“We must retrieve Heather,” she reminded him. “She is our chaperone, and you will want her to begin her shift once you’ve brought me home. I ought to nap if I am to remain alert this evening.”
“Of course.”
The hack was ill-sprung, the padding on the seats lumpy, and it smelled of meat that had gone off. But that wasn’t what had Maria’s stomach twisting as they jolted into motion.
Jasper ran a hand over his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I scarcely know where to begin, Maria. You’ve—” He waved a hand through the air. “You’ve been living two lives. And now you wish to live a third?”
“Third?” She frowned in confusion.
He nodded. “As a runner. Another secret from your family, no doubt. How do you intend to maintain the ruse with so public a position? Your intended customers could very likely recognize you and collapse your scheme.” He scratched at his furrowed brow. “In fact, I marvel at the fact that you’ve been able to keep your employer fooled for more than eight years. Think, Maria, about what could happen to you both should your secrets unravel.”
She worried her bottom lip. That thought had occurred to her once before, but she’d concluded that people often saw what they wished to see, rather than what was in front of them. Additionally, Juliana had yet to encounter difficulty with her position in society and as a runner. So Maria had refused to consider it further.
The rules and social confines of society had never fit her. She had done a lot of things that others mightn’t believe possible; this oughtn’t be any different.
Now, however, Jasper knew part of her truth. Could she trust him to keep those secrets?
If her parentsdidlearn the truth, they would be furious, particularly if Jasper justly called off their engagement and she was left a jilted spinster. Her stomach wobbled, and she internally rebuked herself. Mayhap if she was jilted,Mariacould simply disappear—for surely her fate as companion to her aunt would come to fruition if she didn’t. Indeed, she could truly become Duncan.
If she spent her days helping those in need by solving their mysteries, and spent her evenings writing while simultaneously providing for her brother, the approval of her family and society truly would not matter.
“I don’t rightly care,” she replied baldly. “I have a home and the means to provide for myself.”
He inclined his head. “Is that why you chose to work forThe Morning Herald?”
Pressing her lips together, she considered her answer. She couldn’t tell him the full truth, but a part of it would suffice. “That is a large piece of it.” She shrugged one shoulder. “I enjoy writing. It seemed a suitable option for me.”
“And you’ve done this for eight-and-a-half years?”
“I have, yes.” She clasped her hands tightly together in her lap. She didn’t want to answer his questions, didn’t want to put a strain on their already tenuous relationship. Instead, they ought to focus on the possibility that Francis had hired a hack of his own and was, at that moment, following them out of Cheapside.
The hack bounced and rattled along the cobblestones, drowning out any other noise from beyond the confining walls around them.
“We must discuss Francis,” Maria said.
Jasper’s back stiffened.
“He’s been wounded, though I cannot be certain how badly. Have you any idea where he might stay in London?”
“No.” He sighed, shaking his head. “As I said, I’ve had men search every brothel, gambling den, inn, and abandoned building in London, and I couldn’t find him.”
“Surely noteveryone—” She cut off her words at his sharp glance. “Very well, then. Perhaps he has rented rooms, or?—”
“I’ve checked as many apartments as I could, Maria.”
“What of acquaintances?” she offered. “Might he be staying with a friend?”
Jasper’s face scrunched in a grimace. “My father’s steward was acquainted with my uncle, but the man is in gaol. I paid him a visit weeks ago, and the man knew nothing of Francis’ whereabouts. And, truthfully, I have never known Francis or Miles to have a friend, so I wouldn’t know to whom I should speak.”
“Understood,” Maria murmured. “I shall have Francis’ likeness inserted into tomorrow’s paper. Mayhap if the denizens of London see his face once more, we will garner not only renewed interest but also clues as to his whereabouts.”
“Excellent.” He turned to gaze out the window, and Maria allowed him time to think.
They were mere blocks from Heather’s home, the hack’s wheels jostling against the cobblestones and the hard seats doing nothing to cushion her bottom.
Looking out the opposite window, Maria watched as the streets of London rolled past. It was a vast city… Francis could be anywhere.
CHAPTER11
