“Good morning, Langdon,” Farnsworth said, patting the neck of his roan gelding who was equally winded. “I didn’t expect to see anyone out this early.”
“I enjoy an early morning ride.” Langdon had a sense that this wasn’t a chance meeting. He wasn’t about to be the first one to speak, however. If Farnsworth wanted to talk to him, he had to lead the conversation. The two had been on friendly terms and even worked together to catch a spy, but they rarely socialized. Although their families had been acquainted for many years, and they both attended Cambridge, Farnsworth was younger than Langdon and hung around with the sporting set.
“You seem to be rather familiar with my cousin.” Farnsworth guided his horse to the raked path and allowed the reins to slacken.
A flock of birds flew across the sky in formation and Langdon watched them for a long moment. He considered his answer. Farnsworth wasn’t your typical gentleman. He was a guardian and very good at what he did, thus Langdon needed to choose his words carefully. “I have an estate in the same county. Sanderson Keep.”
“You met her in the country.”
“Is that a question or a statement?” Langdon wasn’t about to make this easy on him. His association with Mrs. Adare was complicated. There was also the matter of Randell and his illegal endeavor. According to Stanton, he had informed Farnsworth of the issue.
Farnsworth shifted in his saddle and thumbed the thick leather of the reins. His profile to Langdon, he cleared his throat. “It is a little bit of both, I suppose.”
He debated how much to admit. If he told the truth, it would lead to some uncomfortable questions. The kiss between him and Mrs. Adare shared shot into his mind. Not that it had ever really left. He’d awoken early, unable to sleep long after the events of the night continued to haunt him. “Suffice to say, we have become better acquainted since her arrival in London.”
“I see.” The gelding shook his mane, the silence that followed heavy.
Langdon kept an eye on Demon’s ears. He wasn’t the most well-behaved horse. Thus far, he seemed to tolerate the gelding, which was a promising sign. “Do you?”
“Elizabeth and I have had a contentious relationship in the past.” Farnsworth scratched at the underside of his chin, his mouth downturned in contemplation. “Regardless, she is my cousin, and you have showed her marked attention. The gossips are speculating, and my step-mother is under the impression that you two have formed an attachment.”
The news pleased a part of him. It was what they set out to do from the beginning; form an association. That Lady Nora misconstrued his intentions was unfortunate. He genuinely liked the lady and her husband as well, but he was on a mission to help Elizabeth. If it took a little subterfuge to accomplish, it was a small price to pay to help keep the villagers safe. “It is my turn to sayI see. Is there a point to this conversation?”
“Yes.” He said nothing further, only stretched his shoulders beneath his greatcoat.
A couple of men on horseback appeared in the distance, along with a nursemaid pushing her charge. Soon they would enter the busier side of the park.
“I should clarify the purpose of my line of questioning.” Farnsworth offered him an abashed smile, the color on his cheeks deepening. “Is your interest in her personal, or professional?”
He wanted to say purely professional, but the lie wouldn’t come. “It is complicated. I am helping her with a project.”
“You have no romantic intentions towards her?” he asked.
“I could ask you the same thing about my sister.” Aimee was enamored of him and made no secret that she had her sights set on the gentleman. Langdon’s mother was thrilled at the prospect. Sophia was horrified.
He scowled and shifted in the saddle. “I have no designs on Sophia.”
It was interesting that he immediately zeroed in on Sophia and not Aimee. It would devastate his younger sister. His older sister would be taken aback that he thought about her at all.
“I know about Randell.” Farnsworth’s smile faltered, and he angled his neck back and forth, the gesture speaking of his unease over the subject.
“And yet you have done nothing to assist her.” He was pleased the words came out calm, with none of the anger the realization had evoked. “Are you not the heir to Waverly Park?”
The other man snapped his head around. The scowl on his brow under the brim of his hat was notable. “Yes, I am. After I was informed by Idle that Elizabeth had sent several letters to Stanton, I had him dispatch a resource to investigate. Idle found no proof Randell is involved.”
“My gut tells me otherwise.” Langdon tamped down his temper and clutched the leather reins in his hand tighter. The flock of birds had landed in the tree to his left, causing the branches to quiver from the force of their weight. Like the birds, his own concerns weighed him down. “Your cousin is convinced Randell and Cane are the masterminds behind a very lucrative smuggling ring. From what she shared with me, I think she is onto something.”
“You know as well as I that the chances he will face any consequences—even if he is guilty—are slim to none. Smuggling is common on the coast, hence the excise tax men have deployed guards to patrol the coastline.”
What he said was sadly true. Langdon had managed to catch some wily criminals since he’d accepted his guardianship. Because they were gentlemen and thus men of influence, they were often spared. It was unfair and perturbing to see his hard work result in a slap on the wrist from a biased magistrate. “We will never know until we try. Mrs. Adare is strong-willed and resolute. She claims to have seen them first-hand and she will continue to dig until she finds the truth.”
“Bloody hell, tell me she hasn’t been spying on them?” He stood in his stirrups and the horse moved forward and sideways at the same time. Farnsworth corrected the horse from the half-pass and the animal fell into step beside Demon once more.
“Of course she has. It is Mrs. Adare, after all.” She had proven resourceful and an excellent judge of character. Rarely had he been bested by someone outside of the Tenet circle. The hard-earned skill of hiding his emotions that he’d honed after Maria, had given him an edge. One week in Mrs. Adare’s company and the edge had dulled somewhat. He blamed it on her lips, because the sight of her mouth distracted him in the worst sort of way. “I haven’t spoken to Stanton since I returned from the north. What is his take on the situation?”
“He told me to let it drop.” The disturbing reminder bothered him. Something wasn’t right about the entire endeavor, and he was unsure whether to share his concerns with Farnsworth.
From the way Farnsworth’s mouth dropped open, his response echoed Langdon’s. “He told you to drop the investigation. Did he give you a reason?”