Your Darkest Dream (Blackwood & Friends #2)

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

"What did Nate say?" Blanche demanded of Jason as the carriage made a tight turn and caused her to sidle to one side of the cushioned seat. She peered out the window impatiently, watching the townhouses pass in a blur of dreary colours.

As soon as Diana and Blanche had arrived at Rothford House but an hour prior, she had been allocated her lodgings and Jason had arrived to escort her as per Nathaniel's assignation, as promised. So she had been unceremoniously bustled into yet another carriage without a chance to at least freshen up and change her appearance after a brief inspection of the room she was expected to reside in for the week. Thankfully, Rawdon had not been present to greet his newly arrived houseguest or if he had he had chosen to remain unseen in another part of the house.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked, for the seventh time, as her eyes scanned the streets for any sign of familiarity of a shop or park that perhaps they were going to meet at or in. "Is he alright?"

"Blanche," Jason grumbled, slouching in his seat, "will you shut up?"

"But you know something," she complained, dragging her eyes away from the street outside and skewering him with a narrow look. "You have to. He must have spoken with you before he departed this morning."

Jason shrugged, peeved. "Can't you just wait and see what the man wants without badgering me to death about it?"

"Do I have to endure your presence the rest of the morning as well?" Blanche continued, blithely unaware of her brother's annoyance. "I do not know any parks in the area, Jason. Are you sure we are not lost?"

The Marquis of Northwick made a pained sound.

"Simply tell me where we are going and I shan't ask you any more questions," Blanche pointed out, very reasonably she thought.

"We are going to The Den," Jason grunted.

Blanche gasped, anticipation and delight blooming within her. "Truly? But why? What are we to do there?" Her eyes widened on her brother. "He didn't tell you about last night, did he?"

Jason's eyes narrowed into slits. "What happened last night? Never mind, I do not wish to know. In fact, Bee, the less I know about what transpires between you and my best friend in private, the better."

"Why? Would you call him out?"

"Christ help me." Jason looked to be praying for divine guidance before he returned his gaze to Blanche. "No, you needn't fear that. We have... come to an agreement."

Her eyes widened even more and he held up a hand. "If you ask me one more question, I will push you out this carriage and dump you in the mud, Bee." Witnessing her bite her lip to in an attempt to repress whatever questions were brewing on her tongue, Jason huffed and elaborated further, "I trust Nate, and so should you."

"Fine," she groused, slumping back against the cushions.

Shortly, the carriage drew to a halt outside an empty street and before a plain, unassuming looking townhouse with a whitewashed façade and a black, wrought iron fence surrounding the front. "Is this it?" Blanche asked, her nose pressed flat against the small window of the carriage. Jason grunted his assent and opened the door, practically tossing her out.

"You have the afternoon," he informed her from within, "and then I will return to collect you for dinner."

"I am to go in alone?" Blanche squeaked.

"I certainly am not about to hang about and watch you make eyes at each other," he snorted. "I have made sure mother knows you are with Nicola for the afternoon and nobody will suspect otherwise."