Page 61 of His Wicked Secret
Jonathan nodded, his worry growing. Audrey was too open and curious to be a spy, and her looks would attract the attention of men for miles. But at the same time, there was no denying that something drove her. A need to push herself beyond anyone’s expectations. And he was starting to have a sense of what that need was. Even proposing to her wouldn’t have stopped her from going after an adventure like this.
“While I am concerned she may be heading for more trouble than she can handle, you should not underestimate her abilities,” said Jonathan.
Lucien chuckled. “A pretty little girl like that? She is capable enough, I’m sure, but I can’t imagine what she could do and go undetected.”
“That’s exactly the problem,” said Jonathan, as the moment began to clarify in his mind. “You can’t. None of us can. How do you think that makes her feel?”
Charles seemed to understand, but Lucien looked only more puzzled. “What are you on about?”
“Allow me to put it this way. Would it surprise you to learn that she has been Lady Society since she was fifteen?”
“What?” Lucien leapt from his seat.
“Impossible!” Charles growled.
“Why, that interfering little minx,” said Lucien. “All those secrets she discovered. All those things she said about me…foryears.”
“I trusted her,” Charles muttered, still fuming. But then, out of nowhere, he burst out laughing. “Wait. How the devil did she hear about the incident with the swans?”
Lucien rolled his eyes. “Everyoneknew about the swans.”
“Damnation, how does everyone know about that?”
Lucien and Jonathan both shrugged. Rumors of Charles’s exploits always reached the ears of London society, in part because he couldn’t help but share bits and pieces of his more infamous escapades to friends outside of the League. No doubt he thought himself clever, never giving anyone the full story, but as people shared their individual pieces with one another…
Lucien shook his head. “Well, I must admit, if she could keep a secret like that this long, and have the resources to gather that much knowledge about London society, she might have the makings of a spy after all.”
“Be that as it may, she is likely in trouble, and I don’t want her hurt,” said Horatia. “All three of you are leaving for London tonight.”
“How do we even know she’s in mortal peril?” Charles demanded. “What if she’s just run off to be Avery’s companion at a ball?”
Horatia sighed. “Charles, darling, does Avery ever go to balls? Except to disrupt them? The last ball he went to was to reclaim Zehra Darzi from Lawrence and return her to Persia. He doesn’t do balls for fun, and as far as I understand it, he doesn’t do much of his ‘work’ in London. He almost always travels outside of the country.”
“How the devil do you know that?” Lucien asked his wife.
She rolled her eyes. “You men forget that women were and still are the first and best spies. We are ignored frequently, if not completely by men. I have overheard quite a bit I shouldn’t have simply because men don’t think women have ears to listen. We’re just silly bits of muslin to them.”
Charles looked guiltily down at the floor. “That’s sadly accurate. I have noticed more than once that women are often treated like silly infants.” He glanced at Lucien. “If Horatia thinks it’s serious, there’s no harm in going now and figuring out what sort of trouble it might be. If they’re fine, we can return to the house party here and only miss a day.”
“Excellent. It’s settled then.” Horatia continued to bounce the baby, then handed him to Lucien. “Say goodbye to your son. Kiss him, then go pack.All of you,” she added to Charles and Jonathan.
Charles gave Horatia a courtly bow, as though he were accepting the command of a queen. Jonathan needed no convincing. Lucien hugged Evan close and pressed a kiss to the baby’s forehead before handing him back. Then he kissed his wife soundly, leaving her dreamy-eyed. A flicker of envy plucked at Jonathan’s heart. He wanted that domestic bliss with Audrey, but she kept running away from him. This time, though, she might have run too far and too fast.
“Make sure she is safe, my love,” Horatia whispered.
“I will,” Lucien vowed, then nodded to Charles and Jonathan. “Let’s go.”
The three of them left to make preparations. The League of Rogues was going to rescue Lady Society, from herself if necessary.
* * *
Audrey climbedout of the coach and faced the theater of Covent Garden. She shivered from the slight chill of the nighttime air. Her red satin gown with black lace was a risqué design with a plunging neckline, but it was rather suitable for the play tonight, which she had heard was terribly bawdy. Given the types of people already surrounding her as she approached the theater, a raucous crowd would no doubt be in attendance. Ladies and gentlemen filled the area, some wearing fine clothes, others wearing more scandalous attire.
“Ready?” Avery Russell took her hand, escorting her upstairs. Her heart fluttered and nerves tugged at her belly, making her feel a little ill. Tonight she would meet a man that Avery had said would be joining them on their secret mission to France. For the hundredth time that evening, she had wished Jonathan were here. She trusted Avery, trusted in herself, but there was no escaping the fright that comes with being tested for the first time.
“I believe I am.” She let him lead her inside. Women eyed her jealously, which was no surprise. She was on the arm of a handsomely dressed redhead who gave his elder brother competition in the arena of good looks.
The elegant interior of the theater was designed to impress. She had been an infant when the previous theater was destroyed in a fire. The Prince of Wales and other wealthy benefactors had donated funds to have the theater rebuilt, and the result was truly grand. She’d been here before, but she hadn’t seen it through the eyes of a woman preparing for an espionage mission.
