“It’s a ladies’ circle.”
She arranged her skirts and smiled. “You like ladies. Very much, from what I gather.”
“The company you keep, Evie.” He rolled his eyes in jest. “I will stay long enough to give my regards, then I will hie off to the gentlemen’s club until it is time to collect you.”
Perhaps he could pull Helena aside to arrange a meeting for later to update her on his search. There was still no sign the girl had ever come to the West End. He was beginning to suspect her man Fergus had been duped, but Sebastian didn’t want to alert her to his suspicions. There were other places to search yet, and he wouldn’t abandon the task until he found the girl, or at least had a good accounting of her fate.
The drive to Norwick Place was quicker than he’d anticipated. He alighted from the carriage and offered a hand to his sister. After the evening shower, the air had cooled and a refreshing breeze stirred a curl at Eve’s cheek. He could walk to Brooks’s, then return for her later.
“What do you say to a stroll after the gathering?” he asked his sister.
“That sounds lovely.”
He sent his driver home, then joined her at Lord and Lady Norwick’s door. As he reached for the knocker, the door flung open and Lady Norwick’s sunny smile greeted them.
“Miss Thorne, you are here at last. And you’ve brought your brother. Splendid.” She looked Sebastian up and down with an assessing sweep of her chocolate brown eyes. “Yes, you will do perfectly.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Will do for what exactly?”
“This way, Lord Thorne.” The countess latched on to his arm and urged him inside with Eve hanging tight to his other arm. He felt like a man being led to gaol. His head swung around in search of the butler to appeal for help, but the foyer was empty.
“Do you answer your own door?”
Lady Norwick ignored his questions and issued a steady stream of chatter as they wound through the town house. “How fortuitous that you brought Lord Thorne along. Jasper had promised to stay, but I think the whole trance scenario frightened him in the end.”
“Trance? What is going on?”
Sebastian needn’t have bothered speaking since Lady Norwick was obviously deaf to his words.
“Sir Jonathan Hackberry is set up in the drawing room. He recently returned from an expedition abroad and his work is fascinating.”
“Yes, fascinating is the word.” Eve made the appropriate responses and smiled graciously as if she understood Lady Norwick’s babbling.
“What do you know of his work?” he grumbled to his sister. Eve scowled in return.
They passed through the double doors into a grand drawing room, and his gaze landed on a drum that stood nearly as tall as Lady Norwick. He was vaguely aware there were others in the room, but an assortment of circles covered in tanned animal skin and scattered on a table demanded his attention.
“What is all this?”
Lady Norwick flicked a hand toward the circles. “Those are frame drums, my lord. They are quite ancient and came all the way from Mesopotamia.”
“They are well-traveled, aren’t they?”
Helena’s soft chuckle behind him warmed his insides. He turned toward her, the light she had sparked in him coming out in a smile.
Her eyes twinkled with amusement. “Have you agreed to help Sir Jonathan Hackberry? He needs a gentleman to give us a demonstration, since ladies are too suggestible and mentally fragile.” There was an edge of sarcasm in her tone, but she maintained her pleasant expression. “I would think those qualities would make us good subjects for an altered mental state, but alas, the method only works on males.”
“I should think so, Lady Prestwick. It is common knowledge gentlemen are even more suggestible and mentally fragile.” He crossed his eyes, earning her laughter. “Very well. You’ve convinced me to stay. The ladies must have a demonstration.”
Lady Norwick clapped. “Marvelous, Lord Thorne. How brave you are.”
More like daft.
The countess excused herself and crossed the room to greet a new arrival, Lady Lovelace. Celeste met his gaze and grinned like a cat that had stumbled across the cream unattended. For once, her mother-in-law wasn’t at her side, which left her free to play. And from the sultry look Celeste gave him, she was ready to play with him.