Clue of Affection

by Ellie St. Clair

  “Very good,” Joshua said, calmly, walking over to ring the bell. “Something for both of us then, and perhaps some coffee?”

  Nodding, Taylor got up and walked towards the window, stretching and yawning widely, the tension slowly dissipating.

  “And then perhaps, you can show me what you have found?”

  “Of course,” came the reply. Relieved that the subject of his wife was, for the moment, dropped, Joshua began to leaf through the papers, studying each one.

  Sometime later, Joshua rose to his feet and stretched out his back for a moment as he contemplated Taylor’s words. “So, in short, we have a possible lead.” Hope thrummed in his chest, making his heart lift with expectation.

  “I believe so,” Taylor replied, sounding just as relieved as Joshua felt. “The man we captured at the ball, he was saying very little, but has, quite by accident, given us the name of the other man who was with him.”

  “And we have a physical description of the man?”

  “Yes, here,” Taylor replied, also getting up so as to stretch out his tired limbs. “I am quite sure we will be able to find him and arrest him.”

  Shaking his head, Joshua grasped the parchment and let his eyes skim over the details. “No, we will not arrest him.”

  “No?”

  “No,” Joshua replied, emphatically. “We will seek him out, of course, but then we will trail him. We have to find out who the man behind all of this is.”

  “And what Sir Whitby was meant to get for him,” Taylor murmured, wandering towards the window. “I do not like to think that it is someone within society who is behind all of this, Greville.”

  Joshua had to agree. The leader of this covert group could easily have been at the very ball where the murder had taken place, making sure that he was seen by as great a number of people as possible. Such an appearance would ensure that, should anyone see the murder, the man in charge could claim a wonderful alibi, in order to distance himself away from any connection to such a dreadful act.

  “We have captured one man, are narrowing in on the second, and we know they are led by a man named Roberts, who in turn is likely hired by someone within society. We will get to the bottom of it soon, I am quite sure,” Taylor commented, quietly. “I can feel it.”

  “Can you?” Joshua replied, heavily. “In truth, I feel as though I am simply walking further into a quagmire.”

  Lord Taylor chuckled, just as a tray with fresh coffee and a few small delicacies arrived, courtesy of the butler. Joshua breathed in the delicious aroma and poured for both himself and Taylor, adding a little cream as he preferred.

  “What do you think of your new wife?” Taylor asked, turning the subject back to Violet. “She is quite a strong lady, by all accounts.”

  “Indeed she is,” Joshua replied, fervently. “She has already coped with a great deal, although she is not aware that the incident with her carriage was deliberate.”

  “It is just as well you were near to the window and saw her,” Taylor replied. “I do wish we had caught whomever it was trying to set it alight, however.”

  Joshua nodded, grimly. The driver had been able to give them an excellent description of the man who had caused the upset but had not seen who, exactly, had set the carriage on fire. He had only been able to mention a few street urchins running around the place, but that was neither here nor there, given that they were commonplace.

  The description of the instigator led Joshua to believe that it was the same man who had entered the ball in an attempt to find Lady Harrington, the one they had been unable to capture. Slowly, a small smile spread across his face, bringing a brightness to his eyes. They were getting closer, albeit with agonizing slowness. They would get there in the end— he had to believe it.

  “Do you admire your wife, then?” Taylor asked, drawing his attention back.

  “Admire her?” Joshua repeated, thinking hard for a moment. “Yes, I suppose I do. She is strong and full of courage. Even standing up in society and choosing to forge your own path takes a certain amount of bravery and I cannot help but admire that.”

  "That is just as well," Taylor replied, with a slight note of humor in his voice. "For a carriage has just drawn up and I do believe that your dear wife, the one you so admire, is sitting inside."

  11

  Violet climbed out of the carriage and surveyed her husband's London home, seeing the small twitch of the curtains in the room above her. Her anger mounted with every step as she made her way inside, practically flinging her bonnet and gloves at the butler but then, realizing that his employer’s actions weren’t his fault, quickly apologized.

  “Where is he?” she grated, seeing the surprise written all over his face.

  “The – the study, I believe, my lady,” the butler stammered, taking a small step back. “I might announce you….?”

  She did not allow him to do so, walking away directly towards the study. Joshua was not about to get off lightly with what he had done.

  It had only taken her an hour after waking to discover that her husband had quit their country home, having evidently had his fill of her – or worse, branding himself on her so that she would have no doubt of her belonging to him. She had wept for a few minutes, in sadness, in frustration, the sickening feeling in her stomach growing as she realized that he had well and truly played her.

  He had determined what she had wanted in a marriage and then used it to tie her to him. She had fallen for his words of affection with barely a moment's hesitation, and he had taken advantage of her need for such a thing. How easily she had given herself to him, how quickly he had managed to worm his way into her heart! She had felt like an utter fool to have been so gullible but with such a feeling came the intention to let her husband know that she was not the kind of woman to be so poorly treated.

  Joshua, as he had asked her to call him, in all of his carefully thought out plans had made but one mistake. He had spoken to his steward about his intention to return to town almost immediately, citing some work or other. The steward had barely been able to withstand the force of her anger and had, eventually, told her what he knew. The carriage had been readied less than half an hour after the steward had left, and now Violet found herself back in London, ready to take on the brute that called himself her husband.

  Throwing the door of the study open, she stalked in, completely ignoring the presence of Lord Taylor, who was sitting back in his chair with an inexplicable look of enjoyment on his face.

  “How dare you?” Violet bit out, rounding the table and coming face to face with her husband, who had risen from his chair when she burst into the room. “You arrogant, ignorant cur!” Her hand met his cheek with such force that she surprised even herself, although her anger and upset did not dim in the least. Her cheeks burned as she recalled how he had kissed her and shown her all manner of new things, and how much she had enjoyed them. How dare he treat her with such disdain!

  Joshua looked both shocked and horrified, his hand going to the reddening mark on his face. His mouth worked, but no sound came out, and Violet felt her hands ball into fists as he stared at her.

  “Did you really think you could treat me in such a way?” she continued, her voice low and filled with rage. “That I would meekly wait for you to return to take your pleasure whenever the thought took you?”

  “No, I – ”

  “You did not mean a single word of what you spoke to me, did you?” she whispered, her eyes burning with a sudden sheen of hot tears. “You care nothing for me.”

  Lord Taylor cleared his throat and got to his feet. “Now there, I must correct you, Lady Greville. I know that Greville thinks quite highly of you. He said so just before you arrived.”

  Ignoring him completely, Violet kept her eyes trained on her husband, who was still staring at her in abject shock. She lifted one eyebrow, waiting for him to respond.

  “I do care for you,” he said, stepping back from her. “Although perhaps not as much as I said.” His head
dropped and he spread his hands in front of him. “I am sorry to have decorated the truth, but it was not done in order to hurt you.”

  “Yet you have,” Violet replied, pain twisting itself around her heart. “Whether you meant to or not, my lord.”

  “It was meant to keep you safe,” her husband protested, now lifting his eyes to hers. “And I was in need of a wife, and you appeared to be quite the right fit for a man like me.”

  For a moment, Violet could not speak, hearing herself described as almost an object that would fit neatly into her husband's life. It was as though she were a book that would slot into the others he kept on his shelf. Her shoulders slumped, the anger that had fired her blood slowly cooling as she stepped back and sat down in a nearby chair, suddenly feeling very weak.

  “That is to say,” Joshua continued, apparently seeing her dismay. “I was never inclined to wed a flighty young thing, who only cared for my wealth and status. I had always wished to marry someone who was something of a thinker, someone I could have real conversations with. You have shown bravery and fortitude, and your character – what I know of it at least – is certainly something to be admired.” He paused, and Violet saw him glance at Lord Taylor in desperation, as though needing help to complete his speech to her. “Is that such a bad thing?”

  Violet shook her head and passed a hand over her eyes. She now felt quite miserable, dejected even. “It is wrong when you use pretty words to tie your bride to you, my lord,” she said, softly, hoping that he would understand her meaning. “You should have told me the truth from the start although, if you were truly in such desperate need for a bride, I cannot understand why you wished to marry me so quickly.”

  Lord Taylor cleared his throat. “I shall go and fetch a tea tray,” he said, walking towards the door. “I won’t be long.”

  Violet did not care, her eyes now fixed on the floor, not even seeing the ornate designs on the plush carpet. She felt quite the fool, used and cast aside until her husband decided to pick her up again.

  “I suppose I must tell you the truth of it now,” she heard Joshua say, as he pushed another chair closer to her and sat down heavily in it. “Perhaps I ought to have done so from the start, but I did not wish to bring you any more anxiety after what you suffered.”

  A trace of worry began to swim through Violet’s mind, twisting her stomach as she brought her eyes back to his.

  “You are in danger,” he said, softly. “You were quite right when you stated that I only kissed you that night to keep your identity safe.”

  “Oh.” Violet did not wish to be right, having believed that she had been quite mistaken in the matter. A heavy weight settled in her soul, her entire being going limp with sadness. As angry as she was, she couldn’t deny the feelings for him that remained, and she had wanted to believe he felt something for her.

  “Unfortunately, Lady Beaumont practically shouted your name from the rooftops,” Joshua continued, sounding more than a little annoyed. “Although, thankfully, she did not say mine. Since then, these men have been hunting you.”

  “And you believe that you can keep me safe?” She saw the way his eyes looked into hers, filled with a sudden intensity that lifted her load just a little.

  “I have to,” he said, quietly. “The carriage accident – that was not an accident, my dear. I had to place you somewhere I knew you would be well protected. Even the staff were on their guard — and some were actually guards themselves!” He shook his head, letting out a heavy sigh. “You are my responsibility and this matter is something I am already involved in.”

  Violet’s mouth fell open as he quickly described to her all that he was doing, shocked beyond measure that an earl, a man of standing and quality, would be involved in an investigative service.

  "I am mostly in an organizational capacity," he finished, a half smile on his lips. "But this man, whoever he is, is involving himself and his men with gentlemen of high society. Those under me are not always able to place themselves in situations where the targets might be, so, in this case, and in some others, I am forced to become involved.”

  "And Lord Taylor?" Violet asked, breathlessly. She was struggling to take in what he was telling her, realizing that her husband was living two lives at once. He was not the man she had thought him to be.

  "Yes, he is involved also," Joshua replied, calmly. "It was he who was able to catch one of the men intent on capturing you at the ball, although the other managed to make his escape." A look of frustration crossed his face. "Someone is running a gang here in London, using it to push himself into a higher position of power and, for whatever reason, Sir Whitby was his next choice. He was to give something to this man, but as yet we do not know what that was."

  "And because he did not do it in time, he was killed," Violet murmured, the sounds of that night ricocheting around her head almost at once. "How terrible."

  “You witnessed it,” Joshua finished, gravely. “You are a liability.”

  “But they cannot know that I witnessed anything of the sort!” Violet exclaimed, her blood running cold. “It was dark! And what would I have said, anyway? To whom?”

  “None of that matters,” came a voice from behind her as Lord Taylor re-entered the room. “This group does not take chances. You will be dispensed with, should they manage to get a hold of you.”

  Violet shuddered violently, only to feel her husband grasp her hands and hold them tightly.

  “I am sorry that I told you such untruths,” he said, quietly, stroking the backs of her hands with his thumbs as Taylor made a show of concentration on pouring the tea. “I do want you to know that I find you a most admirable lady. I believe you are aware of just how much I am drawn to you, for that, at least, cannot be in doubt.”

  Knowing he was discussing their liaison the previous evening, Violet nodded jerkily, but, much to her relief, did not blush.

  “You must return now, of course,” he continued when she did not reply. “You cannot stay here.”

  Violet snorted in a most unladylike fashion, tossing her head. “My trunks are already on their way,” she said, firmly. “I am not about to hide up in the country whilst you remain here.”

  There was a brief silence.

  “But you must,” her husband eventually replied, sounding quite aghast at the idea of her remaining. “Surely you can see that it is the only way to keep you safe!”

  “No,” Violet answered, at once. “I shall be quite safe here, I am sure of it. Besides, I do not intend to remain uninvolved. No, I shall put my mind to good use for once. You investigate these matters because you are not content simply living in society. Why should it be any different for me? And I am sure you both need all the help you can get!”

  She turned her gaze back on her husband, seeing him staring at her with a horror-struck expression.

  “Tea, Lady Greville?”

  She smiled up at Lord Taylor as he held out a cup to her, seeing the slight twinkle in his eye. Clearly, he was quite enjoying Joshua’s comeuppance and, in truth, so was she.

  12

  It took the best part of a week for Joshua to become used to having his wife’s presence in the house. Her rooms were next to his, as was entirely proper, but he took great pains to avoid her company whenever he could. It was not because he found her distasteful, or her company unpleasant, but because he could not rid himself of the aching guilt he felt whenever he saw her.

  He had never expected her to come after him, had never thought that she would refuse to settle quietly in the country as he had hoped. Her actions were not what he had expected from a lady, but, then again, his wife was one of the more extraordinary ladies he had met – and Joshua discovered that he appreciated that about her.

  In addition to all this, Lady Greville had also refused to sit apart from him and Lord Taylor whenever there were matters to discuss. She had, to his surprise, made several fine propositions about how to find those who had killed Sir Whitby and, even now, Lord Taylor was following up on her
suggestion of how to extract more information from the man in custody. In all of this, Joshua felt his admiration for the lady grow, discovering that, at times, he could barely take his eyes from her. She was graceful, beautiful and intelligent, and he often found himself wondering what he had done to be blessed with such a creature as his wife.

  At night, he would lie awake in his bed, aware that his wife was only just in the next room. His mind would recall how he had taken her in his arms, the surprise and sheer bliss on her face as he had shown her what making love looked like between husband and wife. It had been a privilege to do so, and, at the time, he had fully intended to continue her instruction once he had returned from town, but now that she was here, he felt quite unable to go to her. The pain and hurt he had caused her was more than evident at times, in the way she looked at him or by the expression on her face. He had done her wrong but did not know how to make up for it.

  “Good morning, Greville!”

  “Good morning,” he replied, stumbling towards the table and passing a hand over his eyes. “You are here early, Taylor.”

  “That is because I was invited by your dear wife,” he replied, grinning at the yawn Joshua was quite unable to hide. “We are to discuss the details of the case.”

  “Oh.” Joshua had not known that this was to go ahead, although he did not mind in the least. It was about time they all discussed the situation and he was quite eager to learn whether Taylor had made any progress.

  “Not sleeping well?”

  Joshua grunted as he collected a few morsels from the dishes to his left, before sitting down opposite Taylor, who poured his coffee for him. There were no footmen or servants of any kind in the room, given what they were about to discuss was of an entirely secretive nature.

  “I’ll take it that no, you’re not sleeping well,” Taylor continued when Joshua did not reply. “What can be on your mind?”