Vote Then Read: Volume II

by Lauren Blakely

  Rhys had thought about this, but unless they hired another chaperone, there was nothing to be done. He didn’t want to do that, not when the Order—if that’s in fact who they were—was following them. Instead, they’d go with the other method they’d already employed. “We’ll be traveling as husband and wife.” And hope they didn’t run into anyone who would recognize her. He’d deal with explaining their situation to Septon if the time came.

  Nash peered up at him. “Have you considered actually taking her as a wife? She’s quite lovely and in possession of a fine wit. I have always preferred a woman with mental acuity. My wife was the smartest person I knew.” He smiled fondly.

  Make Miss Derrington his wife? He did find her brain attractive, along with nearly everything else about her, save her untrustworthiness. He couldn’t marry someone who would lie to him. “I don’t know that Miss Derrington and I would suit.”

  Nash’s smile turned discerning. “You might be surprised. Perhaps things will come to light on your travels.” He shook his head and glanced at the carpet. “But listen to me, prattling like an old romantic fool. I’ll instruct Godfrey that you’ll be leaving after luncheon.” He turned and ambled to the door.

  Rhys watched him go, bemused by the man’s observations. Yes, there was something between him and Miss Derrington, but not enough to build a marriage on. It was, however, enough to tempt him during their journey south, and he’d need to be on his guard to keep her at arm’s length.

  He slipped the glass into his coat pocket and scooped up the list of numbers, folded it inside another piece of parchment, and tucked it inside the cover of Nash’s book. He was still eager to seek the treasure, but his enthusiasm was tempered by the Order’s pursuit. He would have to be vigilant.

  Why was the Order so committed to preventing the code from being deciphered—assuming that was their goal? The logical answer was that the treasure was exceptionally valuable. Did they know its location? Were they trying to protect it from being discovered or did they want it for themselves? Hopefully Septon would have answers. In the meantime, Rhys would focus on keeping the books and the glass—and most importantly, Miss Derrington—safe.

  As the carriage drove away from Westerly Cross, Margery thought about the numbers and how they could possibly relate to her book, which she figured had to contain the coded message. It made sense, given Nash’s book had yielded the numbers.

  Thinking about the code solved multiple problems: it took her mind off her attraction to Mr. Bowen and it would hopefully help her solve the code before they arrived in Caerwent and shared the lot of their findings with Septon. Margery barely trusted Mr. Bowen, and with the repeated attempts to steal the book, she didn’t dare trust anyone else.

  She looked askance at Mr. Bowen seated opposite her in his coach. “If we solve the code before we get to Caerwent, do you agree that we needn’t share any of this with Lord Septon?”

  Mr. Bowen’s dark eyes found hers in the dim light of the coach. “I do. In my letter to him, I only said I wanted to discuss some research.”

  He had sent a letter. She’d assumed as much and was glad to hear he’d been vague. She’d done the same with her aunts. Before leaving Westerly Cross, she’d posted a letter notifying them she was on her way to Caerwent and that she would hopefully be home soon.

  The longer she was away, the more uncomfortable she felt. Not because of her reputation, but because she worried about her aunts. She was especially anxious to hear if Aunt Eugenie had recovered from her cold. She was not, however, eager to hear Aunt Eugenie’s reaction to her unplanned jaunt across western England with a man who was neither her husband nor her relation. At least Aunt Agnes wouldn’t disapprove.

  “When we get to Shrewsbury, I’ll hire a pair of men to ride with us as protection.”

  “Thank you,” she said. “We still have Lady Stratton’s pistols, as well. I don’t suppose you’ve changed your mind about forcing me to act as your wife?”

  His answering exhalation was full of resignation. “I’m not ‘forcing’ you. It’s the only way to protect both your reputation and your person. I can’t allow you to sleep in a separate room.”

  “I understand.” Begrudgingly, she did. “However, if you hire someone, can’t they guard my room? And before you say I still have to act as your wife as a means to avoid scandal, can’t we say I’m your sister?”

  His brows dipped so hard, she thought they might crash into his eyes. “No one would believe that,” he muttered. He looked out the window. “It’s only for two nights. Shrewsbury, Ludlow, then we’ll be at my home, and you can have your own room.”

  “We’re staying at your house?” She’d been so focused on not thinking about Mr. Bowen and spending time with him that she hadn’t considered their route past Shrewsbury.

  “It makes sense. Ludlow’s too far from Caerwent to make the journey in one day, so we’ll stop over at Hollyhaven.”

  Yes, it made sense. And now she need only spend two nights sharing a room—and a bed—with him. What about when they traveled to Caerwent? Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. She planned to decipher the code before they reached his house. They’d still have to travel together—just to a different destination. Assuming the code pointed them to a destination. What if it went nowhere? Or it was unsolvable? She refused to think like that. She hadn’t come all this way and put herself at risk for nothing.

  She set her hand atop her book, nestled beside her on the seat. Mr. Bowen kept Lord Nash’s book in similar close fashion and the cipher glass hidden deep in his pocket. “I’ll go along with your scheme, but only because sharing a room will allow us more time to work on deciphering the code together.”

  He inclined his head, an impassive expression flattening his features. “My plan has many benefits. You should realize I always think everything through.”

  She nearly smiled. It had been awhile since he’d displayed his characteristic conceit, and, strangely, she’d missed it.

  Now she was appreciating things about him that she shouldn’t even like? The sooner they solved this code and found the treasure, the sooner she could get back to her life and he could go back to his.

  12

  Rhys didn’t know what was more frustrating: their inability to make progress in solving the code or spending so much time in such close proximity to a woman he desired and who clearly didn’t desire him in return. Thank God they’d arrived at Hollyhaven.

  Thomas greeted them at the door. “Good afternoon, sir, miss.” He inclined his head toward Miss Derrington. “I’ve prepared the garden room for you. It’s situated in the northeast corner and offers an exceptional view of the garden. Hence, its name.”

  “Naturally.” A smile teased her lips, drawing Rhys’s attention to them, as if he needed a reminder of their lush softness. He’d relived their kisses a thousand times over the past two days and nights as they’d struggled to endure each other’s company. Or maybe that was just how he saw it. Spending time with her, exchanging information as they studied the texts, sleeping beside her . . . It was more than enough vexation to send a man to Bedlam.

  As they moved into the foyer, running footsteps tapped against the wood floor. Penn, approaching from the back of the house, came to a sudden halt just inside. “You’re back,” he said, his voice heavy with exertion—and maybe something else. Maybe something like . . . relief.

  Rhys went to him and touched him on the head. “I’m back.” Penn’s eyes darted toward Miss Derrington. “This is my friend and colleague, Miss Derrington.” Colleague was perhaps stretching things, but how else was he to describe her? The object of his unrequited lust? Blast, as she’d once asserted, he was beastly. He cleared his throat. “Miss Derrington, this is Penn. He’s my . . . foster son.”

  Penn glanced up at him, his blue eyes wide. Rhys held his breath for a moment, wondering if he’d said the wrong thing. They barely knew each other, but he’d agreed to manage the lad’s welfare and Rhys took the assignment very seriously. Penn s
aid nothing, much to Rhys’s satisfaction.

  Miss Derrington offered a curtsey. “How do you do, Penn?” She shot Rhys a quizzical look, clearly asking why he’d never mentioned Penn.

  “Pleased to meet you, Miss Derrington.” Penn bowed before quickly turning his attention back to Rhys. “Did you find it? The treasure?”

  Miss Derrington sent Rhys another look—this one sharp with surprise.

  Rhys captured the boy’s gaze. “Not yet, but we are well on our way. This is just between us, though; you understand?”

  Penn nodded. “I won’t tell a soul.”

  Rhys gave him an encouraging smile. “Very good. Now, Miss Derrington and I would like to rest after our journey. I’ll see you in a while, all right?”

  After another bow toward Miss Derrington, Penn turned and took himself off, though with considerably less enthusiasm than when he’d arrived.

  “Shall I show you to your chamber, Miss Derrington?” Thomas asked.

  “I’ll take her,” Rhys said. He extended his elbow, which she took, and they ascended the stairs.

  As they neared the top, she sent him an inquisitive glance. “Why didn’t you tell me about Penn?”

  Because he was just beginning to adjust to the change. Because the true reason behind Penn’s being here was something he couldn’t share. So many reasons. “He only came to live with me a short time ago. His mother is dying, but he doesn’t know that. She wanted to ensure her son was cared for after she was gone.”

  “Why did she choose you? Is he yours?”

  Rhys nearly stumbled on the last step as they reached the landing. “No. Heavens, no. I realize you don’t know me, but my reputation is that of a hermit—and rightly so. She chose me because of my academic reputation.” That seemed as good a reason as any. “She wants her son to learn and to go to school.”

  Her brow furrowed. “She trusted you to raise her son, and yet you have no prior relationship with her at all?”

  He understood her skepticism and hated lying to her at this point in their association, but he wouldn’t endanger Penn. “None.” That wasn’t exactly a lie. He’d only ever met the first Lady Stratton at her wedding to his cousin, but he’d apparently left a positive enough impression that she trusted him to raise her son. She’d also chosen Rhys because he could verify her identity and that of Penn—when the time came for him to claim his place as Stratton’s heir.

  “You have to admit it’s intriguing.”

  “I suppose.” He was desperate to change the topic. “In this case, though, the explanation is really as simple and mundane as it sounds.”

  She inclined her head and they started moving once more. “I’m surprised you told him about the treasure, since you’ve been so keen to maintain secrecy.”

  Again, he understood her doubt. “He’s a lad who likes to dig for treasure. I thought it would interest him.”

  She shot him an inquisitive glance. “What do you mean, he digs for treasure?”

  “He digs holes in the ground and finds things. Coins, bones, things like that.”

  “What a fascinating boy.” She stopped as they’d arrived at her chamber. “Do you think he’ll be able to keep this secret?”

  Rhys chuckled as he withdrew his arm. “What do you think he’ll do, share what he knows at the next meeting of antiquaries? Or perhaps at the next district social event?”

  “Of course not, I was merely asking,” she said evenly. “Children can be unpredictable.”

  “What do you know of them?”

  “Nothing, but then neither do you. We need to be careful. We agreed we wouldn’t discuss this with anyone.”

  He frowned. “That agreement came after I’d told him. Anyway, he’s no danger to our endeavor.”

  Margery nodded, but Rhys couldn’t tell what she was thinking, whether she accepted that Penn could be trusted. He gave her a penetrating stare. “I sense you’re uneasy about this. Why? I’m beginning to think you’re looking for reasons not to place your faith in me. What can I do to prove my loyalty, that I am guarding both of our best interests?”

  Her eyes widened slightly—only slightly—but it was enough for Rhys to know he’d hit a nerve. “I’m . . . It’s not easy for me to trust people. I find it’s better to keep to myself.”

  Feeling as though he’d won a hard-fought battle, he suppressed a smile. He was enjoying peeling away the many layers of Miss Derrington. What would he find when he’d stripped them all to her core? Would she even let him get that far? He hoped so—whether she was frustrating him with her skepticism or impressing him with her intelligence, he was utterly captivated by her.

  He opened the door to her chamber and her intake of breath was both satisfying and exhilarating. “What a beautiful room.”

  The view was not the sole reason they called it the garden room. It was decorated in a palette of colors that reminded one of a summer garden—greens, yellows, purples, reds, and blues. They shouldn’t have worked together, but they did. As did the wallpaper with the dainty garden scenes and the two paintings of gardens that adorned one wall.

  “My mother decorated it. She passed within a day of my birth. I worried you might find it old-fashioned.” Because his mother had died nearly twenty-nine years ago, which put the décor at something between dated and ancient.

  She turned her head, taking in the entire room. “Not at all. It’s classic and inviting. You never knew your mother, yet you keep this room as she wanted. That’s . . . nice.” Her tone had turned a bit wistful. She moved to the windows and surveyed the grounds below.

  “I used to come in here when I was young. That’s her portrait, there.” He pointed to a small painting on a table against the wall. Elena Bowen stared back at them, her eyes dark and her hair darker.

  Miss Derrington studied her a moment. “She was very lovely. I see where you get your eyes.”

  “I liked to sit and talk to her, pretend she was actually here.” Why was he telling her this? He’d never told anyone about his mother. “It was foolish.”

  “I don’t think so,” she said softly, turning toward him with understanding warming her gaze. “I have miniatures of my parents and I still talk to them. So if you find that foolish . . .”

  “No, I don’t. I was trying to cover my embarrassment and that was foolish. I’ve never discussed her with anyone.” Why would he? He’d been intimate, meaning close, with precisely one person his entire life and the one topic he and his father rarely discussed was his mother. He’d had grandparents—his father’s parents—years ago, but they hadn’t known his mother well. She and Rhys’s father had only been married two years before she died. “Did you have grandparents when you were young? Maybe you still do.”

  “A long time ago I had a grandmother and a grandfather, but they passed before my parents. I remember my grandmother—she was my father’s mother. She loved lemon cakes.” Miss Derrington shook her head as her lips curved into a subtle smile. “I’d quite forgotten about that—she always smelled of lemon.”

  “My grandmother always pretended she didn’t like sweets,” Rhys said, “but I caught her sneaking a custard once. It was very late one night, I couldn’t have been more than six. I’d been stealing into my father’s study to read one of his books. I saw her. She saw me. A communication passed between us, and neither of us ever spoke of it.” Like Miss Derrington, he hadn’t thought of that in years, but it was a distinct and pleasant memory.

  Miss Derrington abruptly turned away.

  Rhys didn’t know what he’d said wrong, but whatever it was had clearly pained her. “What did I say?”

  After a moment, she glanced back at him. “Nothing. I’m tired. If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to rest before supper.”

  He knew she was lying, but he wasn’t going to pry. Miss Derrington held her emotions very close, and this conversation was one of the most personal they’d ever shared. He hoped it wasn’t the last, but acknowledged that he’d have to work hard to continue to chip away at her armor.
Questions burned his mind: Why did she have it and why was he so determined to learn more about her? “Of course. I’ll see you then.”

  He inclined his head, imparted a final look that he hoped conveyed his compassion, and turned to go.

  Her lush voice halted him and begged him to face her once more. “We’ll revisit the manuscripts after supper?”

  “I’d like to, yes.” He was glad she wanted to as well. They weren’t any closer to solving the code, but he—rather fancifully—hoped that being back in his study would provoke ideas that hadn’t yet come to light.

  She nodded. “Until later then.”

  “Until later.” This time when he turned to go, she didn’t stop him. He carried the disappointment back to his chamber.

  As Margery made her way down to supper, she took in the dark oak paneling and balustrade, all of which were polished to a glistening shine. Hollyhaven felt like a bachelor residence with its woodwork and lack of feminine décor—save her chamber—but perhaps that was because Mr. Bowen seemed to dominate every corner of the house, even when he wasn’t in her presence.

  She kept finding herself staring at his mother’s portrait and wondering what it would be like to have never known your mother. The ache of losing her parents was always with her, but she’d at least enjoyed ten years of happy memories to soothe the pain. But then, Mr. Bowen couldn’t really miss what he’d never had, could he? No, it wasn’t the same at all.

  His story about his grandmother had sent a wave of tears to her eyes, but she’d averted her face from Mr. Bowen and blinked them back. She and her father had liked to visit the kitchens late at night when the house was dark and silent. They’d raided the pantry for whatever they could find and talked about all manner of things: what the weather might be, what they were reading, which of Mrs. Cole’s sweets were best—the currant tarts or the Shrewsbury cakes. Margery could almost hear her father’s deep voice extolling the delights of the currant tarts, his favorite, and she had to swallow back the tears again.