A Season for Scandal by Golden Angel
Chapter 25
Elijah
“What did you do?”
Both of his brothers and his father glared at him from around the table after they had been informed Josie would not be joining them for breakfast. They had all caught the glance her maid had sent Elijah when she peeked her head in to whisper to the footman, who had passed the message on.
He had been waiting on tenterhooks for her to come down and join them, formulating both an apology and an explanation. Planning to ask her to walk with him after she had broken her fast, so they could speak about how they wanted to live. Something they had not done with the whirlwind of events that had precipitated their marriage. Hell, if they had done so before their wedding, or even immediately after, he would not have known what he wanted from her.
Now he did, and it was not that he wanted them to lead completely separate lives, far from it. He had not known, could not have known, back then that he would feel this way now. So, he would apologize for leaving her out and hope she would understand he was not used to having to be a true partner to someone and that he would try to do better.
Except she was not here. Only his brothers and his father, all glaring suspiciously at him and awaiting his explanation—probably as Josie planned. Despite his annoyance, a thread of amusement at his minx’s machinations trickled through.
He did not explain how it had come up since, so far, he had managed to conceal his injuries from the rest of his family, but he did admit he accidentally let the threat on his life slip to Josie and that she had not taken being left out very well. Adam and Joseph scoffed, shaking their heads and sitting back, evidently no longer blaming him.
“Of course, you did not tell her,” Joseph said. “She, Mary, and Lily are already far too involved in everything, thanks to Evie. If you had, they would have been sticking their noses into everything about the note.”
“Not to mention, what could she do but worry?” Adam shrugged, picking up a piece of toast to nibble on.
Only Father was silent. Elijah turned his head to look at him. Staring off into the distance somewhere at the end of the room, Father’s eyes were unfocused, as though he was seeing something none of them could.
“Father?” Joseph asked, frowning. Adam looked up, noticing their father was not in agreement with them.
“I would have told your mother,” Father admitted, giving his head a little shake and refocusing his attention on his sons. They all gaped at him. Father was the one who had drilled it into their heads that the women were to be kept well out of everything and protected, the way they had not been able to protect Evie after her parents died.
“But… why?” Joseph sounded almost lost at the realization Father would have done things differently. Elijah felt the same. He had not thought about it at the time, but he had assumed he was acting as his father would have in the same situation.
“Because your mother and I were partners.” Father looked down at his plate for a moment, then back up, taking a moment to get his emotions under control. He did not often speak of their mother. Adam was already leaning forward, hanging on his every word. Being the youngest, he had the fewest memories of her. “I know it is not common among our set to marry for love, but we did love each other. We were part of each other’s lives, and I would not have hidden something so important from her, nor would she from me.”
“Josie did ask me how I would react if she had received a similar threat and kept it from me.” Which still stuck like a pebble in his gut. Josie had been absolutely correct. The others all bristled at the idea. “I did not think of things like that. I wanted to leave her out of it entirely.”
“That is how many of our peers operate in their marriage,” his father said with a kind, sympathetic smile, which made Elijah feel even worse. “There is no shame in that.”
Except Elijah did not want a marriage like his peers. At least, not the peers his father was talking about. He wanted more than that. It had just taken him a while to realize it.
Joseph looked as if he was thinking deeply and was not entirely comfortable with his thoughts. So, at least Elijah was not alone.
Josie
Lady Chesterham’s tea was well attended, but it was easy enough to find a secluded corner where she could drag Mary and Lily, so they could speak more privately. There were many small tables set up around the patio and gardens, so the ladies could gather just outside the house if they preferred or wander through the flowerbeds and admire the scenery.
Josie thought the setup was rather inspired since she was not the type who enjoyed sitting and chatting for hours at a time. She would much rather get up and move. She appreciated Lady Chesterham’s foresight, especially since it gave her the opportunity to speak with her friends without the gossips listening in.
There was plenty of gossip flying, as there usually was at the teas. Josie thought the ladies needed the tea to keep their throats from drying out after all the flapping their tongues did. Thankfully, there were no gentlemen about, so Lily’s mother and godmother did not protest when Josie wanted to speak with Lily privately.
Parasols up to protect their skin from the sun, which was shining very brightly today, Josie led Mary and Lily to a corner at the edge of the garden, their backs against the hedges so they could see anyone coming upon them. Josie quickly revealed the events of the night before. Well, some of them.
The thought occurred, she could pay Elijah back by revealing his injuries to them, but she had decided against it. It might bring momentary satisfaction but nothing else. She would take the high road and demonstrate to Elijah what it meant to be a true partner, keeping his trust and his secrets.
She did tell Mary and Lily about her discovery there had been a threat against his life in the note from their wedding day. It made her feel better when both of them were aghast; they had forgotten about it as well.
“There has been a great deal going on, and nothing came of it,” Mary said comfortingly. Out of the three of them, Lily seemed the most upset such an important detail had completely slipped her mind. She had always considered herself a keeper of information.
“Nothing that we know of,” Josie replied darkly. Of course, something had come of it, with Elijah being attacked last night, but it was always possible there had been other attempts he had hidden from her. Something she would have to ask him about. Maybe she should not bother if he was going to hide things from her. He might not even tell the truth.
She wanted to be the person he did not hide anything from.
“I still cannot believe we completely forgot,” Lily muttered balefully. She brushed some of the dark strands of hair back from her face, a little wrinkle forming on her brow, and Josie knew she was committing today’s conversation to memory to make up for forgetting the note the last time. “I will need to update my notes.”
“See? That was the problem. You were not able to do so right away because you were at my wedding brunch.” Josie grinned as Lily glared at her, not at all soothed. That was Lily, though. She really was a bit lost without her notes. Josie sighed. “I do not know what to do. I am not even sure how Elijah feels about me or what he thinks about me, considering I wanted to marry Joseph not even a month ago.”
“And how do you feel about Elijah?” Mary asked softly, a knowing smile curving the edges of her lips.
“I am falling in love with him, fickle creature that I am.” Josie twirled her parasol above her head, avoiding her friends’ gazes. They had begun to speak of such things during her last conversation with them, but she had not been ready to confess that truth then… she was now. She had been too hurt this morning by his actions to believe her feelings for him were anything else.
Lily scoffed.
“We have already been over this. You are not fickle. You have discovered the man you thought you wanted was not as suited to you as the man you married. There is nothing wrong with that.”
The assertion dismissed so firmly in Lily’s brusque, sensible voice made Josie smile, although it did not entirely banish her own concerns.
“Then why does it feel like I should have realized all of this a long time ago?”
“You were too close to the situation to properly analyze it,” Lily said immediately. “And a bit too sentimental.”
Josie scowled at her friend. She loved Lily like a sister, but like sisters, they sometimes fought. Lily said Josie was too emotional, whereas Josie felt Lily could be rather cold when it came to empathizing with others.
One day, Lily was going to meet someone who made her feel deeply, and Josie was going to be there to witness it and rub her nose in it… just a little.
“Yes, well. It has also made me aware I have been remiss in my investigative duties.” She made a face. “Not that the gentlemen ever talk about anything important when I am about. Since I joined the household, they have become far more careful about what they say in private.” That and they were doubtless saving their conversations for when she was out of the house, like now. Newly wed to a future Marquess, there were certain social obligations she could not ignore.
“You should try starting a conversation with them about what we want to know,” Mary suggested. She twirled her parasol thoughtfully. “Ask Elijah about Talbot and Captain Jones. That should be innocuous enough, especially if he does not suspect Captain Jones.”
True. Josie had already meant to, but she had become distracted.
“Have the two of you learned anything further?” she asked and felt relieved, then guilty when both Mary and Josie shook their heads.
“Only that Collins did not have any close friends in the Society,” Mary said, making a little face. “Which I already knew from Rex, but I did want to make sure he had not missed anything. He had no reason to pay attention to Collins before all of this. Unfortunately, Carlisle has departed from London, and I do not think he will be back. I cannot blame him, but there are some questions I wish I could ask him. Rex and I will be touring his estates for our honeymoon as soon as the Season is over. We will find a reason to visit Carlisle’s estates.”
Something else Josie had not thought about—her honeymoon with Elijah. They were taking one, were they not? Probably round to his estates as well. That seemed like the dutiful thing to do. She would rather go to France, but since he had not asked, she would end up doing whatever he decided.
“Do you feel like this Season is slipping by us too fast, and you cannot keep up?” When she had thought of coming to London for her Season, she had dreamed of balls, of Joseph falling in love with her, of gentlemen thronging about her. Well, some of that had happened, but it did seem as though events moved so much faster here than in the country, and she could scarcely keep up. What she really needed was a good, long gallop on a horse. That was how she always did her best thinking.
City living had stuffed her head full of wool. The hours were exhausting, the pace draining, and though she loved the social aspects, she craved some time to herself to sit and think. No wonder she was forgetting so many things—she hardly had time to take a moment for herself.
“Absolutely,” Mary said with a sigh. “I think my Uncle Henry has the right of it, only coming to London every other Season. If Rex is amenable, perhaps we shall follow that example in the future.”
“Trust me, I am very glad this is my one and only season.” Lily turned her head, casting her gaze among the other guests at the tea. Although she appeared to fit in, with her lacy lavender gown and flowered bonnet, parasol at exactly the proper angle held in her dainty gloved hands, Josie knew Lily had been miserable with the constant socializing the Season required. “I will not be returning, no matter what Momma and my godmother want.”
“Perhaps you should hurry and find a husband before the end of this Season,” Josie teased. “That way, you will be able to do as you please.”
Lily made a face. “I will do as I please once I am home and without having a husband to manage. Both you and Mary have been extremely distracted since your marriages. Such a union seems more of a burden, despite the pleasurable compensation you have derived.”
Much as Josie would have liked to argue, there really was too much truth in Lily’s words. She had been distracted, but from here on, she was determined to fix it. Elijah had done her a favor this morning. She was certain she would find him far less distracting from now on.
