“Wait!” Emmeline cried out as Elias rushed past her toward the hotel. “Elias, you must not—”

Her pleas fell on deaf ears for he was already entering through the service doors. There was nothing she could do but hurry after him, cursing herself for having spoken so boldly.

He cannot confront Walter Greene. The man is far too dangerous. If he and my father learn that Elias is looking into them…

She could not fathom what they might do to protect their investments and interests.

Emmeline flew after Elias, looking about in desperation when she entered but she could not immediately see where Elias had gone.

“Cora!” she gasped at the chambermaid shuffling through the kitchen. “Where is Honor?”

Cora blinked and shrugged but Emmeline was already on the move, rushing toward the dining room. Blood pumped with such ferocity through Emmeline’s body that she could barely breathe.

As she entered the dining area, she saw Honor in the corner, overseeing his waiters, Elias stalking toward him purposefully. Even from the distance between them, she could see the look of surprise on Honor’s face as Elias approached.

Oh Lord. Not here, not before the guests. If Father hears of this…

Her eyes shifted toward the family table and noted with relief that neither Xavier nor her father were present but her blood chilled slightly as she met Walter Greene’s eyes across the room.

His porcine face twisted with interest when their gazes met and Emmeline wrenched her eyes away, almost sprinting toward the men.

“Where is she?” Elias hissed at Honor.

“You cannot do this here,” Emmeline told them in a low voice. “You must come with me, both of you.”

Honor opened his mouth to protest but Emmeline’s scathing look seemed to stop the words from leaving his mouth.

“At once,” she insisted. “Come along.”

She led the way out of the dining room and through the lobby toward the mezzanine where she closed them inside a parlor for privacy.

“What is the meaning of this?” Honor choked. “I have banished you from the hotel, Mr. Compton.”

“He is here as my guest,” Emmeline interjected curtly. “And you will answer his questions honestly, Honor.”

“I-I have nothing to say to him!” Honor sputtered, looking from Elias to Emmeline.

“Where is Christiana?” Elias hissed. “I demand to see her at once!”

“I do not—”

He was not permitted another chance to lie as Elias thrust him against the far wall, Honor gasping. Elias’ forearm met Honor’s windpipe.

“If you think I will leave so easily, you are mistaken,” Elias growled. “I do not care what condition you have put her in, I only wish to see her with my own eyes.”

“She does not wish to see you, Mr. Compton!” Honor snarled. “Or she would have contacted you by now.”

“Then she may say as much to my face, Mr. Wesley. Where is she? Do not make me ask you again!”

“Honor!” Emmeline called nervously. “Please, do tell him where is his wife. He has been worried about Christiana, nothing more.”

“Unhand me and I will take you to her,” Honor grumbled, his eyes flashing with indignation. “But I assure you, she has no interest in seeing you.”

“I heard you the first time you said as much.”

Emmeline watched as Honor was released, his body falling to the ground as he gasped to reclaim his lost breaths and Elias towered over him.

“Bring me to her.”

“I will—after my shift—”

“You will do it now or you will not work again for many shifts,” Elias threatened.

“I will see you covered, Honor,” Emmeline told him quickly. “Please, Honor, the quicker we can see Christiana, the quicker we can confirm what you have told us.”

Elias cast her a sidelong look and Emmeline realized he had heard the use of “we.”

We are in this together now, she thought silently and somehow, Elias seemed to understand her sentiment.

“You should heed the lady,” Elias told Honor who had finally managed to lift himself up to his full height and glower at them both.

“Very well,” Honor muttered. “She is staying at a room in town until we find a house of our own.”

Elias scoffed and Emmeline felt a pang of upset at the words.

“She has promised to live with you, has she?” Elias laughed but there was no mirth in his voice. “Did you know she was married?”

“You do not understand,” Honor grunted. “She was trying to spare you, Mr. Compton. You have never known the whole truth about Christiana.”

“Enough talk,” Elias insisted. “If she chooses to stay here, I cannot and will not stop her but I demand to see her at once.”

“As you wish. Come along.”

The men shuffled toward the doorway and Emmeline stood, uncertain if she should join them or remain. Elias paused and glanced at her.

“Will you not come?” he asked and she caught the pleading in his words.

He wishes me to be there, she realized with both relief and dismay. Emmeline was not sure she would be able to hold her tongue when confronted with a woman who had treated Elias so terribly.

She has ruined his life, trapping him into a marriage and mocking him with her endless affairs. Still, he worries about her.

“Of course I will come,” Emmeline breathed, gathering her skirts and following the men.

If I have anything to say, she will be deserving of every word. Someone needs to tell her how selfish she has been to Elias over the years. Even if it cannot change how matters are, perhaps she will show a modicum of decency.

Yet Emmeline did not have high hopes for the future, not for Elias and not for herself, not when it pertained to matters of the heart.

The landlady gave the trio a wary gaze when they appeared on the steps of the boarding house.

“Mr. Wesley,” she said coldly. “You brought others.”

“Yes, Mrs. Hammersmith. Permit me to introduce Miss Emmeline Balfour and her man.”

Mrs. Hammersmith’s eyes widened with recognition.

“Of course,” she cooed, her tone changing instantly. “You are Mr. Balfour’s lovely daughter. I understand congratulations are in order on your recent betrothal.”

My word, terrible news does travel fast, Emmeline thought grimly but she smiled pleasantly.

“Thank you. Where would I find Miss Compton’s room?”

Perplexity fell over the landlady’s face and she whipped her head to look at Honor. He purposely avoided her gaze.

“Miss Compton?” she echoed. “I thought you—”

“I will see them to her,” Honor interjected smoothly, leading the way toward the narrow staircase. “This way.”

“Her man?” Elias muttered, his mind still stuck on the crass introduction. “Do I look like a servant?”

“You tried to pass as one not three days ago,” Honor reminded him smugly.

“What was the meaning of Mrs. Hammersmith’s confusion?” Emmeline asked, ignoring their squabbling. “What name has Christiana used while here?”

“You may ask her all you want yourselves,” Honor muttered, stopping before a door atop the case. He knocked firmly.

“Christa, it is me,” he called softly. “Do not be alarmed but I have others with me.”

There was no answer before he opened the door and Emmeline stared into the dimly lit room. There was no window to permit the graying winter light inside and only a single candle illuminated the tiny space.

Inside, Christiana sat in only her bedclothes, her hair dishevelled as she stared blankly at them in surprise.

“Eli!” she choked. “W-what are you doing here?”

Elias stalked forward, his face contorted in anger and stopped at the edge of her bed.

“Could you not have sent word at the very least?” he snapped, his face crimson. “I have been at my wits’ end with concern!”

“Forgive me,” she mumbled, looking down at the worn quilt in which she was wrapped. “I had hoped you would move on without me.”

“Oh Christa!” he yelled. “What have you entrenched yourself in this time?”

“You cannot speak to her in such a manner!” Honor barked. “She has endured enough.”

“I have been through every one of her endurances!” Elias growled back. “Much to my own detriment. Moreover, I am her husband and will speak to her in any manner I please. God knows she deserves much more than a chiding.”

“No,” Christiana moaned. “No.”

She eyed Emmeline suspiciously.

“Has your father sent you?” she whispered. “I swear, I will not tell anyone who the true sire of the child is. Honor and I will leave with the money and you will never see us again.”

Devastation rocked through Emmeline’s body as she realized that Antoinette had spoken the truth.

“It is true then?” Elias asked. “You are with child?”

“I will raise him as my own!” Honor cried, stepping forward. “I will make up for all I have done wrong in the past.”

“Who is the father of the baby, Christa?” Elias demanded but Emmeline already knew.

“Walter Greene. He is the father, is he not?”

Christiana nodded, keeping her eyes carefully fixed on her hands.

“I promised your father I would take the money he gave me to go but I wanted to see Walter myself. I could not believe he would simply send me away. The night I went to meet him, I sent word that I would wait for him by the River Thames but it was Honor who came, not Walter. I thought he had come to kill me.”

“You should be grateful he only sent me and not a true killer,” Honor told Christiana. “If he learns that Christa is still here in Luton and that I did not do what I had been ordered to do…”

“Why did you not write me? Why did you not come home?” Elias was as conflicted by the story as Emmeline. “Why did you not kill her?”

Christiana raised her head and looked at Honor before turning her attention toward Elias.

“I came to Luton for a reason, Eli,” she told him quietly. “I came because of Honor.”

Emmeline looked at Elias but the tale was only growing more complicated by the moment.

“I do not understand,” he replied. “You know Honor from before?”

Christiana inhaled shakily and nodded.

“He was the father of the child I lost.”

Elias reeled backward as if he had been physically struck.

“You have known where he was all along? You claimed he left town with another woman.”

“I did,” Honor replied. “But I never lived in Peterborough. I was raised at the Balfour Hotel and I had a woman here.”

“Susanna,” Emmeline murmured. “You were courting Susanna.”

Honor nodded and sighed, his head lowered.

“I was courting Susanna, a chambermaid at the hotel.”

“You made Christa pregnant! Did you know?” Elias demanded, looking about in bewilderment from him to his wife. “Did you ever tell him?”

“I did not,” Christiana confessed, tears welling in her eyes. “I knew he loved her despite what we had done and I knew he wanted to go home to her. I could not bring myself to force him to stay.”

“It was his duty to stay!” Elias roared and Emmeline’s heart swelled with pity. “He should have married you, not me! You knew all along that he was responsible—”

Elias abruptly stopped speaking as if there was no more air left in his lungs and Emmeline reached a hand out to touch his arm comfortingly, ignoring Honor’s shocked look at the unsolicited gesture.

He has no right to judge me, not after what he has done, Emmeline thought, willing Elias to look at her. Their eyes met and she could feel the grief emanating from him.

“Elias, you must listen to me,” Christiana said urgently. “There is more than you understand.”

“I understand,” Elias spat. “I understand that you have always done what is best for you…”

He paused.

“How did she become pregnant with Walter Greene’s child if you had planned to be together?”

Instantly, Honor and Christiana looked away, their faces an identical shade of scarlet. Emmeline waited but Elias seemed to understand, possibly suspecting the worst of his wife already.

“You seduced him,” Elias intoned dully. “Purposely. For financial gain.”

“No!” Emmeline gasped but the expression on both their faces told her that Elias had learned the truth.

“Elias, this was to protect you,” Christiana murmured. “You do not understand. This money, it provided us an escape so that you could move forward with your life finally. When we were away from Luton, I was going to write you and explain everything—”

“How am I to move forth with my life when you are in the wind, Christa? While you disappear and appeal to your whims, I would still be the fool who married you without recourse,” Elias scoffed, shaking his head. His parlor was white and Emmeline felt nauseous for him.

“No,” Honor told him. “You are not.”

“I am not what?” Elias growled. “You are a bigger fool if you think she will not soon tire of you and do the same to you. Fortunately for you, you are not bound to her by marriage.”

“Nor are you, Elias,” Christiana replied softly. She nodded toward Honor.

“What nonsense are you going on about now?” he demanded. “Of course I am or have you forgotten how I tried to protect you when you came to me crying?”

“I have forgotten nothing about the kindness you have shown me,” Christiana replied and Honor dropped to his knees, reaching beneath the brass bedframe to pull out a trunk.

“I wish I could have been the wife you needed and deserved, Eli. You are a good, decent man who has always cared for me, even when I did not deserve it. You have sacrificed so much for me.”

“A lot of gratitude you have shown, Christa,” Elias grunted but his eyes, like Emmeline’s were on Honor who rose from the floor, a paper in his hand.

“Look at this,” Honor told Elias, lowering his head shamefully. “But do try to keep your wits about you.”

Elias took it and Emmeline stepped closer to read what was written on the page.

“I do not…”

“Oh my…” Emmeline gasped. “I-is this a true document from the church?”

“The date…” Elias breathed. “It is three months before our wedding, Christa.”

“Yes,” Christiana conceded. “Do you understand what this means, Eli?”

His head swiveled to look at her in disgust.

“We were never married. You married Mr. Wesley three months before me.”