by Jenna Brandt
“Does this have to do with that editor you’ve been secretly seeing?”
Josephine went rigid, her eyes widening with surprise. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m aware you have gone to visit the same editor that Isadora had been secretly meeting. Now that she is gone, has he picked her best friend to target? Are you having an affair with him?”
She could hear the jealousy in Duncan’s voice, and it made her wonder even further if he could be capable of murder? Had he confronted Isadora, and it went wrong? Could the same thing happen to Josephine if she didn’t do a good enough job of convincing him he was wrong about her? She wanted to argue that it was unmerited. Deep down, however, she knew that even though they had never acted on it, there was something beyond their working relationship going on between her and Charles. The problem was, she couldn’t admit that, or the fact she was spying for the other man to Duncan. She quickly used the cover story that they had agreed upon, hoping it would keep Duncan from the truth. “I was helping him finish the story about Isadora and the charity work she was heading up with the women’s auxiliary.”
“Yes, a rather easy excuse—the same one Isadora used when I asked her about her relationship with the man. What I find improbable about your reason is that you’ve gone to see him more than once. It would have taken only one trip to give him the information about the auxiliary.”
Josephine stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest in anger. “How do you know all of that? Were you having someone follow me?”
“It’s for your own good, Josephine. At first, I did it to keep you safe. Once your father and I came to an agreement for our engagement last week, I continued because I have a right to know what my wife is doing when I’m not around.”
“I’m not your wife though, Duncan, and considering how this conversation is going, I can tell you I don’t see it ever happening. I won’t marry a man who doesn’t trust me.”
“Trust is earned, Josephine, and you’ve been sneaking around with another man for a while now. I know you secretly met with him at the Duke of Witherton’s ball. You’re lucky I haven’t told your father. I’m willing to forgive your transgression now that you’re to be my wife; however, you are to stop meeting with him at once. You shouldn’t be hanging out with less desirables such as that man. You’re too good for him.”
“You don’t know anything about him,” Josephine snapped out defensively before she could stop herself. She wasn’t sure why, but she hated Duncan talking about Charles in such a negative way.
“Do you? Editors tend to use people to get what they want. They’ll do anything for a scandalous headline, even put other people in danger. You’re an innocent girl, Josephine, and he’ll take advantage of that. You should steer clear of him if you know what’s good for you. I don’t want you getting hurt because he’s investigating things he shouldn’t.”
She could feel the color leave her face and a shiver scurry down her spine. The way Duncan said the last of it, it came across as more of a harsh warning than a plea for her safety. Was that because he knew about the blackmail and was warning her away from Charles? Was Duncan’s father, the Earl of Davenport, the man they were looking for? Did Duncan know? Was he keeping his father’s secret? If that was the case, she needed to let Charles know as soon as she could quietly slip away unnoticed. In the meantime, she would have to bide her time to keep Duncan from realizing her plan to warn Charles.
“I’ll take your instruction under advisement. For now, we should head back inside and join the others. We don’t want the food to get cold while we’re out here.”
As they made their way inside, Josephine tried to reconcile how her luck had turned for the bad. Her father had unwittingly promised her hand to the son of the man responsible for her best friend’s death. She could never marry into a family like that, but she wasn’t sure how she was going to get out of the engagement without ruining her relationship with her family.
Twelve
The note from Josephine arrived the next morning. As Charles read the words, he became more and more concerned.
Meet me in Hyde Park at 4 PM
by the grove of trees on the east side.
I will be in the black carriage with gold trim.
Please be mindful of how you arrive.
I’m being followed.
Jo
The note felt ominous, almost as if history was repeating itself, and Josephine was going to end up just like Isadora. Who was following Josephine and why? Were they going to escalate the situation? Was she in danger?
Waiting until the meeting time was the most difficult thing Charles had done in a long time. He wanted to rush right over to her home and demand to see her. The problem was, he had no reason to legitimately do so without revealing their association, and that wouldn’t be good for either of them. All he could do was wait until the designated meeting time, and continue to pray and ask God to keep her safe until then.
As he waited by the grove of trees, he patted the pocket of his coat to confirm his pistol was still in it. It wasn’t the first time he had done it, knowing that it might be the difference between life and death if someone was truly following Josephine.
Her carriage pulled up promptly at 4 PM. He climbed inside and took the seat next to her.
“What’s going on? What’s wrong?” he asked, reaching out and grabbing her hands in his own. “Do you know who is following you?”
She nodded. “Last night, my father announced that he arranged my engagement to Lord Duncan Selborne, the son of the Earl of Davenport.”
“You’re engaged now?” Charles said, pulling his hands away in disbelief. He slumped against the cushions of the seat, trying to digest the disturbing news. If the possibility of finding a way to be with Josephine was difficult before, it would be impossible now that she was promised to another man.
“My father and Duncan seem to think so, but knowing what I do now, I could never marry him. As you know, the earl is on the list. I was planning on investigating him next, once I was finished with the duke. After my conversation with Duncan last night, however, I’m almost certain that the earl is behind the blackmail.”
“Why? What did Lord Selborne say?”
“He admitted to having me followed—that it’s been going on for a while and he knows about our meetings. He thinks we’re having an affair. He doesn’t seem to know about your true work or my involvement with it, but he is suspicious that you are digging around in things you shouldn’t be. He warned me to stay away from you—that it could be dangerous to be around you. I’m worried that his father is going to hurt you if he thinks you’re a threat.”
“I can take care of myself,” Charles stated dismissively. “I’m worried about you, however, it was stupid to let you continue to investigate after the note.”
“I think you’re wrong. As my new position as his fiancée, I can investigate his family without anyone suspecting anything.”
“It’s too dangerous, Josephine. If the earl suspects you know something, he could have you killed like Isadora. You need to stop your investigating and end your contact with me.”
“You would want that?” she asked, the look of hurt clearly present in her eyes.
He looked away, wishing he could erase the pain from her face. “It doesn’t matter what I want. Besides, you’re engaged to another man. You should be focusing on planning your wedding, not trying to help me locate a blackmailer.”
“Why does everyone think the best thing I can do is plan a wedding? I already told you, I can’t marry him after finding out what I did about his family. Once we find the evidence we need against Duncan’s father, I can call off the engagement. My father would understand—he wouldn’t want his daughter marrying the son of a criminal who betrayed his country.”
“Is that the only reason you can’t marry him?” As soon as he asked the question, he wished he could take it back. It revealed too much about how he felt about Josephine. If she didn’t feel th
e same way, he was about to find out.
“No, it’s not just because of who the Selbornes are. I also can’t agree to marry him when I have feelings for someone else.”
Charles moved closer, reaching out, he took her hands a second time. “Are you certain?”
She nodded. “I’ve never felt like this about anyone. I care so deeply for you, it frightens me.”
Charles knew he shouldn’t kiss her, but it was as if they were two trains destined to collide. He closed the final distance between them, letting his mouth claim hers with all the pent-up emotions he’d been forcing himself to hide. Her lips felt like the softest silk, tempting him to take the kiss deeper. When she didn’t resist, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in close. She leant into his arms, sighing as her fingers wrapped into the lapel of his coat, clinging to it as if her life depended on it.
Their kiss was interrupted when the carriage came to an abrupt halt. The jerking motion split them apart, and immediately made Charles go on high alert.
“Do you think a wheel came off?” Josephine asked beside him.
“No, I don’t. I’ve been in a carriage when that’s happened before, and this doesn’t feel anything like that. I think someone stopped us—abruptly—for a reason.”
“You look worried,” she observed, pressing her fingertips into his arm. “Should I be?”
“Possibly,” he whispered as he pulled out his gun. “Someone is moving outside the carriage. Be very still, Josephine. If I tell you to, you need to be ready to dive between the benches on the floor of the carriage.”
“You’re scaring me, Charles. What do you think is going on?”
He lifted his free hand, placing his index finger in front of his lips and gave her a signal to remain quiet. Charles moved over to the window and pushed the curtain back just a small bit so he could see out. There was a shadowy figure in a dark coat and hat moving along the backside of the carriage. He didn’t want to make it worse for her, but he was fairly certain they were about to be robbed. He braced himself for what was about to happen; his only concern was to keep Josephine safe.
The carriage door flew open and a man with a gun poked his head inside. “Get out here, the both of you,” he yelled at them.
“No, I don’t think so,” Charles said, brandishing his own gun forward. “I’m betting you’ve never fired that gun, but I should warn you, I’m an expert marksman.”
“You should know, I don’t have a problem aiming for the woman first. If you care to keep her from getting a bullet hole in her, you’ll do as I say. Besides, my partner is on the other side and if you try to do something stupid, he’ll start shooting without a second thought.”
Charles debated about giving into the robber’s demands. The truth was, he could very well shoot Josephine and Charles might not be quick enough to stop the other man. It was better to get outside and distract the men long enough to let Josephine escape. He didn’t care what happened to him as long as he kept her safe.
“We’ll do what you say,” Charles said, placing his gun on the seat across from him. “Just don’t hurt the lady.”
They climbed out of the carriage and he noticed that the sun was starting to set, casting shadows across the grass and nearby trees. The men were smart enough to set the ambush for them in a secluded part of the park. There wasn’t a soul around, and the driver was laying on the ground knocked out. Charles was going to have to take care of this situation on his own.
“What do you want from us?” Josephine squeaked out as she tucked herself into the edge of Charles’ side.
“Your money and jewels,” the man said, gesturing for them to move towards the back of the carriage where his partner was now standing. He pulled out a cloth sack and held it out. “Put all of it in here, and don’t try to hold anything back. You’ll regret it if you do.”
Josephine and Charles spent the next few minutes removing anything of value from their persons and placing it in the bag.
“The hat pin, too,” the robber demanded, motioning to her hat with his free hand.
“Must I really?” she asked, clumsily unfastening the hat and pulling the pin free. “My dearest friend gave it to me for my birthday right before her death.”
“I don’t give a fig, lady, but unless you want to end up just like your friend, you’ll stick the pin in the bag.”
Tears were falling down her cheeks as she complied with the robber’s order. Charles wanted to reach out and punch the other man in the face for making her cry. He knew he couldn’t do that though, or it would ruin any chance of keeping Josephine safe.
“There’s nothing prettier than when a woman is crying,” the second robber said, coming forward. “Maybe I should take her into the grove over there and see if her tears taste as sweet as they look streaming down her pretty face.”
“Stay away from her,” Charles growled out, stepping in between them. “You have no idea what a stupid mistake you’ve made. Her father is the Duke of Rothenbury, and you’ve made a very powerful enemy today.”
“Maybe I should just kill the both of you then, and be done with it,” the first robber said in a threatening tone, waving his gun at both of them. “If no one is around to tell what happened, there’s nothing to worry about. I was told to keep her alive, but sometimes things don’t go as planned.”
“What do you mean you were told to keep her alive? Who told you?” Charles probed, realizing that this might not be just a simple robbery—that this might be part of something more sinister.
The other man looked taken aback, like he shouldn’t have said anything. He quickly retreated towards the trees. “Come on, we need to get out of here,” he shouted over his shoulder at the other robber.
“Who told you to rob us today?” Charles asked the second robber as he ran past.
He stopped for a moment, then whispered just loud enough for them to hear, “The lady should be careful. Someone wants her good and scared, and we were sent to make sure she was.” Without another word, he took off into the wooded area after the other man.
Once Charles was certain the men were gone and not coming back, he turned his attention to Josephine. He pulled her close, asking, “Are you all right?”
She shook her head. “No, far from it. Do you think the earl sent those men?”
“I’m afraid I do, which makes one thing most assuredly clear.”
“What’s that?”
“You can’t work for me anymore. It’s too dangerous. From this point forward, you’re to stop investigating the blackmailer and what happened to Isadora. Before you object, this isn’t open for discussion. I’m sorry, Josephine, but we can’t be seen together anymore.”
The words bit at him as they spilled from his lips. He didn’t want to say them. The thought of never seeing her again took the air right out of his lungs. He wouldn’t let his personal feelings for her or desires to finish this case; however, be the reason something bad happened to Josephine. He needed to cut ties in order to keep her alive.
“Don’t contact me again. It’s better this way,” he said, before turning around and leaving without another word. He didn’t look back because if he gazed into her gorgeous green eyes, he wouldn’t be able to do what needed to be done. It was better this way—they didn’t belong together. The sooner they both accepted that, the better off they would be.
Thirteen
After telling her family what happened, and giving a report to the police which conveniently left out all the connections to the blackmailer and Charles, she spent the next three days recovering from the aftermath.
Josephine couldn’t believe this was what her life had come to. Her relationship with Charles was over. One moment she was kissing him, and the next he was telling her they could never see each other again. In between all of that, she was robbed by men the Earl of Davenport sent to scare her into retreat. The problem was, despite what Charles and the earl wanted, she wasn’t willing to give up or give in to what anyone else wanted. She had to
stop the man who killed Isadora and bring him to justice. She cared too much to just walk away now.
Duncan came calling every day, checking in on her and making sure she didn’t want for anything.
“I was wondering if you would feel up to coming over to my home for dinner this evening?” Duncan asked, patting her hand as he sat next to her on the sofa in the parlor. “My father hasn’t had a chance to speak with you since we became engaged. He wants to meet with you before we make a public announcement. I was hoping to have it happen right away so there isn’t a further delay.”
“Inspecting the merchandise, is he?” Josephine mocked with irritation, not liking the idea of the blackmailing beast thinking he had the right to evaluate her as a suitable candidate for his son.
“It isn’t like that. He simply wants to know you’re committed to this marriage.”
Josephine wanted to object, but then she reminded herself that if she agreed, she would have a chance to find evidence to link the earl to the crimes he committed.
“I suppose I can come to dinner,” she relented. “But you should know, I’m still recovering from what happened to me.”
Duncan nodded. “I’ll make my father promise to be gentle with you.”
“I should probably go upstairs and rest before dinner tonight then,” Josephine said, standing to her feet.
“Here, let me help you,” Duncan offered, coming to her side.
“Thank you, but I can manage on my own. You should probably head home and prepare for tonight.”
“As you wish, My Lady,” he said, reaching down and taking her hand. He kissed the top of it before turning around to leave.
Three hours later, Josephine arrived at the Earl of Davenport’s lavish estate. It wasn’t her first time, but it never failed to impress with its large marble pillars, grand staircases, and expansive gardens.