Free Imitation of Love by Sally Quilford

If
not for her expertise, the Captain and his band might have been arrested by the
French a long time ago.”
     
    Though Xander did not like to talk about
his private feelings, the events of the night before disturbed him so much he
told Andrew some of what had happened. He could still see Catherine’s stricken expression
as he insulted her. He had only reached out his hand to comfort her, ashamed
with himself for hurting her, only to see her shrink back, as if she thought he
was going to hit her.  It left a deep shame burning within him. But he told
himself it was for the best.  He had hopefully killed two birds with one stone.
She could not possibly hero worship him now. Not after he had been so unkind.
The thought was like a sword piercing his heart, but he kept telling himself it
was for the best.
     
    “I know, Andrew,” said Xander. “I’d have
probably let you win the duel. But don’t you see that I had to make sure she
never does it again?” His lips were set in a grim line as he explained the
other reason for his harshness. “Whether Jimmy wrote that letter about
guardianship or not, I owe it to him to protect her. Damn it, Andrew, if she’s
the one who’s been helping us these past two years, I owe it to her. Jimmy was
fooled by someone telling him that they had a noble cause, and he’d been taught
to be very careful. Who knows what danger she might get herself into if she
tried to make her living in such a way? She has no idea who to trust, and as a
woman in this difficult world she’s even more vulnerable than Jimmy was. I had
to let her believe it was reprehensible.”
     
    “Thank God the crooks who wanted the
forged documents aren’t aware that she knows the names, or that she’s the one
who did the forgeries,” said Andrew.
     
    “It doesn’t bear thinking about. It cost
him his life, but at least Jimmy protected her up to the end. “
     
    “Do you really think they might be
something to do with the intelligence from France? About the attempt on the
king’s life?”
     
    Xander nodded. “I’m sure of it. The
trouble is finding them before the day. It might be too late once they’re in amongst
the crowd.”
     
    “Did you ever suspect it might not be
Jimmy doing the forgeries, Xander?”
     
    “Not at first. Then I saw Miss
Willoughby’s painting, and she’s good. Very good. It also reminded me that I’d
never seen Jimmy so much as doodle. I didn’t know about the guardianship
letter, though I suppose I ought to have suspected, with it coming at the same
time as the announcement of his death.”
     
    “Are you really angry with her about
that?”
     
    “No.” Xander smiled. “It was a very
sensible and clever thing to do. And as I’ve said, I do have a moral obligation
to help Jimmy’s family. Just as I have the same obligation to see you and
Alyssa happy.”
     
    “Thank you for that.”
     
    “You realize you might lose her, Andrew.
She’s still very young.”
     
    “I know. I’m prepared for that. Or at
least that’s what I keep telling myself. What about you, Xander?”
     
    “What about me?” Xander stiffened.
     
    “You’re not going to marry Phoebe, are
you?”
     
    “No! Even if she hadn’t struck Kitty,
I’d already made up my mind that Phoebe was not meant to be Mrs. Oakley.”
     
    “Do you have anyone else in mind?”
     
    “No. No one at all.” Xander urged the
horses on, speeding up the phaeton and making it clear that the subject was
closed.
     
    ***
     
    “Is it true?” Alyssa danced around
Catherine’s bedroom as sunlight streamed through the windows. “Did Mr. Oakley
really say that?”
     
    “Yes.” Catherine forced a smile, wanting
to be happy for her sister. “You just have to promise me you won’t fall in love
with someone else with no money. I don’t think he’d be as generous for anyone
but Harrington.”
     
    “I’ll never love anyone else. And if Mr.
Oakley settles enough money on me, then you can come and live with