My Lady, My Spy (Secrets and Seduction Book 4)

by Sheridan Jeane

  “Here, and in other locations around London. The pieces we’re currently restoring or researching are kept close at hand for convenience.” He gestured toward the rows upon rows of shelves. “We’re constantly adding to the museum, and every item passes through this room.”

  He began making his way down a wide aisle, and Josephine hurried to keep up with him. “Are all the items from the monument stored here?”

  “Yes. The location of our storage rooms makes examining them convenient.” He paused at a cross-corridor in the storage area and turned left, then made a quick right. “Here we are.”

  Josephine stopped, stunned, facing a group of headless female statues, all wearing flowing gowns. “These are amazing,” she said, her voice breathless. She moved closer, leaning in to examine one. “I heard that some believe Mr. Fellows’s discovery is a monument to the Nereids since there are so many statues of them.”

  “That’s one of the working theories.”

  “What are Nereids?” Frederick asked.

  Mr. Beasley looked at him with surprise. “Oh, that’s right. You aren’t a Greek scholar. I’d nearly forgotten. Nereids are Greek water nymphs. Of course, that might be imposing too much Greek culture on a Lycian monument. As I’m sure you might guess, the monument is likely to be of Persian origin, but we simply don’t know enough yet to declare that with complete certainty. But I digress. You asked about the Nereids. In Greek myth, they often accompany Poseidon and are reputed to come to the aid of sailors fighting storms.”

  Frederick cocked an eyebrow. “A sort of mermaid? But not a mermaid.”

  Josephine glanced at Frederick. “Unlike mermaids, Nereids symbolize everything that is good and kind about the sea. They’re often depicted wearing white gowns and crowns of red coral, dancing about as they serve as Poseidon’s escort.”

  Frederick glanced at the larger-than-life headless statue of a woman in a flowing gown. “And this is a Nereid?”

  Josephine nodded as she stepped closer to Mr. Beasley to examine the neck of the statue. “It’s a shame her head is missing.”

  “They were all missing when the monument was discovered,” Mr. Beasley said. “Probably stolen long ago by locals. I assume they currently decorate some wealthy man’s garden or dining hall.”

  “Such a shame,” Josephine said, and patted Mr. Beasley’s forearm. “It’s good that people like you want to protect the monuments. Otherwise, they’d continue to be vandalized.”

  Mr. Beasley shrugged. “Some might consider Mr. Fellows the vandal since he took the entire monument. It’s a shame he didn’t take better notes before dismantling it.”

  Frederick stepped between Josephine and Mr. Beasley in what struck her as a decidedly possessive move, but Mr. Beasley seemed oblivious. “Do you have pieces of the frieze as well?” Frederick asked. “The battle scenes?”

  Mr. Beasley nodded. “They’re stored here.” He indicated some wooden crates. He shifted a smaller box to one side and then opened a larger one sitting behind it. Once the lid was off, Josephine could only see packing material— sawdust and wood shavings. Mr. Beasley brushed it to one side to uncover the carved stone frieze.

  “Oh, my.” She reached out to touch the cold stone. “It’s so detailed,”

  “You’ll note the man in the chair is dressed in the Persian style,” Mr. Beasley said.

  Josephine leaned closer to peer at the frieze. “The men standing in front of him appear to be wearing Greek style robes. I can see why this particular monument has brought so many researchers together.”

  A young man dressed in one of the museum’s uniforms rushed toward them, a frantic look in his eyes. “Mr. Beasley, may I have a word with you? There’s been an incident.”

  Josephine took a step back as Mr. Beasley rushed forward in alarm. In his haste, he tripped over the small heavy box he’d previously moved to one side. Frederick caught him by the elbow just in time to keep him from falling.

  “Thank you. Thank you,” Mr. Beasley said, clutching Frederick’s shoulder as he caught his balance. “Would you excuse me for a few moments? If I’m not back by the time you’re ready to leave, please don’t feel you must wait for me. If you can’t find he way, anyone here can help.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Beasley,” Josephine said. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

  He hurried off, in whispered conversation with the younger man.

  Frederick reached out and touched the box holding the section of the frieze. “I’m glad I came with you today,” he told her. “Seeing this has been eye-opening. I never really thought about the displays in the British Museum. They’re more relevant than I’d realized. It helps keep things in perspective.”

  Josephine raised an eyebrow. “Relevant? How so?”

  Frederick gestured toward a frieze panel depicting two soldiers putting a captive to death. “War and politics were as prevalent then as they are now.”

  Josephine stared at the frozen scene. “War has always been a part of life.”

  Frederick shook his head. “It doesn’t have to be. A strong society can stand against it. We have a stable government here in England. Our people live in safety and security. Our lands aren’t at risk of being overrun. That’s all because we have a strong government and a stable society. That’s why it’s important to defend the Crimean Peninsula against Russian incursion. If Czar Nicholas seizes control of the region, he’s certain to restrict access to that waterway as well and prevent other nations from using it. That could deal a direct blow to the British economy.”

  She took a step closer to him. “Is that why you do what you do? Is that why you’re a spy? Because you want to defend England?”

  Frederick nodded. “I believe in our country. I believe in keeping it strong.”

  Pride filled her. “I admire that about you.”

  Some of Frederick’s tension seemed to leave his shoulders. “I’m relieved to hear that.” He moved closer. “There are some things I need to tell you. It’s important to me that you know them. Hardly anyone outside my family does.”

  Her breath seemed to catch in her throat, and she hesitated before she spoke. “Then why tell me?”

  “I trust you, and I need your guidance. Your advice.”

  His eyes locked with hers, and all she could do was nod.

  “I haven’t been fair to you these past two weeks. You’re right. I was avoiding you at first. Not because I didn’t care, but because I did.”

  She shook her head, confused. “That doesn’t make sense.”

  “There’s something you don’t know about me. About my family. Something we’ve kept hidden for years. It has to do with my father.”

  “Your father?” That didn’t make sense. “What does he have to do with us?”

  Frederick let out a sigh. “Nothing. Everything. He’s been dead for fifteen years, but his mistakes still haunt my family.” He scrubbed his hand down his face. “There’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll simply tell you. Fifteen years ago, my father was on the verge of being arrested for treason. He committed suicide rather than face the shame.”

  Her jaw dropped and she covered her mouth, but Frederick barely seemed to notice. He just kept talking.

  “Two nights ago, Robert found the evidence Queen Victoria has been searching for that proves our father was guilty. He showed it to me yesterday morning.”

  Josephine took a stumbling step backward and placed her gloved hand on one of the Nereids to keep from falling. “So, he’s guilty? There’s no doubt?”

  “None.”

  “Did he turn over secrets to a foreign government?”

  Frederick’s eyes widened. “No. Nothing like that. Not that his crimes weren’t bad enough. He forged the Great Seal of the Realm and used it to falsify documents and swindle investors.”

  Josephine took a deep breath and let it out slowly. It was bad, yes. Very bad. But it could have been so much worse.

  Frederick ran his hand through his hair. “The Queen knew the documents were forge
d and immediately began searching for the culprit. Father was quite clever. He’d managed to distance himself from his original partners and made it appear as though they were the guilty parties. Everyone involved was questioned at length, but eventually the investigators began to focus their efforts on my father. He decided the only way out was to kill himself.”

  Josephine exhaled sharply. “That’s terrible!” She pressed her fist to her mouth as she tried to compose herself. “I’m so sorry, Frederick. I’d heard rumors that your father had committed suicide, but I’ve never heard even a whisper of treason. You were so young when he died.” She shook her head, bemused. “When did you learn about his crimes?”

  “I found out a couple of years after he died. The truth came as a blow— like losing him all over again.” Frederick shook his head. “In a way, ignorance really is bliss.”

  “I’m not certain I believe that. I suppose it depends on the nature of the lie— on its consequences. If it impacts me, I’d rather go through life knowing the truth than have it sprung upon me. It would be terrible to build your life upon a foundation of lies. Life isn’t neat and pretty. It’s messy and complicated. If we don’t know the truth, we can’t make good decisions.”

  “That’s why I wanted to tell you about my father.” He swept closer to her, taking both her hands in his. Her breath caught at the intensity of his gaze.

  She tensed. Something important was about to happen. She’d need to keep her wits about her. She couldn’t allow herself to submit to Frederick’s charm. Not again.

  He gripped her hands more firmly. “In all conscience, I couldn’t pursue a deeper relationship with you without revealing this secret. It simply wouldn’t be fair.”

  She felt her resolve weaken. “That’s a noble attitude.” The word caught on her tongue. Noble. That was Frederick. A noble liar. She tensed. She couldn’t let herself ignore all the lies he told her. Not now. She pulled her fingers from his grasp. She couldn’t put her heart at risk with this man. “What do you plan to do?”

  He reached out for her hand again, but she stepped back. He looked crestfallen as he let his hands fall to his sides. “I don’t know. My world has turned upside down. Not only do I need to reach a decision regarding this ghost from my past, but I also must consider the ramifications the situation with the church register will have.”

  “The church register?” Based on the tale Monsieur LeCompte had related yesterday, she was certain it had been stolen again. “What happened?”

  “I have it now. We were able to recover it last night, only—” Frederick let out a sigh heavily laced with frustration and despair. “It’s been damaged beyond repair. I can complete my mission and deliver the book to the Queen, but she won’t be able to use it to negotiate a stop to the impending war with Russia.”

  Josephine placed her hand on his forearm and squeezed with a gentle, firm pressure. She couldn’t take away his anguish, but she needed to lend him her support.

  Frederick covered her hand with his. “I’m afraid that if I hand over both the ruined church register and the forged Great Seal at the same time, Queen Victoria will be furious. But if I hold back the Great Seal and she finds out I did so, she might lose faith in me.” He shook his head in frustration. “I can’t decide what to do.”

  She took in his weary features as he wrestled with his decision. “You’ve been living with your father’s secret for a long time. It’s obviously taken its toll on you.” She paused and met his gaze. “Do you want my advice?”

  He paused, and then pulled away from her, breaking their contact. After only a brief hesitation, he met her gaze and gave her a nod.

  She looked into his eyes and tried to infuse him with the same confidence that now filled her. “I know how important honor is to you. You need to make the choice you can live with for the rest of your life.”

  He shook his head. “But it isn’t only up to me. This needs to be a decision you can live with too. Don’t you understand? If I hide this discovery from the Queen, you and I still have a chance to be together. The question is, could you stay with me and help me keep this secret, knowing that my father’s treason might someday become a public scandal?”

  Comprehension flooded Josephine. He wanted to hide his discovery from the Queen and never reveal he’d found the Great Seal— for her. So he could be with her. His actions now made so much more sense to her. All his lies. All his secrets. His father’s shame had shaped his entire life. With every decision and in every moment, that long-held secret weighed upon him. It explained why he was so secretive. And why he turned to lies rather than truth.

  Her chest was tight, but she fought to keep her voice gentle. “Your father’s secrets aren’t causing the problems between us. They stem from your secrets. Your lies. This practice of deceit has poisoned you. Invaded your very essence.” She looked into his confused eyes. “You lied to me the night of the Koliada Ball. You pushed me out the door and then you went to search for the thief. You lied to me because it was convenient, not to protect me. It was instinctive. The question is, what will you do, now that I’ve pointed this out to you? I need to be with a man who will be honest with me. I can’t live a life where I don’t know if I can trust what you tell me.” She took a step away from him. “Unless you can change, I can’t see a way forward for us.”

  He looked stunned.

  “Unless you can be open and honest with me from this point forward, you need to forget about me and find someone else.”

  She turned on her heel and hurried away.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Pain ripped through Frederick’s heart. He bolted after her, taking hold of her upper arm just before she reached the end of the narrow aisle.

  She tried to pull away, but he held her gently but firmly in place.

  She stared at his hand, then at him. “What is it? What more do you want?”

  “Everything. Josephine—” He stared into her clear blue eyes. Her confused blue eyes. He moved closer, standing directly in front of her so she had to crane her head back to meet his gaze. “I want everything from you.” He leaned closer, taking in her every feature and memorizing this moment. “I want you to look at me the way you did at Lord Saxon’s house. I want to make you remember what we’ve shared. What we mean to each other.”

  He slid his hand around her waist, pulling her to him. She didn’t resist. He bent closer, and her lips parted slightly as she stared at his mouth.

  This was a woman who wanted to be kissed.

  He swooped down and took what she offered. His wasn't a tender kiss. Not a respectful kiss. His was a kiss suffused with the passion and desperation that coursed through him.

  She responded. It was as though her own passion flared up to match his. As he devoured her mouth, she slid her hands up, burying them in his hair and holding him in place.

  This was what he wanted. Craved. This woman. He needed her the way he needed air. He couldn’t live without her.

  Footsteps clattered in the distance— growing closer. They were moving fast. With a frustrated moan, Frederick broke away.

  Josephine seemed dazed. She pressed her hand against her mouth, her eyes wide. It took a moment for her to regain a semblance of composure and slow her breathing. When she did, she scowled at him.

  “What did you think you were doing?”

  “Kissing you. Isn’t that obvious?”

  “I didn’t give you my permission.”

  “I took your response as being tacit permission,” he replied.

  “It wasn’t.”

  “My apologies.”

  She flattened her lips to a thin line and raked him with her gaze. “Fix your hair. It’s all—” She waved her hands about. Hands that had recently been sliding through his hair.

  Just as he finished smoothing it into place, Mr. Beasley came breezing into the narrow aisle. “Ah, you’re still here.”

  “I was just leaving,” Josephine said. “Perhaps you can escort me out. Mr. Woolsy will be along shortly. He
has some thinking to do.”

  As she walked away, Josephine kept her back stiff and erect. She didn’t even glance back as she disappeared around the corner.

  He stared at the spot where she’d just been as a sense of loss swept over him.

  He’d accepted the possibility she might reject him because of his father’s treason. He’d even tried to prepare himself for the blow. But this?

  Something deep within him fractured, creating a fissure that ruptured his very soul.

  He’d never expected to face her complete and utter rejection of his morality.

  That wasn’t quite true. It wasn’t his morality she had rejected. It was the way he’d hidden behind his father’s secret and used it to justify his treatment of her. The way he’d distanced himself from her. It was the lies he’d told, over and over, to hide himself from her.

  She was right. Lies were no basis for a relationship— for a marriage. They needed trust and truth between them.

  The fissure within him widened.

  They could have honesty between them. Surely they could. His lies were the only thing standing in the way. Not only the lies he told Josephine, but the ones he told himself as well.

  He could change. He had that power.

  Suddenly, he wanted truth with Josephine. He wanted it more than anything else. More than clearing his family name. More than his own dignity.

  He glanced around him, taking in the rows of shelves containing ancient artifacts. All hiding their secrets. Their mysteries.

  Did any of the artisans’ secrets matter now, so many years later? Their greed, their petty misdeeds, or their enormous acts of treason? It was all gone. All done. All in the past.

  He needed to let it all go as well. He couldn’t change his own history. It was done. But he could change his future. His new goal in life could be to make decisions he could live with. Decisions based on honor, not fear.

  And the first step would be to be honest with his queen.