He had to admire the old woman’s patience. Did she know her charge was not as interested in complying as she’d hoped? Now that he’d inadvertently given Lissa the information she needed to break away from her grandmother, would she? That question lay heavy in his chest, and he had to have the answer before aiding her further. “Now that you know you can ignore your grandmother’s wishes, what will you do?”
Lissa moved closer to her mount and idly stroked it as if it helped her calm her racing thoughts.
He did not interrupt her musing. It was a life-changing decision, and she needed to evaluate her options. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if this were the first time she had the opportunity to determine her own future. Until this very moment, it had been survival, and then aiding her grandmother, and now doing as her grandmother wished.
Finally, Lissa stepped away from her mount as if she didn’t want to depend upon it for making her decision. “What you have told me provides me with a certain freedom I didn’t know I had, yet I am still bound to my grandmother. I could not have survived without her any more than she could have survived without me.”
He could tell she had more to articulate, so he waited, anxious to understand the very core of who she was. Was it the woman who thought nothing of selling information to save another woman’s reputation instead of offering it freely? Or would she honor her relative, her only surviving family member?
She straightened her shoulders, mimicking the actions of a young man more than a woman. “I will continue on the course I have set, to find a wealthy tradesman so that my grandmother can end her days in luxury. She deserves that. If I cannot do that before I must enter the Season, I shall seek a compromise withher, letting her know that I am aware I no longer need to do as she wishes.”
His muscles relaxed, though he hadn’t realized he’d tensed. Her answer sent a wave of relief through him that she was the honorable woman he’d always thought her to be. Upon the heels of that thought came another, and he blurted it. “Do you think your grandmother knows this law?”
Lissa nodded with no hesitation. “I am sure she does. I’m also sure it is why she made me the age she did, so if I weren’t successful in my first Season, there would be another before she’d no longer rule over me. She did not expect me to learn of this.” She gave him a soft smile, one he’d not seen on her before. “Thank you for this gift.”
He swallowed hard as he gazed at her, the pull on his heart very strong. “I am pleased I could be helpful. And I promise I will continue to be, so that you need not reveal to your grandmother what you know.”
She gave him a regal nod, as if she were in a ball gown accepting a dance, when she stood there in shirt, trousers, and boots, her hair tied back in a queue. She practically embodied contradiction. It was, perhaps, what had always intrigued him about her, her ability to adapt.
“Now that I have assuaged your fears regarding the upcoming Season, could you tell me if you found any information to aid me in my investigation?”
Her eyes widened as if she’d forgotten why they had met. “I did.” She shoved her hand into the pocket of the trousers and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “If what your quarry carried was this, it does begin a pattern.”
He opened the paper and stared at the sketch of two figures. One looked like an old shield with a hole in the middle and a small grate above the hole. The other, presumably the back, hadstraps and what looked like the butt of a gun of some sort. “What is this?”
“It’s a gun shield.” She grinned triumphantly. “Henry VIII of your country had a number made based upon an Italian design.” She moved to stand next to him and pointed at the front of the shield. “That hole is where the shot comes out, and this grate allows the shooter to see to aim.”
The light scent of apple filled his nostrils, sending him back to France again. “What kind of gun is this?”
“It’s a breech-loading matchlock pistol.” She pulled her hand back but remained next to him. “The shield itself is wood, with pieces of metal over the front.”
Forcing himself to concentrate on the images, he examined the smaller details. “So this would be a weapon from the early Renaissance. Do we use anything like this today? I’ve never seen it in the military.”
She shook her head then held up her arm, as if holding a shield, and pretended to shoot over her forearm. “While the idea appears sound, the actual use of it was awkward, and after your king’s initial interest, it was lost to history.”
“So it’s another unusual antique weapon.”
She stepped back and held her arms out. “Exactly. It’s the start of a pattern. Not only a pattern, but it may just answer the question about what this Leighhall is using these for.”
He immediately understood what she meant. “It’s not in order to use them, unless he plans some ancient battle or a stage play.” He paused because he wouldn’t discount those two possibilities completely. Peers could haveveryodd interests. “However, the most likely reason he has these is for a specific collection. Now we just need to discover if it’s for a museum or for himself.”
“I would wager it’s for himself. A man who beds so many women is highly selfish.” She winked. “Unless, of course, he’s an excellent lover. In that case, he could be considered generous.”
Not a little shocked by her comment about Leighhall’s bedroom skills, he stared at her.
She waved off her deduction. “It’s more likely that he would sell such weapons to a museum, not donate them. Unless of course he wished to have a room named after himself.”
Unable to remain silent, he finally stopped her analysis. “I suggest that you not delve into the man’s amorous affairs. That is not a fit subject for a young woman to dwell upon.”
“Mon Dieu, Anthony, do not attempt to stifle my speech when we’re alone.” She threw her hands up. “I’m not in some stifling parlor conversing with Lord Monotonous about the color of a vase. Are we or are we not partners in this investigation?”
Her tone had taken on a hard edge, one he was familiar with. Though he understood why she was upset, he couldn’t fault himself. As much as he tried to think of her as the urchin with which he’d scrounged for food while staying in France as Blackmore healed, he couldn’t. She was more than simply that person now. He would not apologize, but he did need to assuage her anger, as she was a valuable asset to his investigation. “I will endeavor not to. However, I will not have it held against me that on occasion, I may treat you more as a lady than as young man.”
She held his gaze, but he did not waver. Finally, she sighed. “Very well. I will let such remarks pass and focus on our goal instead. I would like to hear your thoughts on Leighhall’s gathering of odd and ancient weapons.”
Pleased that they had an understanding, he reviewed everything he knew so far. Finally, he shook his head. “I’m not sure as yet what these weapons tell us. But if the man is simply adding them to his own collection, then I fear there is nothing to that which would help Lady Harewood.”
Lissa’s brow furrowed in obvious concern. “Then we must unearth more about the man. What do you propose?”
