expected—’
‘I look after my own, Annie. Remember that.’ Jonathon patted the woman’s shoulder. ‘Go with Thompson. He will see you right.’
Louisa stared after the pair.
‘She trusts you? She was adamant before … that she’d never go back.’
‘Some people do, Louisa, as surprising as it seems to you.’
‘And when she gets back to the village. Will you keep her safe then?’
‘Sims knows what will happen if he crosses me. The entire village knows it. I once beat a man who tried to steal one of Sims’s horses.’
‘You beat someone.’ Louisa stared at Jonathon. She had always considered him more of a lover than a fighter, someone who avoided unpleasantness.
‘All those pugilist lessons came in use that night. I developed a mean upper cut. The man deserved it.’
‘And do you really think she had something to do with the missing cameos? She did not even want to take your handkerchief.’
Jonathon shrugged. ‘Whoever took the cameos had a great deal more knowledge about the security in the house than Annie. They knew the combination for the safe and where they were stored.’
‘Could her lover have been involved without Annie’s knowledge?’
‘I will obtain a description of the man she ran away with and see if any of the servants were seen with him.’
Louisa listened with growing surprise. The old Jonathon had never known anything about the servants, let alone servants’ gossip. But he appeared to know about this woman, what she did and who she associated with. ‘It is good that Annie has someone looking out for her.’
A muscle jumped in his jaw. ‘You have nothing to fear when you and Miss Daphne are guests in my house. Once you trusted me…’
‘And if I have grown beyond needing your protection?’ Louisa asked and forced a warm curl from her insides. Jonathon had not changed, not really. He remained the same sort of man that he had always been—self-absorbed and concerned only about those things that affected him. He was speaking about her surrendering her independence and she had no intention of becoming a clinging vine, running to him for every little thing as she had done before.
‘It is still offered.’ He reached out and tightened the shawl about her shoulders. ‘The rain is starting. You do not want to catch a chill.’
‘I know what to do.’ Louisa kept her body stiff and away from his touch. ‘I learnt my lesson a long time ago.’
‘Louisa, I look forward to welcoming you to Chesterholm, to my home.’ He tilted. ‘Will Furniss be travelling with you?’
‘He is Miss Daphne’s nephew.’ Louisa gave her brightest smile. Here finally was a chance to show Jonathon that she did have other beaux. ‘He is very attentive to his great aunt. It has been most refreshing to see.’
She strode purposefully away, resisting the temptation to see his reaction.
* * *
‘You returned.’
‘You seem surprised.’ Louisa carefully retrieved the tincture from her reticule and set it on the table in front of Miss Daphne. She shook the raindrops from her shawl.
‘It did cross my mind that you would book your passage to Sorrento and go. You were flustered when you left. You forgot your umbrella.’ Miss Daphne’s eyes narrowed. ‘First time ever.’
‘It was not raining when I left.’
‘This is Northumberland, rather than Sorrento. It rains.’
‘I know where I am,’ Louisa replied carefully as she poured a scant measure of the liquid and handed it to Miss Daphne. ‘Why are you asking me?’
‘Because you have returned with bright cheeks and sparkling eyes and the wrong sort of tincture. That is the one I used to take, the one Mattie complained always made me too merry in the evening. It has gin in it. Lots of gin.’
Louisa stared down at the label and gritted her teeth. She had been positive that she had chosen the correct tincture. But in her haste and confusion, she must have asked for the wrong one.
‘You met Lord Chesterholm while you
‘I look after my own, Annie. Remember that.’ Jonathon patted the woman’s shoulder. ‘Go with Thompson. He will see you right.’
Louisa stared after the pair.
‘She trusts you? She was adamant before … that she’d never go back.’
‘Some people do, Louisa, as surprising as it seems to you.’
‘And when she gets back to the village. Will you keep her safe then?’
‘Sims knows what will happen if he crosses me. The entire village knows it. I once beat a man who tried to steal one of Sims’s horses.’
‘You beat someone.’ Louisa stared at Jonathon. She had always considered him more of a lover than a fighter, someone who avoided unpleasantness.
‘All those pugilist lessons came in use that night. I developed a mean upper cut. The man deserved it.’
‘And do you really think she had something to do with the missing cameos? She did not even want to take your handkerchief.’
Jonathon shrugged. ‘Whoever took the cameos had a great deal more knowledge about the security in the house than Annie. They knew the combination for the safe and where they were stored.’
‘Could her lover have been involved without Annie’s knowledge?’
‘I will obtain a description of the man she ran away with and see if any of the servants were seen with him.’
Louisa listened with growing surprise. The old Jonathon had never known anything about the servants, let alone servants’ gossip. But he appeared to know about this woman, what she did and who she associated with. ‘It is good that Annie has someone looking out for her.’
A muscle jumped in his jaw. ‘You have nothing to fear when you and Miss Daphne are guests in my house. Once you trusted me…’
‘And if I have grown beyond needing your protection?’ Louisa asked and forced a warm curl from her insides. Jonathon had not changed, not really. He remained the same sort of man that he had always been—self-absorbed and concerned only about those things that affected him. He was speaking about her surrendering her independence and she had no intention of becoming a clinging vine, running to him for every little thing as she had done before.
‘It is still offered.’ He reached out and tightened the shawl about her shoulders. ‘The rain is starting. You do not want to catch a chill.’
‘I know what to do.’ Louisa kept her body stiff and away from his touch. ‘I learnt my lesson a long time ago.’
‘Louisa, I look forward to welcoming you to Chesterholm, to my home.’ He tilted. ‘Will Furniss be travelling with you?’
‘He is Miss Daphne’s nephew.’ Louisa gave her brightest smile. Here finally was a chance to show Jonathon that she did have other beaux. ‘He is very attentive to his great aunt. It has been most refreshing to see.’
She strode purposefully away, resisting the temptation to see his reaction.
* * *
‘You returned.’
‘You seem surprised.’ Louisa carefully retrieved the tincture from her reticule and set it on the table in front of Miss Daphne. She shook the raindrops from her shawl.
‘It did cross my mind that you would book your passage to Sorrento and go. You were flustered when you left. You forgot your umbrella.’ Miss Daphne’s eyes narrowed. ‘First time ever.’
‘It was not raining when I left.’
‘This is Northumberland, rather than Sorrento. It rains.’
‘I know where I am,’ Louisa replied carefully as she poured a scant measure of the liquid and handed it to Miss Daphne. ‘Why are you asking me?’
‘Because you have returned with bright cheeks and sparkling eyes and the wrong sort of tincture. That is the one I used to take, the one Mattie complained always made me too merry in the evening. It has gin in it. Lots of gin.’
Louisa stared down at the label and gritted her teeth. She had been positive that she had chosen the correct tincture. But in her haste and confusion, she must have asked for the wrong one.
‘You met Lord Chesterholm while you
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