Winter's Kiss (Howertys #3)

Chapter 28b: The Earl of Wyndon (Part 2)

Nick was so busy chatting with Lady Wyndon—it had shocked her to see the older woman's state so deteriorated since the last time she'd seen her—that it took her a moment to realise Henry was trying to get her attention. His hazel eyes were fastened upon her, and she wondered how long he'd been staring at her.

"Would you care to go for a stroll in the garden?" he asked, his light tone belying the intensity in his gaze.

"Oh, you could show her my roses!" Lady Wyndon exclaimed happily. "They are lovely this time of year."

Henry smiled at his mother, but there was a hint of sadness in it as he nodded and placed a kiss on her hand. "Of course, Mother." Turning to the other two men in the room, his posture tensed. "Nick and I are going for a walk in the garden and will be back shortly."

The Frenchman, Fontaine, immediately stood as well. "That sounds like a splendid idea. I will join you."

"Let's all go." Gabriel joined them, smiling blithely.

She took Henry's arm as he offered it and followed him through the house to the garden. As they reached the outside, he threw a look behind them, and realising that Gabriel had stalled his cousin, he pulled her further into the garden and behind some overgrown rose bushes, out of sight of the doors. Bending close to her, he hissed, "What are you doing here, Nick?"

Pulling her arm out of his grip, she took a stunned step backwards. "What? I came because I'm worried about you! What are you up to?"

Henry dragged a hand through his slightly curly brown hair as he exhaled loudly. "I've tried warning you off. Have you not been reading my letters? I tried to leave inconspicuous details to hint at my actual intentions."

"I—" She shook her head as if that would make things more clear. What was he on about? "I have someone read them to me. I imagine they paraphrase."

His jaw dropped. "You..." He cursed. Then laughed incredulously as he stared into the skies above. "You haven't been reading them."

Worried, she took the steps separating them and put her hand on his sleeve. "Henry," she said. "Tell me what's going on."

He stuck his head around the bushes to see where the others were, and satisfied that they weren't close enough to listen, he took her hand. "Nick," he said urgently. "That man is not my cousin. He is not a relation of ours. I believe he is a spy. No matter what, he is definitely not a good man."

"Is this why you have begged me to marry you?" she asked, her heart beating wildly in her chest at his revelations.

A grimace crossed his face. "Mostly. In all honesty, my first proposal was my own. As you might tell from the state of things here, I am in trouble. I like you well enough and thought it was worth asking since, yes, your dowry and estate would definitely help me out of the hole. But—" He held a hand up as she opened her mouth to speak. "Any subsequent ones have been because of that man. He wants your estate. Badly. I don't know why, exactly, but enough to threaten my mother's life if I did not comply."

"Oh, Henry!" She gave him a quick hug before stepping back to listen out for Gabriel and Fontaine. Their voices floated through the garden as they moved closer, but Gabriel was successfully distracting the Frenchman enough that they were not yet close enough to hear them. Turning back to her friend, she motioned for him to keep walking, wanting to make it appear as they were having a leisurely stroll. "Why didn't you tell me before now?"

"He knows people. There are eyes and ears everywhere. I couldn't risk him finding out. Not with him sat right next to Mother, pretending to be the doting cousin," he said bitterly. "Bits of conversations I had early on made it back to him, and after that, I dared not speak to anyone. I needed it to look like I was pursuing you, following his orders."

"Why does he want my estate?"

Henry shook his head. "I do not know. He is looking for a missing list of some sort, but I don't know if that's related to your estate or a separate matter. I've heard him yelling at his men about it."

A spear of excitement shot through her, and she turned around to grasp his arm. "A list? Is it a list of spies?"

"I... I'm not sure." Henry gently pulled his arm out of her grip. "He usually speaks to his men in French and mine is rather rusty."

"Did you go see the War Office agent at the inn?" she asked, remembering what Gabriel had told her.

A confused frown spread over his face. "What agent?"

"I found my stocking. The one you had left with Exton at the Albany."

He let out a surprised laugh. "I don't know why I'm surprised. I should have realised you'd figure it out."

"There was a note with it. With an address."

"Oh." He grew serious again. "Exton was helping me find out more about what Fontaine is up to. I was hoping to find whatever list it is he's looking for before him. Use it as leverage to have him release his hold over me. Exton was to follow him when he left and report back about where he went. It must be that address. He didn't have time to give it to me before he had to travel home. And when I went to his set at the Albany to retrieve it, it was gone. I assume you had taken it by then."

She nodded. "It led to an inn a day's trip away from London. An agent was staying there. He had stolen a list from the War Office and they believe he wanted to sell it to the French. I'm assuming to Monsieur Fontaine. But he's dead, and no one knows where the list is. Are you saying Fontaine is still looking?"

"Yes. I heard him mention it a couple of days ago."

"Exton must have been the unassuming gentleman that had been visiting the agent." She pondered the new information.

"No, Exton only found the address and saw which room Fontaine went to." Henry ran a hand through his hair again. "He never actually met the man staying there. I was meant to go myself to speak to him."

"That makes no sense. If the second man who visited him a few times wasn't you or Exton, who was it?" Nick lowered her voice as those of Gabriel and the Frenchman drifted closer.

"Maybe one of Fontaine's men?" Henry suggested, then straightened as the other men came into view behind them.

Nick threw them a pleasant smile as thoughts whirled in her head. Where was the list now if Fontaine didn't have it?

~~~~~~