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“At least tell us how Lucy fares,” his father said. “She writes faithfully, but she’s not allowed to write anything more than that she is alive and well.”
“Lucy is doing well,” Will said. “She looks happy and healthy, and if she doesn’t blow everyone up, she’ll certainly have her own mission soon.” He kissed his mother’s cheek. “I’ll see you for dinner.”
As he walked away, he heard his mother say, “This is your fault. You should have never given her that lesson with gunpowder when she was five.”
“LADY AVERLEY HAS LEFTus,” the queen said two hours later. Will had waited an hour and a half for his audience and then suffered through thirty minutes of formal thanks from the prince and the queen. All the while, he couldn’t stop his gaze from darting about. Emily was not in attendance. Surely, she would have known he was coming. Was she intentionally avoiding him? Finally, he was left with no other option but to ask after her, under the guise of wanting to make sure she’d recovered from her injuries.
“I’m sorry, Your Majesty. She has left you?” Will’s chest constricted painfully. The phraseleft uscould have a myriad of meanings, and at the moment, he could only imagine the worst.
“She has asked for a few months’ leave,” the queen said. “After her service, we could hardly refuse her, though we do miss her terribly.”
“I see.” So he wasn’t the only one who needed time to think. Will couldn’t ask where she’d gone for leave. The queen probably wasn’t at liberty to say. “I am glad she is taking time to recover.”
He bowed and backed out of the throne room when the queen finally dismissed him. When the doors shut behind him, Will stalked away. Was Emily’s disappearance a sign that he should give up or proof that she missed him as much as he did her? Should he leave her alone or seek her out? And if he were to try and find her, where to start? Averley Hall, he supposed. That was her home.
“Mr. Galloway.”
Will turned and saw Lady Jocelyn slip out of the throne room. She was young and witty but not someone he had much in common with. Her husband was the younger son of a duke, which accounted for her position at court. He gave her a bow. “My lady. It’s good to see you. How have you been?”
“Very well, sir. Thank you. I couldn’t help but notice you were asking about Lady Averley.”
“I wanted to make sure she is recovered.”
“Oh, well, if that is all.” Lady Jocelyn flicked her fingers as though to dismiss the topic. “Hasn’t the weather been lovely lately?”
Will gritted his teeth. “Very well. I wanted to see her. I came to see her.” When Lady Jocelyn didn’t say anything, Will prodded. “I gather she is not here. Has she gone home?”
“No.”
Will waited for Lady Jocelyn to elaborate. When she didn’t, he said, “Where has she gone?”
“Guess.”
Will frowned. “My lady, I’d prefer not to play games.”
“But you should be able to guess, sir. It’s something I should think you would know about her.”
Will stilled, half angry, half intrigued by the lady’s words. If she had not gone home, where would she have gone?
“Lyme Regis,” he said after a moment. “To see the fossils.”
“Youdoknow her well.” Lady Jocelyn smiled. “And I knew you would come looking for her. It’s so romantic. I told my—”
“Excuse me, my lady.” Will didn’t want to waste any more time now that he knew where Emily had gone. He practically sprinted out of the palace and might have run back to Charles Street if he hadn’t forced himself to slow down and to be rational. He couldn’t leave for Lyme Regis this afternoon. He’d have to go in the morning. He’d see Emily tomorrow. He’d hold her tomorrow—if she didn’t hate him for leaving.
He hailed a hackney and took it back to his parents’ house. He’d forgotten that he’d promised to dine with them, but Wallace informed him they were waiting for him as soon as he walked in the door. Will went to the dining room and was greeted warmly by both parents. They’d changed for dinner, and his mother had put her hair up and wore her diamonds.
“I’ll just go change.” Will started away, but his mother grasped his hand.
“Not a chance. Now that we have you here, we want to know all about your training and your missions. Everything.”
Will took his place at the table, took a sip of wine, and began to talk. He didn’t give as many details as Lucy would have, but his parents’ enthusiasm and attention encouraged him to be thorough. That and the fact that the Smythe staff could be trusted implicitly. His parents had been agents for the Barbican for years and no one had ever heard a whisper of their dual identities as Agent Saint and Agent Wolf. Still, out of habit, he lowered his voice when speaking about his mission to sabotage the assassination of the queen. He related the facts of the mission as stoically as possible, but he still caught the exchange between his parents the fifth time he mentioned Lady Averley.
When he had finished and sat back to contemplate his half-eaten dinner, his mother leaned forward. “Does Lady Averley know you’re in love with her?”
Will rolled his eyes and said, “Mama!” at the same time his father said, “Sophia!”
She glared at her husband. “Heisin love with her.” She then turned her fierce brown eyes on Will. “Do you deny you’re in love with her?”
