Very few people were privy to Farnsworth’s involvement in the Tenet. He was not at liberty to disclose the other man’s association, which would break the credo of his sect. He had no other option but to continue with his original path. “I will help you.”
“You?” Elizabeth halted in her tracks and raked her gaze down his person. Lips pressed together and pert nose flaring, she shook her head. “What good will you do me?”
He lifted a challenging brow, taken aback by her rudeness. His earlier admiration was fading into exasperation. Or perhaps it had always been such. Since meeting her, she had him chasing his tail like his sister’s annoying dog. “Tell me Mrs. Adare, do you insult every gentleman who offers to aid you?”
Indecision flitted across her eyes, and she clearly struggled with what she wished to say. She rocked back on her heels, winced, and settled herself back into an upright position. “I don’t mean to insult you, Lord Langdon, but you’re a far cry from what I imagined a government agent to be.”
In all fairness, he was not actually a government agent. He had been in the army under Stanton, but he resigned that commission after he’d been offered a post as guardian for the Tenet, a great honor for any man. Mrs. Adare wouldn’t know that. Or did she have knowledge of the Tenet? Her uncle and cousin were both members. “What did you imagine? Some sinister man dressed in black, loaded down with an arsenal of guns and knives?”
“I did not expect a dandy.”
“A dandy?” Her harsh accusation stung more than it should. He would never tell her that his mother directed his valet and his tailor on his clothing. With his busy schedule, he didn’t have time for such trivial pursuits. “It is obvious you have not been exposed to the current fashions much or you wouldn't say such a thing.” His family had been poor emigres. It wasn’t until Lord Coburn took his father under his wing that his father had prospered.
From the glare she cast him, she’d taken offense at his comment. “Regardless of my lack of fashion sense, I can judge by the cut of your coat you spend an inordinate amount of time at the tailors.”
“Just because a man is well put together does not mean he is not an effective agent.” Why he was getting defensive himself was a puzzle he didn’t have time to solve.
“How do you propose to blend into the scenery when you’re dressed out like a peacock?”
He stared down at her, utterly flabbergasted. “You have to be the most abrasive person I have ever had the misfortune to meet.”
Bitter laughter met his riled statement. “I am aware of my flaws, and I know I am not the most discreet of mouth, but the situation in Upper Waverley is serious. The smugglers are out of control. If the men refuse to help, they are terrorized, and if they assist, they are breaking the law. Something must be done, and it is my intention to make sure the problem is taken care of. So, I am sorry if I insulted you, but I am desperate,” she said in a strained voice that begged for understanding.
“Then you must look past your perception of me and allow me to assist you. I assure you I am very capable.” His earlier annoyance deflated, and he studied the freckles that dotted her creamy cheeks. She was younger than she seemed. Like him, she was an old soul as his mother was wont to call him. If he had any hope of helping her, he had to convince her of his sincerity and competence. “My father acquired Sanderson Keep before his death.”
A familiar sadness washed over him at the words. Even after two years, losing his father proved difficult to stomach. The weight of responsibility took hold of him once more. He’d put a lot of time and money into the estate; a place to plant roots in the country he loved. It was the reason he needed to resign from the guardians; to bring his family back together. “As you so rightly pointed out, I have a vested interest in the local community.”
“Did Stanton approve of your helping me?”
“Stanton is a very important man, Mrs. Adare, he has many secrets he has to keep in order to assure the safety of England. It was not top priority on his list, but when a gentleman like Randell is accused of a crime, it must be handled with the utmost delicacy.” Except his reluctance to investigate still puzzled Langdon.
“Well, he had no right to dismiss me the way he did.”
“Like you had a right to barge into his office unannounced and demand he help you?” Stanton was justified in being upset by her bold behavior; however, his response was more intense than the situation warranted. Perhaps he was simply having a bad day. Or there was more to the story. It was not unheard of for a member of the Tenet to betray his brethren. He never considered Stanton to be one of those men, but he’d been proven wrong before.
“I am a woman, Lord Langdon. Had I been born a gentleman, he would have seen me right away, but alas, I am not. Therefore, I felt my only recourse was to use the element of surprise to make myself heard,” she said.
Most of her figure was hidden by the ill-fitting ensemble, but there was no denying she was a woman. He focused his attention on her face and not on her form; to do otherwise would prove perilous. “Well, you have your wish, and I will promise to do my best to aid in your cause, but you must trust me.”
“You’re asking me to trust you after you deliberately misled me?” she asked, arms crossed and fingers tapping against the dull material of her redingote.
A flush of guilt raced up his neck, and he felt like a schoolboy being chastised by his governess. He had told countless untruths in the past to keep his cover while investigating for the Tenet. It had been a necessity for the greater good. Elizabeth had caught him out on the lie, and he owed her an apology. “You are right, that was ill-done of me not to correct your assumption. If this is going to work, you must trust me.”
Their eyes locked, and he kept his gaze steady and sure. Once he had time to process the situation, he would begin a separate investigation apart from the one he promised to help her with. If Stanton was indeed going rogue, the other members needed to rein him in.
