Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 95222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95222 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
‘Come in.’
I exhale and push my way through the door, relieved beyond relieved. ‘Whatever is the matter?’ Eliza asks from the bed. ‘You look troubled.’
‘I have been worried,’ I say, assessing her on the mattress, looking, frankly, pasty and sallow. ‘How are you feeling, sister, for you look plain awful?’
‘Thank you. And, yes, if you must know, I feel plain awful, too,’ she mumbles grumpily. ‘So bloody rotten, Frank, and feeling like this is making me all the more annoyed about being with child. I did not bargain for this.’
I pout. ‘Come now, sister. It is a glorious thing we must celebrate.’
‘Celebrate feeling like death? Yes, that makes perfect sense.’
I decide perhaps a distraction would be best. ‘Where is His Grace?’
‘Probably searching for a new wife who will give him less earache.’
Well, that worked well. I smile and go to the bed, perching on the edge and taking her hand. ‘You and I both know that is not possible.’ He adores her, moaning or not. ‘It will pass.’
‘When,’ she sighs, squeezing my hand. ‘I am exhausted by feeling exhausted.’
‘I have news,’ I declare, going back to my plan of distracting. Also, I need a second opinion, and Eliza is my natural confidante.
‘Oh?’ Her eyes light up. Good. ‘What? What is it?’
‘I met a man recently. Fleming is his name. We struck a deal that could launch the newspaper to new heights. He owns a haulage business, you see, and could expand our reach considerably.’
‘Oh? How exciting!’
‘It was, yes.’
‘Was?’
‘It appears Fleming has pulled the wool over my eyes.’
‘How so?’
‘Well, you see, the day I met him, he had been ambushed by the highwaymen on his journey into London. They took his money and his ego.’
‘Oh, how terrible!’
‘Indeed.’ It is not terrible. It appears Fleming is the kind of man who deserves to be robbed. ‘I expressed an interest in partnering with him to further our reach, and he expressed an interest in the identity of the highwaymen.’
‘Or women.’
I shrug. ‘We struck a deal. If I hit the twenty thousand copies sold and brought him the identity of the highwaymen––’
‘Or women.’
I nod. ‘Then he would partner with us to take The London Times national, possibly global.’
‘Oh my.’
‘Yes. Except just last night, I learned something about Mr Fleming that leads me to believe he may not be genuine with his offer and is perhaps tricking me to get what it is he wants.’
‘No.’
‘Yes, I’m afraid so, and that, Eliza, has increased the stakes, for we have invested heavily in new machinery and staff, and I must justify that investment.’
‘So now your curiosity regarding their identity has become more a necessity.’
‘Indeed.’
‘Well then, you’d better get on with things, Frank.’
I laugh. Yes, get on with it. How simple. Sometimes, we overthink, and suddenly what is simple feels so very complicated. Get. On. With. It. I stand, kissing her forehead. ‘Be well, sister.’
She snorts. ‘I feel as though I might never feel well again. Be sure to keep me updated, Frank.’
‘I will,’ I assure her, leaving Eliza’s bedroom and closing the door quietly behind me. ‘Get on with it,’ I say to myself, taking the stairs, stopping when I hear something.
Sobs.
I frown and reverse my steps, pushing my way into Eliza’s room. She looks up at me. No tears. ‘What did you forget?’ she asks.
My mind. ‘I forgot to tell you how much I appreciate you.’ I smile, ignoring her surprise, and close the door behind me.
I know I should leave this minute, go before I do something stupid, but as is the way with Taya Winters, I am drawn to her. I creep down the hallway and the sobs become louder and louder. It truly pains me, to hear her cry. Truly.
I reach the door and lift a hand to knock, but my fist does not meet the wood, my mind yelling at me to leave now. Leave before I enter and get us both into trouble. Leave now before I increase the risk of our previous dalliances being discovered and Taya being ruined forever. Leave before I ruin … everything. I drop my hand and back away, sense finding me, but then the door swings open and she appears, and I am without the breath I need to speak. Without the sense I need to turn and run. But the ache in my chest? It lifts for the first time since I sent her away from my study.
Our gazes are stuck, our breathing is so very loud, as we both fight the pull. The temptation. The forbidden. ‘I don’t care if you hurt me,’ she says suddenly. ‘It cannot hurt any more than this excruciating pain that I feel right now.’
Oh no. Oh no, no, no, she must not say things like that. I swallow. ‘I thought you were leaving.’
‘Sampson has some business to deal with before we can go.’