The Bachelor Bargain (Secrets, Scandals, and Spies) by Michaels, Maddison (short books to read TXT) 📕

usually required a multitude of them to travel, too. “No. This will be a quick trip.”

“But what about your valet, sir?” Simpkins wore an acutely bland expression on his face, yet Seb had gotten to know that a bland expression was Simpkins’s subtle way of trying to pull Seb into line for what an employer should be doing.

Seb was never one to do what he should, though. And after four years, he would have thought Simpkins would have known so. “No,” was all he said.

“Very good, sir.” Simpkins inclined his head an inch. “Simply the picnic basket then.”

“Yes, the lady hasn’t eaten for hours.”

“Of course, sir,” Simpkins bowed toward him before glancing at Livie. “Lady Olivia, I shall ensure Cook packs you a delicious spread for your journey.”

Seb shouldn’t have been surprised that the man would know who Livie was. Simpkins had an uncanny knack of knowing all who mattered in Society, a fact Seb had used to his advantage on many occasions when gathering information about someone from Society.

“Thank you, Simpkins, that is very kind of you,” Livie replied.

“Not at all, my lady.” Simpkins bowed to her, too. “I have become rather used to unusual requests at any time of the day or night.”

“Yes, I imagine it must be difficult to run a household such as this, especially with a master such as he.” She flicked her head toward Sebastian.

Seb nearly fell over when Simpkins actually smiled at Livie. The man never smiled, period.

“Indeed so, my lady. Indeed so.”

Lovely, now his servant and Livie were in cahoots. “Before you head to the kitchens, Simpkins, send someone to Charlotte’s residence and get word to her father that she will be accompanying Lady Olivia and myself to the country for a few nights. Send someone who will be calm and not worry him, but who will let him know it’s being done to keep her safe. And obviously phone ahead to the estate and tell Mrs. Brooks to expect us and have ready some guest rooms.”

“You have a telephone?” Livie’s astonished voice interrupted. “In your house here? And in your country residence?”

“Yes.”

“Goodness! I thought only businesses used them.”

She was mostly right, though Seb had grand plans to change that. “Yes, at the moment it’s rare for houses to have them. However, I intend for that to change. There will come a time when every household in England will be connected to the telephone network and have their very own telephones.”

“A bold statement to be sure.” Livie smiled.

Seb shrugged. “Telephones are the future, which is why I have shares in several telephone companies.”

“Of course you do. Well, you shall have to show me how to use one.”

Simpkins cleared his throat loudly by the door. “Is that all, sir?”

“Yes.” Seb began to wave him away, then thought better of it. “Actually, no. Do you know where Charlotte and Rowan are?”

“Miss Charlotte is in the library with Mr. Drake.”

“Very good. Send Rowan into the study to see me. And have my valet pack an overnight bag with some clothes to last me a few days.”

“Indeed, sir. Shall I also bring in a tray of tea and some biscuits, considering Lady Olivia must be famished?”

Seb glanced up at the grandfather clock on the far wall. “Yes. There should be time for a quick tea.” He turned to face Livie after Simpkins bowed and left to do his bidding. “You can relax in the sitting room or go into the library with Charlotte, while Rowan and I take care of some business.” He had several people to inform of the night’s events and instructions on what to do in his absence for a few days.

With a nod, he began walking to his study, his feet clipping on the marble tiles as he strode toward his favorite room in the place.

“Actually, I think we have a few things to discuss ourselves first,” Livie replied, following him into his study, instead of one of the other rooms as he’d suggested. “For one thing, I cannot go to the country.”

Seb walked behind his desk and sat down in his chair, the well-worn leather instantly relaxing him. “Of course you can.”

“No. I cannot.” She came to a halt in front of his desk, tapping her cane in a rat-a-tat motion on the floor and pursing her lips in a manner Seb found ridiculously adorable. He shook his head, trying to dislodge such an equally ridiculous thought from his head. The night’s events must have addled him more than he realized.

“I have to find Mary and get the journal from her.”

“Mary is dead.”

“Dead?”

“Yes, she was murdered, and there was no journal to be found.”

“The poor girl,” Livie murmured, before she was silent for a minute. “With such a discovery, I really must stay in London at the moment to investigate it. I cannot possibly waste a single second by traveling to the countryside.”

“Yes, you can, and you will. End of story.” The woman had just been kidnapped. Seb was getting her out of the city and as fast as he bloody well could.

“You cannot dictate such a thing to me.” She banged her cane on the floor, staring at him in utter indignation. “You are not my father. You are not my brother—”

“Thank the Lord for that, or we’d be in trouble, wouldn’t we.”

“And you are certainly not my husband!” Livie continued, ignoring his comment. “You have no say in what goes on in my life, Sebastian Colver.”

She was right. He didn’t, and he didn’t like it one damn bit. Although maybe she was not entirely correct. He was always one to use anything at his disposal to win, after all.

“Actually, I do have a say. I’m your partner in the gazette.”

“Silent partner,” she was quick to emphasize. “So please, do stay silent.”

Heat coiled in his belly. No one had ever dared tell him to stay silent before. Gritting his teeth, he took a short breath to try to calm his anger before he spoke again. “I have a vested interest