The Gift of Patience (The Virtues Book 3) by Elizabeth Johns

Author:Elizabeth Johns [Johns, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-08-11T00:00:00+00:00

It was a good thing Rupert had left, because Ashley would have murdered him for daring to accost Miss Whitford in such a manner. He’d wanted to take her in his arms and comfort her, but he’d not been prepared for the reaction. He would’ve erased that disgusting memory and replaced it with a much better one, if he did say so himself.

As they walked back to the house, there was laughter, and they both stopped to look for the source.

Patience inclined her head to the left and he followed around the hedge. They came upon the open lawn, where Grace, Joy, Lord Montford, and Mr. and Miss Cunningham were playing pall mall with one of his aunts.

“Would you two care to join us? We’ve only just begun and can start over,” Aunt Rosemary offered graciously.

“Unfortunately, duty calls,” Ashley answered.

Patience also waved away the offer with a mutter. “I have a desperate need to wash my mouth with soap.”

Xander took off after one of the balls, and Mr. Cunningham scooped him up with much laughter. “I can hardly blame him when we played fetch with one of these at home.”

“I will return him to the house so you may carry on with your game.” Patience made to go for the pup.

“Oh, can he please stay with us for a while? I’ve scarcely seen him with all the attention to Freddy and her kittens.” Joy was now scratching behind his ears.

“Of course,” Patience said, though Ashley detected some hesitance in her voice.

They walked in silence. He sensed she was more bothered than she let on. “Forgive me for leaving you to Rupert alone. Do I need to call him out?”

She seemed to relax a fraction. “No, of course not. I want to help, truly, but I would be appreciative if he did not touch my person nor continue under the disillusion that we are betrothed.”

“He said that?”

She nodded in the affirmative. “Hopefully, your grandmother disabused him of that notion. She blistered his ears when she came upon him trying to kiss me in the garden.”

“I would imagine so,” he agreed, unaccountably angry that Rupert had kissed her.

“Is there no other way?” she pleaded.

“Certainly he shall never be alone with you again. I will think upon other avenues to try to draw him out.”

“Has nothing else developed?” she asked eagerly.

His initial impulse was to deny her. What place did a lady have in an investigation? But then he checked himself. He knew the Foreign Office did employ some ladies in that regard, and they were quite skilled. “I am not certain what there is to tell that you do not already know.” He turned to look down at her and raised a knowing brow.

“Most of it was being in the right place at the right time.” She did not try to defend herself.

“We do not think there is anything more to glean from Devil. It did look as though Rupert recognized him, but Devil swears he never saw the man’s face, and that Rupert’s voice is too high to be his contact.

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