Chapter 13
Josiah sat back in his chair, glancing around White's. As yet, his cousin had not made an appearance but Josiah had every expectation that he would soon arrive. They had arranged to meet here after the evening's entertainment and Josiah was eager to begin questioning him about Miss Jennings.
"You are still waiting, then?"
Gratefully accepting the glass of whisky from Lord Worthington, Josiah nodded. "Yes, but I am sure it will not be long."
His friend sat down next to him and let out a long, contented sigh. "I must say, I had a very pleasant evening indeed."
With a chuckle, Josiah rolled his eyes. "You spent most of the evening in conversation with one lady and one lady only."
"That is very true." Lord Worthington grinned. "But I did not find anyone else half as interesting as she."
"Is that so?" Josiah tilted his head, studying his friend. Thus far, he could not tell whether or not Lord Worthington was speaking truthfully. "You have not been acquainted with her for long."
Lord Worthington shrugged. "She and I have a common purpose, I suppose. That means that we both understand each other."
"Oh?"
His friend's eyes twinkled. "We are both determined to be of aid to our friends. Lady Alice is determined to support Lady Clara in her endeavors and I am the very same when it comes to you."
Still unsure as to whether Lord Worthington was being genuine in his remarks, Josiah took a sip of his whisky and then shrugged. "I hope that you are being truthful, my friend. I do not want Lady Alice to be injured in any way, not even in spirit."
"I should not even dream of doing such a thing!" Clearly affronted, Lord Worthington shifted to the edge of his chair in an instant, his back straight and his smile wiped from his expression. "I am being quite truthful, I assure you!"
Josiah grinned at his friend's upset. "I am glad to see your strong reaction to such a suggestion, Worthington. It affirms to me that you are, in fact, being quite honest with me. I am glad for that."
Lord Worthington's face flushed but, with a rueful smile, he leaned back in his chair, relaxing back into it again. "That was badly done."
"Mayhap," Josiah replied, "but you can be a difficult man to read, my friend. In fact, I ---"
His words came to a stop as the very man he had been waiting for walked into the room. Much to Josiah's dismay, Lord Prentis appeared to be in his cups, given the way he staggered towards them, a broad but somewhat vague smile plastered to his face.
However am I meant to have a conversation with him now?
"Cousin!" Lord Prentis beamed at Josiah as he rose to his feet in welcome, making to slap Josiah on the shoulder but missing it entirely. "You are here! How wonderful!"
Josiah took his cousin's elbow and helped him to sit down in a chair between himself and Lord Worthington, throwing his friend a grimace.
This was not going to go well, he was sure of it.
His cousin, no doubt, would barely be able to remember which young ladies he had danced with that evening, never mind anything about his mother's companion!
"You have been very merry this evening, I think. "
"I have, I have!" Lord Prentis laughed, throwing his head back and slapping one hand against his knee. "I have had the most wonderful time although I do think I gambled a little too much."
"Gambled?" Josiah frowned. "I thought you were at Lord Wickton's ball."
"Oh, I was but then I..." Lord Prentis frowned.
"I do not remember but somehow, I ended up in a card game.
Thankfully, I did not have to write any vowels, however, but my pockets are not filled with coin either!
" He laughed again and Josiah's face heated, catching the glances of one or two of the other patrons sitting in the same room.
"I would offer you a drink but I think you are tipsy enough already," he said, closing his eyes for a moment as he tried to gather himself. "Now, Prentis, there was something I wanted to ask you this evening. I thought that ---"
"A whisky!" Lord Prentis interrupted, flinging up one hand and waving it about wildly. "You there, a whisky, if you please. At once!"
Josiah groaned and dropped his head into his hands. Lord Prentis was clearly in no mood for conversation and if he imbibed any further liquor, then Josiah was quite sure there would be nothing comprehensible coming out of his mouth at all!
"Prentis." Lord Worthington spoke up, grabbing Lord Prentis's arm and yanking it down. "Your cousin wanted to ask you something."
Lord Prentis's gaze took a good deal longer than usual to reach Josiah's face. "You wanted to ask me something?"
"Yes," Josiah replied, grateful for Lord Worthington's interruption. "Might I ask you if your mother's companion is still present with you all?"
This made Lord Prentis frown. "You are asking about my mother's companion? The one she took on when my father passed away?"
"Yes, that is she."
A dark expression settled over Lord Prentis's face, so unexpected in its anger and upset that surprise stole away Josiah's heart.
"Why are you asking about her?" Lord Prentis set his jaw and then looked away. "That is not a name that I am willing to discuss, cousin."
Josiah blinked in surprise, then looked to Lord Worthington who gave him a barely perceptible shrug. This was not at all the reaction he had expected.
Perhaps, he considered, rubbing one hand over his chin, this inebriation might play to my favor. If he is more inclined to speak openly because of it, then can I not press him for answers?
"I do not mean to upset you," he said, slowly, picking each and every word with great care.
"It is only because I remembered that she had come to stay with you all at Christmas time, when you visited my estate.
.. but she did not stay for Christmas, if I recall.
" Putting on a rueful smile, he spread out his hands as Lord Worthington took the whisky the footman had brought over, keeping it well away from Lord Prentis.
"It is to my shame that I did not ask what had happened to her at that time.
I presumed it was because she went to visit her own family but, then again, I might well have been wrong in that. "
Lord Prentis's lips flattened. "I do not know why you would care. She was only my mother's companion."
There came a brief silence and Josiah, his spirits beginning to sink, looked down at his hands. What else could he say? What else could he do that would bring Lord Prentis enough comfort to speak honestly?
Then, an idea came to him.
"The truth is, Prentis, Miss Jennings is known to Lord Worthington." He gestured to his friend who looked utterly astonished but only for a few seconds, managing to cover up his first reaction just in time for Lord Prentis to catch his eye. "Her father, I think, was it not?"
Lord Prentis leaned back and looked straight at Lord Worthington. "You were acquainted with Lord Newtongrange?"
"Yes, yes, I was." Lord Worthington threw a look back towards Josiah who only nodded his encouragement.
"I am ashamed to say that I lost touch with Miss Jennings and I should very much like to make certain all is well with her, especially since she now has no father or mother of her own.
" With a nod in Josiah's direction, he continued on.
"The only reason I asked Rutland to speak with you was because you are family and with that, known to each other. "
Lord Prentis glowered and then looked around White's as if to make certain they could not be overheard. "It is just as well her parents have already passed from this world to the next," he muttered, as Lord Worthington threw back the rest of the whisky in one gulp. "They would be so very ashamed."
Josiah exchanged a glance with Lord Worthington. "I am sorry to hear that there was something amiss," he said, as Lord Prentis rolled his eyes. "I can assure you, she would not have received any judgement from me."
"Nor from me," Lord Worthington put in. "I did very much want to speak with her again. You say that she quit your house, Prentis, before Christmas Day?"
With a nod, Josiah looked again to Lord Prentis. "That is right. Where did she go, Prentis? I do not mean to ask so boldly but if my friend is so very eager to speak with her again, then I think it only fair."
"Devon."
Josiah's stomach threw itself upwards and then landed back in his frame again.
"I do not know where exactly," Lord Prentis sighed, looking over his shoulder, craning his neck so he might spy the footman with the whisky. "Nor do I know the specifics of why she quit my mother's employment so quickly."
"Employment?" Josiah frowned. "She was in a paid position, then, as opposed to being some poor relation?"
"Whisky!" Lord Prentis bellowed, ignoring Josiah. "Where did it go, man? Bring it here at once."
The poor footman, red in the face, scurried off at once to fetch Lord Prentis his whisky and Josiah felt his time growing short.
"Was Miss Jennings paid, then?" he asked again, as Lord Prentis turned back to face him. "Or was she merely a poor relation?"
Lord Prentis sighed heavily, closed his eyes and then rubbed one hand over his forehead. "I do not think that she was our poor relation, no. My mother employed her shortly after my father's death and they did do very well together. My mother thought very highly of her, I know that well enough."
"Which would make it very strange indeed that she disappeared so quickly, would it not?" Josiah pressed. "Unless it was that she had someone else to go to on Christmas Day? From what I recall, I did state that she was very welcome to remain."
"I do not know, I do not know!" Lord Prentis sighed and rolled his eyes before throwing his head back and resting it against the head of the chair. "I do not like such questions."
"You were angry before, when I mentioned the lady," Josiah said, prodding his cousin gently with his questions. "Why was that?" He was quietly convinced that Lord Prentis did know more about Miss Jennings than he was willing to admit, even in this inebriated state. "What was it she did?"
There came a long, pronounced silence that stretched on for such a long time, Josiah wanted to break it on more than one occasion.
Every time he thought to open his mouth, however, he would catch Lord Worthington's eye and his friend would shake his head, demanding yet more silence.
At one point, Josiah was quite sure that Lord Prentis had fallen asleep given the state of him!
"Whisky, my lord?"
Lord Prentis's eyes flew open but Josiah stood first, reaching out for it. "I will take it, I thank you."
"That... that is mine!" Lord Prentis tried to stand but his strength was not sufficient, meaning that he could only flail wildly. "That is the second time --- nay, the third! --- that I have called for whisky and had it taken from me."
Josiah did not correct his cousin. "Tell me, Prentis. What was it that Miss Jennings did that angered you so?" He held up the whisky. "You can have this once I hear from you."
A groan ripped from Lord Prentis's lips, his expression growing dark. "I do not know exactly."
"I do not believe you."
Letting out a cry of frustration, Lord Prentis rolled his eyes. "I do not know! I can assure you that I have no knowledge of what it was specifically. All I know is that she betrayed our family in one way or another and deeply upset my mother. I was glad to see her gone, truth be told."
Letting his cousin's words settle, Josiah considered this for a few moments but did not hand over the whisky. "You know this because you overheard the conversation?"
"It is all my mother would tell me." Lord Prentis half pushed himself out of his chair and made to grab the whisky which, with a snort of laughter, Josiah gave to him.
"She was not herself for some time thereafter, however.
Yes, she put on a very fine face for Christmas Day but I know that her spirits were very heavy.
She has not taken on another companion since then! "
"Mayhap she feels she does not need one," Lord Worthington suggested, but Lord Prentis immediately shook his head.
"No, I do not think so. It is more than that.
There is a pain there," he said, his tone low and his eyes now holding fast to something on the wall straight in front of him.
"It is more than disappointment, it is heartbreak.
I wish my mother would tell me what it was that she did but she refuses to speak of it.
Even now, she will not. Her spirits are still very low indeed and I am troubled for her because of it.
" Slowly, his gaze travelled across the room to return to Josiah.
"So now that I have answered your questions, might we all drink in peace? "
"Of course." Josiah did not dare to ask anything more. Seeing the heaviness in Lord Prentis's shoulders and hearing it in his voice, Josiah sat back in his chair and coupled his hands in his lap. What could Miss Jennings have done? And how was Lord Tyrone involved?
"Cousin, I ---"
Josiah, pulling his gaze back towards Lord Prentis, stopped short at the sight of him. Lord Prentis's head was thrown back, the glass of whisky now empty in his hand but the glass cradled there all the same. His eyes were closed tightly and his chest was rising and falling steadily.
Lord Worthington prodded him.
"I am afraid you will have nothing more from him tonight," he said, as Josiah rolled his eyes. "He is already asleep."
A wry smile touched Josiah's lips. He could not be ungrateful, not after what he had learned.
"There is something to it all, then," Lord Worthington said, his eyebrow lifting. "Miss Jennings's betrayal and the shame held by one of Lady Clara's brothers --- might they be connected?"
"If they are, then that would suggest an intimacy between them that was never made formal." A chill ran over Josiah's skin. "I must write to Clara. Through Lady Alice, of course."
"I could bring it to her," Lord Worthington suggested, his own smile growing. "Imagine if we were both to end up suitably contented by the end of this Season."
That thought made Josiah's heart lift free of all questions and confusion. "That would be wonderful indeed," he agreed, already thinking of all the ways he might tell Clara of the love he held for her.