Free The Countess Intrigue by Wendy May Andrews Page A

her next words. “You are right, there is nought that can be done now. I will do my best to be a dutiful wife. Now would you like to hear what I know about Sir Jason Broderick? Have you any idea how much time before we arrive at this inn you spoke of?”
    “I would love to hear what you know. We shall arrive in about twenty minutes.”
    “I don’t actually know very much I am afraid, so twenty minutes shall be plenty of time.” She paused for a moment, gathering her thoughts. “Do you remember my friend, Miss Rosamund Smythe? Her father is Lord Smythe, a baron from… I do not at the moment recall where. He is a diplomat and travels about. Most recently he was in Vienna and Miss Rose was there with him. Anyhow, she knows more about Sir Broderick than I do. She never did tell me everything she knew. I think she found out about him while she was in Vienna with her father.
    “A few weeks ago, when we were attending Lady Yorkleigh’s musicale, she overheard Sir Broderick plotting with Lord Austen to entrap the Duke of Wrentham into marriage with Lord Austen’s daughter, Lady Anne. Rose did her best to thwart their plot by telling Wrentham and redirecting Lady Anne. Sir Broderick abducted her two nights ago at the ball where you spoke to me for the first time. That is why, when you mentioned bad men, I grew suspicious about you, wondering if you were threatening me because of my association with Rosamund.”
    Justice listened in silence as she told him what she knew. Once it seemed like she hadn’t anything more to add, he pressed her for details with a few questions. “Did Miss Smythe think there was more to their plot than a desire to get their fingers into the duke’s purse?”
    “Yes, she thought it might have something to do with his being a duke, maybe something to do with the government. I have taken very little interest in the workings of the government, I am sorry to tell you, so I didn’t understand why she thought that. Rose took a much greater interest in that sort of thing, probably because of her father.”
    The earl knew he should ask her more but he wanted to learn more about his future wife. “Does that sort of thing bore you to tears?”
    Elizabeth finally looked at him again, and he tried not to squirm under her scrutiny. “Do you wish I was an empty headed miss, my lord? I am sorry to have to tell you that I am not. It doesn’t bore me — I just have not had a chance to investigate it. My father has always been of the opinion that it is an important matter that must be left in his capable hands, and I ought to just concern myself with my needlework.”
    “I don’t think you are empty headed, Elizabeth, quite the contrary. Did it bother you that your father had such an attitude?” He was trying to see into this woman’s mind and finding it rather difficult. He had never been so intensely invested in getting to the bottom of someone’s thinking. It made him nervous. But he persisted anyway.
    Elizabeth offered a brief shrug. “I guess I accepted it as normal. My sisters and cousins were satisfied with needlework and such. I wanted to play with my brothers and be just like them. Of course, they were not much interested in my company, but I always knew I wasn’t normal. I learned how to pretend but it is a challenge.”
    “I would really rather you don’t pretend with me. Please ask me whatever you would like to know. If I can help you learn something I would be happy to. If I do not have the answers for you, I will make sure we find a way to get them.”
    “Really?”
    Justice felt his heart clench at the eager look on her face. It was poignantly charming to see how utterly hopeful she looked. “Really and truly,” he promised her. He could see that she was mulling over his words, but the wariness embedded deep in her expression had not been fully dissipated. He decided not to press the issue and returned to the matter of Broderick.
    “Do you know if Miss Smythe ever found out what was