by Golden Angel
“I should come with you.”
“Absolutely not,” he and his father said in unison, horrified by the very idea. They exchanged a quick glance, and Father grasped Josie’s arm.
“The Warrens are no place for a woman unless she’s… well, suffice to say, the only women there are the ones…” Father floundered to find a genteel way to tell Josie the only women in the Warrens were lightskirts and not the best quality of those. Since Elijah did not have any suggestions and was perfectly happy to let Father explain to Josie why she could not join him, he kept his mouth firmly shut.
Josie rolled her eyes at both of them. “The whores? I am not entirely naïve, you know.”
Josie
Men… always thinking they knew better than everyone. She enjoyed seeing their expressions when they realized she knew exactly what Elijah’s father was referring to.
She would spare both of them the knowledge it had been Evie who had educated Josie and the others about the occupations available to women who had fallen on hard times and did not have the skills or opportunity to find other avenues of work. There were not many opportunities at all for women, especially women on their own. Evie had explained the different levels of selling oneself, from the mistress of a wealthy man all the way down to the three-penny-uprights.
Josie knew about the Warrens and gaming hells. She might not have heard of the Tramp’s Den, but it was hardly the only gaming hell located there.
Uncle Oliver coughed.
“Yes, well, it is no place for a lady and not at all safe. Elijah will be far safer without your presence since he would have to protect you.”
“I am not sure an armed guard could protect a lady like her traveling through the Warrens,” Elijah muttered.
“A lady like me?” Ready to be indignant over the perceived insult, her feathers were soothed by his answer.
“A beautiful, wealthy one.”
Hmphing, Josie subsided, looking between father and son. They were two peas in a pod, nearly identical in their expressions and looks. It was a little disconcerting if she was truthful, but Josie would not wither under their combined censure. She was made of sterner stuff.
However, she also recognized when to make a retreat.
For all Elijah’s talk about including her and treating her as his partner, it was clear he had only meant in a very limited sense.
“Very well.” Her waspish tone did not need any pretense to achieve. While she fully planned to work around their dictates, she was still peeved what she thought she and Elijah had agreed to was clearly not what he thought they had agreed to. “I shall expect your report later.”
The glance the two men exchanged before she whirled away and stomped upstairs did nothing to cool her temper. Wisely, Elijah did not follow her. She would have sent him away with a scathing retort, no matter how good his apology was.
She needed time to think and plan, to also find the only pair of breeches she’d brought to London. Although she had known she could not use them to ride in the city, she had still brought them, unable to imagine being without at least one set.
A good thing. She was going to need them tonight.
While she should avoid the Warrens as herself, there was nothing to say she could not venture there in disguise. Going as any kind of woman seemed far too dangerous for her liking, but there was another option.
Making another hmph, she shook her head. Men. Sometimes they had so little imagination.
Her bottom cheeks seemed to tingle as if in warning of punishments to come, but there were some things that were worth a little pain.
Elijah
Despite Josie’s anger at being left out, in the end, Elijah knew she would see this had been for the best. Hopefully, she would also be mollified by his full report when he returned. Why she had expected to be allowed to go into such a dangerous area with him, he did not know, but he expected it was a result of her worry over the injuries he had received the last time. When he returned unharmed, she would feel less anxious in the future.
She made things easier on him, claiming a megrim and canceling their plans for the evening. Now he did not have to slip away from the guests, leaving her behind. Everyone would assume they had decided to stay in together. It might cause gossip about whether they had become a love match, especially since there were already those who thought so, but that was hardly detrimental.
They were not wrong, though Elijah hoped the traitor still thought they were.
At midnight, Elijah left the house, his cane firmly gripped in his hand. He would hardly be the only tonnish gentleman making his way to the gaming hells in the Warrens, and it was early enough in the night, no one would think even a single gentleman was a good mark. Leaving was the greater danger when the ruffians would assume him tired, drunk, and distracted. The last time he had been two out of three. Still, he kept a weather eye out as he moved through the streets, feigning looking around lazily when, in fact, he was sharply aware of everything going on around him.
Which was why he quickly realized he was being tailed as he grew closer to the Warrens.
He wasn’t sure when he picked up the follower. All the streets, respectable and otherwise, were fairly crowded at this time of night, but he was still sure he was being followed. His pursuer was not good at hiding his movements, and Elijah caught more than one glimpse out of the corner of his eye. It might not have amounted to much, except the lad was clearly focused on Elijah rather than following the same path.
A few more turns and glimpses had Elijah more and more confused, wondering if the lad was a distraction from the real threat. Or just watching to see where Elijah was going? The flashes he saw gave him the impression of a slender youth, inept at following and certainly no real threat.
It was not until he glimpsed a blonde curl, peeking from beneath the lad’s cap, that Elijah realized he might not be a lad at all.
Shock.
Denial.
Fury.
The emotions assailed him, battering him like blows to his stomach and chest.
She would not.
The thought had no sooner flickered through his mind than another followed it, acknowledging reality rather than trying to reject it.
She would.
Just as when the letter from Mitchell had arrived, Elijah knew it deep in his gut, it was no lad trailing behind him through the Warrens—it was his wife.
Josie
Breathless, Josie grumbled under her breath as Elijah suddenly picked up his pace, turning a corner. She had to hurry to keep up with him.
Following someone was much harder than she had imagined, even in her comfortable breeches, where she did not have to worry about her skirts tangling or getting caught on anything. She thought Elijah might have glimpsed her once or twice, and she could only hope he did not realize she was following him. From the way he moved, his head turning this way and that, she knew he was keeping his promise to keep an eye out for any hint of danger.
The smells of the streets had grown worse as they’d moved along, the people on them rougher. Josie had taken the time to dirty her appearance and her clothing as she moved along, noting her surroundings and the people she was passing, and no one gave her a second glance. Most of them were too busy minding their own business. Their gazes skipped over her as being unremarkable and unthreatening, just the way she wanted it.
Now, she drew a few unwelcome glances as she picked up her pace, people curious why she was rushing. Elijah had turned the corner so quickly, she was worried he was close to his destination, and she did not want to miss it. There were few signs or indications of what was in each of the buildings she passed. Some were small, some huge, and everyone knew where they were going… except her.
Blasted Elijah knew where he was going, and the last thing she needed was him disappearing into some building and having no idea which one. She did not know if she could find her way back to more respectable streets without following him back.
Cursing under her breat
h, she rounded the corner at a near run and slammed into something both soft and hard. Hands gripped her arms, keeping her from falling over, and her head jerked upwards to stare into the dark, menacing eyes of her extremely displeased husband.
“Oops,” Josie said.
Chapter 29
Elijah
Oops? Oops?!
He was going to throttle her. Of all the hare-brained, ninny-headed, batty-fang, daft—
“My lord?” Mitchell’s smooth tones interrupted Elijah’s glaring, making both him and Josie jerk their heads up at the interruption. He felt Josie sag slightly in his grip—in relief? Ha. If she thought Mitchell’s interruption would save her later…
Mitchell was perturbed, not surprising since he likely did not recognize Josie. Despite his protective rage, Elijah’s brain was working enough to admit Josie had done a passable job with her disguise. Other than the blonde curl peeking out from under her cap, her hair was completely hidden, her face, clothes, and hands appeared grimy, and the bagginess of her shirt hid her curves completely.
Which was why it had taken him so long to realize she was not what she seemed.
“Do you need me to take care of… this?” The disdain in Mitchell’s voice as he eyed Josie made Elijah realize Mitchell not only thought Josie was a lad but was a threat that needed to be dealt with.
Moving her away from Mitchell and partially behind him, he glared at the other man.
“This is my wife.” The words came out on an unhappy growl, and Mitchell’s eyes widened, taking a step back. As usual, he was dressed to the nines. Though his sartorial splendor could not reach that of Elijah’s, he still looked every inch the proper gentleman. It occurred to Elijah someone who was so meticulous about always appearing his best would not imagine a lady of the ton might dress up as a boy and dirty herself in disguise. So, he did not feel as bad about his own blind spots.
“Your wife?” Mitchell’s tone was incredulous as he tried to peer around him, and Elijah could not entirely blame him. He had insisted on seeing Josie as a flibbertigibbet debutante, even when Elijah and Joseph had tried to correct that impression. “What on earth…?”
That was Elijah’s question as well, but he did not like to hear it repeated by Mitchell. It was not Mitchell’s place to question Josie’s actions.
“You will have to excuse me, Mitchell. I need to take my wife home.”
“No!” Mitchell and Josie spoke in unison, both just as vehement.
“My lord, you might miss this opportunity to find the Frenchman if you do,” Mitchell said, frustration coloring his words, but no more than Josie’s did.
“Absolutely not, Elijah. If you think I will not follow you right back out again, you are wrong.”
Casting his eyes heavenward, Elijah gritted his teeth and sent a desperate appeal to the Almighty for patience. He loosened his hold on Josie, his hand itching to turn her over his knee, but this was not the time nor the place. Eventually, her bottom would pay a heavy price for her recklessness.
When he straightened his neck, Josie was glaring at him, and Mitchell was glaring at Josie. Which made Elijah want to punch Mitchell in the face, even if he had the right of it. Shaking his head, he looked around as if seeking inspiration for his next action from the streets around them.
There were a few passersby, but the shadows were deep. He could not send Josie back the way she came on her own. Even with the dirt, she made too pretty a lad, and someone was bound to notice. At this time of night, there would be those looking for entertainment.
“Go inside and look for the Frenchman,” Elijah ordered Mitchell. He could not think when he was distracted by the other man’s disapproval of Josie.
Crossing her arms over her chest, Josie glared back at him, not watching as Mitchell walked to the next building down and entered, shaking his head and muttering under his breath.
“What the devil were you thinking?” Elijah wished he had not let go of her arm. He would have shaken her if he was still holding onto her, but she was standing far enough away, she would easily elude him if he reached for her again. The desire to drag her home, tie her to the bed, and spank her bottom red, then leave her there to think about her actions until he could return to deal with her was strong, but Mitchell was right. Elijah did not want to miss his opportunity to find the Frenchman. That left only one option, but he did not want to do that, either. “Do you have any idea how dangerous following me was?”
“Of course, I do,” Josie scoffed. “That is why I brought this.” Reaching into the short coat she was wearing, into a pouch tucked between her arm and her side, she pulled out a pistol. It was dark enough, Elijah could not see exactly what kind, but he made a strangled noise in his throat.
Elijah was not the only one who had seen the gun. Movement along the side of the street caught his eye—someone stepping back into an alley when they caught sight of Josie’s gun. He did not blame them. He wanted to flee as well, even though she was holding it safely, with the barrel pointed to the ground.
“Do you even know how to use that?” he demanded, squashing the urge to reach out and grab it, which might be just dangerous if she did not.
Josie scowled at him.
“I will have you know I am a crack shot.” Josie sniffed. “You can ask your brothers. Unlike you, they were not too stuffy to teach mere girls to shoot.”
“What if someone had come up behind you and surprised you? You had it tucked away in a pouch. What if they had come at you so quickly from the front, you did not have the time to draw it? What if it misfired? What if you were vastly outnumbered?” Elijah glared, firing off the questions rapidly. “Did you consider any of that? Or did you think having a weapon made you invincible?”
Josie
Barraged by an attack of logic rather than emotion, Josie was taken aback. She had been ready for Elijah’s fury, his shock and outrage, but not questions. There were several factors she had not considered.
But…
“Why would anyone do any of those things?” she demanded. “I am just a boy on the streets. I brought this to protect you, not me.” The nincompoop.
“These streets can be as dangerous for boys as they are for women, especially pretty boys like you.” Elijah took a step closer.
Even in the dim lighting from the moon, which barely trickled down into the dark streets, she could see his eyes flash as they traveled over her shape, the same way they did when she was wearing a revealing gown. Josie’s breath hitched.
“The Society of Sin is not the only place where men prefer the company of other men, but only those who want to be part of the Society are there. Elsewhere, young men and boys meet the same fate as women, and you make a very pretty boy.”
Josie’s jaw dropped in shock, and she blanched when she realized how deadly serious he was. She had thought dressed as she was would protect her. She did not appear prosperous or a likely prospect for thieves and pickpockets, but she had not considered someone might want something… else. Some of the fleeting glances others had cast upon her as she made her way through the streets ran back through her head, seen from a different lens.
When Elijah put it that way, her behavior had been more foolhardy than she had considered. Evie had mentioned none of that. Then again, Josie was sure there was a wealth of knowledge Evie had not had the time or inclination to pass on to her friends. Evie would have focused on what she felt they needed to know, not the things she did not think would affect them. She had never imagined Josie dressing as a boy to sneak through the worst parts of London in the middle of the night.
“Well, I made it here safely enough. Just like you when you wandered about alone. Unlike you, I have received no specific threats against my life.” So there. Her chin jutted out stubbornly, and Elijah glared even harder.
“You were lucky. What was your plan if I was attacked? You might have accidentally shot me, especially if I was ambushed.”
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a pair of brass knuckles, and El
ijah groaned.
“Now you’re a boxer, too?”
“Lily is the best boxer, but I am not terrible,” Josie replied stiffly. Her husband stared at her, completely dumbfounded.
“Lily? Sweet, quiet, buried-in-her-books Lily is the boxer?” Disbelief dripped from his voice.
“She is the strongest of us, probably from carrying all those books she likes to read.” Josie preferred shooting things, whether with a bow or a gun, whereas Lily had excelled at fencing and boxing. “Did Joseph never tell you about the time Lily gave him a bloody nose?” Going by Elijah’s expression, Joseph clearly had not, and Josie shook her head. That was what Elijah had missed by being several years older than the rest of them. She almost felt sorry for him. “You are always underestimating us.” No wonder he was so hot under his collar about their safety. He had no idea of their abilities.
Mary was the only one who had avoided Evie and the Stuart boys’ lessons, though sometimes, she had read in the corner while they were going on.
“My lord.” Mitchell’s voice interrupted them, filled with excitement. Elijah whirled around, and Josie moved to the side, so she could see the other man. The hat on Mitchell’s head kept his face shadowed, but she could still tell he was excited. “He’s here.”
Her own excitement leapt. Elijah would never leave now, which would give him no choice but to let her stay. Unless he tried to send her back home with Mitchell, in which case she would remind him that he had warned her to stay away from the man.
She knew she was going to have a pair of seriously sore buttocks, but that only made her more determined to see this through. If she was going to have to pay the piper, she wanted the prize.
Elijah closed his eyes, screwing up his expression, and she nearly cackled with glee. It was happening. Quickly smoothing out her expression before he opened his eyes again, she did her best to appear somber when their gazes met.