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Devil snorted and bobbed his head as if he understood Nathan.
“Too bad he cannot tell us what happened.” Elijah sighed. “I suppose that would make things far too easy.”
“What would make things easy?” Anthony walked into the stables on the heel of Elijah’s wish, Rex sauntering behind him. The two of them made quite a sight. Anthony was short and stocky with dark hair and eyes and a perpetually angry expression. In contrast, Rex was a lazy lion of a man, tawny-haired with amber eyes that sometimes seemed to glow and all the affect of a gazetted rake. That he was now married and happily devoted to his wife had not changed his demeanor one bit.
“If Devil could tell us what happened to Sebastian.” Nathan relaxed as the other two men came to proffer their greetings and reaffirm their condolences. Now that they were all here, the chances of uncovering their villain were far higher.
* * *
Lily
Somehow, all the ladies found themselves in Evie’s room by the time Mary arrived. Josie and Evie had updated Lily on the last tidbits of gossip coming out of the capital, some of which did not include her and Nathan’s marriage, thank goodness.
“And…” Even though they were alone, Josie turned her head this way and that before leaning in to whisper to Lily. “I think Priscilla knows about the Society of Sin.”
“What? The former Miss Bliss? Why on earth would you think that?” Lily blinked in surprise. She could not imagine how the woman would have discovered anything about the Society. Sweet tempered and mild-mannered to the point of being dull, the beautiful Miss Bliss had apparently gone through multiple seasons of boring gentlemen, who settled on someone else for a bride, until she’d met Elijah’s brother, Joseph. The two had married earlier this Season, once the scandalous events surrounding Elijah and Josie’s marriage had been cleared up.
That was when Mary found them, coming into the room on the heel of Lily’s query.
“Is she going on about Priscilla again?” Mary asked, shaking her head and pausing in the doorway. Wearing a dove grey traveling dress and gloves, which she slid off of her hands before coming into the room, her blondish-red hair properly coiffed, she looked every inch the proper Marchioness.
Lily wondered if she should ask Mary for lessons now that she was a countess. Glancing down at her own hands, she frowned at the faint ink stains. Certainly not what a proper countess’ hands should look like. She closed her hands into fists, hiding the tips of her fingers in them.
“Josie, you really need to leave that poor woman alone.” Mary frowned, shaking her head.
“That poor woman needs to leave me alone!” Josie protested. “She flat out said she knew Elijah was part of a secret society.”
“I think she’s realized my cousins and uncle are not what they seem,” Evie interjected. She had been awfully quiet since arriving, spending her time sorting through the jewelry she’d packed.
Until Evie was ready to talk, Lily and Josie had been doing their best to behave as if nothing was amiss. She had a feeling her friend was worried about Uncle Oliver, who had been left behind in London with his new nurse since he was not well enough to travel yet. Lily did not envy whatever woman Evie had hired for that job.
“That’s what she means by secret society. I am sure Joseph has told her nothing about the family business.”
Likely not. A large part of Joseph’s desire for her as his wife was that he’d always preferred meek and biddable women. Which was why he and Josie would have never worked, even though she’d been in love with him for years. Now that she was married to Elijah, it was clear they were the better match for each other.
Poor Miss Bliss, though. Mrs. Stuart now, but Lily was not sure she would ever be able to think of the young woman as anything other than Miss Bliss.
“I do not think she has an inkling about Uncle Oliver being England’s spymaster. I am telling you, she is talking about the Society of Sin,” Josie insisted irritably.
“Does it truly matter either way?” This conversation certainly did not, but Lily found herself happy to be distracted by such a trivial matter for a bit.
“Only when one wonders how she found out about it or why she wants to know about it.” Josie crossed her arms, scowling.
Evie snorted. “Likely, she overheard one of my cousins talking about it. They are hardly as circumspect as they like to think.”
“Or she could be looking for a lover.”
That made everyone except Josie laugh. Pouting, she crossed her arms over her chest. Lily did not know the former Miss Bliss well, but she could hardly imagine the insipid miss being anything but horrified once she discovered what activities The Society indulged in.
“They just got married, and it was a love match. I am sure she is not already looking for a lover, if ever,” Mary said soothingly. She tended to play peacemaker among them. “Like me, she has a tendency to be overlooked. I would not be at all surprised if Evie is correct, and Joseph, Adam, or even Elijah, was loose-lipped within her hearing.”
“She better not be,” Josie muttered, still pouting. “Oh, do not look at me like that, Evie, I am not in love with Joseph anymore, but I still want him to be happy.”
“As do we all,” Mary said pointedly. She sat down on the bed between Josie and Lily. “Now, tell me what is going on. I am sure Evie and Josie have already hounded you for information.” Evie glanced up from where she was sorting through her things. She was the only one who did not have a ladies’ maid, and she’d refused Lily’s offer of one, leaving her to unpack her own things. Evie had always been rather secretive, so it was not surprising and made her room the perfect spot to gather and talk over everything.
“We did not hound her, I will have you know. She immediately offered everything she’d learned.”
Mary looked surprised, as Evie first had when Lily had revealed she had information to share.
