by Jenna Brandt
The duke spent the rest of the song spinning her around the dance floor. By the end of the waltz, he was making her promise him a second dance later in the evening. Though she had gained no information regarding Isadora’s death, she had managed to gain an admirer. Unwanted as his approval was, at least he wouldn’t care if she looked around his home.
Josephine quietly slipped out of the ballroom and made her way through the halls of the large estate. Four passageways later, she found what she thought was the study. She entered the room and made her way through the bookcases and desk. When she was certain she had depleted all her options, she realized there was nothing to rule the duke in or out as the blackmailer. She wondered what else she could do to investigate him.
She was about to leave when the door opened suddenly. She froze in place, worried who was entering. To her relief, it was Duncan.
“Do you make it habit to sneak away into all the studies of the houses you are a guest?”
She shrugged. “What can I say, I love the company of books more than people.”
“I hope not all people,” he said, coming further into the room. “I hope you have a little interest in a few of us.”
“How did you find me here?” Josephine asked, confused since the study wasn’t anywhere near the ballroom.
“I must confess, I was following you. I was hoping to have a moment alone together.”
Josephine stiffened, not liking the fact he seemed to be preoccupied with her lately. To make matters worse, he had the same look in his eyes from the other night. Why did he keep persisting where she was concerned? Couldn’t he see that she wasn’t interested?
“We really should be getting back to the ball,” Josephine said, moving around him to leave.
“I’d rather stay here with you,” he said, reaching out and pulling her back around. “I really only came here to see you.”
“Duncan, I wish you would stop this. Isadora was my best friend.”
“I know that,” he whispered. “I know everything there is to know about you, Josephine.”
She wanted to argue he didn’t know her at all, that he had some image of her in his head which wasn’t accurate at all.
“The truth is, my father wanted me to marry Isadora. It was not a match made from passion. I never felt about her the way I do you,” he said, leaning down towards her.
She could see he was going to try to kiss her, and her only thought was of escape. She pulled free and rushed from the room. As she hurried down the hallways, tears streamed down her cheeks.
What was wrong with Duncan? Every time she was around him, she doubted him more. Was it possible that he hated the idea of marrying Isadora so much that he killed her to remove her from his life? Was he capable of murder? If it were possible, should she bring her suspicions to Charles?
Just as she approached the ballroom, she realized she couldn’t enter as frazzled as she was. It would cause too much unwanted attention. Instead, she headed onto the veranda where she could calm down. Josephine placed her hands on the banister, taking in several deep breaths to steady herself.
“Are you all right?” she heard the familiar voice of Charles ask from behind her.
She spun around to find him a few feet away. She thought about bringing up her misgivings about Duncan, but the thought of saying them out loud seemed silly. Instead she asked, “What are you doing here?”
“I came to check on you.”
“You didn’t think I could do my job?”
He shook his head. “I know you’re capable, but it doesn’t hurt to have a second set of eyes or ears helping you out. I figured with it being a masked ball, I could blend in.”
“You do, you know, blend in,” she said, reaching out and touching the edge of his mask. He looked handsome in a tailored black suit and matching mask. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought he was a nobleman. “I almost didn’t recognize you.”
“I should have surprised you then,” he said as he moved towards her. “And taken you onto the dance floor.”
“We can dance here,” she whispered, placing her hand on his chest.
“Would you like that?”
She nodded, allowing him to take her into his arms.
The muffled sound of the waltz could be heard through the closed doors of the veranda. They swayed to the beat of the music, Charles expertly executing the steps of the dance and guiding Josephine with precision. She reveled in how wonderful it felt to be held in his strong arms, enjoying the forbidden moment she shouldn’t be sharing with him. The longer they danced, the closer they became until they were only inches apart.
She could tell he wanted to kiss her, and if he tried, she was going to let him. She wanted to feel Charles’ lips on her own, to melt into his arms and find out if they fit together perfectly like she hoped.
“Josephine, we—”
Before he could finish speaking, there was a peel of laughter that interrupted him.
“Someone’s coming,” he said, releasing her from his grip and stepping back. “We shouldn’t be caught together.”
Without another word, he disappeared into the shadows, leaving Josephine alone. She returned to the ball, trying to push her stolen dance with Charles from her mind with no success. Every time she danced with a new partner, all she could think about was how she wished each time it was Charles again. By the time she returned home in the early morning hours, she realized she was developing feelings for the spy. She wasn’t sure what to do about it.
On the entry table, there was a letter waiting for her. She opened it, not expecting to find what she did inside.
Proper ladies shouldn’t behave the way you are.
Stop what you’re doing, Lady Josephine, or you’ll regret it.
Her mouth went dry as she re-read the note three times. Someone knew what she was doing, and if she didn’t stop, they were going to make her.
Eleven
Charles was finishing up with one of his reporters when Josephine arrived at his office. He was surprised to see her. From the troubled look on her face, he knew something was wrong.
He ushered her into the room, then closed the door behind her. “What’s going on, Josephine? You shouldn’t be seen here so often; we don’t want anyone drawing a connection between us.”
Josephine nodded as she pulled out a piece of paper from her purse and handed it to him. “I know, but after a restless night’s sleep, I decided I needed to show this to you.”
He quickly read the contents, his anger rising with every word. He wanted to crumple it up and throw it in the trash, but it wouldn’t erase the threat behind it. He truly didn’t believe that a blackmailer would hurt someone—preferring to work behind the scenes by manipulating people—but if there was even a chance Josephine could be hurt due to her involvement with the case, he needed to keep that from happening.
He slammed the note down on his desk, then turned his attention back to her. “I’m sorry, Josephine, I can see from your expression, you’re afraid—and I don’t blame you. That’s exactly what this note was meant to do.”
“I hate to admit it succeeded, but I find myself constantly looking over my shoulder, and jumping at every noise I hear,” she said, rubbing her arms with her hands. “My nerves are frayed, and I can’t imagine it getting better any time soon.”
“That isn’t a fair burden to put upon you, Josephine. Perhaps it’s time we re-think our arrangement.” Though he hated the idea of never seeing her again, if it meant keeping her safe, he was willing to give her up. “I can investigate the final two men on my own.”
“I can’t imagine you having any better luck than me. Last evening, I searched the duke’s study, and didn’t find a single clue to point to him as the blackmailer.”
“It seems you’ve used your resources up, which means it would be wise for you to discontinue working for me. The last thing I want is for you to be harmed because of any of this.”
“Part of me agrees; I’m no closer to
finding out what happened to Isadora than I was a month ago. It doesn’t seem like the people who should care, do. Now, on top of it, I received this threatening note at my home. Despite all that though, I can’t find it in me to walk away.”
Her lips trembled slightly, and he could see she was holding back tears. He wanted to reach out and pull her into his arms, but he resisted the urge to comfort her. He needed to keep his distance, or he wouldn’t be able to convince her to quit.
“You’ve done all you can, Josephine. You should be proud of your efforts, and rest assured, I won’t stop until I find justice for Isadora. I promise you.”
“How can you promise that?”
“Because I’m very, very good at my job. I never give up—I follow every thread to its end, leave no stone unturned, until I find what I’m looking for.”
“There’s a word for that—stubborn,” Josephine pointed out.
“It’s been used to describe me more than once. In my line of work, it’s an asset. It’s what makes me so good at my job.”
“Then you should understand why I can’t walk away either,” she protested, shaking her head and causing her silky, black curls to dance around her face. “I have to know what happened to Isadora. I can’t quit until I do.”
“You can, and you will, Josephine,” he said, reaching out and placing his hands on both of her arms. “I won’t jeopardize your safety. If something should happen to you, and you befall the same fate as Isadora, I could never forgive myself.”
“I knew the risks when I agreed to spy for you. It wouldn’t be your fault.”
“It would, just like Isadora’s death lays squarely at my feet,” he choked out in frustrated guilt. “She died because she made the mistake of trusting I could protect her.”
Josephine reached up and placed her hand on the side of his face, her green eyes shining with empathy. “You shouldn’t blame yourself. You didn’t cause what happened to Isadora—the blackmailer is responsible for that.”
He placed his own hand over hers, squeezing it with all the feelings he was forcing himself to hide. “I can’t let go of what happened. I’ve been trained to do so, but her death haunts me every day. I would not be able to take the same thing happening to you.”
“Why do you care so much about me?”
“Because I can’t lose you,” he growled out, knowing that the thought of her being harmed because of him would destroy him. “I’m not willing to risk your life to find out the truth.”
“By now, you should realize no one tells me what to do. I understand your concern, Charles, but I’m in this until the end.”
“Stubborn, just like me,” he said, shifting his arms until they were around her waist, pulling her in closer until his face was just inches from her. “I’ve never met anyone that equals me in full measures. What am I going to do with you, Josephine?”
He could feel her every breath as her chest rose and fell against his own. His heart was beating so fast he thought it would burst. Josephine was intoxicating, and he couldn’t think straight where she was concerned. All he wanted to do was kiss away all their fears.
There was a knock at the door, causing him to jerk away. “Yes, what is it, Miss Wilson?”
“Mr. Gilbert, one of your reporters is here and says it’s urgent,” she said through the door.
“It’s just as well. I need to continue with the investigation,” Josephine said, picking up the note. “What should we do with this?”
“I’ll keep it so that we can compare it to the notes the blackmail victims received, along with letters from our suspects. I’ll keep it in a safe place.”
Josephine nodded. “Thank you, once I have news, I’ll contact you.”
“Promise me you won’t do anything reckless, Josephine. Promise me you’ll be safe.”
She nodded, turning towards the door. “I won’t do anything you wouldn’t.”
Her promise didn’t comfort him though because he suspected she knew he was all about taking necessary risks. As he watched her walk out the door, he sent up a silent prayer asking God to protect her when he wasn’t there to do it himself.
Her father insisted on a family dinner. This surprised her since her parents preferred to spend their nights out with friends rather than at home with their family.
Rachel was with Josephine in the parlor, going on about how excited she was now that she was pregnant with the first Bradley grandchild. Though Josephine was excited to be an aunt, babies had never appealed to her like other women around her. She would much rather spend her time reading a good book or traveling, but she kept her opinions to herself. She loved her sister and was happy for her.
Along with her mother, also present were Rachel’s husband, Matthew, and their brother, Paul, who brought with him his newly engaged fiancée, Lady Wilma. Though Josephine was fond of her brother-in-law, she wished her brother had picked a better match. Lady Wilma wore her ties to royalty like a badge, and had been on the hunt to land a duke as far back as Josephine could remember. She highly doubted the other woman saw Paul as anything more than a title.
“I can’t believe how lovely you look in your condition. Not all women wear pregnancy as elegantly as you do,” Lady Wilma cooed in such an obnoxious way that it made Josephine want to plug her ears with cotton to keep from listening. Since it wasn’t an option, she wondered if she could sneak out and retire to the library until dinnertime.
She stood from her seat on the sofa and made her way towards the door. Before she could escape though, it opened from the other side.
To her surprise, Duncan was standing on the other side with her father. This was a family dinner, so why was Duncan here? What was going on? Why was he with her father?
They both had wide grins plastered across their faces, and something about the pride she saw in their eyes made Josephine stiffen with dread. She knew whatever was coming next was not going to be pleasant.
“I’ve invited Lord Selborne to join us tonight to announce some grand news,” her father said, patting the other man on his back. “I think you should be the one to do it.”
“Are you certain, Your Grace?”
He nodded. “Go on, my boy, no time like the present.”
Duncan came over to where Josephine was standing. He reached out and took her hands in his. “I’ve discussed the matter with your father, and he’s agreed that we would be an impressive match. This dinner is to officially announce our engagement to the Bradley family.”
Josephine rocked back on her heels, appalled by the unexpected declaration. “I don’t know what to say,” Josephine said in shock.
“You needn’t say anything,” Duncan said with a warm smile. “We can plan everything over the next several months and have the largest fall wedding London has ever seen.”
Her eyes darted over to her father, who was smiling with approval. Didn’t he realize she couldn’t, wouldn’t marry Isadora’s former beau? It would be a betrayal of her best friend’s memory to accept such a thing. The problem was, however, she could tell that if she openly objected to the engagement, her father would be angry. He seemed determined to see her married off. It would be better to discuss the matter with Duncan and explain why she couldn’t agree to marry him.
“Can I speak with you for a moment in private? We can take some air on the veranda,” Josephine suggested.
“I don’t think that’s appropriate,” her mother objected, her instincts to protect Josephine’s reputation taking over.
“Oh, I think it’s fine, Sarah. They will be married soon. As long as they stay in sight of the house, the newly-engaged couple can spend a few moments alone together.”
Duncan placed her hand in the crook of his arm, guiding her out of the room. “You must be ecstatic to find out you are to have a wedding of your own to plan.”
How little he knew her. The last thing she cared about were weddings and parties, let alone managing the smallest details of one. She’d sooner have her tooth pulled then spend her time doing
that.
“I have to wonder, Duncan, why would you want to marry me? You were courting my best friend just barely a month ago.”
“You’ve always been the one I wanted to be with, but my father had other plans. He wanted the match with Isadora, wanting to use her connections to the royal family to further our reach in England. Though many men found Isadora appealing, I wasn’t one of them. I wasn’t fond of her loud, flamboyant ways. I prefer a woman who is reserved, who doesn’t seek to be the center of attention whenever she walks into a room. A woman needs to know her place.”
“Don’t mistake my quiet disposition as a sign of not having a mind of my own. I know who I am, Duncan, and I won’t be muted by anyone, especially a husband that is thrust upon me without my approval.”
“Are you saying you don’t want to marry me?” he questioned in frustration, his grip on her arm tightening as his eyes narrowed into angry slits.
She pulled away and moved over to the railing, placing her hands on it as she looked out at the garden. “It doesn’t matter what I want, I can’t marry you after you were involved with Isadora.”
“She wasn’t the one for me, Josephine. I know that to my very bones. Now that she is out of the picture, I can have what I always wanted, which is you. We deserve to be together. Don’t let anyone stand in the way of that,” he begged, coming over and pulling her around to face him. He leaned forward, letting his mouth rest against her ear, “Tell me you’ll be mine.”
As he whispered the words, Josephine could tell he wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer. He had made up his mind that she was the woman he was going to marry. She would be better off taking a break and discussing it with him at a later date.
She stepped back, moving to the side to get around him. “We should rejoin the others for dinner.”
He shook his head, stepping in the way of her escape path. “Not before I do this.” He grabbed her roughly around the waist and yanked her into his arms. His mouth came down hard and demanding. It was the type of kiss no woman wanted from a man. She twisted her face away, mumbling, “Stop it, Duncan. I can’t do this.”