my dear Mr. Robinson," Lydia's mother simpers, extending her hand. "I do offer my deepest condolences. You see, my own husband passed away a few years ago, and I know how lonely it is to have to soldier on alone."

Mr. Robinson, having been told that Lydia's mother is an obscenely wealthy society window, appraises her with obvious interest. He takes the offered hand and murmurs his thanks at her kindness.

"Perhaps we could get together sometime, just us two old lonely folks," Lydia's mother suggests with a girlish flutter. "The young people have their fun in the evenings, and it does get so quiet in the house…"

"Madam, I'd be delighted," Mr. Robinson says, barely containing the gleam of greed in his eyes. "I know exactly what you mean…the house is so lonely after my dear Charis's departure…"

Marcus refrains from snorting aloud, but it's a struggle.

"In that case, perhaps we could set something up for this Saturday?" Lydia's mother suggests.

"Madam, let me give you my card…"