Page 49 of From the Ashes
He huffed out a breath. "Are you? I don't see it that way, Charlie. It's not the same at all."
I merely shrugged. He was right in that Lincoln and I could never return to how we'd been with one another. "You've remained friends with many of your paramours. Do you think Lincoln and I can one day be friends, of sorts?"
He shrugged. "The thing is, my lovers know from the outset that I'm not going to marry them. They understand our arrangement, and most want the same thing I do without the complications of courting. Your situation is entirely different."
I hugged my arms, feeling a little cold despite the warmth of the room.
He kissed the top of my head. "Now get ready. I want you to wear the largest hat you have, preferably with a veil, and something with a high collar."
"Would you like to choose something from my wardrobe yourself?"
"A capital idea."
Fifteen minutes later, I lowered the veil I'd hurriedly sewn to my hat brim. It only fell to my nose but it was dark enough to hide my eye color. I changed into my dark gray dress with the high lace collar that skimmed the underside of my chin. If I angled my face just so, very little of me could be seen.
I met Lincoln in the entrance hall. A hat covered most of his hair so that its length wasn't obvious, and he sported a false black mustache. I pressed my lips together to stifle my laugh.
"This arrived for you earlier." He handed me a letter from Alice.
"Wonderful! I've been worried about her." I tucked it into my reticule to read later.
Gus pulled up in the coach near the steps and Doyle saw us out. He handed Lincoln two umbrellas, one of which Lincoln held over my head and the other over his own. We climbed into the cabin. The space suddenly felt very tight, his knees too close to mine.
"Don't ever grow a mustache," I said as the coach drove off.
He stroked it. "I thought I looked distinguished."
I smiled. "If by distinguished you mean older, then yes. It ages you by ten years, at least."
"That's what I hoped. If I had one with gray in it, I would have worn that."
"You keep false mustaches in your room?"
"I purchased some from a wigmaker recently. I decided that if I am to do less…interrogating, I'll need more disguises."
"Sometimes interrogating is necessary. It's also something you do very well."
A gleam appeared in his eyes that I hadn't seen since my return to Lichfield. "You sound as if you doubt my ability to act."
Good acting required a certain degree of empathy. I didn't believe Lincoln had sufficient, but I wouldn't tell him that. I didn't want to destroy his lighter mood. "I'll assess you based on today's performance. Are you to be a journalist, then, and I your assistant?"
He nodded and reached into his inside coat pocket. "You'll need these." He handed me a pencil and notepad. "We'll try University College Hospital. It's closest and they have a strong medical research department."
"I hope this garners results," I said quietly. "Otherwise we must rely on Seth's efforts today and his questioning of Andrew Buchanan. Speaking of Buchanan, how did Lady Harcourt seem to you earlier?"
"It's difficult to tell. She's good at keeping her feelings to herself."
Unlike me. I tended to wear my heart on my sleeve where it was exposed for the world to see. "It must be a difficult time for her."
"She has Buchanan for comfort."
"I doubt he'd be very comforting. That man has a nasty streak."
"That makes them a good match." He eyed me closely. "It's kind of you to worry about Julia, Charlie. It's not necessary, however. She's capable of looking after herself."
"I know. I was simply curious." I fished out Alice's letter from my reticule. "Do you mind if I read it now? I'm desperate to know how she fares."
"Go ahead. I admit that I'm curious too. Leaving her behind may not have been wise. Her power is too unpredictable for my liking."
