by Aria Norton
Abigail coloured. Joshua gave her a sideways glance and an impish smile. "The furniture is ancient, sir. Have no fear of leaving water stains. Besides, you will make my sister uncomfortable if she thinks you are not at your leisure."
Lord Brampton glanced her way and nodded. "I would not wish to make Miss Abigail uncomfortable. Thank you." He sat down and held up the damp towel. She stood and took the towel from him to hang it next to the hearth.
"Now, why don't you continue, Lord Brampton." Joshua leaned back in his chair as Abigail rejoined them.
"Well, I was at the gaming club when Sir Filmore came in. He was talking with his friends, boasting about how he had come into some money lately - stolen from his wife's dowry, no doubt."
Abigail listened, wishing she knew why Lord Brampton had it out for Sir Filmore. "What is the nature of your relationship with his new wife, if you don't mind my asking, Lord Brampton?"
His head snapped up, anger flashing through his eyes for a moment. "That is none of your business."
"I beg your pardon, but if we are to help you in this venture, I think it is our business." Abigail stood her ground, refusing to look away from his heated gaze.
"Mrs. Filmore was a family friend." He broke their gaze first, his head falling to his chest. Abigail still had questions but decided to leave it at that for now. Why was he willing to destroy the husband of one of his family friends? With what she had learned from some of the other politicians' wives, Sir Filmore was a seedy character who deserved whatever Lord Brampton had in mind for him. However, Sir Filmore would not be the only one to suffer. He had a wife now that would carry the brunt of retribution with him.
"Well, I believe a drink is in order. May I tempt you with a glass of Scotch, or sherry, perhaps?" Joshua offered.
"Nothing for me, thank you. Please don't abstain on my account, though." Joshua nodded and went to pour himself a glass of something, leaving her and Lord Brampton alone for a moment.
He sighed heavily and turned to her, his tone softening. "I hope you have been well, Miss Abigail?"
"Yes, thank you. I have been able to find out quite a bit about Sir Filmore since we talked last. At least, I have found out some disturbing rumors about him. It will be my endeavor to find out if there is any foundation in any of them."
Lord Brampton straightened. "What did you find out?"
Joshua came back then, holding a glass of Scotch. Abigail relayed what she had heard at the ladies' tea the day before. Lord Brampton's face hardened as she went on. She felt the blush rising in her cheeks as she relayed the details about Sir Filmore leaving his last conquest to rot in the workhouse.
"Did the ladies know the young woman's name?" Lord Brampton asked when she had finished.
"Yes. Her name was Lady Elisa Kent." His eyes sparked with recognition. "Do you know her?"
"I have never met her in person, but I have heard of her." Lord Harborough stood. "We need to find her in order to confirm this story."
Joshua peered at Abigail in alarm. "Find her? Why would we do that?"
"A young woman is in trouble, Mr. Staton. And she may be the only one who will confirm the story. Besides, we need to gather evidence against Sir Filmore if we are to take him down." He turned and went back to the fire. He looked chilled to the bone sitting in his damp clothes. Abigail had thought about offering him some of Joshua's clothes to change into, but he stood a good four inches taller than her brother. His well-muscled arms would hardly have fit in her brother's shirts anyway.
She turned away when he caught her looking at him. "Well, then we should go to Bath and try to find Lady Elisa, then." Abigail got up and went to stand behind the sofa, feeling exposed under Lord Brampton's scrutiny. He did not look offended that she had been openly studying him—quite the contrary. An amused smile crossed his lips as he turned his attention back to Joshua.
"What say you, Mr. Staton? Shall we go to Bath and find the damsel in distress?"
Joshua baulked for a moment. He was not exactly the 'white knight in shining armor' type. "Ahh, yes, of course." He puffed out his chest and took a sip of his Scotch. Standing, he toasted the venture. Abigail could see through his ruse. On the inside, he was likely cursing the day he had agreed to help Lord Brampton. However, Abigail was excited by the idea of going in search of Lady Elisa.
"We should plan to go as soon as possible," Abigail said. "Who knows how long she has been in the workhouse?”
Joshua let out a mirthless laugh. "We? You're not going with us, Abigail. Do you have any idea what a workhouse is like?"
Abigail looked from her brother to Lord Brampton, her face set. "I am just as much a part of this venture as you, Joshua. More so, if you ask me. I want to go along and talk to Lady Elisa."
"Absolutely not. Under no circumstances..."
Lord Brampton held up his hand. "I will not meddle in your family affairs, only give my opinion. I believe having Miss Abigail with us will put Lady Elisa at ease. She may not feel comfortable talking to two men alone."
"She felt comfortable doing much more with Sir Filmore..." Joshua mumbled, pouted at being overruled by Lord Brampton.
"It's settled then," Abigail said and walked with Lord Brampton to the door. Joshua did not follow them out into the foyer, choosing to nurse his wounded pride in the library. At least Lord Brampton had seen sense in allowing her to come along. She would not come to any harm with them as chaperones.
"I hope I have not offended your brother?"
"He is always worrying himself about my safety. He will get used to the idea and come around, don't worry yourself on that account." Their eyes met once again, her throat suddenly going dry.
Lord Brampton took her hand and lifted it to his lips. Her heart pounded in her chest at his unexpected touch. He kissed her hand, holding it a moment longer than was proper before he released it. "Thank you, Miss Abigail. You have shown me such kindness these last few days. I want you to know I appreciate it."
"Of course," was all Abigail was able to say. He gave a weak smile before turning to go back out into the rain. She stood at the door and watched him walk out into the night, her hand warm where he had touched his lips to her skin.
Closing the door against the cold, she lingered in the foyer. "He is not interested in you," she whispered to herself. "He was just being polite. He is much too good for the likes of you..."
Chapter 16
"What is that you're reading?"
Abigail looked up, startled. Unsure of how long Lord Brampton had been watching her, she coloured. They had been on the bumpy road to Bath for several hours, with her brother fast asleep next to her. She tended to mumble to herself when she read in company, used to reading aloud when she was alone. Closing the book, she turned it so that he could see the title.
"The Age of Reason? I am surprised, Miss Abigail. I hear that Mr. Paine's works are quite philosophical."
"And why are you surprised, Lord Brampton? Because I am a woman and therefore incapable of comprehending such heavy works?" She grew angrier with every word she spoke.
He glanced at her brother, quietly snoring beside her. Thomas motioned for her to come and sit next to him. Raising her chin, she was about to refuse when he took her hand, pulling her gently from her seat. "Please, I meant no offense. I only meant that I have only ever known young ladies to read novels, silly lot that they are. I am pleasantly surprised in your taste for more lofty works."
She let him help her to the other side of the carriage, but just as she was about to sit down, the carriage hit a large bump in the road and threw her into Lord Brampton's arms. She scrambled to right herself, but he stilled her hands. "Please, allow me." He set her upright, his hands firmly on her waist. "There, that should be more comfortable. Does your brother always snore so incessantly on carriage rides?"
Abigail smiled, "I'm afraid so. He has always been notorious for falling asleep in the coach or when we go to the theater. Not that we have had much time for going to the theater as of late."
His eyes were so full of kindness that she blushed without meaning to do so. "I would like that very much, sir. You have my gratitude."
Chuckling, he glanced out of the window at the passing landscape. "I haven't taken you yet."
"It is the thought that warms my heart. Whether you follow through with your intentions or not, I am grateful for the sentiment."
He turned a quizzical look her way. "You think I would not follow through with my word?"
Abigail stuttered, "I did not mean to say that you are untrustworthy. I only meant…" What did she mean, exactly? She faltered.
"I understand. You have not been able to count on people in your short life, I think. Is that right, Miss Abigail? People have made promises to you all your life and broken them just as quickly?"
Abigail folded her hands in her lap, glancing over at her brother. She was unnerved by how well he read her thoughts. "My father was not often home, Lord Brampton. He did make Joshua and I many promises that he would later recant. Joshua was the only one who has ever kept his promises to me. I know you do not think of him as much of a politician. But he is a kind and gentle soul, and has always treated me well."
"I do not doubt it. Just because one is not cut out for a political career does not make them a blaggard. I have found that to be quite the contrary actually. I find that men give up any gentleness or kindness when they devote their lives to politics. It takes a strong character to keep one's head in the midst of all the turmoil."
She watched him as he turned his face to the sunshine streaming through the window. The weather had finally broken, allowing the brunt of summer warmth to take over the land. A comfortable silence stretched between them. They were on their way to Bath to search for Lady Elisa and see if the rumors Abigail had heard from Mrs. Bunting and her friends were correct. The only problem was that they had little information to go on. If they could not find her in the workhouse, they would have to seek her out at her old family home. There was no guarantee that Lord and Lady Kent would grant them entrance - especially if they had severed all ties with their wayward daughter.
Joshua let out a loud snort, waking himself, and then sat straight up. His eyes were wide, with his hair falling to one side. The picture was quite comical, and Abigail could not help letting out a laugh. She went to sit next to him once again and smoothed a strand of his hair that was standing straight up. "Here now, that's better," she giggled.
Joshua glanced at Lord Brampton, clearly embarrassed. Straightening his coat, he glowered at Abigail. "You should not have let me fall asleep."
"I have never been able to keep you from drifting off during a long ride, you know that. Don't worry; you were not snoring too loudly."
Lord Brampton came to her rescue, distracting her brother from his foul mood. He was always grumpy when he woke up from a long nap. "We are almost to Bath. We should come up with a strategy for finding Lady Elisa."
"I thought we had planned to go to the workhouse and try to find her. There is only one workhouse in Bath. I don't see what other course of action we can take. Abigail had no other useful information to go on." Abigail shot Joshua a warning glance. There was no reason to take out his grumpiness on her.
Joshua had been brusquer with her as of late. She knew it was because he was worried about his career. Likewise, she sensed some jealousy towards her knack for politics. She hoped that this arrangement with Lord Brampton would not drive a wedge between her and her brother.
"That was all Mrs. Bunting and Mrs. Sparrow could tell me about the unfortunate Lady Elisa. All we can do is try, brother. Or would you have us leave her there to rot, with no chance of retribution from Sir Filmore?"
"If the rumors are true, I would have us find the woman as quickly as possible and get out of Bath before I am recognised." Joshua crossed his arms over his chest, just the way her father used to when he was not getting his own way.
"Calm down, brother. If you are so worried about your precious reputation, you may wait in the carriage while Lord Brampton and I go in search of the lady." She folded her hands tightly in her lap, her lips forming a thin line as they rode the rest of the way into the city in silence. Lord Brampton gave her an apologetic smile. It would have been better if Joshua had stayed home, although it would have been inappropriate for her to travel with Lord Brampton on her own.
Joshua had been so concerned with losing his political office. He barely made it home anymore, except to have a quick meal and sleep. Abigail felt guilty, so focused on helping Lord Brampton that she had hardly noticed his absence. Perhaps that was another reason why Joshua had been so churlish towards her of late. She found she had little sympathy for him anymore. If he wanted to make something of himself in his career, he needed to step up and do it for himself. Surely she could not do it for him.
Besides, Lord Brampton was paying them handsomely to assist him in his revenge plot. Since her tea with Mrs. Bunting, she had started to wonder if the wealthy socialite Filmore had tricked into marriage had anything to do with his thirst for vengeance. The rumors she had overheard said the woman was beautiful beyond comparison. Selfishly, Abigail hoped that, if she did have to do with Lord Brampton's motives for revenge, she would turn out to be Thomas' sister and not his love.
She knew it was foolish, but she felt jealous at the thought of any other woman holding his affections. Unsure of where his feelings lay, she had spent the last few nights unable to sleep. Lord Brampton was a difficult man to read.
"We're here," Lord Brampton announced, snapping her out of her reverie. She sat up straighter and glanced at Joshua. He seemed to be just as nervous as she was.
The carriage pulled up in front of the Walcot workhouse, and they all alighted from the steps; neither Lord Brampton nor Joshua seemed to want to be the first ones through the door. "The sooner we are in, the sooner we can come out again." Abigail lifted her chin and walked towards the door, knocking loudly. A woman in a once-white cap came to the door, her face long like that of a horse.
"What do you want then?" she asked rudely.
"We are here to seek out a woman by the name of Lady Elisa Kent. Do you know if she is here?"
The woman looked her up and down with a sneer. "You family?"
Abigail had to think quickly on her feet. If she told the truth, the woman would most likely send them away. If she lied, they would have a better chance of finding her. "I am her cousin. I heard about her predicament and came to see if there was any assistance I could offer."
It was a long shot whether the woman believed her or not. She had no idea what Lady Elisa looked like, and if her own appearance did not give her away, her middle-class accent surely would.
"Her cousin, aye? Well, you're the first of her kin that has come by lookin' into her whereabouts."
Abigail grew excited. "Then she is here?"
The woman scowled at her and started to close the door. "I can't help you, Miss. Cousin or not, we don't allow civilians into the workhouse. And we certainly don't allow the inmates out." The woman was about to shut the door in their faces when Lord Brampton stepped forward.
"Wait. We will pay you handsomely for your cooperation." Abigail stepped aside so that he could hold the door open. "Please, we only want to know how she is faring. We heard that she has a child."
The woman huffed grumpily but did not slam the door on him. "You mean had. The child did not last three weeks. It's rare for any child to last that long in this place."
Abigail felt a pang of loss. Even though she was not a mother, she could only imagine what it would be like to lose a child so young. It was a harsh reality of living in the workhouse.
"May we speak with her, please?" Abigail came to Lord Brampton's side.
