Always True to Her (Emerson Book 2) (8 page)

That sweet admission knocked the wind out of James metaphorically.
It also brought home the enormity of what it meant to be a father. It was the
first time Anna had ever told him something like that. He’d hoped it was the
case, but he hadn’t known for certain. Yes, she never questioned their journey
together, but there was a very big difference between following where you were
taken and wanting to go with the person leading you there. Perhaps, she liked
her life with him after all.

It was validation he did not realize he’d been
seeking. And now he was afraid he might cry in front of Miss Wallace.

The lady must have sensed his discomfiting emotions,
for she chose that moment to occupy herself with straightening one of the many scarves
around Anna’s neck. Perhaps he had overdone it with the scarves.

“I am glad you enjoyed country living, though it is
not surprising with such a wonderful companion,” Miss Wallace said to him,
though she was still facing away. “I have found that one can be lonely in the
city, regardless of the size of one’s social circle. In fact, being surrounded
by acquaintances but no true friends can be much worse than being alone. Look
Anna! There’s a dancing dog.”

As she and Anna both laughed at the sight, James
thought about what Miss Wallace had just shared. As bad as things had been
with his father, James had always been able to count on his brothers and
sisters. He doubted Miss Wallace received much comfort or support from her
father and grandmother, which was a shame. He liked this woman. He hoped she
would find a good man to take care of her.

But it would not be him.

They finally arrived at Olson’s office. As James
helped Anna out of the carriage, he stole a glance at Miss Wallace to see what
she thought of the slightly disreputable neighborhood. Fortunately, there were
no prostitutes plying their trade on this occasion. Or at least they hadn’t
seen any, yet.

“This is an interesting area for a solicitor,” said
Miss Wallace diplomatically.

“Mr. Olson is an interesting man,” said James, as he
escorted Irene and Anna into the building.

They almost ran into a burly man who smelled like he
worked on the docks. James placed himself between the man and the ladies.
James was about to brandish the knife from his pocket when the man bobbed his
head to Anna and Irene. “Ladies,” he said. “Milord.” Then he exited the
building.

“Lord James,” called the muffled voice of Miss
Wallace from behind him. “It is getting hard for Anna and me to breathe.”

James turned to see that in his zeal to protect
them, he’d very neatly squashed them against the wall. He didn’t want to know what
substances might be smeared upon it.

“My apologies, Miss Wallace,” he said as he stepped
back. But he didn’t really mean it. The man had turned out to be no threat,
but he could have been. James would never apologize for doing what was
necessary to keep both of his ladies safe.

Both of his ladies?
There was a thought that needed to be banished before it could take hold.

Irene gave him a rueful smile as she bent to put
Anna’s clothing to rights. “Are you all right, sweetheart? Your papa was
doing his best imitation of a charging bull.”

“I did not charge,” he said.

“Very well, a standing bull. Shall we see this
solicitor of yours or shall we spend the rest of the day in the hall, getting
pressed to that rather dirty wall each time a suspicious man walks by? Given
this neighborhood, I daresay we would spend most of the day and certainly all
of the night against it.”

“You can be a rather managing female, Miss Wallace.”

“I shall take that as a compliment, sir.”

“I rather thought you would. This way, if you
please,” said James, as he escorted them the rest of the way to Olson’s office,
hoping there was not another prostitute serving as his secretary.

As luck would have it, there was a young man at the
desk who even looked like he might work there. He had ink-stained fingers and,
from the way he jumped to attention when they entered, was eager to please. “Lord
James?” he asked.

“Yes, along with Miss Wallace and my daughter Miss
Emerson.”

The young man bowed to all of them. Twice. “Mr.
Olson is expecting you, my lord. I’ll announce you at once.” He scurried away
to the inner office.

Miss Wallace looked around the reception area, no
doubt noting the general disarray and the disreputable client meeting with one
of the clerks in the next office. Of course, for all James knew, the
disreputable man might work there.

“Is this your family’s usual solicitor?” asked
Irene, in a tone that was both doubtful and curious.

“I do not believe Colin has a usual solicitor. Olson
comes highly recommended by Nick. I have no doubt Mr. Olson will prove himself
invaluable.”

At that point, a prostitute exited Olson’s office.
This one had bleached blonde hair and breasts that protruded to an extent that
surely defied gravity. She winked at James as she walked by.

Irene and Anna both studied the woman as she passed,
then turned to James once she’d left.

He cleared his throat. “I believe Mr. Olson will
see us now.”

The clerk reappeared and bowed repeatedly while
ushering them into Olson’s office. The man himself was standing behind his
desk with a most quizzical look when they entered.

“Miss Emerson,” he said, bowing to Anna. “It is a
pleasure to see you again.”

Anna smiled at him.

“Let me arrange for tea,” said Olson as he walked
out of the office.

Anna turned to her father, lifting her arms in the
universal signal to be helped out of winter clothes.

“I don’t know, sweeting,” said her father. “It’s
not very warm in here. I wouldn’t want you to get cold.”

Anna turned to Irene with the same arms up signal.

Irene knelt in front of her and began unwrapping
scarves, untying her bonnet and removing gloves. “Love, let’s try this. Then
if you get cold, you can tell me and I’ll put these back on. In the meantime,
I hope your papa does not worry himself too much about the threat of
frostbite. I am confident that if a polar bear were to come out of that
closet, he would fight it and win, though we would surely be squashed against
another wall whilst he did it.”

“If a polar bear were to come out of that closet,
Miss Wallace, I would simply allow you to talk it into submission,” said James.
“Ah, Olson,” he said as the man entered the room again. “I have brought a
visitor. Miss Wallace, may I present Mr. Geoffrey Olson? Mr. Olson, this is
Miss Irene Wallace, Cedric’s sister.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Wallace,” said
Olson. “Though I confess my surprise. Have the two of you settled matters?”

The eager clerk brought in a tea service, giving
each of them a cup.

James nodded his thanks. “Miss Wallace and I are
not in agreement.”

“Most definitely not,” said Irene. “But Lord James
was kind enough to invite me here today to hear what you have discovered.”

“Are you sure that is wise, my lord?” asked Olson.
“I would not want you to regret taking anyone into your confidence. No
offense, Miss Wallace.”

“None taken, sir. I know you are only doing your
best to represent your client. And I have no wish to thwart matters, only to
bring them to their just conclusion.”

“Which you believe will be in your brother’s favor,”
said Olson.

“I know my brother, Mr. Olson. I cannot believe him
to be a thief.”

“An admirable sentiment for a sister. But I have
found that one can only truly know oneself. Others tend to surprise us.”

“Does this mean you have found proof in my favor?”
asked James, who sipped his tea, then winced at the sweetness.

“No, my lord. But what I have found is your Mr.
Adams, who witnessed the agreement between Mr. Wallace and yourself.”

“Excellent!” said James. “Were you able to speak to
him?”

“Unfortunately, no. But I have a source at the
docks – you may have run into him on your way in to the office this morning.
And he had the passenger manifests of every ship to dock in England over the
past month. Mr. Adams arrived in Portsmouth ten days ago. And, fortunately
for us, he is currently in the county gaol on charges of disorderly conduct.”

“Given his current location I assume he was a good
friend of Lord James,” said Irene pertly.

James had to stifle a laugh. “Only an acquaintance,
I assure you. And might I remind you Cedric was once a friend of mine?”

She tried ineffectually to glare at him.

He grinned in response, then reached to wrap another
scarf around Anna – since it was rather cool in the office. Irene, however,
took it out of his hands and placed it on the other side of her.

“Yes, well,” said Olson as he cleared his throat.
“I am afraid Adams will not remain in gaol forever. If you wish to get a statement
from him, we should send someone immediately. Unfortunately, I cannot go
because I promised Lady Riverton that I would personally see to the embarkation
of her next ship to America.”

“Then Anna and I will set out immediately,” said
James.

“And I will join you,” said Miss Wallace.

“Absolutely not!” said James. He was attracted
enough to the chit. He certainly didn’t want to spend more time with her than
necessary. Especially on a journey that would likely require four nights spent
at inns.

“But I cannot allow you to meet this Mr. Adams on
your own.”

“You don’t trust me?”

“It is not that, exactly,” said Irene carefully. “But
your own solicitor said you cannot ever truly know another person. How can I
be certain that you won’t pay this man off to say what you want him to?”

“For one thing, I have precious little blunt,
courtesy of your brother. For another, I am a gentleman. I would never do
such a thing.”

She studied him for a moment, then slowly said, “Nonetheless,
I shall be going with you.”

“Impossible.”

“Few things are truly impossible, sir. I would
think you would have learned that in your travels. I am going.”

“I hardly think your father will allow you to do
so.”

That stopped her for a moment.

But only a moment.

“I shall simply tell him I am visiting a friend.”

“Unaccompanied?”

She shrugged. “My maid is always looking for an
excuse to see her family. She will not give me away.”

“What if your father writes to your friend and asks
about your trip?”

“He will not. He does not care enough to do so.”

And just like that, Irene Wallace edged ever closer
to his soul. James could not imagine how a father would not care about the
well-being of his daughter, though his own had been that neglectful – and worse.
Yet Irene was certain he would be none the wiser. James could not imagine
allowing Anna such latitude, regardless of her age. He loved her too much.

“How do you know you can trust me with your safety?”
he asked. “You just said you can never truly know someone.”

She considered the question for a moment. “I do not
know what you are capable of in business, my lord. But I have seen enough of
your character to know I would be safe with you.”

How could she believe she was safe with
him when he didn’t know if she’d be safe with him?
He obviously would never force his attentions upon her. But he would be tempted
to seduce her. Very tempted, despite the fact that the only way that course of
action could end honorably would be though marriage.

Thankfully, Mr. Olson spoke up. “Miss Wallace, I
must ask you to consider your reputation. If you are seen travelling with Lord
James, you would be ruined.”

“But you are in his employ. You would say anything
to dissuade me from going.”

“It is true that I am in his employ, but I am also
an ethical man. I fight for the protection of women and go to great lengths to
ensure that no one – and I mean no one….” Here he looked pointedly at James.
“…takes advantage of them.”

“An admirable sentiment to be sure,” said Miss
Wallace. “But I will not be dissuaded.”

“If you are ruined, Miss Wallace – and there is a
very good chance you will be seen by at least one person you know – I shan’t
marry you,” said James with perhaps more confidence than he felt. While he
didn’t want to marry anyone, he wasn’t sure he could ignore her plight if she
really were ruined. Perhaps he could help her find a willing husband. But
that wouldn’t work since he knew no one worthy of her.

Except Nick.

Damnation!
She was just the type of female Nick liked. And she’d said earlier that she’d
quite liked Colin the few times they’d met, which hadn’t set well with James in
the slightest. At least Colin was now married. But Nick was all too
eligible. That would be a fine thing, having to see her at family events.
Listening to her pert tongue and watching her play with Anna and wondering what
her fair hair would look like draped across his chest after making love.