Page 57 of A Torn Allegiance
She swallowed twice before she could respond. “I think perhaps you can never be too careful, so I was pleased to be watching him at your request, in the beginning, but I very quickly decided, like you, that he was not a danger to England.” She nearly choked on her last words. The whole of her experience last night, watching him jump into a hack and follow known traitors burned on the tip of her tongue. The entire history would have come pouring out in that moment had the wheel not gone down in a dip and sent her tumbling to the side into Lady Sophie. “Goodness.”
Her mother seemed to be watching her closely. “If we aren’t watching him for treason, might we consider him as something altogether different? As perhaps a desirable acquaintance?”
They arrived at the front of St. James’s while all eyes looked to Elsie for an answer to her mother’s question.
She looked from face to face and then shrugged in embarrassment. “Perhaps. I don’t know. It is somewhat of a leap to go from possible committer of treason to desirable acquaintance.” She hoped such a comment would dissuade them from further questions.
But Duncan huffed in impatience. “Come, Sister. He is one of the most honorable men we know. He listens to you go on about any topic. He enjoys your intellect. His own intelligence and general affability are beyond those of any other of our acquaintance. The man will be king of his own country one day.”
Everyone in her family watched as the heat rose in her face. “And?”
“And... ifheis not intriguing to you, then who on earth would be?” He fell back against the bench. “It was not too many days after meeting him that I considered him the finest man of my acquaintance.”
“High praise indeed.” Elsie adjusted her seat. “Perhaps we should exit.”
“In a moment.” Her father’s eyes were gentle. “If he approaches me, I’m inclined to encourage him.”
“And I am to give up Scotland forever?” The words caught in her throat.
“The likelihood that you will find any man who would live on our estate in Scotland is very small.” Duncan was trying to help her, she knew, but his words were less comforting and more disheartening. Not to mention she hadn’t told her family that Prince Hayes was still suspect. And now she second-guessed her silence. What if her father did encourage him? And what if the prince was involved in something nefarious?
She tried to act as though her heart weren’t pounding beats all the way down to her toes. “I doubt he will approach you, Father, so we likely don’t even need to concern ourselves.”
Her mother looked like she would say more but hesitated. Duncan shook his head in confusion, and her father rapped on the door for the footman to open it.
They stepped down and walked toward the entrance to St. James’s without saying anything more about Prince Hayes.
But Elsie’s mind could not quiet. Would he speak to Father? Did she want him to?
Chapter Twenty
Hayes immediately sent servants tofind and care for Ruthers and look into the refuge house where he’d stayed. He would thank the woman who’d helped him and help her in return if her place was found to be a worthy establishment. Were it not, he’d still offer some token of gratitude. Ruthers seemed young enough that an intervention could help the man.
He had had little time to speak with his brothers in the morning. They had awoken after his very early arrival from his all-night outing. They rushed through preparations for a last-minute invitation to arrive early to St. James’s. He’d written a hurried note to the admiral describing his findings in a succinct manner and sent it with a servant. Hayes considered convincing his brothers not to attend the promenade so that he could confer with them, but he didn’t wish to offend the British monarchs. He would bide his time and inform his brothers of it all this evening. They could then discuss whether it was better to return swiftly to Oldenburg, knowing the journey could take months, or to first ensure British aid here and track down the group he’d discovered last night.
Attendance at a garden party felt frivolous and full of nonsense, considering what weighed on his mind. He sat with his brothers and Bartholomew once again in the Sumter carriage on their way to St. James’s. They made small talk, but by the way his brothers kept glancing at him, he knew they could tell he was uneasy.
“Do we do such things in Oldenburg?” he asked when the Sumter carriage pulled up to the entrance of St. James’s.
“What things?” Kristoff adjusted his sleeves and stretched his chin up to the roof of the carriage.
“Invite the royal court to promenade in front of the other guests.”
Marc laughed. “It sounds so ostentatious when we think of Prince George, but I admit our own royal court is an example of the same.”
Hayes considered him. “But we do not parade up and down about it.”
“Agreed,” Kristoff said. “We just stay to ourselves with our choice of entertainment and guests.”
“You have hit upon an interesting thought,” Hayes said. “This trip to England has provided many such thoughts that are demanding I rethink how we manage affairs in our country.”
Their carriage waited in a line on the approach.
“Consider, in the case of the royal court, that some of our limiting of people is simply a matter of security for our family, a way to ensure an heir as well as safety for the entire council.” Marc’s gaze was pointed. As the head of their national security, he kept their safety always in mind, for which Hayes was grateful.
“True.” Hayes could see the wisdom of Marc’s response, and he understood some of the necessity of such care, particularly now that he had solid evidence of factions in his country actively working with Napoleon. Again his heart clenched and the pain was sharp.
“Are you well, Brother?” Kristoff pressed a hand to his shoulder.
