Page 24
Story: An Improbable Scheme (Courting the Unconventional #1)
Eugenie interjected. “Did you know this village is notorious for smuggling?” She paused, catching the startled looks her comment garnered. “Not that I am accusing Mr. Stockton of any such thing,” she added hastily. “It’s just an interesting fact.”
Her mother’s lips pursed as she straightened in her seat. “My husband is not a smuggler, Eugenie,” she said firmly, though her voice remained polite. “Sometimes his ships dock later than expected, and he is obliged to meet with associates at odd hours. It’s the nature of his business.”
Elsbeth tightened her grip on her teacup, the warmth seeping into her palms as her thoughts churned. Her mother’s words were plausible enough, yet they settled uneasily in her mind.
Leaning back in her seat, Elsbeth tried to appear composed, though her resolve was hardening. She would see for herself what her stepfather was up to during these mysterious meetings. Answers didn’t come from sitting idly by.
The moon was high in the sky as Niles approached the stables on Elsbeth’s property. He had seen the determined look on her face earlier and he had a feeling that she was going to do something intolerably stupid.
The faint flicker of a lantern spilled from the stables. He pushed open the heavy wooden door, its hinges creaking softly in protest.
Inside, the scent of hay and leather was heavy in the air. A white-haired groom sat on a worn chair, his fingers curling around the handle of a pitchfork resting nearby. The man’s eyes narrowed as he straightened his posture.
“What do you want?” the groom demanded, his voice sharp and wary.
Niles raised his hands, palms out in a gesture of peace. “I mean no harm.”
The groom’s grip on the pitchfork tightened. “I’ll be the judge of that.”
Niles took a measured step forward, the crunch of hay beneath his boots filling the silence. “I’m here to ensure Lady Elsbeth doesn’t do something she’ll regret.”
The man’s expression softened slightly, though his grip on the pitchfork didn’t waver. “Who are you?”
“I am Lord Westcott,” Niles introduced himself with a disarming smile.
The groom’s eyes darkened, and he rose from his chair with surprising speed for his age. “You’re the reason Lady Elsbeth was shot.”
Niles flinched but held his ground. “That was a misunderstanding,” he rushed to explain.
“A misunderstanding that nearly cost her life,” the groom snapped, his voice laced with accusation.
“I had no knowledge of the constable’s presence,” Niles said. “I was only there to speak with her.”
The groom scrutinized him for a long moment, the weight of his judgment palpable. “Well, as you can see, Lady Elsbeth isn’t here?—”
The door swung open before he could finish, and Elsbeth slipped inside. She froze the moment her gaze landed on Niles .
“Lord Westcott?” she asked, her voice a mix of surprise and suspicion. “What are you doing here?”
Niles crossed his arms, his expression as stern as he could muster. “I might ask you the same question.”
Elsbeth shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. “I came to visit my horse,” she offered weakly.
His brow arched in disbelief. “The truth, if you please.”
She hesitated, then sighed. “I’m going to the village to see who my stepfather is meeting with.”
“And you thought it wise to go alone?” Niles pressed, his voice rising slightly. “Do you truly think it is safe for a young woman to wander the village in the dark?”
“I am perfectly capable,” she retorted, though her tone lacked conviction.
“I don’t doubt that,” he countered. “But I thought we agreed we would work together.”
Elsbeth winced, guilt flickering across her features. “We did. I’m sorry.”
Niles uncrossed his arms. “Then let’s do this together. Shall we?”
Her lips curved into a small smile. “I’d like that.”
A short time later, they were galloping down the road towards the village, the sound of hooves echoing into the night. As the dim lights of the village came into view, Niles slowed his horse and cast a questioning glance at Elsbeth.
“Do you have a plan?” he asked.
Elsbeth shook her head. “I don’t.”
“That’s a fine way to get caught.”
“It’s not as though my reputation could get any worse,” she muttered.
Niles pulled his horse to a halt and turned to face her. “You are more than your reputation, Elsbeth.”
She let out a soft, bitter laugh. “Easy for you to say. You’re a wealthy lord with an impeccable reputation. I’m destined to be a spinster.”
Niles leaned forward slightly, his gaze intent. “No,” he said, his voice softer now. “You’re a beautiful, intelligent young woman who has a great deal to offer the right man.”
Her eyes searched his, vulnerability shining through. “You think I’m beautiful?”
“I do,” he replied simply, his tone leaving no room for doubt.
She lowered her gaze, her voice tinged with sadness. “It has been a long time since a gentleman has told me that I am beautiful.”
“It makes it no less true.”
Elsbeth lifted her eyes to meet his. “I thought my life would be much different than this,” she confessed.
“What is so wrong with your life?”
She let out a small huff, her frustration spilling into her words. “I’m riding through the night, alone with you, chasing after my stepfather to uncover his secrets. I’m risking my future, my reputation—what little remains of it—all for what?”
Niles tightened his grip on the reins. “You can't alter the past or foresee the future, but you can ruin the present by worrying about both.”
A faint smile tugged at her lips, but it was fleeting. “I should have gotten married when I had the chance,” she said. “The Earl of Pembroke offered for me.”
“Why did you refuse him?”
Her smile turned sheepish. “You’ll think me silly, but I wanted a love match. Not a marriage of convenience to a man old enough to be my father.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you made the right choice.”
“Did I?” she countered, her tone skeptical. “If I’d married him, I wouldn’t have ended up in this godforsaken village, living under my stepfather’s roof. ”
Niles glanced at her. “You need to change your perspective. You have more than most people could dream of.”
“You’re right,” she admitted, groaning softly. “I hate saying that out loud.”
“That I’m right?” he teased.
“Yes, because it means I’m wrong,” she said, her voice filled with mock indignation.
He grinned. “I’m glad to be in a position to keep you humble.”
She considered him for a moment before asking, “What about you? Do you want a love match?”
“Love matches are rare. I’m too much of a pragmatist to believe I’ll find one. But I know they’re possible since my parents were desperately in love.”
“I thought my parents loved each other, too,” Elsbeth said, her voice wistful. “But now... I’m not so sure.”
A small, bittersweet smile curved Niles’s lips. “It was hard when my parents passed so close to one another, but it wasn’t surprising. They did everything together.”
“How I envy you.”
He raised a brow. “At least your mother is still alive. I’d give anything to say the same.”
Her shoulders slumped slightly as she nodded. “Life is strange, isn’t it? We long for what we don’t have and fail to truly appreciate what we do.”
Niles turned his gaze to the road ahead, his voice tinged with an unspoken weight. “I just hope, wherever he is, my father is proud of the man I’ve become.”
“I think he would be,” she said.
Niles’s heart tightened at the sincerity in her voice, and for a moment, he simply nodded, words failing him. Her belief in him meant more than he cared to admit.
Elsbeth turned her attention to the flickering lights of the village ahead, her expression hardening. “My stepfather is somewhere in that village, doing who knows what.”
“What if your mother is right? What if he’s simply meeting an associate about one of his ships or business dealings?”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. “Perhaps,” she admitted. “But I intend to find out for myself.” With that, she urged her horse forward, the determination in her posture leaving no room for argument.
Niles followed her lead, wondering what it would take to get through to her.
The sound of their horses’ hooves echoed against the cobblestone streets, the village eerily quiet at this late hour.
Lanterns glowed dimly in windows, their light spilling onto the damp stones below.
The scent of rain lingered in the air, though the skies had long since cleared.
They came to a stop in front of a coaching inn, a modest structure with peeling paint and sagging shutters. Securing their horses to a nearby post, Elsbeth wasted no time, slipping around to the alleyway that ran alongside the building.
“We should check the coaching inn first,” she whispered, her voice barely carrying above the soft rustle of the night breeze. Without waiting for his reply, she crept forward, her movements purposeful.
Niles followed behind until they reached one of the dirt-streaked windows. Elsbeth pressed her hands lightly against the glass, peering inside. Her sharp intake of breath made him step closer.
“What do you see?” he asked in a low voice.
She gestured for him to join her. “It’s him,” she murmured. “My stepfather. He’s speaking with someone.”
Niles leaned in, squinting through the window. Inside, the flickering light of a lantern illuminated two men. Mr. Stockton stood with a composed but grave expression, speaking intently to a balding man that he did not recognize.
“Who is the other man?” he asked .
Elsbeth turned her gaze towards him. “That’s Mr. Strother,” she explained, her voice tight. “He was my father’s solicitor. But Charles said he was returning to Town. So why is he still here, meeting with my stepfather?”
“That is an excellent question,” Niles muttered as he studied the men through the window.
Elsbeth pulled back from the window, her brows furrowed in thought. “None of this makes sense,” she murmured, more to herself than to Niles.
“It doesn’t,” he agreed. “But whatever they’re discussing, it’s important. Important enough for both men to take risks.”
Her gaze flickered to his, her resolve evident. “We need to find out what they are discussing.”
“Agreed. But not here, not now. We need to be careful, Elsbeth. If they suspect you’re on to them…”
“I know,” she said, swallowing slowly. “But I can’t walk away from this.”
“You’re not alone in this,” he reminded her. “We’ll figure this out. Together.”
“Thank you, Niles.”
He offered her a reassuring smile. “Let’s head back. We’ll need a proper plan before we do anything else.”
Elsbeth bobbed her head as she followed him out of the shadowed alley, their steps quiet against the cobblestone streets.
As they traveled back to her estate, Niles couldn’t help but wonder what business Mr. Stockton could have with Elsbeth’s father’s solicitor, especially so late at night.
And why meet at the coaching inn in secret?
Why not have the meeting at his estate? None of this made any sense.
Not yet. But Niles was determined to find out why.
Table of Contents
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- Page 24 (Reading here)
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