“I thought my parents loved each other, too,” Elsbeth said, her voice wistful. “But now... I’m not so sure.”
A small, bittersweet smile curved Niles’s lips. “It was hard when my parents passed so close to one another, but it wasn’t surprising. They did everything together.”
“How I envy you.”
He raised a brow. “At least your mother is still alive. I’d give anything to say the same.”
Her shoulders slumped slightly as she nodded. “Life is strange, isn’t it? We long for what we don’t have and fail to truly appreciate what we do.”
Niles turned his gaze to the road ahead, his voice tinged with an unspoken weight. “I just hope, wherever he is, my father is proud of the man I’ve become.”
“I think he would be,” she said.
Niles’s heart tightened at the sincerity in her voice, and for a moment, he simply nodded, words failing him. Her belief in him meant more than he cared to admit.
Elsbeth turned her attention to the flickering lights of thevillage ahead, her expression hardening. “My stepfather is somewhere in that village, doing who knows what.”
“What if your mother is right? What if he’s simply meeting an associate about one of his ships or business dealings?”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Perhaps,” she admitted. “But I intend to find out for myself.” With that, she urged her horse forward, the determination in her posture leaving no room for argument.
Niles followed her lead, wondering what it would take to get through to her. The sound of their horses’ hooves echoed against the cobblestone streets, the village eerily quiet at this late hour. Lanterns glowed dimly in windows, their light spilling onto the damp stones below. The scent of rain lingered in the air, though the skies had long since cleared.
They came to a stop in front of a coaching inn, a modest structure with peeling paint and sagging shutters. Securing their horses to a nearby post, Elsbeth wasted no time, slipping around to the alleyway that ran alongside the building.
“We should check the coaching inn first,” she whispered, her voice barely carrying above the soft rustle of the night breeze. Without waiting for his reply, she crept forward, her movements purposeful.
Niles followed behind until they reached one of the dirt-streaked windows. Elsbeth pressed her hands lightly against the glass, peering inside. Her sharp intake of breath made him step closer.
“What do you see?” he asked in a low voice.
She gestured for him to join her. “It’s him,” she murmured. “My stepfather. He’s speaking with someone.”
Niles leaned in, squinting through the window. Inside, the flickering light of a lantern illuminated two men. Mr. Stockton stood with a composed but grave expression, speaking intently to a balding man that he did not recognize.
“Who is the other man?” he asked.
Elsbeth turned her gaze towards him. “That’s Mr. Strother,” she explained, her voice tight. “He was my father’s solicitor. But Charles said he was returning to Town. So why is he still here, meeting with my stepfather?”
“That is an excellent question,” Niles muttered as he studied the men through the window.
Elsbeth pulled back from the window, her brows furrowed in thought. “None of this makes sense,” she murmured, more to herself than to Niles.
“It doesn’t,” he agreed. “But whatever they’re discussing, it’s important. Important enough for both men to take risks.”
Her gaze flickered to his, her resolve evident. “We need to find out what they are discussing.”
“Agreed. But not here, not now. We need to be careful, Elsbeth. If they suspect you’re on to them…”
“I know,” she said, swallowing slowly. “But I can’t walk away from this.”
“You’re not alone in this,” he reminded her. “We’ll figure this out. Together.”
“Thank you, Niles.”
He offered her a reassuring smile. “Let’s head back. We’ll need a proper plan before we do anything else.”
Elsbeth bobbed her head as she followed him out of the shadowed alley, their steps quiet against the cobblestone streets. As they traveled back to her estate, Niles couldn’t help but wonder what business Mr. Stockton could have with Elsbeth’s father’s solicitor, especially so late at night. And why meet at the coaching inn in secret? Why not have the meeting at his estate? None of this made any sense. Not yet. But Niles was determined to find out why.
