Page 29 of The Viscount's Code
“I can hardly believe you are all leaving me at once!” Lady Embury said, clasping her hands together in front of her. “Although it shall not be for long.”
“I suppose we will see you again in due time,” Lord Embury said to Anthony.
“I am just going to consult with a friend and then I will be back to study the books,” he said, keeping his gaze away from his valise, which held said books in it at the moment. “Thank you for looking after my mother.”
“Of course,” Lady Embury said with a warm smile, and Anthony was surprised that he actually felt something for the woman besides annoyance. Something akin to… gratitude? She did make his mother happy, and that was certainly worth something to him.
The ladies’ carriage pulled up the drive, and Anthony hated the tug at his heart when he saw Lady Hope enter into it with a wave of her hand. This was for the best, he told himself. Hopefully, she wouldn’t be here when he returned either, for then he wouldn’t have to be tormented by her proximity once more. She was not for him, he continued to remind himself. It was about time he started acting upon that truth instead of just reminding himself of it.
The carriage started down the drive with dust rising behind it, and Anthony said his final farewells before walking down the gravel path toward the stables. He didn’t feel like waiting around with Lord and Lady Embury any longer. He would walk himself to meet his carriage.
“My apologies for the wait, my lord,” the stablemaster said when he arrived. “We are close to having your horses and carriage prepared.”
“It’s fine,” he said, waving a hand. “The ladies are away now.”
His driver and valet were already there, his valet storing his valise in the trunk of the carriage, and Anthony added his second – and much more important – small bag into the body of the carriage before he stepped out and waited in the sunshine of the day.
He closed his eyes and lifted his face. He could admit that days like this brought a touch of healing to his soul – even if it was only for brief periods of time.
Finally, the carriage emerged, and while Anthony wished he was riding, he knew that with the distance and the size of the books, it made the most sense to take the carriage. That way he could ensure that the books were safe, and it would give him additional time to study them.
He entered and sank into the plush blue interior, feeling every bit the entitled lord that he knew he was.
His family’s reputation might be destroyed, but no one had ever proven his father a traitor, and therefore nothing had ever been taken away from them – except respect, and of course, his father himself. For he had died of a broken heart, as the country he had loved and risked his life for had turned its back on him.
Anthony sat in silence for a time, opening the window to allow the fresh air into the carriage. He found it helped keep his queasiness at bay. That was why he usually rode – when he was trapped inside the vehicle, his stomach did not appreciate the rocking back and forth. The one time he had travelled to the continent, he had sworn to himself he would never do so again, for the boat ride had nearly done him in. He had spent more time hanging over the railing than in his cabin.
He wasn’t sure how long he had travelled – an hour at most – when he could have sworn something bumped against his foot. He started, looking around, wondering if a rodent had found its way into the carriage. He heard a scuffle and was instantly on alert, lifting his feet.
“Can you help me?”
“Bloody hell!” he yelled out, jumping from his seat and nearly falling over before he caught himself and realized it was the voice of a lady.
“I’m sorry.”
Anthony was frozen in shock, hardly believing what he was seeing as Lady Hope crawled out from beneath the seat he had been atop of just moments before.
“This is very untoward, I know, but it will all work out,” she said as she sat herself down on the seat across from him, smoothing out her skirts and running a hand over her hair as though she was sitting on the sofa in the middle of the drawing room.
“Lady Hope,” he finally said, rubbing his palms against his face as he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart. “Untoward is not the word. This is… this is…”
“I know,” she said, a quite becoming pink blush rushing up her cheeks.
“How did you even fit underneath?”
“I am fairly small,” she said, biting her lip. “My father would be livid if he found out I was here. And I know that you were not enamored with the idea of me accompanying you on this journey, but I swear, as long as your friend doesn’t tell my father, we can keep this between us.”
“And just how would we do that?” he asked, biting out the words.
“Well,” she said, clasping her hands together. “Faith and I were on our way to Percy’s, of course, and then I told Faith that I was actually feeling quite ill and would prefer to return home. So we did, and I disembarked with my valise. My maid – who can most certainly be trusted – helped me into your carriage in the stables while no one was looking. I told her that she could take the next week or two to visit with her beau. She was quite pleased about that. So my parents believe me to be with Faith, and Faith believes me to be with my parents.”
She smiled prettily, but Anthony was already shaking his head.
“And what happens when Faith returns and they discuss the trip and Faith mentions that you were not there?”
“Oh, I will write to Faith when we arrive at our destination and tell her what happened. She will not be happy – not at all.” She cringed at that. “But she will keep my secret. And I hope she will understand.”
“Understand what?”
