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oing to find herself in another dangerous situation. “We are not in danger, are we?”
Lord Westbrook started violently, then shook his head, as though her question had taken him by surprise.
“You need have no fear of that, Lady Esther,” he told her. “I have men within this park who are ensuring that your safety is guaranteed.” A small, tight smile was thrown her way before he looked away again, his jaw working hard for a moment. Esther did not know what to say or what to do, having never seen Lord Westbrook in such a state before. He appeared to be almost angry, as though he were deeply frustrated about some matter or other, but still, he did not speak. Her heart began to pound frantically, as a trickle of sweat ran down her spine. The tension grew almost unbearable, making her hand tighten on Lord Westbrook’s arm.
“Please, Lord Westbrook,” she said when she could take no more. “Please, you must tell me what is wrong. I do not understand what has occurred, or why someone shot at me only yesterday.” Her steps slowed as she turned herself a little more to look up at him, her fingers digging into his coat. “Do not hold yourself back any longer Lord Westbrook, I beg of you.”
He sighed heavily, ran one hand over his eyes and then nodded, his eyes downcast. “I pray you will not turn away from me when you hear the truth, Lady Esther, for I have done my utmost to protect you.”
She began to walk again, albeit a good deal more slowly this time. “I do not think I should ever be able to turn from you, Lord Westbrook,” she told him. “Not after what you have done for me thus far.”
“But I could have done more,” he said gruffly. “I could have been honest with you from the very beginning, but I believed it best to keep part of my life a secret. A part that your father has kept from you also.”
Esther’s breath caught, and she looked up at him, but Lord Westbrook merely kept his head turned away.
“I am a part of The King’s League,” he said softly, not looking at her. “We are a group of gentlemen who do what we can to root out any of our enemies that have made it to England’s shores. Some of them are within our society, masquerading as English society when, in truth, they are sending back news and information to their side.”
Esther licked her lips, her mouth a little dry. “I see,” she managed to say, feeling a sense of pride rise up within her over Lord Westbrook’s revelation.
“Your father was also within this group,” Lord Westbrook continued, making her stumble in shock. “He left it when his wife died.” His eyes returned to hers, holding a good deal of uncertainty as he placed his hand over hers as it rested on his arm; no longer walking but standing together at the side of the path. “I am certain you did not know of this.”
Esther could not quite form words, the shock of his revelation running over her like a cold stream of water.
“You did not,” Lord Westbrook mumbled, dropping his head. “I fear, Lady Esther, that your father has somehow become involved with a most important mission that is currently underway. I believe that he has been given something that the French seek, something that we must find if we are to put a stop to their secretive workings right under our very noses.” His jaw worked furiously for a moment and he looked away, betraying just how strongly he felt about this particular matter. “I believe that this is why your father has disappeared.”
Esther listened as Lord Westbrook quickly explained about the book, the cipher, and a gentleman called Sir Taylor, who had died in his attempt to defend England. Her breath caught as Lord Westbrook explained as to why her father’s estate study had been ransacked and about the gentleman with the scar. Her heart began to beat painfully as she realized what Lord Westbrook was saying: her very own father was involved in a secretive campaign and had escaped from London in order to preserve his cipher and to protect both himself and her.
“I believe your father has gone into hiding and will have done so in order to ensure that he cannot be discovered by any of our enemies,” Lord Westbrook finished. “And he will have wanted to remove any suspicion from you.”
“Then why did someone try to shoot me yesterday?” she asked, surprised at how reedy her voice sounded. “If I am to be without suspicion, then why do such a thing?”
“Leverage, mayhap?” Lord Westbrook suggested, running his fingers over hers as they began to walk again. “If they injure you and your father hears of it, then he will most likely reveal himself so that you will be spared from further pain.”
Esther’s head began to grow fuzzy with thoughts and questions pouring into it, making her wince and shake her head. This was not at all what she had expected, for she had never once even considered that her father would be involved in something like this. Lord Westbrook too had appeared to be nothing more than a gentleman of the ton, and she had never even thought that he was anything more. To know that both Lord Westbrook and her father were in The King’s League was rather overwhelming and certainly a good deal to take in.
“You will be confused, I understand,” Lord Westbrook said gently, perhaps seeing her whirling emotions. “I am sorry that I did not tell you this from the beginning, but I was doing my level best to protect you.”
“Those gentlemen.” Esther’s head shot up as she looked up into Lord Westbrook’s face, suddenly realizing something. “The gentlemen I danced with at the last ball – they were in this league as well, were they not?” She recalled the strange look on Lord Westbrook’s face as he had looked at her dance card, remembered the odd smile on his face as Lord Hogarth had come to claim her. “They were your associates.”
Lord Westbrook nodded, his lips quirking. “Yes, Lady Esther, they were,” he admitted. “And you did well to notice my reaction to them.”
She blushed, turning her head away. “I feel as though I do not know you very well at all, Lord Westbrook,” she told him. “But I understand your reasons for keeping such information entirely to yourself.”
“As I must now ask for you to do so as well,” he told her gravely, the lightness gone from his expression in a moment. “None can know of what I have told you, Lady Esther. We do our level best to ensure that none within the beau monde know of our exploits. I have told you because I think it right and because you must be able to understand what it is we are dealing with.”
She did not hesitate, squeezing his arm gently. “Of course, you have my word,” she promised fervently. “In a way, Lord Westbrook, I am proud of my father and the work he has done. It is difficult to understand why he returned to it now, but—”
“I do not think he had any choice in the matter,” Lord Westbrook interrupted, his voice filled with kindness. “I believe that Sir Taylor sent him the cipher and begged him to guard it with his life and to then take it to London so that he might pass it on to The King’s League.”
“I see.” Esther frowned, her mind and heart beginning to settle themselves as they walked. The very act of walking seemed to bring a peace to her, as though the quietness of the park and the beauty of the gardens were there simply to calm her. “Then someone knew that the cipher had been given to my father.”
Lord Westbrook nodded, his brow lined and deeply furrowed. “Indeed, although we do not yet know who. The man with the scar, the gentleman you saw calling upon your father who then came to attack you at the hackney – he is the gentleman we now seek. I believe that he knew of the cipher and of it being in your father’s possession and came to seek it out.”
Esther blinked rapidly, trying to hold back a sudden swell of tears that came with the memory of her father standing in the study that day, looking pale and fearful as she had gone in to speak with him. “He would not tell me who the gentleman was,” she murmured. “If only he had, then I might now be able to help him.”
Lord Westbrook settled his free hand over hers for a moment, his comfort a kindness to her. “Your father knew that you wished to aid him, Lady Esther, but you were his first consideration. He wanted to protect you in any way he could. I am certain of that.”
She sniffed, glad that she had managed to hold back her tears. “The scarred gentleman did not injure him however.” She glanced up at Lord Westbrook, who nodded. “Do you think he came only to threaten him?”
