Chapter 7
Well, that was all for naught.
Julian berated himself as he practically stomped away from the home of Lord Camden, Verity’s father.
Verity had said there was nothing in the letters, but he had a feeling that there was something she wasn’t telling him.
Could he trust her?
He had quickly seized upon the excuse he had presented to her for visiting, realizing he would truly rather she looked at him with a little less disdain than she usually did.
He stopped to greet an acquaintance on the Mayfair street before continuing on, the warm sun in slight contrast to his mood.
Should he have pushed harder?
He had abandoned all his plans for flirting with her the moment he saw the suspicion on her face. She would have seen right through his sudden interest. As it was, she had questioned why he was there.
But he had gotten no closer to seeing the letters.
Something about that visit bothered him, although he couldn’t put his finger on it.
Something about Lady Verity.
She… interested him more than she had in the past, although she was right. He hadn’t spent much time with her alone. Perhaps there was more to her beneath the facade she hid behind. Perhaps it was because she had, if only for a moment, allowed him to glimpse the cracks beneath it.
Not that he’d let himself get too interested. Wallflower, spinster, woman who hated him she might be, but she was still an eligible young woman, and he was not going to fall into that trap.
Not now. Maybe not ever.
He considered going to his clubs, but it was fairly early in the day, and something was nagging at him. Something he couldn’t shake. Perhaps it was the letters. Perhaps it was Lady Verity herself.
He’d go gamble a bit to try to win back some of what he owed. That should do it.
As he set his feet toward the other side of Mayfair, he tried to push aside the voice in his mind telling him that this was a very bad idea, that he was just likely to lose even more.
A voice that sounded very much like Lady Verity’s.
* * *
Verity frowned for a moment as she moved her hand beneath the floorboard.
Where was it? She was certain—ah, there. Thank goodness.
With a sigh of relief, she pulled out the packet of letters, one tied with a string.
Julian’s visit had raised all sorts of questions—but first and most importantly, the letters that he tried to pretend he wasn’t interested in.
Why did a packet of old letters matter so much?
She had read them through, but once she realized what they were, she had been more focused on the romance within them.
For what she hadn’t told Julian—or even had the chance to share with Evelyn yet—was that they were love letters.
They were unsigned, but from what she could tell were clearly letters written from a paramour who must have been a relative of hers, being that she found them in this very place, beneath the floorboards of her bedroom where she had hidden them.
She just wished she had the replies.
She tried to remember what she had been saying about them when Julian had overheard her that day at Evelyn’s. She was likely telling Evelyn that there was information within them involving the Paragon Diamond, which was true.
Perhaps it would be best to mull this over with Evelyn herself.
Which was why Verity found herself entering Evelyn’s sitting room a couple of hours later.
“Verity, I’m so glad you’re here!” Evelyn cried when she entered, bounding to her feet.
“Oh? Why?”
“Why? Verity, you were the talk of the masquerade, you must know that!”
“Well, I do know that I likely confused some people regarding my identity, but I hardly think that I would ever be the talk of—”
“Oh, you most certainly were. I had many questions about the stunning lady in purple, most especially from a few interested gentlemen.”
“They were just curious,” Verity said, waving her words off, and Evelyn’s lips curled up in a smile.
“More than. Lord Julian was practically demanding that I tell him who you were. He even went as far as asking Asher to command that I do so.”
Verity snorted. “Has he ever been around the two of you?”
“Asher quickly told him that he could never. Lord Eastclere also had a few questions.”
“Well, we know how things would go with Lord Eastclere,” Verity said. She’d already denied any connection there.
“You’re not dismissing the possibility of an understanding with Lord Julian.”
“Evelyn,” Verity said, fixing her with a look. “We both know there is no sense in pursuing an attachment to Lord Julian.’”
“Why not?”
“He’s… he’s Lord Julian! You know how he is.
Anyway, thank you for keeping my secret.
” She had been about to tell Evelyn about Lord Julian’s visit that morning, but she decided to keep it to herself for now after seeing Evelyn’s reaction—she would likely be planning a courtship and wedding if she heard that the two of them had spent any time together alone.
“But as it happens, there is something else I am visiting you about.”
“Do tell.”
Verity carefully pulled the stack of letters, tied together with ribbon, out of her pocket and placed them on the table before them.
“Do you recall me telling you about these letters?”
“Oh, yes, I do. Then we became caught up in the masquerade.”
“Yes, well, I’ve read them.”
“And?”
“And they are intriguing. They are a set of letters received from a lover of one of my family members, likely a generation ago. There are no dates, but perhaps they were written to one of my aunts.”
“Do you have the letters she wrote?”
“No, those must be with her lover. Or the man that she loved. I’m not sure if they ever actually got together.
Most of the letters are about how much they wish to see one another, of what he thinks when he gazes upon her, that kind of thing.
He never uses a name but mostly refers to her as ‘my darling.’”
“Oh, I love this,” Evelyn said, eagerly picking up the first letter. “May I?”
“Please do.” Verity knew her friend was likely already trying to work out how to solve the puzzle of who these belonged to. “I’m not sure that I necessarily need any information on the letter writers. They could have been between two people whose love was forbidden.”
“Which would be so romantic,” Evelyn sighed.
“Romantic or sad, especially if it never worked out. I’m not sure what happened as there are only about ten letters, which stop abruptly.”
“Hmm. Does your father have any sisters?”
“Just my Aunt Mabel, but she’s a spinster living out in the country,” Verity shrugged. “I suppose they could belong to her, but if so, then that’s her secret to keep.”
“Oh, Verity, you are no fun,” Evelyn said, and Verity nodded sagely.
“I know. I know I’m not.”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Evelyn said, her face falling, but Verity brushed away her apology.
“You’re right. But I don’t mind. The reason I brought the letters to you, however, is because of something contained in a few of them—references to the Paragon Diamond.”
“To the Paragon?” Evelyn’s mouth widened into an O. “What do they say?”
Verity picked out the two letters and passed them to her.
“You can read them for yourself, but mostly the man says that he heard the Paragon Diamond was with her family, which would be my family, on the Eastclere side. He asks to see it. Then in another letter, he says that he’s heard the diamond has returned.
This must have been around the time they were preparing and placing the message in the diamond to report the traitors, including Norwood.
Before Norwood killed the previous Marquess of Eastclere and the former Duke of Ravenscar. ”
“That could be. Why would the lover care about the diamond?” Evelyn asked. “Because of its value?”
“Do you think he could have been trying to steal it?”
“The handwriting and quality of paper look like it was written by someone well off. Why would they want to steal the diamond?”
“Why is someone trying to steal the diamond now?” Verity countered.
“You have a point,” Evelyn said before looking at Verity with determination. “We need to figure out who this man is.”
“Why?”
“Maybe there’s more to the Paragon Diamond’s past. Maybe it will help us figure out who stole it now.”
“That doesn’t seem likely.”
“One never knows.”
Verity hesitated in sharing the next piece of information, but if there was anyone she trusted, it was Evelyn.
“Lord Julian was interested in learning more about the letters.”
“Was he?”
“He overheard me talking about them the night the diamond was stolen, and he hasn’t let it go. Why would he care? He has nothing to do with any of this.”
“Besides being Asher’s friend.”
“Yes.”
“I’m not certain about that.” Evelyn eyed her. “He was asking for you at the masquerade. You as Lady Verity, that is.”
“That would be why. To follow up on the letters.”
“Little did he know you were right in front of him,” Evelyn said with a little laugh, and Verity nodded.
Evelyn had no idea about the kiss, and Verity wasn’t about to share any further, for Evelyn would only continue trying to play matchmaker.
“Do you truly have no interest in him? Julian… well, he might not be forever, but he might be some fun.”
Verity’s eyes widened. “Evelyn, are you suggesting I have an affair? That I ruin myself?”
“No, of course not!” Evelyn said quickly. “Just maybe… a little flirtation is all. Nothing that would get you into trouble.”
“You feel quite guilty about leaving me alone, don’t you?” Verity said with a smile of gratitude that she had a friend who cared so much.
“I do,” Evelyn admitted. “But also… somehow, you and Julian make sense to me. Like a puzzle that fits together. One of you solid, steady.”
“Boring.”
“Dependable. And the other one wild and carefree.”
“Fun.”
“Sure. Anyway, something to think about.”
They spent the rest of the afternoon going through the letters, trying to pull out any clues to the man’s identity. They didn’t get far, however, besides that he must be a member of the ton, considering the events he attended and wanted to see his lover at.
Between the letters and Evelyn’s words, however, Verity started to consider all that was before her.
With Evelyn married and Verity getting older by the minute, she knew she was barrelling toward spinsterhood, if she wasn’t there already.
There was a good chance the kiss she had shared with Julian would be the only one she would ever have.
She wasn’t sure she could ever be that woman she had been the night at the masquerade as her true self, but maybe…
maybe Julian could help her find a piece of that woman.
Maybe he could coach her, help her, especially if she told him that it wouldn’t mean anything, and she would never expect anything in return.
She just wasn’t sure if he would ever agree.
She eyed the letters.
Maybe they could make a deal.
She just had to figure out how.