Chapter 11
Three weeks later…
Lillian’s private parlor was littered with fabric samples, discarded wedding lists, and notes filled with Lillian’s ideas on how to extract revenge. Phoebe appreciated her friend”s assistance with all the wedding preparations, since her mama had declared she had other pressing matters to attend to rather than the doom of her daughter. Over the years, Phoebe had believed her parents’ lack of interest was to her advantage; however, of late it only made her feel rather empty.
“Hmm. How to best beat the scoundrel at his own game,” Lillian muttered.
Ruth took the quill from Lillian’s hand and set it down on the desk. “Don’t you think you have done enough to the poor man?”
“Middleton deserves every moment of misery in return for his callous remarks.” Lillian stood, linked her arm through Ruth’s, and the pair began to pace the perimeter of the room.
It was a circuit Phoebe had traversed often since her return to London.
Heat flushed her cheeks at the memory of having to face Lord Archbroke and his team the morning she’d experienced the exquisite pleasures a husband and wife shared in bed. While Torrance had fielded the majority of the Head of the Home Office’s questions, Lord Archbroke had made it a point to draw attention to her and direct pointed questions her way. On one hand she appreciated the way Lord Archbroke had gone about obtaining the missing pieces of information he needed and not making an issue of her and Torrance’s late descent from above stairs, but on other hand she could feel the knowing gazes of the other agents every time she was asked to speak.
“Phoebe?” Ruth and Lillian were standing in front of her with their hands held out for her to take.
She placed her right hand in Ruth’s and her left in Lillian’s and allowed the pair to pull her to her feet. “Is it time to leave already?” she asked.
“If you wish to make it to your own wedding on time, the answer is yes,” Lillian answered.
From the moment Lillian had learned that it was Lord Middleton who was tasked with the job of finding Lady Margaret, her behavior had been temperamental to say the least. Phoebe let herself be escorted to the awaiting carriage that was to take her to the church where she’d finally be able to see Torrance. She hadn’t seen her fiancé in forty-eight hours. Which wasn’t per se an extended period but it felt like an eternity to Phoebe. She’d been so preoccupied with wedding preparations and packing her belongings to be moved to Kilman’s residence that she hadn’t managed to sneak away to spend any time with Torrance. Consoling herself that she’d have the rest of her days to spend with him, she’d focused on the multitude of tasks required of a bride.
Lillian and Ruth stepped up into the awaiting vehicle, and Phoebe shot Danny a quick glance. Her footman gave her a reassuring smile which bolstered Phoebe’s confidence. She hoped that once she was married to Torrance, the persistent unease that had settled in her chest would abate.
Gaze affixed upon Phoebe, Ruth asked, “Are you nervous?”
“I don’t believe it’s so much as a case of nerves, but I can’t deny that I’m worried.”
“Worried Kilman will jilt you at the altar?” Lillian asked.
Ruth hit Lillian with the back of her hand on the arm. “Why would you say such a thing?”
“It was simply the first thing that came to mind.” Lillian rubbed her arm. “I’m sure Kilman with be at the church. After all, he waited six long years for Phoebe to agree to marry him. What could go wrong in the last few hours?”
Phoebe twisted her hands in her lap.
What if he were in a carriage accident along the way? Or kidnapped again? What if… Torrance’s voice echoed through her racing mind. Breathe.
Phoebe inhaled deeply and her racing mind calmed. If only the disquieted pattern of her heart would settle into a nice stable rhythm, Phoebe would feel more at ease.
The carriage rolled over the cobbled stone road and with each rotation of the wheel, a sense of dread intensified within Phoebe. She ran her gloved hands up and down her thighs. Her intuition was rarely wrong.
Lillian stared at her hands and said, “Please stop. You are beginning to make me worry.”
Phoebe stilled her hands. “I’m sure it’s merely pre-wedding jitters.”
Ruth and Lillian glanced at one another and then Lillian asked, “What are you not telling us?”
“I’ve not kept anything from the two of you.” Phoebe raised her gloved hands up in the air, palms out. “I swear.”
“Interesting.” The glint in Ruth’s gaze meant the woman”s keen mind was recalling every conversation they’d had over the past few days. Ruth’s ability for excellent recall was both a gift and a curse, in Phoebe’s opinion.
The carriage rolled to a stop and Danny appeared as the door swung open. Phoebe rose first and took Danny’s hand to alight from the vehicle.
When Danny gave her hand a light squeeze she turned to face him. “What is the matter?”
The footman’s gaze swept the area and then he bent down to say, “Lord Archbroke wishes to speak to you before the wedding.”
She blurted, “Now?”
What could the Head of the Home Office wish to discuss…with her?
Danny”s gaze flickered to her friends and then back to her.
Phoebe turned around and addressed Ruth and Lillian. “I’ve been summoned by Lord Archbroke. I’ll join you in a moment.”
Lines of worry filled both her friends” foreheads but they didn’t delay her with questions. Instead they nodded and proceeded toward the church entrance.
“Where am I to meet Lord Archbroke?”
Danny’s lips thinned and then he said, “By the docks.” Her footman led her to a rather large travel coach, with curtains drawn, laden with travel trunks and assisted her up the steps.
Phoebe entered the darkened interior of the coach.
“Welcome, pet.”
“Torrance?” She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the shadows.
A warm hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her inside.
She fell into a man’s lap and the familiar scent of sandalwood and vanilla had her relaxing back against Torrance’s arm which braced her from falling.
Torrance looked downat his wife-to-be in his lap and smiled. He hadn’t a clue as to how to begin to explain the events of the past two days. After their return to London he had been determined to put his activities for the Home Office behind him. A new start. A fresh beginning. Except two days after his return, sitting in his study poring over boring ledgers, he began to fantasize about what he could be doing. Unable to concentrate, he’d ventured to Brooks’, where he bumped into Foxton and Harrington who were wagering on whether or not they believed Middleton would succeed. Harrington, a dual agent for the Foreign Office and the Home Office, was in favor of Middleton’s success while Foxton argued the young agent lacked enough experience to go toe-to-toe with the clever Lady Margaret. Rarely did the head of the Foreign Office agree to collaborate with the Home Office, but as Archbroke explained to him, this was an unusual situation. Torrance had attempted to pay no mind to the mutterings about Lady Margaret and her shenanigans, but admittedly he failed miserably. He couldn’t help but press his ear to a closed door or two if he suspected the woman and her activities were being discussed on the other side.
Phoebe shifted in his lap and the rub of her bottom against him had his cock stirring. “Where are we going?”
“I apologize for not sending you word earlier. We shall not be venturing north for our wedding trip. Instead, Archbroke has arranged for us to tour the Continent.”
“The Continent? Why would Archbroke be arranging… activities abroad are not under Archbroke’s purview…hold on…does this mean you have been reinstated as an agent of the Home Office or have you been recruited by the Foreign Office?”
“Would you be disappointed if I told you I wasn’t an agent for either?”
“Of course I wouldn’t.” She cupped his cheek with one hand and stared into his eyes. “However, I would have to be both mindless and blind not to have noticed you snooping about since our return. Not that I can claim I haven’t been doing the same. It’s unsettling knowing Lady Margaret is out there somewhere and most likely devising yet another scheme. What if she tries to steal the crown jewels again or plans to kidnap someone?”
Oh, his future looked bright indeed. Phoebe was like no other lady. He needn’t have worried about how to explain matters; she already understood.
Torrance kissed her palm and said, “Before we meet with Archbroke, I wanted to ask if you were opposed to being married at sea rather than in a church.”
Eyes alight, Phoebe replied, “Being married at sea sounds like an adventure, and you know how fond I am of those.”
Torrance nuzzled her neck. “Ahmm… I do indeed.”
She tilted her head, granting him better access to the sensitive skin just beneath her ear and said, “I rather like the idea of being married by a captain rather than a reverend. What a grand story we will have to share with our children and grandchildren.”
He pulled back and smiled. “Captain Bane has officiated a marriage or two over the years. And I trust he will get us safely across the channel and back, so we indeed will have a tale to tell.”
“Then that’s that. No need to worry.” She ran her thumb over his lower lip as he had done to her not so long ago. Rather than letting her continue to tease him as he had her, he closed his lips over the tip of her thumb and captured her wayward digit.
Phoebe pulled back her hand and stared at his lips. “How long until we reach the docks?”
“Not long.”
“Long enough for us…”
Torrance shook his head and sadly said, “I’m afraid not, pet. However, after we are wed, I’m certain Captain Bane wouldn’t be upset nor surprised if we remained in our cabin for the duration of our journey.”
“How many hours will that take?”
“Depending on the winds and the tide, between eighteen to twenty-two hours. Plenty of time…” Phoebe’s cut off the rest of his sentence with a kiss. A kiss that deepened as each second passed. Only when the coach began to slow did she pull back and say, “Eighteen hours alone is not enough.”
The minx never hesitated to share with him what she wanted and it was one of her most endearing qualities. He reached up and attempted to fix her coiffure that he had well and truly ruined. “Not enough?”
“Once we dock in France, we will be busy hunting Lady Margaret down.”
“Apologies, pet. We are not venturing to the Continent on official business. I’m still not an agent for the Home Office nor the Foreign Office. We are simply doing Archbroke a favor while we are on our wedding trip. If our plans by chance overlap with those of Middleton, and we happen to cross paths with Lady Margaret then…that is by pure coincidence.”
Phoebe brow furrowed and she narrowed her gaze upon him. “A favor? For Archbroke?”
“Yes.”
“And should I expect us to be doing Archbroke favors often?”
Proud of his negotiation skills, Torrance answered, “That’s the beauty of the situation my pet. Only when it suits us.”
“Ahh…so it shall be on our terms not his.”
“Correct.”
Phoebe rewarded him with a kiss and then added, “You’re a genius, husband.”
The coach door opened before he could muss up her hair any further.
With a broad smile, Danny poked his head in. “Archbroke and Captain Bane are waiting.”
Torrance hopped out and offered his hand to Phoebe. “Ready?”
“I’m ready. Are you?” Phoebe’s gaze lowered below his waist.
The minx was a tease. He’d have to teach her a lesson or two about the consequences of flirting with her husband.