Mrs. Desford nodded.
“Tell me everything,” Brina insisted. “Now.”
Though she’d hoped no one else would ever know she’d been stuck in the tree, Julia had now been caught yet again. But Brina was the one person Julia didn’t mind telling.
Starting with, “I met Mr. Stockton in the park quite by accident yesterday.” She quickly told Brina the most relevant information about what occurred. But, of course, how the man had stirred her with wanton feminine desires and the near kiss between her and the adventurer weren’t part of Julia’s confession. For now, she would keep those things from her friend. They were too intimate to share.
Brina’s blond brows rose slightly, and she leaned forward slowly, as if patiently, carefully considering everything Julia had said. “I’ve never met him. He left England before our debuts. I’ve heard he’s quite a dashing captain and that he may actually be a pirate.”
“I don’t think he’s either of those things. He’s just a man.” But as soon as Julia said the words she knew they weren’t true. He wasn’t just a man. If he was, her heartbeat wouldn’t speed up to an alarming rate every time she looked at him. Every time she thought about him. She wouldn’t be trying to convince herself she wasn’t feeling what she was feeling at just the thought of him coming over to see her.
“Oh,” Brina said, seeming a little disappointed he wasn’t a pirate or a master of a ship.
“You can understand why the duke must never know about the encounter I had with him, and why—” Julia stopped when Chatwyn let out a high-pitched, jubilant squeal as he ran from room to room abovestairs.
Brina smiled wistfully. “I know it thrills your heart every time you hear him.”
“Yes, of course it does,” Julia said softly. “I simply couldn’t bear it if the duke ever kept me from seeing him. And Chatwyn is the reason I can’t encourage Mr. Stockton. I must find evidence the duke is not who everyone thinks he is, that he has misrepresented himself time and time again and confront him with the truth. I can’t continue to live in this kind of fear.”
“You will find what you seek,” Brina said confidently. “But you can’t search the house right now, so you might as well find out why Mr. Stockton is here. Mrs. Desford already knows he’s here. Either she will tell the duke or not. Perhaps it’s something as simple as you dropped your handkerchief in the park and he’s come to return it.”
“That can’t be,” Julia answered on a breathy note of eagerness that crept into her voice. She did want to know why he’d come. Was it that he’d felt all the things she had yesterday? “I didn’t have one with me.”
“Perhaps he found someone else’s and he wants to think it’s yours.”
“What are you implying?”
Brina folded her arms across her chest and gave Julia an expression that seemed to suggest she knew exactly why he was at Julia’s door and it had nothing to do with handkerchiefs. “I can’t believe you’re going to make me say this. The only other reason I can think he might be here is because you caught his fancy and he wants to see you again. If only to make sure you have no lingering effects from being stuck in the tree for so long on such a hot day.”
Julia frowned, though tingles of anticipation were washing through her at an alarming speed at the very thought of it being he simply wanted to see her again, and she had no hope of suppressing them. “Whatever his reason, it doesn’t matter,” she said reluctantly. “He can write a note if he wishes to inquire about my welfare.”
Brina’s brow furrowed again. “Though I’m not privy to anything about Mr. Stockton other than gossip I’ve heard over the years, I don’t think he’s the kind of man who writes notes to anyone. It’s perfectly fine for you to invite him in and see what it is he wants. I am here to be your companion, so you aren’t seeing him alone. Besides, I want to meet him.”
“Really, Brina?”
“Not for romantic reasons, of course. I certainly don’t have designs on him. Whether true or not, I’ve heard stories about him fighting pirates as well as being one. It’s rumored he once stole an entire ship that was filled with grain and sailed it to starving—”
“I’ve heard all those stories, too,” Julia interrupted her friend, and then huffed out a breath as she noticed Mrs. Desford waiting just outside the doorway for an answer about whether to turn the man away or to bring him into the drawing room.
“Mr. Stockton couldn’t have done all that was gossiped about him. That would be impossible. But since you are eager to meet him, I will do you the favor and invite him to join us.”
Julia looked over at Mrs. Desford and nodded.
“That’s all I asked. Why did it take you so long to agree?”
“Because I wanted to put my poor judgment of saying yes to this mistake squarely on your shoulders. I can’t let him stay long. He’ll have his say—whatever that is—and then leave.”
The sound of masculine boots walking across a wooded floor sounded down the corridor. Curls of expectancy danced in Julia’s stomach.
“Just remember,” Brina said. “He is interested enough in you to seek you out. No matter the reason.”
Brina’s words sent ripples of excitement flowing through Julia again. She wanted it to be so yet feared the thought of it, too. The duke had never minced words with her. She could continue to be a part of her son’s life only if she continued to be his son’s widow—a proper widow who stayed true to Kitson’s memory. Right now her future was dependent on finding the information on the Eubury-Broadwell Gaming Company. She couldn’t allow a handsome man to make her lose her focus on that.
“I hope I don’t regret doing this,” she added, more to herself than to Brina.
A moment or two later, Mr. Stockton rounded the corner and sauntered into the drawing room as comfortably as if he’d been a welcomed guest there many times. Julia savored the sight of him as he strode across the room. A warmth of fluttering excitement swirled in her chest. If possible, he seemed taller, more imposing, and more magnificent than he had yesterday. The fawn-colored coat he wore matched his golden-brown eyes and fit perfectly across his shoulders. His neckcloth wasn’t fancy with lace or tied into an elaborate bow or intricate knot. His one bit of frippery was the short leather tassels that hung on the sides of his boots near the knee.
He stopped near her and bowed. “Lady Kitson, pardon me for intruding on your afternoon and your guest.”
“You’re not,” she said honestly, embracing how wonderful it felt just to see him again. Brina was right. The deed and its damage were done. He was already at her door. Right now she could enjoy talking to him. Later she could worry about the possible consequences if the duke heard about this visit and the job she had yet to accomplish. “I’d like to introduce my friend, Mrs. Brina Feld. Brina, Mr. Garrett Stockton.”
The two greeted each other politely and, no surprise to Julia, Brina didn’t offer him her hand. Since the death of her husband, she was particular about whom she allowed near her. Julia knew Brina definitely wanted to examine Mr. Stockton closely, but from afar.