It felt good to laugh. Annabel returned to the sofa and lifted a biscuit from her saucer. “New friends are nice to have.”
In the companionable silence that stretched between them, she wondered how much to tell her new friend. “He told me Jasper was conspiring against the Crown.” Saying it aloud was liberating. “Which is total rubbish.” That felt even better.
“It is. But there is more to Lord Ramsbury than meets the eye.”
“What do you—”
Jocelyn put up a hand. “That’s for him to tell you. What I can tell you is that Spencer’s stories are never far from the truth and, at times, are twisted to mirror his own motives.” She shifted in the corner of the sofa and drew her feet up under her. “However, I’m more interested in what you saw during your daring encounter.”
“I told you.”
“No. You told the story, but something else is bothering you. Something only you saw,” Jocelyn said. “Close your eyes.”
Annabel did as she asked. The first part she had no problem recalling. “He had a sword, but not…” She drew a deep breath and let her thoughts unwind, like watching a play. “It was an epee, like he was expecting a duel rather than an ambush.” Highwaymen don’t duel, do they?
“Good. What else?” Jocelyn asked. “Was it his horse? Perhaps the color?”
Annabel had been so focused on the man’s movements, she’d barely noticed he was riding at all. But color…
“His hair curled out from under the scarf he used as a mask. It glowed in the moonlight like his blade.” She followed that hair to the rest of him. Broad shoulders, determined jaw, gritted teeth. She’d seen him before, closing in on her. In a horse race.
“Viscount Raines.” Her eyes flew open, and she was shocked to see the world was exactly as she’d left it a moment earlier. “It was Viscount Raines, I’m certain of it.”
Jocelyn nodded, though her eyes were sad. “That makes sense. Spencer would want to use someone the ton would never suspect, much less accuse.”
“What information could Sir Reginald possibly have on Viscount Raines?” The young man was rather a snob and too fond of horses. He never refused a game of cards. But a murderer?
“Raines attacked a young girl at the Rose—my housekeeper’s daughter—though I came along before the worst of the damage could be done. Spencer was at my elbow when I had Raines evicted and banned. Half clothed, I might add.”
The situation was too common in households, and it was one of the largest reasons Annabel had dreaded going into service. “Is the young lady all right?”
“She is. Once the new school begins in Thetford, she’ll be moving in with us,” Jocelyn said. “But Miss Bainbridge’s well-connected father might not want his daughter—or her dowry—going to a rapist in the making.”
So Spencer had convinced him to kill Jasper? It seemed a bit far-fetched on its face, but he’d used a less potent reason to convince Annabel to become a spy.
“I do not know how Spencer is connected to Jasper otherwise, but I can hazard a guess that Raines’s behavior is only one layer of secrets.” Jocelyn chose a cake from the tray. “I also suspect your safety, and your husband’s, depends on your trusting one another.”
“If I tell him, I’m afraid I’ll lose him.” Annabel wasn’t certain which would be worse, being sent away or being kept on hand for appearances.
“He may surprise you.” Jocelyn finished her coffee and stood. Her smile was warm. “You have certainly surprised me.”
Annabel saw her to the door and swept her into a quick embrace. “Thank you.”
“Call on me anytime. It’s rare that my skills can be used in Society.”
Jocelyn was going down the steps as the family carriage pulled to the door. Stapleton’s march echoed through the hall.
“Lady Ramsbury?” He already had her coat and hat. “His lordship has asked that we bring you to him.”
Jocelyn’s words made Annabel less resentful of her Frederick-shaped shadow and the carriage that kept her out of the sunshine. She rode in the middle of the seat, her fingers clenched into a fist to fight the urge to stare out the window and see if anyone was following. The quiet pressed on her like a winter cloak.
There is more to Lord Ramsbury than meets the eye. Annabel gave an unladylike snort. There was more to everyone in this scheme than met the eye. It was a maze that made her head spin until she didn’t know up from down. All she knew was she needed to find a way out, through her father’s debts, her sisters’ futures, and past a killer viscount only she could identify—someone who was a threat to the man she loved.
She’d felt it for weeks, though she’d originally marked it down to the intimacies she and Jasper shared. Making love with a handsome man turned every woman’s head, didn’t it? But every day gave her a glimpse of the man behind the face that sent every Society lady into a swoon. And when Raines had aimed his sword at Jasper’s neck, the cold anger that flooded her spoke of something deeper than attraction.
“I have to tell him the truth,” Annabel whispered. She wouldn’t be another person in his life who loved him too much to be honest. Besides that, if Spencer had been desperate enough to send Raines as an assassin, Jasper was somehow a threat to a larger plot. He needed to know everything.
If she lost him because of it, at least he would be safe.
Outside the window, the crowds and noise faded. Rather than the creamy-white uniformity of houses in Belgravia and Mayfair, the homes here had their own personalities, and they faced the Green Park. If Annabel squinted, she could just make out the spires of Buckingham Palace.
The coach slowed to a stop, and the door opened. Rather than Frederick with his serious stare, Jasper stuck his head into the coach. “Welcome home, Lady Ramsbury.”
His wide smile was irresistible as he helped her from the carriage and led her forward.
Rather than imposing steps, the red-doored entrance was simple, and the front windows were skirted with flower boxes. Once inside, the hall was generous, but not grand, and the stairwell coiled along the walls. Scaling three stories. A large glass window, set in the roof, flooded the space with light.
“Welcome to Ramsbury House,” Jasper said, still keeping hold of her hand. “I wanted to ensure the roof was sound before we visited.”
“It’s beautiful.” If they stood on the top floor at night, they might be able to see the stars. Annabel slid free of him and pulled her pin from her hat.
“While I’m glad you’re free of those ridiculous ribbons, I’m worried that pin will puncture your brain.”
She fingered the lovely onyx and ruby-headed pin that reached from her fingertips to her wrist. “I thought that was the reason you bought it.”
He put his lips to hers in a warm kiss, and she felt him smile before he withdrew. “Your brain is one of my favorite things about you, darling.”
Eager to explore, Annabel walked into the drawing room, where the rugs were rolled against the walls and the furnishings were shrouded. Jasper lifted a cover to reveal a green sofa that had been in style several years earlier.
