CHAPTER11
AN EARL AND HIS LADY PAY A CALL
Early afternoon
Jack held a hand for Persephone as she stepped up and into the Castlewait coach. Despite the gloves they both wore, he felt a welcome warmth when their hands touched.
Parker closed the door behind him once he was seated next to her.
“What is it?” Persephone asked as she settled into the velvet squabs. Despite having spent only the past night with one another after so many years apart, she knew something was bothering the earl.
“Nothing. Everything.” He sighed as he straightened in the squabs. “Thank you for insisting on coming with me,” he added before he reached an arm behind her shoulders.
Since the hat she wore was pinned at a jaunty angle, she was able to rest her head on his shoulder. “I take it the light of day has you reconsidering what you were thinking to do in the middle of the night?”
Jack frowned. “What? If you mean that I’m not as inclined to throttle Kravets?—”
“Not that,” she interrupted with a bemused expression.
His mind cycled through everything he had said whilst they had discovered the most likely ‘Lord JW’ candidate. What they had talked about with Parker. What they had talked about in bed.
“Are you having second thoughts about marrying me?” Jack asked in alarm.
Persephone lifted her head from his shoulder and regarded him with surprise. “Aren’t you?”
His eyes rounded. “No. I thought... well, that is, if you hadn’t changed your mind, I thought that perhaps we might secure a marriage license after I’m finished with the baron.”
Leaning away from Jack until her shoulder hit the coach wall, she tittered. “I haven’t changed my mind,” she said.
He grinned. “Good.”
“Have you decided what you’re going to say to the baron?”
Jack allowed a shrug. “Well, I thought I would start with admonishing him. Threaten him with bodily harm. And then, after he groveled enough, I would begrudgingly forgive him since his arrangements meant we were reunited, but in a less than optimal manner that would have happened if he hadn’t been involved in his nefarious scheme in the first place.” He paused as he regarded her with a questioning glance. “Does that sound reasonable?”
Persephone had a gloved hand covering her mouth as she laughed. “Poor Lord Kravets,” she murmured. “His wife, Margaret, is never going to forgive him ifThe Tattlerlearns what he’s done.”
“Oh...,” Jack breathed. “Is that possible?” he asked, his brows furrowed.
“I could mention the circumstances over afternoon tea in someone’s parlor,” she hinted. “One never knows who’s a contributor to that rag.”
He gave her a grin. “Remind me never to anger you.”
“I will if I must,” she teased.
After a few minutes of contemplation, Jack inhaled softly. “I’m still curious as to why Mr. Turnbridge was involved,” he said absently.
“Well, you mentioned he was an inventor in need of investors,” she reminded him. “Perhaps the baron saw an opportunity to make the poor man work for his money.”
“Could be,” Jack agreed. “Which means it’s rather doubtful Turnbridge would ever speak to me again.”
“He wouldn’t dare, unless it’s to apologize,” she agreed.
The coach stuttered to a halt, and they both straightened in the squabs. When Parker opened the door, they stepped down and walked arm in arm to the front door of the Kravets townhouse.
When the butler opened the blue door, he gave a nod and stepped back.
Jack pulled a calling card from his waistcoat pocket. “Lord?—”
