Page 18 of A Bluestocking’s Secret Courtship

“I’m sorry,” Jonathan said. “I know you were eager to see me go, but we both thought the earl died at sea.”

A man matching Wedmore’s description had been spotted at the ticketing office booking passage from Smyrna to Athens, but he’d never come ashore. For weeks, Jonathan had gone door to door in the city asking if anyone had seen Wedmore, and it was as if he had vanished.

Assuming he couldn’t walk on water and he’d used an alias, Jonathan and Dom had narrowed his identity down to a Mr. Littlejohn, who had sadly choked onboard and been buried at sea.

Dom growled under his breath. “Do you have any idea of the position you’ve put me in? It was one thing when I was accessing records for you. I want nothing to do with assassinating an earl.”

“Neither do I.”

“But it’s unlikely to come back to bite you in the arse. You will be resuming your travels after all of this is done, and someday I will inherit the dukedom and have to return to England. A title won’t protect me from murder charges.”

“I have already decided I won’t do it,” Jonathan shot back, only now realizing he’d made the decision as soon as he met Wedmore’s family. “I want to capture him and return with him. The courts can decide his punishment.”

“Then you need to use the nieces as bait.”

“I will, but I need your help. Follow them around the city, and when Wedmore approaches them, I need you to find out where he’s hiding. He might be disguised as a woman.”

Dom’s brow furrowed. “Come again?”

“Does the name Fanny Flibberquick sound familiar?”

“From the ship’s manifest?” Dom shook his head and chuckled. “Damnation, he’s a clever fox.”

“Too clever. He clearly knows he is being followed. He might even know it is me. I found a copy of my book in his trunk.”

“The only other copy sold?” Dom asked, tongue-in-cheek.

Jonathan ignored him. “You can see why I need you to stay out of sight. If Miss Darlington and her sister meet you, they will recognize you if they see you following them.”

“Do you expect me to hide in my quarters?”

“I know you’ve endured worse situations in service to the Crown. Look at this place.” Jonathan gestured to the luxurious surroundings. “And you have your personal cook at your disposal. I’ll tell them that you’ve returned with an illness that requires you to remain in your chambers for a few days.”

“Such as?”

“I don’t know. Gout?”

“An old man’s disease.”

“But not contagious,” Jonathan said. “I don’t want to frighten them away.”

Dom sighed. “I have a better idea. Hold them here until Wedmore surfaces.”

“Absolutely not."

Dom drew back. The vehemence in Jonathan's voice surprised even him. He moderated his tone. “They are innocent in this.”

At least he hoped that was true. He couldn’t stomach the thought of Miss Darlington being a traitor like her uncle.

“It’s a waste of time tracking them around the city when we can ransom them,” Dom said.

“No, I won’t frighten her.”

“Her?”

“Them!”

A knowing smile spread across Dom's face. “You're sweet on one of the ladies."