Page 68 of A Bluestocking’s Secret Courtship

He inhaled, trying to remember how he had felt when Farrin called at Ivymere Manor to pay his respects. Jonathan’s parents had been dead a month, and he had been alone in the world. Farrin claimed to know Jonathan’s father and mentioned how it would be a shame if Jonathan couldn’t carry on his father’s legacy.

Follow in his footsteps. Continue your research. I believe your father mentioned that you’re interested in ancient drums.

Jonathan had thanked Farrin for calling before admitting he lacked the funds to continue his father’s work. Farrin hinted that he had connections and left his calling card, telling Jonathan to contact him if he became interested.

“It was an opportunity to serve my country and continue my fieldwork,” he said. “I was never asked to do anything against my will.”

Until now.

“I was given grants to fund my expeditions.”

She nodded thoughtfully. “And you think Uncle Charles might have been enlisted, too?”

“Possibly.”

She nibbled her bottom lip, staring into the fire. Her mind was always at work. It impressed and frightened him equally.

“But the war is over, so why is he still leaving me behind?” She turned toward him, her knee brushing his. “Now there’s this mess with the Black Death and men looking for him… I think listening has landed him in the worst kind of danger.”

Hellfire! She was too smart for her own good.

“We have to find him, Jonathan. We’re likely his only hope."

He swallowed around the lump in his throat. “Even heroines need their sleep. Do you want to put out the fire while I take Timothy to the spring?”

She smiled. “You’re learning I’m not helpless after all.”

Twenty-five

Evangeline woke to the delicious warmth of Jonathan’s embrace. The sky beyond the tarp was still dark with thin brushstrokes of yellow on the horizon. His arm lay limp around her waist, and her back was tucked against his chest. His breathing was steady, his face burrowed into her curls.

She held still so as not to wake him, clinging to the hazy bliss that came with mornings when her mind was filled with dreams and wishes. But reality couldn’t be kept at bay long.

Jonathan’s revelations last night filtered back into her awareness, and her mind was off like the horses at Ascot.

Had Uncle Charles found it difficult to return to normal life after the war? Perhaps once he had trained himself to notice suspicious behavior and surreptitiously listen to conversations, he couldn’t un-train himself.

All those years must have changed his outlook on the world. Maybe danger lurked in every shadow. Every stranger had secrets, which would explain why he had taught her and her sisters to defend themselves. Then there was his hesitation to fully staff Wedmore House. Uncle Charles never wanted people he didn’t know under his roof, and the family always humored him.

The inability to quell this constant vigilance likely accounted for his current circumstances. He had overheard a conversation at a tavern, dug into the situation, and set off to save the day like he wasn’t simply an antiquarian at his core.

He should have reported to the Foreign Office—left it to the proper authorities. Now, he was out of his element. Honestly, she and Jonathan were, too, but Uncle Charles needed help, and no one else would be coming to his rescue.

“Are you awake?”

Jonathan startled her. She rolled to her back as he propped himself up on his elbow. His hair was sticking up from the crown of his head. She couldn’t quite catch her breath as she gazed up at him, memories of their kiss last night unfurling heat in her.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“I-I was just lying here thinking.”

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. “About the day ahead?”

“Yes, and Uncle Charles.” She grabbed his wrist to keep him beside her, though he showed no signs of moving. Her boldness set her face aflame.

“Did—” She licked her lips. “Did spying change you?”

His jaw clenched, but otherwise, his expression remained unchanged. “I don’t know. I’m different than I was, but was it my work or losing my parents?”