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* * *
Lily
“Left out of what?” Lily asked as she descended, trying to act normal when she was very aware beneath her skirts she was… sore. Everywhere. Her bottom from the spanking and between her legs from the lovemaking. While she did not feel differently as a person, she reacted differently as soon as she saw Nathan’s eyes on her.
In truth, the presence of her friends was a relief. She smiled when Elijah, Rex, Mary, Evie, and Captain Browne followed Josie into the hall.
“We are making plans,” Evie said briskly, just as Elijah opened his mouth, causing him to send her a glare. Captain Browne was also glaring at the back of Evie’s head. Hanging back, he seemed more like an outsider than part of the group. Lily hid her smile at the way Elijah and Evie were already clashing, both of them sure they should be in charge. This was going to be interesting now that they were together. “The assassination attempts, your kidnapping… we must have gotten too close to the traitor to precipitate such drastic action.”
“We already knew that, considering the stiff that turned up after being questioned by Elijah,” Captain Browne muttered. At the sound of his voice, Evie’s shoulders went back, but she did not turn or in any other way acknowledge his comment.
Yes, the man who Elijah and Josie questioned turning up beaten to death had already been a large clue they’d gone down a track toward the truth, but they thought it had dead-ended with that man.
“His name was Jacques,” Josie said, shivering. Elijah had not been the only one present when the now-dead man was questioned. The man had set her up to be ruined, though he claimed he had not known what was in the note he’d given her. Though he’d been French, he claimed he’d been paid by a Russian to pass along the note.
He’d also said he was supposed to tell anyone who came to question him that an English lord had been the one to bribe him. The only description he’d been able to give had been a dark-haired Russian of average height and weight, which could be applied to most of the visiting delegation. Nothing in what he’d said to Josie and Elijah had seemed revealing. In fact, when he’d turned up dead, they’d all assumed it was so he could not be revisited and plumbed for more information.
Unfortunately, the man who had actually attacked Josie had also been murdered before he could be questioned. They’d been left hanging in the wind… or so they thought.
“Clearly, the villain we are chasing must think the dead man told us something more useful than we realized,” Lily said as she reached the bottom of the stairs, thinking out loud. Nathan stepped to her side, offering his arm, and she jolted before taking it, doing her best not to turn pink when they touched and knowing she failed.
“Exactly,” Evie said with a sniff. She joined Lily on her other side as they moved down the hall to the dining room. “Which is why we must meet to discuss it. Obviously, yesterday was not the right time, and of course, the wedding had to be done as quickly as possible because of the social ramifications, but now we need to figure out where to go from here.”
Lily glanced at Nathan from the corner of her eye to see what he made of Evie’s declaration, but his expression was unchanged other than clenching his jaw. That could be because he did not want to be ordered about by a woman, or he was upset their first morning together was being overtaken by the investigation, or perhaps because he had gas. Really, there was no way to tell.
Truthfully, she was a bit relieved to have their friends there as a buffer since she did not know what to say to him. Last night had been a revelation that left her feeling unaccountably awkward and vulnerable. Despite the intimacy they’d shared, they were still mostly strangers to each other.
To her surprise, Nathan claimed the place next to her at the dining room table. She’d thought he’d want to sit with his friends. On the other hand, she also realized she was pleased he’d chosen to sit next to her.
They were married now, after all. It was a small thing but one that gave her a small rush of pleasure.
* * *
Nathan
Though their guests were entirely unexpected, Mrs. Potts and the household staff coped astoundingly well, providing an abundance of food. Nathan had the sneaking suspicion they would have done so even without the guests, which would have been far too much for only him and Lily. Perhaps it was just as well they had guests.
Looking around the table as they were served, Nathan had to admit everyone’s chosen seat appeared to be rather revealing. He had wanted to sit next to Lily, even though it would not be considered fashionable to cling so closely to one’s wife. Since his guests were uninvited and it was the day after their wedding, he had decided to forgo caring about the social niceties.
Apparently, so had everyone else.
Elijah and Rex had chosen to sit next to their wives as well. Anthony and Miss Stuart, on the other hand, were sitting on opposite sides of the table, as far from each other as they could get, even though it left the configuration lopsided. Once again, Nathan wondered what was going on between the two of them—or had gone on—but that was hardly the most pressing matter.
“How is your father?” Nathan asked Elijah. “I was glad he could make it to the wedding yesterday.”
“Improving daily,” Elijah said, glancing at the footman who filled his coffee cup. “Though he is chomping at the bit to be released from his chair.”
Miss Stuart snorted indelicately, shaking her head. “What my cousin means is my uncle is being a holy terror and grumpy from being confined. I will be interviewing nurses today.” The young lady’s brilliant green eyes met Nathan’s. There was a strength of will there he did not think he’d seen in anyone other than the Marquess of Camden’s. While she might be a woman, she clearly took after him in temperament.
In fact, pitting them against each other, Nathan would probably put money on her.
“Good luck with that,” Elijah muttered under his breath, then shook his head when his wife elbowed him in the side. “If anyone can manage it, it’s you, but I think you’ll likely end up having to play nursemaid.”
“We’ll see.” Miss Stuart had a glint in her eye that said she was more than up to the challenge.
Nathan felt sorry for whatever nurse she managed to find; the poor woman would be caught between Miss Stuart and the Marquess—the proverbial rock and a hard place.
Once everyone was served and had their food and drink, Nathan dismissed the staff, instructing them to close the doors behind them. While Nathan trusted his people, he also knew how easily loose lips could scupper the best of intentions. This conversation would be too delicate for him to risk having his servants about.
