by Platt, Meara
“Mr. Brayden,” her father said, tossing Finn a knowing smile. “It has not escaped my notice that you seem quite attentive to one of my daughters.”
Belle gasped. “Papa!”
Even though this was precisely the impression they’d meant to give, it was quite forward of her father to mention it here and now. “Our Honey is a lovely girl. You won’t find one finer.”
Honey choked on her tea. “Me? You think he’s…”
Belle saw that her sister was angry enough to spit nails. Angry for her sake, but Belle took it all in stride. She was used to being ignored and overlooked, dismissed as the pitiful sister for all her life. “It’s all right.”
“No, it isn’t.” Honey set down her teacup, and her hands were now curled into fists at her sides. “What makes you think Mr. Brayden is interested in me?”
Belle tried to calm her sister. “Truly. It’s all right, Honey.”
But her sister was now blinking away tears. “No, it isn’t.”
Her parents ignored both of them, for they were too busy staring at Finn. He frowned back at them, obviously about to rise to Belle’s defense, but a desperate shake of her head and the pleading in her eyes held him back.
He did not appear pleased but understood they were her parents, and she did not want him to interfere.
Their father turned to Joshua. “Captain Brayden,” he said, studying Joshua, who was in uniform and cut a fine figure. He served in what he considered a ‘bloody desk job’ acting as army liaison to Parliament. “Are you here to find yourself a wife as well? My three nieces will be arriving today, and I can assure you, they are all quite lovely.”
Now, Belle was ready to burst into tears.
She knew they loved her, but it was painfully obvious they considered her unlovable to anyone else. “Father…” Her heart began to skip a little too wildly because she was overset. Finn had made her feel beautiful, but this was the harsh reality. No one could stay in love with her. “Father…you cannot…” She began to cough. How could he assume Finn cared for Honey? Or that Joshua couldn’t possibly consider her. He’d offered up every Farthingale female of marriageable age except for her.
She was seated right in front of him. Was he that blind to her feelings? Her mother as well?
It doesn’t matter. Finn cares for you.
But it did matter terribly. These were her parents. Yes, they had far more serious concerns, but it had always been this way. Belle, you are the sickly one. She was the daughter to be pitied. No one could possibly want her.
Yet, she was as much to blame. Isn’t this exactly what she had been telling Finn? I’m no good for you. You’ll end up disgusted with me.
She felt her lungs tightening.
No. No.
Then Finn took her in his arms and kissed her brow. Finn was the one whispering encouragement and words of love. “Yes, Mr. Farthingale. I am courting one of your daughters. It’s Belle I love.”
His words were like a soothing balm.
His hands held the touch of healing she needed to steady her erratic breaths. “Finn, you don’t have to…say…”
“What? That I love you?” He did not appear to be uncomfortable uttering these words in front of everyone. “I’ve been an idiot, haven’t I?”
She didn’t know what he meant. “No, you’ve been…wonderful…to me.”
“I proposed to you and never told you how I felt. Farthingales marry for love. So do Braydens. We were even reading that book Violet gave you on the meaning of love. And yet, this is the first time I’ve ever said it to you.” He shook his head and sighed. “I didn’t even tell you. I told your parents. I’m so sorry, Belle. I’ve botched this again.”
“You’ve already proposed to my daughter?” Her father looked incredulous. He struggled to his feet. “To my daughter, Bluebell?”
Finn grinned at her. “Bluebell? Of course, all you Farthingales have flower names. I should have guessed.” He gave her arm a squeeze before she got upset again and responded to her father. “If marry me, Belle counts as a proposal, then yes. I have offered to marry your Bluebell.”
Her mother ran to her side and took her out of Finn’s arms to hug her. “Oh, my dear! We are so happy for you. We never…but it has happened. And now we shall plan a lovely wedding.”
Belle did not know why she was feeling so contrary, but she wanted to put a halt to any talk of weddings right now. Bluebell, indeed! And Finn was taking far too much pleasure in the knowledge of her given name.
“Bluebell,” he whispered, and she might have been more irritated if his smile wasn’t so affectionate.
But they needed to be free to go about Oxford looking for the villain who had hurt her father and was attempting to ruin his business, perhaps steal everything from him. They simply didn’t know enough yet to understand what was going on. “No wedding plans, Mama.”
She glanced at Finn, hoping he understood her purpose. If she agreed to marry him now, the entire week would be spent shopping for a trousseau and making arrangements for a grand wedding breakfast. They’d have no time to themselves to investigate. “Mr. Brayden has proposed to me, but I have not yet accepted him.”
To her relief, Finn did not appear at all put out. He understood her reasons, which had nothing to do with her not loving him. She loved him deeply, and he had to see it reflected in her eyes. It did not matter that he’d revealed his feelings to her parents first. All that mattered were the words, I love your daughter.
Love.
She would find a quiet moment to tell him she felt the same.
As the tension began to mount in the room, her parents obviously shocked and displeased to learn she had not accepted Finn yet, Joshua silenced them all by rising and clearing his throat. “I have a very important question.”
Her father frowned. “About why Belle is stubbornly refusing your brother’s offer?”
Joshua grinned. “Well, my brother can be an insufferable arse at times. I can certainly attest to that.”
Finn sighed. “What’s your question?”
He winked at Belle. “We know your given name is Bluebell. But what is your sister’s given name?”
Honey gasped. “Don’t you dare tell him!”
Joshua was not to be denied. “Honeycomb? Honeybear? Honeysuckle?” His gaze traveled back and forth between the sisters. “Oh, lord. They named you Honeysuckle? Damn it. Now I owe Lord Wycke twenty pounds”
It was Belle’s turn to gasp. “The two of you placed bets on my sister?”
Joshua held up his hands in surrender. “No…we…well, yes. But it isn’t as bad as it sounds. We didn’t…it was a friendly wager…”
Their father frowned. “Who is Lord Wycke?”
“No one important,” Honey snapped back. “Just an earl who’s about to die a slow and agonizingly painful death.”
Chapter Nine
Belle and Honey had traveled to Oxford in the carriage loaned to them by their Uncle John. The ever-reliable Abner Mayhew was their driver who would return them to London by the end of the week. Since they had the use of the carriage until then, Belle and her sister, and Finn and his brother, hopped in it the next morning. They told her parents they were going to visit Magdalen College, the school Finn had attended while at university. However, it was merely a pretext for spending the day in town to investigate what was really going on at their perfume shop.
Hortensia had agreed to keep their parents occupied at home. She was not pleased Belle and Honey were going about town in the company of the two Brayden brothers, but this was not London, and the rules were a bit more relaxed here. In addition, now that Finn’s intentions were known to be serious, there was less concern about appearances.
No doubt her parents hoped Joshua and Honey being thrown together would ignite a spark between them, but Belle had to admit she saw none. They were polite to each other and chatted amiably, but she knew Honey very well and saw no brightening in her eyes or light intake of breath whenever his name was mentioned.
Honey had spoken of Lord Wycke on the ride up here.
Was he the one?
Belle did not feel too badly for Joshua. He was quite dashing and considered an excellent catch. Perhaps one of her cousins would strike his fancy. Holly, Dahlia, and Heather were due to arrive later today.
She shook out of the thought. Her mind ought to be on their shop and the troubles going on there, not on matchmaking. Besides, Honey was frowning at the two Braydens who were grinning back at her. “If either of you ever dare to call me Honeysuckle or reveal my given name to anyone, I shall carve you into little pieces with the very large, very sharply honed claymore that hangs over our drawing room hearth. Got it?”
Finn and Joshua chuckled.
“Got it,” Finn said. “We give you our oaths. Right, Joshua?”
His brother nodded. “You have my word. I have no desire to be chopped up like overly ripe cabbage and fed to the hogs.”
The sun was shining, and the blue sky was dotted with puffs of white clouds as the four of them descended the carriage in front of Magdalen College. Belle liked the way Finn’s hands lingered at her waist as he helped her down. But they had much to accomplish today, and she could not afford to be distracted. “Abner, we plan to spend the day walking around the college. We’ll stop at the Ramsford Tea Shop afterward. Will you pick us up there at three o’clock? That ought to give us time to return home and freshen up before our other guests arrive.”
“As ye wish, Miss Belle.”
They all watched Abner drive off.
Belle assumed they would walk directly to their perfume shop, but Finn led her toward the college. “Let’s take a moment here first. We’ll visit one of my old professors and then head to the shopping district. We told your parents this was our plan, and I’d like it not to be an outright lie.”
So, they walked through the gate and met several of Finn’s professors. They appeared delighted to see him. “My brother may look like a fool, but he’s actually quite smart,” Joshua jested. “He graduated with honors.”
“And you?” Honey asked.
“Oh, I was sent down. The Oxford dons were quite disappointed in me, especially so soon after having my brother.” He shrugged. “Scholarly pursuits are not my strength. I attended Balliol College while here, but I preferred pursuing a career in the military. The army is where I belonged. Defending England. It’s a proud Brayden tradition.”
“You must have some intelligence if you were assigned as army liaison to Parliament,” Belle said. “Or does it only require you to have unlimited patience when dealing with the House of Commons and House of Lords?”
He laughed. “Aye, patience is a virtue. Also having a thick hide and an iron stomach for things can get mighty unpleasant in the bowels of government.”
They spent the hour touring the college and its beautiful chapel and grounds before heading to the Farthingale shop. Belle could not hold down her excitement. This was her haunt, her domain where she reigned supreme. Well, her nose reigned supreme, but this was no time to quibble. She’d missed working in the back room and missed the bustle of shoppers coming in and out its attractive front door.
The shop was a free-standing building, a charming structure of whitewashed stone with bright, yellow trim and a large window in the front with artful displays to attract customers. The door was an invitingly warm, sunshine yellow. The display cases inside the shop were mostly of glass and maintained to a high polish. The perfume bottles were designed by their cousin, Rose, who ran one of England’s finest pottery and glassware enterprises. The bottles were of delicate glass and were works of art in themselves, beautiful enough to rival the Italian Murano glass works in Venice.
Filling those bottles with scents to match the elegance of the glass was Belle’s responsibility. She couldn’t wait to show her work to Finn. They had yet to step inside, but it did not appear any construction was taking place in or around the shop.
“Oh, Finn. There’s no repair work going on here. Something is terribly wrong. Why do our parents want to keep us away?”
“I don’t know. How about you and Honey go browse in the haberdasher’s across the street while Joshua and I scout out your shop?”
She didn’t like the idea at all. “You won’t know what to look for. Honey and I would know immediately if anything seemed out of place. I think we should all go in.”
Finn glanced at his brother.
Joshua ran a hand through his hair in consternation. “She’s right, Finn. We’ll be there to protect them if we run into trouble.”
“Thank you, Joshua.” Belle took her sister’s hand and strode into the shop.
She and Honey had always gotten on well with the staff, but it seemed no one was happy to see them. Their head clerk, an older lady with gray-streaked hair by the name of Mrs. Wynne, scrambled down from a small ladder she’d been standing on to reach the upper display shelves. “Miss Belle! Miss Honey!” she said in an urgent whisper, fretfully glancing around. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Why not, Mrs. Wynne?” Belle exchanged a worried glance with Honey. “What is going on? The air is so thick in here, you can cut it with a knife. Please tell us what’s been happening. And don’t pretend nothing has. It’s obvious—”
She noticed a rather unpleasant-looking man come out from the back. He wore elegant clothes, but there was nothing elegant in his looks or manner. He was big and bulky and had a jowly, scarred face that had obviously been on the receiving end of several vicious street fights. She did not like the way he was smiling at her. “You’re the daughter with the nose,” he said, his gaze avidly fixed on Belle.
“We all have noses,” Honey shot back. “Who are you, and what are you doing in my sister’s laboratory?”
“Ah, and you’re the fiery one. The one they call Honeysuckle.” His expression turned lewd. “Come closer, sweetheart. I’d like to suckle–”
Finn and Joshua picked the man up as though he weighed no more than a child and tossed him out the front door. “Don’t ever show your face here again,” Finn said. “Touch either one of these young ladies and you’re a dead man.”
The man’s face was red with rage as he picked himself up off the street and dusted himself off. “You’ll regret this, you stupid London toffs.”
He appeared about to reach into his jacket, but Finn and Joshua reached into their boots and withdrew their pistols, aiming them straight at his chest. Finn emitted a low, predatory growl. “You were saying?”
The villain raised his arms and silently backed away, scurrying out of sight as fast as his legs would carry his portly frame.
Belle rested a hand over her heart to still the hurried beats.
Finn noticed. “Belle, are you all right? I’m sorry if we frightened you.”
She shook her head. “I’m fine.” But she turned to Mrs. Wynne. “Who is that man? What is his business with our shop?”
“Oh, Miss Belle! Your father will send me packing if I tell you. Not that I know anything, only…there are some bad dealings going on.”
“You’re here all the time,” Belle said, trying not to sound impatient. “Surely, you’ve overheard conversations. What did he and my father discuss?”
“Please, Mrs. Wynne,” Finn said. “I can’t protect Belle or Honey if I don’t have the information. I know Mr. Farthingale believes their remaining ignorant will protect them, but after this encounter, you know it will only place them in greater danger. It is obvious the man intends to harm them. Who is he? Do you know if he’s merely a lackey or the one running the operation?”
She glanced around nervously at the other clerks in the store. They all looked scared. She sighed, and after a moment, nodded. “His name is Mr. Runyon. He works for someone, but we don’t know who. Someone powerful, or with powerful connections here in Oxford. I think the trouble started with your uncle.”
“My mother’s brother, Jacob Ewell,” Belle said, turning to Finn and Joshua to explain. “He’s my father’s partner in t
he business.”
Honey frowned. “He’s also a gambler. Our parents have tried to hide this from us, but we know he has a serious problem. This could be how the trouble started.”
Finn turned to Mrs. Wynne. “Did their uncle lose his share of the business to this unknown, powerful man?”
She nodded. “I’m fairly certain of it.”
“And how often does this Mr. Runyon come around to collect what’s due from Mr. Ewell?”
The woman’s eyes began to tear. “At least once a week. But he’s also taking from Mr. Farthingale now.”
“Oh, dear heaven.” Belle’s hand went to her heart again. “Everything they’ve worked so hard to build up is now lost to some unknown snake? He means to chase my father out of the business and own it for himself, doesn’t he?”
Mrs. Wynne’s eyes were now tearing. “Yes, Miss Belle. I think he does.”
Finn put an arm around Belle’s slumped shoulders. “I hope that’s all he intends.”
“All?” She stared up at him in surprise. “Isn’t it enough?”
“Not for him. The business isn’t worth much without you. You’re the nose, and that’s why the Runyon chap referred to you this way when meeting you.”
Belle cast him an imploring look. “What can we do, Finn?”
He rubbed his hand along the nape of his neck. “I don’t know yet. Let me and Joshua do a little more investigating. I want to find out as much as we can about this Runyon fellow. I’ll have my Bow Street runners work on it. I already have them following him. Hopefully, he’ll lead them straight back to his employer.”
Honey’s eyes widened. “But how can your runners possibly do anything? We didn’t know the man existed until a few minutes ago. They’ll never find him in a city this size.”
Finn glanced at Joshua, who gave him an almost imperceptible nod. “Tell them, Finn.”
Belle looked at him. “Tell us what?”
“I brought two runners with me from London. They followed us up here and have been guarding you and Honey since we left your home this morning. They were standing on the corner when we tossed that vermin into the street. I only needed to motion to them, and they knew what I wanted them to do.”