Page 56 of The Viscount's Code
In that moment, she knew that it didn’t matter what her father or her sister said, or whether or not he ever cleared his family name.
She was his, and he was hers.
Nothing else mattered.
CHAPTER22
“What has you so aggravated this morning?”
Anthony arched an eyebrow at Lord Ferrington. The elder of the Rowley brothers scoffed at his own question.
“I should add, more so than usual.”
“I’m fine,” Anthony growled back. All of the men were scattered around the terrace in the gardens, waiting for the ladies to join them to walk to Castleton’s small chapel.
The wedding was taking place this morning, and then he would be free to leave. Away from Hope. But even if she wasn’t with him in person, he knew that she would never leave his thoughts, would be present with him for the rest of the days.
When she had come to him last night, he never should have let her in the door. But how could he have turned her away? The moment he had said the words that he knew had hurt her, something inside of him broke, and he hadn’t been able to stop himself from doing everything he could to make it all better.
Which had led to the very thing that they had both wanted, but that he had told himself to no longer allow.
“Does your extra surliness have to do with a certain Lady Hope?” Ferrington asked, causing Anthony’s head to turn to him so quickly he felt a twinge in his neck.
“Why would you think that?” he asked, before realizing that he was likely only implicating himself.
Ferrington grinned widely, leaning in closer. “I’ve seen the way you look at her. Not to worry. I won’t say a thing to anyone.”
“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Anthony said, crossing his arms and looking around the gardens, which were rather unkempt beneath the day that was as dreary as his mood. “Her father has all but forbidden us to be together.”
“I see,” Ferrington said, his usual cheerful face changing to a frown. “Because of the rumors surrounding your father?”
Anthony nodded. “Apparently. Although I’ve told Embury that I can prove my father’s innocence and he told me that he hoped it wasn’t on account of interest in one of his daughters, for he apparently has other plans for them.”
Ferrington rubbed his brow. “I’m sorry to hear that.” He paused. “How are you hoping to clear your father’s name?”
Anthony sighed. He didn’t have many close friends, and he supposed that Ferrington was as good as any. He also seemed genuinely concerned, so he didn’t see the harm in sharing with him.
“When he was breaking codes that were intercepted by the French, he was given the codes by a lieutenant in the army. One who is now retired,” he said. “I was hoping to pay him a visit the next time I was in London.”
“The lieutenant being…?”
“Lieutenant George Johnson.”
Ferrington’s brow lifted, and his eyes lit up. “I believe I can be of some help.”
“You can?” Anthony said in some disbelief. Surely Ferrington must be jesting, although Anthony didn’t find it at all amusing. “How?”
“My father knew him. He never had anything particularly good to say about him.”
Anthony could only stare at him. Could this be true? Was this what he had been missing? Information from another source? If only he had spoken up earlier.
“Did your father ever say anything that would have led you to believe that the lieutenant was capable of being a traitor?”
Ferrington scratched his cheek. “I wish I had paid more attention, but I only remember passing conversations. I wasn’t particularly interested in the topic. We should ask my mother later today.”
“How am I to speak to your mother?” Anthony asked. He couldn’t even remember what the woman looked like.
“I’ll introduce you. Perhaps bring Lady Hope into the conversation to soften things, if you do not mind her presence for it. I’m assuming she knows as much as I do now?”
