A Season for Scandal by Golden Angel
Chapter 7
Elijah
The brunch was small, as the ceremony had been. The guests were made up of family, Josie’s closest friends, and Elijah’s father’s men, the latter there in case the traitor made their move. During the ceremony, Elijah had been far more focused on Josie, but during the brunch, he was grateful for the distraction. He needed time to rearrange his thoughts about how to deal with his bride.
Never before had he worried about being distracted by a woman. Then again, he had never had a wife. Or was it because it was Josie? He felt doubly responsible because he had always watched over her and Evie, and now her safety and behavior were even more his bailiwick.
Looking at his new bride, her pale face, his youngest brother’s words about him being better suited to Josie than Joseph ran through his head.
Surely not.
Then, he had not expected her to know anything about the Society—those within the Society of Sin called it ‘the Society’ as a way of differentiating it from ‘Society’ at large. Perhaps he should have. As young girls, she, Evie, Mary, and Lily had shared everything and were even closer now, if it was possible. Still, he would have thought the subject matter was too personal.
Well, he would not make that mistake again, and he would impress upon Josie the need to keep their personal business personal. He had not spent years cultivating his upright reputation for nothing. He had even stayed away from Rex and his other friends who indulged in the wilder pastimes, denied his urges, and only recently joined the Society because of the connection to the traitor.
Though he could not deny that returning to such pursuits had made him feel alive again in a way he had not anticipated, he would only be able to enjoy it until they caught the traitor. Probably. It would be difficult to give up again, but he did not like the idea of being unfaithful to his wife, even if he had not intended to marry. That was not who he wanted to be.
He would have to enjoy it while it lasted.
“I must tell you, the expression on your face does not reassure me that you are truly content with this arrangement.”
“It is a little late for that, is it not?” Elijah asked, amused as he turned to face his middle brother. Again, a pang of jealousy hit his chest when he looked at Joseph, reminded of Josie’s reaction to him in the receiving line. He shoved the emotion aside. He knew neither Joseph nor Josie would be the type to betray him, so his jealousy was unwarranted. Josie could not control her feelings for Joseph, and hopefully, those feelings would fade. Tonight, Elijah would get to work on showing her just how enjoyable marriage to him would be. He had found, over the years, giving a woman pleasure could engage her emotions as surely as anything else.
Joseph sighed, turning away and looking around the room at the gathered guests. His expression was fairly neutral, and only someone who knew him as well as Elijah did would see the guilt he felt.
“I know. I cannot help but feel this is my fault, that I should be the one marrying Josie today.”
“No, this was the right thing to do.” Elijah put his hand on Joseph’s shoulder, doing his best to comfort him without making it obvious. The last thing they needed was more gossip making the rounds. “She will be better protected with my title, and you and Miss Bliss will be able to marry and be happy. This way, I won’t have the matchmaking mamas throwing their daughters at my head anymore.”
With a snort of laughter, Joseph’s guilt broke. “They are likely very disappointed to miss out on a future Marquess, but there will be other quarry. You have taken Josie out of the petticoat line, which should make things easier for the rest of the debutantes.”
That was a fact. Beautiful enough to be a Diamond of the First Water, an Original, with her sunny and outspoken personality, well-connected, and with a substantial dowry, Josie was everything the ton expected a man such as he to want in a bride. She had been wildly popular among the gentlemen.
Elijah dropped his hand from Joseph’s shoulder as Rex ambled up. The leader of the Society of Sin always looked a bit out of place at formal gatherings, as though he was a lion who had been temporarily leashed but might decide to do away with his tether at any moment. He had lost some of his rakish air since becoming a married man. The matrons of the ton had been disgruntled to find the notorious Marquess of Hartford was in love with his wife and faithful to her.
Personally, Elijah thought they were all rather slow on the uptake. Rex’s reputation had become less deserved over the years. He was still the leader of the Society and wielded a great deal of power within Society, but his exploits had ceased years ago, and his proclivities became decidedly tamer. Elijah had been surprised how little Rex indulged in the Society’s decadences, even before his marriage to little Mary.
“Welcome to the club of married men. You will not be able to get rid of me now.” Rex smiled wickedly, his golden eyes lit with mischief.
“I never wanted to be rid of you,” Elijah protested, though he knew his words were not entirely true. After their school days, he had thrown himself into learning his father’s business and had not had time for his friends, especially scandalous friends like Rex, but he had missed him.
“Well, you will not be able to now, even if you change your mind.” Rex chuckled. “You are a married man, and your wife and my wife are practically joined at the hip.”
“Do not remind me.” Elijah scowled.
He could do with them being a little less joined, considering the scrapes Mary had gotten into recently—disguising herself and risking her reputation by going undercover into the Society, letting a man lure her into a carriage with a false story, and getting herself kidnapped. Clearly, time spent with Josie and Evie had rubbed off on her, rather than the other way round. Josie had better not expect to repeat Mary’s antics. He looked around the room.
“Where are they? They had better not be getting into more mischief.”
“They had to visit the retiring room,” Rex replied easily, amusement lighting his face. “I am sure there is not too much trouble they can get into there.”
Before Elijah could answer, a footman stopped in front of him with a note on a tray.
“This was delivered for you, my lord. The boy who brought it said it was urgent.” As Elijah picked up the note, the footman gave a slight bow before walking away.
“An urgent note of congratulations?” Joseph’s amusement was clear, and Rex chuckled.
Elijah ignored them, opening the crisp, white paper. Dark, bold letters written in a slanted hand jumped out at him, their threatening message clear.
Congratulations Durham. I am sure you think you thwarted me, marrying Miss Pennyworth in your brother’s place.
Enjoy your marriage while it lasts. Do you think your bride will enjoy being a widow more than a wife?
Jerking his head up, he cast his gaze around the room. Those who met his gaze started to smile, then looked away when his expression registered. None of them seemed suspicious.
“Go get that footman,” he ordered Joseph. “Get a description of the boy who delivered this.” It was an incredible long shot but worth trying. This was the first time the traitor had dared to contact him or anyone that he knew of directly. Joseph took off after the footman while Rex stared at him. “Go guard the retiring room. Keep your eye on the ladies. All the ladies. I will send help.”
Realizing the urgency of the situation, Rex hurried away without questioning him. Crumpling the note, Elijah set his jaw and strode across the room toward his father. They would have to end the brunch early to discuss this latest development.
Josie
“Do you have a particular fondness for retiring rooms at weddings?” Josie teased when she entered to find Evie as she had expected when Lily and Mary had come to fetch her.
“You are a wretch,” Evie said fondly, coming forward to hug her fiercely. “I cannot believe you are my cousin now.”
“You certainly do not look the part.” Josie wrapped her arms around her friend and squeezed tightly. Evie was dressed as a servant, as she had been at Mary’s wedding. She had applied makeup to her face to obscure her beauty and features even more than usual, and her long, dark hair was tucked up under a scarf. “And I married the wrong cousin.”
“I think you married the right one,” Lily interrupted, and Josie turned to glare at her, breaking apart from Evie. “Oh, do not look at me like that. I know you love Joseph, but he has caused you nothing but heartbreak over the years. Elijah has always looked out for you.” The statement was unnervingly close to what her mother had said.
“She does not look heartbroken today,” Mary chimed in, tilting her head to scrutinize Josie’s expression.
“Why are you all against me today?” Josie scowled. “Of course, I am still heartbroken. But I had some time to adjust my expectations.”
“Ah, yes, three days,” Lily said dryly. “Three days ago, you were crying into your tea.”
“What else am I supposed to do?” Josie was beginning to feel very cross with her friends. So, she was no longer bemoaning her fate or crying into her tea. She’d had all Season to accustom herself to the idea Joseph would marry Miss Bliss, and she would have to marry someone else. “I had the morbs, but now, I am going to make the best of my life. Besides, now that I am married to Elijah, surely I will be able to find out more about what he and Evie’s uncle are keeping from her about the traitor.”
“Do you think Elijah will let you?” Lily was clearly skeptical, pricking Josie’s pride. Let her. Since when had she ever waited for anyone to let her do something? The threat of being spanked by him had taken her aback, but now it felt more like a challenge. He thought he could keep her hemmed in with his threats, did he? Perhaps she might even be like Mary and would enjoy such activities.
Regardless, Josie had promised to help her friend, and she would. Besides, if the traitor was the reason for her being attacked and now married to Elijah, as Evie suspected, she had a personal matter to settle with the blackguard.
“Elijah shall not rule me.” She tossed her head. “I will do as I please, as I have always done.”
“This should end well,” Mary murmured. “You are going to have a very red bottom if you keep that up.”
“I did not need to hear that.” Evie nudged Mary with her elbow. “That is my cousin, remember.”
“You are the one who set me to finding out more about the Society,” Mary reminded her, bumping her hip against Evie’s. “It is not my fault Elijah joined. I didn’t want to see him in all his perverted glory.” Lily giggled, but Josie was suddenly ill to her stomach—even knowing about Elijah’s participation, she had not really thought much about it, especially since realizing she would have to marry him.
Would Elijah engage in the Society’s gatherings now that he was married? She could not imagine him taking her to such functions, which would mean he would go alone. Would he still touch other women, spank other women, now that he was married?
Josie did not like that idea at all. Even though she did not have the same feelings for Elijah as she had for Joseph, she realized she wanted some trust, faithfulness between them. What an awful time to have that revelation. It was a little late to discuss such matters with him, wasn’t it?
Sudden knocking at the door made all of them freeze. Evie shrank before their eyes, stepping back against the wall and blending in with her head down and hands folded properly in front of her, like a servant awaiting instruction.
“Mary? Are you in there?” Rex’s deep voice was easily recognizable, though slightly muffled by the door. There was a tightness to his tone.
Evie lifted her head to wave at them, the slight sheen in her eyes the only sign of her emotion. Josie’s heart thudded in her chest. She wished Evie could join them outside but knew Evie thought she was doing the right thing, and Josie believed she was as well.
“We are here,” Mary said, opening the door. “What is wrong?”
The moment he laid eyes on her, Rex’s broad shoulders relaxed.
“I am not sure. Elijah received a note, then sent Joseph running to try to discover the sender and me here to guard the three of you.” He cast his golden gaze over them as if taking stock of their well-being.
Josie’s curiosity was piqued.
“Where is he now?” she asked, stepping past Rex and into the hall. Something about the note must be very important, and she wanted to know what it said.
