Page 89 of A Troublesome Circumstance

It was time to collect Josephine.

Jude rose and strode towards the entry hall.

Glover stepped forward with efficient precision. “Your hat and gloves, my lord.”

Jude accepted them, tugging the gloves into place as he stepped out into the crisp air and into the barouche.

He barely felt the motion of the wheels beneath him. His mind was full of Josephine—her smile, her warmth, her bravery… and the danger surrounding her.

The carriage jerked to a halt outside her townhouse. Before the footman could lower the step, Jude was already descending.

He mounted the steps two at a time and lifted the brass knocker.

The door opened moments later.

“Good afternoon, my lord,” the butler said, bowing as he stepped aside.

Jude entered the entry hall and saw Lord Redden emerging from a side corridor, his smile broad and entirely too cheerful.

“Pendryn!” Redden exclaimed. “How pleased I am to see you.”

Redden’s cheerfulness grated on Jude’s nerves. This man—this reckless, selfish man—might have bartered Josephine’s safety for his own debts.

Jude forced his expression into civility. “Redden,” he replied with a measured nod.

Redden approached him and said, “I do hope you enjoy your carriage ride with my sister.”

“That is indeed my intention.”

Something flickered in Redden’s eyes. Annoyance? Calculation? Jude saw it before the man plastered on another smile.

And Jude made himself a silent promise. If Redden had indeed conspired with Broderick, then nothing—nothing—would stop Jude from shielding Josephine.

Even if it meant marriage.

Dressed in a pale green gown trimmed with delicate ivory lace, Josephine descended the grand staircase, one hand gliding along the polished banister. Halfway down, she caught sight of Jude standing with Alexander near the entryway. Though his posture was impeccable, there was a noticeable tension in his shoulders—a rigidity she had begun, much to her dismay, to recognize far too easily.

It concerned her how instinctively she was learning about him.

Then Jude looked up.

Their gazes collided, and the stiffness in his frame softened in an instant. He smiled—a small, warm thing that unfurled inside her like sunlight spilling into a dim room. For one absurd moment, everything felt… right. Whole.

Completely ridiculous.

She was still angry with him. Or she was supposed to be. Her conviction wavered the longer she stared into his warm, steady brown eyes that somehow managed to steal her breath.

Jude bowed gracefully. “Hello, Lady Josephine.”

She reached the marble floor and dropped into a curtsy.

Alexander, standing between them like some overly pleased deity of meddling older brothers, grinned broadly. “Off you go, then,” he encouraged. “Enjoy your ride.”

Jude stepped forward and offered his arm. “Shall we?”

She placed her gloved hand atop his sleeve, feeling the subtle strength beneath the fine coat, and allowed him to escort her outside to the waiting barouche. Once inside, she settled onto the seat, smoothing her gown. Then she clasped her hands tightly on her lap.

Jude sat across from her, the carriage jolting forward and merging into the busy morning traffic. She lowered her gaze to her intertwined fingers, unsure what she even wanted to say.