“At school?” Miss Billingsley’s disdain was evident in her tone and by the wrinkling of her nose. “I rather thought you were leaving all of that behind,” she added. “Isn’t that why you’re making the rounds this Season?” She must have thought better of her question or wished to elaborate as she added, her tone full of condescension, “I suppose it’s a hard habit to break after all these years, isn’t it?”
“I don’t consider education to be a habit I’m trying to break,” Roderick returned through slightly clenched teeth. “I place a high value on the education I received and I intend to continue learning throughout my days.”
“Oh,” Miss Billingsley answered, obviously unsure how to respond to his statement. She tried to rally. “Like as a hobby, do you mean? I suppose that is all it has really been all along, right? It’s not as though you have become a surgeon or some such.”
“No, studying surgery wasn’t to my taste. But I hope to set up a foundation for the furtherance of others’ pursuits.”
“What does that mean?”
Roderick sighed a little. Lucy had understood his ideas the moment her told her of them. But she was particularly bright. But she also wasn’t for him. He needed to exercise a little more patience with the woman by his side. Perhaps she could come to understand.
“I have a full grasp of most of the sciences but not an expertise in any of them, unlike some of my friends. And it has turned out that I am quite capable with business. So I am going to help the other scholars find a way to profit from their studies and inventions.”
Now Miss Billingsley was staring at him as though he had just sprouted horns. “Surely not,” she exclaimed.
Now it was Roderick’s turn for being amused. He couldn’t even find it in himself to be offended. But the chit was definitely not for him. He managed not to chuckle at her expense.
“I’m afraid so,” he finally answered. “Shall I see you home now?”
“That would likely be best,” she answered stiffly.
Roderick thought Caroline would be offended on his behalf if she were to find out what had just transpired. But he considered it a woman’s right to feel how she would on this topic. It was why he wasn’t comfortable being a fortune hunter.
Just as he was exiting the park with Miss Billingsley’s hand tucked loosely into his elbow, Roderick noticed someone watching them. His heart nearly stopped. It was one of the gentlemen he and Lucy had eavesdropped upon the previous afternoon. Or rather, he was almost certain it was. Really, they had only been looking at the backs of their heads the day before, and maybe a little bit of profile. So of course, he couldn’t be completely sure. But why would a man be watching him so intently? The clothes were nearly identical to the men he’d seen before. His stomach clenched. Why was he watching him? And was he also watching Lucy? He had been so sure the men hadn’t paid them any heed the previous afternoon. Now he wasn’t so sure.
He couldn’t get the woman home fast enough. He had thought to squeeze in a little of his intended courtship around his varying obligations, but that had clearly been a foolish thought on his part. He needed to see the other matter through before he could sort out his own future. It was a challenge to juggle two seemingly equally important matters. But while one was deeply important to himself personally, he supposed he would have to prioritize a matter that could be of import to an entire nation. Especially now. He would never forgive himself if he had allowed danger to come upon Lucy.
Roderick wished he could take the time to go a round at Gentleman Jack’s. He wasn’t usually interested in releasing his spleen through acts of violence, but this would be the perfect time to do so. How could he have allowed himself to get roped into Gilbert’s mission? And with Lucy Scranton of all the inappropriate people? It was barely to be borne. He couldn’t concentrate on his own pursuits while now worrying about her and her safety.
Not that he hated spending time with her.
Completely to the contrary in all reality, which was truly the problem. He didn’t want to find her any more fascinating than he already did. But being forced into seeing her intrepidly take on one of Gil’s assignments with barely a blink, combined with Miss Billingsley’s response to his “questionable” pursuits as she considered it, he wasn’t likely to succeed at calmly courting some other worthy lady.
It gave him pause. Lucy had remained calm and collected when Gilbert insisted they do his bidding. Was it possible the beautiful young woman was more willing than she had previously admitted to acknowledge her intelligence? Roderick’s heart quickened and it wasn’t due to his pace as he made his way toward his brother’s lodgings as fast as he was able. He would have to investigate his thoughts later. Now he had to find out what else Gilbert could share with him. His brother hadn’t said much when Roderick had told him everything he had overheard. Instead he had clapped Rod on the shoulder as though commending a youngster and hurried from the room. Roderick wished he could hurry to Simmons House right now rather than Northcott House, but Lucy would have to wait a little longer.
But he would definitely talk to her later. If she would even speak to him after his seeming delay in reporting to her. Of course, they had agreed to meet at the ball, but she would surely be disgruntled to have seen him out with Miss Billingsley. Roderick gave his head a shake. He was being a dolt.
Chapter Twelve
Several hours later Roderick found himself wishing he could pace. He would have done it too if it wasn’t so likely to create a scandal. Perhaps not a scandal, but it would surely be highly irregular to be seen pacing at a ball. And it wasn’t likely to make him friends with Lady Haversham. He was considered odd enough for his continued stay at University, he didn’t need to confirm his idiosyncrasies by appearing less than enthused about being at such festivities.
Never mind the fact that his pacing would surely stop the instant he spotted Lucy. Then the gossips would have plenty to talk about. Roderick didn’t need his efforts at finding a well-heeled wife further hampered by gossip that he was courting Viscount Simmons’ sister.
But was that what he was doing?
No, of course not, Roderick argued with himself. He wasn’t courting her. They were lifelong friends. Acquaintances rather. And his brother had involved them both in a serious matter. A very serious matter as it turned out. He needed to warn Lucy. That was the only reason he was so impatient to see her. It had nothing to do with how pleasant it had been to be in her company the previous afternoon, nor how beautiful she was sure to look in the gown she had described to him while he had been eavesdropping on what had turned out to be a plot to assassinate the Prime Minister.
He needed to warn Lucy. He ought to tell her brother, but Gilbert had warned him it was a highly confidential matter and that Simmons wasn’t authorized to receive such information.
“And Lucy and I are?” Roderick had asked his brother incredulously.
“I was desperate,” Gilbert explained. “Of course, neither of you ought to be aware of anything so inflammatory. And I really wish you wouldn’t tell the lady anything.”
“She needs to be warned,” Roderick insisted. “On the off chance that they ever realize she was involved in the acquisition of the information, who knows what could happen to her.”
Gilbert had sighed. There was little he could say to argue that fact. If there was any possibility that the would-be assassins could possibly figure out that Lucy was involved in any way, she needed to be warned that there was danger afoot.
Roderick should never have allowed her to be involved. He should have protected her. The urge to pace increased. He closed his eyes and started reciting the names of all the chemical elements he could think of in his mind in an effort to distract himself from his impatience.
