Page 78 of A Daring Pursuit

“‘The CSS’?” Noah murmured.

Geneva waved out a hand and did not deign to answer. Someday, he would have answers regarding this CSS mystery.

“I don’t understand the issue,” Noah said. “Lady Abra seemed quite enamored with Ruskin.”

“Ah, but Lady Westbridge is not. She has much higher aspirations than a mere baron for Abra.” Geneva’s eyes flashed. “There will be much tension until that union is tied.”

She struggled to her feet. “I must return to London.”

Noah pushed her gently back into her chair. “Not so fast, Miss Wimbley. You are in no condition to travel. Besides, Lord Westbridge is quite capable of handling his wife.”

“You don’t know her. Lady Westbridge will do everything in her power to undermine Abra’s choice,” Geneva bit out.

Still, Noah was touched on Geneva’s behalf regarding her friend. “I think,” he said slowly, handing the note back. “There is as much to be said for what Lady Abra has written as to what she has not.”

Geneva frowned. “What do you mean?”

“If Lady Westbridge is as abhorrent as her behavior displayed at Stonemare—”

“She is.”

“—then it should suffice to say, this message was written in the event it was intercepted.”

“But by all accounts, Abra accuses her of being a gossipmonger.”

Julius snorted. “It’s true, isn’t it?”

Geneva snorted as if he were citing something obtuse.

“Perhaps she was secretly hoping the ungracious womanwouldread it.” Julius grinned. “I would if I were her.”

Geneva tilted her head, and in that fleeting moment, Noah discerned the minutest of similarities between her and Julius. An instant later, her lips tilted in a smile of understanding. “Yes. I see what you mean,” she said, slowly grinning. “Lady Westbridge would hate the line about Lord Westbridge coming around. He really is a good man. I hope he can forgive me.” She bit her lip and Noah wanted to kiss her.

“But you did nothing, Gen. Nothing. It wasn’t your fault you tripped and got blood on your dress,” Julius huffed out in full indignation.

“No, but Lord Westbridge had taken Abra and me aside and spelled out in no uncertain terms that another scandal would not be tolerated.”

Noah’s brows rose. “Anotherscandal?” He watched as her normally creamy complexion turned an alarming shade of crimson.

“Abra told her father we were going to Cornwall, not Northumberland,” she admitted. “To visit Meredith—er, Lady Pender.”

“Good God. And he believed you?” Shaking his head, he fell against the settee’s back and folded his arms over his chest. “Obviously, the two of you need keepers.”

She bristled. “Our plan would have worked if—”

“If my father hadn’t died,” he finished for her.

Her shoulders fell. “Yes.” But she rallied and squared them. “In my defense, I told her we should return to London before anyone found out.”

Noah leaned forward, looked into those navy eyes. “And what a tragedy that would have been,” he said softly. “We’d have never met otherwise.”

Julius plopped down beside him. “Nor would I have learned I had a sister.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

It was anothertwo days before Geneva finally escaped her rooms and never had anyone been so thrilled. Despite how lovely her Morpho Suite was, she would gladly have slept on the hard ground near the cliffs rather than spend one more moment confined inside. She was exceedingly weary of the whole business of being considered infirm. True, her knees weren’t completely steady, but—ha!—that was likely due to lack of use.

Noah held her arm as if he feared she would keel over as he walked her to the music room.

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