Page 35 of His Wicked Secret
“Yes, that’s the man,” Charles said. “Jonathan, I think you ought to tell Lucien about Audrey and the hellfire club.”
Lucien’s voice turned hard, and Jonathan felt the weight of his gaze upon him. “Tell me what? What have you gotten her into?”
Jonathan bristled. “I did nothing! She was the one who” His words dissolved into a frustrated growl. He understood Lucien’s fear. Horatia had been targeted by an enemy of the League before, and he had every right to worry that Audrey could be in a similar situation.
“I swear, Jonathan, if you—”
“Lucien, at ease, man,” Charles said. “Let him answer.”
Lucien crossed his arms, scowling but remaining quiet.
Jonathan took a deep breath. “The first thing you should know is that Audrey is Lady Society.”
Lucien’s eyes widened. Then he blinked, as if the words only now had truly hit him. “She…? Lady Society? The woman whose pen has poked and prodded and chastised all of us at one point or another?”
“And found wives for at least half of you,” Charles added with a wry smile.
Lucien looked to Jonathan. “The one who mocked you only a week ago?”
“Yes,” Jonathan confirmed.
Lucien shook his head. “I’d be tempted to laugh had you not mentioned a dead man and a hellfire club. Good Lord, how did things end up there?”
Jonathan tried to explain. “From what I understand, it began when Audrey took up the case of defending the Earl of Rockford’s daughter.”
Lucien nodded. “I recall the incident. That’s what led to Langley’s activities being exposed in Lady Society’s column.”
“She then somehow found out, Lord knows how, that Langley was the leader of some silly hellfire club in the Temple Bar district, and she wished to expose them before they did more harm.”
“She came to me,” Charles cut in, “looking for an escort to the club.”
“And you didn’t think to tell Cedric? Or me? You didn’t feel her brother or her brother-in-law ought to have been informed?” Lucien growled. “People who could have protected her?”
Charles didn’t flinch. “Oh? And what would you have done? Walled her away in a tower? Once that lady is bent on something, especially something troublesome, she manages to find her way into the thick of it with or without our intervention. My intention was to protect her, since she would’ve gotten there one way or another.”
“So you took her to Langley’s club?”
Charles’s face reddened. “Er… No. She sent Linley a note informing me that she’d changed her mind and wasn’t going to go.”
Jonathan knew to take over now. “Linley didn’t believe it, though. He found me as I left Berkley’s and told me his concerns. So I went after her. She was damned lucky I did too. The whole thing was a trap.”
Lucien remained silent, still watching Jonathan, still brooding.
“I fought Langley and the rest of his club. We were able to escape out a window, and I took Audrey safely home, but I feared Langley might have seen her face. He probably knew her identity.”
Charles stared at Jonathan in horror. “You didn’t…” He mimed shooting an invisible pistol with his hand.
“No, of course not!” Jonathan reassured him. “Last I saw Langley, he had gone after Pembroke and Audrey’s maid, Gillian.”
“Pembrokewas there?” Lucien cried out. “How the devil did he wind up with such…devils!”
“Not so different from how I did. He is enamored with Gillian and was there to rescue her.”
Lucien’s brows rose. “He’s in love with a lady’s maid?”
“Stranger things have happened,” Jonathan reminded him. “And I think we know better than to judge people harshly on matters of the heart.” After all, Jonathan had been in no better a position than Gillian until last year. “Pembroke doesn’t know Gilly is a maid, by the way, so I wouldn’t mention it if I were you.”
“Another of Audrey’s schemes?” Charles asked, grinning.
