The Viscount's Rose (The Farthingale Series Book 5) (25 page)

Rose ought to have been tossed out as well, but Julian refused to let her out of his sight for even a moment. Did he not trust her? Or was he worried that another assault could be in the offing? He’d ordered the footmen to arm themselves and sent two of those armed footmen off to the residence of the local squire to escort the children home once their party was over.

Rose thought it was a good idea to leave the children where they were for the moment, especially delicate Emily, who was easily frightened. She doubted Julian would reveal to the children what had happened, but Emily was likely to sense something was wrong. She would immediately pick up on the tension in the room and burst into tears. Her distress would affect her sleep as well.

Rose had taken the girl into bed with her twice already during the week and would do so again if the poor little thing needed comforting. She’d do the same for Kendra, although she was a hardier sort and would likely drop off to sleep without a care after a busy day at the squire’s party.

The matter of the children now resolved in her mind, her thoughts returned to Nicola. “I ought to check on your sister. She hasn’t left her position by the front entry since we ran back to the cottage.”

“No.” Julian motioned for her to sit down when she attempted to rise. “She’ll be fine. It’s you that the blackguard decided to shoot.”

Lady Darnley put a hand to her ample bosom. “Oh, dear. What if the villain has given John the slip? Will my dear Darnley be all right?”

Lord Darnley, upon being told of the incident, had roared like a bull, summoned his carriage, and immediately stormed off to fetch the local magistrate, intent on personally fetching the man, for he was incensed that anyone would dare put his family in danger, especially on the grounds of his beloved cottage. “Rose, you’re family, too,” he’d said before climbing into his carriage. “We love you as we do our own nieces and nephews.”

That had warmed her heart.

If only Julian felt the same way.

She stared at the clock again. Only ten minutes had passed. Ten interminably long minutes.

Where is John?

His absence cast a pall over all of them.

The kitchen now reeked of whiskey, for Julian was liberally pouring the contents of an excellent vintage onto his wound to thoroughly cleanse it before his aunt began to stitch his arm. Rose jumped to her feet. “Let me help you with that.”

He laughed and took a hearty swig, offering one to her in jest.

She frowned at him. “How can you be so casual at a time like this?”

His expression softened, allowing her to see the pain he’d been hiding all the while. “I’m not,” he said quietly.

She closed her eyes while Lady Darnley dug her needle into his flesh. Her stomach was in such a roil she didn’t think she could manage watching her loop the thread in and out of his raw, puckered wound without losing the contents of this morning’s breakfast or bursting into tears.

Her cold hands were clasped in front of her. Resting them on her lap and even rubbing them together did little to ease her sudden chill. In truth, her entire body was cold and shivering.

“Rose,” Julian said in a husky murmur, “hold onto me.” In the next moment, his warm palm fell atop her small hands and his fingers entwined with hers. Her first thought was that he needed a human touch to ease his pain as Lady Darnley worked needle and thread, and then she realized that he wasn’t afraid and his spirits did not need bolstering.

She opened her eyes and inhaled lightly in surprise. He was worried about her and trying to soothe her. It was extraordinary. He was injured and yet his thoughts were on her comfort.

“Done,” Lady Darnley said finally, taking a step back to admire her handiwork.

Julian ran his thumb across the top of Rose’s hand in slow, gentle circles. He hadn’t let go of her all the while his aunt stitched his wound. “Rose? Are you all right?”

She didn’t think it possible for love to grow deeper. Until now, she simply thought that one loved or one didn’t. But Julian’s gesture revealed how wrong her supposition had been. She smiled at him.

He gave her a lopsided grin in return. “No longer angry with me?”

Her response, which would have been an embarrassing stream of blather about how much she truly did love him, was cut short by a commotion at the front door. Julian released her and grabbed one of the pistols lying on the table, aiming it at the kitchen door as the sound of running footsteps drew nearer.

Rose jumped to her feet and gasped. “What are you doing? Nicola’s out there.”

“Get behind me. You too, Aunt Bess.”

Rose knew better than to disobey his instructions. Julian was not about to shoot before knowing his target, and the last thing he would ever do was shoot Nicola, no matter how willful or exasperating she could sometimes be.

“It’s me,” John called out before slowly entering the kitchen. His shirt was stained with a dark circle of red just below his heart.

Nicola followed him in, obviously distraught. “Will one of you louts please tell us what’s going on? John, whose blood is that? And if you dare tell me it’s only animal blood, I’ll pick up one of the weapons on this table and—good gracious, how many weapons can one hide on one’s person? And why would you feel the need to carry so many of them?”

“Enough, Nicola.” Julian said, finally dropping his arm. But he did not set down his pistol. “What happened, John? Are you injured?”

“No, it isn’t my blood. We ought to speak in private.” His gaze shot from Nicola to Lady Darnley and finally to Rose.

Julian motioned for him to take a seat at the table and nodded for the ladies to do the same. “Much as I would agree, it’s hopeless. They’ll only eavesdrop and I’d rather have Rose where I can see her. She’s in danger so long as they think I care for her.”

“Think you care? Don’t you like her?” Nicola had just sat down and was now back on her feet, incensed and sputtering in indignation. “How can you be so dense? Are all men this stupid? You and John are certainly proving it so.” She turned to scowl at John. “Yes, you too. You’re as bad as my brother. Possibly worse.”

Julian nudged her back into her seat, speaking to her with surprising patience. “Nicola, you’re overset and with good reason. There’s more going on than you understand. Let me hear what John has to say.”

“Can’t tell you anything useful, I’m afraid.” John shook his head and sighed. “The man was dead by the time I tracked him down, which means he had a partner. Or he was reporting to the man in charge, no doubt expecting to collect his reward, and received a musket ball to the chest instead.”

Rose’s heart beat faster. These men spoke so casually of death. No doubt they’d seen it all too often before.

John rested an elbow on the table and continued. “I tracked that other man, but lost his trail when his horse turned onto the London road. He’s taken the dead man’s horse as well. Apparently the beast has more value to him than his companion.”

“The pair must have followed us here from London,” Julian said.

John nodded. “I’ll have an easier time tracking him back to town. There can’t be many travelers with two horses to feed and water. Hopefully one of the ostlers will provide me with a decent description of the villain.”

Lady Darnley’s brow furrowed in obvious concern as she regarded both men. “You’re leaving?”

“Soon as I wash up and change my clothes,” John said. “I don’t want to fall too far behind the blackguard.”

Julian glanced at the clock. “Where’s the body? I’ll take the magistrate to inspect it once he arrives. Perhaps I’ll get a clue or two off it.”

“You’ll find it… him… just outside Birdslip, in the glade to the right of the main crossroads.” John slapped his hand on the table to mark the end of the conversation. “If you’ll excuse me, ladies. I have more hunting to do.”

Rose had a thousand questions she still wished to ask, but had no desire to delay John. She’d try to pry the answers out of Julian since he would remain with her until the magistrate arrived.

John paused as he reached the door. “Julian, er, do I… keep up the pretense?”

Julian rubbed a hand across the back of his neck and cast Rose a look of chagrin. Why was he staring at her? What did she have to do with any pretense? “No, don’t bother. No one was fooled by it.”

Nicola, obviously more nimble-brained than Rose was at the moment, was back on her feet and mad as a wet hen. “What are you saying? That you ordered John to
pretend
he liked Rose?” Her hands curled into fists. “Do the two of you dolts have no care for her feelings? Do you make it a practice to lead young ladies along by their heartstrings and then break their fragile hearts?”

Rose groaned. Nicola ought to have been relieved that John was faking his affections. Rose certainly was delighted by this turn of events and Nicola would be too once she calmed down and gave it thought. John was not attached to any young lady and would now be free to court her, assuming her tirade hadn’t scared him off.

In truth, he didn’t appear the timid sort, but Nicola looked angry enough to fire off a cannonball straight through his chest.

“It was the best plan we could come up with to protect Rose,” Julian tried to explain. “One of us needed to watch over her and it couldn’t be me.”

“Protect her from whom? Her pottery ruffians?” Nicola seemed more confused than ever. “Were they behind this latest attempt?”

“No,” Rose said. “This is something far more serious. It involves Valentina, only I haven’t figured out what her role is exactly and your brother won’t tell me. No, that isn’t quite right. He
can’t
tell me. Which means he must be under orders from a higher authority and—” She gasped. “How stupid I’ve been! This involves Napoleon. She’s spying for him, isn’t she?”

“Holy hell,” John muttered. “What now?”

Rose shook her head emphatically. “Nothing. Do you seriously think I’d ever give away you or Julian?”

Julian groaned. “Never purposely. I know that. But this is a high stakes game and the smallest gesture, the slightest glance, could give our hand away. Bollocks, I dare not take any of you back to London now.”

Lady Darnley had remained silent all the while but spoke up now. “I think you must take us back as planned. Lord Darnley and I have obligations in town, and if what you say is true, I don’t think any of us will be safe if left behind here. We’re better off staying close to you so that you may more easily watch over us.”

Rose added her opinion when Julian didn’t seem persuaded. “I have to get back as well, for I must start work on the Runyon pottery contract. The documents are likely at home awaiting my signature. I’m to submit several more designs by next week.”

Julian rubbed a hand across the back of his neck and emitted a long, slow sigh. “Very well, I know how important those designs are to you. In any event, John and I have gathered as much information as we can on our investigation for the Crown. I’ve wanted to end it since last week and arrest Valentina and her cohorts, but Prinny’s been getting some bad advice from one or more advisors in his inner circle.”

“Purposely?” Rose understood that poor judgement could be as destructive as any intentionally treasonous act. “Do you think there’s a spy in the highest echelons? Someone interfering with your work?”

Julian nodded. “But we have yet to discover who he is. That’s why Prinny won’t allow us to close the investigation. He’s desperate to find out which minister is working for Napoleon. But by insisting that we ferret out the traitor, he’s given Valentina the time she needs to make her escape. I doubt she’ll be in London by the time we return. That attempt on Rose’s life was her parting gift to me.”

“Horrid woman,” Lady Darnley muttered.

Julian nodded. “We won’t catch her this time around, but we know who her underlings are and will round them up over the next few days. She has the resources to flee, but most of them don’t. The best they can do is go into hiding, but we’ll easily find them. Who knows, with his web of spies gone, the traitor in Prinny’s inner circle might be forced into the open.”

Rose’s thoughts were awhirl. How could she and Nicola have been so stupid? They almost destroyed a year of Julian’s important work with their idiotic scheme. “I’m so sorry, Julian. I’m to blame for ruining your investigation.”

“You weren’t at fault.” He arched an eyebrow and grimaced. “I underestimated the determination of my own family. I’m still shuddering over just how far you all were willing to go to save me from myself. Next time, kindly trust me and do nothing.”

“Then you’re not angry?” Rose held her breath in hopeful expectation.

“I’m bloody furious with all of you, but just as much with myself.”

Rose drew up her stool and sank onto it beside him. “Perhaps there’s a way we can make it up to you. I think we can help. Oh, not in the physical aspects of your investigation, but if you give us the details that still have you stumped, we might come up with an answer. Valentina is a woman, after all. An odious one, for certain. We can look at the clues from a woman’s point of view and perhaps come up with some fresh leads for you.”

Nicola and Lady Darnley were eagerly nodding, so she continued. “Even if we don’t come up with anything, we might still stir something tucked away in your memory that might help.”

Julian did not hold the same enthusiasm for her proposal. “I wish I could, Rose. But even this conversation could be viewed as treason. I dare not involve any of you further.”

“I understand, truly I do. But someone tried to shoot me today. They could have taken aim at Nicola as well.” She nibbled her lip, wondering whether to reveal that sudden sensation of dread that had come over her earlier. Yes, she had to tell him. “In truth, I think this villain contemplated shooting her instead. When she walked away from us by the stream, I had an overwhelming sense of fear that something bad was about to happen to her. That’s why I called her back with that excuse to set out our picnic fare. So you see, we’re embroiled in your investigation whether or not you like it.”

She fixed her gaze on him. “Are you going to let us help?”

He was saved from responding by a commotion at the front entry hall. “Lord Darnley and the magistrate are here.”