Page 71 of The Secret of the Dashing Detective
Which told him something had been sitting there, below the surface of his consciousness, that he hadn’t yet accepted. She was as much a part of him as he was his own man, and he could see no future without her. Now he just had to decide if that pull to one another was enough to overcome all else that stood between them.
He already had one hand on the door when a voice behind him stopped him.
“Mr. Archibald.”
He turned to find Lady Winchester standing there, staring at him with all the knowledge in the world held within her eyes.
“Yes?”
“I can tell you where to find Juliana, but on one condition.”
“Yes?”
He waited for her to tell him that he would have to vow to never see her again, to not pursue any romance with her. But her words completely surprised him.
“You must not play the fool again.”
CHAPTER26
Juliana was quite proud of herself.
As she lifted the apron Mrs. Archibald had given her to wipe a bead of sweat off her forehead, she could admit that she was exhausted, yes. But this was rewarding work. She gripped the handle of the spoon and turned it slowly through the soup she had made – by herself. She had cooked the entirety of the meal, although she’d had some help in other regards.
Matthew’s sisters had accompanied her to the marketplace and Juliana had done her very best not to appear completely out of place, although she had a feeling that she had utterly failed in that regard.
She was glad she had not been alone. When she had reached into her small reticule to pay what the first vendor had asked of her, Betsy had placed her hand on top of hers to stop her.
“He is asking far too much from you,” Betsy whispered in her ear. “He can tell from the finery of your clothes that you can afford to pay more. You should be paying half that. You have to bargain with him.”
Juliana had bargained before – with the printer in order to get a better rate for the pamphlets, for example – but she wasn’t prepared for haggling in the marketplace.
Fortunately, Betsy was quite adept and after Juliana’s half-hearted attempts, she stepped in and gave an example of how it should be done.
Juliana did much better the second time around, and soon enough they had arms and baskets loaded with all that she needed and returned to Matthew’s parents’ house. His mother had suggested that their house would be the best place for Juliana to make the meal, for she had far better equipment than Matthew. She promised that she and her husband would remain scarce when Matthew arrived, although Juliana received the impression that she felt that perhaps the two of them would require some chaperoning. She wasn’t entirely wrong, although Juliana had been rather looking forward to time completely alone with Matthew.
If all went right tonight, however, they would have the rest of their lives to make up for it.
Juliana stirred the soup, finding another spoon to test it. It tasted decent, but she was aware that there was something missing. She knew that her efforts in the kitchen would never rival those of their own cook, nor the women of Matthew’s family, but she was determined to do this by herself. His sisters had left the house long ago, needing to return to their families, and Matthew’s mother stopped in now and then to check on things. She had provided Juliana with the instructions that she needed, and then had left her to it.
The soup needed spice, she decided. She eyed the small space and the cupboards below, wondering if it would be impertinent for her to go looking for what she needed. She opened a few drawers and doors but felt like she was trespassing. She waited for Matthew’s mother to return, but the house felt empty, as if she was entirely alone. The idea actually spooked her some, and she was more inclined to go out and find what she was looking for than to remain here alone. The market was just around the corner and all she needed was a quick dash of parsley.
Surely she could head out alone and find what she needed? She was in Holborn and no one knew she was here. There was no reason anyone would have followed her or have any idea who she truly was.
Giles didn’t seem to feel there was a threat any longer, not now that he had decided that Dr. Lewis was at fault. While she wasn’t inclined to agree with him, she didn’t think she was in danger here and he no longer required her to have protection following her. She should have a chaperone, but how could a chaperone help if she were in any danger?
Besides, it wasn’t as though she was going any long distance and Matthew was going to be here soon, if he promptly answered his mother’s summons.
She hung her apron on the peg beside the door and checked on the soup before tentatively turning the knob. This was ridiculous, she told herself. She was a grown woman who had become afraid of her own shadow.
Filling herself with courage, she pushed through the door, walking down the street, turning the corner and starting through the market. The light was beginning to dim as the sun set on the dinner hour, hurrying her along as she must return before Matthew arrived or all would be ruined.
She found the spice seller, asked him for parsley, and handed over the coin he requested. It was likely far more than the spice was worth, but she didn’t have the time – nor the inclination at the moment – to haggle with him.
Dried parsley in hand, she began to push back through the marketplace until she was near to rounding the corner. She wondered where his parents had gone, for the house was not particularly large.
What was Matthew going to say when he saw her? Her heart started pounding as she wondered whether he would be surprised, excited, or disappointed. She was beginning to feel rather foolish about all she had planned. The thought that he might reject her was nearly too much for her to bear.
But she wouldn’t focus on that. She would focus on—
