Page 45 of The Viscount's Code
“Of course,” Reeves said, and Anthony had to fight every inclination to stand up and follow after her, trailing her every step to make sure she was safe. “She’ll be fine,” Reeves murmured as they watched her clean her bowl and then slip out the door.
When Anthony turned back to Reeves to discuss their plan for the day, he found the man staring at him with a smug grin on his face.
“It’s not what you think,” Anthony said tersely.
“Isn’t it, though?” Reeves said, winging up an eyebrow. “I do not need to be a codebreaker to deduce that there is something between the two of you.”
“We are friendly,” Anthony said, busying himself by cleaning off the table so that they might shortly commence.
“I did not want to say it in front of the lady, but she’s clearly ruined now, having travelled alone with you.”
Anthony sighed as he gave up the pretense and sat back down in his chair, crossing one leg over the other knee as he turned to Reeves.
“That’s what I told her when she asked to accompany me. Apparently, she didn’t trust me with her father’s book, but I told her it was impossible for us to journey together. Then she created this elaborate plan and stowed away in my carriage.”
“How is that even possible?” Reeves asked, and by the time Anthony finished telling him the story, he was laughing.
“That is rich.”
“I suppose.”
“And now?”
“Well, now we shall see if her plan works.”
Reeves sobered as he stared at Anthony, his clear blue eyes intent. “Would you marry her if you had to?”
Anthony ran his hand over his trousers before meeting Reeves’ eye. “You know I would if I had no other choice. I do have some honor.”
“But?”
“But I do not feel that I am in a position to offer marriage toanyyoung lady. Besides, her father is well aware of my family’s circumstances and has no interest in seeing his daughter with a man like me. I have been warned off multiple times. And that was before I broke into his study and stole his book.”
“Alone?”
“With Hope’s help,” Anthony amended. “Actually, this is the second time I’ve compromised her, for her father found us alone in his study in the middle of the night. But he would rather risk her ruination than see her with me.”
“And yet now you have stolen both his book and his daughter.”
“Borrowed.”
“Very well.”
Reeves studied him so intently that Anthony had to look away.
“You know that your father wouldn’t want you to live like this, paying for sins that he didn’t even commit.”
“It wasn’t his fault. Not entirely,” Anthony said, not saying what he truly felt – that if only his father had fought for the truth, it might have all turned out differently.
“If we could prove his innocence now and restore your family name,” Reeves began, cocking his head to the side, “would you marry a woman like Lady Hope? If not Lady Hope herself?”
Anthony paused the bobbing of his foot up and down. He hadn’t allowed himself to think like that, to get too far ahead. He knew what he had done with her was wrong, but nothing in his life had ever felt so right before. She fit him. She brought out parts of himself that he hadn’t known existed. And she was still here, despite how many times he had told her that she shouldn’t be caught with him.
“Yes,” he said slowly. “Yes, if her father was not opposed, I suppose I would.”
“Well, then,” Reeves said, clapping his hands against his leg. “Enough of this codebreaking business. We have a mystery to solve.”
* * *
