Chapter Twenty-Five #2
He moved her hand around, admiring the ring her father had given her.
He slipped it off her finger and looked inside.
Nothing. No engraving. Her father had probably picked it up at a market, but it did appear made of gold with enamel flowers in three sections.
He wondered why it had been segmented when it would have made sense to have had it smooth all around.
He pressed one of the ridges then pushed one way and then the other and…
it opened. He could see writing within the portion revealed.
Lucinda sat up on her elbow. “What? How did you do that?”
“I don’t know. Did you know about the compartments?”
“No. What does it say?”
“I have no idea. Code, maybe?”
A horrified expression swept across her face. “Do you think? Could this be? Is this the secret? The one that got my father killed?”
“I don’t know but whatever this message is, you were meant to carry it but never find it. Ingenious really.”
She sat up. “That bastard. So much for a token of love. He tricked me. He lied to me and then used me. My own father.”
“Lucinda, we do not know if this is anything yet. It could be a love poem in a different language for all we know. Let us not jump to conclusions.” He tried to make sense of what he could see.
What if the other compartments opened too?
He moved the ring around, testing the ridges, and eventually got the second section open, but it was more of the same nonsensical writing.
It was not long before the third section opened to reveal yet more writing.
Surely this was it? Why else would he have gone to such lengths to hide it in plain sight?
“I have to take this to Stafford.”
“No. We do not know what it is yet. I just… I do not know Stafford. Would my father have trusted him with this, whatever it is?”
“I assure you Stafford is an honorable man. He would not betray your father.”
“It is more what will he do with it? My father hid it for a reason. He could have sent it by mail to anyone in the British government, but he did not. He could have told them I had it, but he didn’t.”
“I have a friend. He is a code breaker, or was. He is married now but he could tell us what this might be, so we know what we are dealing with. Will you let me take it to him?”
She had already put it back on her finger. “It would be safer if he came here. What if you are waylaid by thugs, or a highwayman, or even someone who is already looking for us? That is why we are in this house. I will not take this off unless it is to show him in this house.”
Tony nodded. He hated to think about it, but she did have a point. “All right, I will send Bellamy a note asking him to meet me and I will bring him here to see what this is all about.”
“Thank you.”
Tony pulled her back into his embrace. “Beautiful and smart. How did I get so lucky?”
This made her smile. “If we are being smart, we should not stay here to be discovered. Let us go to your room.”
“Are you sure?”
“I cannot think that a few hours in your bed could be worse than being found like this by a poor maid or footman.”
“True. Come on then.” He stood and pulled her to her feet.
She gathered her shawl and slippers while Tony made quick work of pulling his clothes together.
They then tip-toed down the hall to his room.
It had a double bed and an armoire, but not much more than that.
Tony lit a candle and pulled back the covers.
She went over to the mirror and looked at her nightgown.
There were a few spots of blood on it, and she poured a little water into the basin and, with a cloth, dabbed at the stain.
“Here, change into this,” Tony said, handing her one of his clean shirts. “Or not,” he said with a wink. “I would love to admire all of the woman I am going to marry.”
“Only if I may do the same.”
“That is only fair.”
They both disrobed and jumped into bed, Lucinda pulling the covers up to her neck.
“How can I see you if you have the covers on?” He gently tugged until she let go, sliding the sheet slowly down to reveal her breasts. “You are perfection.” He bent down and took one rosy tip into his mouth.
Lucinda gasped and then moaned at the pleasure spiraling through her, at his hot mouth on her breast. He gently squeezed the other one and rubbed a thumb over her nipple, which made it form a tight bud.
She did not know how to react to this intimate exploration.
Should she be doing something too? Oh, but now his mouth was on her other breast and all she could do was rake her fingers through his blond locks and savor the bliss flooding her body.
When he lifted his head and looked at her, he smiled, no doubt happy at what he saw on her face.
“There is more, so much more but your body has had enough for one night.”
“But… I want… it.”
“And you shall have it, just not tonight. We have the rest of our lives to pleasure each other.”
“But surely there is something I could do to pleasure you also.”
He grinned. “There is, and I promise we will do much more exploring, but it is nearly dawn and you need to seek your bed.”
He was right, and she did not want to get caught halfway up the stairs wearing his shirt. She donned his shirt again as Tony lay on his side, admiring her. Gathering her nightgown and shawl, she leaned over to kiss him.
“I love you, Luci,” he said, cupping her face. “Do not ever forget that.” He kissed her softly.
He had called her Luci. Only her father had ever called her that. It made her happy that he would use it when they were alone. “I love you too, Tony, but you are making it very hard to leave.”
He let go of her and fell back onto the bed. The sheet barely covered his lower half, so much so that she could see the trail of blond hair disappearing beneath. “Go,” he said in a soft tone.
She crept out of the room and raced up the stairs as quickly as she could.
The house only had a few staff and for that she was grateful.
Once in her room, she rummaged around for a new nightgown, hid his shirt, and jumped into bed.
The bed was cold, and she wished she was still warm in the arms of her lover.
Lover. She had always thought it was a naughty word.
The kind of word one used for a companion of dubious morals.
She supposed she was the one with dubious morals now.
Laying with a man who was not yet her husband.
Surely, though, because he had promised to marry her, it was not quite the same.
The next day, Tony Ashton wrote to the Earl of Bellamy, his friend and code breaker, asking him to meet him at the Sow’s Ear, a pub just outside London.
Oliver had cashed in his commission of his own violation when his brother had died and he had inherited, ending his career in the army and as an informant and code breaker to the Ring.
Tony had to find out what was written within Lucinda’s ring, and the sooner the better. He could not believe it had been there the whole time. The perfect hiding spot. Now, however, that token her father had given her had put her in danger and he had to protect her.
The sooner they knew what the message was, the sooner they could decide what to do about it.
His mind raced with all the possibilities.
Could it be directions to a large armament store?
Plans for a military attack on England? Or was it nothing but a coded note from a desperate father to his daughter?
He would have to bring Bellamy here, which was not ideal, but Lucinda refused to have the ring taken away from her sight. She had just as much of a right to know what her father died for as any of them he supposed.
A message arrived two days later. He would meet him tonight and, under the cover of darkness, bring Bellamy to the safe house.
Tony was anxious to know how he and his wife Lisbeth were faring.
The last time he had seen them was when he had the honor of becoming their daughter Petunia’s godfather.
He had secured a back corner away from the usual crowd and had two ales waiting.
“Good lord,” Bellamy said when he saw Tony sitting in the booth. “You look positively… well, one must not disparage one’s friend’s appearance when one has not seen one for over six months, but good lord.”
Tony stood. “What?”
Bellamy smiled. “Your cravat is a mess, your jacket crumpled. Did your valet die?”
Both men shook hands and sat. “Ah, I see you have not changed. I am staying at the safe house. I did not bring Barnes. He will be so pleased to know you noticed my condition without him.”
Bellamy’s brows shot up. “The safe house? What have you done?”
Tony laughed. “For once I am not to blame.” Bellamy looked like he didn’t believe him. “It is Markham’s fault.”
“Hmm. Is he at the safe house too? Did you blow up something you should not have?”
Tony would normally have laughed, but he had to tell Bellamy about Markham, and he had nothing to reassure him that Markham was safe. “Markham is missing.”
Bellamy put down his ale with care. “Missing?”
“Yes, I wish I had more answers but all we have is his finger.”
“His what? I think you had better start from the beginning.”
“That is the beginning. It was sent to Stafford, and he has men off finding him at this very moment.” Tony took a sip of his ale.
“And I inherited his ward. Only she is not a child; she is a young woman. Her father was Lord Foxton.” When Bellamy made no reaction, Tony realized he had no idea who her father was.
“He was the ambassador to Prussia about ten or more years ago and we believe he was murdered for something he stole from them.”
“I am intrigued. Go on,” said Bellamy, steepling his fingers.
“We think we have found what he stole.”
“And it is in code, I presume. Hence the need for my presence?”
“Well, yes. Can you help?”