Page 60 of Their Brazen Countess
Once they were by the stables, Jo tugged on his coat sleeve. “Where is Matthew?”
“Arthur has him safely in our carriage. Let’s go.” Linc urged her into the mews.
They carefully picked their way down the street, moving from shadowed doorway to shadowed doorway until they reached the carriage. Once there, he helped her up into the vehicle and joined her, stopping long enough to bark a short “drive” to the man wielding the reins.
“Oh, thank goodness you two came.” Jo threw her arms around Linc’s neck and hugged him fiercely before she moved to Arthur. Then she looked at her son. “And you, young man, you were so courageous!”
“It was a grand adventure, mother!” Matthew appeared thrilled now it was over.
“Indeed, it was.” She smiled lovingly at her son as tears gathered in her eyes. Then she sniffed them back, glancing back and forth between them. “Are we headed to one of your London residences?”
Arthur cleared his throat. “No. Out of an abundance of caution and a strong sense of propriety, we’ve made other arrangements.”
“What do you mean?” Jo seemed surprised and not a little concerned about this news.
Linc sighed. “Damn it Arthur, you should have just told her.” He scowled at his lover then turned to Jo. “We’ve arranged for you to stay at Lord Brougham’s house. With his wife and children in residence, we felt it was best for both of you, initially. Then we can sort out a better long-term solution.”
“Oh.” She sounded disappointed by that news. But it really was the best choice.
“We shall have some men helping with guard duty at the house. The others are our friends. Their women will spend time with you and help get you settled,” Arthur explained.
A short while later, they were pulling up to the rear of the Brougham’s house. Emily and Cooper were both there to greet them and usher them toward the back entrance.
“Good evening, Lady Whitestone. I hope you and Matthew are doing well after the night’s excitement,” Emily said with a smile.
“Oh, please, you must call me Jo. I should feel awkward standing on ceremony when I have barged into your home in such a fashion,” Jo replied with flushed cheeks.
Emily grinned at her and opened the back door of the house. “Very well then, I shall call you Jo, and you will call me Emily. I apologize, but we felt it was safer to bring you in the back way in case there are any neighbors arriving home from the night’s entertainments.”
“No need to apologize. I appreciate the warm bed for myself and my son. I hope we won’t be any trouble,” Jo said softly as they all filed into the house.
“No trouble at all,” Emily assured them. “Now, I assumed you’d feel best keeping Matthew with you tonight, so I have a trundle bed set up for him in your room.”
“Thank you.” Jo looked abashed as she realized she was empty-handed. “I’m afraid I failed to bring anything with us but a few pieces of jewelry shoved in my corset.”
“I do hope they were cabochons and not faceted. I remember clearly how the faceted gems dig into the skin when crammed down a corset,” Emily pressed on, without missing a step as Jo blinked at her in astonishment. “We weren’t sure, so we assumed you were coming to us with the clothes on your back. I have a little of everything you both might need for the next day or so until we can make other arrangements.” Emily walked them all into the chamber where Jo and her son would sleep.
Jo laughed as she followed. “I’m sorry, do you often carry your jewels stuffed down your corset?”
Emily smiled. “Not for a while now. But that is a story for another day.”
Cooper stepped forward. “We have men patrolling the grounds and you are sleeping in a chamber next to Emily and myself. If you need anything, just yell out.”
Jo’s cheeks turned pink. “Thank you, my lord.”
“Cooper, please. You are amongst friends.” He put an arm around Emily and looked at Linc and Arthur. “Gentlemen, I’ll wait for you downstairs in the study.”
“Thank you, Cooper,” they both murmured.
Finally, alone with Jo—or almost alone, anyway—Linc turned to look at her more carefully. “Are you well, Wood Sprite?”
Jo nodded, but moved into his arms. Linc wasn’t sure, but he may have needed to hold her more than she needed to be held, just then.
“Come, Matthew, let me help you get settled.” Arthur led the boy—who was watching them with fascination—away.
Linc cupped her face in his shaking hands and kissed her gently on the lips. She responded, melting into him. He quickly pulled back before things got out of hand. “I was so worried when I saw Matthew perched in that window.”
“Dear God, I was terrified they would catch us.” Jo whispered, dropping a kiss on his lips. “But then you two were there for me, just as you said you would be.”
