Page 55 of The Duke's Forbidden Bride
“I would not have returned to my meeting anyway,” the Duke muttered, finally breaking the silence once they had left London proper.
“Sorry?”
“You asked if I wanted you gone so I could return to my meeting. I would not have. It was not as fruitful as I had hoped.”
He shook his head, looking out the window. He muttered under his breath about time wasters andRenshaw.
Eleanor frowned.
Renshaw…
Where had she heard that name?
“You said Renshaw?” she asked.
He went still, turning his head to her. “It is the family name of the man I spoke with. Jack Renshaw. He is a carriage driver in London—and he is involved in Belgrave’s dealings, I am certain. Either he does not know, or he is keeping secrets. As he hasclaimed, his family has a renowned business. My theory is that his family either does not know about the branch he’s running or knowingly deals with criminals—everything is a masquerade. And why do you look as though those wheels in your mind are turning?”
“Because I know the name,” Eleanor said.
Something akin to elation rose within her, the realization that she could provide another piece of a very large, complex puzzle.
He could not shut her out if she had more information.
“At St. Euphemia’s, if a deed was not quite good but not bad enough to warrant punishment, they would send us to Mother Caroline’s office to do paperwork from sunup to sundown.” She scowled as she spoke. “While I was not sent there often—because the sisters thought I deserved worse—I recall quite a bit. Namely, one Sister Martha.”
“Yes, I think we both recall?—”
“Sister Martha Renshaw.” She paused, watching as he processed the revelation.
She waited to be dismissed, and the thought was so unbearable that she kept on speaking.
“It is not a common name, and if you think the driver is corrupt, then it could tie back to the convent, for it is run by SisterMartha. You… you saw how she treated me. That was not even the worst of it. Corruption might run in the family, for I am certain they are related.”
The Duke was impressed with her, she knew it, but she watched with dismay as he masked it. His mouth still twitched into a smile though as he gazed at her.
He looked ever so casual, his elbow resting on the window’s ledge, his fingers curled around his chin as he simply looked at her. She smiled smugly.
“That is very useful information,” he said. “Thank you.” He paused briefly. “But you will stay out of it, nonetheless. No more following me back to London, no more riding alone.”
“I am a married woman; I do not need a chaperone.”
“Iwill be your chaperone,” he countered. “I just do not want you wandering by yourself. Belgrave could be lurking anywhere. Follet…” He shook his head. “Just for my peace of mind, stay where I know you are safe. Belgrave and Follet could go further than either of us expect, and what we do know is bad enough. I need to be able to keep you safe.”
For once, Eleanor conceded. There was a hint of a plea in his tone, even though he did not beg her outright.
She nodded, holding his gaze for a moment. “Fine,” she said. “But you can at least tell me when you are leaving for something related to the investigation.”
“I will.”
“And you will try to be home for dinner,” she insisted. “The dining room is terribly big for one person.”
The Duke was silent for a long moment before he said quietly, “I know.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Ithought I told you to stay out of my business,” Spencer sighed as Eleanor entered his study the following afternoon with another dessert.
This time, the scent of lemon peel rose from the plate of buns.
