part of a month, and you will be forced to marry me instead.”
He smiled. Patience wasn’t lying. She never lied, and the recklessness and impropriety of her plan was part of the reason he loved her. But he couldn’t allow her to do such a thing. Not to save him from his own stupidity. He would marry Patience, but not under a cloud of scandal. He had to find that letter.
Chapter 23
Patience paced back and forth in front of the window of their drawing room. Nicholas had gone to see if there was anything he could do to help the situation with Anthony before the Morgans arrived at his home. She should never have allowed him to leave without her. But he had convinced her she shouldn’t be seen in the Woodsworths’ home yet. They still hadn’t figured out what to do about all the servants.
At a quarter to four, she was ready to order a hansom cab and go to the Woodsworths’ home on her own. As she was putting on her coat, she heard a clamor of horses stop in front of their home.
She didn’t wait for Nicholas to come inside but met him as he descended from the carriage. He was alone, and he wasn’t smiling.
“How is he?”
Nicholas didn’t answer.
“He isn’t going to get engaged to that Morgan woman, is he? I won’t allow it.”
“His honor and yours is at stake.”
“We don’t care about that.”
“You don’t care about that. The Woodsworth family has risen from nothing. They have worked very hard for every honor they have.”
“So he is going to marry her?” Patience couldn’t believe it. She thought they had an agreement. He knew he would never be happy with Miss Morgan.
“He is hoping not to.”
“Mr. Woodsworth is going into that room right now with the Morgans only hoping not to engage himself to that woman? He doesn’t have a plan?”
“He had one. It didn’t work out. He has torn apart his whole house looking for a letter.”
“A letter? What letter?”
“Supposedly Miss Morgan wrote to him to relieve him of any obligation to her almost three months ago. His memories of that evening are a bit . . . hazy. I believe it has something to do with you. He never truly answered, but he is certain he didn’t burn it, and yet he didn’t file it away either. He has torn the whole house apart looking for it.”
The world, which had been spinning ever since Miss Morgan had found them in the ballroom, stilled.
“Did he say which day he lost it?”
“No.”
“What made you think I had anything to do with the loss of that letter?”
“He kept saying things like, ‘I was sitting at my desk, and then Patience came in . . .’ and then he would stop.”
Heavens above, that was the evening she had kissed Anthony. Her breath came lighter, and the weight that had settled into her stomach lifted. She knew where that letter was. “What time is it?”
“Five to four.”
“Go get Mama. We are going to the Woodsworths’.”
Nicholas furrowed his eyebrows. “You cannot go there. The servants would recognize you immediately. Why, have you thought of something?”
“Yes, tell Mama to get her coat. I’ll tell you, and then the two of you can go. Please hurry.” Patience pushed Nicholas up the stairs and then watched as he entered the home. As soon as the door shut behind him, she ran to the carriage.
The Woodsworth servants were bound to meet her sooner or later. She wasn’t about to wait the year or two it might take for Anthony to find them all new positions. That had been a consistent step in almost all of Anthony’s plans. Besides, she loved Mr. Gilbert, and Mrs. Bates was impeccable at her job, even if she had employed an inexperienced maid.
“Take me back to the Woodsworths’, George.”
He nodded and helped her into the carriage. But then he stood waiting outside.
“His Grace will follow behind. You may tell Bert to ready the other carriage.”
George furrowed his eyes and almost disagreed with her, but something in her eyes must have made him think better of it. George ran to the stables to tell Bert. She just needed him to return before Nicholas realized she hadn’t followed him inside.
With George’s return, the carriage rolled away from the home without Nicholas noticing. Her poor brother had to put up with a lot from her but hopefully not for much longer.
They arrived at the Woodsworths’ home to see another carriage parked in