The Fashionable Spy (23 page)

“Victoria,” Elizabeth declared in a huff, “please sit down or I shall go quietly mad with your ramblings about the room.”

“Now, Elizabeth,” Julia rebuked her, with an impatient glance at both sisters, “she has a great deal on her mind.” And it seemed, from her frequently absent stare into the distance, that Julia Winton also had a great deal on her mind. But whatever it was, she hugged it to herself.

At last it came time to retire for the night.

Elizabeth drifted up the stairs and down the hall, looking rather bemused.

Julia took her night candle, pausing at the top of the stairs to speak to Victoria. “I fancy I shall complete the miniature tomorrow. Lord Temple seems anxious to be done with the work on it.”

“I expect you will be relieved as well,” Victoria replied, wondering at the sad expression in Julia’s eyes.

“Try not to worry overmuch, dear,” Julia said before walking along to her room.

Victoria went along to the little room she had taken over from the twins. She sat on the edge of the cot, wondering about the night to come. Then she exclaimed softly with exasperation when she observed the maid must have put her nightgown back in her drawer after laundering it. Why had she not thought of that earlier?

Not bothering with a candle, for she knew her home well enough to go about blindfolded, Victoria resolved to fetch what she wished. Slipping from the children’s room, she tiptoed down the hall until she reached her room, depressing the door lever with care. The room was in darkness and total silence. She hurried to her bureau, pulling open one of the drawers to remove a fine cambric nightgown.

And then she found herself pinioned against a hard body, strong arms quickly wrapping about her.

Her call for help was naught but a rasp. However, she was released immediately, and a candle was lit within moments.

“Why the devil do you walk about in the dark? Next time you venture out at night, take a candle with you,” Sir Edward scolded, his voice harsh with a strange intensity.

Victoria felt blinded by the sudden light. Clutching her gown to her chest, she licked nervous lips, nodding. “I shall,” she replied, wondering at her breathless, shaken voice. She ought to edge toward the door, yet she froze.

Edward shook his head at her, a half-smile playing over his lips. The dim light brought that aristocratic nose into high relief, and Victoria thought he resembled a painting she had seen of a prince. He looked born to command.

“Do not look at me like that. Do you not know you ought to flee this room?” His voice was but a thread of sound, yet she heard every syllable clearly.

Victoria nodded, then shook her head. Oddly enough, she did not fear him, although she knew she ought to run away.

“Oh, Victoria,” Edward whispered, then gathered her unprotesting self into his arms to bestow a tender kiss on a highly bemused girl.

The gown forgotten, she wound her arms about him, taking all she might of that kiss. A wisp of thought wove through her mind that she had missed a great deal in life, having had so few of his kisses. Resolved to make up for that deficiency, she was startled when he removed her arms and put her away from him, stuffing the nightgown into her hands.

“Good night, my dear.” He held her with a gentle insistence. “You had best seek your temporary bed before I forget what I should do and take you to your own bed, here.”

Victoria gasped, appalled at her foolishness, dashing from her room and down the hall as though he might pursue her. He didn’t, and for that she could almost be sorry.

Chapter 13

“I fear the gentleman is far too fascinating. This will never do at all.” Victoria stared morosely into her coffee cup, sighing with regret that she must forget his wondrous kiss of last night, never know such again.

“So true.” Across the table Elizabeth idly stirred a cooling cup of tea, equally sunk in a fit of dismals. At her sister’s softly spoken words she had nodded, thinking of the brotherly attentions of Lord Leighton. Yes, Lord Leighton, the society rake, must be banished. He clearly bedeviled her to amuse himself.

“I quite agree.” At the head of the table the normally practical Julia also daydreamed over her tea, dropping several spoons of sugar into the cup, when she normally would have used no more than one. She stirred with bemused refinement, her mind quite obviously far away on something—or someone—else.

“Indeed. Sad, but true,” Victoria murmured. “I could never have any peace of mind.”

The other two nodded with dream-filled eyes. The trio sank further into their green melancholy as Victoria continued, “It is not as though one could not do well enough under other circumstances, mind you. But there are obstacles in the path, too great to overcome, I fear.”

Victoria regretted the dashing sort of life she led, spending her time staring at men to create their likenesses. Most likely Sir Edward might be attracted to her—as long as they worked to solve the cipher—but would she be the sort of woman he might marry? She doubted it, although they shared a number of interests. She realized with a plummeting heart that they could not unravel ciphers forever, for the war must come to an end sooner or later. And then what? Even his particular attentions were nothing more than government-inspired! She sighed.

Elizabeth creased her napkin into little pleats, remembering how Lord Leighton had patiently sat at her side while she sketched along the Thames. Scruffy men in the area had taken one look at the powerfully built young lord and hurried away. But as Victoria pointed out, there were definitely obstacles. Elizabeth did not know how her sister had learned so much of the matter, but she certainly knew how hopeless the situation was.

In the Minerva novels the heroine was always saved by a fine, noble hero who was as virtuous as the driven snow, or a dashing rake who was totally reformed by the pure, unselfish love of the heroine. Scarcely true in this case, what with the reputation Lord Leighton held, according to all the gossip she had heard. She clenched her hands together as she contemplated the aggravating man. Mercy, but her future looked dull, even if he did drive her mad with his teasing. A little sigh escaped from her sweet lips.

Julia wondered what had given her away to Victoria. She thought she concealed her growing attraction to Lord Temple in a clever manner. She might have known that her astute sister would see to her heart. Well, Victoria was correct. There were obstacles far too great to overcome. The widowed Lord Temple was considerably above her. Although she was the daughter of a baron, that alone did not make her the proper wife for a viscount. He admired her ability to paint, nothing more. He was courteous, kind, handsome, and might as well be on the moon, as far as she was concerned.

She recalled how his sister had totally ignored her, as though Julia were nothing more than a speck on the wall or a servant of the lowest order. How galling that had been. Oh, she knew how hopeless her attraction was, yet ... She sighed with regret at what could never be.

“But life flows on, does it not?” Victoria stared out the window, catching a glimpse of scudding clouds above the chimney pots. “Elizabeth,” she said suddenly, “no suitable gentleman looms on the horizon?’’

“Suitable? But you yourself said he would not do,” Elizabeth replied, her confusion obvious.

“I did?” Victoria wondered if she might be losing her mind, along with her heart.

“Elizabeth, she was talking about my foolish attraction, not yours,” Julia confessed.

“I was?” Victoria mistrusted her ears. Had she heard right? Julia felt an attraction that she thought Victoria knew about? She went over the words she realized she had uttered aloud rather than thought. Good grief, both of her sisters had tumbled into a fascination for the wrong man! It appeared all three of them were doomed to disappointment.

Her compassion deeply stirred, Victoria gave them a wobbly smile. “Never you mind. We shall deal famously together. We will find that perfect little cottage in the country—Knightsbridge, perhaps—and have a wonderful time together.’’

Elizabeth listened to this pronouncement of their future, then burst into tears and fled from the room.

Julia and Victoria stared at each other in dismay.

“Lord Leighton, I suppose,” Victoria offered.

“No doubt,” Julia replied, hoping that Victoria would not probe. “A girlish infatuation.”

“And since Mr. Padbury is as stale as last week’s bread, I gather you must have developed a
tendre
for Lord Temple. But that certainly is not hopeless, Julia.”

“Oh, no? May I remind you that his sister, Lady Chatterton, was present yesterday, and I might have been a lesser servant for all she acknowledged me.”

“True, she is the highest stickler in society, outdoing Mrs. Drummond-Burrell. As Lizzie said, a snob of the first water. I fear that if he matches her in pretensions, you are quite defeated before you begin. What a pity, for he sounds like a lovely man, otherwise.”

“He seems kind and good, with a charming twinkle in his eyes. I noticed that when I was painting, you see,” Julia said, her voice sounding tight.

“That and a good deal more, most likely. Do not worry, we shall find that cottage if necessary, Julia. Never fear about the future for you and the girls, our combined allowances should do things nicely. Unless Elizabeth can overcome her infatuation for Lord Leighton, it will be the three of us forever. I can see it now, three lace caps over tea in the afternoon, doddering old women talking about our lost loves. Shall we potter about a garden as well?” She managed a giggle.

“There is no hope with Sir Edward? I thought he seemed most particular in his attentions.”

“Government-ordained attentions,” Victoria bit out. “He has joined with me to solve the cipher, no more. Nothing personal has been said.” While nothing had been said, Victoria omitted the kisses exchanged, for they could be the result of mere proximity, or compelling temptation. “I fancy that once the cipher solution is found, he will take himself back to wherever he was before, and that will be the end of it.”

“Oh, dear heaven,” Julia murmured. “But what about the chaise? Surely he’d not bestow that upon just anyone.”

“Guilt, I suppose. Although he could not actually help colliding with us, because of the wretched weather. He has made a point of the chaise being for the family. Most proper, you see, and nothing at all to do with me.”

“Well,” Julia mused, “you could always claim that you desire his company to test the chaise.”

“I have already thought of that. He promised to drive in the park with me. But one need test a carriage only once, drat it.” Victoria rested her chin on her hand as she considered possibilities, of which there appeared to be very few.

“There will be the three of us in lace caps over tea, then,” Julia confirmed. “I see no other recourse. Unless Elizabeth recovers from her ailment of the heart to love another. Poor honey, infatuation can seem quite real.”

“She complains he treats her like a sister,” Victoria said, rising from the table. “You know what a tease Geoffrey was when he was a lad. Utterly impossible. But our brother grew out of that silly behavior. Pity Lord Leighton sees Elizabeth as fair game.” The toast lay reduced to crumbs, the coffee was cold, the rest of the morning repast had been totally ignored by the blue-deviled young women.

Victoria walked around the table to put a comforting arm about her sister. “What do you do today? Finish the painting?”

Nodding, Julia replied, “What a shame I cannot be like Penelope, undoing my weaving every night to prolong the waiting period. I suppose I can scarcely do something that reprehensible.” She met Victoria’s amazed gaze, then smiled. “What a touching trio we are, indeed.”

“A lovelorn lot, ‘tis true.” Victoria chuckled with determination. “There is more to life than men, you know.’’

“As long as we have money, we shall manage. Being poor would be dreadful.”

“Perhaps I should call on our man of business to see how things stand.”

“Excellent notion,” Julia declared.

With those optimistic words the sisters went to the workroom to collect what materials they required that day.

Julia left the house first, for Victoria must wait as usual until later in the afternoon.

Julia was not gone very long, for indeed, as she had said, the painting was actually finished. Victoria glanced up when her dear sister entered the workroom sometime later, her eyes dreamy and filled with hope.

“I trust things went well?” Victoria inquired cautiously

“Quite. Today the servant who showed me in was most deferential, unlike yesterday. It eased the memory of that dreadful Lady Chatterton considerably.” Julia grimaced, then raised her brows in imitation of a very snooty lady. “She was so condescending.”

“Did he like the painting? Do you think he will recommend you to others?” Many of Julia’s commissions came from such praise.

“He seemed most pleased.” Julia bit her lip, then gave Victoria an embarrassed look. “I told him I am entitled to be styled ‘Lady Winton,’ and he called me that the rest of the morning. I think perhaps ...” She cast an optimistic look at her sister. “Do you?”

“Well, did he want to know more about you? That is a promising sign, or so I am told.”

“As a matter of fact, he did.” Julia wrapped her arms about her, hugging herself as she continued. “I told him about the twins, and he thought their names pretty. He has a daughter as well. But no heir, so he really ought to marry again, especially since he admitted there is a profligate cousin waiting in the wings to inherit should Lord Temple fail to do just that.”

“Good!” Victoria said with a nod of her head.

“That does not mean he has an interest in a widow with twins, however. I showed him the finished miniature and he approved it as complete. Now I shall coat it with varnish, then have it delivered to his residence.”

“I suppose it would not be proper for you to take it there; it might seem a bit coming.” Victoria considered the possibility of such conduct, rejecting it before Julia replied.

“It would do no good, he leaves for the country to see his mother and daughter. Some problem seems to have cropped up. He sounded more than a bit distracted as he spoke. Perhaps had he a wife, he would find his domestic situation running more smoothly.’’ Julia gave Victoria a knowing look.