“Yes, sir.”
“You must be as quiet as possible. No lights in the window. The idea is to convince not only Davidson’s men, but also my household that you departed with Orson. There are a few others, beyond the missing maid, who might be involved. Until we know with certainty, we must not be caught unawares. I would expect, if I am accurate, someone will look for you in your current quarters and deduce that the one with Orson is Theodora if you are there. Such could put both you and my daughter in danger, and I cannot permit either to happen.”
“How daunting it is to consider such,” Emma said in awe.
“Unfortunately, those involved in governmental investigations sometimes must be prepared to know disappointment. To trust someone and learn otherwise. I suspect you know something of what I speak,” Lord Duncan said as he caught Emma’s gaze.
“Mr. Rheem said something similar previously—that I cannot recall what happened to me because the attack came from someone I trusted.” She looked again to Lord Orson. “Is such a part of Lord Orson’s life? This need to question even the simplest of interactions?”
“Yes, and, if you choose to accept our Richard’s hand, you must be prepared to assist him in his position as a lord of England and as an agent for the British government. No more protests. Find more accepted ways to speak to those issues which you find important. Instead of chronicling what you view as the foibles of the lords enjoying their drinks and cards attheir favorite gentleman’s club, find a means to circumvent their inaction. My Elsbeth, for example, was passionate about the welfare of children, so she founded an orphanage that treats the children humanely and trains them for positions in society. Channel your passion for the good of others.” He paused to listen to the music before continuing. “No more being alone in one of London’s questionable neighborhoods. For your doing so would not only place you in more danger, but risk Richard’s life. There are those who would use you to reach him, and he would risk it all, including his life, to save you. That is not to say I do not think you would be good for Richard. However, you must choose to use your willfulness and your daring to lift up Richard’s position in society. See that the children you share know their parents and admire them. Be what neither of you have had.”
Richard had purposelyheld Theodora close to his side when they departed the house together. He had made a great show of assisting Dora into his carriage and tucking a lap rug across her legs, as if she were still recovering from a terrible beating. Though he knew they were doing all they could to protect Lady Emma, he did not look forward to spending four days where he would not be able to cast his eyes upon her or to touch her.
“It will all be well,” Dora assured as his coach rolled away from the curb.
“I know, yet...” he began, but he did not dare to voice his hopes for a future with Lady Emma Donoghue.
“You must consider what would occur if Lady Emma never recovers her memory,” Theodora cautioned.
“Then we create new memories together,” Richard declared with more confidence than he actually felt.
“I pray you find happiness together,” she said, “for I would very much like to have a sister as part of my family. However, I cannot help but to speak of my qualms, for without her memory, Lady Emma will always be looking over her shoulder and wondering if the man watching her on the dance floor is the same one she met on a dark street in Covent Garden.”
Silence followed and soon they had reached his London home, and so Richard waited until his footman set down the steps so he might disembark and reach a hand back to Theodora, who tugged the cape’s hood further down again to cover her face. “I have you, my dear,” Richard said as he tucked Duncan’s daughter close to his side and led her to his door. His butler, Mr. Walters, opened it wide just as they reached it.
“Good evening, my lord,” his servant said as if it were commonplace for Richard to bring a lady home with him.
“Evening, Walters,” Richard said a bit louder than usual. He was not confident Davidson’s man had followed, but he thought he had viewed a man on horseback trailing behind them through the small window in the carriage’s rear frame. “The lady will have tea, and I would prefer a brandy. We will sit for a spell in the green sitting room. Have my trunk taken to my quarters and her ladyship’s to the rooms across from mine.” He hoped if there was someone following him, the person heard what he said.
“Immediately, my lord.” Walters snapped his fingers, and two footmen darted out the door to retrieve the small trunks while a third was sent down the servants’ stairs to bring up the tea and brandy.
Richard purposely waited until the door was closed to prying eyes before assisting Theodora with her cape. “Mr. Walters,” he instructed in soft tones. “At least one man followed Lady Theodora and me here. I wish you to place men to watch the exterior of the house. No one is to come close enough to look in and view who has accompanied me this evening.”
Mr. Walters appeared a bit confused, but the man and Richard’s household, overall, had long ago adjusted to his unusual hours and his comings and goings. “As you wish, sir.”
“Lord Marksman will come for Lady Theodora in the night’s middle. Naturally, his lordship should be admitted to the house, though knowing Marksman, the earl will enjoy the prospect of being able to outwit whoever you assign the duty. Just remind whoever is outside that when Marksman and Lady Theodora depart, no one is to draw additional attention to them.”
“I understand, my lord.”
“I promised to be at Sir Hunter’s side throughout all of tomorrow’s festivities so I should speak to Mr. Kane this evening.”
“I will remind Mr. Kane of your itinerary for tomorrow, my lord.”
With that, Richard placed Theodora’s hand on his arm and escorted her to the nearby sitting room. It was comforting to have the support of Theodora and all his “brothers.” Most assuredly, he would have done the same for each of them. “I wonder,” he said as he seated Theodora in a high-backed chair so no one could actually see her from the street.
“Wonder what?” she asked with a lift of her brows.
“I suppose I wonder, if I choose to extend my hand to Lady Emma, how will she react to these late-night adventures or to my occasional need to be absent from home in service to the government?”
“None of us know with any assurances,” Theodora observed. “Mayhap Lady Emma will wish to assist you. You have always spoken of her boldness.”
“Bold, she is,” Richard said with a smile. “Yet, it is the occasional lack of discretion which worries me.”
Emma had curledup on the floor on the side of the bed away from the door in case someone had come looking for her, and, indeed, Lord Duncan had been correct: someone did just that.
Earlier, she had spoken her farewells to Lord Orson and Lady Theodora and then had taken the servants’ stairs to her quarters in the Duncan household. She retrieved the small trunk and the cloth bag and stuffed each with her feminine wear, gowns, robes, shoes, and the like, and made her way to Lord Beaufort’s former quarters. She had only paused once in her task, and that was briefly to lift the stack of letters from the bag and then immediately stuff them back in again. “I must share these with Lord Orson when he comes for me. He needs to know what they say, and he will know how to treat them better than I. Please, God, permit me to learn from my mistakes,” she had whispered into the darkened room, before placing her belongings on top and tying off the strings.
In the empty room, lit only by the moonlight, she had removed one of the two pillows on the bed, replaced it with two rolled shirts supposedly belonging to Lord Beaufort, and remade the bed as if it had not been disturbed.
