Page 23 of His Wicked Secret
“Yes.” Godric actually turned red. His frightening, brooding elder brother was settling down as an expectant father, something none who knew him could have predicted. “Next winter. The baby will be born in January.”
James slapped Godric on the shoulder. “My congratulations, then! Lady Essex must be thrilled.”
“We both are. But damned if her delicate condition hasn’t stopped her from causing trouble. Lord, Emily has a knack for that.”
Trouble? His brother’s wife was certainly that. “Emily’s middle name is trouble. She almost got me shot. By my own brother.”
“Becauseyoutried toseduceher.”
“Well I didn’t know she was in love with you. Can’t blame a man for trying when he thinks he has a chance.” Jonathan winked, unable to resist teasing his brother a little.
Godric crossed his arms. “Yes, well she’s happily married now—to me. And you have your own wife to catch.”
“Catch indeed,” Jonathan muttered. Catching Audrey was going to be one hell of a challenge.
“Why don’t you join us for drinks at Berkley’s tonight?” Godric suggested to James.
“I’d be happy to,” James replied. The two nodded in agreement as Godric departed, leaving James and Jonathan alone.
Jonathan’s shoulders dropped as he exhaled. Lord, he was exhausted after last night’s battle. All he’d wanted was to hold Audrey in his arms this morning, but she’d slipped through his fingers once again. He hadn’t been surprised, but he had been disappointed.
“So, last night,” James said quietly. “How the devil did you find out about that hellfire club?”
Jonathan’s lips twitched. “I could ask the same of you. I keep a close eye on Miss Sheridan. She’s always in the midst of something dangerous.” In some ways she was even more trouble than Godric’s wife. As Lady Society, Audrey put herself in danger every time she published a new article. And how long she could retain her anonymity now was in question.
“You know then that—?” James started.
“She’s Lady Society? Yes, I discovered that an hour before we ended up at that infernal club.” Well, the truth was he’d only had vague suspicions that were confirmed after he’d arrived, but he felt foolish enough as it was without admitting to an extra layer of ignorance. “I went after her, but when I saw—” He cut himself off. He’d nearly said Gillian, but James couldn’t know that Gillian was Audrey’s maid.
Early on, when he’d learned of Audrey’s scheme to bring those two together, he’d made himself complicit in her plot by withholding Gillian’s identity as a lady’s maid. As a former servant, he understood the shame that sometimes came with being of the lower class, a shame they did not deserve but faced nonetheless. He would not be the man to ruin Gillian’s chance at happiness if she and James could find a way to be together. He just hoped Audrey knew what she was doing meddling behind the scenes.
He quickly recovered. “However, it seems we got out of there without much harm done. To us, at any rate.” A few broken ribs weren’t that bad, all things considered.
“Indeed…” James still looked hesitant. “Do you know Miss Beaumont?”
“Gillian? I mean yes.” Jonathan smiled. “I know Miss Beaumont.”
James’s eyes lit up. “What do you know of her? I’ve been trying to find out more, but no one seemed to know her, and Miss Sheridan wouldn’t reveal anything to me when I visited her before I came here.”
Be careful,he warned himself. “Oh, I mean Iknowher, but not in a way that would be helpful to you, I fear. How well does anyone know a person, really?”
James’s gaze hardened. “You were there with me in that club. She was there with Miss Sheridan. They were both in danger, and I don’t know why everyone is keeping quiet about Miss Beaumont.” He fisted his hands. “The woman is a bloody mystery, and it’s driving me mad with worry for her.”
Jonathan didn’t miss the intensity in the other man’s tone. “You like her, do you?”
James replied at once. “If I could find her, I’d likely ask her to marry me, but she keeps disappearing on me at every turn.”
Not unlike her mistress.Running off on missions or Lord knows what.
Jonathan laughed. He walked over to the table by the wall and grabbed the decanter of brandy, pouring two glasses and holding one out to James.
“Well, that’s something you have to get accustomed to. Women like her rarely sit still and certainly don’t waste time waiting around to be rescued. The best we can do is run to keep up.”
They remained silent for a while as they drank. Then James brightened. “Are you going the house party at Rochester Hall next week?”
“I hadn’t thought to go, but my brother was just there and convinced me that I should.” It sounded like a terrible idea. He felt completely out of place at social functions. He was much more accustomed to hiding in the shadows, which was understandable given his upbringing, but it was not a desirable trait given his current situation as a member of theton.
James’s attitude turned somber. “Good, we can suffer together. Miss Sheridan said I am to be invited, but it has been a while since I’ve attended a house party.”
