Page 57 of Their Brazen Countess
With that, she turned and retreated for the moment. Finding Matthew hiding by the door of the dining room, she ushered him back to his seat and resumed their meal—and as they ate, she plotted their escape.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
LincknockedonArthur’sstudy door. Opening a passage between their homes had proven a brilliant choice. He certainly enjoyed being able to move freely between the houses when he wanted to find Arthur, and he knew Arthur felt much the same way.
“Come in.”
Linc walked in to Arthur’s study and found the man in question sitting at his desk. “Hello.”
“Well, hello there.” Arthur smiled at him.
Linc cocked his head to the side. “Have you heard from Jo?”
Arthur shook his head. “I have not, but the confrontation only happened yesterday. I really had wanted to be present for that.” He frowned.
“As did I, but she is rather headstrong.” Linc’s heart thudded in his chest as he thought of their Wood Sprite. He loved her rebellious ways. After all, that is what had brought her into their lives. “Needless to say, I’m worried we haven’t heard from her since then. As we agreed before, I don’t see that man letting this go. I know you watched from the street the first night for quite a while. It’s too bad we waited to call in reinforcements.”
“Yes, we should have called everyone when the bastard switched the staff on her. At least everyone will be here this afternoon so we can set up some kind of watch on her house. Let’s pay her a visit. Just to make sure all is well.” Arthur stood from his desk.
“That’s what I was considering as well.” Linc nodded.
A short while later, they were standing on Jo’s front stoop. The door was opened by Bell, her original butler. The man looked at them but darted a glance back over his shoulder.
Linc’s gut tightened.
“Good day, my lords.”
“Good day, Bell. We are here to see Lady Whitestone,” Arthur announced, almost as formally as Bell had greeted them.
Linc stepped to the right a tad and tried to lean against the portico wall. As he did so, he could see a man dressed in dark, rough clothing lurking behind Bell.
“I-I’m afraid Lady Whitestone is not at home to visitors at the moment.”
Arthur squinted, as though confused. Which made sense. Jo was never not at home to them now they had returned to their understanding.
Linc was sure Arthur couldn’t see the man lurking. “Yes, well, please let her know that we stopped by.” He grabbed Arthur by the arm and dragged him away as he sputtered in confusion. Once in their carriage, he turned to him. “There was a man who did not belong skulking in the shadows behind Bell. Once again, something is very wrong in that house.”
“Well, bloody hell! Why didn’t we just storm in there then?” Arthur growled as he reached for the door of the carriage.
Linc pulled him back into the seat. “And if they are holding her at gunpoint? Her, and Matthew? Then what happens if we burst in there?”
Arthur sighed. “You’re right. We need to understand what is going on and have a bloody plan.”
“Exactly. At least everyone is coming by this afternoon. We can discuss our options then.”
Jo sat in her bedchamber writing a note to send to Arthur and Linc. She needed their help now. This was, without a doubt, a situation she could not handle on her own. At the very least, she needed a place to hide.
She laid out all that had happened since dinner last night, down to Bernard’s threat to kill his wife and marry her, though he had been quite clear that was a last resort, as he found her so distasteful. Jo shuddered. After all, the feeling was mutual.
She folded it up and pressed the note into Olivia’s hands. “Now, you must be careful. I do not, under any circumstances, want you hurt for helping me.”
“Those brutish bastards have taken over everywhere. We all want them gone and will help anyway we can.” Her lady’s maid cast a quick glance at the door then shoved the note down the front of her gown and into her corset.
“Thank you, Olivia.” Jo embraced her but stepped back just as Bernard walked in.
“Get out,” he snarled as he strode in. “Get out and close the damned door behind you.”
Jo shrank back in genuine fear as Olivia scampered out of the room with a worried glance her way.
