Page 70 of A Lady's Dangerous Secret
Eleanor waggled her eyebrows. “Neither did my chaperone.”
Charlotte let out an unladylike bark of laughter. After what she had just learned from James and the turmoil she was feeling, the ridiculousness of this conversation was the levity she dearly needed. “You just brightened my day.”
“We’re flattered of course, but we thought you would be in a wonderful mood after seeing Captain Hughes. You love him, do you not?” Eleanor asked earnestly.
Charlotte felt her cheeks heat up once again. She straightened the nonexistent wrinkles in her skirt and took a moment to compose herself. She slowly raised her eyes and looked at each of the ladies in turn. “I’m afraid that I do. A year ago, I was home in Shropshire. I, too, was not looking to fall in love, or get married for that matter, but I suppose love came looking for me. Now here I am.”
“What troubles you then?”
Charlotte turned to the quiet voice of Bridget and saw concern etched on her face.
Although Charlotte was hesitant to open up to her friends about all her insecurities, she had confided in them about everything related to theIncidentand its repercussions. Well, everything except the intimacy she had shared with James.
“Did Captain Hughes learn something new?” Beatrice queried in her direct manner.
“Yes.” Charlotte took a deep breath. “He found out that the king of the French underworld,le Diable, has been the one after my life.”
Charlotte heard a gasp and turned toward the sound, but she could not tell if it came from Eleanor or Bridget. Her eyes roamed over the faces of her friends. Beatrice and Eleanor looked appropriately concerned, whereas Bridget appeared shocked, and her face had lost all its color.
“I’ve never heard of such a man. Who is he?” Beatrice asked.
“He’s apparently very dangerous and not to be crossed. James is trying to find out more about him. He has followers,les flammes, in both France and England. They’ve been associated with some of the murkier situations during the war and continue to be active. They’re part ofle Diable’sl’Enfer,and they have flame tattoos to mark their allegiance. The man who shot me at the ball had that tattoo, and it matched the symbol found on one of Roberts’s documents.”
Beatrice and Eleanor appeared understandably uncomfortable while they digested this new information, but Bridget was visibly trembling.
“Bridget, are you quite all right?” Charlotte said.
Bridget swallowed several times, trying to clear her throat. She choked out a response, “I’m fine. It’s just startling news.”
Charlotte nodded and studied Bridget further. She must be hiding something. Whatever it was, it must be horrid for Charlotte’s situation to elicit such a response.
“What’s the plan?” Beatrice quickly recovered and was back to the matter at hand.
“The doctor has not cleared me to leave the house yet. James has men guarding the property while he continues to work with the Runners to learn more aboutle Diable.”
“How terrible,” Eleanor exclaimed. “If there’s anything we can do to help you deal with this, please let us know.”
Charlotte looked at her newfound friends and was beyond grateful to finally be part of such a supportive group. “Thank you. You ladies mean the world to me. Coming to visit while I’m trapped indoors is the best thing you can do.”
“Let us talk about other subjects. No need to dwell on murder attempts and death and what not,” Eleanor said.
Charlotte smiled. If death and murder did not ruffle Eleanor’s feathers, she was not sure what would.
Beatrice and Eleanor proceeded to update Charlotte with the latest gossip,while Bridget appeared withdrawn and shaken. Charlotte’s heart broke for Bridget due to her distress, and wished she would confide in their group. Charlotte understood, however, why her friend did not reveal what troubled her. As Beatrice had said when they first met, “We all have our scandalous secrets and nothing in thetonstays hidden for long. The only safeguard is to keep it to yourself or rid yourself of anyone who would tattle.”
How right she was.
James sat in the corner booth of a pub in one of the shadier parts of London. Jack Doherty sat across from him, dwarfing the seat with his hulking size. James was a large, well-built man, but the only time he ever felt small was when he was around his best friend. Even though the establishment was dimly lit, Jack’s fiery hair was unmistakable. He kept it short because long hair could only be a vulnerability in a fight. Jack’s whiskey-colored eyes glowed under the flickering light from the single sconce near their table.
“You’re not dressed like a toff,” Jack said.
James glared at him. His friend always knew the best way to rile him up. “I’m more comfortable dressed this way.”
“Thank you,Your Grace, for sparing a commoner like me a moment in your busy schedule.” Jack dramatically bowed from his seated position at the table. James shook his head. He knew Jack jested, but he also knew Jack’s contempt for thetonran much deeper than his own.
“Since I have graced you with my presence, you’d best make it worth my time,” James retorted.
Jack’s face spread into a wide smile, and he took a gulp of his ale then slammed the mug on the table. “Glad I didn’t lose you!”
