“We’re going to work that out,” Anne insisted, and the fierce determination on her sometimes reckless sister’s face warmed Juliana’s heart.
“I thank you for trying. But the best thing I can do for myself is to accept this. Stop fighting.”
“What?” Thomasina breathed.
Juliana worried her lip. “My desperation did cause trouble. I shouldn’t have tried to insert myself in the investigation Rook and Harcourt are conducting. I’ve only made it more difficult for you all. I wanted to tell you that I’ve given that up. I’ve decided to simply enjoy this time Father is allowing me to stay here. I’m sure he’ll call me back within a week, if not sooner. I should revel in the remainder of my freedom with all of you.”
“Do you mean it?” Thomasina asked, face lit up with relief.
Anne looked slightly more uncertain. “That is quite the shift from the past few weeks.”
“We’re all transitioning,” Juliana said with a tight smile for Anne. “And last night I feel I was…changed.”
Thomasina and Anne exchanged a look, and Juliana held her breath. She could see that unspoken communication they’d always shared flowing between the two of them. If they didn’t believe her, she would never be given an inch to help Ellis. But at last they both smiled.
“I’m glad that your time here has allowed you to think more clearly,” Anne said. “We should celebrate this! Thomasina, didn’t you receive an invitation to tea at Miss Winifred Wallington’s house for this afternoon?”
“I did!” Thomasina said. “My first invitation since our return to London. I am very pleased, as I’ve always liked Winifred. Won’t you come with us, Juliana?”
Juliana shifted. There was a part of her that wanted to go to this tea and support Thomasina as she shifted back into Society as a countess. But it also offered her an opportunity.
She lifted her hand to her scarred cheek. “I-I don’t think I’m ready,” she said, and sought the closest thing to truth there was. “Yesterday in the park, I felt people staring at my face. Heard them whisper. I’m just not comfortable yet. You two should go, though. Enjoy yourselves. I’ll stay here and read my book and eat too many biscuits. It will be heavenly.”
Anne wrinkled her brow. “Are you certain?”
“I am. But I do want to help pick your outfits.” She leaned forward, and now her excitement was true. “Thomasina, do you think the blue silk?”
Thomasina hesitated a moment, but then she laughed and the three began to talk about gowns and hairstyles and who else would be at this important tea. Juliana loved every moment of it, for it was a taste of something more routine after months of anything but.
She only hoped that if she and Ellis could catch and stop the man who threatened all of them, normalcy would be permanent.
Ellis shifted his weight as he stood behind the bush outside the servant entrance of Harcourt’s home. It was almost two, the exact time Juliana’s missive had told him to come. He still had the paper in his pocket and found himself reaching in to touch it from time to time.
The paper was heavy and expensive, her hand flowing and elegant. He had memorized how she wrote his name, Ellis, not Mr. Maitland, as would be more appropriate. The very act of it was like a caress. And he certainly had more than one memory of those.
He’d sworn so hard and so long that he wouldn’t claim her. He had every reason not to ruin her for the future she believed would never come. But he wanted her. More than he’d ever wanted any other woman. So he’d found a way to justify what he’d done, claiming it to be for quid pro quo in their bargain to work together to find Winston Leonard.
The reality was that he knew his time was running out, like desperate sand through an unyielding hourglass. Being with Juliana was a deathbed wish. A final meal before he was marched to the gallows. And because he was exactly the villain he’d always been, he was going to savor that last bit of pleasure even if he knew it was wrong.
The servant entrance opened, and he ducked back into the bushes to keep from prying eyes. But it wasn’t a maid or footman who exited. It was Juliana, herself. He caught his breath as she stepped into the bright afternoon sunshine. She was exquisite, from the crown of her blonde head to the tips of her slippered toes. His body went on edge the moment he saw her.
But there was another reaction that struck him as she pulled the door shut behind herself and lifted up on her tiptoes to search the back courtyard for him. His chest stirred with…feelings. Emotions he had carefully trained out of himself over the years he’d performed tricks against ladies of her class. He cared about her. When he looked at her, he didn’t just want to touch her and make her shiver with pleasure. He wanted to talk to her. Be near her. He wanted to know her and let her see into what was left of his shriveled heart.
Which made her the most dangerous creature in his life.
“Ellis?” she whispered.
He shook off the unwanted thoughts and stepped from the bushes with his best false smile. “Miss Shelley, fancy meeting you here.”
A smile broke over that lovely face and it was brighter than the sun on a cloudless day. “You came,” she breathed as she stepped up to him and caught his hand in both of hers.
“Of course I did,” he said, trying to ignore the tug on his heart as he tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. It felt far too comfortable there, and he cursed himself. This wasn’t good. He needed to distance himself from her a little. For his own good as much as hers. “I need your help—I had to come.”
He felt her stiffen at the wall he’d placed between them, but she didn’t address it. Instead, she said, “My sisters are at tea. I haven’t seen Harcourt or Rook all day.”
“They’re at Harcourt’s club,” Ellis explained with a frown. “Trying to use some of Harcourt’s connections to get information about Leonard. The house isn’t busy with everyone out, but there is a little garden exit back here…” He guided her down and around a few secret paths to the same gate he had used to enter the property not a quarter of an hour before.
“I didn’t even know this was here,” she admitted as she followed him through and into a back alley behind the house.
He shrugged. “A whole life goes on in this city that you don’t know about. Servant entrances and pathways are my specialty, angel.”
“We can go around to the park this way,” she said, drawing him forward toward the street where they fell into the walking couples and faded into obscurity in a moment. A place he had always been both comfortable and restless. “Are you jealous of Rook and Harcourt?” she asked.
He jolted at the unexpected question and glared down at her. “That’s ridiculous. Why would I be jealous?” he snapped, perhaps a bit more sharply than he intended.
She drew a little breath, as if she were considering whether or not she should push. He waited to see what she decided, recognizing she would only pursue an uncomfortable topic if she gave a damn. He didn’t know which answer would make him happy, if any.
“You and Rook are family,” she said slowly. “You were partners in your endeavors. He credits you for saving him from a fate worse than even a life on the street. When you said he was with Harcourt, I heard that tension in your voice. I’m afraid I recognize it from my own tone.”
He glanced at her, surprised by how plainly she could read him. How she could shine a spotlight on a topic he tried to ignore the existence of regularly.
He cleared his throat. “You are jealous of Harcourt and Rook?” he teased, trying to break the tension as they entered the park.
She hesitated and stepped off the path to look up at him. “Er…yes. Not of their relationship to each other, as I think you are. But…but the one between each of them and my sisters.” She blushed from her hair to the fetching inches of skin that disappeared into her gown’s neckline. “I have never admitted that out loud to anyone.”
“Things have changed for you in these last few months,” he said softly.
She nodded. “I always knew that
when we each married, it would be different. We wouldn’t be together all the time. But I thought we wouldn’t…perhaps we wouldn’t care about our husbands that much. Arranged marriages are often loveless, and our father never looked out for our hearts as much as his own designs on elevation. I thought we would still turn to each other for support and friendship. But…”
“But the new couples are in love,” he encouraged as gently as he could, since he could see the tears that had flashed into her eyes.
“Deeply,” she said with just a touch of bitterness. “And I keep telling everyone who will listen how happy I am. And I am, for they deserve to be in love. But I am…jealous. Both of the fact that they don’t need me as much anymore, and of the lives they will live that I will never get a chance to experience. You must think very ill of me.”
He chuckled even as he brushed away the single tear that had escaped those beautiful green eyes. “I could never think ill of you,” he promised. “No matter what.”
Her little smile was so lovely that his heart ached. Then she shook her head. “At any rate, I recognize the emotion because it’s so close to me. Things changed for you, too. And I think you are a little jealous that Rook is now working alongside Harcourt. That they are becoming…friends.”
Ellis shifted. He hadn’t allowed himself to put it so succinctly but there it was. “Rook and I used to talk about ‘those fops.’ Couldn’t understand ‘those fops.’ Never wanted to be one of ‘those fops.’ Wasn’t it fun to fool ‘those fops.’ And now he…I can see he respects Harcourt. And yes…in my darkest hour…when I let myself get maudlin…I suppose I do…feel…a little…jealous.”
He drew the last word out and met her gaze. She was nodding, and then she caught his hand. “Rook loves you. It is evident in every word he says about you. Things may change, but the Earl of Harcourt will never truly take your place in his life.” She smiled. “We are quite the pair.”
“Yes,” he said with a sigh. “Aren’t we, though.”
She looked as if she would say more, but her eyes went wide. “I think the Duke of Coningburgh and his daughter just passed by over there.”
Ellis shook his head. He had been so caught up in the grace Juliana had offered him that he had all but forgotten why they were here together. Like a fool, he’d lost track of everything that could kill them both. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a gentleman and lady walking in the opposite direction. “That’s him?”
She nodded. “Yes. Now we will approach. You are dressed very nicely. I meant to compliment you earlier. But be very careful in your address and—”
He held up a hand with a grin. “Angel, I have been training for these moments for years. Trust in me.”
She tilted her head in disbelief but didn’t resist as he guided her forward toward their quarry. The duke and his daughter had stopped by the side of the path to examine a rosebush planed on the perimeter, and as they began to pass by, Juliana put on a false smile and called out, “Lady Lydia, we seem to be making a habit of these meetings.”
The two turned, and Ellis watched their reactions. The young lady smiled at Juliana, but there was obvious concern in her gaze. The duke’s mouth grew tight. Annoyance. Was it because they were being interrupted? Was it for some more sinister reason? He couldn’t yet tell.
“What a pleasure,” Lady Lydia agreed. “Wouldn’t you say, Papa?”
“Your Grace,” Juliana said with the slightest of curtsies. “And may I present my friend, Mr.—”
“Mr. Francis Pettigrew at your service,” he said, putting on an American accent.
Juliana stared at him as if he had sprouted a second head, but she rallied admirably. “Er, yes. The Duke of Coningburgh, Mr. Pettigrew. And his daughter, Lady Lydia.”
Coningburgh was looking at him with increased interest, and Ellis stifled a smile. Good. “A pleasure to meet you both.”
“And how are you acquainted with Miss Shelley, Mr. Pettigrew?” the duke asked.
“I’m in shipping, Your Grace,” he said with another boisterous laugh. “And was passing through Harcourt not that long ago. I was well met of Mr. Shelley and his lovely daughters and decided to forgo my travel back home in order to spend a little more time taking in the countryside and all its pleasures.”
Lady Lydia tittered. “How lovely.”
“Yes, my lady. Very lovely.” He lifted his eyebrows toward her and she tittered again. God, some of these women made it too easy. A few well-chosen words and he knew he could have that pretty necklace off without her even caring she’d been taken.
Of course, when he looked at Juliana, she seemed less than impressed at that. She tilted her head at him with pursed lips. He squeezed her hand a little harder and said, “Perhaps you’re looking for some endeavors to invest in, Your Grace?”
The duke looked a bit taken aback by the uncouth and direct statement. One Ellis could get away with in his character of American Shipping Magnate. “Er, well, I don’t really—”
“Or perhaps your sons might take an interest,” Ellis pushed. “I’ve heard of their daring from many corners. Especially the younger. He is rumored to be interested in endeavors outside of the usual.”
Juliana’s fingers tightened on his elbow, and he felt her fear just as much as he saw Coningburgh’s as Ellis mentioned Lord Winston.
“I would not be able to speak for my son, sir. You would have to arrange a meeting with him yourself.”
“That would be jolly good,” Ellis said. “Perhaps I could press you to help me with the introductions.”
“I think it would be best if you sent a card around,” Coningburgh muttered. “I could…I don’t really know where he is at present, but mayhap he could be found. Now my daughter and I have another appointment. Good day.”
He caught Lady Lydia’s arm and dragged her away. As they exited the park on the opposite side, Juliana let out a long sigh. “I’m afraid that wasn’t very fruitful. Do you fear you pushed too hard?”
Ellis chuckled. “Not at all. I obtained a great deal of information from that encounter. Let’s go to my carriage and we shall discuss it.”
He led her out the way they’d come and up the street a little where his carriage was waiting. He helped Juliana into the rig, gave the direction to his driver and off they clattered.
She stared at him. “What in the world could you have gotten from that conversation? Coningburgh only looked annoyed.”
“No, he looked afraid, just as you said he did. I saw it in his eyes, around his lips. The same was true with your friend, Lady Lydia. Both of them are wound tight as a children’s toy, ready to pop. And it only got worse when I made reference to his youngest son.”
“His shoulders did tense,” Juliana conceded. “But we already knew that he is afraid of Leonard. Everyone knows that.”
“When I asked if he might know how to reach him, his hand clenched, he glanced at his daughter ever so slightly. He said no, but there was a slight nod he gave. Do you know how people win at gambling, Juliana?”
She shrugged. “Luck?”
“No.” He smiled. “They learn what we call tells. Little actions people make when they’re lying. And Coningburgh has a great many. He knows where Leonard is. I’d go so far as to guess he’s hiding his son.”
They rounded the corner onto Ellis’s street, quick and efficient thanks to his driver’s knowledge of back roads. “Do you really think we’ll be able to find him then?” Juliana asked, her gaze lighting with both excitement and fear. A reflection of his own heart, truth be told.
He nodded. “I do. And once that is done, then everyone in my life will be safe again. This will be taken care of, once and for all, and you’ll never need to fear Winston Leonard again.”
Chapter 19
Juliana watched as Ellis paced the narrow parlor, his minions circled around him, waiting on his every word. “The Duke of Coningburgh has had mistresses, of that I am certain. Find all their hideaways. Find every nook and cranny that fop has created in this w
orld and search them all. That’s where we’ll find Leonard, I would almost guarantee it.”
“He’ll have some places not on the books,” said his right-hand man, who had been briefly introduced to her as Golden. “All the toffs have them.”
“Good, use your ways and my money as best you see fit. No stone unturned, do you understand?” Ellis said, and there was a crack of desperation to his tone that made Juliana’s eyes go wide. “No expense is too high.”
Golden held his stare a moment, then glanced at Juliana. He nodded, then ushered the group out of the parlor, giving orders in the distance until the door closed and she and Ellis were once again alone. Ellis paced to the sideboard and poured himself a drink. After he’d downed half of it, he eyed her furtively. “I don’t suppose you want whisky.”
She wrinkled her brow. “It’s a bit early for whisky for me.” She drew in a deep breath and took a step closer. His pupils dilated as she did so, and that gave her a bit more courage. She edged nearer, wishing her hands didn’t shake as she lifted them to take the glass from his hand. “But then again…”
She took a sip from his tumbler, and immediately the alcohol burned her throat. She coughed, staring up at him with a red face and tears in her eyes.
“That…” she said through coughs. “…seemed far more…confident in my head.”
He laughed as he took the glass and set it behind him on the sideboard. His arms came around her, and he leaned in until his lips were just a hair from her own. “It was fantastic,” he reassured her before his mouth found hers.
She tasted the whisky again, this time on his tongue, but it didn’t choke her now. Not when it was tempered by his flavor. One she wanted to drown in forever. She wound her arms around his neck with a muffled sigh and lifted herself tighter against him.
He whispered something against her lips, but she was too foggy to understand the meaning. Too lost to focus. And wasn’t that what she needed to do? To talk to him about his plan?
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