Page 66 of The Viscount's Code
“Fair point,” he said, biting his lip as he looked it over. “I will have to take some time to think on it.”
“Very well. We will leave it with you when we depart – hopefully tomorrow. Do you mind if we stay here tonight?” Lord Ferrington asked.
“Of course. You are welcome,” Anthony said, seeing his butler still hovering by the door and he asked him to bring his friends refreshments and prepare rooms for them. “I know I should allow you time to recover from travel, but now you have made me far too curious on what else you have for me.”
“Message number two comes from our mother,” Lord Ferrington continued.
“Your mother?”
“Yes. You recall what she said about Johnson.”
“Of course.”
“She had to return home before we did. It seems she found a few things in my father’s old possessions. She sent a note as to what they included, and when we return to the estate, we will be happy to send them on to you, or to whoever might need to see them. They detail what Johnson was plotting and include a signed testimony from a French officer.”
Anthony stared at him, aghast. “You cannot be serious.”
“Oh, but we are,” Lord Ferrington said, smiling triumphantly, although it was his brother who seemed far more regretful.
“We do apologize that we were not aware of this sooner,” Rowley said. “We could likely have saved your family a great deal of hardship.”
Anthony opened his mouth to agree, but then stopped. The brothers had gone out of their way to do this for him, had brought the message to him here when they could have returned home after a great deal of travel. He was fortunate that they had believed enough in him to search it out.
“Thank you,” he finally said. “I do appreciate it.”
“Does that change anything?” Lord Ferrington asked hopefully.
“About what?”
“Lady Hope.”
Anthony’s countenance fell. “I am not sure what you mean.”
Lord Ferrington rolled his eyes. “You obviously have intentions for her. I assumed that with your father’s name no longer muddied, you would make them known.”
Anthony stood, walking across the library floor to stare out the window.
“Her father made it very apparent that even if my family’s name is cleared, I am not a man for either of his daughters.”
There was silence behind him, and he turned to find the brothers exchanging a look.
“Well,” Mr. Rowley said, “she sent you a note. That is the third message.”
He handed over a piece of paper, which Anthony pocketed, having no wish to read it in front of them.
“Thank you for bringing this – all of this – to me,” he said. “How long will you be staying?”
“Just overnight. Then we will return home, as Noah here is off to Bath soon,” Lord Ferrington said.
“Bath?” Anthony said in surprise. “What takes you there?”
“I am going to inquire into continuing my education,” Mr. Rowley said. “I find living as a spare son does not quite fulfill my life’s interests.”
“Good for you,” Anthony said, fighting the urge to leave the two of them to see just what Hope had written him. But perhaps this was best. He would do what was right and entertain his friends.
Then go back to feeling sorry for himself tomorrow.
CHAPTER26
