“We would have found him eventually and without risking Mary’s life,” Elijah snapped, his scowl deepening. “That is why I—” He cut whatever he was about to say so abruptly, Josie knew it must be important, something he did not want her to know about. She narrowed her eyes at him.
“Why you what?” She sighed as she realized what he must be talking about. He assumed she did not know, would not know, and she took great joy in dispelling him of that illusion. “You joined the Society because you knew there was a connection there.”
Though Mary said he fit in admirably, although Josie had trouble picturing despite Mary’s vivid description of Elijah shirtless, whipping a woman while a crowd watched. The very idea had made her shiver and feel rather odd. Now, sitting across from him in this cramped space, as he went ramrod straight, eyes flashing, his expression sterner than she had ever seen, those same odd feelings fluttered through her body.
“How do you know about the—” He cut off again, shaking his head, his tone turning to disgust. “Mary. Rex needs to take her more firmly in hand.”
Scowling at him, Josie sniffed.
“He already spanks her. What more do you want?” The idea both horrified and titillated. Josie still was not sure how she felt about it. Mary did not seem to mind. She had said it was even enjoyable sometimes, but Josie thought she might be trying to convince herself more than the rest of them.
“Rex has gone soft.” The derisive note in his voice was still there, and Josie gaped at him.
Rex?Soft? How Elijah could say such a thing was beyond her. She had an easier time believing Mary’s lurid descriptions of Elijah’s behavior at the Society’s events. The hard gaze he fixed on Josie had her scooting back in her seat. She had been the recipient of Elijah’s stern scoldings most her entire life, but he had never looked at her quite like this. “Since you already know about the Society, rest assured, wife, I have not gone soft, and I will not tolerate the kind of nonsense Rex does.”
There was a silkiness to the threat that sent a shiver through Josie, leaving her as speechless and breathless as being reminded that she was now his wife. This was a side to Elijah she had never seen before, and she was not prepared for it.
The carriage lurched to a halt before she could respond.
Elijah’s expression shifted, not a great deal, but he looked like an entirely different person. His brow softened, the corners of his lips lifting as he opened the door and hopped out, holding out his hand to help her down. Josie stared at him—this man she had not wanted to marry and was no longer sure she knew as well as she thought she did, but there was no other option.
She took his hand and climbed out of the carriage, her heart fluttering inside her chest, even more acutely aware of his large, intimidating presence beside her.
Chapter 7
Elijah
The brunch was small, as the ceremony had been. The guests were made up of family, Josie’s closest friends, and Elijah’s father’s men, the latter there in case the traitor made their move. During the ceremony, Elijah had been far more focused on Josie, but during the brunch, he was grateful for the distraction. He needed time to rearrange his thoughts about how to deal with his bride.
Never before had he worried about being distracted by a woman. Then again, he had never had a wife. Or was it because it was Josie? He felt doubly responsible because he had always watched over her and Evie, and now her safety and behavior were even more his bailiwick.
Looking at his new bride, her pale face, his youngest brother’s words about him being better suited to Josie than Joseph ran through his head.
Surely not.
Then, he had not expected her to know anything about the Society—those within the Society of Sin called it ‘the Society’ as a way of differentiating it from ‘Society’ at large. Perhaps he should have. As young girls, she, Evie, Mary, and Lily had shared everything and were even closer now, if it was possible. Still, he would have thought the subject matter was too personal.
Well, he would not make that mistake again, and he would impress upon Josie the need to keep their personal businesspersonal.He had not spent years cultivating his upright reputation for nothing. He had even stayed away from Rex and his other friends who indulged in the wilder pastimes, denied his urges, and only recently joined the Society because of the connection to the traitor.
Though he could not deny that returning to such pursuits had made him feel alive again in a way he had not anticipated, he would only be able to enjoy it until they caught the traitor. Probably. It would be difficult to give up again, but he did not like the idea of being unfaithful to his wife, even if he had not intended to marry. That was not who he wanted to be.
He would have to enjoy it while it lasted.
“I must tell you, the expression on your face does not reassure me that you are truly content with this arrangement.”
“It is a little late for that, is it not?” Elijah asked, amused as he turned to face his middle brother. Again, a pang of jealousy hit his chest when he looked at Joseph, reminded of Josie’s reaction to him in the receiving line. He shoved the emotion aside. He knew neither Joseph nor Josie would be the type to betray him, so his jealousy was unwarranted. Josie could not control her feelings for Joseph, and hopefully, those feelings would fade. Tonight, Elijah would get to work on showing her just how enjoyable marriage tohimwould be. He had found, over the years, giving a woman pleasure could engage her emotions as surely as anything else.
Joseph sighed, turning away and looking around the room at the gathered guests. His expression was fairly neutral, and only someone who knew him as well as Elijah did would see the guilt he felt.
“I know. I cannot help but feel this is my fault, that I should be the one marrying Josie today.”
“No, this was the right thing to do.” Elijah put his hand on Joseph’s shoulder, doing his best to comfort him without making it obvious. The last thing they needed was more gossip making the rounds. “She will be better protected with my title, and you and Miss Bliss will be able to marry and be happy. This way, I won’t have the matchmaking mamas throwing their daughters at my head anymore.”
With a snort of laughter, Joseph’s guilt broke. “They are likely very disappointed to miss out on a future Marquess, but there will be other quarry. You have taken Josie out of the petticoat line, which should make things easier for the rest of the debutantes.”
That was a fact. Beautiful enough to be a Diamond of the First Water, an Original, with her sunny and outspoken personality, well-connected, and with a substantial dowry, Josie was everything thetonexpected a man such as he to want in a bride. She had been wildly popular among the gentlemen.
Elijah dropped his hand from Joseph’s shoulder as Rex ambled up. The leader of the Society of Sin always looked a bit out of place at formal gatherings, as though he was a lion who had been temporarily leashed but might decide to do away with his tether at any moment. He had lost some of his rakish air since becoming a married man. The matrons of the ton had been disgruntled to find the notorious Marquess of Hartford was in love with his wife and faithful to her.