Lady Sophia's Lover (Bow Street Runners #2)(33)

“Darling!” A tall, gray-haired woman swished past Eliza and went to the bedside. Her slim body was clad in a gown of sea-green silk; a hint of exotic perfume drifted in her wake. As her long hand caressed the side of Ross’s face, the jeweled rings on her fingers glittered richly. Withdrawing to a corner of the room, Sophia viewed Mrs. Catherine Cannon with discreet interest. Ross’s mother was not precisely a beauty, but she was so stylish and self-possessed that the overall effect was dazzling.

Ross murmured something to his mother, and she laughed as she sat on the edge of the bed. “Darling boy, I expected to find you gaunt and pale,” she exclaimed. “Instead you look as well as I’ve ever seen you. Why, you’ve gained weight—almost a stone! It becomes you.”

“You may thank Miss Sydney for that,” Ross commented, his gaze finding Sophia. “Come forward—I want to introduce you to my mother.”

Sophia remained in the corner but curtsied deferentially, giving Catherine a shy smile. “How do you do, Mrs. Cannon?”

The woman sent her a look of friendly scrutiny. “What a charming young woman,” she remarked, glancing at Ross with an arched brow. “Rather too pretty to work at a place such as Bow Street.”

“Indeed,” came a sardonic voice from the doorway. “One wonders at my saintly brother’s motives in hiring such a comely wench.”

Ross’s younger brother, Matthew, stood there in a practiced pose, his weight resting on one leg, his shoulder lodged against the frame. One could easily see the physical resemblance between the two men, who shared the same dark coloring and long, powerful forms. However, Matthew’s features were less angular than Ross’s, his nose smaller, his chin less defined. Perhaps some women would call Matthew the more handsome of the two, for he retained a boyishness that gave him a certain engaging quality. However, Sophia thought that he looked like a half-baked version of his older brother. Ross was utterly a man, elegant and seasoned and hard. Matthew was a callow imitation.

Glancing at the insolent pup in the doorway, Sophia inclined her head in the slightest of nods. “Mr. Cannon,” she murmured.

Ross viewed his brother with a frown. “Stop gaping, Matthew, and come into the room. Where is your wife?”

His mother answered. “Poor Iona has a head cold, and she was afraid of making you ill. She sends her wishes for your swift recovery.”

Skirting the edge of the room, Sophia curtsied once more. “I will afford you some privacy,” she murmured. “Please ring if you need anything, Sir Ross.”

As Sophia left the room, Ross glanced speculatively at his brother. He didn’t like the way Matthew had referred to her, or the way he had looked at her. Exasperated, he wondered when Matthew would stop viewing every woman he met as a potential conquest.

Although Matthew’s wife, Iona, was a lovely girl, it was clear that he had not abandoned his interest in other women. Whether he had ever slept with someone outside his marriage was still open to speculation. But if there was one thing that might possibly have kept him in line, it was the sure knowledge that Ross would not treat his infidelity lightly. Ross managed the financial affairs for the entire Cannon family, and he kept his younger brother on an allowance. If Ross ever had proof of Matthew’s infidelity, he would not hesitate to discipline him with all the means at his disposal, including the swift tightening of the purse strings.

“How long has she worked here?” Matthew asked.

“Approximately two months.”

“Rather inappropriate, is it not, for you to hire a woman like that? You know what people will say—that she is servicing you in more ways than one.”

“Matthew,” their mother protested in bewilderment, “such insinuations are not necessary.”

Matthew responded with a smirk. “Mother, there are certain things a man knows just by looking at a woman. It is obvious that underneath Miss Sydney’s exterior, she is a common slut.”

Ross found it difficult to contain a flare of fury. His hand clenched around a wad of the bed linens. “You’ve always been a poor judge of character, Matthew. I’d advise you to keep your mouth shut—and remember that you are a married man.”

Matthew stared at him warily. “What the bloody hell do you mean by that?”

“I mean that you seem to have taken an undue interest in my assistant.”

“I have not,” came Matthew’s indignant reply. “I merely said—”

“Both of you, cease, I beg you,” Catherine intervened with a startled laugh. “It distresses me to no end to hear you argue.”

Ross shot an iron-cold glance at his brother. “I will not allow Matthew to insult the members of my household.”

Matthew responded with a glare. “Tell me, what is your relationship with Miss Sydney, that you come to her defense so readily?”

Before Ross could reply, Catherine made an irritated sound. “Matthew, I am convinced that you are deliberately trying to annoy Ross! His relationship with Miss Sydney is his own concern, not ours. Now, wait outside the room, please, and let us have a few moments of peace.”

“Gladly,” Matthew replied in a surly tone. “I have never been much for the sickroom anyway.”

As soon as he exited the room, Catherine leaned forward intently. “Now, Ross, what is your relationship with Miss Sydney?”