Page 19 of A Spinster for the Rakish Duke (Notorious Sisters of London #3)

Chapter Eighteen

M r. Herst did not await them back at the apartment, and this was worrying, but it also left Donovan and Emma alone again.

They both seemed to consider continuing where they left off.

Seriously consider. Donovan even drew slightly closer to her.

But as interested as Emma was in exploring more where they had room to move, something else took priority in her mind.

“Did you discover anything while talking to people at the Inn of Courts?” Emma asked, sitting herself down at the table as she looked at him expectantly.

“I did, but perhaps not the answer you are looking for,” Donovan said a bit dejectedly before he continued, “I was informed that your brother would go above and beyond to avoid conflict at his place of work.”

“That does sound like him...” Emma said. “Did this come from a reliable source?”

Donovan nodded. “A man of God.”

“Ah,” was all Emma added.

“Based on that and the other people I have questioned, I have concluded that one of two things has occurred. Either, for one reason or another, your brother has chosen to go missing himself-”

Before Donovan could continue, Emma interrupted. “He would never do something like that though, Donovan!” she said adamantly.

He held up a hand. “Or the other and more likely explanation. Your brother being missing has nothing to do with him personally, rather it either has something to do with someone he knows or... or it’s a random act.

If this is the case, then we have very few options moving forward.

There is no way for me to narrow down who I need to talk to in all of London.

We must simply wait until we find evidence, or the culprit presents themselves. ”

“You... you don’t think anything happened, do you?” Emma asked earnestly, desperately concerned with her brother's well-being.

“I will answer this question honestly, Emma, because it is important for you to understand my thought process. I believe your brother is alive. If he were the victim of a random act of violence, then he would have turned up at the hospital or... somewhere similar.” Donovan did not want to insinuate the possibility of her brother's death.

“It is curious though. If he were taken or kidnapped, no contact or demands have been made from anyone. So, what is it these unknown captors could possibly want from your brother? That is the question that traps us at this point, unable to move forward with the investigation.”

Emma was quiet for a long moment, staring down at her hands as they lay folded on the table.

“I suppose that means I will have to return to the country; my aunt will insist. I’ve probably been here too long as it is anyway,” she said those words but didn’t mean them.

“Mr. Connor, I understand that I cannot pay you for a prolonged investigation, but will you keep looking for him? Can you, please? In my absence, I need to make sure someone is looking out for him.” Her voice choked as she held back tears.

Donovan leaned across the table and placed one of his hands over hers. “Emma, I will find your brother. No matter how long it takes, you can be assured that there is someone in London looking for him.”

She nodded and stood, and Donovan stood as well in response.

For a moment it looked as if she might embrace him.

“I... I suppose I should get a head start on packing my things. When Mr. Herst comes back, will you give him my thanks for his aid in all of this? I’m afraid I would like to be alone for some time while I process all this.

” She turned to leave, and Donovan almost followed after her, but then she stopped.

“Thank you, Donovan, for everything you’ve done,” and with those words, she rushed off to the bedroom.

When Herst did eventually return, he was in a sorry state. His lip was bloodied, and a lovely shade of purple adorned his right eye.

“Good lord,” Donovan stood and helped the man sit down, “what on earth happened to you?”

“Well, I may have still been a little heated with Lord Northgnell when I agreed to distract him. Perhaps even taken it a little far,” he said with a weak laugh.

“Heavens, you didn’t strike him, did you?” Donovan asked, concerned for the larger ramifications.

Mr. Herst shook his head and laughed again.

“I tripped over him and made it look like I was in a big hurry to be somewhere. Got him all riled up, so he had completely forgotten about the two of you, especially when I ignored him when he demanded I stop. He was caught by several other solicitors giving me a good walloping.” Herst was laughing harder and harder.

“We both got kicked out. Neither one of us can solicit in London.”

Donovan was divided. He clearly appreciated the enjoyment that Herst was getting out of what happened to Lord Northgnell, but he was horrified that Mr. Herst had lost his chance at practicing.

“Oh, Mr. Herst, I am deeply sorry, I never meant for you to suffer so greatly to assist me,” Donovan assured him, unsure of how to rectify the situation.

“Oh, don’t worry, Mr. Connor. It may put me in a bit of a position, seeing as how my room and board were tied up in my apprenticeship, but I thought of solicitation as an opportunity more than a calling, truth be told.

” He let out a deep semi-contented sigh and clearly sought to change the subject.

“What about yourself and Miss Bradford? Did you fair all right? I didn’t see where you ended up getting off to. ”

Donovan was not glad for this particular subject change. “She is in her room. She is packing.”

“Packing?” Herst asked, his voice concerned.

“I told her what I genuinely believe. I don't think we'll see changes in this case for some time. I told her I would keep searching for her brother, but she has to head home.” He sat down opposite of Mr. Herst. “I admit, I didn’t expect good things from telling Miss Bradford that the investigation had come to a standstill, but for some reason her leaving... well, it was the obvious conclusion.”

Mr. Herst nodded. “You did the best you could, Mr. Connor, and I was glad to have your help in all this as I am sure Miss Bradford was too,” the younger man assured him.

Donovan nodded and stood. “I suppose I should head back.” Donovan looked almost longingly to the closed bedroom door and hesitated for a moment. “I’ll be back to say goodbye before she departs.”

“I’ll make sure she knows, Mr. Connor.”

Donovan had held her and kissed her, and now that she wanted nothing else but to seek comfort in his arms, they had run out of reasons for her to stay.

Everything seemed bleak now. Even the idea of ending her betrothal seemed like a far-off fancy now.

If Donovan couldn’t find her brother, then the man with the next best chance was Mr. Dole with his connections as a solicitor.

Souring her relationship with him now would be the worst thing she could do for Benjamin.

She didn’t often feel stupid, but right now she felt that way.

More than she ever had in her entire life.

And Donovan, sweet Donovan… In all this, why did he not assert what they both clearly felt?

Was he just toying with her? Did his interpretation of the letter that Martha sent mean that he intended to have his fun and leave when Mr. Dole proved to be too much of a nuisance?

Shame, guilt, desire, and excitement all swirled around inside her. She wanted nothing more than for Donovan to touch her again. The consequences of it all be damned.

As she moved to the door, she heard Mr. Herst’s entrance and listened to their conversation.

She did this purely to assure herself that Mr. Herst was safe.

She couldn’t help but listen in on the next part.

The last thing she wanted was for Donovan to leave, but she was frozen behind her bedroom door.

He would return for her; he said that. That eased her worry. She wanted to be sure that she would see Donovan one last time. But she wasn’t sure she would be able to handle it when that true last time would eventually come.