It sounded as though she were crossing each task off a list of her duties as a hostess.Perhaps before she dispatched him from her home with as much haste as was polite.
“I thank you for the bath and the upcoming meal,” he said.“And the borrowed clothing,” Jonathan added belatedly, feeling embarrassed to be sitting there in her son’s pants, shirt, and coat.
“I’ve heard of your imprisonment, as well as my daughter’s,” Frau von Ostenfeld said.“And I’ve learned of deceit and dramatic escapades.”Taking a deep breath, she glanced sideways at her daughter, before saying, “And dangerous tree climbing.It is all too much to take.”
“I imagine it has been a trying time for you,” he said evenly, wishing Lise didn’t look so morose.After all, they had made it back to her home almost all in one piece.
Her mother leveled her gaze at him, and he coughed to break the tension.
“What I have noticed, my lord, is that you are in the midst of each and every event that has occurred.”
She was correct but not entirely.
“There was someone else involved in each event,” he pointed out.“Herr Albrecht.”
“That monster,” Lise’s mother spat, and he guessed she’d heard about the forced kiss and the threat of worse.
Jonathan was exceedingly happy she didn’t know about his kissesand worse, and didn’t let his gaze drift to Lise in case it showed on his face.
“To think we were going to allow our daughter to marry him!”Frau von Ostenfeld fumed.
Lise’s father had just entered the room, followed by Frau Kemper with the coffee tray.
“We didn’t know,” he reminded his wife, “although Friedrich told me about his grand new house in Lübeck.I should have suspected.”
“No, Peter August,” his wife said.“His family is a respectable one.His parents are our friends.His brother, for goodness’ sake, is in the KGL.How could we have known he was capable of such dishonor?”
“I knew,” Lise said quietly.“I suspected Friedrich weeks ago because he threatened Henrik.”
Her parents exchanged a look.“You should have said something.”
“I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want Friedrich to retaliate.I told Lord Bowen.”Her glance flicked to his.
He squirmed.Now why did she have to go and bring the attention back to him?Both her parents looked at him.
“I wish to thank you,” Herr von Ostenfeld said, unexpectedly and somewhat stiffly.“The letter you sent, while awkward given we were staying with Friedrich’s parents, was appreciated.My wife is only upset on behalf of our family, not because of you.”
“I understand entirely.And I do take as much responsibility as is my due for this debacle.”
“Having said that,” Herr von Ostenfeld added, “we are now in danger, all of us.”
“Because of me,” Jonathan said quietly.
“No,” Lise said.
“Yes!”her mother said.“The French will surely come, and you, my lord, cannot be here.”
“Mama,” Lise protested.“What aboutGastrecht?”
“Your mother is correct,” Jonathan said.
“Which is why,” Herr von Ostenfeld added, “I must ask you to leave, sooner rather than later.”
“Papa, no!Lord Bowen isn’t responsible,” Lise protested.“If anyone is to blame besides Friedrich, it is I.I went to Lübeck on my own initiative.I trusted Friedrich despite my doubts, and I shouldn’t have.”
“You went to Lübeck to save his lordship’s life,” her mother corrected.“Which you would not have needed to do had he not been caught spying in the first place.”
Lise opened her mouth to argue, but her father held up a hand for silence.
