Chapter 3
Phoebe nodded to Danny, one of the few footmen that had joined the staff the year she made her debut and remained. Danny was loyal and excelled at keeping her secrets from her parents, who were either oblivious or simply chose to pretend not to know about her escapades.
Danny’s impartial features transformed the second she placed her gloved hand in his. Rarely did she accept the footman’s offer of assistance when disembarking; however, after Kilman’s declarations which had her head spinning, she didn’t trust herself not to fall flat on her face. Feet firmly planted, she quickly withdrew her hand, clasped her hands behind her back, and inhaled deeply.
“Is something amiss, my lady?”
She blinked at her maid, standing before her. “No, but I think a respite is in order before getting ready for the evening.”
Letty glanced over at Danny and then back at Phoebe. “A respite? In the three years I’ve been in your employ, ye’ve never taken more than a minute to rest.” Her maid tugged off her glove and raised the back of her hand to Phoebe’s forehead. “Yer a tad warm, but ye don’t have a fever.”
Her tenacious maid, appointed by the Home Office, rarely let matters go. Phoebe needed to come up with some mundane excuse that the girl would believe. Taking full advantage of the knowledge that the girl gave her pitiful looks every time someone referred to Phoebe as long in the tooth or well established upon the shelf, Phoebe said, “Now that I’m officially a spinster, mayhap it’s time I slow down a bit.”
“Bah. Yer not being married was by choice, not due to a lack of interest from gentlemen. Ye have dedicated yer life to servin’ yer country, no shame in that.”
If only Letty knew the truth. Not once since her debut six years ago had any gentlemen showed an ounce of romantic interest in her or expressed an intention to marry her, even if only to obtain her substantial dowry. Remaining unwed hadn’t been her choice. If a gentleman, titled or not, had exhibited a tendre for her, she would have been willing to overlook any shortcomings the man might have had. After being treated as if she were invisible, as though her attendance at events mattered not her entire first Season, Phoebe had clung to her role as informant for Kilman. Phoebe took a step forward and glanced up at her family residence. She didn’t miss the fluttering of the drawing room curtain as someone, most likely her mama, ducked behind the thick velvet material. The wall of curtains acted as her mama’s shield from the cruel reality of the world. Her mama preferred to remain in the dark, to pretend that there was only good in the world. But Phoebe knew better. Her world extended beyond the glittering ballrooms of the peerage. With the aid of Kilman, Phoebe had ventured into sections of London no spinster would dare to imagine, let alone actually visit.
As she climbed the remaining few steps leading up to the front door, Phoebe contemplated whether it was her role with the Home Office or Kilman himself that she had so desperately become attached to.
Before entering the dark and rather forbidding fortress she called home, Phoebe stopped and faced Letty. “I’ve been informed that the Home Office no longer needs my assistance. I presume that means you shall receive instructions of your new assignment shortly.”
Letty’s bright smile had Phoebe on edge.
“I’ve already declined my reassignment.” Letty walked past her and added over her shoulder, “You can’t be rid of me that easily.” Her maid flickered a look over at Danny. “Nor him.”
Phoebe whirled around and asked Danny, “You declined to be reassigned—why?”
“I did.” The footman’s cheeky smile had Phoebe frowning until she followed Danny’s gaze. The sweet look he was giving Letty spoke volumes. The man was clearly in love and unwilling to part from Letty. An image of Kilman flashed before her. Urgh. Here she was thinking it a sweet and honorable gesture by Danny to give up his position within the Home Office for the woman he loved, all the while she was simultaneously fuming at Kilman for doing the same. Phoebe shook her head. What was wrong with her? Her mind was a muddle. And she was the cause for the Home Office to lose three of its members. How could Lady Theo have let this happen?
“I’m not worried. Lady Archbroke will set matters straight…like she always does.” Letty spun around on the balls of her feet and practically skipped up to the front door.
Blast her maid for being able to read her mind. Apparently, she had still had not mastered the art of disguising her thoughts.
Trudging forward, Phoebe followed Letty inside and up the stairs to her chambers. She flopped backward on top of her bed. Arms stretched out wide, she stared up at the ceiling that had been adorned with jewels made out of paste arranged to depict her favorite constellation, Coma Berenices. She raised her finger to the air and traced the fine lines that resembled long strands of hair, hair that Queen Berenice sacrificed in the hopes the gods would grant her wish for her husband’s safe return from war. Sacrifice. It had never occurred to her that Kilman would be willing to make such a sacrifice for her. She lowered her arm and draped it over her eyes.
If their positions had been reversed, would she have done the same as he had? Would she have opted to resign from her position as informant if Lord Archbroke had forced her to choose between the agency or Kilman? The unanswered question hung over her head like a cloud masking the sky.
Of course she would. They were partners. They had promised to assist one another. If it were the truth, then why had she not shared with Kilman her knowledge of the missing crown jewels?
Pride.
Her blasted pride had prevented her from seeking out the man’s help. She’d wanted to prove to Kilman she could be of value on missions, rather than being relegated to sitting along walls, with her ears peeled for snippets of information. She longed for a partnership like the Head of the Home Office, Lord Archbroke, and his wife Lady Theo shared. The couple’s steadfast cooperation, unwavering loyalty, and obvious affection for one another embodied Phoebe’s ideals of the perfect couple. The Archbrokes were bound by an invisible yet tangible bond that allowed them to each go about independently yet synchronized perfectly. Lady Theo didn’t depend upon Lord Archbroke, nor vice versa. After the debacle with the band of thieves, Phoebe agreed with Lord Archbroke’s decision. She had broken the rules and had known the consequences of her decision to exclude Kilman from her plans, but she hadn’t considered the possibility of placing Kilman’s position within the Home Office in jeopardy. The man lived for adventure. If he retired from his post and they wed, how long would it be before he regretted his decision? A year…six months or less.
She rolled up to sit. With her back ramrod straight, she had a plan. There was no way she’d let Kilman forgo his position for her. Letty was right; if anyone could rectify the situation, it was Lady Theo. She’d sequester the only woman Lord Archbroke listened to and make her plea. By midnight tonight, she would see to it that Kilman would be reinstated as an agent for the Home Office.