The Wedding Night Affair--An Historical Mystery by L.C. Sharp (books to read as a couple TXT) 📕

With majestic grace, her ladyship got to her feet and glided to the door. “We will remain in contact with you. We expect you to inform us of any developments.”

Ash got to his feet and bowed his head. This woman would not get a full bow from him. “Very well.” Which wasn’t exactly a promise, and certainly nothing he would feel bound by. As far as he was concerned Juliana was his client, not this pair of conniving schemers.

Unsettled by her confrontation with her parents, Juliana settled to reading the papers once more. Amelia helped her, but Juliana caught her friend glancing at her from time to time, a worried frown creasing her brow. Amelia was concerned for her, but Juliana wanted to calm her mind and return to her work, so she said nothing about her parents, other than they had gone.

Peace settled on the room until an hour later, another knock disturbed them.

“You have a delivery, ma’am,” Baynon said.

“What on earth?” After a bewildered glance at Amelia, Juliana shrugged and left the room.

Not only did she have a delivery, she had a maid. Wood was in the hall surrounded by trunks and boxes. A footman stood there, scratching his head. Wood dropped a curtsey. “Your lady mother sent me to you, my lady, to make you more comfortable.”

And to spy on her, no doubt. Confused, she turned to find Ash standing behind her, staring at the chaos in his hallway. “Come,” he said to her, and led her into the nearest room, a parlor looking out over the back of the house. He closed the door. “Let Wood stay,” he said before she could open her mouth.

“But you know she is my parents’ spy.”

“My guess is that she is here to ascertain one thing.”

“If I am with child,” she said miserably.

“Exactly. Juliana, you know that I will not lie, although I had considered delaying the news for a day or two if your courses came. Such a short time won’t make a difference. The law must prevail.”

She swallowed. “I understand.” If her courses came, she could be signing her death warrant. “I won’t deny I have thought about lying.”

“We will win,” he assured her. “At the end of the week I plan to visit the Fieldings and tell them what I believe, and what I am working on.”

“Will I die?”

“I cannot answer that.”

“I will be brave.” It was as much a promise to herself as to him. “And I will not lie. But I will do anything else to get free of this nightmare. Anything.”

He met her gaze. She saw concern there, but also a warmth. She could draw strength from him. “Very well. Let the maid stay.”

“Your maid could prove useful, if she tells your parents what we want her to. I’ll ensure she learns nothing we do not want her to. Keep the door to the library closed and locked, and I’ll keep my study door locked. Don’t take anything we’re working on out of those rooms. I’ll put Wood in a room in the servants’ quarters, on her own and warn the staff not to gossip.”

“Do you trust your servants?”

“I do.”

They were so close, a breath away, and they spoke in hushed tones. Although nobody had ever behaved toward her in this way before, it felt almost normal. This ordeal and this household were changing her, and she welcomed it. She felt she was becoming the person she was meant to be, not the person other people wanted to make her.

“I’ll talk to them while she is unpacking your things,” he said. “They’ll make her welcome, but they won’t tell her anything of what goes on here.”

She broke free, went to the door, turned. “Why do you want her here? Why don’t you want to send her packing?”

The corner of his mouth twitched in an almost smile. “Because this way we can feed her the information we want your parents to know. I can ensure she is kept closely watched. She won’t discover anything she isn’t supposed to know.”

“Ah. How Machiavellian.”

She rather admired him for that.

Wood had brought most of Juliana’s clothes. When she joined the maid in the bedroom, Juliana explained that she shared the bed with Amelia. “More for propriety than for lack of space,” she said. “Sir Edmund is required by the terms of my bond to remain here.” That would stop her gossiping and provide another witness to her purity. By now she knew that women under sentence of death would do anything to get with child, use anyone. She didn’t want Ash accused of that.

The maid bobbed a curtsey.

“While I’m here, you’re to call me ma’am.”

Wood put her hand on her heart. “I’ll try, my—ma’am.”

“No slips, Wood. Or we will know how I was found out. Remember what the mob was like, how you feared for your life? We don’t want that happening again, do we?”

“No, ma’am.” A fine tremor went through the maid.

“I am merely a cousin of the family, visiting from the country.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Juliana took charge. As her maid reverently unwrapped every garment, Juliana selected it, or told Wood to pack it up. “What good is yet another ball gown here? Leave one prepared, the new one I haven’t worn. I only want the simplest of my other gowns, and I want them adjusted to fit a smaller hoop. No powder, no cosmetics.”

“But my lady, madam, my reputation, your appearance!” Ladies’ maids prided themselves on their mistress’s appearance, and took the credit to their next employer.

“You don’t have to stay,” was Juliana’s only answer.

Leaving her maid fighting tears, Juliana heartlessly left her to it, and quit the room.

After dinner, she followed Ash into his study. “You are going to Covent Garden,” she said. “I want to come.” She sat in the comfortable chair before his desk while he took his seat behind it.

“I will not take you to the House of Correction,” he answered.

“Why not?”

He shook his head. “You have to ask that? You are