Page 69 of Sacrificing the Untamed Lady Henrietta
She looked up, her gaze pained. “You see… I was not unwell this past year. At least, not in the ordinary sense. I found myself in some… trouble, I suppose you would call it, at the end of last year. An encounter with a roguish gentleman who sought to defile and dishonor me. Needless to say, he succeeded, and my brother has been fighting to keep the scandal quiet ever since.” Her shoulders sagged. “Indeed, it is probably for the best that we have ended up here, out of the way of polite society.”
Henrietta’s heart ached for the poor young woman, despite her former coldness. Any woman who had been through such trials had something of a right to be terse. Although Henrietta had led a sheltered life, she had heard of despicable men who ruined women without a care for the consequences. It was a fate she did not wish upon anyone.
“Was there a child?” Henrietta asked in a quiet voice.
“The child was lost,” she replied, tears glinting in her eyes. “I do not know if I ought to feel fortunate or not, but I have not been the same since. Sometimes, I fall into a terrible depression. It is why my brother has endeavored to keep us near to him, after his recent dismissal.”
“I am sorry for that, Miss Booth. I promise you, I will say nothing to Lord Averson of this. However, I have one proviso.”
“Anything…”
“You must report to me if you hear of your brother doing anything untoward. There are suspicions surrounding him at the Averson residence, and we must discover the truth behind these rumors.”
She frowned with worry. “Rumors of what?”
“Foul play against those who dismissed him.”
“He would not,” she insisted. “He was angry and remains bitter, but he would not raise a hand to hurt anyone. All he wants is the chance to start his life anew and forget the ill-judged steps that led to his dismissal in the first place. He wishes to forget the Olivers entirely.”
“Regardless, I would appreciate it if you would report to me of any strange activity. Do not tell him of this, and do not tell him of our meeting today, do you understand? If I hear that you have said anything, I may be forced to speak with Lord Averson.” She hated the harshness in her voice, but she was desperate, too—desperate to put an end to the threat upon her. It was forcing her to do things she would not ordinarily do.
Isobel nodded effusively. “I will do as you have asked. Please, where must I report to?”
“I shall meet you in the alleyway behind the postal office at this hour next week, and you may tell me anything you have learned then.” She took a breath, the adrenaline making her heart pound. “And, once again, I am sorry to hear of the tragedy you have suffered. I wish your mother well. Indeed, I wish both of you well in your recovery.”
“And you will not say anything to Lord Averson?”
“If we each keep to our ends of the bargain, then no secrets shall be uncovered.”
Isobel grabbed at Henrietta’s hands and pressed them to her lips. “Thank you for this kindness, Miss. Please, please, accept my apologies for the crass way in which I spoke to you. You took me by surprise, that is all.”
“There is nothing to forgive. Now, go inside and see to your mother, and I shall visit with you again in a week’s time.”
“Thank you.”
Henrietta turned away from the young woman and headed back down the street, rounding the corner and almost running headfirst into Ewan. He reached out his hands to steady her, her palms bracing against his strong chest as she looked up into his eyes. She always forgot how handsome he was. Indeed, she felt something akin to relief in seeing him there.
“Is it done?” he asked, taking his hands away.
She nodded. “It is done. I have discovered some surprising truths.”
“You have?”
“Oh yes,” she said. “I will tell you everything on the way back to the Old Bell. Indeed, I fear that what I have learned will only serve to muddy the waters some more.”
“How so?”
“The ruse that we suspected is not a ruse. His mother and sister are as he said they were,” she explained. “If Mr. Booth has accomplices, then we must look elsewhere.”
But where? It no longer seemed to Henrietta that seeking out the accomplices would get them anywhere fast. No, in order to catch the villain in the act, they were going to need to set a trap. And she had thought of the perfect setting. A delicious snare that Seth would not be able to resist stepping into.
Chapter 27
“Now that we are almost at Scarborough, might you tell me what all of this is about?” Tabitha asked, scowling from the velvet squab opposite.
Aaron had not been able to rest since the journey had begun, his nerves a fractious mess and his heart beating far harder than it had ever done before. His eyes itched with lack of sleep and his muscles were wound tight. Truly, he would have preferred a battlefield to the prospect of his daughter in danger. Although they did not always see eye-to-eye, he cared about her more than he knew how to put into words.
“It is best that you do not know,” he replied.
