“And me.” Lady Mary sprung to her feet. “I want to go to the club, too.”
Dunkeld nodded.
“That’s all very well and good,” Summerset said, “but Julius has skills we don’t. We’ll need him if Hanford has a safe.”
Dunkeld ground a fist into his broad palm. “Finesse isn’t everything.”
“It is if we want our activities to go unnoticed.” Julius sighed. “No, I need to go to Hanford’s. I’ll write the letter to Bertie telling him to let the word out. The scandalous Miss Wilcox will be speaking at Simon’s tonight.”
Lady Mary bustled to the desk and pulled a sheet of paper from the top drawer. “And I’ll write Lord Hanford, tell him how exciting it is that Miss Wilcox will be arguing for reform at your club. That should draw him in. And I’ll contact the Ladies’ Society for Prison Reform. Mrs. Fry should be able to bring in a supportive crowd.”
“I’m sorry I’m going to miss it.” Dunkeld looked forlorn. “Sounds like a right entertaining row.”
Julius strode to the wall and pulled the servant’s bell. A moment later, a footman scratched at the door.
“Tea all around,” Julius said. “And send Carter up, please.” He followed the servant out and returned moments later with Amanda’s slippers. He handed them to her. “You might want to put these on. You know, so you don’t step on any of those mice with big ears running around.”
Biting the inside of her cheek, Amanda slipped them on, a hand on Julius’s arm for balance. “I suppose neither of us is as stealthy as we thought.”
He trailed his thumb over her hand and smiled. “I’ll go write that letter.”
Julius joined Lady Mary at the desk, standing next to her seated form and bending over to write. Dunkeld and Summerset immediately invaded the space he’d vacated. “Miss Wilcox,” the large Scotsman said, “what are your intentions?”
Summerset planted a silk elbow in his friend’s gut. “You can’t ask a lady a question like that.”
“But we all know I’m no lady.” Amanda folded her arms over her chest. “I appreciate the marquess’s directness.”
Summerset mirrored her pose. “Fine. Then care to tell us your objective? Are you hoping to trap Julius into marriage? Because I’ll warn you now, that is an institution he will never enter into.”
“I’ve already refused him.” Amanda ignored the shocked expressions of the two men and gazed at Julius, a soft smile at her lips. He’d been willing to give up his freedom to do the right thing by her. Her decision to debate Hanford felt better every second. Turning back to the two men, she tried to put them at ease. “You don’t need to worry about your friend’s reputation. He’s safe from a permanent association with me.”
“We mean no disrespect, miss.” Dunkeld leaned in awkwardly, his hands shoved in his coat pockets. “We’re only concerned about Julius.”
Summerset eyed her with grudging respect. “He actually proposed to you?”
“After what Hanford wrote in the paper about us, of course he did.” Amanda shrugged. “He felt it was his duty. Did you expect less of him?”
“Well …” Summerset pursed his lips.
The door opened, and a footman pushed a rolling cart in front of him, stacked high with plates of pastries, a tea pot, and cups. Carter was a step behind. He dipped his head. “Your tea, m’lord.”
Julius straightened from the desk and replaced the quill in the inkwell. “Thank you.” He crossed to Amanda’s side. “After you apologize to Miss Wilcox, you can collect your things and leave this house.”
Carter snapped his head up. “Excuse me, my lord?”
“As the duke’s representative, I won’t tolerate disloyalty to the house you work for.” Julius flicked a bit of lint off his sleeve. “I know you have been feeding Lord Hanford information about Miss Wilcox. It was quite careless of you to deposit the money you received from him into your own accounts.”
Amanda kept her features even, but inside she seethed. She’d known Marcus’s butler disliked her, but she hadn’t imagined he’d been feeding Hanford stories. A sliver of shame slipped behind her breastbone, cooling her anger. That she’d even for a moment suspected Julius had been the one to let something slip to the marquess had been grossly unfair.
Carter wasn’t so adept at hiding his emotions. His cheeks turned ruddy and his jowls quivered. “You speak of loyalty to this house? How dare you. I wasn’t the one who savaged the name of Montague by letting this, this …”
“Be very careful what words leave your mouth next.” Julius’s voice was silky, but every muscle had tensed to rock hardness. Amanda laid a hand on his forearm and squeezed.
“The duke marrying her harlot of a sister was bad enough.” Carter smoothed his hands down the front of his coat. “But allowing shelter to this piece of trash went beyond the pale. She deserved the noose, and she landed in the lap of luxury instead.” Nostrils flaring, he shook his head. “I feel no shame in my actions. I would have done my part to expose her true nature regardless of coin.”
“Right, then.” Dunkeld laced his fingers together and extended his arms, palms out, knuckles cracking. His shoulders bunched into small boulders with the movement. “I’ll just show this man to the streets.” He took a step towards the butler, and Carter stumbled back.
“Julius?” Amanda whispered.
