Always True to Her (Emerson Book 2) (19 page)

“Papa,” said Anna. “I’m going to miss you.”

It was nine of the clock the next morning and the
family was there to see James and Irene off on their journey. They were
gathered in the foyer, but James had pulled Anna aside to say his farewells.
Her color was much improved and other than a few spots that still had some
salve on them, she looked much as she had before she was sick.

And he had a pit in this stomach at the very thought
of leaving her.

“I will miss you so much, love. We’ve been together
for so long. I don’t know what I’ll do without you. I would take you with me
if you were completely well again.”

She nodded, then looked over at Irene. “Are you taking
Irene with you?”

“Yes, poppet. Irene and I have to sort out a
problem with our farm in Pennsylvania. Remember how I told you we would live
there?”

She smiled and her eyes lit up. “Will Irene live
with us there, too?”

Oh, dear
.
“Irene lives in London.”

That made her frown, as she thought about his
remark. “Will Letty and Aunt Rose and Uncle Colin and Aunt Ava and Mr. and
Mrs. Stemple come live with us in Pennsylvania?”

James was beginning to wish they’d slipped out
before Anna had awakened. “They love you very much and will miss you terribly,
but they live here.”

“Then do we have to go back to the farm?”

It was a question that James was only beginning to
ask himself. So he had no good answer to give his daughter. Fortunately, Rose
stepped in.

“Anna, Letty and I need your help with Jasper. Then
Mrs. Stemple was wondering if we might want to eat some scones. Would you like
that?”

Anna nodded, but she kept her eyes on her father.

“Excellent,” said Rose. “Would you like to say
good-bye to Irene? I know she’d like to have a hug before she leaves with your
papa.”

Anna smiled, then went off to find Irene.

“Thank you for stepping in,” James said to Rose.

“Yes, well, I would rather like to know why you want
to leave us for America again, too. But I reckon that is a conversation for
another day. Godspeed, brother. And remember that no matter what happens in
Portsmouth, you will always be needed here. And not just by Anna.”

After taking leave of his family, and watching as
Irene was bid a fond farewell by the same, James hugged Anna again, then
watched as she and Irene had a lengthy embrace.

Then he and Irene finally boarded the coach that
would take them to Portsmouth and ever closer to his fate.

“I already miss her,” said Irene, when they’d been
on the road for only a few minutes.

“As do I. You think she’ll be well with Colin and
the others, do you not?”

“She will be well looked after, surrounded by people
who love her. I am sure she will miss you, but they’ll keep her well
entertained.” She reached for his hand.

“She will miss you, too.”

Irene smiled. “I am touched to think that might be
the case. Though, of course, we shall have to part eventually.” She pulled
her hand away.

James did not want to let it go.

An uncomfortable silence followed. James wanted to
refute her statement, but she was correct. Nothing had changed. They were
simply getting closer to the day when they would say good-bye. He studied the
woman across from him, who was still something of a mystery. “Why do you not
marry? While I do not doubt that the vast majority of men are not worthy of
you, I have to think there are some candidates who would not be that bad.
Still not worthy of you. But a better alternative than….” He wasn’t sure how
to word what he was thinking.

“A better alternative than staying in a home where
my father barely acknowledges my existence and my grandmother only pays enough
attention to criticize me?”

“Well….yes.”

“My current life is not ideal, but who’s to say that
life with a husband would be appreciably better than what I have now? For some
women, it is much, much worse. There are many things you cannot tell about a
person until you live with him. You cannot know how a man would act when you
are, by all intents and purposes, his property. That may be a slight
exaggeration, but not much.”

“I am afraid you are right on that account. We have
long worried about our sister Winifred, Mrs. Pierce. Do you know her?”

“Unfortunately, I have not had the pleasure.”

“None of us has had the pleasure of Win’s company in
a long time.” And when he returned to America, he would not have the chance of
helping her if she needed him. He might not even see her again for many years.
It was too depressing to contemplate. “I hope you find that which you seek,
Irene. You certainly deserve to be happy.”

“As do you,” she said.

They settled into a not-quite comfortable silence
for much of the journey, which would last most of the day. When they did
speak, most of their conversation centered on what they thought Anna might be
doing and what she would think of the sights they passed. But at last they
came to the embarkation point for the island city on the south coast of
Hampshire. James and Irene got out of the carriage to stretch their legs.

“It is much larger than I thought,” said Irene
looking out at the island.

“Portsmouth has the unique distinction of being even
more crowded than London, though of a smaller population. It is one of the
busiest ports in Europe.”

Irene wrinkled her nose at the foul smell that had
just wafted toward them with the shifting wind. “Is it this, uh, fragrant on
the island itself?”

“I fear the island will smell every bit as bad as it
does now, if not worse. It is a major port for fishermen wishing to offload
their cargo.”

“It smells like they were rather successful.” She
put her handkerchief to her nose.

“It does. But the fish may cover up even more
unpleasant odors. The prison hulks are just offshore.” He pointed to five
large ships sitting low in the water.

Irene moved closer to him. “They’re awaiting
transportation?”

“Some are. They might remain there for weeks,
months or even years, awaiting the funds to make the journey.”

“The poor souls.”

James looked at her. “Many of the occupants would
slit your throat for fun, as well as commit other crimes I do not care to speak
of.”

“True,” she said carefully. “Yet some others simply
had the ill fortune to be born poor and were caught stealing to survive.
Should they suffer such a fate? Why are you looking at me that way?”

“Not many women of your class would have compassion
for people born into poverty.”

“I would like to remind you that we are of the same
class.”

“But I have little use for my title.”

“That does not change the fact that we were born
into a world of privilege that others can only dream of. The fact that you
chose to escape your surroundings and I am more or less trapped by mine is what
is of interest here.”

“Many things are of interest here,” he said, as he
pulled off his right glove. He touched her cheek, flushed with the cold. He
wanted to kiss her, standing on the bluff, looking down on the city that would
determine his fate. He wanted to spend more time with her as friends, until the
moment when she would likely turn away from him when she learned the truth
about her brother.

He lowered his lips toward hers…

“My lord,” said Layton’s coachman. “If I might have
a word?”

James did not want to have a word with anyone. He
wanted to kiss Irene. But she had already stepped away from him. Layton’s servant
had damnable timing. “If you’ll excuse me,” he said to her.

He made his way to the coachman, Murphy. He wasn’t
the friendliest man, but he was a competent driver.

“Yes, Murphy?” James asked.

“We was just talking to the ostler of the inn across
the way and he says there’s a carriage tax to enter Portsmouth. A sizable
one. And if you reckon we’ll need to remain overnight…”

“I believe we must. It could even be two nights or
more.”

“Well, that’ll cost even more coin since it’s more expensive
to stable the horses and such over there than here. I thought it might be best
if you and Miss Wallace was to take the ferry over, whilst Creighton and I
stayed here.”

“Are the accommodations here suitable for you?”
asked James, as he looked over the nearby inn.

“Good enough. And it’s not like we have a lot of
choice, do we? The innkeeper says he can put this on Lord Layton’s account.”

James stiffened. “I do not want Lord Layton to have
to pay for this.”

“With all due respect, my lord, I don’t know how you
can avoid it.”

James inwardly flinched at the answer. But Murphy
was right. It could take days to find Adams. If the innkeeper was willing to
take credit, who was he to argue? He would find a way to make this up to
Nick.

“Thank you, Murphy. I shall make arrangements with
the innkeeper. When you see to the horses, please be sure that you and
Creighton get a hot meal.”

He made his way back to Irene, who had wandered down
the road a bit.

“Trying to run away? You shan’t get far in this
snow, I fear.”

“I thought I recognized someone.”

That brought James up short. “Did someone from
London see you with me?”

She shook her head. “I do not even know who it
was. He just looked….familiar. And he was staring at me.”

He pulled her closer to him. A part of him knew
that if it was someone Irene knew from London, he should distance himself from
her. But the protective part of him wanted to keep her close. “I cannot
imagine that having a man stare at you is an unusual experience.”

“Is that your way of complimenting me, my lord? I
shall have to make a note of it and keep it under my pillow.”

“You didn’t keep anything under your pillow at the
dower house.”

“I will thank you to not remind me of our previous accommodations,”
she said. She looked down the road again. “Perhaps I am mistaken. But it was
odd.”

“Then there is likely something to it. The frontier
taught me to trust my instincts. If you see him again, please tell me.”

“I will.”

“Now, if you will join me, a ferry ride awaits.”

*

The ferry was crowded and the wind from the ocean
was cold, but Irene was enveloped by James’s warmth. He shielded her as much
as possible from the jostling that came with too many people crowded onto too
small of a boat. And when a young man leered at her, the stripling was
suddenly made aware of the muscled man beside her. The poor young man looked
so shaken he almost fell overboard in his haste to get away.

James was being too protective.

But Irene couldn’t say she minded.

“Are you warm enough?” he asked, even as he pulled
her closer to him.

Suddenly she was much warmer. She decided to turn
her mind to things other than the man beside her. “There are a great many
naval ships here. Are there always?”

“It has long been a strategic stronghold. There
will be an excess of naval men in the area, which is another reason why I want
you on my arm at all times. It would not be safe for you otherwise.”

She had to admit there were benefits to being on
James’s arm that had nothing to do with safety.

“Do you think your Mr. Adams is still in gaol?”

“I don’t know. We may have missed him.”

She put her hand on his arm and gently squeezed.
“We could not have avoided the delay. I hope we find him. I hope you get your
answers.”

“So do I, Irene. So do I.”

When they finally reached Portsmouth after the rough
crossing, James found it was even worse than he’d remembered from his previous
visits. He could only imagine what Irene was thinking.

A whaling ship was in the midst of carving up its
capture, a majestic beast who’d required two dozen harpoons to bring it down.
The fishermen went about their work, oblivious to not only the animal’s plight,
but the mess of blood and entrails that spewed forth. James put his arm around
Irene just as she was about to faint.

“I should never have brought you here,” said James,
cursing himself for having done so.

“Nonsense. I just was unprepared for…well,
everything. Light is fading fast. Should we secure lodgings, perhaps at an
inn far from the docks?”

“That may be difficult given we are on an island,
but we can at least try.”

They walked through the crowded streets until they
found an establishment called the Harpoon Hole. Though James never would have
stayed there in normal circumstances, Portsmouth was not a normal town.

“The Harpoon Hole?” said Irene. “Is this an inn for
whalers do you think?”

James had to cough to hide his laugh. He sometimes
forgot that Irene was a lady not accustomed to bawdy humor. “I believe it is
something like that.”

When they entered, James was pleasantly surprised to
find a small but clean reception area, with a busy tap. It was frequented by
sailors, but, from the looks of it, a few shopkeepers and even some ladies, as
well. “It appears to be popular with the locals, which should lessen our
chances of becoming ill from the fare. I hope the rooms are clean.”

The innkeeper, Mr. Mayhew, was pleasant enough. He
had five rooms to let, including one on the opposite side of the building,
which, according to Mayhew, had the more pleasant winds.

“That should do nicely,” said James, though he
doubted the more pleasant winds would be all that palatable, either.

“I imagine your lady wife will like it a good deal
better,” said the jovial Mr. Mayhew, with a wink for James and a deferential
nod for Irene. “This sea air can take some getting used to.”

“Thank you,” said James, as he gave the man coins
for the night. Colin had refilled James’s purse, which he’d appreciated even
though he’d hated going further into debt to his brother.

Once Mr. Mayhew left, Irene asked “Why did you get only
the one room? I know funds are scarce, but I can pay for my own. Though I
certainly hope you do not take offense at my raising the subject. I have said
all along I would like to pay my own way.”

James sighed. “You have a certain stubbornness that
will most certainly bedevil your future husband.”

“It shan’t be a problem since I plan to choose a
husband who will appreciate my self-assured nature.”

“There is no way I would permit you to have your own
bedchamber in this inn without even a maid to share the room. It has nothing
to do with money. It is a safety issue.”

“This inn seems respectable enough.”

“But one can never tell for certain. I will never
risk your safety. Ever.”

“Who is being stubborn now?”

“I prefer to think of it as protective and, no, I
will not apologize. You and I are sharing a bedchamber and most likely a bed. Now
let us see if we can find Mr. Adams.”

There were only about two hours of daylight left
when they set out for the local gaol, which had formerly been the city stables.
Though growing more accustomed to the stench of the town, it was still an
unpleasant surprise when they entered the building.

“I believe,” said Irene, holding her
lavender-scented handkerchief under her nose, “that this may have smelled
better when horses were boarded here.”

“And no doubt they were better behaved than the
current occupants of the building,” said James. “I must renew my objection to
your being here.”

“And I must continue to ignore you.”

They approached the sergeant at the desk.

“Excuse me,” said James, to a man who was thumbing
through a picture book of bawdy ladies, while drinking something that smelled
like it could combust if coming within one hundred feet of a flame. “We are
here to inquire about a prisoner. Or perhaps a former one. I do not know if
he is still here.”

The sergeant caught sight of Irene and smiled,
revealing a complete lack of teeth on his upper jaw.

James continued. “We are looking for a Mr. Adams,
whom we believe was arrested close to two weeks ago.”

“Wot was it ‘e done?”

“I am not sure, but he had arrived recently from
America.”

“That don’t narrow it down much, seein’ as ‘ow
Americer is filled with the criminal element.” He smiled again at Irene. “Yer
a pretty lady, ain’t ye?”

“This is my wife,” growled James, as he put his arm
around her.

“Don’t mean ‘er no insult. Jus’ statin’ a fact. Do
ye want me to look up this bloke fer ye? I can read an’ ever’thin’.”

“That would be lovely,” said Irene.

“An’thin’ fer ye, ma’am,” he said good-naturedly. He
opened a book that looked like it had been kept unwisely close to the
receptacle for chewing tobacco.

‘’Bout two weeks ago, ye said?”

“About that.”

The sergeant leafed through the pages until he found
the approximate date, then ran a dirty finger down the ledger. “Do this Mr.
Adams ‘ave a Christian name?”

“Frederick.”

“Fancy bloke, eh?” The clerk continued searching.
“ere ‘e is. Arrested two hours after dockin’. Disorderly conduct at a bawdy….”
Here he looked at Irene and colored. “At an entertainment establishment.”

“And what was his sentence?” asked James.

“Ten days.”

“So he was released,” said James with an inward
grown. “Do you have a forwarding address?”

“None was listed.”

James’s heart clenched. Then Irene took his hand in
hers.

“So you have no idea where he went?” she asked.

“I ‘ave no idear where ‘e went when ‘e was
released. But I do know ‘e was back ‘ere three days after that.”

“Is he still here?” asked Irene excitedly.

“Not fer that offense. ‘e served ‘is time and was
released. And before you ask, I don’t know where ‘e went. See, we don’t care
about their whereabouts when they leave. We jus’ ‘ave to keep track of ‘em
while they’re ‘ere.”

“I do not suppose he re-offended,” said James.

“I don’t take yer meaning.”

“Is he, by any chance, here again?”

The sergeant checked the ledger again. “’e is, at
that! Set to be free tomorrow, ‘e is. Should I ask ‘im where ‘es goin’? Or
jus’ wait til ‘e’s back again.”

“Actually we were hoping to speak to him.”

“Both of ye? A gaol ain’t no place fer a lady.”

“Do you have any type of meeting room? Perhaps
where solicitors meet with clients?”

“Aye. We got one of them. But it’s past visitin’
hours. Can’t ye wait until ‘e’s released?”

James was half tempted to hit the man, so he could
talk to Adams on the inside. It seemed the quicker way to do things. But
before he could do so, Irene spoke up.

“Please, sir, if you could arrange to have us meet
with him we would be most appreciative.”

Then she smiled at him and, as James could
personally attest, there wasn’t a man alive immune to that smile.

“Lemme see what I can do,” the sergeant said,
blushing. At least James assumed he was blushing. It was hard to tell with
the layer of grime on the man’s face. The sergeant reached out to touch
Irene’s hand, only to be stopped by James’s much larger one.

“I do not believe that is a good idea,” James said
in a tone that could not be misinterpreted.

The sergeant gulped, then left his post.

“I do hope you have not frightened him away,” said
Irene.

“I believe he’ll get over it.”

“He just wanted to pat my hand in a reassuring way.”

“First, you do not know where his hand has been and
I suspect ignorance is indeed bliss in that regard. Second, no one touches you
except me.”

She narrowed her eyes, yet did not contradict him.

Which James took as a personal victory and an
interesting one, at that.

Irene looked around the crowded entry way, taking
note of the shouting match between an elderly woman and a harried clerk, two constables
who were having a disagreement over darts that looked like it could erupt in
fisticuffs at any moment, and what appeared to be a drunken young man relieving
himself against the wall.

She quickly averted her eyes and turned back to
James. “I have to wonder just what your Mr. Adams did to actually be arrested
for disorderly conduct. I am not certain we’ve seen orderly conduct since we
arrived in Portsmouth.”

“Perhaps it is a story unfit for a lady’s ears.”

“I am surprised you do not know by now that I am not
your typical lady.”

“Trust me. I am aware of that fact.” He brought
her hand to his lips and kissed it. He could feel the spark between them,
could see the excitement in her eyes at the casual contact.

The sergeant reappeared, looking like he’d made an
attempt to comb his hair. “If ye’ll follow me yer ladyship.” At James’s
fierce look, he added, “And yer lordship.”

They were escorted behind the counter, taking a wide
berth around the constables who were now fighting.

“Pay them no heed,” said the clerk. “They’re drunk
as lords. No offense yer lordship. ‘ow long will ye need the prisoner?”

“Perhaps a quarter hour.”

“That’ll be ten bob.”

“No, it won’t.” said James.

“But I need the coin.”

“Ten shillings. And that is my final offer.”

The sergeant looked like he wanted to argue further,
but simply held out his hand. Once James deposited the coins, he let them into
the room.

Though James was certain that the prisoner was
Frederick Adams, he looked like he’d slept in a slop bucket and smelled even
worse. Irene swayed briefly, until James caught her close to him. He was
going to offer her a seat, but from the looks of the general cleanliness of the
room, he had a feeling she would rather stand. She’d probably rather faint.

“Mr. Adams,” said James to the man who was squinting
at him, as if trying to place him. “It is I, James Emerson, from America.”

Adams’s eyes went wide. “I’m not back in the
Godforsaken colonies, am I? I couldn’t have got that drunk.”

“No, you are in the Portsmouth gaol. And not for
the first time, if what I am told is true.”

“Couldn’t abide it in America. The accent alone is
enough to drive a man crazy. You don’t sound American,”

“I am not. I am James Emerson. Brother of the Earl
of Ridgeway.”

Adams squinted again. “How did we meet again?”

“You were a notary in Philadelphia. I had you
witness a land transaction. I had a farm in Bucks County.”

“Whyever would you do something like that? You
don’t look like a farmer. And she certainly doesn’t look like a farmer’s
wife.” He gazed appreciatively at Irene. She sidled closer to James.

“Adams, I need you to focus,” said James.

“I could do that a good deal better if I was out of
this gaol. I don’t suppose you can post my bail.”

“Unfortunately, I spent all my remaining money to
come here. And if we tarry too long, I shall have to pay the clerk again.”

“Then why should I speak to you?”

“Because, Mr. Adams,” said Irene, “while you have
suffered a personal setback, I believe you are an educated, honorable man. It
is not easy to become a notary. You must have a good reputation and be a man
of some integrity.”

“Actually, all you have to do is pay a tax,” said Adams,
but he was not unmoved by Irene’s compliments. He sat up a bit taller in his
seat.

“If it were truly that easy, wouldn’t there be more
men thus employed? I believe you are too modest by half, Mr. Adams.”

And James was certain she was doing it up entirely
too brown.

“Can you answer a few questions for us, Mr. Adams?”
asked Irene.

“I guess it beats going back to my cell,” he said,
as he shrugged.

“Thank you,” said James. “Do you remember me? We
met in Philadelphia. I had just acquired a farm in Bucks County.”

Adams studied him, then slowly nodded as recognition
lit his face. “Aye. I remember thinking you’d never last. You didn’t look
like a toff, not like that friend of yours, but you were a fool to want to farm
the land when the mining companies were trying to buy it up.”

“You remember my friend?”