Chapter Four
L issa took Anthony’s hand as he helped her down from his coach. She stepped aside to allow Ellie room to descend. It also gave her time to digest the newest bit of information she’d just learned about him. The coach was no hired hack, but his own and of very high quality, according to Ellie. Did working for the peerage provide such a substantial income, then?
There was so much she wished to talk about with Anthony. As soon as she’d been informed by the duchess that he wished to escort her and Ellie to the village of Talley on the Green, she’d been anxious to discover what else he’d uncovered in his investigation. That he had chosen this village, which was farther away from the school than the one in Northampton, also piqued her curiosity. Were there perhaps some men he hoped to introduce her to?
Mrs. Kingman, their chaperone, and a new instructor at the school, addressed them once Ellie had alighted. “What a lovely little village. It appears we will have plenty with which to occupy ourselves. Mr. Taylour, did you have any suggestions as to where to start? I admit, since I am rather new to Northampton, I have never visited Talley on the Green.”
“Then might I suggest Miller and Sons first? It has a plethora of items, from scents to books.” Anthony gestured to a sign on the right side of the street.
Mrs. Kingman raised a brow. “Truly, all in one shop?”
“Indeed.” He gave her a nod.
“Then we shall start there. Come, Eleanor. I’m sure we can find something to purchase as a memory of our day here.” With that, Mrs. Kingman and Ellie started forward.
Anthony held out his arm. “May I suggest we follow?”
Lissa hooked her arm around his as she’d been instructed, not particularly comfortable. “Yes. I’m curious why a shop would have such a variety of items. Is the owner in trade, then?”
“He is. However, the reason for his variety of items is that this is a small town, and if he simply stocked one particular product, he would not do well.”
She found intelligence an excellent trait in a husband. “Then I should meet him, oui ?”
Anthony shook his head. “That was not my intention, as he is already married.” He glanced at her. “You can enjoy the experience of the day in addition to finding a husband.”
Not happy that she had to turn her head to see him due to the lace on her bonnet, she wished Dory hadn’t talked her into adding the material. Now, she was sure she would rip it out as soon as they returned to school. “I can enjoy my days once I am settled. I have little time to avoid marriage to a peer.”
He returned his attention to the street in front of them. “Then I would suggest that after this shop we go to the Woodcock Inn, which serves hot cocoa in addition to being the place where many of the tradesmen in this area gather in the afternoon.”
A feeling akin to that which she had just before breaking into a seemingly abandoned house back in France filled her. It was not knowing what or whom she might encounter inside that caused the anticipation. Pleased she would soon begin the journey to a happier life than the one planned for her, she took time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the village.
It was not unlike the one she grew up near, with its single-lane road lined with building next to building for a short distance and then nothing but fields or woods. Most likely the closest field was used for fairs or traveling shows. As they drew closer to Miller and Sons, she could hear pounding coming from a blacksmith’s shop near the end of the street. Directly across from them as they arrived at their destination was a tavern.
She removed her arm from Anthony’s as they all entered.
“Oh, this is quite impressive.” Mrs. Kingman waved toward the back of the shop, which was a bit larger than expected from the outside, though there was absolutely no organization to it. “I’m sure we can all find a bit of something here.”
As the woman strolled forward, Ellie looked over her shoulder and winked before directing their instructor toward a shelf of books.
On tables throughout the shop, there were teacups and plates next to tools divided by piles of cloth. Shelves along the walls held figurines, more books, silver, and even sweets.
“And is there something you might like to purchase?”
At Anthony’s question, Lissa shrugged. “Doubtful, but I’m happy to look. It is not every day I am able to escape from school.”
As she started in the opposite direction from her instructor, Anthony was quick to respond. “Escape? So you are not as content as you had me believe?”
“Oh, I am, for now. It is just I’m still getting accustomed to not having the freedom I had back home.” She gave him a lopsided grin as she raised a pretty silver candleholder. “It’s not as if I can ride out into the night and find something pretty like this to trade with.”
He didn’t smile like she expected him to. “I would be happy to purchase that for you. You no longer need to survive on your own. You have friends here, and you are free to thrive.”
He said it so seriously that it made her uncomfortable. She was not who he thought her. The more he treated her as if she deserved something better, the more he put distance between them, though he obviously didn’t realize that. She studied the candlestick holder, turning it this way and that. “No, I do not wish it.” She set it back upon the table and moved forward, for once happy to have the bonnet lace to keep him from studying her.
Anthony never simply looked. He examined, studied, analyzed, but he rarely looked . She was quite sure even now he scrutinized her dress or her gait.
He stopped and lifted an apricot-colored ribbon from a tiny wooden rack set upon the table. “Perhaps this would interest you. It matches your dress exactly.”
She looked down, having forgotten which dress the maid had laid out for her. She didn’t care for day dresses, as they were so light that she could only hide two daggers when wearing one. Not that she ever expected to need them, but she felt safer for their presence. “I appreciate the offer, but I fear I have more ribbons and frippery than I’ll ever use.”
He returned the ribbon to its resting place. “Of course. I’m sure the Captain has outfitted you and your grandmother with all that you need. So maybe we need to find something you don’t need.”
She turned at that, confused. “Why would I purchase something I don’t need?”
His gaze softened. “I forget when you are dressed in such lovely clothes that your life has been difficult.”
She wrinkled her nose. “My life has been wonderful, not difficult. I have lived more in France than my friends have lived here in their well-kept homes.”
“I meant no offense.”
“I do not take any. I simply state facts.” She smirked. “However, if you wish to buy me something I do not need, I will put forth effort to find something.”
“Excellent.” He held his hand out to the tables still to explore.
As she studied the variety of items, she searched for something with no purpose. The figurines could, in fact, be such, but they were not to her taste. So she changed her strategy and looked for something that a woman wouldn’t need. There were many male items, but not useful ones like pantaloons, boots, or knives, but then again, the item was not to be useful. As she approached the last table, she could sense Anthony worried she wouldn’t find anything.
Irritation filled her. He’d never worried if he could please her before. He looked at her differently, reacted to her differently because her clothing wasn’t what it was in France. He no longer wore a uniform, but she still saw him as her friend. That he couldn’t see her in a similar light was disappointing. Annoyed, she had reached for a cravat, just to fill his need to buy her something, when she spotted a cravat pin just beneath the frills and picked that up instead.
It was a cockerel, but not just any cockerel. It sparkled with small blue gems, a white one for the eye, and a red wing and comb. It embodied her two favorite symbols of her country, the French colors and the bird who symbolized the common people, new birth, a new day, a fresh beginning. Her throat closed and her chest tightened at what it could mean that she’d discovered it this very day.
“What did you find, Lissa?”
At Anthony’s voice, she turned to show him, her pique forgotten as she held the pin in the palm of her gloved hand.
“Ah, your taste is unparalleled. Those rubies and sapphires in this rooster truly represent your place of birth.”
Rubies and sapphires? She thought them glass. Disappointment filled her and she started to close her fingers over the pin, intending to return it.
“Wait.” Anthony’s warm hand covered hers. “Do you not wish to have it?”
She looked up at him, surprised he stopped her. “It is far too expensive.”
His lips split into a wide grin. “Not at all. Please. Allow me to offer you this small pleasure.”
Not a little confused, she didn’t move. “But I cannot repay you for something such as this.”
Once again his gaze softened, an expression she wasn’t sure she liked coming from him. “Lissa, it is like pin money to me.”
Lord and Lady Blackmore, her sponsors, provided her with pin money. It was not much, and she squirreled it away in case she needed it, but with everything provided to her, she had yet to use it. “How can that be? Does working for the earl provide such a substantial income, then?”
He gave a soft chuckle, not the full one she was used to. “I have my own estate with tenants. The investigations I conduct are simply to help others.” He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “And to have a bit of fun. The payment is to make them feel comfortable with the arrangement.”
She blinked. Anthony was wealthy? Her mind spun at the possibilities.
“Now, allow me to gift you with this small token of your homeland.” He released her hand and held his out, palm up.
Still not sure what to make of the man she thought she knew, she nodded and opened her hand so he could retrieve the cravat pin and find the proprietor.
She let her gaze follow him, trying to equate the wealthy gentleman with her old friend, the lieutenant from France. His actions, mannerisms, and even his conversations were completely different, but she hadn’t truly understood until that very moment. Which was the real Anthony—or was there one?
“He is a fine gentleman, is he not?”
At Ellie’s words, Lissa turned to find her classmate just behind her shoulder. “Yes, he is, but different from when he was my friend back in France.”
Ellie waved her hand to dismiss the point, and the cravat on the table floated to the floor. “Oh dear.” Bending over, she retrieved the white silk and tried to dust it off, but only succeeded in smudging the dirt from the floor across it. Quickly, she dropped it back on the table. “As I was about to say, different environments call for different manners, wouldn’t you agree?”
Though Lissa wished to delve into Ellie’s suggestion further, she did not wish to do so in public, as Ellie’s voice was a bit loud and Mrs. Kingman as well as others in the store were glancing toward them. “I do agree. So did you find something here that you would like to purchase?”
Her friend grinned and lifted her arm, showing her drawn-tight reticule. “I found the perfect color of ribbon.”
Though she couldn’t see through the cloth of the reticule, Lissa had doubts the ribbon was the perfect color, as Ellie didn’t have a good eye for matching her accessories to her dresses, but it all depended on what it was used for. “Then we must see what else this village has to offer.”
“Yes. It is such a refreshing break from our studies.”
Lissa agreed completely. She had only just started her “first year,” as the ladies dubbed it, which meant general studies. She’d never read so much and was very thankful for the tutors Lord Blackmore had provided for her in France. Still, she much preferred learning by doing. Luckily, the duchess understood and allowed her to spend one day a week practicing with various weapons in addition to studying them, as long as she applied herself to the other subjects. She wasn’t sure why she needed to learn philosophy, Latin, or Ellie’s favorite, astronomy, to get along in life. She never had before, and so far, she saw no practical use for them, except to follow the stars home at night, which she would never need to do again.
Anthony approached, his stride that of a man confident in his place in the world. At least that hadn’t changed. He held out a small brown paper package. “Would you like me to carry this for you?”
She cocked her head and lifted her chin as she’d seen a dowager duchess do upon counseling a young relative. “No. I believe I am capable of carrying it.”
His brows lowered before one side of his mouth quirked up. “Of course.”
Pleased he saw how silly his question had been, she lifted the brown paper from his hand and slipped it into a deep pocket she had added to her dress, then buttoned it. It might make her hips appear somewhat crooked, but she could keep her arm down against it if she found a gentleman she wished to be introduced to.
Mrs. Kingman joined them, a large package in her hand. “I believe I will need the footman to carry this to the carriage. Shall we go outside and explore further?”
They all agreed, and their instructor led the way. After the woman dropped her package into the hands of the footman, they continued down the street.
They hadn’t gone far before Ellie stopped. “Oh, I must step in here. Would you mind?”
Lissa looked in the window to see what appeared to be both a seamstress and milliner’s shop. “Please, go ahead. I can wait here with Mr. Taylour.”
Mrs. Kingman frowned, clearly not happy with the arrangement.
Anthony held his hand out to the large window of the shop. “Might I suggest that Mademoiselle Lissette and I stand here, so I can be sure she is safe, and you can still be in view of both ladies?”
“An excellent idea, Mr. Taylour. Thank you.” Mrs. Kingman gave Anthony a grateful smile and motioned to Ellie to follow her inside.
Happy to have Anthony to herself, Lissa looked up at him. “That was most ingenious. Now perhaps you can tell me what progress you have made on Lord Weaponeer.” She kept her voice lowered, not wishing any passerby to hear.
Anthony chuckled then waited as a person did, in fact, walk by. “I do like that name, though I’m not sure it applies as of yet. But I have made some interesting observations, one of which I would appreciate your insight on.”
Thrilled that his investigation moved forward, she nodded. “What can I help you with?”
He looked across the street, then behind him before glancing past her and finally answering. “He left a cobbler shop with a large, odd-shaped package, and while I do not know that it was a weapon, I also don’t know that it was not, but I have tried to think of what it could be and have nothing to compare it to. It was definitely not a new pair of hessians.”
This sounded promising. “Please. Tell me what it looked like.”
“It was round like a parasol, but instead of having a long handle, it was half that length and pressed the outside paper in a cylindrical fashion. From the way he carried it, I would say it was not light, perhaps as heavy as a wall shield. Do you know of any weapons that fit that description?”
As she thought of what it could be, she noticed Ellie inside exclaiming over a hat, which would no doubt be purchased forthwith. “It could be a shield, but the protruding element doesn’t fit. I will definitely need to research this.”
Instead of being disappointed, he grinned. “I’m very pleased that you are willing to do so. I have many avenues I’m pursuing, which take most of my time.”
That he had then taken time from his tasks to escort her to Talley on the Green meant that much more. “We are friends and we aid each other in our pursuits, do we not?”
“Indeed, we do. In fact, as soon as your instructor and classmate exit, I suggest we go to the Woodcock Inn for refreshments. It will be an opportune time to further your personal goal. I know many of the tradesmen in town, and already spoke to the vicar to understand who might best suit your needs.”
She greatly appreciated how seriously he took her goal, but she wrinkled her nose at him. “It’s me, remember? You can state simply that you determined who was wealthy enough for my grandmother.”
“I stand corrected. I am still adjusting to thinking of you as I always have instead of a lady of breeding, which is particularly difficult when you look so lovely in that dress and bonnet. I have no doubt that you will draw the attention of many a gentleman.”
She sighed. Though she understood, she didn’t like it. It must be why he was acting the gentleman. “Remember, I do not seek a gentleman, just a wealthy man.”
He gave her a short bow. “I will keep that in mind, my lady.”
At his address, she opened her mouth to curse at him when she noticed the laughter in his eyes. Now that was the Anthony she’d always known. But before she could reply in kind, Mrs. Kingman exited the shop with Ellie.
“Oh, Lissette, I found the most perfect gift for the duchess.” Ellie touched her own bonnet. “It’s a hat with little paper books on it! They will deliver it on the morrow. It will be a surprise, so please do not say anything at dinner.”
“I will keep your secret. I promise.”
Mrs. Kingman looked upon Ellie with affection. “It truly is perfect for Her Grace. Mr. Taylour, I do believe you said something about cocoa?”
“Indeed I did.” Anthony gestured toward the end of the street. “If we continue in this direction, we will come upon the Woodcock Inn.”
“Then let us go there directly. I find I’m quite parched.” Mrs. Kingman took Ellie’s arm, and they moved forward. Lissa took Anthony’s offered arm, and they followed.
As they entered the dining room, she could see there were private rooms off it and hoped they would not be secluded. Fortunately, Anthony made the arrangements and they were soon seated at a table, cocoa and rout cakes ordered.
Mrs. Kingman looked about. “This establishment is the most crowded we’ve seen today.”
“It always is at this time.” Anthony nodded toward the room. “It is where much business is conducted. I believe your husband has come here on occasion, Mrs. Kingman.”
Mrs. Kingman’s eyes widened. “He has?”
Anthony nodded sagely as he sat straighter in his chair. “Yes, I have seen Mr. Kingman here. He has an excellent reputation among all.” He nodded toward a table in the corner. “There are two people your husband regularly does business with, as one is the silversmith and the other is a purveyor of scents. Both are quite well established and comfortable. I imagine that has much to do with your husband’s success.”
“Oh.” Mrs. Kingman, who was only recently married, seemed quite impressed. “Is there anyone else he does business with here?”
Lissa bit down on a smile so as not to alert the lady that there was more to Anthony’s tale than simply her husband’s contacts. It was obvious his explanation of the gentlemen was to let her know who was a possible husband.
He didn’t disappoint either of them. “Now, Mr. Brown over there has done well also thanks to your husband, which makes his wife very happy.”
She mentally crossed Mr. Brown from her mental list, which she didn’t mind, as he was rather ruddy in complexion and sneezed quite a bit.
Anthony continued. “However, I don’t believe your husband has had any dealings with Mr. Stochbury and Mr. Ozell. They are both lawyers retained by the aristocracy in the region. They each have an estate halfway between Northampton and Bedford.”
Ellie jumped in. “Who’s that by the window?” She waved her hand toward the area in question.
The three ladies at the table next to them stopped their conversation, obviously overhearing. Mrs. Kingman gave Ellie a quelling look, and the poor woman turned almost as red as her hair.
Lissa couldn’t resist touching Ellie on the arm. “They look like they may be peers. Mr. Taylour, do you know them?”
Anthony studied them for a moment then leaned in. “Yes, I recognize the Earl of Trente, but the two he is with are unknown to me.” He kept his voice low, probably in hopes that Ellie would answer in kind. “Lady Eleanor, do you wish me to make their acquaintance for you?”
Ellie looked at the men then turned toward Anthony. “No, but I thank you for the offer. I must wait for my mother to approve any possible suitors.”
At that moment, their cocoa was brought along with their rout cakes, and they all indulged.
Lissa watched the men Anthony had mentioned. From outside appearances, she wouldn’t mind meeting the silversmith, but the purveyor of scents was not to her liking. Both the lawyers seemed well formed and most likely were quite intelligent, and also, no doubt, busy. That would be an excellent trait in a husband—a man too busy for a wife would allow her more freedom.
As Ellie engaged Mrs. Kingman in the positive attributes of the town, Anthony leaned in, but kept his voice low. “There is also a tradesman of Mr. Kingman’s status by the door. He is actually the man’s competitor. He’s talking to the owner of three establishments, a tavern, a tea house, and a mercantile in a neighboring village.”
Taking a sip of her cocoa, she looked over the brim of her cup to see that both men were deep in conversation. Such men would be very busy, and she added them to her list. Putting her cup down, she replied, “Thank you. How do you know so much about the people in this town? It’s not in close proximity to Ravenridge at all.”
“I make it a point to know the area where I reside and those nearby. This is not so far as all that on horseback.”
She cocked her head. “Especially if one were to ride through the forest?”
“Shh. I would not want my secret to become known.” Though he made the statement with all seriousness, his gaze held laughter.
“Then I must determine what boon I receive for keeping it from public knowledge.”
His eyes rounded before he sat back, shaking his head. “I find your wit much unchanged.”
His compliment, whether meant to be one or not, had her feeling rather accomplished, which was silly. It wasn’t as if she hoped to impress him. He already knew her. She studied him as he answered Mrs. Kingman. He may know her, but as it turned out, she didn’t know him. If he had such a vast fortune that the cravat pin he bought her was no more than pin money, then perhaps she needn’t look further for a husband.
She turned her head to view each man Anthony had mentioned. None were as handsome as he, but all were well built and had wealth. She’d never considered outward appearances important. If she had, she would have never fallen in love with Etienne. The scar he had on his cheek from a fall as a youth had significantly diminished his looks. Yet his heart had been steadfast and his loyalty and honesty unquestionable.
What she must determine was if she wished a new start with a man of means or be comfortable with a friend. Her immediate thought was that a friend would demand far less of her, but did he know her too well? And she didn’t know how Anthony felt about marriage. She would have to delve into that subject next time they were alone, which she hoped would be soon.
Not willing to limit herself, to keep all possibilities open, she observed the silversmith, lawyers, tradesman, and merchant for a while longer. If there was one lesson she’d learned at home, it was to always have multiple escape routes.