Perhaps both Javenia and Lord Upton were angry with him. If she had arrived home as upset as when she’d left the Tower of London, and if she’d told Lord Upton it was his or his father’s fault, His Lordship would spare nothing to keep Algenon away from his daughter. Especially if Lord Roberts had…
What if his father had told her he’d been there that night?
If he’d revealed his presence without explanation, she might think he’d hidden in order to see her downfall. Algenon himself had thought that exact thing when he’d come upon his father outside the folly where Lord Penwick had tricked Javenia into ameeting. He’d even accused him of colluding with Duncan. His father had furiously denied it, and when Algenon’s anger had cooled he recognized the truth. It went against everything he knew about his father.
Lord Roberts, as irritating as he was, had never stood for the mistreatment of a woman. Algenon had seen the proof of it repeatedly. As a lad, he’d met with swift punishment more than once when he’d mistreated his sisters or even one of the Harris girls. Lord Roberts’s chivalry was why Algenon knew exactly how to press his point in Phillipa’s favor.
A gossamer curtain fluttered in an upstairs window, and he narrowed his eyes to see who had disturbed it. No face came into view. Then Algenon tilted his head.
How strange that his father had defended the daughters of a man he considered his enemy. Until this moment, he’d not paid it much mind. But if his father really had come to render aid as he’d insisted, and then hung back in order to allow Javenia to save face, why would he now use that same information against her?
Another thought surfaced and Algenon sucked in his breath. If Javenia had come home distraught about such a revelation, had she finally told her parents of Lord Penwick’s assault?
She’d been so set against it for years. No matter how many times he told her it wasn’t her fault and how her family wouldn’t blame her, she’d remained staunchly against them ever knowing.
“It will change the way they view me,”she’d said.“I could never break their hearts like that. And if the rest of Society knew, it would severely curtail my sisters’ prospects.”
Such a revelation, so many years after the incident, would upset any parent, but especially parents as attentive as Lord and Lady Upton. And to know that their rival knew of the assault, that the son of their rival had been instrumental in stopping it…
Would they thank Algenon or blame him for it?
Certainly Javenia would disabuse them of any notion of blame. He rubbed the back of his neck. Then again, she’d not think too kindly of him for withholding the knowledge of his father’s presence from her.
What else was he to do, though? She’d begged him, still on her knees, hands clasped in his, to not let another soul know what had occurred. He’d been protecting her just as he’d sworn he would do from that day forward, both from Society’s scorn and from the fear and worry that would have clawed at her peace had she known anyone else was privy to the most terrifying event of her life. Then that protection had turned into his own cage. A secret that his father had used to exploit him.
Algenon pushed off the lamp post he’d been leaning against and folded his paper. He had no other choice but to wait until the soiree tonight. Javenia had told his stepmother she planned to attend. Hopefully, she’d not change her mind.
He took one last long look at Harris House, wishing Javenia would come to the window, see him on the street, and come to speak to him.
When the door to the house swung open, his heart tripped over itself, thinking he’d willed his desires into being. But the woman who scurried down the steps didn’t carry herself with near the confidence as Javenia would, and her hair was a shade lighter.
Miss Jacinda quickly looked up and down the street before darting across and directly to him.
“She’s not here,” she said when she came to a full stop.
Algenon furrowed his brow. “But Lord Hamdon and Mr. Fairchild—”
“Were disappointed as well, but Mr. and Mrs. Kendall came to town yesterday and they’ve taken her out to the shops.”
Eddie and his wife were in town and they’d not let him know? But why? Wouldn’t he be one of the first people they’d alert of their arrival?
It was quite lowering to think Javenia would choose to go anywhere with Eddie over him. She might hide it well, but he knew she’d harbored a slight grudge against him since the day he’d nearly caught them kissing in the grove between their homes.
Eddie had teased them about standing so close, said they were close enough to kiss, but thank goodness they were not that stupid. Algenon had tried to play it off as a joke, waving farewell to Javenia as they’d walked away, but he’d seen the hurt in her face.
Then, like the idiot youth he’d been, he’d spent the rest of the way home telling Eddie why he and Javenia would never suit. He regretted those words more than ever now that he realized she was the only woman he could ever love.
“When will she be home?”
“Hopefully, before the Fortescues’ soiree. You are coming, are you not?”
“I am, but will she?”
Jacinda’s smile stretched a little too far, the kind that put one in mind of a scheming mama. “She better. I’ll not let her remain behind if you are going to be there.”
Algenon sighed in relief. “You are a gem, Jacinda. How can I ever repay you?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Don’t mess it up this time.”
