Skeffington even had the gall to raise her quizzing glass at them. Thankfully Olivia’s cloak was long enough that it covered her entire gown.
Olivia raised her chin and glanced over at Gabriel, who was discreetly scanning the crowd.
‘Would I know any of your people? It would expedite our search if we were both looking.’
‘I need to find Lord Hartwick,’ he whispered into her ear.
She tried to school her features at her disbelief. ‘Surely you don’t mean the Earl of Hartwick?’
‘The one and the same.’
‘But he’s—’
‘An immeasurable asset in protecting the Crown.’
‘Truly?’
‘Truly. Now tell me if you see him.’
‘Perhaps we should search the ladies’ retiring room. I have seen him hovering outside of it on a number of occasions.’
‘Not tonight—tonight he has a job to do.’
It was not long before they spotted the earl in his formal black evening attire casually leaning against the banister leading up to the boxes. He should have been the one to garner all the attention in the theatre with his handsome face. And yet for all his looks and charm, Olivia had no desire to wrap herself around him and get lost in his reputed skills. She glanced at the man next to her and wondered for the hundredth time what it was about Gabriel that set her body on fire—correction, had set her body on fire. Now he would simply be the man she’d married and once lived with.
Directing her attention back to Lord Hartwick, she watched him speak to a dark-haired woman dressed in a silvery-blue gown. Although one might think he was taken with his companion, Olivia could see his attention was on the crowd of people moving around him. Then his vibrant blue-eyed gaze locked with Gabriel’s. When he shifted his focus to Olivia, he raised an inquisitive brow.
After excusing himself to his companion, Hartwick strolled up to them. ‘Now I will say what everyone in this room is thinking. I am surprised to see the two of you together. Care to share?’ he said with tilt of his head.
‘Not in the least,’ Gabriel replied.
Hartwick let out a deep chuckle and looked past Olivia to continue studying the crowd.
‘We have to alter our plans,’ Gabriel commented, flecking a speck from his shoulder. ‘Our French friend is being detained in a safe location even as we speak. Has Prinny arrived?’
Hartwick raked his gloved hand through his hair, moving a shiny black lock out of his eyes. ‘He has. Looking a tad sour, if you ask me.’ He attempted to suppress a grin and then took measure of Olivia.
She shifted slightly under his piercing gaze.
‘This is an interesting conversation for us to have,’ he continued.
Olivia pulled her shoulders back and smiled warmly as if he paid her the nicest compliment. ‘Situations have been brought to my attention due to unforeseen circumstances that required it. I assure you, I am the soul of discretion, my lord.’
He nodded slowly and tossed his head to the side to shift the lock of hair that found its way back over his eye. ‘You always have been, madam. Now you know two of my secrets and I know none of yours. That does not seem at all fair.’
That small bit of information had not gone unnoticed by Gabriel, who looked down at her with a questioning gaze. There was no need to inform him she’d helped the earl avoid an unfortunate encounter with an unhappy husband by pulling him into her room at a house party two years ago.
Hartwick stepped a bit closer. ‘So now I suppose you wish me to inform everyone they are no longer in search of the Frenchman.’
‘That would be most helpful. I still want them to be diligent. There is no harm in remaining alert for the rest of the evening,’ Gabriel replied.
Two fashionable women walked slowly past them and giggled behind their fans at Hartwick’s obvious attention.
Olivia’s attention wandered as she let the men discuss whatever it was men discussed when they were together. She watched the people moving up the staircase on their way to the boxes when her eyes settled on a willowy, dark-haired woman with fine features and a prominent dark brow. She was dressed in black and was not completely hidden by the moving crowd. Straining her neck, Olivia moved away from the men to get a better view of the woman’s face. Some distant memory tugged at her as she tried to place how she knew the woman.
The slight pressure at her right elbow made her jump and she looked over, realising Gabriel had followed her.
‘What is it?’ he asked, leaning down with keen interest.
‘I thought I saw someone I might have known.’ She tightened her cloak. ‘Shall we see how Prinny is faring, or do we need to locate more of your acquaintances?’
He led her to the stairs by her elbow. ‘No, I believe Prinny will be very happy to see us. Let’s not keep him waiting.’
They were granted permission to enter from the guards standing outside the royal box. As she crossed the threshold the sight of ‘Prinny’ in the second row of the otherwise empty box gave her pause. The man wore a wig that so closely resembled Prinny’s own hair, one would think it was made from strands gathered from the Regent’s own head. He was in profile, but his puffy cheeks marked him as an accurate replica of her friend.
The impostor turned his head to face them and Gabriel executed a respectful bow. It took a moment for Olivia to gather herself to curtsy. He appeared surprised to see them and eyed both of them from top to bottom before standing up and walking to the back corner of the box.
‘My, this is a surprise, don’t you know?’ came the deep voice she knew she’d heard before.
Looking into a pair of familiar hazel eyes, she recognised Andrew at once.
‘You?’
‘Aye, it’s me. Wot, wot? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost, my dear.’
It was difficult to keep a straight face with Andrew using a number of Prinny’s favourite sayings—sayings Andrew would never think to use.
‘You appear well,’ Gabriel said.
‘Prinny’ smiled and patted his stomach as an array of serving trays were added to the table set out with at least ten trays of delicacies against the wall. ‘The selection is impressive.’ He leaned in closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. ‘Do you have news for me, or is this simply a social call?’
‘Our Frenchman is secured in Richmond.’
‘How?’
‘Imagine my surprise when I realised his house was my destination this evening.’
Andrew looked at Olivia, giving her a thorough appraisal. ‘That’s an interesting destination in light of this evening’s plans.’
‘I had nothing to do with that,’ she stated firmly, looking him square in the eye.
‘And yet, you sought him out.’
‘To give him tokens to my box. He was to join me here tonight.’ Could Andrew truly be questioning her motivation? ‘Are you insinuating—?’
Gabriel stepped closer to her. ‘There is no insinuation. Is there?’
Andrew shifted his gaze back and forth between them. ‘If you feel there is no reason to make one.’
‘There is not. Olivia is responsible for his capture.’
‘And how did she do that?’
She pulled her shoulders back and raised her chin. ‘With a brooch and a vase.’
Andrew jerked his head back. ‘Surely I misheard.’
‘You