Much Ado About Kissing (Howertys #4)

Chapter 12: Revelation

Rain stifled a yawn as she tried to read the page of her book again, but the words were swimming in front of her eyes. And yet she didn't want to go to sleep yet. Marcus sat at her writing desk again, nursing a glass of brandy and reading through papers. True to his word, he had not left her side for more than a few moments at a time for the entire day. He'd even come outside to sit with her in the garden in the afternoon.

Spending time with him away from crowded ballrooms had been surprisingly pleasant. They had played cards and chess. Her sister, Nick, had come over for tea at one point and Marcus had left them alone, but she had seen him keeping watch from the window in his study.

She watched his broad shoulders as he leaned back in his chair, studying a document in his hand. He'd written a few letters earlier, which he'd sent off with a servant, and for a while now he had been busy dealing with a pile of documents.

"Is that spy stuff?" she asked, putting her book down.

He didn't answer at first, but she could see his movements still. Finally, he turned around to look at her. The flickering light from the oil lamps keeping the room alight cast his angular face in sharp relief.

"I am no longer employed by the War Office," he reminded her.

"I remember, but you spend too much time with papers for it to only be related to your estates." Her brother was a marquess, so she felt she had a fair idea of how much time one spent on dealing with such things. Even considering that Marcus's estate was considerably larger than Nathaniel's, it didn't account for the enormous amount of time he spent in his study.

"That's an astute observation." He indicated the piles of paper with a nod of his head. "I have businesses other than my estate and I take a keen interest in them. Also, occasionally, the War Office does still send me things when they cannot crack the codes."

"What businesses do you have?"

"I have invested in several as a silent partner during the last few years, and I am a part-owner of one where I actively step in and do work. Usually writing case files and helping with sorting through the information."

She hadn't expected him to answer. Curious to know more, she moved closer, coming to sit in the middle of the bed, cross-legged. "What business is that?"

"The Rose Agency."

Her jaw dropped. "I've hired them once or twice."

"I'm aware." Was that a trace of amusement in his voice?

"Why are you telling me this now?" She frowned. He was being awfully forthcoming for someone who rarely shared anything.

His shoulders lifted in a shrug. "I trust you to keep this information secret. Also, I believe it is a wife's prerogative to know her husband's affairs if she so wishes."

"That's rather unusual." It was more or less unheard of. Women usually took charge of the household accounts, talking to the housekeeper and butler about restocking the pantries and hiring servants. They didn't really get to take part in anything else.

"Perhaps if my mother had been privy to my father's affairs, she would have been able to stop him from bringing us to the brink of ruin." There was a tightness to his voice that had not been there before.

She had always suspected that Marcus had been in financial straits. Why else would it have been so important to find a wife with a large dowry? But to hear he had been at the brink of ruin was a little more dire than she had imagined. Dash had never let on that there were issues with cash flow in the family, and their mother had continued her lavish Christmas house parties every year. Had Marcus been behind the scenes, pulling strings to make everything happen for his family while trying to keep them afloat in a sea of debt?