information as soon as possible."
"Understood." Miles finished his brandy and stood. "I suppose you know that Miss Matthews and Lady Penbroke are staying here for the next several weeks as your mother's guests."
"Yes. By sending you to London, I am able to remain here and keep my eye on Miss Matthews."
Miles quirked a brow. "Is that what you intend to keep on her? Only your eye?"
Austin chilled his already frosty expression to a narrow-eyed iciness.
"Are you quite finished?"
Miles wisely took note of the suddenly arctic air. "Very finished." His expression sobered and he placed a comforting hand on Austin's shoulder.
"Don't worry, my friend. Between the two of us, we'll find out everything there is to know about Miss Elizabeth Matthews."
After the door closed behind Miles, Austin slipped a silver key from his waistcoat pocket and unlocked the bottom drawer of his desk. He withdrew the letter he'd received two weeks ago and reread the words that were already burned in his brain.
Your brother William was a traitor to England. I have the proof, signed by his own hand. I will remain silent, but it will cost you. You will go to London by July first. You will receive further instructions there.
Chapter 3
Just before dawn the next morning, Elizabeth tiptoed from her room carrying her knapsack.
"Where are you off to so early, Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth nearly jumped out of her skin. "Good heavens, Aunt Joanna, you startled me." She smiled at the woman who had opened her heart and her home to her without question. "I thought I'd walk the grounds and do some sketching. Would you care to join me?"
A horrified expression crossed her aunt's plump face. "Thank you, dear, but no. The early morning dew would completely wilt my feathers." She lovingly patted the long ostrich plumes protruding from her chartreuse turban. "I'm going to read in the library until breakfast." Aunt Joanna cocked her head to one side and Elizabeth leaned back to avoid the feathers. "Are you feeling better?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"His grace informed me last evening that you'd retired due to the headache."
Warmth crept up Elizabeth's neck. "Oh! Yes, I'm feeling much improved."
Her aunt eyed her with open curiosity. "Obviously you had an opportunity to speak with the duke. What did you think of him?"
He is devastatingly attractive. And lonely. And he thinks I'm a liar. "He was very . . . charming. Did you enjoy the party, Aunt Joanna?"
An unladylike snort erupted from between her aunt's lips. "I was having a merry time until Lady Digby and her dreadful daughters surrounded me and I couldn't escape. Never in my life have I encountered such a gaggle of twittering fools. I'll be stunned if she manages to marry off even one of those buttertoothed harpies." She reached out and patted Elizabeth's cheek.
"She is green with envy that my niece is so lovely. We won't have any trouble finding you a husband."
"In case you haven't noticed, Aunt Joanna, we can barely find me a gentleman to dance with."
Her aunt waved a dismissive hand. "Pish posh. You're simply unknown.
No doubt some gentlemen are put off because you're American, what with last century's Rebellion and this most recent series of skirmishes. But things have settled down again, so it's only a matter of time."
"A matter of time for what?"
"Why, until some nice young man takes notice of you."
Elizabeth refrained from pointing out that so far nearly everyone who had taken notice of her had found her lacking. Holding her bag aloft, she said, "I've packed a snack, so I'll see you after breakfast."
A frown puckered her aunt's brow. "Perhaps I should ask a footman to accompany you." Before Elizabeth could protest, her aunt rushed on, "Oh, I suppose it's not necessary. You go along, dear, and enjoy yourself. After all, no one except us is even awake. Who on earth would you meet at this ungodly hour?"
Elizabeth strolled along, relishing the quiet that was broken only by the rustle of leaves and the ravens'
"Understood." Miles finished his brandy and stood. "I suppose you know that Miss Matthews and Lady Penbroke are staying here for the next several weeks as your mother's guests."
"Yes. By sending you to London, I am able to remain here and keep my eye on Miss Matthews."
Miles quirked a brow. "Is that what you intend to keep on her? Only your eye?"
Austin chilled his already frosty expression to a narrow-eyed iciness.
"Are you quite finished?"
Miles wisely took note of the suddenly arctic air. "Very finished." His expression sobered and he placed a comforting hand on Austin's shoulder.
"Don't worry, my friend. Between the two of us, we'll find out everything there is to know about Miss Elizabeth Matthews."
After the door closed behind Miles, Austin slipped a silver key from his waistcoat pocket and unlocked the bottom drawer of his desk. He withdrew the letter he'd received two weeks ago and reread the words that were already burned in his brain.
Your brother William was a traitor to England. I have the proof, signed by his own hand. I will remain silent, but it will cost you. You will go to London by July first. You will receive further instructions there.
Chapter 3
Just before dawn the next morning, Elizabeth tiptoed from her room carrying her knapsack.
"Where are you off to so early, Elizabeth?"
Elizabeth nearly jumped out of her skin. "Good heavens, Aunt Joanna, you startled me." She smiled at the woman who had opened her heart and her home to her without question. "I thought I'd walk the grounds and do some sketching. Would you care to join me?"
A horrified expression crossed her aunt's plump face. "Thank you, dear, but no. The early morning dew would completely wilt my feathers." She lovingly patted the long ostrich plumes protruding from her chartreuse turban. "I'm going to read in the library until breakfast." Aunt Joanna cocked her head to one side and Elizabeth leaned back to avoid the feathers. "Are you feeling better?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"His grace informed me last evening that you'd retired due to the headache."
Warmth crept up Elizabeth's neck. "Oh! Yes, I'm feeling much improved."
Her aunt eyed her with open curiosity. "Obviously you had an opportunity to speak with the duke. What did you think of him?"
He is devastatingly attractive. And lonely. And he thinks I'm a liar. "He was very . . . charming. Did you enjoy the party, Aunt Joanna?"
An unladylike snort erupted from between her aunt's lips. "I was having a merry time until Lady Digby and her dreadful daughters surrounded me and I couldn't escape. Never in my life have I encountered such a gaggle of twittering fools. I'll be stunned if she manages to marry off even one of those buttertoothed harpies." She reached out and patted Elizabeth's cheek.
"She is green with envy that my niece is so lovely. We won't have any trouble finding you a husband."
"In case you haven't noticed, Aunt Joanna, we can barely find me a gentleman to dance with."
Her aunt waved a dismissive hand. "Pish posh. You're simply unknown.
No doubt some gentlemen are put off because you're American, what with last century's Rebellion and this most recent series of skirmishes. But things have settled down again, so it's only a matter of time."
"A matter of time for what?"
"Why, until some nice young man takes notice of you."
Elizabeth refrained from pointing out that so far nearly everyone who had taken notice of her had found her lacking. Holding her bag aloft, she said, "I've packed a snack, so I'll see you after breakfast."
A frown puckered her aunt's brow. "Perhaps I should ask a footman to accompany you." Before Elizabeth could protest, her aunt rushed on, "Oh, I suppose it's not necessary. You go along, dear, and enjoy yourself. After all, no one except us is even awake. Who on earth would you meet at this ungodly hour?"
Elizabeth strolled along, relishing the quiet that was broken only by the rustle of leaves and the ravens'
Similar Books
Infiltration
Sean Rodman
Big Pete (Privateer Tales Book 4)
Jamie McFarlane
Games People Play
Louise Voss
These Shallow Graves
Jennifer Donnelly
ROMANCING MO RYAN
Mallory Monroe
Crossroads Revisited
Keta Diablo
A Wayward Game
Pandora Witzmann
Blood & Tacos #1
Johnny Shaw, Matthew Funk, Gary Phillips, Christopher Blair, Cameron Ashley
A Father In The Making
Carolyne Aarsen
Navigating Early
Clare Vanderpool