The Lord’s Secret (The Regency Renegades - Beauty and Titles) (A Regency Romance Story)

by Jasmine Ashford

  “Well?” he said as they entered the room. “How was it?”

  “I did the wrong play!” Lola collapsed on the couch, completely interrupting them.

  “You didn't,” Aaron said, glancing to Wesley. “What happened?”

  “She did. At least, she started to,” Wesley said and grinned.

  “The costumes for Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet look exactly the same,” Lola said. “And of course, it's all the same cast in the company, so no one bothered to tell me. I get on stage prepared for the king to be murdered and it turns out that Romeo is missing Roslyn. AH!” She closed her eyes. “No one told me what we were doing; I wasn't aware that we had switched shows. But of course we had, because it's a different night of the week,” she cried and buried her head in her hands. “It's going to be all over the papers tomorrow.”

  “How was your evening?” Harold asked as Annabelle perched on the arm of the chair beside him. “Restful, I hope?”

  “Yes,” Aaron said, glancing at Shauna. “What did the dispatches say?”

  “Blast!” Harold struggled up from the chair so fast that he almost knocked Annabelle off. His shoes clacked against the hard wood floor as he went to the front hallway to retrieve them.

  “As you can see,” Aaron said to Shauna. “We're a very well organized bunch.”

  She laughed at that, and he got to see her eyes sparkle again; the way he fell in love with her. Shauna always had a smile that lit up the room, her entire face changing when she was delighted by something.

  “I see that. Does your ship run the same way?”

  “Yes, the captain gives the wrong orders and Harold forgets to tell us anyways,” Aaron grinned. “Did you happen to see Matheson and Corrigan in town?”

  “We did not,” Wesley replied. “Although who knows which of the half a hundred pubs they've gone to. The town gets quite rowdy at night. Lola, you don't walk back here alone, do you?”

  “Every night,” she said, turning to look at him. “Why?”

  “Just that it's not safe,” he said. “You should take a carriage or get an escort.”

  “I like to walk after the show,” she said. “Clears my head. It's safe; nothing has ever happened.”

  “Lola, last time I was here, there was a murderer running loose,” Wesley said in protest.

  “Since then!” she argued. Luckily, Harold's entrance blocked them from further raised voices.

  “He wasn't working alone,” Harold said, waving the dispatches.

  “What?” Aaron turned, confused. “Who?”

  “The war protester yesterday. Head office wants my permission to send you, Wesley, to interrogate him. You're in my division, so I can send you, if you're willing.”

  “I don't---” Wesley turned as well from his eye lock with Lola. “I don't do interrogation.”

  “Apparently, you do when those senior to your post are away during the winter,” Harold said. “They thought you were the best. Their intelligence said that he's possibly involved in a ring of violent protests that have gone on throughout the country.”

  “Wonderful,” Wesley replied. Whether he wanted to interrogate as one of the leading minds in strategy or stay with Lola was unclear.

  “The camp will open as planned?” Aaron asked. “Tomorrow?”

  “I have no news as to otherwise,” Harold sighed. “It's turning into quite a disaster, isn't it?”

  “It's Taners; he's spent too long behind a desk,” Aaron said. “Maybe he should re-enact some battles.”

  “Maybe we should all go to bed,” Harold suggested. “And figure this out in the morning? It's been a day.”

  “You don't want to stay up?” Annabelle pouted as she lounged on the couch. Like her brother once displayed, she had an endless supply of energy, and never wanted to head to sleep.

  Harold softened, holding out his hand. “I can walk you to your room, my dear,” he said, and she went willingly.

  “We can leave the door open for Matheson and Corrigan,” Aaron said, heaving himself up. “I'm quite sure they'll find their way back eventually.”

  “Or meet us at the camp,” Wesley added.

  Lola raised an eyebrow. “They'll run into my colleagues out tonight. Theatre folk do know how to throw a party.”

  “I'll bid you goodnight, then,” Shauna said, and Aaron paused. He wanted so much to bend down and kiss her again, to say goodnight to her in the sweetest fashion. Nevertheless, their moment had passed; their dream dying with the embers of the fire. So instead he smiled, walking as steadily as he could down the hall. There was always tomorrow, something he hadn't thought about for awhile. Tomorrow, with Shauna, they could begin again.

  CHAPTER TEN

  THE PLAN

  THE PLAN

  “Mr. Taners is certainly getting involved in organization,” Lola said the next morning, as the post master brought each of them a huge bundle of instructions. “Have you seen these? They are written down to the minute of where to be and what to do. Surely he didn't do one of these for everyone? That's over 200 souls!”

  “I think it's just for the main...players,” Wesley said as she smiled at him. “Is that the right word?”

  “Yes,” she said. “You're a main player in the stage of Mr. Taners.” She glanced down at her schedule. “It looks like they aren't going to take a chance with the ships today, so I'll be inspecting them and their units instead.”

  “Do you remember when we had a royal inspection?” Aaron asked Harold. “We were no more than powder monkeys when the bonny Prince came aboard.”

  “I don't think I've ever noticed a spot of dirt on my uniform more than that day,” Harold replied with a smile. “I was paranoid, when it was nearly invisible.”

  “You've met the prince before,” Lola said to Aaron. “What were you terrified of?”

  “It's much more terrifying when he's judging rather than playing with you,” Aaron replied as Shauna made her appearance in the kitchen. Her first glimpse of him was of his smile in the sunlight, his eyes sparkling like they were 20 years old again. He had color in his cheeks this morning, and it appeared yesterday's terror was forgotten. Sitting in a chair at the head of the table, he was every bit the young Lord. “He didn't even remember me, though. If he did, he didn't say anything.”

  “We played for the king more than once,” she said. “By the time royalty gets to us, they are usually so tired that the theatre is a place to sleep. Oh, look,” she said and bent over her schedule. “It appears that a lesson in proper conduct is being taught today.”

  “Good morning.” There were very few times in his life where Aaron had tuned out Lola, but this was one of them. “Did you sleep well, Shauna?”

  “I did,” she said. “Gwendolyn is taking her time this morning, but she'll be down shortly as well.”

  Their gazes were so locked, so connected, in that moment, and he wanted to kiss her there, in front of everyone. If only every day could be like this, with Shauna greeting him in the early dawn, their nights spent by the fire and Gwendolyn safe and warm.

  She was right. This was a tempting game that they shouldn't be playing if they hadn't figured out a solution. He had spent years telling himself that he wasn't in love with her anymore; that it had been his first love and nothing more. However, he knew it was a lie from the moment it entered his mind. He was in love with Shauna, and he always would be.

  “I'm sorry, what?” Wesley's outraged voice interrupted his thoughts at last. “With who?”

  “It doesn't say with who,” Lola replied. “It just says to suggest inappropriate conduct with a sailor. I don't have to lift my skirts, Wesley.”

  “You might as well, with some of these men,” he said. “It's not an option; we will talk to Taners.”

  “It says right here to demonstrate discipline and proper conduct,” she said, pointing to her package. “You need to calm down.”

  He fixed her with a stare. “We'll talk about this later,” he said. “But this is not conduct that I wish to see yo
u performing.”

  “Oh for God's sake,” Lola shook her head. “Last night I kissed Romeo, and I didn't see you protesting in the crowd.”

  “That was scripted.”

  “So is this,” she bit back at him. “Right in front of your face, my Lord.”

  Harold glanced across the table to Aaron, raising his eyebrows as if to say he had dealt with this before. It was just then that Annabelle swept into the room, clapping her hands.

  “Dispatches,” she said. “From the police.”

  “From the police?” That got everyone's attention. Aaron, as lord of the house, took them, ripping them open with burning curiosity “Oh my. It appears Matheson and Corrigan got into a spot of trouble last night. They are being held for questioning at the police station.”

  “This shore leave gets better and better,” Harold said. “What are they being held for?”

  “A fight, outside the bar,” Aaron said. “Someone will have to go down there and get them. Wesley? Navy Headquarters isn't far from there.”

  “With all due respect, sir,” Wesley said. “I'd rather be on the ship for inspection, to keep an eye on things. I wasn't planning to be at Headquarters until closer to the noon tide.”

  “I have to be at the camp,” Harold said. “Those ships won't command themselves.”

  “Why don't we go together?” Shauna asked, getting Aaron's attention. “It's not far, and then Gwendolyn and I could come in with you to the camp.”

  “Oh,” Aaron said. “Yes, I'd be delighted, although I'm not sure police headquarters is a place for a child...”

  “Annabelle?” Shauna turned to the other woman. “Is it possible that you could watch her?”

  “Of course,” Annabelle smiled. “Although I'm going to start charging a fee for the amount of dispatches that come through here. This house has never been so visited by the messenger boys.”

  “You'll be alright then?” Aaron asked. “I'm sure they won't miss me for an hour or so, especially if they are planning an inspection upon the ships. Everyone will want to see that.”

  “I think we'll manage,” Harold said. “We should be diligent as well, until Wesley can question our suspect.”

  “I'm quite sure he's got nothing complicated planned,” Wesley said. “Any man who shows up and shoots a gun in plain sight is not capable of a complicated operation. He probably has a few friends planning the same thing, and it shouldn't be hard to shut him down.”

  “In that case,” Harold said. “Shall we?”

  “I don't know, can we do it without arguing?” Lola said as she got up swiftly, making her exit.

  Aaron caught Wesley's wrist as he passed him. “A word of advice,” he said, but Wesley shook him off.

  “She's the one acting as if I should be put aside,” he replied. “Under my very nose.”

  “She,” Aaron looked him in the eye. “Is acting, which you knew about when you decided to love her. And she's also been through this before, remember that.”

  Wesley let a shuddering sigh, but said nothing, perhaps out of respect for his commanding officer. He left the room, leaving Harold to shake his head as he went.

  “Have a jolly time,” Aaron said, as Harold left.

  “Thank you,” Harold said, without much enthusiasm. Annabelle dismissed herself to her newly accepted child minding duties, and Aaron rose, reaching for his jacket.

  “Shall we?” he asked, as Shauna nibbled on a piece of toast. “I'm sorry, you should eat.”

  “It's more than I get to eat minding Gwendolyn,” she said. “This will do me just fine. A morning stroll with an officer is a treat.”

  “Mmm,” he said, as he shrugged on his jacket. “It's been too long since I played the part of an officer escorting a pretty lady.”

  “Wesley makes it seem as if he is the only officer to escort a beautiful woman,” Shauna deflected the compliment. “He and Lola had been snapping at each other the whole visit, it seems.”

  “He's having a difficult time with it, that is for sure,” Aaron replied.

  “They do not know hardship yet,” Shauna said as she took his arm. “Not really.”

  “No.” He placed a hand upon hers as they exited the house. “Not real hardship, not yet.”

  “I had thought...” she said. “When I saw them together, they would perhaps understand the struggle we went through at that age. They know nothing of it, though.”

  “Wesley's title is inconsequential to him,” Aaron said. “In addition, he has no family left to reprimand, judge or threaten him with removing it. The only responsibility he has is literally to wear it, and try to make sure it continues, any way he can. Before he met Lola, he had no interest in doing any of those things.”

  “But she cannot---” Shauna paused, choosing her words carefully. “I understand that sailors get up to mischief when they’re away, wives, titles or not.”

  “Oh,” Aaron said and glanced at her. “Some do. But if that is a veiled concern for me, you have nothing to fear.”

  She stopped at that, turning to him. “I wasn't---I didn't...surely...”

  “Shauna...” He almost laughed. “There's never been anyone but you. How could you think otherwise?”

  “Because we---we weren't...we said...” She stopped dead in the middle of the street. “I thought you might have forgotten about me.”

  “I hadn't,” he said, looking into her eyes. “I wouldn't have forgotten about you, even if we were apart the rest of our lives.”

  A carriage rolled by and both of them jolted, continuing to walk down the path.

  The police station was near the center of town, and it wasn't quite the place for a lady of any stature. Nevertheless, Aaron wasn't afraid for Shauna, who held her chin high as they walked in. As Harold had said, she could handle herself, and she preferred it that way.

  “Lord Bamber,” said the police chief, standing to attention as they walked in. “We didn't expect you so soon.”

  “I believe you have two of my colleagues,” Aaron said, showing him the dispatches. “I can post bail for them, if it's necessary.”

  “Frankly, my Lord, I believed they were on the wrong side of a fight is all. But we had to hold them for questioning, with the recent incident with war protesters.”

  “Oh yes,” Aaron said, smiling his most professional smile. “If you could be so kind as to retrieve them...”

  “Yes,” the police chief scrambled toward the back room. It was only few moments before Matheson and Corrigan were released, looking quite worse for wear. They certainly looked as if they had been in a fight, bloodied and beaten, and half hung over. Aaron raised an eyebrow as they stumbled over to him.

  “Rough night?” he said and Matheson shook his head.

  “You don't know the half of it,” he said. “We were finishing up when a man approached us in the alley and demanded we give him the dispatches.”

  “What dispatches?” Aaron asked, his brow confused. “Did you have dispatches?”

  “No,” Matheson said. “But we certainly showed him who was boss. He won't be around for awhile, at least not with all of his teeth.”

  “Is it possible that they mistook you for someone else?” Shauna asked, and Corrigan shrugged.

  “Who would we be?” he asked. “We don't look like officers.”

  “Did they apprehend this man?” Aaron asked, and Corrigan nodded.

  “But he got bailed out in the middle of the night. The police thought they'd show their power for disorderly conduct. No charges.”

  “Well, that's good at least,” Aaron said. “Although...” He drifted over to the desk. “Do you have information on the man that was arrested with him?”

  “Sir?” the police chief said. “No. We didn't charge them with anything this time. I've never seen any of them before. Although frankly, if I see them again, I will lay charges.”

  “Right,” Aaron replied, his mind spinning. “Could you send along anything you find? As reigning lord of the county, I would like to know w
hat goes on.”

  “Of course, my Lord,” the police chief said and tipped his hat. “Won't be a problem.”

  “Thank you,” Aaron said. Turning back to the others, his eyes were ablaze. “We need to get to Wesley, right away.”

  “Sir?” Matheson asked. “Do you think what's been happening is related?”

  “I don't know,” Aaron said. “But if it is, Wesley can figure it out. That is, if he's not too busy fighting with Lola.”

  “I didn't expect so much excitement when I signed up,” Shauna said as they exited the building, her arm firmly in his.

  “I'm sorry,” he said, turning his head. “I suppose the job posting made it seem like a quiet little job.”

  “I wouldn't have it any other way.” She laid her head on his shoulder, and he smiled. If only it could always be this easy.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  THE SHIP

  THE SHIP

  The camp was half deserted when they finally got there, because most of the men were already on the ship. The inspection was due to happen at noon, and it was half past 11 when they finally got signed in. Because the ship inspections were supposed to be the main activity, Shauna had sent a note asking that Gwendolyn stay home that day.

  “I'm sure that she and Annabelle will have a good day,” Aaron said as he stepped into the larger white tent. Normally, this tent was used for the men to have a break between their drills. However, it was empty, so Aaron pulled Shauna inside with a devilish smile.

  “What are you doing?” she shrieked. “Aaron, I cannot be in here.”

  “You forget that I am lord of this town,” he replied. “You can be anywhere I tell you to be. Today, though, I have a special request.”

  She played along, a smile on her face. “My Lord?” she asked.