Lord Warwick sighed heavily. “Please excuse me, Jenson, it has been a long day. My apologies.”
The young man smiled his acceptance of the Lord’s apology then hurried to open the door. Stepping in he said, “Lord Warwick, My Lord.”
“It is about time,” a heavy voice yelled from inside. “Does the man think the government revolves around him? Doesn’t he know we have other things to worry about.”
Amanda grimaced at the condemnation, but Warwick only laughed as he made his way into the room. “If you wanted a lickspittle toad at your beck and call, you picked the wrong man.”
Amanda’s heart began to race. She hesitated a moment, but he gently pulled at her, silently telling her to continue. A feeling of pride washed over her. She wasn’t being dismissed now that they had achieved their goal.
The room was lined with bookshelves. The scholar inside of her ached to run her fingers along their spines as she searched for lost treasures. The room smelled of candle wax and tobacco. A fire at the far end had died down and needed another log. A middle-aged man was coming around a large desk to greet them, a welcoming smile on his face.
The Prime Minister himself, she realized. In his late forties with reddish-brown hair. The man looked like any other she might have passed on the street. Average height, nothing remarkable. Except for the eyes, she realized. They were the eyes of a hawk. Aware, never missing a thing.
The man frowned as he stared at her for a quick moment, assessing, wondering. Her insides clenched up as she waited to be dismissed like a servant.
Lord Warwick said, “Miss Waters. She is assisting me in this matter. In fact, she has already helped me confirm Lord Hicks and identified an additional participant. She has proven invaluable. I need her here for this”
The Prime Minister continued to examine her for a long moment before nodding. He returned to examine Lord Warwick for a second then shook his head as he looked at the cane and the way she was helping Lord Warwick stand without falling.
“I take it this was why you were delayed?” The Prime Minister said as he indicated the chairs in front of his desk. “And I must say, your attire is not exactly appropriate for these offices.”
Lord Warwick laughed, “If you wish, I will go home and change. It might be a while before I return though.”
The Prime Minister shook his head and waved his hand dismissing the idea.
That was it, Amanda realized. She was going to be allowed to remain while these men discussed the most delicate secrets of the British government. How had her life brought her to this moment?
Chapter Twelve
Lord Warwick sighed heavily as he lowered himself into a chair. Amanda was with him every moment. Refusing to leave his side until he was seated comfortably, then pulling the other chair closer to his and sitting down.
He noticed that the Prime Minister didn’t sit until she was seated. At least there was one gentleman in the room, but it was just impossible to remain standing any longer.
She sat up straight, her hands folded primly in front of her as her eyes gave him a concerned look, obviously terrified he was going to keel over at any moment.
The Prime Minister shot him a studied look as he raised an eyebrow.
“What happened?”
Lord Warwick took a deep breath, “I was shot, over two weeks ago. Twice. If not for Miss Waters. I would surely have succumbed to my wounds. And no, I don’t know who, but I have my suspicions. Luckily, Miss Waters and I were acquainted through our mutual friend Nathanial Caldwell. She resides rather near where I was attacked. I made my way to her home and collapsed.”
The Prime Minister glanced at her a little differently. Knowing she was a friend of Nathanial’s would do that to a man. Then pulling his eyes back to Lord Warwick, he said, “Why didn’t you send word?”
Lord Warwick used his good shoulder to shrug. “I don’t know who to trust. I thought it better to let my attacker think he had succeeded. Besides, I had a very good nurse.”
He glanced over and caught a pretty pink blush that made him smile.
The Prime Minister nodded sagely then turned to Amanda. “Thank you, Miss Waters. You have done a service for crown and country of immense importance. I don’t like to admit it, but the crown has come to rely on this man much more than is prudent.”
Amanda swallowed hard as she frantically tried to develop the right response.
The Prime Minister, however, didn’t wait for her reply. Instead, he turned to Lord Warwick.
“Matters have changed. But before I inform you of the details. Why don’t you bring me up to date.”
Lord Warwick gritted his teeth. His leg was barking with pain. He had overdone it to reach this room and now he was expected to provide a detailed report. Both his hands gripped the chair arms as every muscle in his body screamed at him.
“Sir,” Amanda said addressing the Prime Minister. “I mean, My Lord. Perhaps I could tell you. Lord Warwick will need a minute to recover.”
The Prime Minister’s eyebrows shot to the top of his forehead.
Lord Warwick bit back a smile then nodded his approval.
The Prime Minister shrugged and leaned back in his chair.
Amanda took a deep breath next to him then began. She informed the Prime Minister of Lord Warwick’s arrival on her entrance way floor. Of his insistence on keeping his presence secret. She told the man about discovering his mission. Making sure to deflect any blame away from Lord Warwick.
The Earl of Warwick had to smile at the idea of this young woman worrying about protecting him. Lord Liverpool caught it and smiled back.
Amanda continued on, finally telling the Prime Minister how she obtained Lord Hicks’ ledger.
The Prime Minister glanced over at Lord Warwick and silently asked if this was correct.
“It wasn’t my idea, Sir, But I’m not fool enough to waste an opportunity.”
Amanda ignored him and continued with her tale. “We were able to identify Frederick Bartholomew …”
“We knew of him already, didn’t we?” The Prime Minister interrupted.
“Yes,” she continued before he could respond. “But now we know how much he was paid and when. We also identified Lady Simpson. At least, I believe we did.”
Lord Warwick smiled to himself. He was proud of her. She was giving a concise report. Most men he knew would have been shaking in their boots but not his Miss Amanda. The woman was remarkable.
When she had completed her report she glanced at him as if asking if she had missed anything.
“What she left out,” he told the Prime Minister. “Is that she was able to leave the original document in place and provide me a complete replication from memory. Everything, dates, amounts, initials.
The Prime Minister eyes grew wide as he glanced at Amanda again. Lord Warwick felt a sense of pride. The man was rarely impressed and he didn’t suffer fools lightly, but Amanda impressed him.
“Good,” he said. “I am not surprised about Lady Simpson, the woman has always resembled a snake in my mind. Something about those darting eyes of her.”
Amanda frowned. “Excuse me, My Lord. You don’t seem surprised that a woman could be involved.”
The Prime Minister laughed. “You don’t know the women I know, Miss Waters. Half of them would sell their honor to the highest bidder if they thought they could get away with it.”
Amanda nodded but remained silent. She knew when not to press matters. Again, impressive.
The Prime Minister turned to Lord Warwick. “Perchance, might the initials VB reside on said list?”
Warwick began to remove the list from his pocket when Amada interrupted him. “Yes, My Lord. He is on it twice, paid five hundred pounds on October seventeenth of last year and again January Eighth of this year.”
The Prime Minister nodded. “I thought so.”
“Why?”
“Sir Victor Barclay,” the Prime Minister said as if it were obvious? “It seems he took his life late yesterday.
A pistol at zero paces. Gambling debts that could not be repaid.”
Warwick frowned as he scrambled to remember what he could of the man. A former Colonel in a Leicester Regiment. A minor landowner in the Midlands. Friends with several connected members of the house of commons.
“Why do you believe he would be on the list?” Warwick asked.
“Castlereagh,” The Prime Minister said. Then turning to Amanda he added, “Viscount Castlereagh, our Foreign Secretary. He mentioned that a few weeks ago, Barclay was pressing him for information about Wellesley’s return. Somehow he discovered that General Wellesley was returning from Portugal for discussions. Barclay wanted to know when exactly. Said he wanted to offer his services directly to the General.
“Information that France would pay dearly for,” the Prime Minister added as he shook his head. “Enough to pull him out of his debt, I assume. It appears he was unable to obtain the information he wanted.”
“I need to go there,” Lord Warwick said as he shuffled to the front of his chair and prepared to rise. “His papers, books. Maybe there is something there.”
“Lord Warwick?” Amanda said as she put out a hand to his arm. “You need to rest.”
The Prime Minister nodded in agreement with Amanda. “Miss Waters is correct. You do me no good if you are dead. I don’t have time to teach someone new.”
Lord Warwick slumped back into the chair. “I need to examine everything.”
The Prime Minister sighed then said, “I will place guards on his home. No one will be allowed to enter except for yourself. A few days won’t matter. Rest, recuperate.
Warwick sighed as he slumped into the chair. The thought of going on had depressed him. He just didn’t have the energy he needed.
“My Lord,” Amanda interrupted. “Can someone explain to me why these people would help Napoleon? After all, isn’t the monster set on destroying everything British? That has been France’s desire for the last seven hundred years. Don’t these people of high standing have the most to lose? Lord Hicks, Lady Simpson, Sir Barclay, even Mr. Bartholomew.
The Prime Minister smiled. “You are correct. But many people believe Napoleon conquering this island is inevitable. After all, he has the strongest military since the Roman Empire. To them, it is only a matter of time. Perhaps they hope to curry favor with their future overlords. For men such as Hicks, it is their only chance of having a title of their own.”
Lord Warwick watched Amanda’s emotions change from sadness to anger. Oh, these people need to worry. To have someone like Amanda Waters on their trail would be their worst nightmare.
.o0o.
Once again on the street, Lord Warwick sighed heavily. There was so much to do and so little time.
Amanda gave his address to the driver. He decided not to fight her on it, he just didn’t have the strength. Pulling himself into the cab, he collapsed into the corner as his mind raced with plans and ideas. Grimacing, he shifted to straighten his leg.
“You need to rest,” Amanda said with that controlling tone of hers that always made him want to resist. No one was allowed to tell him what he should or shouldn’t do. It just wasn’t done. But, perhaps this once, he might just do as he was told.
Closing his eyes he lay his head against the squabs and tried to forget about the pain.
His eyes had barely closed when the cab pulled to a stop in front of his home.
“Stay here,” he said to her as he pulled himself towards the door. “I don’t think anyone recognized me this morning. I was in error, I never should have allowed you out of the carriage.”
Amanda scoffed at him as she scurried down from the cab. The fact that she refused to do as she was told just confirmed the fact that this woman was very different. Once down, she adjusted her dress then held the door for him. Her other hand outstretched, ready to catch him if he had difficulty.
A sharp sense of shame washed through him. He was supposed to be out there helping her down. This sense of helplessness was becoming rather bothersome.
“Amanda,” he said as he glanced up and down the empty street. Suddenly, a sense of loss filled him. He caught a hint of her lavender and rose perfume and his stomach clenched up. Oh, how he was going to miss that scent.
He looked down at her as she stared up at him, the two of them locked in a secret world of their own.
“It’s over, isn’t it,” she said. “You’re going to go off and do what you do and leave me behind. Aren’t you.”
His gut twisted, she was going to miss the chase. He could see it in her eyes. That hunger for the hunt. But what of him. Would she miss him, even a little? What of their discussions. Their talks. Oh, how he would miss them.
“I will keep you abreast of the situation as it unfolds, I promise.”
A pretty pout crossed her face. “It isn’t fair. You’ve exposed me to a whole new world. To things I couldn’t have even imagined. I was just in talks with the Prime Minister for heaven sakes. And now you are going to pull it away.”
He studied her for a moment. Was she talking about his mission or him? Was she regretting the fact that he would no longer be a part of her life?
She continued to stare up at him as if he were special as if he were needed in her life. His heart began to race as he realized just how much he wanted this woman. As he leaned forward to take her in his arms, he remembered that he was standing in the middle of a rather reserved neighborhood, not exactly known for public displays.
Sighing heavily he stepped back.
“Amanda,” he said again. “We are not done, we have many things to accomplish yet. Many things to share.”
Her eyes grew big as she began to understand the true meaning behind his words then smiled slightly and nodded.
“I look forward to it, Lord Warwick. I do believe we will … ‘Accomplish’ … wonderful things.
He couldn’t stop himself from smiling. The woman was remarkable.
She stepped back and pointed to his home. “Go,” she said. “I am not leaving until I see you safely inside.”
He rolled his eyes. The woman was too demanding and assumed too much privilege when it came to his actions. But perhaps this was best. If he stayed much longer he would forget his honor.
Bowing slightly, he said, “Miss Waters, you are a remarkable person. A person I am going to enjoy getting to know better. Please be safe.”
She blushed prettily but continued to point to the door. “Do I need to get Peters?” She wasn’t going to let him delay.
Sighing, he gave her one last smile and turned to his home. At the door, he turned to look back. She continued to stand there, daring him to ignore her. Laughing to himself he shook his head and entered his home.
But as he stepped over the threshold, he knew with every fiber of his being that he was not done with Miss Amanda Waters. The woman had become too important.
Chapter Thirteen
Amanda wiped at a tear as the cab pulled away from his house. Her heart was breaking into a million pieces at the realization that she had lost him. He would disappear into his world and she would never see him again.
Oh, she might run across him at one of Olivia’s or Alice’s parties. But it wouldn’t be the same. It wouldn’t be just the two of them against the world.
As she sat back, her mind flashed back to their kiss. What it had felt like to be held by him. That sense of safety and security. That sense of need and want that had raced to her very core.
And now he was gone. Gone, like a wisp of wind. Something that couldn’t be held nor possessed.
Her cheeks grew warm thinking about the things she had wanted to do to him. What she had wanted him to do to her. What she still wanted. A desperate need filled her as she realized just how much she loved him.
Sighing, she wiped away another tear and looked out the window as London passed by.
Just think, she told herself. She had met with the Prime Minister and been treated as if she were of value. All because of Lord Warwick. He had enabl
ed her to help. Allowed her to assist him and at no time had he dismissed her as unable or worthless. No, he had embraced her assistance.
How many men in today's world would do the same? she wondered to herself. Not many, she realized.
But it wasn’t just that. There was more, so much more. The way he smiled. How he refused to complain about his injuries. Pushing himself. Placing the needs of the country above his own wellbeing.
Her mind wandered to the nursing she had provided. To the way his body had looked. Hard, full of angles. How she wanted to press herself against him and never let go.
All of it reminded her of just how much she had lost.
When the cab pulled to a stop, she paid the driver and hurried inside. Molly was waiting for her, shooting her a look of concern.
“You took longer than I expected, Mum,” the maid said.
Amanda wanted to tell her it was because she had just had a meeting with the Prime Minister. Oh, the look on her maid’s face would be priceless. But, instead, she shrugged her shoulders as she began to remove her gloves.
“Cook has been holding your dinner, Mum,” Molly said as she took the hat and gloves.
Amanda nodded. “Let me freshen up. I will be down shortly.”
Molly frowned and studied her for a long moment. “His Lordship is home safe, I take it.”
Amanda nodded absently as she began up the stairs.
“It seems strange, Mum,” Molly said after her. “Not having a man in the house,” Her eyes looked up at her as if she were an injured kitten in need of attention.
Amanda’s heart fell. Her maid was right, it did seem strange not having him here. But she couldn’t let her feelings show. No one must ever know that she had fallen in love with Lord Warwick.
.o0o.
She was numb the first day. Her body tense and lost as she wandered around the house. She spent more time than necessary standing in what she would always consider ‘His’ room. Looking at the bed. Her mind wandering to what might have been.
The second day, she forced herself to do all the things she had delayed while nursing him. Letters that needed to be written. Discussing future menus with Cook and reviewing the supplies in the larder. Making out shopping lists.
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