by Wilde, Tanya
“I have no idea what you are talking about,” she murmured, her mind starting to race again. It must have been Jo. They had exchanged words before she left.
“I heard St. Aldwyn came to call on you today?” Her brother mentioned rather innocently. Too innocently.
“Not on me brother, on you.” She pointed a finger at his chest.
“Oh?”
“Yes.” She emphasized with a nod.
“I wasn’t at home.”
“I know! That is why I invited your friend to join us for tea. You were out.”
Evelyn narrowed her eyes on him, she continued to ask, “Are you spying on me?”
“Then,” Simon began, ignoring her question, “I see you dancing with him and just after that he ran for the hills.”
Evelyn lifted a brow. He hardly ran for the hills.
“As if I could inspire such a display of passion from that man,” she muttered dryly. “But if you must know, he and Jo exchanged words after our dance. The question would be better directed at her.”
Simon’s face brightened with sudden intrigued. “Well, I say.”
He put his arms around her shoulders in a display of brotherly affection. “Let’s call it a night sis, I’m bone tired.”
Evelyn wasn’t about to argue with that.
Chapter 13
“I cannot believe you talked me into doing this,” Evelyn complained as she followed Jo through the dirty streets of a shady part of London. Why she’d ever agreed to accompany her friend to meet the donators of some charity, she did not know.
Jo was the founder of all the charities she supported and intimately involved in every last one of them. Evelyn found herself a little embarrassed not knowing this of her dearest friend.
“I had no one else to ask. Besides it won’t take that long,” Jo replied in a hushed tone, trying not to draw attention to them.
Evelyn rather thought it did not matter whether Jo spoke in hushed tones or bellowed it out at the top of her voice. The cloaks they wore stood out like two oak trees in a clearing of dirt. She scanned her surroundings from beneath her hood. The streets were filled with drunkards and woman of loose morals, searching for attention in boisterous ways.
“You should bring a footman to accompany you to these parts of town. Or a guard of sorts. Where are we anyway?”
Jo laughed. “White Chapel, I believe. And a guard would attract even more attention than two people slipping in and out unnoticed.”
Not entirely unnoticed, Evelyn mused. Amongst the low necklines of the woman sashaying about and the drunkards singing at the top of their lungs (grabbing their private parts for heaven’s sakes!) two cloaked figures hardly went unnoticed.
“Why did you never tell me you were the founder of all the charities you support?” Evelyn probed further, never taking her eyes off the busy street. “I would have donated or become more involved had I known.”
“Exactly,” Jo said with a firm nod of her head. “You would have felt it your duty to support me and not because you believed in the charities.”
Evelyn frowned. “Does the reason matter?”
Jo shrugged. “I suppose not, we have plenty of people with deep pockets. But a fiery passion to help others, now that we are in need off.”
Little prickles of guilt stabbed in Evelyn’s chest. She admired Jo’s passion and her endless need to defend and protect.
“Perhaps I should be more like you.”
“One of me is enough!” Jo said with a quick smile in Evelyn’s direction. “But you help people too, just differently than I do.”
Evelyn wasn’t so certain about that. While she did occasionally help friends, family and the wayward servant, she only did so when they asked. She did not run around shady parts of town looking for strangers to help, like Jo did.
Jo grabbed her hand and dragged her across the street.
“We’re almost there!”
Oh good.
The part they were traipsing down was dangerous and Evelyn had this odd stirring in the pit of her stomach that something bad barreled down their way. She almost asked where there was but caught herself when Jo came to a sudden halt before a building that was quite literally falling apart. Shattered windows displayed the outer walls and bricks so crumbled Evelyn would not be surprised if but one brick held the entire building in place. Yet it wasn’t the ruined exterior that caught her attention but the freshly painted green door.
Jo knocked on the green door four times, hesitated two seconds and knocked another three times. A second passed before the door swung open to reveal what Evelyn could only describe as a mountain, the largest man she had ever seen. To her horror her jaw fell open at the sight of the heavily built man. She snapped it shut even as her gaze traveled the length of him—top to bottom. Bottom to top. He flashed her knowing smile when their eyes locked. Her cheeks flamed.
“James,” Jo greeted with a smile.
The mountain shifted his gaze to Jo.
“Josephine, you look radiant as always,” he purred, before his gaze turned back to Evelyn.
“And who is this lovely creature you’ve brought with you?”
Oh my.
“James, this is Evelyn, one of my closest friends,” Jo introduced them, oddly refraining from using her title. They must be very close.
“Evelyn kindly agreed to accompany me in Charles’s absence,” Jo finished.
Evelyn snorted. “More like bullied me into agreeing,” she said, failing to suppress a smile.
The mountain’s smile widened, giving him almost a boyish look as he came forward and took her hand. He placed a wicked kiss on her wrist.
“It’s always a pleasure to meet a beautiful young lady, especially one I have heard so much about.”
Evelyn’s face reddened even more. This James was a wicked scoundrel, with brownish red hair and clear blue eyes that never appeared to stop smiling. Even his intimidating form didn’t subtract from his handsomeness.
“Good things I hope.”
James leaned down to whisper in her ear, “To my utter disappointment.”
Evelyn laughed throatily.
Jo snorted. “Stop ogling my friend and let us inside,” she admonished before Evelyn could reply.
She was not surprised by Jo’s forwardness. In this part of town it would look odd if you had any manners. With a forward step she proceeded to follow them through the green door and into an empty and unmistakably abandoned house of some sort. It was cold and barren, devoid of any warmth and light. It was what Evelyn imagined a prison felt like, certain after this meeting had been concluded no evidence that it ever occurred would be found.
Just what exactly was Jo involved in?
“Is everyone present, James?” She heard her friend ask.
“Yes, you were the last to arrive,” the mountain replied and glanced uncertainly at Evelyn.
“Good,” Jo said but caught the look. “I wouldn’t have asked her to join us if I did not trust her.”
Evelyn’s eyes narrowed on Jo’s back as she followed them up a flight stairs. The “join us” hadn’t escaped her notice. So there was more afoot than just escorting Jo to a meeting.
“If you wanted to include me in whatever nefarious plans you have up your sleeve, all you had to do was ask.”
Jo chuckled. “I would have asked you to join our little group,” she paused before continuing, “eventually. But I have a problem that refuses to disappear and we need your help.”
Jo stopped outside another green door and turned toward her with all seriousness.
“St. Aldwyn.”
“Damien? What has he done now?” Except keep secrets from her.
“What has he not done? But at the moment he has this hair brained notion that we are up to no good and watches me like a hawk, determined to figure out what we are up to.”
“He’s a very clever man.”
“That’s not the point,” Jo said fiercely. “St. Aldwyn can never find out what we are doing Evelyn,
it could ruin us all.”
Her brow furrowed. “I don’t see how I can be of any help. He would never listen to me,” Evelyn replied, deciding it was in her best interest to ignore the “ruin us” part.
“I need you to keep him occupied at any events he decides to lurk about.”
“I still don’t understand Jo, why would he think you up to anything? And why would he care? That man cares about nothing except himself, and well, and perhaps my brother.”
Jo shook her head. “I’m not certain, but ever since Grey came back to London he has been watching me like a hawk.”
How odd.
Evelyn nodded slowly. “Very well, but why have you brought me to this meeting?”
Babysitting St. Aldwyn seemed an easy enough task. Evelyn however didn’t mention that keeping Damien occupied might provoke Matthew. The man had rather insane behavior when it came to Damien. On the other hand, perhaps this could be beneficial to them both, since it would force them to actually interact with one another.
“You need to understand what is at stake and to be blunt, if you are part of us your reputation is also on the line,” Jo answered in all honesty.
Evelyn nodded, a smile creeping across her face. Who knew Jo had such a devious side.
“Yes, well it seems secrets are all the rage these days, so what’s another one tucked into the corner of my life.”
Evelyn heard James chuckle as Jo turned to open the door, but stopped to murmur over her shoulder, “Oh and you might want to hold off any matrimony plans for the moment.”
Evelyn was still blinking when Jo opened the door and marched into the room like a soldier marching into battle. Hold of matrimony plans? That won’t be a problem.
She started to follow, but gave James a curious glance when he looked at her with eyes filled with intensity.
“Is something amiss?”
“You steal my heart, and then crush it with talk of marriage,” James murmured as he covered his heart with one of his big hands in a dramatic gesture.
Evelyn tilted her head to the side as she considered him. When she saw the glint sparkle in his bright blue eyes she shook her head and threw her hands in the air. Men! She entered the room with a graceful (as much as her cloak would allow) swoop. And came to an abrupt halt at the sight of the occupants, deciding this was all very ridiculous. Six poorly dressed persons sat about the room, so poorly dressed the ruined building seemed too spectacular for the likes of them. And what was that ghastly odor?
She looked back at James, noticing for the first time that he too, was dressed as a peasant. He certainly wasn’t a peasant. In fact, on closer inspection, not one of the room’s occupants looked like peasants. They looked exactly like what they were, high born peers dressed as peasants.
How very interesting.
“Good, now that everyone is present we can get on with it.” A man spoke, emerging from a dark corner of the room, making his way toward Jo. He looked much like James, but a darker, harsher version of him. They had to be twins, identical twins from the looks of it.
James grabbed her hand and pulled her to a seat a few feet away, leaving Jo and the other version of James to stand alone. Her brow wrinkled as she yanked her hand out of his grasp. The other James took his time to rake his fierce gaze over everyone present before he announced in a voice of steel, “Today we decide the fate of Madeleine Loveday.”
Evelyn followed Jo down the stairs and through the green door, only now it was just an old brown worn out door. She inhaled the fresh air once they reached the side of the road. Her mind still reeled, still absorbed everything she had heard. To say she was shocked would be an understatement. Even more of an understatement would be if anyone ever learned of their plans, they wouldn’t just be ruined; they would be thrown into jail or be shipped off to the continent.
“Are you all right?” Jo asked her hesitantly.
She thought about that, then heaved a heavy sigh before she replied, “I thought I knew everything about you and this,” Evelyn waved toward the building, “it’s all so shocking that you kept this from me. I would never betray you.”
“I know,” Jo whispered. “I wanted to tell you, even tried to, but this isn’t about me, there is a lot at stake.”
Evelyn nodded in understanding. “Why did you get involved in such things?”
“I—” Jo paused and stared at the old brownish door they’d moments ago emerged from. “I was tired of just existing, of enduring life and dull commitments. There had to be more than being raised only in preparation to make a good match. I wanted to feel alive, but most importantly, I needed something to live for.”
Evelyn put her hand on Jo’s shoulder, “I understand. I feel the same.”
And she did understand. It’s the same reason she dreamed of exploring the world. She wanted to do more than exist. She wanted more from life than making a good match.
Jo nodded, her lips brightening into a smile. “For a moment I was certain you would run panicked from the building.”
Evelyn grunted. She had surprised herself by not doing just that.
“I almost did,” she responded dryly, causing Jo to laugh.
“So—”
“What in everlasting hell are the two of you doing here?”
At the booming voice they both whirled around. The Marquis of Warton, who happened to be Jo’s brother, stood a few feet away with a thunderous expression on his face, his hands fisted against his side. He looked ready to murder them.
Evelyn swallowed. This would not end well.
As if on cue the Marquis began to shout, causing onlookers to stop and stare at the three of them.
“I asked what the hell you are doing here. Have you any idea how dangerous it is to wander around these parts unescorted! I cannot believe you would risk your life for some charity meeting, and this is about a one of your charities, isn’t it?”
The last was said in such a deadly whisper Evelyn shuddered.
“Isn’t it?” he shouted even louder when they only gawked at him.
The Marquis looked ready to explode. Jo on the other hand had a stubborn glint in her eyes, a glint Evelyn knew well.
“What are you doing here dear brother, if it’s so dangerous?”
Brahm’s face flushed red.
“It’s not her fault!” Evelyn interrupted before things got out of hand. She cringed when he turned those blazing eyes on her, but held strong. Jo’s brother was famous for his temper, but he was all growls and no teeth.
“I asked Jo to accompany me,” Evelyn said quickly, before he started to shout again. “To… uh…meet someone.”
“To meet whom?” Brahm asked, lifting a thick dark brow, his suspicion clear.
Evelyn hesitated, her mind spinning, not certain who would seem plausible to meet here.
“Well, not meet someone,” she hedged as her minded raced. “I was to deliver money to the man that’s been blackmailing me,” she blurted and cringed at her ridiculous lie.
“I beg your pardon?” he asked dumbstruck.
“I’m being blackmailed,” she stated clearly, straightening her back, but not before she saw Jo’s mouth fall open. If the situation didn’t call for superb acting she would’ve laughed at the shock and disbelief playing across their features.
“Why would anyone blackmail a lady?” Brahm asked, his anger all but forgotten.
“Well, you see... because I... because there...in the darkness…in a garden... me... did I mention it was dark?” she trailed off, hoping he wouldn’t make her spell out what her little scene brought to mind, but by the dawning expression on his face he certainly got the picture.
“Who is the bastard?” Brahm boomed, his anger returning tenfold.
Evelyn had nearly jumped out of her skin, but really, what had she expected? This was Brahm, his emotions always came out in extremes.
“Uh, I would rather not reveal his identity,” she said hesitantly, aware Jo stifled a laugh. Evelyn shot her a glare.
“
You will tell me his name, Lady Evelyn.”
When Evelyn didn’t answer he boomed, “Now!”
“The Earl of Grey,” she muttered.
The name rolled off her tongue without a moment of hesitancy. Perhaps if she had thought about it, she might’ve realized it was an exceedingly bad idea, since it became clear he would run straight to her brother. Wesley would’ve have been a safer bet. Matthew on the other hand would know she’d lied and demand the reason for being found in White Chapel. Was it possible part of her wanted him to find out?
“Son of a bitch,” Brahm bellowed, once more causing both girls to jump.
The best she could hope for was that the Marquis escort her home and pray her brother was off sampling the busty charms of some widow. But even so, Evelyn doubted Brahm would leave the matter before her brother was apprised of her wrong doing.
He gave her a long look. “Why didn’t you go to your brother?”
How very male of him to ask.
Evelyn shrugged. “If I paid the blackmailer then my brother would never be the wiser.”
His face darkened even more.
“Did you not even consider the possibility that the blackmailer would never stop blackmailing you and would get more daring over time?”
“I considered that,” Evelyn lied with a nod. “However, since I’m not used to being blackmailed I’ve no clue what to do except react to the immediate threat.”
“This is exactly why women your age should be married.”
Heat flared in her cheeks at his matter of a fact comment. “Now you’re just being rude.”
“Wait a minute,” Jo intervened, the amusement gone from her face. “We have as much right to stay unmarried as you.”
Brahm snorted. “Rights, Josephine?” he sneered. “No woman has any, and just as well, seeing as you’ve yet again proved the stupidity of your species by being caught in this neighborhood be-cause you didn’t know any better than to take this situation to the head of your family.”
“Stupidity?” Josephine shouted at her brother. “We didn’t take it up with you or Westfield yes, but the real question you should ask is why we never took it up with you in the first place!”