Page 4 of The Cutthroat Countess

Elliot laughed. “I’m sorry, I know it’s cruel to laugh. But it will soon be over. And you’ve suffered so many worse hardships in your life.”

“It’s funny how I can’t seem to remember any of them,” she muttered. “What have you been up to?” she asked, not wanting to dwell on her own life. Or lack thereof.

“I paid another visit to my grandmother.”

“How is she?”

“She seems better than the last time.” He smiled. “She was very much heartened to learn that I only have to return to the Continent once more—the last visit for a while, I’ve been promised—and then I shall be available to dance until dawn for the weeks that remain this Season.”

Jo’s heart sank at his words. “I thought you didn’t have to go back to Paris.” She gave him a wry smile and said, before he could answer, “I’m sorry, that was rather plaintive and . . . whiny.”

“I think I liked it—it means you will miss me, doesn’t it?”

“Of course, I’ll miss you—how could you doubt that?”

He gave her a tender look. “It is still nice to hear it.”

Jo’s face heated at the affection—no, the love—she saw in his gaze. “When are you going, and how long will you be away?”

“I am leaving in a few days. I’ve been told the visit will be brief—no more than a week.”

“I thought Sir Stanley promised to keep you close to home for the rest of the year.”

“He did, and he apologized. I don’t know why he is sending me,” he added before Jo could ask.

“And you couldn’t or wouldn’t tell me if you did, would you?”

He just gave her that mysterious smile that made her want to kiss him. “You will be so busy that you won’t even notice I’m gone.”

Jo knew that was the opposite of the truth and didn’t want to think about the next ten days without him—she’d have plenty of time to dwell on his absence when he was actually gone.

“Oh, I wanted to tell you that I also visited Morrison again and brought him the books you gave me.”

“What did he say?”

“He said it was more books than he’d been hoping for, especially when all six of them appear to have been heavily thumbed and used.”

“He’s not optimistic, then?”

“Well, let’s just say it didn’t help him much. But the man has a nose for breaking codes and has solved far more obscure ciphers than this one. He just needs some time.”

“I’m starting to think that proving my father’s innocence isn’t as critical as I’d believed,” Jo sighed, trying not to feel hopeless but failing. “My cousins seem to have recovered their social standing well enough, regardless of the scandal my father caused.” Although she had learned that there were still people who cut them—Jo knew that from Marianne, who was her best source of information these days.

“Clearing their names—and making the truth known—is what Mungo and your father wanted. It’s what both of them lived for, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, that is true,” she admitted. “I don’t remember my father, but pursuing the truth never made Mungo a happy person. I don’t want it to consume my life, too.” Jo met his gaze. “Does it matter to you if my name remains tainted?”

“You know it doesn’t,” Elliot said without hesitation. “But, at the same time, if what they claimed is true, not only was there a grave miscarriage of justice, but a traitor might still be at large in our government.”

“That was something that always bothered Mungo, as well.” She hesitated and then asked the question that had been niggling at the back of her mind: “Do you think that person—if they are still alive and active in the government—will be concerned about their safety?”

“That has been a worry of mine. I must admit I am relieved that you are no longer living alone. Not that you aren’t perfectly capable of protecting yourself,” he hastened to add. “I wouldn’t have pursued this matter if I felt you were in any danger. But you know nothing and have made that quite clear to Sir Stanley, so if this traitor still has access to information at the Home Office, then at least they will know you can’t hurt them.”

“What about the poetry books?”

“The only people who know about those are you, me, and Morrison.”

“You don’t think Sir Stanley suspected anything?”