Page 4 of Swindled By a Spinster
If only Letty knew the truth. Not once since her debut six years ago had any gentlemen showed an ounce of romantic interest in her or expressed an intention to marry her, even if only to obtain her substantial dowry. Remaining unwed hadn’t been her choice. If a gentleman, titled or not, had exhibited a tendre for her, she would have been willing to overlook any shortcomings the man might have had. After being treated as if she were invisible, as though her attendance at events mattered not her entire first Season, Phoebe had clung to her role as informant for Kilman. Phoebe took a step forward and glanced up at her family residence. She didn’t miss the fluttering of the drawing room curtain as someone, most likely her mama, ducked behind the thick velvet material. The wall of curtains acted as her mama’s shield from the cruel reality of the world. Her mama preferred to remain in the dark, to pretend that there was only good in the world. But Phoebe knew better. Her world extended beyond the glittering ballrooms of the peerage. With the aid of Kilman, Phoebe had ventured into sections of London no spinster would dare to imagine, let alone actually visit.
As she climbed the remaining few steps leading up to the front door, Phoebe contemplated whether it was her role with the Home Office or Kilman himself that she had so desperately become attached to.
Before entering the dark and rather forbidding fortress she called home, Phoebe stopped and faced Letty. “I’ve been informed that the Home Office no longer needs my assistance. I presume that means you shall receive instructions of your new assignment shortly.”
Letty’s bright smile had Phoebe on edge.
“I’ve already declined my reassignment.” Letty walked past her and added over her shoulder, “You can’t be rid of me that easily.” Her maid flickered a look over at Danny. “Nor him.”
Phoebe whirled around and asked Danny, “You declined to be reassigned—why?”
“I did.” The footman’s cheeky smile had Phoebe frowning until she followed Danny’s gaze. The sweet look he was giving Letty spoke volumes. The man was clearly in love and unwilling to part from Letty. An image of Kilman flashed before her. Urgh. Here she was thinking it a sweet and honorable gesture by Danny to give up his position within the Home Office for the woman he loved, all the while she was simultaneously fuming at Kilman for doing the same. Phoebe shook her head. What was wrong with her? Her mind was a muddle. And she was the cause for the Home Office to lose three of its members. How could Lady Theo have let this happen?
“I’m not worried. Lady Archbroke will set matters straight…like she always does.” Letty spun around on the balls of her feet and practically skipped up to the front door.
Blast her maid for being able to read her mind. Apparently, she had still had not mastered the art of disguising her thoughts.
Trudging forward, Phoebe followed Letty inside and up the stairs to her chambers. She flopped backward on top of her bed. Arms stretched out wide, she stared up at the ceiling that had been adorned with jewels made out of paste arranged to depict her favorite constellation, Coma Berenices. She raised her finger to the air and traced the fine lines that resembled long strandsof hair, hair that Queen Berenice sacrificed in the hopes the gods would grant her wish for her husband’s safe return from war. Sacrifice. It had never occurred to her that Kilman would be willing to make such a sacrifice for her. She lowered her arm and draped it over her eyes.
If their positions had been reversed, would she have done the same as he had? Would she have opted to resign from her position as informant if Lord Archbroke had forced her to choose between the agency or Kilman? The unanswered question hung over her head like a cloud masking the sky.
Of course she would. They were partners. They had promised to assist one another. If it were the truth, then why had she not shared with Kilman her knowledge of the missing crown jewels?
Pride.
Her blasted pride had prevented her from seeking out the man’s help. She’d wanted to prove to Kilman she could be of value on missions, rather than being relegated to sitting along walls, with her ears peeled for snippets of information. She longed for a partnership like the Head of the Home Office, Lord Archbroke, and his wife Lady Theo shared. The couple’s steadfast cooperation, unwavering loyalty, and obvious affection for one another embodied Phoebe’s ideals of the perfect couple. The Archbrokes were bound by an invisible yet tangible bond that allowed them to each go about independently yet synchronized perfectly. Lady Theo didn’t depend upon Lord Archbroke, nor vice versa. After the debacle with the band of thieves, Phoebe agreed with Lord Archbroke’s decision. She had broken the rules and had known the consequences of her decision to exclude Kilman from her plans, but she hadn’t considered the possibility of placing Kilman’s position within the Home Office in jeopardy. The man lived for adventure. If he retired from his post and they wed, how long would it be before he regretted his decision? A year…six months or less.
She rolled up to sit. With her back ramrod straight, she had a plan. There was no way she’d let Kilman forgo his position for her. Letty was right; if anyone could rectify the situation, it was Lady Theo. She’d sequester the only woman Lord Archbroke listened to and make her plea. By midnight tonight, she would see to it that Kilman would be reinstated as an agent for the Home Office.
CHAPTER FOUR
Torrance observed his valet's nervous movements in the mirror. “Out with it.”
Ian needed no further prodding and stopped his useless fidgeting. “You will go mad after a month, mayhap two.” His valet shook his head and frowned. “What am I thinking…I take that back. You won’t last more than…than a week before you begin to complain of boredom and become an irritable bear of a human being.”
His valet obviously wasn’t happy about his decision to leave the Home Office, but there was no alternative.
Ian glared at Torrance through the mirror. “Tell me you thought this decision through. Did you even attempt to explain to Lord Archbroke that Lady Phoebe would without a doubt have a reasonable and logical explanation for her actions?”
To Torrance’s shame, he couldn’t claim to have defended his intended. He should have. His hands fisted at his side. Ignoring Ian’s last question, Torrance replied, “It’s not likely that I shall be lacking in tasks to complete, especially if Lady Phoebe agrees to marry me. I expect I shall be rather busy, obtaining a Special License and whatnot.”
“Whatnot? Ha!” Muttering under his breath, Ian marched across the room, retrieved the coat he’d laid out on the bed, and gave it a good shake. His valet returned and held out the coat for Torrance to slip his arms through. “Without Archbroke barking orders at you left and right, you haven’t a clue as to what ‘whatnot’ really is.”
Faced with the brutal truth, Torrance spewed the first thought that came to mind. “Making arrangements for one’s wedding trip…a wedding trip that my wife won’t easily forget would certainly count aswhatnot.” Pleased by Ian’s wide-eyed reaction to his response, Torrance busied himself buttoning his own coat and left his valet to mull over his words.
With a bounce in his step, he made his way down the hall and began to descend the stairs to the foyer. When the phrasemy wifefloated through his thoughts once more, Torrance came to an abrupt halt, teetering on the edge of a stair riser. He regained his balance and took in a breath—a deep breath. A confirmed bachelor for years, married to his work, Torrance had never expected to utter such words, at least not with such enthusiasm. Picturing Phoebe walking down a church aisle to become the next Baroness Kilman brought him nothing but happiness.
“How certain are you that Lady Phoebe will want to remain your confidant, your partner in life, now that you are no longer an agent?”
Ian’s question had Torrance jumping in his skin and sent him tumbling down the stairs.
In a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs, Torrance looked up at his valet who loomed over him rather than offering his assistance.
The man, who had been in his employ even before Torrance became an agent, sighed and stretched out his hand. “Your life changed once you became an agent…for the better, might I add. And I need not remind you, prior to her learning ofyour extracurricular activities for the Home Office, Lady Phoebe paid little to no attention to you. It was only after discovering you half beaten to death in an alley that she even bothered to acknowledge you at social events.”
Torrance remembered that night vividly. He hadn’t shared with Ian all the details of that fateful evening. Had his assailants not been interrupted by Phoebe’s loud stomping, they would not have fled and he would have met his maker that night. His lips curved into an involuntary smile as he recalled the image of a terrified yet determined younger version of Phoebe. The woman possessed an inner strength that only he was privy too. Phoebe had not only saved his life but also his soul that night, and he would forever be in her debt.
Torrance reached up and reluctantly took Ian’s hand. With Ian’s assistance he rolled to his feet and brushed himself down. “I’ve made my decision and regardless if you believe it to be a mistake or not, I shall be focusing on my duties as baron.”
