He knew Winston Leonard wasn’t hiding because his pursuit of vengeance and pain was through. He was only making plans. Ones that might involve injury to Ellis’s cousin, to his brother…
“Toff went to the park today with his daughter,” Golden said, and drew Ellis’s attention back to him.
Ellis rolled his eyes. “Pleasedon’t give me a report on silk gowns or I shall sack you.”
Golden chuckled. “No silk. But theyweremet by someoneyoumight have an interest in.”
Ellis jumped up. “Leonard?”
“Naw, he’s still below ground.” Golden arched a brow. “How about that little chit you like so much? Juliana Shelley.”
Ellis’s lips parted at the shock of that statement. “Juliana met with Coningburgh?” he repeated.
Golden shrugged. “Might have been a chance meeting. Didn’t last long. But that pretty little thing was certainly interested in the pair long after they left.”
“Was she with my cousin or her sisters?” Ellis asked. “Or the earl?”
“By herself. Well, almost.” Golden took another swig of his drink. “There was a guard on her. Not one of Rook’s, one of Harcourt’s.” Ellis could tell Golden was disgusted by that piece of information. “Oh, and that comely maid of hers. They marched right over to the duke soon as they saw him. Miss Shelley might be your better spy, Handsome.”
Ellis ran a hand through his hair. Golden was repeating, almost verbatim, the suggestion Juliana had made herself a few days before. But he hadn’t wanted to involve her in the danger. He’d thought Rook would protect her, so he’d betrayed her.
And yet here she was, running around with only some fop’s inept guard and a lady’s maid. Directly speaking to a man whose interest Ellis hadn’t fully determined.
The Duke of Coningburgh was both protector and victim of the dangerous man he’d sired. He’d helped Winston Leonard out of many a jam over the years, helping to create the untouchable veneer that shone over that bastard.
But he’d also been attacked and fleeced by the man. And had occasionally lamented his son in public spheres.
Was Coningburgh helping Leonard now? Well, Ellis didn’t have the kind of connections that made finding that answer easier. He rubbed a hand over his temple. “Is she still with Rook at Harcourt’s?”
Golden nodded. “Coningburgh went home andshewalked back to Harcourt’s estate. Hasn’t left according to the man I put on the house.” He opened his mouth and then shut it again.
Ellis arched a brow at the hesitance. “What?”
Golden held up his hands. “Don’t know. Just haven’t ever seen you so flummoxed by a chit before, that’s all. Not sure I won’t step in it.”
“Fucking step in it,” Ellis grunted. “What?”
“I wonder what she said to him, that’s all,” Golden said. “His face was dour as he got in the carriage. His daughter was angry. She sparked a reaction, that’s all. Makes me wonder how.”
Ellis chuckled despite the dire situation. “Just by being her lovely, wonderful, utterly frustrating self, I would wager.”
Both of Golden’s eyebrows lifted, and he said, “Should I put someone on her? Once she moved to Rook’s protection I took them off, but—”
“No,” Ellis interrupted. “If you put someone on her, Rook will catch on. I’ll go myself and speak to her.”
“And how will you keep Rook from knowingyou’rethere?” Golden asked.
Ellis shrugged. “I just have to give the dogs a bone.”
Golden wrinkled his brow at the reference he didn’t understand. Then he said, “Anything else?”
“Just keep on Coningburgh,” Ellis said with a sigh. “He seems to be all we have right now.”
“Will do.” Golden slugged the remaining liquor back in one shot and then cracked the glass down on the tabletop with a satisfiedahhhhbefore he exited the room with a false salute.
Leaving Ellis to ponder the fact he had just agreed to go interrogate Juliana Shelley. And he wasn’t sure if that would end in tears or something far more pleasurable. It all depended on how much control he could muster.
Juliana sat at her dressing table, staring at herself in the mirror as Mary stroked the brush through her hair. Since her excursion to the park and unexpected encounter with the Duke of Coningburgh, she had locked herself in her chamber, stewing. Then reading. Then stewing again.
