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Gwen took extra care with her appearance Monday afternoon, though she chided herself for caring what Avery thought. It wasn’t as if he were an actual suitor. If anything, she’d call him a friend. Much as she imagined she would feel toward the man from the opera box if she ever learned his identity, save that the kiss they’d shared had felt deeper than friendship. She was still determined to learn the identity of the injured stranger and had even added more names to her and Syble’s list. But the more time passed, the more the experience at the opera felt like a dream. Something Gwen might have imagined or read about in one of her preferred romance novels.
For all she knew, her mystery man might have already left town. If only she could talk freely about him with her aunt. Lady Rodmill might be able to narrow down the possibilities of his identity better than Gwen and Syble had so far.
Gwen descended the stairs at two minutes to two o’clock for her outing with Avery. Thoughts of seeing him again produced an idea, one she wished she had thought of sooner. What if she asked Avery for help with learning the identity of the injured man? A smile of excitement lifted her mouth. As a spy, Avery would surely have contacts that none of the rest of them did. And Avery wasn’t likely to be surprised or appalled by her actions to help a stranger either. Though perhaps she’d leave off any mention of the kiss.
The butler opened the door for her. As Gwen stepped outside, she saw Avery’s open carriage standing at the curb. Her pulse quickened with eagerness as he climbed down from the vehicle and stood waiting for her.
“Miss Barton,” he said, extending his hand to her. Reverting to her proper title was likely for the benefit of his driver, though Avery’s full smile was anything but stiff or polite.
Gwen placed her gloved palm against his unencumbered one. The warmth of his bare skin breached the thin fabric of her glove and sent prickles of feeling up her arm. “Mr. Winfield.” He helped her inside the carriage, and Gwen sat down.
Arranging her skirt, she was grateful for a moment to settle her emotions as Avery climbed into the carriage as well. She was acting as if this were a real outing with a real suitor. But it wasn’t. This was Avery Winfield—as cynical as he could be charming, as kind as he could be annoying, and as unlikely to be interested in her as the king.
“I saw Lord and Lady Linwood at the theater last Friday,” she said as the carriage got underway. “I noticed your uncle was there as well.”
Avery nodded. “I attended with the Linwoods.”
“Oh.” Gwen’s earlier disappointment returned. Avery had been there and hadn’t bothered to find her. “Did you like the performance?”
“I did.” He glanced around before leaning slightly forward. “What I would have enjoyed more was talking with you, Gwen. However, I was waylaid by a conversation with the duke and the crowd of people during intermission.”
It was Gwen’s turn to nod with acknowledgement, but she couldn’t help smiling as well. He hadn’t ignored her; he’d wanted to speak with her after all.
“Was that Mr. Hanbury I saw you with that evening?” he asked as he settled back against his seat.
His tone held a slight edge to it that wasn’t lost on Gwen. Could it mean Avery was jealous of the other man? She doubted it. “He invited my mother and me to attend with him.”
“With Hanbury, I’d imagine there was no need for someone to rescue you from his being long-winded about a horse or any topic of conversation, for that matter.”
She laughed. “That’s true. He doesn’t say much, but he is polite and attentive.”
A slight frown pulled at Avery’s mouth, then quickly disappeared. “Will you ask the doctor about your foot today?”
“Yes, I’d like to.” Although she would have to figure out a way to do so without Avery standing nearby. As much as she was coming to know him and be at ease in his company, Gwen didn’t feel ready to have him present as she questioned the doctor about her childhood injury.
Their conversation returned to Friday’s performance and what they had both liked and disliked. Before long, Avery’s driver stopped the carriage in front of Dr. Smithfield’s office. Gwen wasn’t sure how they would be received, given she was showing up without an appointment for the third time. To her surprise, though, the clerk greeted them cheerfully.
“If you’ll take a seat, the doctor’ll be ready to see you in a moment.” He motioned for them to wait on the two hardback chairs in the foyer.
Gwen and Avery sat. “Does he think we have an appointment?” she whispered.
“We do.” His answering smile widened when she gaped at him. “After receiving your note, I took the liberty of asking if the doctor had any available time today.” He leaned close and added, “We’ve been granted half an hour.”
He smelled pleasantly of soap. Gwen breathed in the clean, masculine scent before he sat back. She’d have nearly twice as much time to talk with the doctor today, and that was all because of Avery. He’d kindly arranged everything. But why? She shot him a surreptitious glance. Did he still feel indebted to her for her agreement to keep secret what she’d overheard in the library? Or was he simply being a friend?
“Thank you, Avery.” She kept her voice low to avoid the clerk hearing. “I appreciate you coming with me again and setting up an appointment in advance.”
“You are most welcome, Gwen.”
“May I ask why you went to so much trouble on my account?”
Shrugging, he faced forward. “It seemed hardly fair that my help only amounted to a quarter of an hour last time.”
“Yes, but you also took me to see St. Paul’s Cathedral.”
Avery glanced her way, though just for a moment. “That outing had nothing to do with our agreement.” He focused on something on the opposite wall. “You said you hadn’t seen it yet, and I figured it was high time you did.”
A feeling of delighted excitement spilled through her at his words. She’d been right—Avery hadn’t taken her to see the cathedral out of obligation. Did that mean he also considered her a friend? The possibility brought mounting hope as she followed him and the clerk into the doctor’s office a few minutes later. Because, despite the rocky start between them, she wanted very much to know Avery better and count him as a real friend.
*
Our time must be nearly up. Avery peered at the wall clock. Sure enough, there was less than five minutes left to their appointment with Dr. Smithfield. Gwen had asked a great many questions and learned the names of two other doctors in America doing similar work with childhood injuries and illnesses, but she hadn’t yet broached the subject of her foot.
Was she afraid to ask the doctor such a personal question? Avery wasn’t sure he believed that—Gwen Barton wasn’t timid. If anything, he considered her rather brave.
When the doctor bent over his desk to write down the name of his two colleagues, Avery caught Gwen’s glance. He raised his eyebrows in question, hoping she’d understand his silent query. At first her brow furrowed in confusion until he trained a pointed look at her feet and tipped his head toward the doctor. Then recognition shone in her eyes, but she still shook her head.
The doctor’s chuckle drew Avery’s attention. “The two of you remind me of the wife and myself,” Dr. Smithfield said with a smile. “When we were courting.”
“Oh, we aren’t . . .” A blush bathed Gwen’s cheeks with color. A rather becoming color. She gave Avery what he guessed was a pleading look for help.
He didn’t want to malign her reputation if the doctor learned they weren’t actually courting, but he wouldn’t lie about their relationship either. “Unfortunately, Miss Barton has a fair number of admirers,” Avery said as he stood. “Of which I am only one. However, today’s visit to your office has awarded me extra time with her. And for that, I thank you, Doctor.”
Smiling, Dr. Smithfield stood as well. “I don’t envy you having to choose, Miss Barton, which lad will win your hand in the end.” Gwen blushed again as the doctor picked up the note he’d written and extended it toward her. “Here are the names of those two doctors I referenced.”
She rose from her chair and accepted the slip of paper. “Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I—we—appreciate your time today.”
“Feel free to make another appointment if you remember anything I may have been remiss in explaining.” The doctor circled his desk. “Your cousin’s orphanage sounds quite novel in its vision. I hope you’re able to secure the medical help you’d like in order to make it a long-term success.”
Gwen rewarded the man’s interest with a full smile. It wasn’t the first time Avery had seen it, but it still had the power to charm him, almost making him wish he might be its recipient each and every day.
“I’m very proud of what Dean and Amie have accomplished. Given my own childhood experiences . . .” She lowered her gaze to the floor before lifting her chin in a clear show of courage, her gaze bright with determination. “I can understand why they’re anxious to find a suitable doctor to assist them.”
Dr. Smithfield nodded. “Did you have a bout with illness as a child?”
“Not illness.” Gwen threw a glance at Avery.
He found himself impatiently watching her and the doctor. Would the man realize what Gwen was trying to explain? He didn’t understand why she didn’t come right out and share her past with Dr. Smithfield as she had with Avery. Perhaps her bravery knew some bounds. Or was it something else?
Avery studied her tight expression and realized with a start that she wasn’t uncomfortable discussing her foot with the doctor. It was having Avery standing there, listening in, that caused her hesitance. The conclusion sent instant regret through him. He didn’t want Gwen to feel uncomfortable around him, over anything. Especially if she agreed to the plan he meant to present later. They would have to trust each other explicitly.
“I’ll see if the carriage is ready.” He knew it was, as surely as Gwen did. But it was the only excuse Avery could think of to give her a moment of privacy.
The relief and gratitude emanating from her proved he’d made the right decision. Of course she wouldn’t wish to discuss her injury in great detail in the company of someone who wasn’t her doctor, her affianced, or her family.
He didn’t have to wait long. Several minutes later, Gwen descended the front steps. Avery handed her into the open carriage. He wanted to ask how the conversation with Dr. Smithfield had gone, but that seemed too presumptuous, too intimate.
“Ready to go?” he asked instead.
“Yes. Thank you for giving me a moment alone.”
He dipped his head in acknowledgement of her gratitude. “I hope it went well.”
“It did.” Gwen smiled. “There wasn’t time for him to examine my foot today, but I told him about my accident.”
“Does he believe there’s anything he can do?” He hoped she wouldn’t fault him for the somewhat personal inquiry.
This time, she didn’t look uncomfortable. If anything, Gwen appeared not only happy but lighter, as if some burden had been lifted. Avery felt a strange flash of envy.
“Possibly,” she said, resting back against her seat. “He’ll know for sure after he looks at it. I made an appointment for two weeks from today.”
Avery offered a smile in return. “If you feel my presence might be helpful, I’d be happy to accompany you again.”
“I appreciate the offer, Avery.” She gave a soft laugh. “Your presence has definitely helped. The clerk seemed almost pleased to see you, which is a far cry better than the reception I got the first time I came alone.”
The earnestness in her tone coupled with her use of his Christian name had his chest expanding with contentment of his own.
“Still . . .” Gwen stared down at her gloved hands, which she clasped together in her lap as if steeling herself against an awkward confession. “You didn’t have to pretend to the doctor to be, as you put it, one of my admirers.”
“I wasn’t pretending.” Avery hadn’t necessarily meant to voice such a thought aloud, but the moment he did, the truth of it resonated through him. He did admire Gwen Barton, probably more than was wise.
Her gaze flew to his. “You weren’t pretending?” The vulnerability of her expression revealed her uncertainty far more than the simple question did.
“Gwen,” he said, resting his arms on his knees. “You are intelligent, compassionate, beautiful, and brave enough to banter with me.” He succeeded in coaxing another smile from her, which chased the worried look from her face. “All admirable qualities.”
Her cheeks grew a shade pinker before she looked away. “Where are we going now?”
“I thought a visit to Hyde Park might be enjoyable. We can find a bench and take in the view.” That would afford them time and a bit of privacy to outline his plan. “If that’s agreeable with you, of course.”
She turned toward him again, no self-consciousness in her expression now. “I would love that. I haven’t been to the park yet. Although, Lord Whitson invited me to ride with him there in two days.”
An increasingly familiar prick of jealousy shot through Avery, but he wrestled it into submission. He had no right to such an emotion, not when he wasn’t courting Gwen himself. Fortunately, he managed to keep such thoughts from showing in his expression as he kept up his end of the conversation. The closer they drew to the park, though, the more his jaw tightened with new tension. Would Gwen agree to his plan? Was it fair of him to ask her?
He helped her to the ground outside the park, then reluctantly released her hand. After instructing his driver to return in half an hour’s time, he fell into step beside Gwen. He matched his footfalls to her measured ones. It was slower than his habitual stride, but he felt no impatience. The unrushed pace suited him well, especially when he was with her.
Ever popular, the park boasted a mixture of people. Nannies pushed perambulators, young boys watched the ducks swimming in the Serpentine, and other couples, young and old, strolled along the paths. Avery hoped to find an unoccupied bench quickly, so Gwen could rest her foot, and where they could discuss his plan. Not surprisingly, though, she raised the subject before he’d located a place to sit.
“Your note mentioned there is something you wanted to discuss with me.” She regarded him with raised eyebrows, her curiosity evident.
Avery swallowed hard and forced a smile. This was it. “Yes, there is.”
“Well?” Gwen asked with a laugh when he remained silent. “What is it?”
He cleared his throat. “It has to do with my . . . work.” When she nodded, he glanced around, ensuring no one walked near enough to overhear him, before he continued. “In addition to your cousin, there is another gentleman I’ve suspected of working against Britain.”
“Who?”
Up ahead, Avery finally spied an empty bench. He motioned to it and waited for Gwen to sit. Then he joined her, keeping a respectable distance between them. “It’s someone else you know.”
Her brows dipped downward. “Oh?”
“It’s Mr. Hanbury, Gwen.”
He watched her jaw drop and her eyes widen with astonishment. “Are you sure?”
“I am.” He kept his voice low as he explained, “Hanbury is from Germany, but we don’t know how deeply his attachment to his native country still runs. I’ve been tasked to no longer simply observe him but to learn everything I can about him.”
She seemed to consider this. “That was the reason you asked me about him earlier.”
“Precisely,” Avery said with a nod.
“Are you warning me that I shouldn’t be seen with him?”
He rested his elbow on the back of the bench and twisted to face her. “No, on the contrary, I’m hoping you’ll help me in my investigation.”
“Wait a minute.” Gwen shook her head. “Are you asking me to . . .” She looked around before leaning toward him. “To spy for you, Avery?”
His certainty in the validity and strength of his plan unraveled a little in the wake of her incredulous tone. But there was no taking back what he’d half shared already. “Yes, that is what I’m asking, Gwen. However, you don’t have to agree. I also don’t feel you’re in any danger if you continue to see Hanbury of your own volition.”
He wanted to leave it at that. But he owed her more reassurance, even if it pained Avery to admit it. “His interest in you appears to be genuine.”
Turning away from him, Gwen stared straight ahead, her lovely face in profile. “I don’t know what to say.”
“You can think on it.” Avery looked past her to where a young couple walked arm in arm. “There is one more thing.” She made no protest, so he forged ahead. “If you do agree to help me, we would need to pretend to . . .” He shifted on the bench, far more uncomfortable with revealing this part of his plan than he was the other. “We would need to act as though we’re courting, as if I’m one of your suitors. That would give us the time and wherewithal to share information with each other.”
Silence lengthened between them, and with it, his self-doubt. “I know it’s a great deal to ask. And in truth, you’d be doing me more than one favor—not just with my work but with my private life, as well.” He offered a weak laugh, which she didn’t reciprocate. “You see, my uncle is insistent I find a girl to court this season. My hope, therefore, is that a courtship, even a feigned one, will buy me more time away from his scrutiny to settle this matter with Hanbury.”
Without looking at him, Gwen frowned, stirring his unease even further. Avery lowered his arm and shifted to face the same direction she did. “I wouldn’t ask, Gwen, except that I believe you could be of invaluable help to this mission. Besides, I already suspected you of being a spy once before.” One corner of her mouth tipped upward at the reminder, and the sight of it bolstered his courage. “If you do agree, which you most certainly do not have to, I would be eternally in your debt. Anything I might help with while you are here in London, anything at all, I will do it.”
“Anything?” To his relief, she finally returned his gaze.
“If it’s within my power, I’ll gladly grant your request.”
The breeze ruffled a strand of her hair from beneath her feathered hat. Reaching up, Gwen brushed it away, drawing his attention to her eyes. Interest and determination shone there. “If I agree, and I stress the if, Avery . . .”
“I understand,” he said with a genuine laugh this time.
“I have two requests.”
He cocked his head in a casual gesture to hide the grin that threatened to break through at her charming negotiation skills. “Name them.”
“First, you agree to take me riding tomorrow.” She shot him a look as if daring him to argue. “I haven’t been on a horse in a very long time, and my mother insisted I accept the earl’s invitation. However, I don’t want my first attempt in years to be with Lord Whitson.”
“Done.” He smacked the back of the bench with his hand for emphasis, pleased she wished to go riding with him at all. “What about the other request?”
Once more, she wouldn’t meet his eye. “Second, I’d like your help with finding someone. Or I guess I should say identifying someone.”
“Who?” he asked, intrigued.
Gwen blew out her breath and kept her eyes averted from him, appearing to be watching a nearby child as he played with his dog. “I met a young man, a few weeks ago, at the opera.”
Avery fought to keep his expression impassive, but his heart began to pound with anticipation. “Is there a reason you couldn’t identify the man?” He prided himself on sounding matter-of-fact, even impartial.
“It was hard to see his face,” she admitted, throwing him a sheepish look. “I found him lying injured on the floor of one of the opera boxes during intermission. Apparently he’d been hurt. He didn’t tell me why.” She straightened on the bench. “I helped bandage his wound.”
And then she’d kissed him. The memory of her soft lips nudging him back to consciousness inside the opera box filled Avery’s thoughts. Along with the sweet recollection of tugging her close and kissing her in return. Of course the young lady, who’d exemplified such strength and compassion, could only be Gwen. Now that he knew her better, he couldn’t imagine it being anyone else.
A yearning to touch her, to ascertain her realness as he had that night, prompted him to stretch his arm along the back of the bench. “Is there a reason you wish to learn his identity?” His fingers were a hairsbreadth away from brushing her shoulder.
“I want to see if he’s all right,” Gwen said firmly as she faced him. Her eyes sparkled with a hopeful tenderness. “I suppose I’d also like to make his acquaintance.” She laughed lightly as she lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “With a proper introduction this time.”
Was this latter wish because she wanted to form a connection with the man from the opera box? Maybe she even hoped he might become a suitor? The truth rose into Avery’s throat, beseeching him for release. He could grant this request of hers right here, right now, by confessing his identity to her. But a troubling thought held him in check and had him curling his fingers into a fist without touching her.
He’d been half-consumed with pain that night, yes, though not so far gone that he hadn’t been fully aware of kissing Gwen. And he shouldn’t have done that. While their kisses had awakened something in him—and he now suspected they may well have had the same effect on Gwen—it wasn’t something he was free to pursue.
She seemed to squirm a bit at his silence as he’d done moments before. “I thought since you’re a . . . I mean, with your profession . . . that you could help me figure out the man’s identity.”
The expectancy emanating from her twisted his heart. How could he say no? Especially if she agreed to collaborate with him in spying on Hanbury.
Perhaps Avery could wait to tell her the truth regarding the opera until after he’d resolved the German spy issue. But a familiar restlessness inside his gut told him the timing of such a confession wouldn’t matter. Whether he told her now or later, he still wouldn’t be free to court her for real. To see if those shared kisses and their deepening friendship might lead to something more.
He wanted to help Gwen and have her help him in return, and yet he feared the consequences of both. “Are you saying you’ll assist me then?” he asked, hedging.
Pressing her lips together, Gwen finally dipped her chin in a decisive nod. “Yes. Will you help me too? I know it’s a lot to ask.”
“On the contrary”—he allowed himself to cover her hand briefly with his own—“it seems very little when compared with how you’ll be helping me.”
She peered down at where his fingers lay atop her gloved ones. “So you don’t mind going riding with me tomorrow?”
“It would be a pleasure.” The truth of his own words hit him. Avery released his hold on her hand and stood, needing space to breathe, to think.
Gwen climbed to her feet as well. “What of the other matter I asked about?” They began to walk back the way they’d come.
“I will look into it,” he reassured her. But he averted his gaze the instant he voiced it, afraid she’d read the truth, and the longing, in his eyes.