He brought his head down, intending to kiss her, to show her a sample of what to come, when footsteps began to descend the stairs, and he stepped back from her reluctantly.
“The next order of business is to marry off my sisters,” he muttered, causing Phoebe to laugh.
But it was not any of Jeffrey’s sisters, nor his mother, nor a servant. Phoebe’s laughter subsided somewhat as Ambrose came down the stairs, his valet behind him, laden with trunks in each arm. Phoebe’s smile faded slightly as Ambrose came to a halt in front of them, looking at each of them in turn with hostility in his gaze.
“Well,” he said finally. “I will be away, then, which I’m sure you will be pleased about, Jeffrey.”
“I never wanted it to come to this,” Jeffrey responded, his face hard. “But I do wish you the best of luck. I know if you set your mind to it, you will be successful.”
“Well, there will be nothing else with which to occupy my time, will there now, in the middle of Peterborough?” Ambrose asked with sarcasm, and Phoebe stepped forward, surprise crossing Ambrose’s face as she took his hands in hers.
“Be happy, Ambrose,” she said, and he apparently had no response for that as he simply nodded curtly at her.
“I have said my goodbyes to the others,” he said in a clipped tone as he turned toward the door, his valet following. “Farewell to the two of you.”
Phoebe leaned her head on Jeffrey’s shoulder as they watched him walk away.
“I do hope he comes to learn that you only wanted what was best for him,” she said.
“Perhaps,” Jeffrey replied. “Perhaps not.”
The butler was about to close the door behind Ambrose when a boy came running up the walk. “Miss Phoebe? Miss Phoebe, is that you?”
Phoebe waved the boy in the door, and the butler closed it firmly behind him, some consternation on his face as he looked down at the street urchin.
“Why, Ned,” she said, surprised at his presence. “Whatever are you doing here? How did you find me?”
The boy caught his breath. “One of the servants at your old house told me where you lived now.” Before Phoebe could ask how the resourceful boy knew of her previous address, he pulled two sheets of folded, crumpled, partially stained pieces of paper from inside his jacket. “Miss Collette has two versions of her column for the paper, and she was worried about including a couple of pieces. Mrs. Ellis, who just returned from your wedding, told her not to bother you, that she would see to it, but Miss Collette asked me to deliver them to you anyway, and so—”
Phoebe nodded curtly, taking the two pieces of paper from him, reading them over with a quick scan.
“This one,” she said, handing one page back to him. “We keep the suggestive pieces out, including only what can be proven.”
“Miss Collette said—”
“She wanted my opinion, now she has it. Thank you for coming to see me, Ned, and it was industrious of you to find me here.”
“In-dust…”
“You were very quick-witted.”
“Ah,” his face brightened. “Thank you, Miss Phoebe. Good day, and good day, sir!”
Jeffrey lifted a hand in response as the boy flew out the door as fast as he’d come. The butler shut the door behind him, and at Jeffrey’s nod, continued down the hallway, out of the room.
Jeffrey paused for a moment. “I do not believe street urchins at our door help much with anonymity. But I must say, Phoebe, it seems we are alone, if you can believe it. Allow me to escort you to the bedchamber, where I will—”
“Jeffrey!”
Phoebe felt him tense, and when she looked up at him, his eyes were closed tightly, as though by shutting them he would block any sights or sounds that attempted to interrupt them. But his efforts, of course, were wasted, as Penny and Annie rounded the corner, chasing one another, curls and satins flying as they came to a sudden stop in front of them. It was Annie who stopped first, and Penny ran into the back of her so hard that she fell down on her backside.
“Jeffrey, I know that today was your wedding, but tonight there is a ball at Georgia’s parents’ house, and I so want to go, and I do not see any reason why I cannot, as it is a simple house party, and while Penny says that I am too young, I do not see why I cannot—”
“Annie,” Jeffrey said, holding up a hand to stop the flow of words. “You can go to any ball or party you like — after you come out.”
“But—”
“Do not argue, not now,” he said with exasperation, and Penny stood up with her nose high in the air and a huge smile of glee directed at her sister. They continued on their way out of the room, Annie pouting as she left, shooting a glare at Jeffrey before she walked through the door.