The Fashionable Spy by Emily Hendrickson

Author:Emily Hendrickson [Hendrickson, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Regency Romance, C429, Extratorrents, Kat
Publisher: Belgrave House
Published: 1992-01-23T13:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

“I do believe I shall go out of my mind if I cannot solve this cipher soon,” Victoria declared. She ran her fingers through her disordered hair in total frustration. The end of her pen looked worse for wear where she had nibbled on it; blots of ink dotted the paper she used for scribbling possible solutions. The untidy mess littered her desk, her sculpture of the fascinating Sir Edward set aside for the moment.

However, Victoria spared the man a consideration. Why had she not informed her superiors of his possession of the cipher? It was most unlike her. She ought to have dashed to the war office with her knowledge. Yet she had seen that incriminating bit of paper once, then a second time, with notations that indicated he found it as hard to break as she did. Yet she knew she could not turn him in, even trained as she was in espionage. Could it be that she hoped he would prove to be other than she suspected. He had most likely saved her life with his care while in the windmill. She owed him something, did she not?

Across from her Elizabeth sat working with concentrated effort on a sheet of engravings, giving them their final touch of color. To one side the copper plates from which she had printed the sheet of bills lay neatly stacked, for once. A smudge of ink daubed her cheek, and a frown marred her lovely forehead while she carefully executed fine details with the help of a magnifying glass.

Only Julia sat quietly, her hands idle, even though she had a small painting half-finished in front of her on her slanted table. The morning sun highlighted the still figure, giving her the look of a painted statue.

When Victoria glanced up, she observed this uncharacteristic behavior. “What is it, Julia? You are unusually silent this morning. Come to think on it, you have said remarkably little since our visit after I came home from Sir Edward’s house yesterday. Does the scene with Mr. Padbury still bother you?” she added with a shrewd guess.

“Actually, yes.” When Elizabeth looked up in startled alarm, Julia went on to say, “He asked for my hand, but as sorely as I am tempted to secure a future for the twins, I simply could not accept the man. Assure me that what I did was right.” Delicate violet shadows emphasized Julia’s lovely eyes and gave indication of her lost sleep.

Victoria exchanged a look with Elizabeth, then nodded her head. “Of course you did. The man is an insufferable snob, wanting you to resume your style of ‘Lady Winton,’ then insisting the four of you would live here with us. As though residing in the house of a baron would elevate his status.”

Julia peered first at one sister, then the other. “Mr. Padbury did not actually propose, you know, he rather informed me that if I had been thinking about marriage again, so had he.”

Victoria gave a disgusted sniff. “I cannot countenance that he wanted to remove the twins from your care.

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