He leaned closer to her and spoke softly, his beautiful brown eyes fixed on hers.
“Does Mr. Wilhern suspect that you are spying on him? Is that why they left you here with hardly anyone to take care of you?”
“He was suspicious after I took that paper and copied it. I believe that is why he told me I had to marry Mr. Edgerton by special license last Friday. But I got sick and . . .” She smiled. “I was given a reprieve.”
“He would have forced you to marry Edgerton?” Mr. Langdon ran a hand down his face.
“I would not have.” She paused as a coughing fit came upon her. Thankfully, it wasn’t as violent or as lengthy as before.
While Julia was coughing, Mr. Langdon’s brow creased.
“Don’t talk. I know the coughing is painful.” And as she stopped coughing, he asked, “Is there anything I can get for you?”
She shook her head. “I would have run away rather than marry Mr. Edgerton.”
“What if you could not have escaped? I cannot let them make you marry him. Perhaps I could make arrangements for you to go to the country in secret.”
Of course he must understand that secretly sending her to the country would alert the Wilherns that something very suspicious was going on, and it could ruin Julia’s reputation as well.
“When will the War Office people act?” she asked. “If they would apprehend my uncle and Mr. Edgerton . . .”
“I think they will wait a bit longer, as they want to be certain they know who their fellow conspirators are. It is an easy thing to arrest the four men as they board their ship to the Continent, but apprehending everyone else involved at the same moment so that they do not flee . . . that is a bit more difficult.”
Julia nodded. But it was very inconvenient for her. And yet . . . she dreaded the awful moment when poor Phoebe’s father would be charged with treason. No doubt all his assets would be seized, and Phoebe would become fatherless and penniless at the same time.
Which was why Julia had sent a letter inquiring about the governess position in Suffolk. Phoebe’s Bath relations would surely take her in, or some of her other relations, but Julia would need to have a position to go to right away.
But this was not Mr. Langdon’s responsibility, nor even something he needed to know. To tell him would be to ask for his help, and that would be improper—a young unmarried woman asking the help of a young unmarried man who was wholly unconnected to her.
“But I promise,” Mr. Langdon said, leaning even closer to her, her heart fluttering at the concern in his eyes, “I shall keep a closer watch on you. I would never forgive myself if your uncle did something evil to you.”
He stared down at her hand lying on the coverlet. His hand moved toward it, as if about to clasp hers, and then stopped. “I want you to know that—”
The door opened. Mr. Langdon withdrew his hand and sat back, a strange look on his face, as Leorah came into the room and held up the book.
“I found it. It was in the music room.” She paused, staring at her brother, and then smiled a slow, knowing smile. She stepped forward and gave the book to Julia. “I hope you will be well enough to enjoy reading it.”
“I’m sure I shall. Thank you.”
The atmosphere was suddenly awkward as Leorah seemed to look at her brother with both amusement and approval. But surely Leorah knew that her brother could not have an interest in marrying Julia. He had no fortune, and Julia was destined to be a governess. But Leorah was the kind of person to believe that anything was possible. Julia’s life had taught her to be more practical.
Two days later, Leorah was sitting by Julia’s bed. Leorah said some cheerful words about the weather and the fact that the Season would soon be over and she would be returning to her family’s country estate in Lincolnshire.
But Julia was thinking about how much Leorah and Mr. Langdon had done for her. They had even loaned their footman, Barnes, to spend every night in the house so that they were not without a male protector.
“I am so grateful to you, Leorah,” Julia said, “and to your entire family, for all you have done for me while I’ve been sick.”
“You are a most delightful girl, Julia, and it is my pleasure to take charge of you—mine and my brother’s, Cora’s, and Polly’s. If you thought for a moment that we do not wish to care for you as our very own, then you are gravely mistaken.” She said these last words so softly, so tenderly, that Julia couldn’t help but believe her. But had Leorah truly meant to include her brother when she said they were pleased to take charge of her? Julia hadn’t seen Mr. Langdon for the last two days.
“People may hear of my illness. Word could get back to Mr. and Mrs. Wilhern, and they will wonder why I haven’t written.”