Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Oh, it was such fun," Isabella said as they made it back home. "Mr. Alton is just a wonderful man, isn't he? I've never had a day like this one."

She had dragged Eliza off to her room to tell her all about it. She still felt such excitement from it all that she felt as though she would burst.

"You went with him unchaperoned," Eliza said with evident displeasure in her voice. "I can't believe you took such a risk."

"The sky has not fallen, has it?" Isabella asked. "Everything is fine. Now, do you want to know what happened or not?"

Eliza took a deep breath and answered with a nod. Isabella knew Eliza would be unimpressed with her escapades, but she didn't mind it so much. There was no one in the world she trusted more than Eliza to help her keep it all under wraps.

"We stopped first at the Bounty Inn, which was crawling with sailors and the kinds of men I've never encountered before," Isabella said excitedly.

"Sailors?" Eliza's eyes stretched wide. "How could he take you to such a place? Has he no decency?"

"Eliza, please," Isabella reprimanded her. "I'm fine and completely unscathed. Just listen."

Eliza gave in and promised to keep quiet until the story was over. Isabella told her all about how she and Mr. Alton pretended to be husband and wife and how they played cards together and socialized with the rougher side of society.

When it was over, Eliza was pale as if the blood had left her body. She sat down and took a deep breath.

"You need to be careful," she said. "I know it is not for me to say, but how can we be sure we trust Mr. Alton at all?"

"He saved the duke," Isabella said. "I'm not sure why I need to keep reminding everyone of this fact. Has the world forgotten that he threw his body in front of a gunman?"

"I suppose," Eliza sighed. "I just can't agree with his methods."

"He has done me no harm. In fact, I think I have started to fancy him. He's a handsome man, with so much to offer. We had fun! Real, decent fun like I haven't had since I was a child."

"No harm yet," Eliza whispered. "What about your reputation? Running around with him unchaperoned could give you a bad name. I'd hate to see that happen. You'd never marry."

"I'm not sure I'm made for marriage," Isabella said. "I've been giving it some thought. Perhaps I'm better off without getting married."

Eliza's mouth fell open with shock. "How could you say something like that?"

"I just dream of other things, you know," Isabella answered. "I want to travel and see the world. I long for adventure. A woman like me couldn't make any ordinary man happy, I'm sure."

"It's those books you're reading," Eliza said. "You're so caught up in the adventure of it all that you've forgotten how many times those characters have nearly died. Doesn't that tell you something?"

"Please," Isabella said. "We all die, don't we? What matters is how we live before that day comes. I could fall ill tomorrow and die next week. What would my life matter if I never did anything of importance?"

"Being a mother is important," Eliza said.

"Of course it is," she agreed. "I do not intend to speak ill of any woman. That life simply doesn't seem fulfilling to me. Perhaps being unmarried rids me of the burden of a husband."

Eliza chuckled then. "When you put it that way, it sounds a little better."

"You worry about me too much."

"I care," Eliza corrected her. "It's different."

It was decided then that some tea was needed before the conversation could continue. While Eliza was away, making the arrangements, Isabella allowed her mind to wander. She thought of how well she and Mr. Alton pulled off the look of a married couple. It was ironic that she spent the entire day pretending to be someone's wife and later told Eliza that she had no interest in being a wife at all.

"I've been thinking," Eliza said as she placed the tray of tea down. "What about the duke?"

"What about him?"

"Did you not notice the way he looked at you?" Eliza asked. "He could make you a duchess. Surely that sounds good to you?"

She had never considered such a lifestyle before.

"He wasn't looking at me in any way," Isabella said. "You're imagining things."

"I am not," Eliza argued. "You didn't see it because you weren't paying any attention."

Isabella sipped her tea. Being a duchess would be good for her family. It would bring them status. Never mind the financial benefits of marrying a duke. Did it matter that the duke would never truly have her heart?

While it felt important to marry for love, she had the chance to change her family's lineage forever by marrying a man like the duke. It was what her mother wanted.

"Was he really looking at me a certain way?"

Eliza grinned widely then. "He was. I heard your parents discussing it this morning. It looks rather positive."

"Well, I suppose there is much to consider then."

"There always is, isn't there?" Eliza asked. "That seems to be part of being alive."

Isabella checked the sun. "I better get ready for dinner. As far as my parents are concerned, I spent the day having tea with a lady friend."

"I don't like all this lying," Eliza said nervously.

"I need you to trust me," Isabella said quietly. "Ethan will send correspondence. This is an important job. If I am to marry, then let me have this one adventure."

Eliza smiled. "All right," she said. "But you need to promise me you won't take too many risks. I want to see you happy, not buried."

For the rest of that night, Isabella could think of nothing else but Mr. Alton and the day they'd shared. She felt as if she'd stepped into one of her books, and she hoped it would filter into her dreams so that she could relive it again.

***

Mason and Ethan tucked into a dinner at the gentleman's club. Mason had already apologized to Ethan countless times for not being entirely forthcoming with his plan that day, but it seemed as though his friend was still frustrated about it.

"So, what do you make of Miss Owen?" Ethan asked. "She's an unusual character, don't you think?"

"She was brilliant today," Mason answered. "If it wasn't for her, we might have left with nothing."

"Is that so? I had almost expected her to get in your way," Ethan said. "I know how you like to operate. You're always telling me how much better you are on your own."

"I tested her, I really did," Mason said with a laugh. "She took everything in her stride. There she was, immersed in a room full of sailors, and she barely blinked."

"Really?" Ethan's eyes widened. "Now, that is surprising."

"She is a surprising woman," Mason said. "And you have to admit, she has beauty, unlike any other woman I've seen. Her eyes seem to search right through me when she looks my way."

He thought of their shared glances, and the warmth he felt any time she placed a hand on his shoulder or whispered in his ear. Mason took a large swig of his drink and tried to push his confused thoughts from his mind. He had hoped to push her away, not enjoy himself so much.

Ethan gave Mason a suspicious look. "You don't sound like yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"You don't talk this way about women," Ethan said. "You swore to me that you would never marry. That you couldn't stand the idea of falling in love. That love was for fools. You said that marriage would chain you down to a traditional life. Stop you from all your adventuring."

"No, her beauty goes beyond just appearance," Mason said. "She has this spirit for adventure. I felt as if I could put her in any situation, and she might have fit right in."

"That is rare," Ethan agreed. "So I assume your plan of getting her to abandon the investigation isn't going so well."

Mason hadn't expected to confess so much to his friend that night, but he felt invigorated after the day. Other than that, he'd worked up quite the appetite as well. He was eager to eat and get to bed so that he could start the next day with the same happy feeling he had then. But there was still work to be done.

"She can handle her drink, too," Mason said. "She had two ales and a brandy, and it was as if it had no effect on her."

"Now that's unladylike," Ethan said.

"Why? Who decided that? There are all these rules here that I don't see in other countries. And you know what? The people are just as happy. I don't understand it. I really don't."

Ethan gave him an annoyed look. "It just is this way in London and likely always will be. That's how society works amongst the normal folk. Not that I could expect you to understand that."

Mason chuckled. "It's amazing you and I are such close friends. We couldn't be more different, could we?"

"That's true," Ethan said. "I still have all my marbles, and you seem to be missing a few."

"You seek a gentler life," Mason said. "And that's all right. But it's not for me. That doesn't make me insane, you know."

"Of course not," Ethan said. "But it does mean I'll likely live longer than you."

"I hope so," Mason teased. "I'd hate to grow too old to have fun. I don't think I could cope with something like that."

What Mason had done that day had been mild in comparison to other journeys he'd taken. And yet, he couldn't help but feel as if he was at the edge of his greatest adventure yet. That part, he decided not to tell Ethan.

"How was your day with Miss Harper?" Mason asked. "She seems perfectly polite."

"That she is, much unlike Miss Owen," Ethan admitted. "We had a pleasant afternoon. She's rather good at the pianoforte. I read a while."

"Nobody has played that old thing in years." Mason smiled. "Here, I was worried the two of you would just sit in silence all afternoon."

"We took a stroll in the gardens, had a pleasant conversation, and enjoyed a cup of tea. It wasn't nearly as adventure-filled as your day, but just as pleasant."

Ethan had a smile on his face then that Mason had not seen before. He seemed almost like a sheepish young boy as he reached for his drink. There was something Ethan wasn't telling him about his day.

"What?" Mason asked. "What is that look?" He motioned in the direction of Ethan's face with his knife.

Ethan pushed the knife away as Mason chuckled.

"Nothing," Ethan answered, clearing his throat and straightening his face.

"Oh no, you can't lie to me," Mason said. "You're fond of her, aren't you?"

Ethan sighed. "She's a perfect lady. I've never known a more graceful and polite woman in my life. I'm not sure what to make of it, really."

Mason enjoyed what he saw then. Ethan seemed so torn between what he felt and what he wanted to say. The truth would come out eventually, it always did. Mason would simply need to be patient.

"Well, I'm pleased you had such a pleasant time with her," Mason said. "I won't feel so bad leaving the two of you alone then."

"She intrigues me," Ethan said. "That's all. She's clearly well-educated and remarkably elegant. It would interest me to learn more about her background."

"I'm sure the chance will come around again," Mason said. "Besides, the two of you will be meeting regularly to pass messages along. I'll be sure of it."

***

That night, Mason headed out again to search for information. He made sure to speak to as many people as possible as he went from inn to inn. He had hoped to learn more about any secret meetings taking place. While many of the patrons that night had been aware of strange groups of men having odd conversations, none of them could name any of the men.

" They said something about meeting at a warehouse," one man said, but he didn't know which warehouse or when.

Mason left there feeling defeated and disappointed. That night, as he climbed into bed he was aware of the coldness of it and the quiet of his home. He was aware of just how alone he was then.