Scandal - COMPLETED

Chapter Twenty-Six

"Are you ready?" John asked.

"Honestly? No," I said.

Beyond my carriage window, the Duke of Glover's manse stood out like a beacon in the darkness. We waited in the long queue of arriving guests, and the closer we crept to the front of it, the more anxious I became. It looked as though every candle inside Glover's home had been lit. Light poured forth from the windows and doors. The glow might have appeared merry and inviting to someone else's eyes, but to me, it looked like the gates of hell were yawning open.

What if I received another note? In the middle of the ballroom, with a hundred witnesses to mark my reaction? What sort of flirtation did McNaught plan for my brother to see? Was my father already somewhere inside, badgering my twin? Had Amesbury seen the mention of me in The Times? Had the other women I kept company with seen the caricature of John and Henry?

I turned away from the sight to face John. He watched me from the shadows on his side of the carriage. They were too dark to catch his expression, but I could feel the intensity of his focus. Was he plagued by similar thoughts? I'd shown him the crude drawing from The Londoner. He was of the opinion that it was an opening volley. That our blackmailers did plan to use his relationship with Henry against us, and here was the proof. I believed the same, at first. But now I wondered if it could truly be so simple.

John had lied before. John kept secrets still. How could we be sure that our enemy hadn't uncovered one of them, and while we were distracted by the threat of them outing an illegal relationship, they worked toward their true goal in the background?

The carriage rolled forward several more feet.

John shifted out of the shadows. His expression was guileless. On any other man it might have looked like an open, maybe even inquisitive countenance, but John's natural inclination for subterfuge made me question the innocence he had coaxed his features into. "Do you remember what to say if you receive another note?" he asked.

"I've never seen such a crush," I answered. I was to speak the words to John or McNaught within minutes of receiving one if possible. I hoped with all my heart that I wouldn't have to.

"And you're prepared to act your part with James?"

"I'm resigned to it, at least."

Heat crept into John's expression. He half lidded his eyes. Those full lips curled up at the edges. "If you find yourself having difficulty selling your performance with him, you could always let your mind drift back to last night."

I released a shaky breath. "I'm not sure that's a wise idea. McNaught may misinterpret my change in manner, and the last thing I need is for him to get ideas about me."

John looked me over like he was having his own ideas about me. "It may already be too late for that."

"I doubt his interest extends past conquest. Even if it were more complex than that, there'd be no risk of me succumbing. The only feelings I have toward the man run the gamut from distrust to retaliation."

John drew his gaze back up to mine. "Perhaps, but James is a man used to getting what he wants."

The carriage rolled forward again before coming to a stop. I swayed with the motion, staring at John. "Would he force me?"

"No. But he can be quite convincing when he puts his mind to something."

I frowned. "In that case, perhaps I should petition Adnan to teach me how to wield a knife."

I'd meant it half in jest, but John didn't take it that way. The heat of desire fled from his face, leaving contemplation in its wake. "That's not a bad idea. Knowing that even if an enemy agent slipped past our defenses, you'd be capable of gutting him like a fish might ease my nerves."