A Season for Scandal

by Golden Angel

  “You are here with questions about lovemaking?” Rex’s expression went abruptly from disgruntled to sheer mischief, and he straightened his stance. “Was Elijah not good with his explanations?” His blue eyes snapped with glee that made Josie giggle, despite the circumstances.

  “Well, he left this morning before I could ask him anything.” There was no keeping the unhappiness out of her voice. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

  “Twit.” Rex shook his head. Again, like with Mary, his agreement of her assessment helped to cool her temper. “If you have any questions, you should come to the Society of Sin soiree at Lady Greywood’s tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” Josie’s eyes widened. “I can come?” That was most unexpected. Even knowing the circumstances behind it, Rex seemed to take her marriage to Elijah as an indication she would want to attend an event.

  And do you not?

  Of course, she did. She was curious.

  “Yes.” Rex shook his head. “As far as I know, Elijah is planning to attend. You are invited as well—with or without him.”

  Oh, Elijah was planning on attending, was he? Josie’s temper flared far brighter and higher than ever. That… that… twitty twit! Her chin lifted.

  “I will be there.”

  Elijah

  Returning home, Elijah did not know if he was more relieved or peeved to discover Josie had gone to Hartford House. Knowing how active she was, he was not at all surprised she had refused to stay home, even though she should have been learning the ropes of the house. On the other hand, when he checked in with Mrs. Brandon, she seemed well content with the direction Josie had given her before leaving. Which did not make him feel any better.

  He should have gone about his day, but after checking in with his father and relaying Nathan and Anthony’s information, he found himself hanging around the front room, spying out the window for a flash of blonde locks. So, he saw Josie when she returned home, her lady’s maid trailing just behind her with several packages. Gritting his teeth, he realized she must have gone shopping. Though what for, he could not imagine.

  Bounding into the foyer, he came to an abrupt halt when Josie entered, blinking in surprise to see him.

  “Ah, there you are,” she said as if she was the one who had been left waiting for him to return. Technically, she had been earlier this morning, but now it was midafternoon. He had returned long before she had. “I hope your business was completed successfully?” A delicately arched eyebrow skewered him.

  “Yes.” The feeling of being wrong-footed when he had come home before her did not sit well, but it did remind him he had been the first to leave the house this morning. Likely, she would not have left if he had not. “Did you enjoy your visit with Mary?”

  “Always.” Her smile was dazzling. “If you will excuse me, I must put away my purchases.”

  “What did you get?” Asking felt odd, but he was the one now paying for her extravagances. The dazzling smile became enigmatic as her chin lifted in challenge. One that made his palm itch… but to caress or spank?

  “Some things for me. I will show you later.” Her tone was tart and left no room for argument.

  Assuming this was part of his punishment for leaving her on their wedding morning, Elijah did not protest as she waved her hand, effectively dismissing him before heading upstairs. Watching her go, he did not even realize he was staring after her until she disappeared from sight, and he was still standing there like a fool. Shaking himself, he hied off to his study.

  Interrupting his day to take his new wife to bed would certainly cause the servants to gossip, which risked getting back to the traitor. He needed to keep his distance from Josie strictly within the bounds of propriety, even now that they were married, at least until his mission was complete. Thankfully, she should expect no less since theirs was not a love match.

  Why, then, did it make him so deuced uncomfortable?

  Chapter 14

  Elijah

  Josie was still annoyed with him, though she was pretending not to be.

  She would not fully meet his eyes over the dining room table. Her gaze glanced over him, dismissing him in that quiet way she had, the manner she had often employed once she had become old enough to realize how it grated on him. Unlike previous times, she still smiled and spoke to him as if she was not ignoring him, but he keenly felt the lack of her eye contact.

  Especially since she looked directly at his father and brothers when she spoke to them, including Joseph. Which made him grit his teeth, even though she did not look at Joseph any more often than she did the other two. Thankfully. If she had, he did not think he would have been able to contain his reaction.

  The rest of his family knew both of them well enough to pick up on the undercurrents. Joseph responded by withdrawing from the conversation and focusing on his food, Father did his best to keep the conversation engaging but inoffensive, and Adam decided to tell Josie stories the times Elijah had gotten into trouble.

  “A goat? He stole a goat?” Josie’s eyes danced with mischief, though they were completely focused on Adam, and she did not even glance at Elijah. “I do not believe you.”

  “Oh, yes. Stole it and delivered it to his professor’s office, where it ate everyone’s end-of-term papers.” Adam chuckled heartily, ignoring his eldest brother’s glare. Elijah wished they were seated a little closer, so he could give his youngest brother a kick under the table. He did not need his exploits repeated to his already willful and wild wife. This was going to come back to bite him.

  “No one could prove who it was,” he retorted, pretending to be affronted when in reality, he was fighting back a grin at the memory.

  It had been him, of course, as well as Rex, Lucas, and several other friends he had lost touch with over the years. Elijah had been the one who had done the actual stealing, but it had been Rex’s idea. Professor Pince had not been well-liked.

  Elijah would never admit it, especially not in front of Josie.

  Adam winked at her.

  “Not denying it, is he?”

  “Enough tormenting your brother,” Father interjected with an amused smile as Elijah bristled. “What is everyone doing tonight?”

  “Josie and I are staying in.” It would be expected since their wedding had been yesterday. In a few days, they would rejoin the ton’s end-of-Season activities, giving everyone a good look at them before the departure from London commenced. It also would give Elijah some time to search for their elusive Frenchman the next few evenings.

  To do something.

  Tomorrow he would also attend the Society of Sin’s gathering. Lurking to see if there were any other traitors in their midst and questioning the rest of the members about their conversation with Collins, hoping they might know something. So far, none of them had been informed why Collins had disappeared, and the Earl of Carlisle had retreated back to his estates.

  “I am joining some of my friends at Gentleman Jim’s.” Adam leaned back in his seat. As the youngest son and the least interested in the marriage mart, he was able to eschew the ton’s regular amusements. Unlike Elijah, who would have to do the pretty with Josie until the end of the Season or invite all sorts of gossip, he would not countenance.

  “And you, Joseph?” Father asked when Joseph did not immediately chime in. He jumped slightly in his chair as though he had been lost in thought.

  “I am escorting… I mean, I am going to the Brockman’s ball tonight.” Joseph looked straight at Father as he abruptly changed what he was saying midsentence, yet he might as well have stared straight at Josie rather than avoiding her gaze completely. Now, Josie was not looking at Elijah or Joseph. Her expression was completely blank.

  They all knew Joseph had been about to say he was escorting Miss Bliss to the Brockmans. Elijah ground his back teeth, watching his wife carefully. Did it hurt her to hear? It must, even after their wedding and last night’s passionate consummation.

  Which hurt him.

  He hat
ed to acknowledge the truth, but there was no denying it.

  Knowing there was a part of her that still had feelings for Joseph felt as if someone had stabbed him through the chest.

  Bloody hell.

  “Wonderful,” Father said with false cheer, probably wishing he had not asked. The air was tense around them, the awkwardness hanging like a sodden aura. “Well. Who would care for some port?”

  Josie

  After an exceedingly awkward end to dinner, everyone decamped, including her and Elijah. He took himself off to his study—again—leaving her to wander the house. Thinking about him. Thinking about Joseph.

  Oddly, she had not thought about Joseph all day, not until she realized he was escorting Miss Bliss tonight. It had not hurt, but she did not know how she felt. How she was supposed to feel.

  Sadness had been her first thought, but not the sadness of heartbreak. It was more like grief, yet not grief over Joseph. Grief over the dream she had held on to for so long. How lowering to realize her emotions had not been engaged in the manner she thought. Lowering, yet… freeing because she had not married him.

  It would have been awful to have wed him, only to find her love for him was not what she thought it was.

  Wandering to the foyer, she came to an abrupt halt when a man she did not recognize was standing there. He turned to face her. His clothing was well kept, though not expensive enough to be that of a lord’s, but the brazen way he ran his eyes over her showed he still had the arrogance of one.

  “My lady.” He bowed, but there was something off about both the movement and his expression as if he was making a mockery of the genuflection. “Congratulations upon your wedding.”

  Josie stiffened. The slyness in his voice made it clear he knew how insulting he was being. Polite society did not offer the bride congratulations. It was not said out of ignorance. He was insinuating she was a fortune or title hunter, one who had won the game, which was the only reason to choose that particular phrase.

  “Thank you,” she replied coolly, lifting her nose and eying him like the slimy worm he was. Though he was rather attractive in a way, his manner made her skin crawl. “And you are?”

  “Mitchell!” Elijah’s voice barked out loudly, with a faint echo as it bounced off the floor and ceiling. Turning her head, Josie watched her husband stride down the hall, a storm cloud expression on his face. The kind of expression he got when she and Evie had really and truly stepped in it. He might have said the man’s name, but his eyes—his glare—were directed at her.

  Josie bristled. Why was he glaring at her? She glared back, her temper already sparking. There were plenty of pent-up emotions from the day to fuel her—him leaving her bed first thing in the morning, not once mentioning the Society of Sin’s event tomorrow, and now glaring at her for no reason. It seemed he was not happy to see this man in the foyer, but that was hardly her fault, now was it?

  To her surprise, Elijah averted his gaze, transferring his glare to the man, who seemed to shrivel a little.

  “Who let you in, Mitchell?”

  “I let myself in.” The man shrugged insouciantly. “I did not think it would be a problem. It never has been in the past.”

  There was no mistaking the unhappy expression on Elijah’s face.

  “Do not do so again. Father and I will be changing the protocol. He is in his study. I will meet you there.”

  Mitchell gave another sardonic bow, this one directed to Elijah, before glancing at Josie and giving her another half bow. Coming down the last few stairs, Elijah stood between them, cutting off her view with his broad back to her. She could hear Mitchell’s footsteps moving down the hall, away from them and toward Uncle Oliver’s study.

  Only then did Elijah turn around to face her. She was waiting, with arms crossed over her chest, one foot tapping impatiently, and an eyebrow arched. Not that her clear displeasure had any effect on him.

  “Stay away from Mitchell,” he ordered, in the bossy tone that had always driven her up the wall.

  “Why?” Not that she wanted to spend any time with the man, but she did not like Elijah ordering her around without explanation.

  “He is no gentleman.” The stiff manner of his statement had her suspicions rising even more.

  “In what way?”

  “Dammit, Josie, can you not just do what I say for once?”

  “No.” She snorted. “Not without good reason.” He did not need to know she had no interest in being anywhere near this ‘Mitchell.’ Josie did not appreciate his high-handed orders without explanation and would not bow to them. If that was the kind of woman he wanted, he would have done better to court Miss Bliss, like his brother.

  “Just stay away from him.” Rather than giving her a satisfactory answer, Elijah turned on his heel and followed Mitchell down the hall. He glanced over his shoulder. “And no eavesdropping!”

  Pressing her lips together, Josie whirled and stomped up the stairs, not caring how childish it was. Elijah was determined to cut her out of everything. This evening, she would entertain herself, and tomorrow evening, she would join the Society of Sin for the first time. See what he made of that! Ha!

  Elijah

  Hearing Josie’s tantrum all the way up the stairs, Elijah rubbed his palm against his thigh. The urge to go after her and spank some sense—and respect—into her sassy bottom was growing stronger by the minute, which was why he had had to turn heel and retreat. He could not just throw his new wife over his knee and spank her.

  Why not?

  Ignoring the insidious little voice, he continued down the hall. He should be wondering why Mitchell was here, but all he could think about was seeing Mitchell eyeing Josie. She was beautiful this evening, despite being dressed to stay in. If anything, the simple green gown was even more appealing than some of the more elaborate ballgowns.

  Certainly, it would be easier to take off her.

  If she allowed him to after that little scene. Perhaps it would be better to eschew visiting her bed chambers tonight. The idea of going from her bed tonight to the Society of Sin’s gathering tomorrow… well, it did not feel right. Better to stay away from her bed this evening. Not only was she cross with him, but it would help damp down any possible gossip from the servants about their feelings for each other, and he would not feel as though he was hopping bedsheets.

  The small tiff in the foyer would also help stomp on any gossip about a possible love match between them. It was more like business as always, which was unfortunate. Elijah was not going to explain himself to her, though. Mitchell’s unsavory nature was not fit for a lady’s ears, and Josie should trust him to guard her best interests. Why could she not follow directions?

  “Mitchell, what brings you here?” Father asked as Elijah slipped through the door. Rather than closing it all the way, he left it cracked open, allowing him to see down the hall. If Josie came back down to listen to their conversation, he would see her approach. He leaned against the door, watching the hall as he listened.

  “Rumors, my lord,” Mitchell said, seating himself in one of the chairs in front of Father’s desk. “Rumors of a Frenchman who came over with the delegation but is not part of the delegation. Supposedly, he disappeared after they disembarked from their ship and has been seen in the Warrens.”

  The Warrens were one of the worst parts of London. The streets were ruled by the most vicious denizens of the underground, many of who had built wealth through nefarious means or the gaming hells they ran. Ladies never stepped foot there, and only those lords who were there to gamble dared venture forth.

  “Do you have confirmation?” Father asked, sitting up with interest. If there was a Frenchman who had broken off from the main group and was now lurking in the Warrens, there was a good chance he was the one who had set up Josie at the ball.

  “Not yet, but I am working on it.” Mitchell sounded very pleased with himself, as well he should. This might be their first break. Elijah might not like Mitchell, but he had his uses.

&nb
sp; Chapter 15

  Josie

  Elijah had not come to her room last night. She had waited and waited, wearing a lovely nightrail with lace over her bosom, intended to titillate, until she heard him return to his room. Listening to him moving around—albeit quietly—until there was silence. Then scowled when she realized he was not coming in.

  Why not?

  Had he worried she would question him about that Mitchell person? She had known better than to eavesdrop after he had told her not to. He would have been watching out for her presence, so she had stayed away. But she was burning with curiosity. Still, was that enough reason for him to eschew her bed? Josie scowled at her reflection in the mirror as Debbie did her hair. She did not think so.

  Or, perhaps, he had only come to her bed that first night because it was expected? To consummate the marriage.

  Something twisted in her stomach. Tonight, the Society of Sin gathered. Was Elijah going? Was he planning to hide that from her?

  Was he going there to be with another woman?

  The very idea he might be waiting to be with another woman, to touch her the way he had touched Josie, to pleasure her… made her want to scream and rage, then cry. Far more so than when she thought about Joseph with Miss Bliss. She could hardly deny her feelings for Elijah had changed, even if it was only the desire of a wife to have a loyal husband. She felt possessive. That was all. She had never expected Joseph to be faithful to her, only hoped he would return her feelings, but she had never expected Elijah to be untrue, no matter how common it was among the ton.

  “My lady? Are you well?” Debbie’s concern reminded Josie she was not unobserved.

  “Yes, I am fine, thank you. Hungry,” Josie tacked on. Debbie had been with her long enough to know she was a bear when she was hungry. The fashion was for ladies to be circumspect about eating, but for Josie, it had been a choice between unfashionably feasting or growling at the rest of society. Her mother had always chosen to let her eat.