Page 17 of A Bluestocking’s Secret Courtship

The urgency in finding the earl grew more intense. The Black Death was elusive, but if Wedmore had located the group of mercenaries and hired them to rescue Napoleon, there would be no stopping them.

His jaw tightened.

And Jonathan would be to blame.

A commotion at the front of the house jerked him to attention. Was Miss Darlington returning already?

Moving quickly, he replaced Wedmore’s belongings, secured the locks, and rushed into the courtyard.

“What are you doing?”

Hellfire!

Jonathan swung toward the end of the courtyard, meeting Lord Dominic’s perplexed frown as he stepped outside.

Jonathan lifted his hand in an awkward wave. “You’re back.”

“Is that a complaint?” Dom asked wryly.

His travel clothes were dusty, and a fine sheen of sweat dampened the ends of his dark hair. He nodded toward Miss Darlington’s bedchamber.

“You ran out of there like an angry husband was on your tail. Care to explain?”

“Not here,” Jonathan said.

He checked the foyer visible through the glass doors behind Dom. Thankfully, it was empty.

“You need to hide.”

Dom chuckled. “In my own house?”

“I’m serious. I will tell you everything upstairs.”

Shrugging, Dom suggested they speak in his study. “I want to change first. You can have a brandy while you wait. Looks like you need one.”

While he went to his bedchamber, Jonathan entered the study and poured two glasses of brandy. His tumbler was half empty when Dom joined him. Dark circles under Dom’s eyes hinted at a sleepless night.

“Rough assignment?” Jonathan asked without expecting any details.

“Inconvenient and annoying, but such is the life.”

He passed Dom a glass of brandy and said, “You look like you’ve been in the saddle a while.”

“Are you deflecting instead of answering my question? What were you doing in the empty guest quarters?”

“They are no longer empty.”

Dom’s eyebrows shot toward his hairline. “I was joking about running from a husband. Who, in God’s name, is in my house?”

“No one.” When Dom glowered, Jonathan added, “At the moment. They are touring the city.”

“Who?”

Jonathan smiled grimly. “Wedmore’s nieces and a nephew-in-law. They came to reunite with him.”

Dom let out a stream of curses. Despite their tendency to keep details to themselves, Jonathan had needed Dom’s assistance when he arrived in Athens. He was aware of the significance of Wedmore’s nieces’ arrival.

“I leave for one night, and hell breaks loose,” Dom grumbled. “You said Wedmore was dead. You were on your way back to England at the end of the month.”