The Secret Wallflower Society - Jillian Eaton Page 0,93
him.
The tall, striking lord was everything she could have ever dreamed of. Despite a tumultuous courtship, they’d been married for three months. Calliope knew she’d found the one person her heart was meant for, and if not for Percy being missing, she couldn’t be happier. Especially given what she’d come to suspect over the past few days after her menses had failed to appear.
Calliope hadn’t shared the news with anyone yet. Not even Leo. She’d planned on surprising him this evening over supper, but then they’d received Helena’s note first thing this morning, and all the rest–including pregnancy and babies–had been put by the wayside.
Percy.
Kidnapped.
Calliope could still scarcely believe it.
“Has anyone questioned the Duke of Glastonbury yet?” she asked.
“Stephen won’t let me call on him.” Helena glared at her betrothed. “He thinks I’ll shoot the bastard.”
“You will shoot him,” Stephen said mildly. “And as I don’t fancy having our nuptials in Newgate, I believe it’s best if Leo and I pay him a visit. We can leave this afternoon, and be at his estate by tomorrow morning.”
“Fine,” Helena said, but she didn’t sound happy about it.
Neither was Calliope.
“We can’t we go as well?” She frowned at Leo. “Percy is our friend. You and Stephen aren’t even members of the Secret Wallflower Society.”
“The Secret What?” Stephen asked.
“Nothing,” Helena cut in with a warning glance at Calliope, who blinked in surprise.
“Oh. I didn’t realize it was really a secret,” she said.
“What’s a secret?” Leo said.
Helena rolled her eyes. “Of course it’s a secret. It has ‘secret’ right there in the name!”
“Well, no one told me,” said Calliope.
“I’m telling you now. And I’m telling you,”–Helena pointed a finger at Stephen’s chest–“that we’re going to Glastonbury Park.”
“No,” Stephen replied without hesitation. “You’re not. It’s not up for discussion.”
“Why?” Calliope demanded.
“Because it would be too dangerous,” Leo told her in the kind, placating tone men had used for generations when they took it upon themselves to protect their women.
Even if their women didn’t need–or want–protecting.
“Calliope,” Helena said ominously.
“Yes?”
“Get my pistol.”
“How are we going to decide who to shoot first?” Calliope wondered.
“We’ll flip a coin. Heads, my stubborn idiot of a future husband. Tails, yours.”
“That sounds fair.”
Stephen threw up his arms. “No one is going to be shooting anyone.”
“Then you can leave,” said Helena with an imperious toss of her head.
“Leave?” The earl’s eyes narrowed. “This is my house.”
“Yes, but you’re traveling to Sussex, and Calliope and I need to practice our embroidery and our dancing and whatever else well-behaved ladies are supposed to do when their brave men march off to war. So be gone with you. Shoo.” She waved a hand dismissively at the door. “And don’t even think about returning without Percy.”
Calliope pressed her lips together to suppress a snort of laughter as Stephen glowered at his tempestuous bride-to-be. Although they tended to fight like cats and dogs, she’d never seen two people more in love.
Just not at the moment.
“Let’s go,” Stephen said with a curt nod at Leo, who gathered his jacket and stood up.
“Please be careful,” Calliope whispered, resting her hand on top of his when he caressed her cheek. “Glastonbury is not to be underestimated.”
“Neither are we,” Leo said matter-of-factly. Then his gaze softened. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Unconsciously Calliope’s hand drifted to her belly, where it remained until after the men had quit the room. She gathered a handful of muslin, then released it with a tiny, nearly imperceptible sigh. She dearly wanted to share her excitement with her husband, but she knew it would have to wait until after Percy had been found. There wasn’t anything more important than the safe return of their friend. Speaking of which…
“Well?” she said as soon as Stephen and Leo’s footsteps had faded away down the hall. “What’s the plan?”
Flouncing over to a large, gilt-framed mirror perched upon the mantle, Helena met Calliope’s expectant stare in the silvery reflection. A mischievous grin teased the edges of her mouth. “What makes you think I have a plan?”
“Because you always have a plan.”
“True,” Helena agreed. Then she sobered. “I have a feeling Percy may still be in London.”
“Then why send Leo and Stephen to Sussex?” Calliope asked, confused.
Helena tugged a tendril of hair from her coiffure. Lips pursed, she quickly pinned it up again. “Because they wouldn’t like my plan.”
“Which is…?”
The countess turned around. “It’s simple, really.”
“You say that about all your plans,” Calliope reminded her.
“This one’s no different.” She nibbled her bottom lip. “Except it could be a little dangerous.”