"Wait here," she said to Blake before turning to Old Carter. "I'm coming with you."
He blinked as if he wasn't about to employ his next trick to get her into the house. "You are?"
"Yes," she said firmly. "I need to make sure the people inside actually know you. Last thing I want is to get arrested for helping a con artist break into someone's house."
Old Carter laughed, but there was a triumphant gleam in his eye. "You wound me, child."
"Keep moving," she muttered.
They climbed the marble steps and the front doors swung open before they even knocked. A uniformed butler greeted them with a polite bow.
"Welcome home, Mr. Carter," he said with flawless professionalism.
Shantel froze just slightly. Her eyes darted to the butler, then to the neatly dressed housekeepers standing in a row inside the expansive foyer, all bowing slightly as the old man stepped in.
"Sir," one of the maids said with a soft smile, "Shall I fetch your tea?"
"Yes, Maria. Thank you."
