A Season for Scandal by Golden Angel
Chapter 26
Elijah
Venturing into Hyde Park atop Maximus, a glossy chestnut steed purchased last year at Newmarket, Elijah ignored the admiring looks from the carriages lined up along Rotten Row. The grande dames of the ton watched and gossiped from their barouches with debutantes and their mommas wedged between them.
The sandy path along the row was packed today, probably because everyone wanted to take full advantage of the pleasant weather. The riding paths through the park were equally congested. Elijah frowned as he made his way, looking this way and that for Josie’s apple-red riding gown and matching hat. She should stand out, even in this crowd, but he did not see her as of yet.
She must have been desperate to come here—whether for a ride, to be out of Stuart House, or both.
Hyde Park was not a place one could really ride, especially at the fashionable hour, and Josie was the type to want to gallop. Coming here, now, would be more of an exercise in frustration for her than anything else.
It was for him as well, mostly because it was so difficult to find the blasted woman. How was he supposed to sufficiently apologize if she would not even speak to him? Tonight, they had dinner at the Carstairs, followed by a ball at the Rochesters. Possibly, he could pull her aside for a conversation, but that was hardly ideal.
The door between their rooms was still locked. Unless he was of a mind to forcibly enter her room—an idea he immediately discounted—he would likely remain locked out tonight unless he could satisfactorily apologize beforehand.
A flash of red caught his eye. Maximus whinnied a small protest when Elijah pulled a little too hard on the reins when his head whipped around. There she was, riding sedately and discontented on one of the bridal paths by the hedges. Elijah’s groom trailed just behind Calpurnia, her spirited filly, who looked nearly as miserable as her rider.
Neither of them was meant to be plodding along. Josie had owned Calpurnia for three years, and Elijah had seen how the two of them moved together through the fields at home. They were even more in tune than he and Maximus, who immediately whickered when Elijah turned his head, and the horse caught sight of Calpurnia.
Sometimes, Elijah would swear his horse had a crush on Josie’s mare, if such a thing was possible. Without his prompting, Maximus picked up the pace to a fast walk and headed straight for Josie and Calpurnia, causing a small stir as he moved a little faster than the rest of the crowd around him.
Josie looked up, their eyes met, and something inside his chest twinged. There was a sadness to her gaze, one he had never seen before, and he knew it was his fault. Before he could truly process it, she had already pushed a smile onto her lips, but it was not a real smile. Her lips had curved, but her eyes did not sparkle, and her cheeks did not lift.
“My lady,” he said, maneuvering Maximus when he reached her, so they were next to each other rather than facing one another. “I came to join you for your ride.”
“I was just finishing.” Josie avoided looking at him directly, keeping her gaze on his chest. To passersby, it would appear to be a congenial conversation between newly wedded husband and wife, but Elijah could feel the tension coming off her. Yes, she was still upset with him.
“Then I shall escort you,” he replied, rather than taking the hint that she preferred to be left alone. Nose in the air, affecting a haughty demeanor, Josie nodded begrudgingly. They rode in silence, Elijah casting glances at her while she did her best to ignore him. He could only imagine what the groom behind them made of their interactions.
Part of him thought any gossip from his household about a rift between the two of them might be helpful to counteract anything Devon or Daisy might let slip. He had a private word with them this morning about not discussing his and Josie’s sleeping arrangements, and both swore, of course, they would not.
Elijah wanted to believe them, but he also knew it was possible the traitor had someone watching them from inside their own household. Paranoia? Perhaps. But after Josie had been set up by a letter from the false Joseph, Elijah felt it was justified.
Once they reached the stables, Elijah swiftly dismounted and came over to help Josie down. She pursed her lips in annoyance but did not protest. Both of them knew she did not need his help, even in her riding skirts while seated sidesaddle, but to make a fuss about something most ladies would require and enjoy would disturb the grooms. Josie would never do that.
Instead, she would hold it all inside until she could unload her ire... if it got to that.
The moment they exited the stables, leaving the grooms and horses behind, and Elijah could see there was a clear path with no one about to the house, he escorted Josie far enough they were between the two structures and away from prying ears, then halted.
Josie
Simmering with frustration and resentment over Elijah’s continued high-handedness, the last thing she expected when he brought them to a halt was for him to turn to her and apologize.
“I am sorry.”
There they were—the words she very much wanted to hear yet had not expected to. She blinked in surprise, taken aback, then frowned suspiciously.
“What are you sorry for?” For all she knew, he was apologizing for interrupting her ride. The little smile that curved his lips did not make her heart beat faster, ignoring that her pulse had sped up.
“I am sorry for not telling you about the danger I was in. I should have.”
Josie waited, but he did not add an addendum. It was nothing more than a simple apology, with no excuses, and it took her by surprise.
However, it did not contain everything she wanted, which was a reassurance she would not be so left out in the future. Only partly mollified, Josie crossed her arms, giving him her best gimlet stare. Not that she expected it to have much effect on his hardheadedness.
“And you will make sure you keep me fully informed in the future,” she said, prompting him.
Elijah hesitated, but only for a moment, before nodding.
“I will keep you fully informed in the future.”
“And will answer the questions I have right now.”
This time he laughed outright, but he nodded again, offering her his arm, and she took it. She could not help smiling as well, though the caution remained. He had already broken her trust once, and it would take some time to build it back up. She would be a fool to think it was this easy but would take advantage of what he was offering. Whether he could be trusted not to keep her out of things in the future, well… time would tell.
“Are you taking precautions for your safety?” If he was not, they were going to have another fight right now, and she would not hesitate to tell Uncle Oliver everything. Trust extended only so far as sensible behavior, and with a threat against his life and him wandering about the streets of London alone after dark… well, that was hardly sensible.
Elijah heaved a sigh.
“I can take care of myself, despite what you and my father think,” he said grumpily. Josie was relieved to hear she was not the only one so concerned. “Anthony and Nathan are supposed to serve as my guards most of the time, and my father was going to put a man on me whenever they were unavailable.”
“Then where were they last night?” The question came out a bit more sharply than intended, her hackles rising at Nathan’s name. If Lily’s correspondents were correct, and the Talbot estate was involved in some kind of nefarious activity, was the brother of the Earl of Talbot the best choice for a guard?
“I did not tell anyone I was leaving the house.” If he had, someone would have been sure to accompany him.
Josie pulled away, whirling to face him as he opened the side door to the house for her.
“That. Will. Not. Do.” She jabbed him in the chest with her finger, one jab for each word. She glared up at him when he grabbed her hand, keeping her from poking him again. “Next time you decide to go ‘thinking’ about the streets of London at night, you will inform me, and you will take a guard with you, so I do not have to worry the whole time.”
Elijah lifted her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles, and Josie eyed him suspiciously.
“As you wish, my lady,” he said before turning to escort her indoors.
Elijah
There was something freeing about telling Josie everything, and he finally understood what his father had said about marriage being a partnership. Of course, he did not want Josie rushing into danger or joining him in his investigations, but he felt a great sense of relief at no longer having to hide anything from her. Hearing her worry over him warmed him from the inside out.
Not that he thought she would be uncaring, especially after her upset about his injuries, but it seemed her emotions were far more in line with his own than he might have guessed. Did he dare hope he had already fully supplanted his brother in her affections? Or at least carved out his own place at least equal to Joseph’s in her heart?
“Tell me about Anthony and Nathan.” Though she was allowing him to lead her into the house, she was clearly not ready to let go of their conversation just yet, and Elijah had no qualms about that. Talking about his friends was something he could do without worrying about who was listening. Still, in case the conversation turned, he directed her down the hall to his study. The servants were moving about the household, cleaning and tending to their duties, preparing for supper and the end of the day.
“I met both of them through my father.” He knew she would understand they were already working for his father when he met them. Their friendships had grown from there. “They were both captains in the Army and served together in France. Anthony is half-French, so he was particularly well-suited to the assignment.”
As operatives of White Hall, neither of them had actually served with a battalion but had performed their duties in a far more dangerous manner, often alone. They had both saved many lives by risking their own for the information they obtained and even foiled more than one plot to put England and France at odds with each other yet again. Elijah was convinced they had prevented outright war, though they would never know for certain.
“Is he a second son?” The question was natural, as many of the ton’s second sons entered the service. Joseph had not, but that was because he was serving England in a different manner, the same as Elijah and Adam.
“No, his parents are merchants.” Solidly middle class, Anthony had slowly amassed a small fortune over the years with investments, something Elijah did not mention. He glanced down at Josie, but she did not seem perturbed by Anthony’s lower social status. Reaching his study, Elijah opened the door for her.
“And Nathan?” she asked as she walked past him, meandering to the chairs in front of his desk and settling down in one as Elijah answered.
“Ah, now he is a second son. His brother is the Earl of Talbot.” He followed behind her, seating himself in the chair across from hers. The masculine leather wingback nearly swallowed her, but she seemed perfectly comfortable, leaning on the arm thoughtfully.
“The previous Earl passed away recently, did he not?” A shadow flickered across her expression, and Elijah frowned. He had not realized the families were acquainted. The late earl had had little to do with polite society. A wastrel and a stain on the family name was how Nathan had described him. There had been no love lost between father and sons.
“He did.” Elijah knew his tone was short, and Josie looked at him questioningly, prompting him to provide an explanation. “This must not go past your ears—not even to your friends. The new earl is currently dealing with the debts his father left him. Part of the reason Nathan is in London is to manage things here while his brother tends to the mess the earl left the estates in.”
“Oh.” Josie’s eyes widened. “Oh.” Elijah nodded a bit grimly. He was showing a good deal of trust in her, telling her of the family’s troubles. The ton did not look kindly upon those in dire financial straits. An odd expression flitted across her face, and she appeared tentative, not a word he would have ever used for Josie. “You trust Captain Jones, even though he has financial difficulties?”
“With my life, as I have in the past. We have saved each other more than once.” He understood what she was hinting at, considering they knew the traitor was someone who knew the family, and those in financial predicaments could sometimes be bought, but Nathan was a man of impeccable honor. “You will understand once you get to know him better. Nathan would rather die than behave dishonorably.”
“What about his brother?”
“We have never met, but Nathan trusts him implicitly, and I trust his judgment. The two of them are determined to be the opposite of everything their father was.” Elijah hesitated then decided there was no harm in asking for reciprocity. “Now that I have shared, what about you… when was the last time you saw Evie?”
The smile that crossed Josie’s face was almost wicked. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief.
“Well, I have not seen her since our wedding day.”
Elijah blinked, his jaw dropping open. Evie had been there on their wedding day?
