He took as much time as he couldbathing and readying himself to give Elizabeth and Louisa privatetime together, but he soon ran out of things to do, so he decidedto join the ladies.
“Has Nicholas arrived?”Elizabeth was asking as he entered the room.
Louisa turned to him. “I rang foranother cup. Please join us.”
He took the empty chair, settled downnext to Elizabeth, and allowed Louisa to pour him a cup of tea. Hewas interested to know about Nicholas as well. With any luck, hecould be gone before his old friend arrived.
“Not that I am aware of.Grandfather sent him after Andrew, to drag him back ifnecessary.”
John remembered Andrew from school,and Julian as well. He hoped neither remembered him, though he knewit was unlikely.
“Julian?” Elizabethquestioned.
Louisa shrugged. “He hasn’t arrivedeither.”
“The twins? Have theymarried, or are they still in residence?”
“Yes, they are, but Isuspect Emma will be leaving very soon.”
“Why is that?” Elizabethreached over to pick up the teapot and refilled her cup.
“She married ViscountHeathfield.” Louisa leaned forward and whispered. “Heathfield onlyarrived at the castle yesterday and they married this morning.” Shesat up. “Grandfather arranged everything. And Isabel seems to havedeveloped an attraction for his friend, DamienLockwell.”
“It is a shame she couldn’twait until all of the family arrived,” Elizabeth mused.
“As if you have a right tojudge. None of us attended your wedding. By the time any of usknew, you were already settled in the south of France.”
John glanced at Elizabeth. “I was soanxious to make her my bride, I did not want to wait to travel hereor wait for your family to travel to us.” He reached over andsqueezed Elizabeth’s hand.
Elizabeth’s eyes met his and a softsmile pulled at her lips.
“Grandfather was furious,but I found it all terribly romantic.”
Not only were several Whittons inresidence, but there were also Heathfield and Lockwell. It is goingto be impossible to convince all of them he was Jean PierreBouvier. The beard may offer some disguise, but not nearlyenough.
“Well, I should leave youtwo alone.”
Elizabeth stood with hersister.
“I’ll see you at supper?”Louisa asked once she reached the door.
Elizabeth looked over at him. Thedining room table with all those people was the last place theyneeded to be right now. Not until he figured out what they weregoing to do. He gave a slight shake of his head.
She looked back at her sister. “I amnot ready to face all of them yet. Tomorrow will be soon enough.Would you mind asking Cook to have a tray sent to theroom?”
“Not at all.” Louisabeamed. “I will see you in the morning.”
John studied Elizabeth, cradling thecup in his hands. They needed a new plan, or maybe the truth. Withthe truth, however, came the end of their careers.
“We have a decision toface.”
Elizabeth set her cup aside andstraightened her spine. “Go on.”
“I can leave in themorning, without meeting any more of your family. I should havethought this through before I came after you.” He set his cup onthe table and stood to pace. “I don’t know how I could haveforgotten about your blasted cousins. I can’t fool them all, not tomention Lockwell and Heathfield. I may have been gone for a numberof years, but I am afraid not long enough they would not recognizeme.”
“That is probably for thebest. We can’t risk your future being ruined because you were hereat Christmas.”
“It is yours, too.” He tookher hands and pulled her to stand before him. “That is, if you wishto continue working for the Home Office.”
“I do, which is why wecan’t risk them meeting you.”
“How will you explain mydisappearance?”
Elizabeth pulled away and walked tothe fireplace. “I am sure I will think of something.” She turnedsuddenly and grinned. “I’ll tell Grandfather he scared you off andyou are probably halfway to France.”
“That is rather insulting,since the only thing he ordered me to do was get you with child. Aman would not run from that.”
Her face once again turned a lovelyhue of rose, and it was not easy to forget that a bed sat not faraway. Would it be so bad to give up working for England, settledown, and have children with Elizabeth?
John stifled the thought. How would hesupport a wife, the granddaughter of Danby no less? He had noskills other than those used to benefit England. He supposed hecould beg his father for his allowance. No, he didn’t want to dothat either. He was a man and should support his wife and childrenwith whatever means it took. He would just need to figure out whatthose means were.
“What do you care what theythink? Jean Pierre doesn’t really exist. It isn’t as if John Trentis running from the thought of bedding his wife.”
“And, he never would.” Hetook a few steps forward and drew Elizabeth into his arms andkissed her gently. “What do you think of your family knowing thetruth?”
Elizabeth pulled away. “No. There areso many of them, all of England would know before the first of theyear. I could not go back to doing what I love.”
John pulled her back to him. “Did youreally love it all that much?”
Elizabeth bit her bottom lip. “Itwasn’t as exciting as I dreamed it would be. After the first fewmonths, it was easy to move about in the palace, serving Napoleonas if he were any other man, passing on what bit of information Icould lay my hands on. It became so easy it became boring, Isuppose.” She moved away to sit on the bed. “The most excitement Ihave had in the last two years was when we needed toescape.”
“You were lucky, as was I,to work in our positions for so long.”
“Still, it was better thanthe alternative.”
“Which is?”
“Another Season in Londonwith Grandfather pushing different lords in mydirection.”
As elegant as Elizabeth appeared atthe moment, she would fit in well in the ballrooms of London, buthe knew she would lose patience with those dandies within the firsthour.
He settled on the bed beside her.“Since you don’t want to return to society, I assume you still wantto continue working for the Home Office?”
She turned to look at him. “Yes. Don’tyou?”
So much for the two of
