Page 5 of Unmasking the Silver Heiress
As the tub was being filled, she opened Alex's suitcase again and rifled through his school things. She told herself she was just looking for something to read, and yet still felt disappointed that the parcel they were after had not miraculously appeared since the last time she had looked inside.
Most of the books were dry, academic reading, but she did find a penny novel in the back that looked reasonably entertaining. It was the sort of thing Peter would have called low-brow rubbish.
The wooden bathtub turned out to be little more than a very large bucket, and so not nearly as relaxing as Nell had anticipated. She had to kneel inside, and the water only barely reached her chest. She pondered that if Nathaniel had used this same tub the night before, it would have only come to his waist.
She shook her head and quickly instructed herself to stop imagining him undressed and standing in the tub as a blush crept to her cheeks. It was far more sensible to occupy herself with resolving the myriad challenges in front of them as she washed the dust of the road from her skin than to moon over the man she'd just trapped in marriage.
She still wished she had time to attend to her hair. It wasn't completely awful when twisted back and pinned tight into a bun, but she wanted nothing more than to feel truly clean after the past few days. She hated the sensation of a greasy scalp and disliked how much darker her hair appeared when it was dirty. It was uninspiring hair at the best of times, and so suffered greatly from any small disadvantage.
All the same, the soapy scrubbing and clean, fresh clothes made a world of difference. Her mood felt lighter, her ideas clearer, and her confidence perhaps a little more steady. She tucked away the soiled clothing in her valise and snapped it shut, ready to continue with their journey.
As Aunt Zelda always said, the only path worth dwelling upon is the one that goes forward.
* * *
The first twohours on the road that morning were had in complete silence. Nathaniel seemed lost in his thoughts and, not wishing to incite a conversation she could not carry, Nell attempted to bury herself in the novel she'd found. She realized, after rereading the first page for the third time, that perhaps the reason she hadn't packed any books for this trip was because she did not currently have the capacity to enjoy them.
She contented herself for a time with watching the scenery unfold from the window. Autumn was one of the most beautiful times of the year, after all, and the foliage was truly spectacular in the midlands, with all of the forested enclaves and ivy-covered villages along the way. She had grown up just west of London, in the city of Winchester, before being sent to Bath-Spa for finishing school. Of the three cities she'd spent time in, none had been what anyone could describe as wild, all with more in the way of stone and brick than the reach of Mother Nature. The green spaces she was accustomed to were all manicured lawns and trimmed topiaries, not this wild gnarl of an untamed wood.
She had always imagined that when she was grown, she would be able to explore the whole of England, searching for the perfect home, until she found a place that suited her best. She had never considered how little choice most women have in these matters, nor that she would be tied to wherever her eventual spouse held property. For that matter, she had no idea where Nathaniel Atlas lived when he wasn't required in London or abroad on official business.
She frowned, turning toward her new husband with this sudden thought, only to find him watching her intently. His changeable eyes looked almost the color of a deep merlot in the afternoon light, and they did not dart away when she met them, but rather held her gaze as though his curiosities had not yet been satisfied.
"Something amiss?" he asked after a moment, perfectly poised and controlled with this question. He showed nothing of the man at rest she'd seen before sunrise. His hair was oiled and combed back, a cravat knotted at his throat, and waistcoat tailored to his pleasing frame. If he knew that she'd seen him without his armor this morning, then it must not have troubled him, for he had returned seamlessly to the man to whom she was accustomed.
"I was just wondering where you live, when you are not in London or abroad," she replied softly. "It has occurred to me that I know very little about you, aside from details learned by reputation."
This seemed to amuse him, the corners of his lips curling up as she spoke. "I have often thought the same of you, Miss Applegate."
"I am an Applegate no longer," she reminded him, tilting her head. "I am your wife."
"So you are," he agreed. "Shall I call you Mrs. Atlas, then? Or perhaps simply Eleanor? Using your Christian name feels improper, somehow. As you said, we are not very well acquainted."
"You may call me Nell, if you like," she answered, then added after a moment of hesitation, "Nathaniel."
His teeth flashed, his smile fully formed now. "All right, then. Nell. I haven't lived much of anywhere permanently since leaving school. I own a home in Marylebone, which I use when Parliament is in session and between the various trips I've undertaken at the behest of the Crown. While abroad, I simply rent a suitable space for the duration of my stay."
"But surely you originated somewhere other than London," she persisted.
"My parents died when I was very young," he replied easily, shrugging as though it was no matter. "After that, I was with relatives for a time and then sent to school. I'm afraid I'm quite without origin, my dear."
She did not know how to reply to such a revelation. Of course, she should have known that his parents were no longer living, else they would likely play as large a part in Society as their son. She could not imagine what childhood might have been like without her parents, flawed as they were. Living with an expansive, boisterous family, not to mention one that considered Winchester baked into their very marrow, was second nature to her. It was disturbing to think of what life might be like without a place to call home nor parents to make it so.
"I'm so very sorry to hear that," she managed, after a moment. "No one should lose their parents so young."
The smile slipped from his face, his expression turning thoughtful or perhaps even surprised. "Life is often harsh," he responded. "I imagine a woman involved in the ruthless necessity of spycraft would know that better than most."
"Spycraft! Our work is hardly so glamorous or demanding," she answered with a little smile. "In fact, I was genuinely surprised that you reacted favorably to our invitation."
He raised his well-groomed eyebrows, but did not otherwise address this confession. Instead, he leaned into the carriage wall and studied her for a moment, as though he were deliberating on the best question to ask her. Nell found such scrutiny unnerving, but did her best to sit still, hoping against hope that whatever he found while examining her was satisfactory.
"We are now man and wife," he continued. "Surely such titles allow for a greater degree of intimacy? I should like to know how you came to be involved with the Silver Leaf Society in the first place. You hardly seem old enough to have been recruited, much less to be considered a seasoned agent."
"Well, that's quite a leap from asking whence a person hails," Nell said with a frown. "I did promise you that all would become apparent once we reached London."
"We are at least two days from London, Nell," he said, her name rolling off his tongue in a way that made her shiver. "I do not like to go into situations for which I am not properly prepared."
She took a deep breath, unsure where to even begin to explain her situation to someone who knew nothing. "Do you recall when I gave you the invitation to meet with Lady Silver last spring?"
