Page 27 of The Honorable Rogue (The Notorious Nightingales #5)

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

V iolet walked to the carriage and away from the Nightingales’ home with her angry brother, knowing a lecture was coming. Looking at the now-closed door, she wondered if Charles would receive the same.

What he’d made her feel today when he’d touched and kissed her, Violet could say without a single doubt she wanted to do again with Charles Thomas.

She thought about Tobias and did not get that deep, searing pain she usually got. In fact, since coming to London and meeting Charles, it had eased. Violet fought the sense of betrayal the thought caused her.

Tobias would want your happiness. Alex Nightingale had told her that in the Hen and Rooster.

“Hello, Miss Althorp.”

Ambrose grabbed her and forced her behind him at the words.

“Oh dear, are you quite all right?”

Violet wrestled free from behind her brother by pinching the hand that held her .

“Mungo sits up there, and I’m beside the carriage. Nothing can happen to me here, Ambrose.”

“He is right to show caution considering what has taken place,” Mungo said.

“What has happened?” Miss Varney said, dragging her eyes from the Scotsman to look at Ambrose.

“We are well, Miss Varney. This is my brother, Lord Talbot. We were just leaving after a visit with the Nightingales.”

“Are you married, my lord?” Tabitha asked.

She hadn’t had a great deal to smile about that day, but she found something then.

“He is not,” Mungo said before Violet could.

“We, his family, are hoping that he soon finds a wife, Miss Varney,” Violet added. She shot Mungo a look, and one side of his mouth had risen slightly at her words, as if he was trying to smile but hadn’t quite mastered how to.

“Violet—”

“Really?” Miss Varney twitched her skirts and batted her eyelashes at him.

“Just leaving. Good day to you.” Ambrose grabbed Violet around the waist, and for the second time that day, she was thrown into a carriage. She’d been running for her life in the first instance, and Charles had been right behind her.

“Are you quite mad?” Ambrose snarled when they started moving.

“Tabitha is harmless and really rather sweet,” Violet said, deliberately misunderstanding him.

“Who?”

“That woman we just spoke with.”

He moved to the edge of his seat and leaned toward her in a threatening manner. “I am not in the mood to be toyed with, Pixie, so perhaps you should think before continuing to do so. ”

“I know,” she said, all the fight going out of her. Violet suddenly felt weak and a little shaky again. “I did not set out to take risks deliberately, Rosie. I wanted only to give Charles that translated note.”

“Charles?”

“You are to call him that, so why can I not?”

“Why, indeed,” he muttered. “For the moment, we shall leave whatever is between you and Charles Thomas?—”

“Nothing is between us.” It was instinctive to say that, but it was also a lie. There was much between her and Charles.

“I am not discussing that. I am, however, discussing your understanding that you cannot take any more risks. Because of your engagement to Tobias, Mother left you alone to do as you wished for the most. But no more. Now I will take charge of watching you.” He grabbed her hands, gripping them tight. “Today, they could have taken you from us, Pixie, and we would never have known. I will thank Charles for that when anger is not coursing through me. He risked a great deal to ensure you are seated across from me at this moment.”

“If it helps, he was not pleased to see me and Tilly in the park alone and let us know,” Violet said.

“No, it doesn’t help. You could even now be subjected to horrors I will no doubt create in my head for days.”

“Rosie, I am all right.” She touched his cheek. “I would not have gone to that park today had I known there was any possibility of what happened occurring. You have to understand I am not that reckless. I would never risk mine or Tilly’s life in that way.”

He exhaled slowly. “I am your big brother. Therefore, it is my job to keep you safe. Today you were not that, but thankfully Charles was man enough to do the job in my stead.”

“He was very brave.” In fact, she was in awe of the things he’d done today to keep her safe. Not only that, he’d woken a longing inside her she’d not believed she’d ever feel for a man.

“All right, I will say no more on that subject, but you must promise me you will take my direction from now on.”

“I promise.”

“I almost believe you.”

“Now, what are we going to do to research what is happening?”

She saw the flicker of something in his eyes.

“You’re as excited about this as me,” Violet said.

“No, I’m not. I’m worried about you. What if whoever was following you is even now watching us? If they walk in society, which you believe, as someone was at the musical and in Father’s study, they would know where you and Charles Thomas live. Also, Tilly could be in danger.”

“Charles told her not to leave her house or go anywhere alone. But I shall send word when I get home reiterating those things again.”

“She is as reckless as you,” Ambrose said.

“I’m sure you mean spirited. We can’t tell the rest of the family, Rosie. They will all want to be involved, and Mother will take to her bed for a week.”

“I know, and them going away for a few days will make that a little easier. Now, I’m taking you home, and then you can start faking the fact that your illness has returned.”

…

The following day, after a restless night and coughing so much that her throat was now sore, her family had left, minus the oldest and youngest siblings. She was dosed with tonic and honey and told by her mother that no man wanted a pale sickly woman as their future wife, especially seeing as this was her second illness in a few short weeks. She’d then kissed Violet and tucked her in .

“She means well,” Ambrose said as they moved to the parlor after her family had left.

“No, she means to marry off her daughters at any cost to any man she sees suitable, no matter their age. So please do not lecture me on Mother’s intentions when they are rarely, if ever, directed at you.”

Ambrose sat and looked at her. Ignoring him, Violet read through the notes she’d made early this morning about what had transpired and what she knew of the Pavlov case. Although some may doubt the note’s connection, she did not.

“I understand that Mother is pushing you all to wed, and I have spoken to her about that, Pixie, but?—”

“Stopping a runaway carriage would be easier?”

“No, what I was going to say was, my life is not as easy as you believe it to be.”

Violet scoffed. “You can educate yourself wherever and whenever you choose. You can wed when you want and walk where you want with no one questioning your actions.”

“And I have to learn how to run this family and everything connected to the title I will inherit. The responsibility for any sister left unwed and Mother and the rest of the family out there who rely on the Chippington/Althorp money to exist will fall on me. Contrary to what you believe, little sister, I do not sit about the place doing nothing.”

She shot her brother a look and noted he was angry.

“I know you have responsibilities, Rosie. But until you have walked the life of a woman, I fail to see how you can understand. Yes”—she held up a hand when he opened his mouth—“for many, this is enough. To have the pretty dresses and things. To stitch, watercolor, and gossip. Marrying a man of their family’s choosing is all they expect, but you see, I was to marry for love, and now it seems I am not.”

“Violet. ”

She turned fully to look at him because he never used her name.

“You loved Tobias as a friend, and that love was warm and comfortable, and you would have lived a long and happy life together, knowing no better, but don’t mistake what you felt for him as anything more than that.”

“I-I can’t believe you said that,” she whispered. “He was my love and my life.”

“And you have nurtured that since his death because you have no wish to ever be hurt again.”

She wanted to look away at the truth of those words.

Ambrose sat forward in his chair, hands clasped between his knees, looking at her. “What do you feel for Charles Thomas?”

“What? Why are you asking me that?”

“I’m not sure how I feel about that man yet, but I know what I saw and felt in that room. You and he have a connection?—”

“No.” But she knew her brother’s words were the truth, especially after today.

“Yes, and it scares you because you have decided no one will replace Tobias in your affections. You’ve vowed to always love him and no other, and now someone is challenging that.”

Violet knew he was right no matter how much she wanted to deny it.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” he muttered, “but if you like Charles, or feel more for him, then don’t let fear of future hurt hold you back.”

“I-it’s so fast,” she whispered.

“What you feel for him has happened so fast?”

She nodded.

Ambrose released his breath on a loud sigh. “Well then, we will deal with that once we’ve dealt with the threat to you both.”

“I will deal with it,” Violet said.

“I’m here!”

“Dear Lord, tell me it isn’t so,” Ambrose said as Tilly’s voice reached them.

“Speaking of denying what is inside us?—”

“Not one more word,” he said, impaling Violet with a look.

Tilly appeared in the doorway looking flushed and beautiful, her bonnet slightly askew.

“Tell me you did not come here alone?” Ambrose thundered, getting to his feet.

“I do not have a gaggle of siblings to accompany me,” Tilly snapped back, her eyes narrowed. “I was cautious and brought my maid, who is as we speak in your kitchens about to settle in for a cozy gossip with Fletcher. No doubt there is cake and tea in her future, and I’m hoping for the same.”

“You caught a hackney, Tilly. That was reckless,” Violet said, getting to her feet. “We would have collected you.”

“Yes, yes, now I have news,” her friend said, removing her bonnet and firing it into the nearest chair.

“Where do your parents think you are?” Violet said before Ambrose could yell at Tilly some more.

“Well, as luck would have it, they are visiting that old windbag Squire Sutton today, and while I was invited, I told them that my dear friend Violet had injured her foot and needed a companion to take her mind from the terrible pain she was suffering.” She smiled, delighted with herself. “Was that not clever?”

“It was irresponsible,” Ambrose snapped.

“You”—she jabbed a long finger at him—“shut up. I have something to say.”

Her brother was used to his siblings speaking to him that way, but rarely anyone else. His eyes narrowed, which boded well for no one.

“What is your news?” Violet said quickly.

“My late grandfather was an acquaintance of Pavlov.”

“No!” Violet gasped. “Really?”

Tilly nodded. “I did not learn much that we don’t already know, but last night, I chatted with Father and told him I recently learned about the unfound Pavlov fortune at a society function. He told me his grandfather thought him an odd sort. He was also not surprised Pavlov had done what he had with the remainder of his fortune. Apparently Pavlov was eccentric and would have loved the fact many would search for it for years, and likely never find it.”

“I have been wondering if the clue Charles found could be nearer to the location of the treasure than we thought,” Violet said.

“You don’t even know if it’s related to the Pavlov fortune,” Ambrose said.

“Of course it is,” Tilly snapped. “Now, my late grandfather told Father that not many people knew who Pavlov’s mistress was because he kept her out of sight when people called.”

“And?” Ambrose demanded.

“And when he passed, it’s believed she was furious and vowed to find his fortune because she’d had Pavlov’s son and believed everything should have gone to him as his only heir.”

“The mistress,” Violet whispered, thinking about what Charles had said. He’d thought a woman was in that carriage. Could it be her? “We need to find out who she is. She has to be behind this and what happened to us.”

“Absolutely not,” Ambrose said, but neither Tilly nor Violet listened.

“Let’s make a list of women we know,” Tilly said .

“She could be anywhere, and what are the chances of her being in society, unless she’s living a lie,” Ambrose protested.

“Order tea, Rosie. We have work to do.”

“I am not your servant,” he groused, leaving the room after shooting Tilly a dark look. Her friend in turn poked out her tongue.

“Right, then, let’s work out who this mistress is,” Violet said, feeling anticipation surge through her. “Because if she has become an acquaintance of mine recently, it could be to get information.”

The mistress was the key, Violet was sure of it now.