LAVISH PRAISE FOR THE BOOKS OF ELIZABETH THORNTON

STRANGERS AT DAWN

“An out-of-the-ordinary murder mystery set in the early 1800’s with lots of suspects and a lovely romance.”

—The Dallas Morning News

“With her talent as a superb storyteller, Elizabeth Thornton skillfully blends suspense, murder, and a powerful love story into a jewel of a book.”

—Romantic Times

“Thornton has been a longtime favorite thanks to her well-told tales of intrigue peppered with sizzling romance, and Strangers at Dawn is among the best.”

—The Oakland Press

WHISPER HIS NAME

“Thornton creates appealing characters and cleverly weaves in familiar Regency settings and customs.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Ms. Thornton has delivered. This is a terrific book from cover to cover. The dynamic plot and characters will thrill and delight. Bravo!”

—Rendezvous

“Thornton scribes another terrific tale that sub-genre fans will take immense pleasure reading. The action-packed story line is a thrill a page without scrimping on a warm romance. Very highly recommended.”

—Harriet Klausner

“A dynamite read … with gem-like characters, action-packed adventure and a romance to set your blood boiling.”

—The Belles and Beaux of Romance

YOU ONLY LOVE TWICE

“This book is an absolute joy to read. I loved every minute of it! We are given humor, a murderer, sensuality, scintillating dialogue, and characters to cheer for. What more could you want?”

—Rendezvous

“If you love mystery, murder, and mayhem along with your romance, then You Only Love Twice will be your cup of tea.”

—Romantic Times

THE BRIDE’S BODYGUARD

“Cleverly plotted intrigue.”

—Publishers Weekly

“This witty Regency romance/mystery will keep you up all night.”

—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“A rich, satisfying blend of suspense and passion.”

—The Brazosport Facts

MORE PRAISE FOR ELIZABETH THORNTON

“Elizabeth gives you delicious stories filled with mystery, sensual romance, and dynamite characters. I have been reading this woman’s wonderful stories for years and years. I hope she never stops writing.”

—The Belles and Beaux of Romance

“Fast-paced and full of surprises, Thornton’s latest novel is an exciting story of romance, mystery, and adventure … a complex plot that exuberantly carries the reader. Thornton’s firm control of her plot, her graceful prose, and her witty dialogue make Dangerous to Kiss a pleasure to read.”

—Publishers Weekly on Dangerous to Kiss

Books by Elizabeth Thornton

Almost a Princess

The Bachelor Trap

The Bride’s Bodyguard

Dangerous to Hold

Dangerous to Kiss

Dangerous to Love

The Marriage Trap

The Perfect Princess

The Pleasure Trap

Princess Charming

Shady Lady

Strangers at Dawn

Whisper His Name

You Only Love Twice

PRINCESS CHARMING

A Bantam Book / February 2001

All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2001 by Mary George.

Insert art by Franco Accornero.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information address: Bantam Books.

eISBN: 978-0-307-80296-5

Bantam Books are published by Bantam Books, a division of Random House, Inc. Its trademark, consisting of the words “Bantam Books” and the portrayal of a rooster, is Registered in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Marca Registrada. Bantam Books, New York, New York.

v3.1

In the warmest appreciation to my two mentors,

my editor, Wendy McCurdy,

and my agent, Robin Rue.

Contents

Cover

Other Books by This Author

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Epilogue

Author’s Note

About the Author

Prologue

London, March 1816

She was afraid to open her eyes, afraid that he would be there, watching her. She had no illusions about his capacity for violence. She’d become a threat to him. He had to get rid of her.

How much had she told him?

The words echoed inside her head like a silent scream. It took a long time for the sound to fade. She mustn’t panic. She had to think things through. How much had she told him? She couldn’t remember.

When she tried to swallow, a blurred memory crystallized and came slowly into focus. He’d locked her in her room and subdued her by forcing her to drink from the goblet in his hand. Laudanum. She’d ingested laudanum. That explained why her head ached and her throat was dry.

She breathed slowly, deeply, willing herself to come fully awake. Her eyelashes fluttered, but they were like lead weights and she couldn’t lift them. But her senses were taking other impressions: the soft feather mattress beneath her; the windowpanes rattling; the hiss of the rain.

The rain. She remembered the rain. It was raining when she and Gracie crept out of the house under cover of darkness. They had a boat waiting on the river. That’s how they were going to escape. But he’d unleashed the dogs, and she knew she would never make it.

“Go!” she’d screamed at her terrified maid. “He mustn’t find you with me!” But the wind whipped the words from her mouth. She tried again. “I can’t make it! Tell Lady Octavia she’s the only one who can help.” She pointed to the river and gave Gracie a shove, then veered toward the gazebo. In the dark, the dogs had followed her scent, and her husband and groundsmen had followed the dogs.

How long ago was it? Two days? Three? A week? She couldn’t remember.

She’d planned it so carefully, every step of the way. It had taken her a month to set things up—the boat, the hiding place, money to live on until her attorney had settled everything. But before she could get away, her husband had found out about her friends at the library and had confined her to the house.

She’d defied him anyway, but she’d lost. And when he’d caught her, the questions had begun.

“Why?” he’d asked her over and over. “Why now?”

His lips were pulled back in an expression that was reserved for her only. In government circles and in his clubs, her husband was known for his affability and charm.

“I don’t know.”

“It’s those women at the library you belong to, isn’t it? They put these ideas in your head.”

“No.”

He’d grabbed her arm then, and dragged her to the mirror. “Look at yourself,” he sneered. “You’re an old woman. You’re pathetic. You’d never survive without someone to look after you. You have no money. How did you think you would manage? Who was going to help you? Who? Who? Who?”

His words registered, but barely. She was looking at her reflection as if she were seeing a stranger. The hollow-eyed woman who stared back at her was old, with stooped shoulders and a frail, defeated expression on a face that had once been considered beautiful.

This pathetic old woman had not fulfilled the promise of the young girl whose portrait hung above the white marble mantel in the dining room in Rosemount House. At eighteen, she’d had a sparkle in her eyes, and looked out at the world with all the confidence of youth. She hadn’t known then that she was cursed. She was an heiress, and in the games men played, that made her a pawn.

He hadn’t finished berating her, and as the ugly words spilled over, something inside her snapped. There was more to her than this cowering creature in the mirror, and if there wasn’t, she might as well be dead.

So she’d told him, not everything, but enough to wipe the sneer from his face. She’d told him about the portrait, told him she could ruin him if she wanted to. Then she’d tried to make a bargain with him: if he would let her go, she would take her secret to the grave.

What a fool she’d been to try and make a bargain with the devil. She was going to take her secret to the grave anyway. He was too close to achieving all he’d worked for to let a mere woman stand in his way.

She’d been afraid so many times that she thought she knew everything there was to know about fear. But this was different. She’d involved others, and if he discovered their names, they, too, would pay the penalty for her sins.

Footsteps sounded in the corridor, his footsteps, and at last her eyes opened.

When the key turned in the lock, she pulled herself up. A strange calm possessed her. She’d been a sniveling coward all her married life. This was one fight she wasn’t going to lose.

Chapter 1

When Gwyneth turned the corner into Sutton Row and saw the curricle stationed right outside her front door, there was no sense of foreboding, no premonition that Jason Radley was about to enter her life again. This was just another ordinary day. She’d spent the morning at the Ladies’ Library in Soho Square, where she worked three mornings a week, and she’d stopped off on the way home to buy a loaf of bread. She was late and was hurrying home so that she could share the midday meal with her young son before her first piano student of the day arrived.

Then she saw the curricle.

There was no alarm on Gwyn’s part, only the fervent hope that the father of one of her pupils had come to settle his account. When she approached the curricle, however, and observed the groom standing by the horses’ heads, she frowned. He was dressed in a maroon frock coat with silver frogging on the epaulets and turned-back cuffs.

The Radley livery. She’d know it anywhere.

As her heart picked up speed, her steps slowed. She wasn’t ready for this; she would never be ready for this. As soon as the thought occurred to her, she became impatient with herself. She’d known when she’d come to live in London that there was every chance she and Jason would cross paths. It had happened sooner rather than later, that was all.

Her heart was beating fast when she entered the house. It was a modest two storey, and the front parlor also served as the music room. Because her home was also her place of business, she’d taken care to create a good impression on the ground floor. The entrance hall and front parlor were furnished with her best pieces and the only carpet she possessed. The rest of the house was Spartan—bare floorboards and odds and ends that served their purpose. There were no extras. She couldn’t afford extras.

Her maid, Maddie, came out of the kitchen when she heard the front door open and close. She took the loaf of bread from Gwyn and helped her with her coat. Maddie was no more than fifteen, as neat as a new pin, good-natured and capable. She wasn’t a live-in maid, but shared her services with Gwyn and an elderly lady who lived around the corner in Soho Square. Gwyn couldn’t afford a live-in maid.

Maddie’s eyes were avid with curiosity. She spoke in a whisper. “There’s ever so fine a gent waiting to see you, Mrs. Barrie. A Mr. Radley. He said he was your cousin. I showed him into the parlor. I hope I done right.”

Gwyn refrained from pointing out that there was nowhere else in that small house for anyone to wait. “You did fine, Maddie,” she said, and gave herself a quick glance in the looking glass above the hall table.

Her auburn hair had been flattened by her bonnet. She was on the point of fluffing it up, then thought better of it. It didn’t matter what kind of impression she made on Jason Radley.

If only her heart would stop racing.

“You looks real nice,” said Maddie. Her bright eyes took in the high-waisted dove-gray twill gown with its white lacy collar and long sleeves. “Real quality, if you wants my opinion.”

A maid would never have been allowed such familiarity in any other household, but Gwyn and Maddie were not mistress and maid in the usual sense. They shared the work of the house equally and ate their meals together. When Gwyn was away from home, Maddie looked after Mark. It was Maddie, far more than Gwyn, who kept a respectful distance in the relationship. Despite her lack of years, Maddie understood the necessity of keeping up appearances, especially in front of the rich city merchants and professional men whose daughters came to the house for piano lessons. To her knowledge, this was the first time that Gwyn had ever been visited by a member of her family. But Maddie saw the pulse beating at Gwyn’s throat, and her imagination took flight.

“Where’s Mark?” asked Gwyn, despising the breathlessness in her voice.

“He’s with Mr. Radley. Go on then, in you goes.”

Maddie opened the parlor door and the moment could not be avoided. Gwyn took a few paces into the room and halted. Jason and Mark were on their knees at the small table in front of the fire, demolishing a plate of scones and sharing a pot of tea.

Jason saw her first and rose in one lithe movement, then Mark jumped up and quickly went to her. She concentrated on Mark.

“Mama, Cousin Jason is here. He’s family, Mama. He found out where we were living and came to visit us. I didn’t know we had any cousins.”

This telling little speech brought faint color to Gwyn’s cheeks. Her son didn’t notice. “And Cousin Jason says I can drive around the square in his curricle, after he’s talked to you. May I, Mama? May I?”

Such rare treats were not to be scorned, even though she didn’t want Jason Radley anywhere near her son. She gazed into Mark’s eager face, a face that was so like her own: gray eyes, flashing dimples, and a pointed chin.

Her own dimples flashed a reply. “I don’t see why not. Did you finish the lessons I set you this morning?”

Mark nodded.

“Then go tidy up and help Maddie in the kitchen. When we’re ready, I’ll call you.”

Mark let out a long breath. The eyes he turned on Jason were glowing. “Oh, I do thank you, sir,” he said, and quickly left them.

They could hear him calling for Maddie as he ran to the back of the house. Gwyn quietly closed the door. There was no avoiding it now. She had to look at Jason.

Tall, dark, and handsome didn’t do him justice. He was remarkably good-looking in a rugged sort of way, with vivid green eyes and a physique that an athlete might have envied. He was her cousin, twice removed, and the last time she’d spoken to him was eight years ago.

He looked leaner and harder, the result, she supposed, of burdens he’d assumed when he’d become master of Haddo Hall. She’d heard that in those first few years, he’d staved off bankruptcy by sheer determination and hard work, and now he was one of the richest men in London. It was not what she’d expected. She’d thought he’d take the easy way out and marry for money. There had been no shortage of applicants for the position of Mrs. Jason Radley as she remembered.

Damn him! Why had he never married?

He was regarding her gravely, completely at his ease, waiting for her to speak first. She moved past him to sit on the sofa, close to the fire. “How are you, Jason?”

His lips flattened at the corners but he followed her lead. “Fine, thank you, Gwyn.” He took the armchair on the other side of the fireplace. “I need hardly ask about you. You look well. London seems to agree with you. You’ve been in this house six or seven months, your son tells me.”

She inclined her head.

“And before that you were living with Mark’s uncle and aunt?”

“Yes.” Since something more seemed to be expected of her, she added, “When my husband died, I decided to strike out on my own.”

It was her elopement with Nigel eight years before that had led to the estrangement with her Radley relations. Over the years, she’d kept up with only one of them, Jason’s sister, Trish, and then only sporadically.

Jason said slowly, “I was sorry to hear of your bereavement. You should have let us know.”

“I wrote to Trish.”

“Yes, but not to me, and that was a year ago.”

She had no ready reply to this, and said lamely, “It didn’t seem … It was a difficult time for me. I didn’t think … I’m sorry.”

There was a long, long silence. It looked as though he might pursue this topic, but much to her relief, he indicated the square walnut piano. “Do you still practice as much?”

“As often as time allows.” She looked down at her clasped hands. She’d spent most of her widow’s portion on that piano. “It’s not as good as the piano at Haddo Hall, but it serves me well.”

“And your son? Does he play too?”

“A little, but Mark is only seven. He’s not ready yet for serious study. He can’t sit still for more than a few minutes at a time.”

He shifted a little, watching her. “You’ve raised a fine boy, Gwyn. You must be very proud of him.”

His words made her wonder how long he had been closeted with Mark, and what they had talked about. “Thank you, I am.” She deliberately changed the subject. “Is everyone well at Haddo Hall? And Trish and Gerry?”

He relaxed into his chair and stretched out his long legs. “Very well, thank you. They’ll be here in another week or two if Grandmother has her way. She thinks it’s time Sophie made her come-out. Trish and Gerry are at Haddo right now with their son, Chris, but Brandon is in town. You remember Brandon?”

“Yes, I remember him.”

She remembered everything, the good and the bad. She said, “Sophie must be seventeen now.” She had a picture in her mind of a young girl, as she’d last seen Sophie, driving Jason’s grandmother to distraction with her hoydenish behavior. “Is she still a tomboy?”

“I only wish!”

“Oh?”

“She’s an accomplished flirt.”

Amusement silvered his green eyes, but she could not share in it. She was too tense, too aware that they were talking on one level while dangerous currents eddied just below the surface.

“As for myself,” he went on, “I spend a good deal of time in London now, and have finally taken the plunge and bought a house on Half Moon Street. I find it convenient for business.”

She wasn’t completely ignorant of Jason’s comings and goings. Her good friend at the Ladies’ Library in Soho Square, whose mother lived in Brighton, not far from Haddo, was acquainted with the Radleys, and Judith kept her abreast of Jason’s affairs in every sense of the word.

He straightened in his chair and leaned toward her. “They’d like to see you again, Gwyn. You’re one of the family. You always were and you always will be.”

Her tone was dry. “Those are not your grandmother’s words.”

He answered her seriously. “She’s not the tyrant she used to be. Her health is failing, and age has mellowed her. Isn’t it time to let bygones be bygones?”

She tried to picture a mellower version of the Grandmother Radley she knew, and failed. She’d been a tyrant from the moment she’d descended on Haddo and taken control of the family when Jason’s parents died during an influenza outbreak. George, the elder brother, had always been Grandmother Radley’s favorite.

When George died in a boating accident, Jason had become master of Haddo. He’d left Haddo right after the funeral service, and that was the last Gwyn had seen of him, until today.

He was watching her. “You’ve got the wrong idea about your grandmother and me,” she said. “There was no quarrel, no estrangement.”

He said dryly, “You eloped with a soldier and left England to be with him. None of us knew where you were. If that’s not an estrangement, I don’t know what is.”

“I wrote to you all … eventually.”

“Once, and never again. Except to Trish.”

“I was a soldier’s wife, and I was out of England for several years. Sending letters home was quite an undertaking. Besides, it’s all water under the bridge now. There’s no point in us quarreling about it.”

The room became intensely silent as their eyes locked.

Jason looked away first. He relaxed back in his chair and allowed his gaze to wander over the room. Well, thought Gwyn, he would find no flaws in this room. Her parlor wasn’t elegant, but it was comfortable. A fire crackled in the grate. The furniture was of good quality and well cared for. The same could be said of the clothes she was wearing. And he need never know that all her worldly goods were displayed right here in this room.

He studied her for a moment. “Are you happy, Gwyn?” he asked abruptly.

“I’m content.”

“Giving music lessons to other people’s children?”

An edge that she deeply resented had crept into his voice. She said, “I earn my own living and pay my own way. I’m not ashamed of what I do. And strange as it may seem, I enjoy it. Some of my pupils are very talented.” She chose not to mention the ones who were all thumbs and drove her to distraction. A thought occurred to her and she glared at him. “How do you know I give music lessons? Have you been quizzing my son?”

He answered her coolly. “We talked while we were waiting for you to come home. And yes, I was curious. Mark mentioned a Ladies’ Library in Soho Square. I think I must have misunderstood him.”

Her chin lifted. “I doubt it. Mark is very articulate.”

“You work there?” He was incredulous. “Three mornings a week. I’m a volunteer, like all the ladies.”

“But …” For several long seconds, he regarded her in silence, then, “The library in Soho Square. Are we talking about Lady Octavia and her Ladies’ League? You’re not one of that crew?”

It was a typical male response, one she’d heard often enough, but it got her temper going all the same. “Lady Octavia,” she said, “is only trying to make people aware of the injustices women suffer because of our antiquated marriage laws. And she helps women in distress. I admire her, and I’m proud to be one of her crew.”

“I seem to have hit a raw nerve.” His voice was distinctly amused.

There was no doubt about that. An hour ago, she’d been pleased with the life she had made for herself and Mark. Seen through Jason’s eyes, it didn’t seem like much. She sincerely hoped that Mark hadn’t told Jason that tonight she was engaged to play the piano at a dinner party in Park Lane. He would think that she was in desperate straits. It wouldn’t be far from the truth, but she didn’t want Jason to know that.

She said quietly, “I don’t like it when my friends are ridiculed, that’s all. But you didn’t come here to talk about Lady Octavia. So why are you here, Jason? What’s the real purpose of your visit?”

“Aren’t you glad to see me?”

“Should I be?”

He had the habit, when he was annoyed, of narrowing his eyes. They were narrowed now. “I expected a warmer reception after an interval of eight years. Are you punishing me, Gwyn? Is that it? You still blame me for what happened to George?”

She was genuinely shocked. “No! I never did blame you, Jason. It wasn’t your fault. Didn’t I say so at the funeral?”

He shrugged. “Did you? It was a bad time for all of us. I can’t remember.”

“Then let me say it now. I don’t blame you for what happened to George. I never did, and I never shall.”

“Thank you.”

She was subjected to another long scrutiny, then he said mildly, “Were you happy with Nigel?”

She made her eyes go blank. No one was entitled to know about her private life, least of all Jason Radley. “Very happy.”

“Then I’m glad for you.”

She went on quickly, “You still haven’t told me why you’re here.”

He sighed, but surrendered to her leading. “You’ve come into some money, Gwyn, a legacy from an anonymous benefactor. It’s not a fortune—ten thousand pounds—but if you’re careful, it should be more than adequate to provide for you and Mark.”

“An anonymous …” She stared at him as though he’d taken leave of his senses. “A legacy? I don’t understand. Is this a bequest in someone’s will?”

“No. It’s exactly as I said. Someone who wishes to remain anonymous has settled a tidy sum of money on you.”

Her heart began to beat in slow, heavy strokes. “Who would do such a thing?”

“You tell me.” He was watching her with an expression she could not read, but his eyes were narrowed.

“I haven’t a clue.” Her voice sounded natural, and that surprised her.

“No secret admirers, Gwyn? No one who feels obligated to provide for you, or who believes they owe you something?”

“Not that I …” When his meaning suddenly registered, she went rigid. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she snapped. “I’m a widow with a son to support. I haven’t had the time or the inclination for admirers. And where would I find the opportunity? All the men I meet are already married. I teach their children, for heaven’s sake.”

His smile started at the corners of his lips and gradually filled his eyes.

That smile irritated her more than his insulting words. It also brought back memories. They were children again, and he had always taken delight in teasing her.

“How do you know this, Jason? Who told you about the legacy?”

Before he could respond, Maddie entered, bearing a tray with a decanter of sherry and two crystal glasses. She set it down on the table in front of the fire. Gwyn was given a speaking look, a reproach for forgetting the niceties of entertaining a gentleman caller, and Jason was given a shy smile.

“Thank you, Maddie,” he said, reaching for the decanter. “You must have read my mind.”

Maddie murmured something breathless and inarticulate, which was to be expected, thought Gwyn, because Jason had just turned on the charm. In short, he’d given Maddie one of his rare smiles, intimate, humorous, as though they shared a private joke.

That endearing smile was a lethal weapon that ought to have been outlawed in Gwyn’s opinion.

She accepted the glass of sherry Jason handed her and waited until Maddie had cleared away the tea things. When they were alone, she said, “How did you hear about this mysterious legacy?”

“This is excellent sherry,” he said.

“Thank you.” She didn’t tell him that it was a Christmas present from the father of one of her students. “The legacy, Jason,” she prompted.

“I received a letter from an attorney in Pall Mall, a Mr. Benjamin Armstrong.”

“I’ve never heard of him.”

“So I understand. At any rate, he didn’t know how to find you, and thought I might know. Of course, I didn’t. You didn’t even bother to inform Trish that you’d moved to London. I had a devil of a time tracking you down.”

“I would have written to Trish eventually.” She stopped, made a choking sound, set down her glass of sherry, and jumped to her feet. “So that’s it! You’re the one who has been watching me, following me! I thought I was imagining things, and all the time, it was you!”

Jason frowned up at her. “Someone has been watching you?”

“Oh, don’t pretend you don’t know! Not you personally, of course, but someone in your employ. What did you hope to gain by it? I have nothing to hide.”

“Sit down, Gwyn!” he said in an awful voice.

She swished her skirts, but after a moment, she sat.

“I am not having you watched. Do you understand?” He waited until she nodded, then he went on, “Brandon told me where to find you. You have a mutual acquaintance, Miss Judith Dudley. When she mentioned her friend, Mrs. Gwyneth Barrie of Sutton Row, Brandon knew it must be you.”

Her only response was to reach for her glass and put it to her lips.

Jason said, “Brandon gave me your direction yesterday and I came here today. I have not employed anyone to watch you or follow you.” He sat back in his chair. “Now tell me what’s going on.”

She looked up at him, then quickly looked away. “I’m sorry,” she said. “It was a stupid thing to say. I know you would never do anything underhanded. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

He said softly, “No offense taken. Now tell me what’s going on.”

There was silence as she tried to think of a way of evading the question. When none occurred to her, she said reluctantly, “Maddie thinks I’m imagining things, and she may well be right.”

“What things?”

“It’s more of a feeling than anything else, you know, when you feel your neck burning and you turn around quickly to find someone staring at you. Only, no one is ever staring at me. Or I’ll be walking home and hear footsteps, but when I turn around, there’s no one there.”

“That’s all?” He looked baffled.

Now that she had explained herself, she felt ridiculous. There had been other things: a man’s footprint in the flower beds at the back of the house, and a stranger talking to Mark, asking directions. And on one occasion, she thought someone had been through the house, looking for something, but nothing had been taken. Now, observing Jason’s skepticism, she realized how silly she would sound if she mentioned them.

She said flippantly, “You have to understand, Jason, that living alone can make a woman highly suspicious.”

“All the more reason for you to come home.” Her eyes cooled. “You were telling me about this legacy. How do I claim it?”

His eyes heated.

“Well?”

He looked ready to argue, but eventually he nodded. “Armstrong is in Bristol right now,” he said. “When he returns, I’ll arrange an appointment with him.”

“I can do that.”

“It’s not that simple. You see, Gwyn, this legacy comes with certain conditions attached. I’m one of them.”

“You? How do you come into it?”

He drank the last of his sherry and stood up. “I’ve been named as your trustee, so you see, whether we like it or not, we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on.”

Chapter 2

Cousin Jason said that I should drive with him again, and when we go down to Haddo Hall, he’ll teach me to ride.” They were in Mark’s bedchamber, and Gwyn was at the window with a hand on each curtain. It was dark outside, with only porch lanterns and the box lamps on passing vehicles to illuminate the street. A few pedestrians were hurrying home, and one of the maids from the corner house was saying goodnight to her young man.

Nothing was out of place. Nothing gave cause for alarm. And now Gwyn was mentally kicking herself for having mentioned her strange fancies to Jason. He’d think that living alone had touched her brain. And for all she knew, he could be right.

She closed the curtains and looked toward the bed. Mark was propped against the pillows, slowly sipping from a mug of steaming chocolate. The chocolate was a luxury they saved for bedtime. Maddie had already left to go to Mrs. Jamieson’s.

“Did Jason say that? How very like him.”

“Yes, he is kind, isn’t he, Mama?”

The innocent reply gave her an odd pang. She crossed to the bed. “Yes, Jason can be very kind,” she said simply.

She meant it. What she didn’t add was that kindness, however well meant, could have a cruel edge. To have her son taken up by the Radleys of Haddo Hall would be a kindness to no one.

She touched her fingers to his fair hair and brushed back the lock that fell across his forehead. “It’s time I cut your hair,” she said.

“I don’t want it cut. Cousin Jason doesn’t have short hair.”

“Then I’ll offer to cut his hair, too.”

His dimples flashed and he gurgled with laughter. The sound of that laughter, the pure delight in it, filled her with pleasure. There had been little enough laughter in their lives. Her solemn little boy was beginning to come into his own, and she thanked God for it.

She cleared her throat. “What would you say,” she said, “if I told you we might go to the seaside for a little holiday? Oh, not right now, but in the summer, when it’s warmer.”

The holiday at the seaside was on the strength of the legacy from the anonymous benefactor. She could still feel traces of the ice-cold terror that had gripped her when Jason mentioned the legacy. Her first thought was that he was behind it. But he seemed so casual about the whole thing, and as she’d shown him out, he’d questioned her more—none too tactfully—about acquaintances who may have fallen under her spell. His eyes were narrowed, too, so she was sure there was a trace of temper there, or maybe she was imagining it.

The thing was, she knew any number of people who were well-off. Many of the ladies who came to the library were independently wealthy. She’d wracked her brain trying to figure out who her benefactress might be, and she’d narrowed it down to Lady Octavia and her friend, Judith Dudley. But they both knew where she lived, and Jason said he had to track her down. They would have told the attorney her address, wouldn’t they? Unless they wanted to throw her off the scent. And why Jason as trustee?

She shook her head. She couldn’t see Lady Octavia singling her out in this way. There were too many other women who came to the library who were much worse off than she. And she couldn’t see Judith as her benefactress either, though everyone knew she was one of the richest women in England. Two illustrious lords had claimed they were her father, though Judith’s mother, the daughter of an earl, was married to neither. And when they’d died, they’d left Judith all their money.

But Judith didn’t care about money. She didn’t care about fine clothes or fine furniture or fine carriages. Like many people who had the money to buy whatever they wanted, she didn’t want to buy anything at all. In fact, she was a bit of a dowd and so was her mother. It wouldn’t occur to her that anyone had money problems.

Oh to be so rich, thought Gwyn, and sighed.

She’d just have to contain her impatience until she met with the attorney. Then she’d also learn how Jason came into the picture. A trustee, to her knowledge, was there to prevent his ward from frittering away her capital on extravagant living. In her case, Jason would have nothing to worry about. She would continue to earn her own way, and the legacy would be kept intact until Mark came of age.

She looked down at Mark. “What did you say?”

“I said, can we go to Haddo Hall, too?”

“We can only have one holiday.”

“It’s near Brighton, isn’t it, and that’s the seaside?”

“Brighton will be crowded with visitors. It’s too fashionable, and too expensive.”

“Don’t you want to go home, Mama?”

“Haddo Hall was never really my home.” That sounded ungracious, so she modified her words. “I mean, it was more like a second home to me. My mother used to take me there every summer to visit my cousins, and when my mother … when I became an orphan, I went to live there for good.”

It was a magical place when she first knew it, then, for a little while, not so magical when her mother was no longer there. Jason’s parents must have had hearts as deep as the ocean. She’d never felt that she was a burden to them. In fact, she never thought about it at all. Her father, a sailor, had died at sea when she was two years old. She was a Radley. They had to take her in.

After the influenza epidemic had carried off Jason’s parents, Grandmother Radley took over the running of the house. Her ideas on how young girls should behave were vastly different from Mrs. Radley’s. She was rigid and authoritarian, and all the joy went out of Haddo Hall.

There was one thing she had to give Grandmother Radley credit for—her love of music. And oh how she had resisted those hours of practicing at the piano. You’ll thank me one day, Grandmother Radley said.

Never in a million years, she’d thought. Well, it turned out that she was wrong.

“Cousin Jason says he taught you to ride.”

“Well, he did, I suppose.”

“Was he your favorite cousin?”

“Hardly. Trish, that’s Jason’s sister, was only a year older than I. We were practically inseparable. Anyway, Jason and George were away at school most of the time. I saw them only in the holidays.”

“Who is George?”

She kept her voice neutral. “He was Jason’s older brother. He died in a boating accident. Jason became master of Haddo after that.”

Mark took another swallow of chocolate and licked his lips. “Who is Princess Charming?” he asked.

“Who?”

“Princess Charming?”

The question gave her quite a jolt. Princess Charming was what Jason used to call her, meaning the opposite, of course.

“Where did that come from?”

“I asked Cousin Jason why he wasn’t married and—”

“Mark, you didn’t! That’s a personal question. You know the rules.”

“Well, he was asking me a lot of questions.”

“Oh he was, was he?” Her tone of voice brought a frown to Mark’s face. Recovering herself quickly, she went on with a smile, “That was to be expected, I suppose. I mean, we are cousins, and we haven’t seen each other in a very long time.”

She smoothed the covers on Mark’s bed. She folded his clothes. She tidied the towels at the washstand. Finally, losing patience, she said, “Well, what did Jason say when you asked why he wasn’t married?”

“Oh. He said he was waiting for Princess Charming to come along.”

Gwyn gave a short laugh. “Then he’ll wait till doomsday.”

“But who is she, Mama?”

“She’s the perfect woman, and as any sane woman knows, she doesn’t exist.” When Mark looked puzzled, she elaborated, “That was Cousin Jason’s way of saying that he hasn’t met the woman yet whom he wants to marry.”

“Oh.”

Mark drained his mug, handed it to her, and snuggled under the covers. “If we only have one holiday,” he said emphatically, “I want to go to Haddo Hall.”

She didn’t make an issue of it. Hugging him close, she kissed him on the cheek. She remembered her own mother doing much the same with her, and the old familiar shadow crossed her heart. If anything happened to her, what would become of Mark? She didn’t doubt for a moment that the Radleys of Haddo would take him in, but she didn’t want her son to become anyone’s poor relation.

She felt a pang of guilt, especially about Trish. They’d been close once, and she was largely to blame for keeping her at arm’s length. When she and Nigel had returned to England, Trish had asked if she could come for a visit, but she’d put her off. She hadn’t wanted anyone to see what her life had become. And if she had left Nigel to visit anyone, he wouldn’t have allowed her to take Mark with her, and nothing would have induced her to leave her son behind.

And she and Trish had drifted apart.

She looked at Mark. They’d never been happier, and now the legacy would make things a little easier.

“I’ll be going out tonight,” she said, “but Mrs. Perkins will be here to look after you in case you waken.” Gwyn was referring to her nearest neighbor, an elderly widow who had raised seven children in her time, and was always more than happy to take care of Mark on the odd evening Gwyn had to be out of the house.

“I remember,” said Mark. “You’re playing at someone’s party. Will you make a lot of money, Mama?”

“Enough to buy you an ice at Gunther’s on Saturday.”

“Mmm.” His eyes closed. “That’s almost as good as driving in Cousin Jason’s curricle.”

Jason again. With a small sound of exasperation, she blew out the candles, then went downstairs. After tidying the kitchen and adding coal to the fire, she filled a jug with warm water and went to her own room to get ready for the party. She managed to stop thinking about Jason until she was dressed and sitting at her dressing table arranging her hair.

It wasn’t long before her teeth were on edge. She knew exactly how she wanted her hair to sit, but short of nailing it to her head, there was absolutely nothing she could do with it. She nailed it to her head with pin after pin, inwardly vowing that one of these days, she was going to tame her crowning glory by shaving it off.

Jason had always made fun of her hair. Carrot Top, he’d called her when they were children. She hadn’t minded because sometimes, just sometimes, if Jason had no one else to play with, he’d allowed her to trail after him. He’d always been the most adventurous of her cousins. George’s head was never out of a book; Trish preferred the domestic scene; Sophie wasn’t born yet, and Jason liked to go exploring.

And where Jason went, she was sure to follow, even if she had to do it by stealth, which she frequently did.

All that changed when he turned fifteen. He didn’t want her near him at any price. Trish told her why. Jason, it seemed, had discovered girls, not skinny girl-children like they were, but older women of eighteen or nineteen, women whom they were not likely to meet in her mother’s drawing room.

In short, Trish told her with a giggle, bad women, and the badder the better.

She, Gwyn, had straightaway succumbed to a monumental huff. She was no longer wanted, not even accepted on sufferance, and that hurt. In fact, she was crushed.

The years passed, and her hero-worship of Jason faded. By the time she was sixteen, she was as scandalized as Grandmother Radley by Jason’s reputation. Scandalized and fascinated. She’d seen how Jason looked at women and how they looked at him, and it did something peculiar to her insides.

Sickening, she thought, as she watched during those country assemblies how women vied for his attention. She made up her mind, then, that she was one female who would never fall under Jason Radley’s spell. And just to show him how immune she was, she attached herself to George.

As though Jason cared.

“He’ll never marry you, Gwyn,” Jason said once. “Don’t you understand? George has to marry for money. Now take me, I’m a younger son. Nobody cares whom I marry. Why don’t you try those soulful looks on me for a change? Of course, we’ll have to wait a few years till you’re all grown up.”

His eyes gleamed with laughter. She stomped off in a rage.

After that, she’d treated him with silent disdain, and sometimes not so silent, and that’s when he’d started to call her Princess Charming.

Time passed. Jason spent more and more time in London. Trish married and moved away. She and George became close friends. She loved George, but she wasn’t in love with him, nor he with her. Besides, she’d met George’s friend, the handsome and dashing Captain Nigel Barrie, who was stationed at Brighton, and she was flattered by his attentions.

On Jason’s last visit, he brought a party of friends as wild and reckless as himself down to Haddo to help him celebrate his birthday. One night, some of them went out sailing, and George went with them. A sudden storm came up. Jason was washed overboard, and George drowned trying to save him.

A blur of fragmented memories swamped Gwyn’s mind. Grandmother Radley’s cruel words; Jason, his face haggard, flinging out of the room; much later, her own frantic search for him; the wind, the rain, the suffocating darkness.

Finally, the abandoned fishermen’s hut at the foot of the cliffs.

She never allowed her thoughts, if she could help it, to take her beyond this point. The memory was locked away in the deepest part of her psyche. As far as she knew, Jason had never worked out that it was she who had found him that night, and she never wanted him to find out.

She gazed at her reflection without really seeing it.

We’ll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on.

She was twenty-six years old. She’d been a soldier’s wife. She’d seen things, done things, that most women had never imagined. She wasn’t going to let Jason’s careless words frighten her.

It was time to go. She rose without haste and went around the house making sure all the doors were locked and the curtains closed to prying eyes.

Chapter 3

He hadn’t expected Gwyn to fall into his arms when she saw him. There was too much between them, too many regrets. But her coldness fired up his own temper.

Hell, what did he expect? He was the other brother, the opposite of George; he was the hell-raiser; the black sheep of the family. He had survived and taken George’s place as master of Haddo. In spite of all that came to light after George died, she had to resent him.

Jason bolted the brandy in his glass and helped himself to another from a tray one of the footmen offered him. But the brandy wasn’t helping to take his mind off Gwyn, and he didn’t think this house of ill repute would make a difference either.

It wasn’t exactly a bawdy house. The house belonged to the Honorable Bertie Sackville, a bachelor and hard-working member of parliament, hard-working and totally inept. His main claim to fame lay in his notorious parties. The guests were admitted by invitation only. The women weren’t all high-priced courtesans. Some of them, the ones who were wearing masks, were society ladies who would dare anything just for the thrill of it. They were here to watch a performance, something lewd and highly titillating, and after the performance, they were free to join in the orgy or go their separate ways.

Jason propped one elbow on the sideboard and let his gaze roam over the crush of people. Few candles were lit, with the purpose, he supposed, of adding to the illicit atmosphere. Conversation was subdued; the laughter was brittle, verging on nervous. A space had been cleared and a wooden platform set up in the middle of the floor. Everyone seemed to be waiting with baited breath for the performance to begin.

Not for the first time that evening, Jason wondered what in hell’s name he was doing here. He had a nodding acquaintance with his host, but only because they were both members of White’s Gentlemen’s Club. He supposed most of the men here were members of White’s, and that’s where he wished he was right now. Then why was he here?

He’d been in a filthy mood when his cousin, Brandon, had invited him along. His meeting with Gwyn that morning was what had set him off. Why not? he’d thought, the old recklessness taking hold of him. He was a bachelor and answerable to no one, least of all to Gwyn. Why not?

“You seem very restless tonight, Jason.”

Jason turned to look at Brandon. They were the same age and both had the Radley coloring: dark hair and green eyes. As adolescents, they’d led each other into one scrape after another until their parents had hit upon the idea of sending them to different schools. Jason had been far closer to Brandon than he’d been to his own brother.

Time had made a difference to their friendship, time and their diverging interests. As master of Haddo, Jason had responsibilities that Brandon did not envy in the least. He enjoyed the finer things in life, as his immaculate garments clearly showed. The trouble was, Brandon didn’t have the money to support his expensive tastes.

“Restless?” Jason said.

“You’ve been drumming your fingers on this sideboard for the last five minutes.”

Jason’s fingers stopped drumming. He put his glass to his lips and took a healthy swig. “I’m not restless, Brandon, I’m bored.”

Amusement colored Brandon’s voice. “I can’t believe my ears. How can any red-blooded male be bored by so much beauty in one place?”

“I prefer one man, one woman, and a locked door.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve never been to one of Bertie’s parties?”

“Several. But that was years ago. I think I’ve outgrown them.”

“Then why did you accept my invitation tonight?”

“I was at a loose end.”

Brandon paused to take snuff and studied Jason curiously. Jason had been only twenty-three when George died in a boating accident, and the only mark he’d made on the world, so he’d told Brandon at the time, was in the bawdy houses of St. James, and with the magistrates and runners of the Bow Street Office. All that changed when he became master of Haddo. The last shovelful of earth had hardly been scattered over George’s grave when creditors descended. George, the family discovered, had got into bad company in Brighton, and in the course of a month, had lost everything at the gaming tables. If Haddo had been entailed, it wouldn’t have been such a disaster, but the estate that had been in the Radleys’ possession for generations would have to be sold to stave off bankruptcy.

Brandon’s first thought on hearing of the mess George had left behind was that he had taken the easy way out because he couldn’t face the shame of discovery. But this wasn’t the case. It seemed he’d made appointments to meet with various bankers in London, though what he was going to use as collateral to secure a loan was anyone’s guess. Unlike Jason, he wasn’t a romantic figure. There was no rich lady waiting in the wings to rescue him. But besides all this, he’d died while heroically trying to save Jason from drowning. Heroically and foolishly, in Brandon’s opinion, because George couldn’t swim. It ended with Jason trying to save George. They both might have drowned. The others on the boat were either too terrified or too drunk to even chance going into the choppy waters.

In that first year, Jason had been like a man possessed, trying to come up with a plan to satisfy his creditors. He’d sold off his own assets, including a small holding in Derbyshire. There had been talk of marriage to some wealthy lady who would be happy to trade her fortune for Jason’s ring on her finger. And he would have done it, too, if it had become necessary. But either his charm, or his facile tongue, or the rumor of his advantageous marriage, had persuaded his creditors to give his plan a chance. And it worked.

So Jason changed his ways and settled down to take George’s place as master of Haddo. Tonight, however, he seemed more like the old Jason, and Brandon wondered why.

He shut the lid of his snuff box with a snap and said casually, “I presume your presence here means that you and Daphne have had a falling out?”

“Hardly. Daphne and I have an understanding. We’re both free to do as we please.”

“Really? How very civilized.” Brandon’s tone was dry. Not Daphne, then. After a moment, he chuckled. “Is she still as pretty or has she run to fat?”

The word who? hovered on Jason’s lips, but one look at Brandon’s eyes made him stifle it. Instead, he said simply, “She’s hardly changed at all.”

That had been his first impression, when she’d walked in on Mark and him that morning. Her fine, fly-away hair that, as he remembered, was the bane of her existence, feathered her brow and cheeks. The same line of freckles marched across the bridge of her nose. He’d forgotten about her dimples. But he could never forget her lovely eyes or how they mirrored her thoughts. He’d always known when Gwyn was happy or sad or in a temper.

And that’s when he’d begun to see the change in her. Her eyes gave nothing away now. Then he’d noticed other changes: she was too thin, too unsmiling, and too fragile beneath that calm exterior.

But he’d discovered one thing. There was no man in Gwyn’s life. The guile he’d used to extract that piece of information didn’t trouble him at all. As though a secret admirer would name him as trustee! Not if he had any sense he wouldn’t. It had been pure pleasure to see her come to life—those gray eyes that could match any tempest, and that little catch in her breath. He’d wanted to put his lips on hers and suck that little catch in her breath and swallow it.

“I’m sorry to hear it,” said Brandon.

“What?” Jason had lost the thread of their conversation.

“That she hasn’t run to fat. I don’t believe I ever told you that when we were boys, I had this monumental thing about Gwyn. Puppy love, I suppose. Of course, as we both know, she only had eyes for George.” Brandon sighed. “I’m not sure that I ever got over it. But if she’d run to fat or lost her looks, well, that would make a difference, don’t you think?”

Jason turned his head and gave his cousin a long, hard look. Brandon was lounging against the sideboard, and dim light or no, nothing could conceal the twinkle in his eyes or the grin on his face. Jason said, “Be careful, Brandon. Remember I’m the head of our house.”

“Meaning?”

“If you’re offering to marry Gwyn, I may hold you to it.”

Brandon’s jaw dropped. “I was joking! You know I was joking! Gwyn never meant anything to me. She’s not my type.”

Jason snorted. “You’re right about that. She doesn’t have enough money to keep you in the style to which you’d like to become accustomed.”

“This,” said Brandon, “is turning nasty.”

After a moment, both men grinned. In the old days, this mutual baiting would have ended in a friendly bout of wrestling. Now, all their sparring was done with words.

After a moment, Jason said, “Brandon, what in Hades are we doing here?”

Brandon shrugged. “I thought you needed taking out of yourself. I thought we both did.”

“If your creditors are hounding you,” said Jason seriously, “I’d be happy to help you out.”

“When are my creditors not hounding me? No, no. I’m not short of money, thanks all the same. My luck still holds good at the gaming tables. All I’m suffering is a prolonged case of boredom.”

“That settles it,” said Jason, straightening. “Let’s go down to one of those dock taverns and trade insults with shipworkers and sailors. That ought to liven things up a bit.”

“Too late,” said Brandon. “The performance, I believe, is about to begin. And you know what that means. The doors will be locked.”

“I need another drink,” said Jason, looking around for a footman.

“No you don’t. The rumor is that the drinks are laced with something, you know, to make the men more virile and the women more compliant.”

“You’re joking,” said Jason.

“Don’t say you haven’t been warned.”

Jason scowled at Brandon’s grinning face. He didn’t believe him, but he waved the footman away without taking another glass. Then he gave his attention to the stage.

A hush descended as their host rose to address the spectators. Bertic Sackville was in his forties, and well upholstered like the chairs and sofas in this grand salon that also served as the picture gallery. He was beaming, and kept rubbing his hands together.

“The rules of the house are as follows,” he said. “After the performance, you are free to go or free to stay.” This was greeted by guffaws, catcalls, and a round of applause.

He held up his hand. “If you decide to stay, just remember the servants’ quarters are out of bounds.”

“That,” said Brandon in an amused aside to Jason, “is to stop the females from hounding the footmen. Oh, not that the footmen mind. It’s the gentlemen guests who object.”

“What about the female servants?” asked the gentleman on the other side of Brandon.

Brandon turned his head slowly. “This is a private conversation,” he said.

“Yes, yes, but what about them?”

Brandon heaved a sigh. “There aren’t any. This is an all-male household.”

Sackville continued, “And all the main rooms on the ground floor are out of bounds as well. In fact, the doors will be locked.”

The eavesdropper elbowed Brandon in the ribs. “Why is that?”

“Housebreakers,” replied Brandon coolly. He edged closer to Jason. “I understand that at one of Bertie’s parties, housebreakers broke in and made off with all the silver.”

The avid eavesdropper howled with laughter.

“So let the performance begin!” cried Sackville.

With that, the salon doors were flung open and a collective sigh went up as the performers approached the platform.

It was a simple tale of pirates and captive virgins. The scantily-clad women were perfectly formed: high, thrusting breasts and tiny waists flaring to rounded hips. The young men who partnered them were built like randy stallions. What was lacking was finesse. The first “virgin” was deflowered almost at once, and within minutes, they were all going at it, some on tables, some on the floor, in every lewd way imaginable, heaving, thrusting, groaning, moaning.

Though it was real enough, the actors and actresses were all prostitutes from the local bawdy houses, and everyone there knew it. Even so, it worked powerfully on the audience. The heavy breathing and moaning didn’t all come from the actors on stage. Excitement began to mount as the pirates invited gentlemen from the audience to join in the fun.

My God, thought Jason, what’s wrong with me? I should be at boiling point. I should want to grab the nearest woman and carry her off.

But the only woman he really wanted was Gwyn, and that made him grit his teeth. Jaw clenched, he waved a footman over, reached for a glass of brandy, and put it to his lips.

Gwyn paid off her hackney and turned to look at the house. There were no lights shining from the downstairs windows, but the driver had assured her that it was Mr. Sackville’s residence. The door opened before she had a chance to use the knocker.

“I’m Mrs. Barrie,” she told the footman who opened the door to her. “Mr. Sackville’s guest.” Sackville was the uncle and guardian of one of her music students, Sally Sackville.

The footman looked her up and down, then looked at her invitation card. “I think there must be some mistake,” he said.

She squared her shoulders and tried not to look insulted. Of course, he could see at once that she wasn’t a real guest. Her clothes weren’t fashionable, but she was presentable. There was a dash of lemon in her voice. “I’m here to play the piano for Mr. Sackville’s guests after dinner,” she said.

The footman had a list of guests, which he now scanned. “You’re on the list.” He sounded surprised. “Please, come this way.”

He locked the door behind her and led the way upstairs.

A sudden burst of masculine laugher followed by applause from one of the downstairs rooms made Gwyn pause and look down. “Is this party for men only?” she asked the footman. Not that it made any difference to her, but she’d been told that after dinner she was to play for Mr. Sackville’s friends from the House and their wives. Either way, she would be paid well for her services, and that’s what mattered.

“Oh no,” said the footman, sounding oddly amused to Gwyn’s ears. “There are more females than gentlemen. My master wouldn’t have it any other way.”

When Gwyn entered the music room, she gave a little cry of delight. A candelabra had been placed on the grand piano, and it was a beautiful piano. She crossed to it and reverently touched the keys without depressing them. It was just as Mr. Sackville had told her. The piano was made by John Broadwood and Sons of Great Pulteney Street, the finest piano makers in England. It was the chance of playing such a fine instrument that had tipped the scales in favor of her coming here tonight. She liked Mr. Sackville well enough, but he was forgetful. She was always having to remind him to pay Sally’s fees. She hoped he remembered to pay her after the performance, but she wasn’t counting on it.

The footman said, “Shall I bring you refreshments, ma’am?”

Now this was more like it. “Thank you,” she said sweetly.

The footman had forgotten to take her coat. After a moment’s thought, she slipped it off and draped it over a chair. Underneath, she was wearing her best party dress, the one she’d worn to dances when Nigel was stationed in Portugal. It was a red silk, and though it was five or six years old, she’d altered it to fit the current fashion: high waist and low bodice with puffed sleeves. She’d even raised the hem by a good two inches.

Only a month ago, she was still in mourning clothes, and what a hypocrite she’d felt. Maybe the red silk was too daring, but it was the only party dress she had. As for her blacks—she suppressed a shudder—she’d loaned them to a neighbor’s sister, and she didn’t care if she never saw them again.

She’d expected other performers and wondered what could be keeping them. It seemed strange, too, that none of the candles in the chandelier were lit, only the candles at the piano and in each candelabra at either end of the mantelpiece. A fire burned brightly in the grate.

The footman returned with the refreshments, and after setting the tray down, bowed himself out of the room.

With nothing better to do, she wandered over to the small table where the refreshments were laid out, an opened bottle of red wine and a plate of macaroons. After a moment, she poured herself a glass of wine and swallowed a mouthful, then another, but her eyes kept straying to the piano. Surely no one would mind if she practiced a little? At least until the other performers arrived? Another burst of laughter and prolonged applause from downstairs settled it. No one would hear her anyway.

She’d memorized the pieces, and without more ado, she seated herself at the piano, flexed her fingers, and began to play.

The orgy was called “hide and seek.”

“Our cue to leave,” said Jason.

Most of the masked ladies had already made their way out of the house. They weren’t all laughing. Some of them looked sickly! Evidently, this graphic display of male lust had been more real than they’d bargained for. Upstairs, someone was playing the piano.

“Leave? What, now?” Brandon was aghast. “You’re joking, of course.”

“Suit yourself.”

“I can’t believe you’re unaffected by the performance we just watched.”

He was deeply affected, thought Jason. Shaken wasn’t too strong a word. But the performance he had watched was mostly in his own head. He thought he was over her. Damn Gwyn for coming back into his life, and damn the donor of the legacy who had brought them together again.

“Wait for me!” Brandon hastened to catch up with Jason.

“Why? I thought you wanted to stay.”

“What I wanted,” said Brandon crossly, “was to cheer you up. Where you go, I go.”

“I do not need cheering up.”

“Fine. Then you can cheer me up.”

They were in the vestibule, the last to leave as they waited for the footmen to bring their cloaks. Suddenly, the salon doors flew open and a horde of squealing nymphs came bounding out and made for the stairs. Their host, Bertie Sackville, was hard on their heels. Then the salon doors were closed from the inside.

Sackville waved to Jason and Brandon. “Since I’m the host,” he said, “I’m allowed to be first out of the gate.” He saw them putting on their cloaks and frowned. “Aren’t you going to join in the fun?”

“We have a previous appointment,” said Brandon. He scowled at Jason.

Sackville began to climb the stairs. Brandon muttered something under his breath and made for the front door. Jason stood transfixed, staring up at the first-floor landing where a group of giggling females had suddenly appeared, flapping around like a flight of intoxicated butterflies. One of those butterflies was someone he knew.

Gwyn.

She was watching Sackville as he climbed the stairs, and she held out her hand to him. Then her eyes moved to Jason and her hand dropped away.

She blinked rapidly. He drew in several breaths in quick succession. When he started forward, the salon doors opened and he was joined by a horde of whooping men. Gwyn gasped, elbowed her way clear of the crush, and went tearing up the next flight of stairs.

Chapter 4

It wasn’t the sight of Jason that panicked Gwyn. In fact, though she had looked at him, she hadn’t really seen him. It was too dark at the foot of the stairs. She’d turned and run because she’d seen the appalled look on her host’s face when he’d caught sight of her, and though she couldn’t hear his words, she’d read his lips. Mrs. Barrie! What in God’s name are you doing here? Then the salon doors had opened and she’d seen the horde of men.

Enlightenment dawned as though a blindfold had been torn from her eyes. This wasn’t a respectable party. It was one of those debauches her good friend, Judith, had warned her about, one of those wild parties that bored men of rank and fashion attended to slake their insatiable carnal appetites.

She went through the first door she came to, the door to the servants’ staircase, and quickly shut it. She would have locked it, too, if there had been a key in the lock. Since there wasn’t, she pulled on the handle with both hands and prayed that if anyone tried to open it, they would think it was bolted from the inside. She listened as feminine shrieks gradually grew fainter, then she went rigid as men’s voices passed by the door.

She wasn’t shaking in fear, she was shaking in anger. This wasn’t a careless mix-up in dates; this was a never-ending mix-up in Sackville’s woolly brain. She should have expected it. He could never get anything right, could never remember which day Sally’s lesson was on or even read a simple bill. She was always explaining things to him. How he ever came to be a member of parliament was beyond her.

Next week. That’s when he was expecting her. That’s what he’d originally told her before he’d changed his mind. Well, next week, he would wait in vain.

From the moment she’d entered the house, she’d sensed that something odd was going on: the way the footman had looked at her, the scarcity of candles, the bursts of laughter, the squeals. She supposed that the sound of the piano had drowned out most of it until it was so raucous, she couldn’t ignore it.

Then she’d gone in search of her host to demand what was going on. A closer look at the “ladies” she met on the stairs made her feel very uneasy, but she decided she was just being prudish. Until she’d seen her host’s face and read his lips.

At that moment, she would gladly have brained him with a poker. If it ever got out that she’d attended a party like this, she would lose all her pupils. A lady who taught other people’s children had to be highly respectable.

She had to get out of here before anyone recognized her.

She was descending the stairs when she heard the stealthy sound of a door opening and closing far below her. Every muscle in her body tensed. She stopped breathing. Someone else had entered the servants’ staircase. She waited, trembling, listening. There was no sound of footsteps. When the door opened and closed again, and the silence lengthened, she let out a pent-up breath. Whoever it was had decided to try his luck elsewhere.

Moving as soundlessly as she could manage, she descended to the next landing. Here, she hesitated. The trouble was, she couldn’t remember which floor she was on. She hoped it was the ground floor. Then she would be out on the street in a matter of minutes.

She looked over the stairwell. There was no candle on that part of the staircase, and she couldn’t make out how far the stairs descended. But something down there moved. When she heard grunting and moaning, she didn’t know whether to be relieved or disgusted. They were doing it right there on the stairs!

She turned the handle of the door on the landing and cautiously pushed into a small room. The embers of the fire in the grate gave enough light to show her that it was empty and that she’d entered a small, sparsely-furnished parlor. The housekeeper’s parlor, she deduced. Comfortable, but nothing too fancy. Then she detected the faint smell of tobacco smoke. Not the housekeeper’s parlor, but the butler’s. Then where was the butler and where were the servants?

She was crossing to the other door when it suddenly swung open. Startled, she stumbled back and cried out when her hip struck a table.

“Gwyneth? I know it’s you.”

For one awful moment, she thought it was one of her pupil’s fathers, but he wouldn’t call her by her first name. Then he said her name again, and she recognized his voice.

“Jason?” she whispered.

“Of course. Who else?”

Tears of relief burned her eyes. Her throat felt unbearably tight. She had never been more glad to see anyone in her life. She let out a shaken sob. “I’m glad you found me.”

When he was only an arm’s length away, she sensed that he was angry. No, angry wasn’t strong enough. Livid.

She cried out when he moved and grasped her by the shoulders. “What in hell’s name are you doing here?” he demanded.

“I came to play the piano,” she cried out. “It was all a mistake. Sackville must have got his dates mixed up! You can’t think I’m here by choice?”

“Hardly.”

She swayed slightly and put a hand to her temples. “I feel dizzy. Do you think they put something in the wine?”

“It wouldn’t surprise me.” His tone softened considerably. “You’re too innocent for your own good. Haven’t you heard of Sackville and his notorious parties?”

“No. Who would tell me? I only know him as the woolly-headed guardian of one of my pupils.”

That startled a laugh out of Jason. He shook his head. “Gwyn,” he said, “ah, Gwyn.”

She was more shaken than she realized, because when he put his arms around her, she didn’t push him away. She did the opposite. She nestled closer. She felt as limp as a silk scarf. If he hadn’t been holding her, she would have slipped to the floor.

His arms around her stirred a thousand memories, some childish, others not so childish. All she knew in that moment was that it felt so right to be held by him. Jason, her mind whispered, and the echo of his name inside her head made her throat thicken. After she’d left Haddo, she had never wept for what might have been, not once. She came very close to weeping now.

She closed her eyes and felt herself swaying, floating, falling, but Jason’s arms were there to support her. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in his lap, and he was slouched in one of the armchairs.

The hands that cupped her face were trembling. She looked up with a question in her eyes, but there were too many shadows to read his expression. There was a heartbeat of silence, then he kissed her.

It was time to put a stop to this, her mind told her, but in defiance of her mind, her hands slid over his shoulders and her fingers tangled in his hair. He was the only man who had ever made her ache like this, the only man she had ever wanted. But this was madness. This could only lead to disaster. Why couldn’t she push him away?

She told herself that the wine she drank had clouded her judgment. But there was more to it than that. He wanted her, Gwyneth. All the pain she had so carefully locked inside her seemed to drain away.

Another thought tried to force its way into her mind. She had to leave this place at once, because … because … because …

The hands that should have pushed him away drew him closer. She opened her mouth to the urging of his. When he brushed her skirts aside and his hand began a slow sweep from ankle to calf to thigh, a thread of sanity tried to intrude, but he kissed her again. Warm sensation flowed over her, filling the well of emptiness inside. She felt alive again.

She gasped when he suddenly rose and deposited her in the chair. Then he turned away and positioned himself in front of her, facing the door into the main house, feet braced as though to spring. Someone was at the door. Then the door opened and Jason’s posture relaxed.

“Oh, it’s you, Brandon,” he said.

Brandon was out of breath and it took a moment for him to answer. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. There must be a hundred rooms in this blasted house.”

“Looking for me? I can’t think why.”

“Can’t you? Why is it dark in here?”

Brandon strode to the mantelpiece and lit a candle from the embers in the grate. After he’d replaced it in its holder, he turned slowly to face Jason. “Stand aside, Jason. I want to see who you’ve invited to this private party.”

“Brandon,” said Jason, dangerously quiet, “don’t say another word. Just go away and mind your own business. I’ll take the lady home.”

Brandon ignored the threat. “It’s Gwyneth, isn’t it? You saw her on the stairs and you couldn’t believe your luck.” He made a slashing motion with one hand when Jason tried to interrupt. “Don’t try to gammon me. You’ve lusted after her half your life. It suited your purposes to think the worst of her.”

“I? Think the worst of Gwyn? Are you mad? I came to rescue her.”

“It’s all right, Jason.” Gwyn rose slowly to her feet. “I can speak for myself.”

There was a moment of hesitation, then, with a muttered oath, Jason stepped to the side, giving Brandon a clear view of Gwyn. Color was high on her cheeks, but she forced herself to look into Brandon’s eyes. She was deeply mortified to be discovered like this, especially by a cousin she had not seen in years. The usual exchange of greetings would be ludicrous in this situation. She was also confused by a conversation she didn’t understand. None of that mattered right now. Brandon had the wrong idea about Jason, and she had to put him right.

Brandon spoke first. In a curiously gentle voice, he said, “Gwyn, are you all right?”

“Of course.” She flicked a glance at Jason. He was standing with his back to the fireplace, one arm propped on the mantelpiece. His stance was relaxed, but she sensed that his temper was on a tight leash. She looked at Brandon again. “Jason came to my rescue. I don’t know how he knew I was here. Maybe he saw me enter the house …”

Her voice trailed away as her brain made connections. She looked at Jason, then Brandon. She’d never thought to question their presence here. She hadn’t been thinking at all.

She drew in a sharp breath. “You’re Sackville’s guests, aren’t you? That’s why you’re here. And you think I’m a guest, too?”

Jason came away from the fireplace. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“You’re not a guest?”

“Yes, I’m a guest,” he flung at her defiantly, “but I swear it never once entered my head that you had any idea what kind of party this was.”

She felt as though a vice was squeezing her chest. She was so angry, she couldn’t think straight; she was so ashamed, she couldn’t look anyone in the eye. It was sheer pride that kept her head up and her spine straight.

She looked vaguely in Brandon’s direction. “Brandon, will you take me home? I left my coat upstairs in the music room.”

Brandon was no longer bristling with outrage. He looked miserable. “Um, of course. If you just wait here, Gwyn, I’ll get it for you.”

“No,” said Gwyn. “I prefer to wait anywhere but here.”

She left the room on Brandon’s arm.

“Bloody hell!” was all Jason said.

Chapter 5

When the door closed, Jason felt in his pocket, found a cheroot, and lit it with the candle on the mantelpiece. He couldn’t remember when he’d been so angry. If Brandon hadn’t left when he did, he would have strangled him. As for Gwyn, she was due for a good shaking.

The smoke he inhaled billowed out of his mouth like dragon fire. It was inconceivable that they could imagine it had entered his mind that Gwyn was the kind of woman who would knowingly attend one of Sackville’s orgies. It didn’t say much for his character or Gwyn’s.

The worst that could be said of him was that when he’d taken Gwyn in his arms, he’d lost his head. No, the worst that could be said of him was that he’d lost his head when Gwyn melted for him.

They weren’t themselves. They’d both ingested some kind of narcotic that had been added to the drinks.

You’ve been lusting after her half your life.

That was a damn lie.

He’d lusted after her a long time ago, but Gwyn had eyes only for George. She’d made no secret of the fact that she was far too good for the likes of him, Jason. So he’d dubbed her Princess Charming, just to take her down a peg or two, then he’d tumbled into bed with one pretty woman after another to erase her from his mind.

And it worked.

Except, of course, it wasn’t that simple.

His feelings for Gwyn had wavered between anger and guilt ever since she’d run off with her soldier boy shortly after George died. He’d never been sure whether she was just another fickle woman after all, or whether she couldn’t bear to live at Haddo now that he was master there, and had seized the first chance that offered her escape. If only George had lived, he’d reasoned, if only he’d saved him, none of this would have happened.

It was too late to go after her. She was already married. He had enough to do just keeping Haddo afloat. So he immersed himself in work, but sometimes, when he least expected it, a picture of her would form in his mind. Then his imagination would take over, and he would see the surrender in her eyes, feel her soft, satiny flesh beneath his fingertips, hear the little cries of arousal as he moved inside her.

And he was appalled. Gwyn was only a boyhood fancy. He’d got over her years ago. The trouble was, there were just too many cursed memories to be entirely free of her. She’d been part of the fabric of his life since he was a boy.

The legacy had brought them together again. He would never have sought her out on his own. And he couldn’t deny that he’d looked forward with anticipation to having some say in how Mrs. Gwyneth Barrie conducted her life.

But the woman he’d met that morning wasn’t the woman he’d expected to meet. Trish had kept him informed of Gwyn’s life with Nigel Barrie. Gwyn was supremely happy, Trish said. Everything had worked out for the best. There weren’t many letters from Gwyn, but that was to be expected when she was in Portugal while her husband served with Wellington. The letters were amusing and full of anecdotes about parties and balls and riding to hounds.

He’d been caustic, of course. While he could hardly get his head out of ledgers and books, Gwyn was having the time of her life.

Then Barrie was seriously wounded at Vitoria. They returned to England and went to live with Barrie’s older brother. Once again, Gwyn landed on her feet. It was a sizable estate on the edge of the village of Lambourn in Buckinghamshire.

After that the letters slowed to a trickle, but one thing was abundantly clear. Gwyn hadn’t wanted any of her Radley relations to visit her. The excuse was that her husband was deathly ill and needed all her attention. And they’d all let it go at that.

A woman who had to support her son by giving piano lessons to other people’s children hadn’t landed on her feet. He didn’t know what to make of it, unless there had been an estrangement with Barrie’s relatives as well.

Maybe the legacy came from her husband’s side of the family. Maybe this was their way of making up for a quarrel that had made Gwyn pack her bags and start over in London. It would have to be anonymous, of course, because Gwyn was too proud for her own good. It wasn’t conceit. It was the opposite. She hated to be indebted to anyone.

He’d thought about the donor of that legacy for a long time. It couldn’t be just anyone. It had to be someone who knew both him and Gwyn, someone who either wanted to bring them together, or who trusted him to do right by her.

The logical person was himself! The thought made him smile.

But Gwyn wouldn’t want to be rescued by him, or anyone. Her son, Mark, however, must make a difference now. He didn’t think there was much Gwyn wouldn’t do for her son. She might not like it, but she would swallow her pride for Mark’s sake.

It was guilt that nagged at him, not pride. Mark was a Radley as much as a Barrie. He should have done right by him long before now. But it wasn’t too late. He was Gwyn’s trustee. He would play a part in their lives whether she liked it or not, even if he had to shake some sense into her.

Why was he always thinking of shaking her? He didn’t want to hurt Gwyn, he just wanted to make sure she was all right.

His cheroot had gone out. After lighting it again, he inhaled slowly and watched the smoke spiral in front of his face. When he’d caught sight of her on the stairs, he’d been shocked. His first thought was that Bertie Sackville had lured her here under false pretenses. His next thought was that she should have known better. But he wanted only to protect her.

He’d seen her enter the servants’ staircase and had known at once that she would make for the ground floor, so he’d turned himself around and fought his way clear of the crush till he came to the green baize door to the servants’ quarters. When he walked into that room, he was on edge, afraid of what might have happened to her. Then he’d seen her safe and sound, and all he’d wanted was to lay his hands on her and shake her for the terrors she’d made him suffer. So he’d laid his hands on her and …

Now he knew his drink had been doctored, because he was beginning to feel sorry for himself.

He was exhaling another stream of smoke when the house erupted with sound: a whistle going off, glass breaking, shouts, shrieks, and screams. He stared at the ceiling. It sounded as though an army was on the move, or the house was on fire. Maybe excitement was just around the corner. He inhaled another draw on his cheroot and threw the stub into the grate.

The door suddenly burst open.

“Brandon?”

It wasn’t Brandon who entered but somebody else, someone Jason recognized. “Officer Rankin.” He smiled with genuine warmth. “What brings you here? Uh-oh, don’t tell me this is a raid?”

Officer Rankin lowered the truncheon he was waving about. He took a few steps into the room and squinted up at Jason. “Well, well, well,” he said. “This is just like old times. I thought you’d outgrown these capers, Mr. Radley, sir.”

“And I thought you’d be retired by now.”

Rankin chuckled. “Seems we was both wrong.”

Two other men whom Jason had never seen before crowded into the room. They were young, in their early twenties, and looked as friendly as marauding Huns. They, too, were carrying truncheons.

“Me mates,” said Officer Rankin by way of introduction. “I’m showing them the ropes.”

“They’re Bow Street runners?” Jason’s tone was incredulous. “Where did you find them? Newgate?”

“You better watch your mouth,” said one.

“Or we’ll shut it for you,” said the other.

“It’s all right, lads. Me and Mr. Radley goes back a long ways. You see—Bloody hell!”

Jason had just made a rude gesture, and before Rankin could prevent it, his men charged. A kick in the groin downed one, but the other checked Jason with a blow that missed his head by inches and landed on his shoulder. Jason recoiled, then sprang at him, and they both went rolling on the floor.

Jason came out on top. He felt the blood thundering in his ears; he could taste the thrill of the fight in his mouth. And all the anger that was bottled inside him had, at last, found a worthy object.

He pulled back his arm to deliver a punch, but before he could complete the movement, pain exploded across his back and he slumped forward in a daze.

“Sorry, Mr. Radley, sir.” Officer Rankin shoved the truncheon into his waistband. “You always was a wild one when the drink was on you. ’Ere, what do you thinks you’re doing? Put that truncheon down!” This aside was addressed to the runner who had just pulled himself from under Jason.

“He elbowed me in the stomach.” He clutched his stomach and groaned to prove his point. “He deserves everything he gets.”

“Just be thankful he’s out of practice or it’s you we’d be trying to bring round. Will you stop your caterwauling?” This last was to the runner Jason had kicked in the groin.

“He kicked me in the balls!” came the choked reply.

“What did you expect—a fair fight? These are west-end gents we’re dealing with, lads. Real gentlemen, and they’re the worst kind. Just remember, they only plays fair among themselves. Now, let’s get him to the saloon or whatever they calls it with the others.

When Jason came to himself, he discovered that it wasn’t a raid, or it hadn’t started out that way. It was much more serious. A young man named Johnny Rowland had been found dead on the servants’ staircase. He’d been strangled with a length of butcher’s twine. Everyone in that house was a suspect in a murder case.

Chapter 6

The Right Honorable Hugo Gerrard made a considerable effort to control his voice, but it was obvious he was incensed. “You’re sure Johnny Rowland was the man who tried to help my wife get away?”

The man on the other side of the desk nodded. “We were sure even before we picked up his trail. I told you, the groundsmen saw him and recognized him when lightning flashed. It was Rowland in the boat all right.”

“They could have been mistaken. It was raining hard.”

“He admitted it … under duress.”

“Then I’m not sorry he’s dead.”

Ralph Wheatley wasn’t surprised at the older man’s virulence. Johnny Rowland had once been a footman in Gerrard’s household, but some months ago he’d left to take up a position with less money and more respect. Gerrard could not abide disloyalty. That Johnny had returned only to assist Gerrard’s runaway wife, had put him beyond the pale.

Wheatley still had trouble believing that Lady Mary, that pathetic nonentity who was almost invisible, had found it in herself to rebel against her husband. A week ago, during a ferocious thunderstorm, she’d crept out of the house with her maid, Gracie, and had almost made it to the boat that was waiting for her on the river. Johnny was in the boat.

The groundsmen had raised the alarm, and Gerrard had ordered them to let loose the dogs. Only Rowland and the maid got away. Lady Mary was now heavily sedated and locked up in the tower room.

A runaway wife was one thing, but it was a lot worse than that. She had some sort of hold over Gerrard—Wheatley didn’t know what—a paper of some sort that she’d concealed in the back of a miniature portrait of herself. All he knew was that some friend was holding it for her, and would use it to ruin Gerrard if anything happened to Lady Mary.

He had as much to lose as Gerrard. He was Gerrard’s attorney and right-hand man. He was also his natural son. That’s what really tied him to Gerrard. Lady Mary was childless and one day, so Gerrard promised, all this would come to him.

He allowed his gaze to wander around the library of Gerrard’s house on the Strand. Persian rugs covered the parquet floor. The books that lined the walls were priceless. But dominating the room, like another presence, was the portrait above the mantelpiece. It was a portrait of Gerrard’s late father-in-law, the earl.

And when he became master here, thought Wheatley with a shudder, the first thing he would do would be to get rid of that damn portrait. It always made him feel as though a dead man were looking over his shoulder.

Gerrard said, “Tell me again what happened, and leave nothing out.”

It was two o’clock in the morning and Wheatley was ready for his bed. He didn’t know where Gerrard got his energy, but he looked as though he was all spruced up to go out for the evening. They might be father and son, but no one would have known it to look at them. Gerrard could have passed for a Roman centurion if he’d worn a toga. And he had the presence for it. He, Wheatley, knew he wasn’t nearly as handsome as Gerrard, and he felt sweaty and crumpled after being roused from his bed by the news of Rowland’s murder. He’d known better than to wait till morning before making his report. Gerrard was so obsessed about the damn portrait that he’d given orders that he was to be informed of any new development at any time of the day or night.

“Well?” prompted Gerrard irritably.

Wheatley swallowed a sigh. “I had Bloggs and Kenny on shifts watching Rowland’s place of employment. He’d given notice, but he had wages to collect. When he came to collect them, Bloggs spotted him and followed. But Rowland didn’t lead him to the maid. He went to Sackville’s house, and there are no maids in Sackville’s house.”

Gerrard interrupted with a small sound that spoke volumes, thought Wheatley. A very moral man was Gerrard, or so he liked to think—no smoking, no drinking, and no fornicating except as necessary to keep a man healthy. He regarded Bertie Sackville as beneath contempt. Anyone who was anyone knew about Bertie’s parties.

Yes, a very moral man was the Right Honorable Hugo Gerrard. The only thing was, morality was whatever he decided to make it. Wheatley had no illusions about himself. He was a thoroughgoing villain, but at least he knew it.

Gerrard was watching him, so he went on, “When they got to Sackville’s house, Rowland entered it through a basement window. Bloggs followed, but Rowland must have spotted him at some point, because he was waiting for him. There was a scuffle and Rowland came off the worse. Bloggs applied pressure, you know what I mean, and asked about the maid and the portrait, but Rowland denied knowing anything. As I told you, Bloggs didn’t mean to kill him, but Rowland wouldn’t talk. All he would admit to was that he was the man in the boat and he’d only agreed to help Lady Mary for the money. It seems she promised him a fat purse if he would get her away.”

At the mention of Lady Mary, Gerrard linked his fingers and squeezed till his knuckles showed white. That small gesture convinced Wheatley that once the portrait was recovered, Lady Mary’s days were numbered. He couldn’t understand it, couldn’t understand why Gerrard couldn’t break her so that she would tell him what he wanted to know. She was like a whipped cur to begin with. Where had she got the courage to turn on her master?

“Why did Rowland go to Sackville’s house?” demanded Gerrard.

Wheatley shrugged. “Bloggs never got around to asking him that.”

“There must be a reason. What do you think?”

“To see or speak to someone who he knew would be there. I really don’t know. But first thing tomorrow, I’ll get onto it. It probably has nothing to do with the portrait or the maid. Maybe someone owed him money and he went to collect it. There could be any number of reasons. We may never know why.”

“What about the maid, Gracie?” asked Gerrard.

“She may have left the city by now. She must know we’re after her. If I were her, that’s what I would do.”

“And if she hasn’t?”

“There’s an Open House at the library on Friday. We think she may try to contact one of the ladies then. The place will be crowded with people and we’ll be there.”

“You think, but you don’t know?”

Again, Wheatley shrugged.

Gerrard suddenly leaned forward, making Wheatley straighten in his chair. The older man’s eyes were bulging and his breathing was audible. “This is not a game we’re playing,” he said. “This is in deadly earnest, and you’d better remember it. I want to know why Rowland went to Sackville’s house. I want you to find the maid. I want to know who has that portrait. You’ve had a whole week, and all you’ve given me so far is a footman who expired before he could tell us anything.”

He was breathing hard now, sucking long breaths through his teeth. “Now you listen to me. Rowland was murdered. I’m not sorry he’s dead, but if we don’t find the maid soon, she could make things very unpleasant for us. I want her found. I want her dealt with. And I want that portrait, and the person who has it dealt with, too. Do I make myself clear?”

Wheatley nodded.

“My wife must have given it to one of those harpies at that library. Those are the only friends she has.”

“I’m aware of that, sir, and we made a thorough search of the library and the home of every woman whose name was on the list you gave me. There was no portrait.”

“Well, someone must have it,” Gerrard roared, “and I want it found.”

Wheatley knew better than to say anything. He sat there, waiting like a little mouse for the cat to pounce, and he despised himself. Gerrard’s eyes strayed to the portrait of the earl. After a long silence, he looked at Wheatley again.

“I think the situation calls for someone with special skills. I think we should call in Harry. You remember Harry, don’t you?”

Wheatley nodded.

“Then see to it.”

When Gerrard got up, so did Wheatley. The interview was over.

After Wheatley left, Gerrard stood for a long time staring up at the portrait above the mantelpiece. He was only twenty-three when he’d become the earl’s private secretary and he’d soon come to revere the older man. When the earl walked into a room, everyone was aware of it; when he spoke, people listened. Anyone foolish enough to become his enemy soon came to regret it.

There was no man he respected more.

It wasn’t all one-sided. He’d made an impression on the old earl as well. He became the earl’s protégé, and very soon after, he married the earl’s only child, Lady Mary. The earl had made a bargain with him all those years ago: if he would marry Lady Mary and take the family name, the earl would promote his career, and make him the heir to everything that was not entailed on a despised nephew.

He had kept to the bargain, as had the earl. He’d given up his own name and had become a Gerrard. He’d done everything in his power to live up to the earl’s faith in him. The one bitter disappointment was that there had been no children, no sons with the earl’s blood in them to carry on the family tradition. What was inconceivable was that a wretched, worthless woman, who could not even produce children, had tricked them both. Gerrard clamped his teeth together as the fury began to rise in him again.

Why had she decided to leave him now? he had asked himself over and over. And now he knew. She had discovered his secret. Deep inside her, the resentment must have smoldered, only to erupt years later when she came under the influence of a group of women who should be locked up for their inflammatory views.

When he’d first heard that his wife was visiting the Ladies’ Library two or three times a week, he’d been pleased to know that she’d finally found a reason to stop moping around the house. Then a member at White’s had put him wise to a thing or two. These women were subversives. They wanted women to have the same rights as men. They stirred up good women and made them question a husband’s authority.

After that, he’d confined her to the house, but those insolent women had had the gall to come calling. They’d been turned away at the door, all except their leader, Lady Octavia. Just thinking about Lady Octavia made him want to grind his teeth. She’d threatened to go to the magistrates if he did not allow her to see Lady Mary. And the magistrates would listen to her, because she had connections. Besides, it wouldn’t have looked good for a man in his position to have a public quarrel with a group of women who’d made themselves laughingstocks in all the gentlemen’s clubs.

But that was before his wife tried to leave him, before she told him about the portrait. Now he saw that these women were not laughingstocks, they were truly dangerous. And one of them was the greatest threat to his ambitions that he had ever encountered. He could lose everything, and he had much to lose.

His star was on the rise. He was a member of the prime minster’s cabinet. His ambition was to be the next Home Secretary now that Fortesque had resigned, then prime minister. He would let nothing stand in his way.

As he stared at the earl’s portrait, he felt a sense of peace wash through him. Whatever he decided to do about Lady Mary was all right with the earl.

He would send her away from London and her pernicious friends. He would send her to Rosemount, his estate near Henley, and make sure she was well guarded. That wouldn’t arouse anyone’s suspicions. It was well known that Rosemount was Lady Mary’s favorite residence, and where else would she go to recover her health?

That would buy him some time to track down the person who had the portrait. And when he had it, they would all pay for making an enemy of him. It’s how the earl would have handled things.

On that thought, he left the library and climbed the stairs to the tower room.

Wheatley was boiling when he climbed into the hackney that was waiting for him in the drive. It wasn’t his fault that his father had committed some crime that could ruin him. If their positions were reversed, he would have been harangued endlessly for what he’d done. But he didn’t dare say a word or he’d be cut off without a penny.

He told the driver to take him to the Bow Street Office. Johnny Rowland’s body must have been discovered by now, and if he was to find out anything, it would be from one of the runners or the magistrate on duty. They might wonder at him coming out at this time of night, but he was an attorney. He could claim that he’d been sent for by some important client, then laugh it off as a practical joke when no client was found.

A joke. That’s what the Ladies’ Library in Soho Square was, a joke, but it had certainly got Gerrard all fired up. It seemed ludicrous to call in someone like Harry to deal with a flock of twittering ladies. Harry was a killer. He had to be told whom to kill. And he, Ralph Wheatley, would have to point the finger. Not that he had any scruples about that. He just wished he knew whom to single out.

It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. None of the ladies on the list Gerrard had given him had the portrait in her possession. He’d done his job. They’d all been watched, and when they were out of the way, their homes had been searched. There was nothing.

This is not a game we’re playing. You could bet on it if Harry became involved. Wheatley was convinced that Harry was a little mad. He couldn’t make up his mind whether Harry killed for money or pleasure.

Harry wasn’t his real name, of course. They’d met when Harry had asked Wheatley to represent him when he came under suspicion of murder. Wheatley knew that he was as guilty as sin, and Harry knew that he knew. All the same, he’d cleared Harry’s name by fabricating an alibi. It hadn’t even come to a charge and no one ever got to know of it. It was always understood between them that Harry would return the favor one day.

And he had, not for Gerrard, but for other clients who could pay well for Harry’s services. Wheatley had won more than one case because a witness had met with an untimely accident.

Gerrard was no fool. He’d put two and two together and had taxed him about the unfortunate witnesses who had met with accidents. So he’d bragged about Harry, and Gerrard had smiled and nodded, and stored the information away for future reference.

Wheatley had considered using Harry a time or two to get rid of his father, but he knew he would never get away with it. He would be the prime suspect even if he had an iron-clad alibi. He was to inherit everything, not only the late earl’s fortune that had come to Gerrard through his wife, but the house on the Strand and the estate of Rosemount near Henley. He was no pauper, but a man could never be too rich.

All he had to do was be patient, and it would all come to him eventually. But if he didn’t find the portrait, there was no saying what Gerrard might do. The slimy bastard might even change his will. He wasn’t going to allow that to happen. He would find the portrait and with Harry’s help, take care of all the loose ends.

When he reached Bow Street, he found it practically deserted. Just about every officer had been called out to Sackville’s house when it was accidentally discovered, in the course of investigating Rowland’s murder, that an orgy was in progress. It seemed that a bootboy, who was smoking an illicit, stolen cheroot in the privy, had stumbled over Rowland’s body when he returned to the house and had gone screaming, not to his master, but into the night, and straight into the arms of the officers who were patrolling Hyde Park.

All the witnesses were still being interviewed at the scene of the crime. No one would think it odd for an attorney to make an appearance in such a case, so he went there straightway and managed to bribe one of the footmen into showing him the guest list.

Then he found his needle in the haystack. Mrs. Gwyneth Barrie of Sutton Row! Whatever he had been expecting, it wasn’t to find a member of the Ladies’ Library on that list. She’d either left early or managed to slip away in the confusion, but that didn’t matter. He’d made the connection between Rowland and Mrs. Barrie.

It was circumstantial, but he’d prosecuted and won cases on less evidence than that.

The night wasn’t over for him yet. He was beginning to think that maybe he had been too lax. It was Lady Octavia they’d suspected, and Lady Octavia whose movements were being watched around the clock. Now they would concentrate all their attention on Mrs. Barrie.

Though it galled him to admit that Gerrard was right about anything, they needed someone like Harry to run the show. He would get onto it right away.

Chapter 7

In the tearoom of the Ladies’ Library, Gwyn and her friend, Judith Dudley, were setting things up for the luncheon that would follow that morning’s program. Today was the library’s annual Open House, and the lecture room was crowded with people who had braved a steady downpour to hear a lecture on the plight of women in modern England.

“I’m surprised there are so many people here,” said Gwyn. This was her first Open House, and she didn’t know what to expect.

“Oh, that’s because of Mrs. Laurie. Not only is she an excellent speaker, but she is one of the leading hostesses in London. Everyone wants an invitation to one of her parties.”

Gwyn set down a cup and saucer and looked up. “That doesn’t sound like a good reason for being here.”

“Oh, but it is. Lady Octavia knows what she’s doing. People come here for different reasons, then they hear about our cause, and the next thing you know, they’re on our side. Look at Lady Mary. She came to hear a lecture on—I forget what it was.”

“Landscape gardening,” replied Gwyn.

“Yes. Landscape gardening. And after that, she became a regular attender until this last month.”

Both ladies fell silent as they thought of poor Lady Mary. She’d had some sort of mental breakdown and was now confined to her bed. They knew why she’d had a breakdown, and there was nothing they could do about it. Husbands who were tyrants could not be brought to justice.

Judith sighed, then went on, “Watch out for the men, though! The younger ones, especially, are here to make trouble.”

“What?” Gwyn was startled. “What kind of trouble?”

“Jokes. Heckling the guest speaker. Last year, they set off a firecracker. Don’t look so worried—Lady Octavia has called out the cavalry.”

She indicated the three gentlemen who were standing by the glass doors to the lecture room. Gwyn recognized them as the husbands of three of the library’s volunteers.

“Don’t they look sweet with their truncheons tucked into their waistbands?” Judith said.

“They look like thugs.”

“That’s the whole point. Only a fool would tangle with them.”

Since Judith didn’t look the least bit worried, Gwyn decided she needn’t worry either, at least about men making jokes and heckling the guest speaker. She had far graver things to worry about. She couldn’t stop thinking about the party at Sackville’s house two nights ago. In that morning’s paper, there had been a small column with the report that Mr. Albert Sackville had been charged with operating a common bawdy house. There was to be a complete report in the next edition of the paper.

There had been a raid, it seemed, and she had got away in the nick of time. But her name had been on the guest list. Ruin was staring her in the face. She could see it now, her name in the papers. No right thinking parent would want his daughter to associate with a woman of easy virtue.

A woman of easy virtue; that’s exactly how they would brand her.

She gave a start when Judith touched her shoulder.

“I said,” repeated Judith, “that Mr. Ralph Wheatley can’t seem to keep his eyes off you.”

“Who?”

“Mr. Wheatley, one of our city’s most successful barristers.”

Gwyn followed the path of her friend’s gaze. She saw a man she judged to be in his forties shaking out his umbrella as though he had just arrived or was about to leave. When their eyes met, he looked away.

“I’ve never seen …” she began, then sucked in a breath. Maybe she hadn’t seen him before, but he might have seen her at that awful party.

“Gwyn, what is it?” asked Judith.

Gwyn looked at her friend. Dark ringlets framed a face that was pretty rather than beautiful. Judith’s eyes were her best feature—aquamarine, thick-lashed, and wide-set—eyes that mirrored her every thought. Right now, those eyes reflected her concern.

Gwyn did not debate with herself for long. There was nothing she could say that could shock Judith. It was Judith who was always shocking her. She was outrageous; she was unconventional. She poked fun at anyone who took himself too seriously, even the ladies at the library. No one minded because Judith was such a darling. She would do anything for anyone who was in trouble.

Gwyn was groping for the right words to tell her story when a round of thunderous applause came from the lecture room. That was the signal for the tureens of tea to be brought in.

“I’ll tell you later,” she said.

They spent the next few minutes pouring the tea into teapots and soon after, people streamed into the tearoom and mobbed the tables. The man whom Judith had pointed out to her, Mr. Ralph Wheatley, was her first customer. She didn’t like the way he was looking at her, and all her worries came back in full force. Maybe he recognized her from that disastrous party. Maybe all the men at the Open House recognized her. Jason had. So might others.

Jason. What had she been thinking to let him kiss her like that, touch her like that? It had seemed so right at the time, to feel his arms around her, his lips on hers, their bodies straining—

She looked up when she heard the sound of her name. Lady Octavia was pushing her way through the crush. She was in her late fifties and verged on the stout side. There were only two colors in her wardrobe, black and white. Today she was all in white. It was her happy color, she said, and she had much to be happy about. Her daughter had just been safely delivered of her third child.

“One of our visitors has fainted,” said Lady Octavia. “She’s in the office, and Nora Halliday is with her. But Nora can’t stay. You see she—oh, never mind that now. You’re so capable, Gwyn. Would you mind taking over for her?”

“Not at all.”

Gwyn allowed herself to be led to the office. As soon as she saw the young woman who had fainted, all thoughts of Jason and Sackville’s disgraceful party left her mind. The young woman was huddled in a chair. Her skin was ashen and she was trembling uncontrollably.

Nora Halliday said, “She doesn’t want a doctor. She says she’ll be all right in a few minutes. I don’t like to leave her like this.”

Gwyn said quickly, “Of course you must go. I’ll manage, and if I need help, I’ll call Judith.”

Lady Octavia gave a long sigh of relief. “Thank you, Gwyn. I knew I could rely on you. Army wives are always so capable.” Then, to the girl. “Gwyn will look after you until I return, all right? And Gwyn, I think a spot of medicinal brandy is called for here.”

The girl made a pathetic attempt to rise. “Lady Octavia …?”

When the door closed, Gwyn quickly crossed to the girl and pushed her back into her chair. “Don’t make any sudden moves or you may faint again.” She looked at the hand that had touched the girl’s coat. “You’re wet through!” Gwyn exclaimed. “No wonder you fainted. You must be chilled to the bone. First things first. Let’s get this coat off you.”

The girl clung to the edges of her coat as though she were naked beneath it. “Oh, no,” she began, “there’s no need.”

“There’s every need.” Gwyn spoke soothingly, as if she were comforting a frightened child, and that’s exactly how she thought of the girl, though she judged her to be in her mid-twenties. She smiled encouragingly. “Really, you’ll feel better without it.”

The coat was given up without a struggle and Gwyn hung it on a peg beside her own coat. The girl’s bonnet and umbrella were already lying on a chair. “My name is Gwyn,” she said, “and you are?”

The response was so low that Gwyn did not hear and asked the young woman to repeat it.

“Well, now, Gracie, did you come with a friend, a sister, someone I can fetch to take you home?”

Gracie closed her eyes and shook her head.

Gwyn was becoming alarmed. The girl was still shivering. It didn’t help that there was no fire lit, but no one expected the office to be used today. She had to keep the girl warm.

She felt her own coat. She’d been first to arrive at the library to open it up, as she usually did on the days she was working, and she’d missed the worst of the downpour. Her coat had dried out nicely.

“Here, this will keep you warm,” she said, and helped Gracie into it, Gwyn then opened the bottom drawer of the desk, withdrew the bottle of medicinal brandy, and poured out a neat shot.

“Drink it,” she ordered. She kneeled in front of the chair, held the glass to the girl’s lips and kept it there till she was satisfied that at least some of the brandy had gone down Gracie’s throat.

Some moments passed, then Gracie opened her eyes, heaved a sigh, and gave Gwyn a tremulous smile.

“Feeling better?” Gwyn asked.

Gracie nodded. Suddenly her smile vanished and she sat up, her fingers curling tightly around the armrests. “You’ve got to help me, miss,” she said. “I must speak with Lady Octavia. I think my friend is in trouble, real trouble. He didn’t come back last night, you see, or the night before that. He went to collect his wages. They must have found him and now they’ll be after me, too.”

Gwyn sat back on her heels. “Who is after you, Gracie?”

Gracie moistened her lips, and she shook her head miserably. “I must speak with Lady Octavia.”

“Don’t be afraid,” said Gwyn. “You’re among friends here.”

“I know, but … you don’t know him, miss. He’ll do anything to stop me.”

This was not the first time Gwyn had heard these words, or words very like them. Desperate women from all walks of life, women who were trapped in intolerable marriages, often came to their doors seeking Lady Octavia’s advice. Sometimes, if they didn’t mind leaving the marriage with little but the clothes on their backs, or if there were no children involved, Lady Octavia could help them. But more often than not, they went away disappointed.

Gwyn understood only too well. Short of murdering one’s husband, there was no escape, not if he was determined to make his wife stay. She was lucky. She was a widow. For women like Gracie, it was hopeless.

She’d told Lady Octavia once how useless she felt.

“Tea and a little sympathy,” said Lady Octavia, “can often work wonders. Your job is to listen, not advise. It’s clarity they need, and they must come to that themselves.”

So that’s where she spent most of her time, in the tearoom, dispensing tea and a little sympathy.

She got up and gave the glass to Gracie. “Lady Octavia is introducing the guest speaker to all our visitors, but when she’s done, she’ll come back. Meanwhile, I’ll light the fire and see about a pot of tea and a plate of sandwiches. How does that sound?”

Gracie sniffed and nodded. “I haven’t eaten in ages. I think that’s why I fainted.”

The tinder box was on the mantel. The tinder caught on Gwyn’s first try, and she quickly set it to the kindling in the grate.

“You did that,” said Gracie, awed, “as though you’d been in service all your life.”

Gwyn smiled. “You mean getting the tinder lit?” Gracie nodded, and Gwyn laughed. “I’ve had a great deal of practice. I don’t have servants to light fires for me, you see.”

“What did you say your name was?”

“Gwyn Barrie.”

A look of enlightenment slowly dawned on Gracie’s face, and she gave Gwyn a shy smile. “She talks about you all the time. Her ladyship, I mean. She says that you’re ever so brave. You have a son, don’t you, called Mark?”

“Yes, but I’m surprised that Lady Octavia—”

Her words died. The sound of shattering glass, followed immediately by ear-piercing screams came from the other side of the door, then men’s voices yelling across each other. Gracie jumped to her feet.

“It’s all right,” Gwyn soothed. “It’s just some young men playing a practical joke. Really, there’s nothing to fear. Now sit down in that chair and I’ll get that tea and sandwiches.”

When Gracie sank back in the chair, Gwyn nodded and left the room.

It was just as she thought, a practical joke, only no one was laughing. She saw two of the ‘cavalry,’ Mr. Needham and Major Sommerville, wrestling with a young man as they dragged him to the front door. People were shouting to be heard above each other, but there was no panic.

She saw Judith at the entrance to the tearoom and elbowed her way through to her. “What happened?” Gwyn asked.

Judith was shaking with anger. “A young hooligan, dressed up as a gentleman, tossed a brick through the bay window in the lecture room. Don’t worry, he’ll pay for it in more ways than one. Major Sommerville knows his father, and, as he said, young Tommy will be wishing he had never been born.”

Gwyn said, more to herself, “Why do they hate us so much?”

“Because,” said Judith, “we want to change things, and that frightens them. They can’t beat us with words, so they break windows instead.”

Gwyn was more concerned about Gracie than broken windows. “Judith,” she said, “could you bring some sandwiches and tea to the office? There’s a young woman who fainted, and I don’t like to leave her.”

“Of course. I’ll see to it right away.”

Gwyn turned around and made for the office. She wasn’t really surprised to find that it was empty. Gracie had been frightened to start with. It wouldn’t have taken much to throw her into a panic.

She was just about to shut the door when her eyes were drawn to the coat that was hanging on the peg. A blue coat, like hers, but it wasn’t her coat. It was Gracie’s coat. There was no sign of her own coat or the bonnet and umbrella that had lain on the chair.

She turned around and made for the front door. All she could see was a sea of umbrellas as ladies hastened toward their carriages.

Gracie would be back, thought Gwyn, not only to return the coat, but because they always came back.

Gracie unfurled her umbrella even before she stepped outside the library’s front door and she kept her head well down in case anyone was watching for her. She knew, now, that something terrible had happened to Johnny, and that something terrible would hapen to her if she didn’t get away. He’d been there, Mr. Wheatley, her master’s attorney, the man her mistress feared almost as much as she feared her husband. She’d seen him when Mrs. Barrie opened the door.

She shivered, anticipating at any moment to feel the press of his hand on her shoulder. Her instincts told her to run, but she was so hemmed in by ladies making for various carriages that were stationed in the square that she could do no more than follow along.

The temptation to glance back was almost irresistible. But that’s what he would be looking for, a woman who knew she was being pursued. She had to get a grip on herself. She wouldn’t run until she came to the last carriage in the square, or until she felt him breathing down her neck.

When the ladies beside her waved to others who were climbing into their carriages, she did the same. No one seemed to notice that she didn’t belong. That’s what she wanted, to melt into the crowd so that no one could pick her out.

At the corner of Frith Street, she made her move. As though her carriage was waiting for her around the corner and she didn’t have a care in the world, she turned and waved good-bye to her startled companions, then she darted into Frith Street and took off.

She couldn’t have chosen better, for Frith Street had business premises in almost every building. The first shop she came to was a printer’s shop. She was through the front door and out the back before anyone could stop her.

The Angel was only a short walk away, but she made detours and it took her a long time to get there. She was so terrified of discovery that when she came to the door of her room, she was afraid to enter it, but she heard someone’s step on the stairs and that frightened her even more. Once inside, she locked the door and flattened herself against it. When the footsteps receded, she staggered to a chair and sank into it, hugging herself with her arms as her teeth began to chatter.

They’d been waiting for her at the Ladies’ Library. Johnny told her they were watching it, and it wasn’t safe to go there, but she’d thought it was worth the risk. She had to do something. And if anyone could help her, it was Lady Octavia.

Gracie remembered Lady Octavia very well. She’d already been to the house once and forced Gerrard to let her see Lady Mary. But she’d gone away thinking Lady Mary was ill. She wasn’t ill. She was browbeaten, and maybe sedated. Things were much worse now, for shortly after that, she and Johnny had tried to get Lady Mary away.

Gerrard would make his wife pay for her defiance in ways that Gracie didn’t want to think about.

She had to let Lady Octavia know that Lady Mary was being held against her will. Lady Octavia was her best hope, not only of saving her mistress, but of finding Johnny as well.

What she couldn’t understand was why Gerrard was so determined to hunt her and Johnny down. Johnny’s friends had warned him that some nasty character was asking questions about him and he’d better make himself scarce.

If only he hadn’t gone to collect his wages! But their money was running out. What else could he do?

Maybe she should go to the magistrates. But what could she say? The high-and-mighty Mr. Gerrard won’t let his wife out of the house? They wouldn’t care. They wouldn’t listen to her, a mere maid. And they wouldn’t care that Johnny, a mere footman, was missing either.

She heard footsteps in the corridor and she jumped to her feet, her heart hammering painfully against her ribs. When the footsteps stopped and she heard a door opening and closing, she shuddered in relief, then sank back in her chair.

She couldn’t stay here. There were too many people about. But she had no friends, nowhere to go. Her eyes strayed to her bags.

Her bag was already packed, and not only hers, but Lady Mary’s as well. The sight of those bags brought tears to her eyes. They’d saved the bags but they hadn’t managed to save Lady Mary. If only luck had been on their side, she and Lady Mary would have been in Hampstead right now, starting a new life. It was all set. There was a nice little cottage, right on the edge of the heath, where they could live in peace and quiet.

“You’ll be my companion, Gracie,” Lady Mary said, “and just so that you’ll look the part, I’ve ordered new garments for you.”

“I’m sorry, your ladyship,” Gracie whispered, as though Lady Mary were right there beside her. When she’d caught sight of Wheatley, she hadn’t stopped to change coats. She hadn’t even thought about it. So now, the most beautiful coat she had ever possessed was hanging on a peg in the Ladies’ Library, and she doubted that she would ever see it again.

She sat huddled in her chair for a long time, trying to think things through. When she’d started on this adventure, it had seemed so simple. A wife trying to leave her husband wasn’t a hanging offense. But now, everything was different.

What should she do? Where could she go?

Finally, she scrubbed her wet cheeks with her knuckles and breathed deeply. There was only one place to go and that was to the cottage in Hampstead. Johnny knew about the cottage. And if Lady Mary managed to escape her husband, that’s where she would go. Then they would start the new life Lady Mary had set her heart on, and Johnny would be safe there, too.

And if her ladyship or Johnny didn’t turn up?

She covered her face with her hands and wept bitter tears. She didn’t know why things had turned out like this. She’d only wanted to help her mistress.

The occupant of the room next to Gracie’s was stretched out in bed, fully dressed, calmly smoking a cheroot. He, too, had been at the Open House, and when Ralph Wheatley pointed the maid out to him, he’d been aware of her every move. Gracie, thought Harry, hadn’t stood a chance, though he gave her credit for trying. But a young woman in a blue coat with a black umbrella out walking in the rain, when sensible folk were indoors, wasn’t hard to follow. And he was a master of the game.

He’d followed her right up the Angel’s stairs, observed the room she’d entered, and promptly returned to the front counter and taken the room next door. If he wanted to, he could kill her right now and slip away before anyone was the wiser. But there was a miniature portrait involved. It was more than likely, Wheatley had told him, that the girl knew where it was hidden or might lead him to it. If at all possible, he should get the portrait before killing the girl. And the same went for Mrs. Barrie.

Mrs. Barrie could wait. She had a son. She wasn’t going anywhere. He’d get to her soon enough. But the maid—he must remember to think of her as Gracie—but Gracie was panicked. He wanted to see what she would do next, who she would try to see or talk to, where she would go.

He looked at the clock. It would be hours before she made her move. She would want the security of darkness. Well, that suited him just fine. There would be a little house somewhere, secluded, he thought, where a runaway wife and her maid wouldn’t attract anyone’s notice. And that, too, was all to the good.

If she had the miniature, it would be there.

He speculated on that miniature for a long time and concluded that there must be something about it that could ruin Hugo Gerrard. He wasn’t tempted to do more than speculate. He had built up a lucrative business for himself, and blackmail would only spoil it. That’s what killing the maid and the widow were to him, a business.

But not all his kills were like this. Some were a challenge, exciting, dangerous. He smiled to himself, remembering his last assignment. Now that was something to be proud of. He’d bluffed his way into a wedding party and drowned the elderly groom in front of a hundred witnesses, in his own fountain. Everyone thought the groom was drunk and the coroner had brought in a verdict of accidental death. And he had walked off with a small fortune, courtesy of the grieving widow.

Gracie and Mrs. Barrie. He just couldn’t drum up any excitement. The risks were minimal. There was no thrill in that. Any stupid person could do the job.

He wondered how much Wheatley had told Gerrard about himself. Whatever he’d told him was all a lie, because Wheatley didn’t know anything. Harry had met Wheatley when he was using one of his many aliases, and one of his many disguises. If he appeared as himself and looked Wheatley straight in the eye, the barrister wouldn’t know him from Adam.

He wasn’t supposed to know that Hugo Gerrard was the man who was paying for his services. He yawned. Wheatley must take him for a fool, with nothing on his mind but making a little money. That’s the impression he liked to give. But he regarded himself as a professional, as well as something of an artist. He’d done his homework. And if anything went wrong, his first loyalty was to himself.

Having smoked his cheroot down to the stub, he got up and threw it into the grate. His next order of business was to study himself in the mirror above the washstand. He could change his appearance to suit the part he was playing, but in this case, it wasn’t necessary. It didn’t matter if the maid had seen him in the library. She wasn’t going to describe him to anyone.

It occurred to him that she might know that Rowland was dead. But if she did, she wouldn’t want to believe it.

He stared at himself in the mirror as he rehearsed his role. “Gracie!” He said the name softly and urgently. “Gracie! This is Johnny. Let me in.”

That would never do. He tried again. “Gracie, Gracie can you ’ear me? It’s Johnny. Let me in.”

Chapter 8

Later that evening, Gwyn was in the kitchen chopping vegetables for the beef broth she was making for supper, when Maddie brought her a letter that had just been handed in at the door. After wiping her hands on her apron, Gwyn broke the seal and quickly scanned it.

It was from Armstrong, the attorney, saying that he would see her tomorrow at two o’clock, if it were convenient, and if not, the matter of the legacy would have to wait for another week because he had business in Dover.

She’d make it convenient, if only because her curiosity was driving her crazy.

“Is it about the coat?” Maddie asked.

“No. Just a letter from my attorney.”

Maddie wasn’t interested in attorneys. She was admiring the blue coat that was now draped over an airing rack in front of the fire, and her hand brushed reverently over its surface. “It’s a beautiful coat,” she said. “A lady’s coat. A real lady is what I mean.”

Gwyn folded the letter, slipped it into her pocket, and went back to chopping vegetables. “I wouldn’t eare if it was made of sable,” she said. “I want my own coat back.”

“Well, if this coat belonged to me,” said Maddie, “I’d want my own coat back, too. Never fear, the lady who owns this coat will be knocking at your door before the day is through.”

“She doesn’t know where I live.”

“Well, she can find out, can’t she? Maybe someone at the library will tell her.”

“The library is closed and will be until the window is replaced.”

“Then what are you going to do?”

Gwyn looked up. “Do? Do about what?”

“This coat. Are you going to wear it until you get your own coat back?”

“Certainly not.”

“But it’s the only winter coat you’ll have. I told you not to give your black coat away.”

“I didn’t give it away. I loaned it to my neighbor’s sister. Don’t worry, Maddie, I’ll wear my summer pelisse.”

Maddie rolled her eyes. “And this coat is going to go begging, while you shiver and come out in goose bumps?”

“I’m sure it will only be for a day or two. Besides, I wouldn’t feel right about wearing such a fine garment. Think how I would feel if it got torn or marked.”

“You wore it to come home, didn’t you?”

“No. It was wet through, and one of the ladies gave me a ride home in her carriage.” Maddie looked crestfallen and Gwyn couldn’t help smiling. “Maddie,” she said, “I can’t wear the coat when it belongs to another lady. It wouldn’t matter if it was in tatters. I only brought it home because it’s too valuable to leave in the library when workmen are there. Anyone could walk in and take it.”

“One of these days,” said Maddie staunchly, “you’re going to have a coat just like it, just see if you don’t.”

“Oh, yes, I’m sure,” said Gwyn, and she made a face.

After this exchange, Maddie left to go to Mrs. Jamieson in Soho Square, but she returned almost immediately. “I forgot to tell you,” she said. “Mrs. Perkins says a young man came to your door the other night and asked to speak with you. He didn’t say what he wanted or leave a name. Mrs. Perkins thinks he came from the landlord, you know, to look over repairs.”

The other night must be the night of that awful party when Mrs. Perkins was looking after Mark, and repairs were a sore point with Gwyn. The landlord seemed so reasonable, but he never did anything about them.

“Is he coming back?”

“He didn’t say, and Mrs. Perkins didn’t ask.”

When Maddie left, Gwyn bustled about the kitchen getting supper ready. There wasn’t time to think about the coat again until hours later, when Mark was in bed and the candles were lit.

A lady’s coat, Maddie said. A real lady. And as Gwyn examined the coat closely in her bedchamber, she had to agree with Maddie. It was far superior to her own faded blue worsted. There were no labels in it, nothing to help her find the owner or the dressmaker who had made it. She tried it on and studied her reflection in the mirror. The coat might have been made for her.

No. Not for her. Only a woman of taste and the money to go with it could have bought this coat. And that puzzled Gwyn, because the young woman who had left the coat hadn’t given her the impression that she was a real lady or that she had money to spare. The picture that formed in her mind was of a young wife whose husband was a clerk in some office or other, and clerks didn’t make the kind of money that could buy this coat.

Still thinking of Gracie, Gwyn slipped off the coat and folded it over a chair. She’d met other women at the library who went in fear of their husbands. Lady Mary Gerrard came to mind. She’d appeared at the library about four months ago to attend a lecture on English landscape gardening, and she’d become a regular attender after that. Judith was right. Lady Octavia knew what she was doing. By arranging lectures that had nothing to do with the cause, she brought women into the library whom they wouldn’t normally see, and if they liked what they saw and heard, they came back for more and helped spread the word.

In the beginning, Lady Mary appeared more timid than most. All she wanted was friendship and conversation. She’d come to the right place, because during the day, the tearoom was always open, and Lady Octavia and her helpers made a point of welcoming strangers.

That’s what happened in her own case. She passed the library to and from her house every other day. One day, she decided to investigate, and she stayed for tea. And that was the beginning of her interest in Lady Octavia’s work with unfortunate women.

That’s where she’d met Lady Mary, in the tearoom, and after she mentioned her own interest in landscape gardening, the ice was broken. There was nothing timid about Lady Mary when she was talking about landscape gardening. She’d donated books from her own collection for the reference library. She’d visited all the great houses in the south of England, just to see the gardens. But her pride and joy were her own gardens at Rosemount, gardens that had been designed by a young landscape gardener named Williard Bryant, who had died tragically before his promise could be fulfilled.

“One day,” Lady Mary said wistfully, “I’m going to open my gardens to the public, and everyone will know how talented Williard was.”

It would never happen, Judith told Gwyn later, because Lady Mary’s husband would never permit it. Whatever gave his wife pleasure was of little interest to the Right Honorable Hugo Gerrard. In fact, he was more likely to forbid it because he liked to throw his weight around.

There was even talk of Gwyn visiting Rosemount, but she and Lady Mary both knew that wasn’t going to happen. So Lady Mary did the next best thing. She brought in a box of sketches of the gardens and had it catalogued in the reference library to be shown only when someone was on hand to ensure that nothing was taken. Gwyn saw those sketches and knew that Lady Mary had not exaggerated about young Bryant’s talent. She sensed there had been a romance there, but Lady Mary never spoke of it.

There was more to her friendship with Lady Mary than landscape gardening. An odd bond had formed between them. Maybe it was because Lady Mary was such a good listener, or maybe it was because each tacitly recognized they’d traveled the same path. But their friendship only flourished in the tearoom of the Ladies’ Library in Soho Square, and that was enough for them.

About a month ago, Lady Mary’s visits to the library had suddenly stopped. When Gwyn and some of the ladies went to call on her, they were turned away at the door. Lady Mary was indisposed, they were told. That’s when Lady Octavia stepped in. There was nothing timid about Lady Octavia. She refused to be turned away.

She’d come back to the library shaking her head. Poor Lady Mary was more than indisposed. She was suffering from some kind of dementia. It was very sad, but she was receiving the best of care.

Gwyn wondered, then, just how much Mr. Gerrard had contributed to his wife’s dementia, and it made her as mad as fire. It was a gamble. If a woman married a kind man, well and good. If not, he could make her life miserable.

She could speak from her own experience. She’d taken a gamble on the debonair Captain Nigel Barrie with his handsome face and smooth tongue, and she’d paid for it in ways no one could imagine, except perhaps women who had gambled and lost like herself, women like Lady Mary.

Restless now, she wandered downstairs. Without conscious thought, she sat down at the piano. She would play something lively, she decided, something to give her spirits a lift. But when her fingers moved over the keys, it wasn’t a lively piece she played, but something slow and romantic; a song of lost love.

She suddenly stopped playing and put a hand to the back of her neck. When she felt a burning sensation, she quickly turned and searched the room with her eyes. There was only one candle lit, and she could see a man sitting in one of the armchairs, watching her. It was Jason.

For one wild moment, she thought she’d conjured him out of her mind. He moved slightly, and she was instantly on her feet.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, crossing to him. “How did you get in?” Then, as relief swamped her, and because she knew she was in no danger, she let loose with her temper. “You frightened me half to death! I could have had a gun and shot you. Don’t you have any sense?”

“Do you have a gun?” he asked in an amused tone.

“As a matter of fact, I do, and I know how to use it. I was a soldier’s wife, remember?”

“That is one thing I have never forgotten,” he said quietly.

His face was still, almost stern, too stern to ask what he meant.

“Sit down, Gwyn.” He pointed to an armchair on the other side of the fire.

She sat.

“I tried the front door pull,” he said, “but no one answered.”

“It doesn’t work. You should have used the knocker.”

“So I went to the back door and found it open. I heard the piano and knew you were in this room. You didn’t hear me when I entered, and anyway, I didn’t want to interrupt. I’ve always enjoyed hearing you play.”

“Thank you,” she replied.

Ignoring her coldness, he went on, “I locked the back door after me. You should be more careful, Gwyn. Anyone could break into your house.”

Her eyes flashed to his. “Someone did. You.”

He rubbed his neck and stretched the muscles in his arms and shoulders. “Look, I know it’s late,” he said, “and I apologize if I frightened you. But I have some unpleasant news I wanted you to hear before you read about it in the newspapers.”

A shiver of alarm danced along her spine. “Is this about the party at Sackville’s house?”

“Yes.”

The fact that he was taking his time in telling her confirmed her worst fear. “My name will be in the papers.”

“No, no, nothing like that.” He paused, then went on abruptly, “After the party, a body was found at the foot of the servants’ staircase, the body of a footman. He was murdered, Gwyn, brutally murdered. His name was Johnny Rowland.”

With her mind in a whirl, she half rose from her chair, then slowly sank back again. “A murder! How awful! On the servants’ staircase!”

“Yes. There was no mention of it in the papers because the authorities want to get their facts straight before giving out the information. He wasn’t even employed at Sackville’s house.”

“How do you know this?”

“I know one of the magistrates at Bow Street. He told me.”

She said in a shaken tone, “I think I may have heard something.”

He sat up straight. “What?”

“As I came down the stairs. I wasn’t sure what floor I was on. Then I heard shuffling and moaning far below me. I thought it might be a man and woman … you know. So I went through the door on the landing so I wouldn’t have to pass them.”

“You—?” He stuttered, then roared, “Do you realize how lucky you were? If you’d gone down those stairs, you might have been murdered, too. You need a keeper. You should be on leading strings. No decent woman should have shown her face in that den of iniquity.”

She glared at him. “I was there by mistake. What’s your excuse?”

“Use your imagination!”

Silence. She folded her arms across her breasts. He clamped his teeth together.

Gradually, the muscles across his back relaxed and the anger died out of his eyes. “I apologize,” he said. “I hope you realize my anger was based on fear.”

His words mollified her, but only a little. He’d told her to use her imagination, and that’s exactly what she was doing. She inclined her head, then said, “I suppose the authorities will want to question me.”

“They don’t even know of your existence.”

“But they’ll know soon enough. I was on the guest list.”

“You were—” His eyes flared, then he said viciously, “I could happily murder Sackville for his stupidity.”

She knew the feeling, but it didn’t help her. “And I’m a witness. Shouldn’t I come forward or something?”

“No. Wait for them to come to you. I doubt if they will. They have far bigger fish on that guest list to reel in. You’re small fry. They may never get to you. And it’s not as if you saw anything, is it?”

“No.”

“Then leave it be. I mean it, Gwyn. I don’t want you involved in this at any price.”

And that mollified her some more.

“Gwyn …”

“What?”

He edged forward in his chair. “I want you to come and stay with me. Right now. I want you to pack your boxes, get Mark, and come with me to Half Moon Street.”

“What?” Her mouth was open.

He smiled faintly. “There’s something about this whole business that doesn’t feel right to me. You told me you were being watched. Now you’re a witness to a murder. I’ve talked to the magistrate. I’ve talked to Sackville. I went back to the house and talked to footmen. This was brutally done. All I’m saying is that I’d feel happier if you didn’t live alone.”

She was touched, really touched, but she couldn’t accept his offer. “I can’t drop everything and move to Half Moon Street. I’d lose all my pupils.”

His lips flattened. “If you’re set on teaching piano lessons, you can teach in my house just as easily as here.”

“A fine thing that would be when your family is coming to town for Sophie’s come-out. I can just see it. My pupils coming and going and bumping into the fashionable ladies of the ton who are making their morning calls.” She shook her head. “Jason, your grandmother would flay you alive.”

He chuckled. “Maybe she would, but it doesn’t look as though she’ll be coming to town after all. Sophie is digging in her heels. There’s a young man in Brighton she thinks she’s in love with.”

“Well, that makes it out of the question. I couldn’t take up residence in a bachelor’s household.” She held up her hand to stop him from speaking. “Listen to me,” she said. “I wasn’t a witness to anything. You said so yourself. And there were dozens of ladies at that party. You can’t offer to take them all in.”

He didn’t return her smile.

After a prolonged silence, Jason stirred. “There’s something else I wish to say to you.”

Inexplicably, her pulse jumped. “What is it?”

“I owe you an apology for last night. I’m sorry if I frightened you. My only defense is that I went a little crazy when I found you in that house. Can you forgive me?”

It was a gracious apology and deserved a gracious response. She said, none-too-graciously, “Let’s put that episode behind us, shall we, and forget it ever happened?”

She made the mistake of looking directly at him. He had the most compelling eyes of any man she knew. His searching stare made her feel as transparent as a plate-glass window, and that worried her.

When he smiled, her alarm increased. “What?” she asked.

“Your wine wasn’t tampered with. I asked Sackville. There was nothing in it, Gwyn.”

“So my wine wasn’t tampered with. What of it?”

He got up, crossed to her, and patted her cheek. “You figure it out” was all he said, then, grinning hugely, he strolled from the room.

And she did figure it out. Instantly. Another thought crossed her mind, and his offer to have her come and live with him became highly suspect.

She jumped to her feet and ran to catch up with him. He was already at the front door. “Stay away from me, Jason Radley! That’s all I have to say to you. Just stay away!”

When he turned suddenly to answer her, by some mischance, she bumped into him and he steadied her with hands clamped on her shoulders. His eyes glinted down at her. “I knew a clever girl like you would figure it out,” he said. “And how can I stay away from you? We’re meeting with the attorney at two o’clock tomorrow, aren’t we? I’ll see you then.”

He kissed her swiftly, and before she could come to herself, he walked out of the house.

“And lock and bar the door,” he called over his shoulder.

Jason’s smile lasted until he turned the corner into Soho Square. Every step he took away from Gwyn increased his uneasiness. She was all alone, unprotected, except for the pistol she set such store by. How could she be so stubborn?

Well, he could be just as stubborn. If she wouldn’t move to Half Moon Street, he’d find another way of protecting her. But he was absolutely determined that she was not going to live alone until they’d solved the mystery of Johnny Rowland’s murder.

Maybe Gwyn was right, and he was making too much of small coincidences. All the same, he was taking no chances.

He knew someone who could help him sort things through in his own mind: Richard Maitland, Chief of Staff of the Special Branch.

He let out a sigh. Richard had more important things to do than investigate the murder of a footman. His field of operations was national security. But the magistrates were worse than useless. If Sackville or one of his guests had been murdered, they would have been falling all over themselves to solve the crime, but a footman hardly raised an eyebrow.

It occurred to him that one of the guests on that list was a member of the prime minister’s cabinet. It was possible that Richard would be involved after all.

He was just about to cross Piccadilly when he halted. After a moment’s hesitation, he turned and began to retrace his steps. He’d have one last look around Sutton Row, he decided, just to make sure Gwyn was all right, and he’d pay the night watch to keep an eye on her house.

Chapter 9

When Gwyn opened the back door, she expected to see her maid with the morning’s Courier, but it was a young man who stood on her doorstep—a laborer or tradesman by the look of him. He was carrying a dirty leather toolbag.

“A ’m ’ere about the plaster work,” he said.

“Plaster work?”

He looked at a scrap of paper in his hand. “Mrs. Barrie?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ve got the right ’ouse.”

Gwyn made the connection then. “I didn’t ask the landlord to fix the plaster. It’s the roof that needs fixing. There’s a leak in the attic and now it’s seeping into one of the bedrooms.”

The young man looked nonplussed. “I don’t know nothing about that,” he said. “I was told to look over the plaster and tell my gaffer ’ow much the job would cost.”

“Can’t you fix the roof first?”

“ ’Ardly. That ain’t my trade. But I’ll let my gaffer know, and ’e can talk to your landlord.”

Gwyn opened the door wider. “Come in. You’re right about the plaster. There are cracks in some of the rooms. But I do wish Mr. Pritchard would do something about the roof. Until it’s fixed, there’s no point in doing the plaster.”

She ushered him into the back vestibule, then shut and locked the door. “What is your name?”

“ ’Arry.” He was already running an expert eye over the hairline cracks in the ceiling. “I’ll ’ave to look over every room, but there won’t be no mess, not today. All I’ll be doing is appraising the job.”

“Then you’d better start in the front parlor, Harry,” said Gwyn, leading the way, “before my next student arrives.”

“When will that be?”

“In five minutes or so.”

She thought of something else. “Was it you who came to my house three nights ago? Did Mr. Pritchard send you?”

He shook his head. “No, not me.”

It didn’t matter. Mr. Pritchard might have sent someone else and hadn’t mentioned it to Harry.

He seemed to know what he was doing, so Gwyn left him alone and went back to the kitchen. Mark was at the table, his back to the fire, with books, pencils, and papers set out for the morning’s lessons. He was almost finished with the sheet of sums she had carefully copied out right after breakfast.

When she said his name, he looked up. “About this afternoon,” she began carefully.

His eyes lit up. “I know. It’s Saturday, and you’re going to take me to Gunther’s for an ice.”

“And I will. But you remember I said I had to meet with Cousin Jason and Mr. Armstrong, the attorney?”

Mark nodded. “To sign some papers.”

She hadn’t told Mark all the details about the legacy, just in case something went wrong. “Well, the thing is, the only time Mr. Armstrong can see us is this afternoon.”

The light in his eyes dimmed. “Aren’t you going to take me with you? It is Saturday.”

She looked at his expectant face and couldn’t bring herself to say that he was to stay at home with Maddie. Saturday afternoons were always reserved for doing things together. “I suppose it would be all right.”

“Maybe Cousin Jason will let me drive in his curricle.”

“He may not have it with him. And anyway, you’re not to ask, Mark.”

“I won’t have to. He promised I could ride in it again.”

She didn’t know how to answer this. Promises, to Mark, had the force of sacred vows, which was why she rarely promised him anything. “He may have forgotten,” she said.

“No, not Cousin Jason,” he replied, as though he’d known Jason all his life. “Maybe we can drive out to Richmond. He said that, too.”

She laughed. “Yes, and maybe we can hop over the English Channel and visit Paris.”

“Richmond isn’t so far away.”

She cupped his chin, bringing his gaze to hers. “Listen, young man! Cousin Jason may have other things to do. We’re going to Gunther’s for an ice, and that is one promise you can depend on. All right? And another thing, there’s a workman here, a plasterer. He’ll be wandering around. You do your work and let him do his. Don’t pester him with questions.”

“I won’t.”

Gwyn had to laugh. Mark could never contain his curiosity, so much so that there were times when his poor mother wished the word “why” had never been invented.

Her pupil arrived at that moment and Maddie was right behind her with the morning paper. It took Gwyn only a minute or two to find what she wanted. The front page was devoted to the impending marriage of Princess Charlotte to Prince Leopold of Cobourg. At last she found it, on an inside page, and she quickly scanned it. There was no further information on the party at Sackville’s house, only that the authorities were continuing the investigation.

She felt as though a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

When the piano lesson was over, she hurried to the kitchen to check on Mark’s progress. Maddie was supposed to be doing the ironing, but Gwyn could smell the mouth-watering aroma of fresh baking before she opened the kitchen door. Mark, Maddie, and the young plasterer were sitting around the table enjoying buttered scones and a pot of tea.

On seeing Gwyn, Maddie jumped up and color flooded her face. “I … I thought I’d make some scones,” she stammered out, “before I did the ironing.”

Harry, the plasterer, got up without any awkwardness. “And very good they was, too,” he said.

For the first time, Gwyn realized just how handsome he was.

“I’ll show you out, Harry,” said Maddie, blushing.

And, thought Gwyn, how pretty Maddie was. They were flirting, in her kitchen. It made her feel quite old.

When they left the room, Gwyn sat down at the table and absently began to nibble on a scone, inwardly reflecting on how she could protect her innocent young maid from the snares of handsome young men. Sensing Mark’s eyes on her, she turned to look at him. “Well, young man,” she said, “what do you have to say for yourself?”

He frowned up at her. “Are you cross with me, Mama?”

“Are you a male?” When he looked perplexed, she laughed, reached over the table, and brushed back his fair hair from his brow. “It’s a joke,” she said. “A girl’s joke. You have to be a girl before you get it.”

“Girls!” said Mark, and made a face.

Laughter and giggles came from the other side of the door. Gwyn got up. “I’ll just make sure Maddie locks up after she sees the plasterer out,” she said.

Mark watched his mother go. He had been on the point of telling her that he wasn’t the one who had asked a lot of questions today. It was the plasterer, Harry. So it wasn’t only boys who were curious.

Cousin Jason had been curious, too, when they’d waited for Mama to come home from the library, and later, in that drive in the curricle. But he didn’t mind Cousin Jason’s questions because he was family.

He thought about Cousin Jason for a long time. If he had his curricle with him, and he didn’t offer to take him up in it, then he’d know Cousin Jason couldn’t be trusted, not like he could trust Mama.

He’d just have to wait and see.

Mr. Armstrong’s office in Pall Mall was right above a cobbler’s shop, and was not at all what Gwyn expected. Though the address itself was superior, the rooms were dingy and cluttered. There was only one clerk, a young man, barely out of adolescence, who interrupted himself at every sentence to either sneeze or blow his nose into a large, white handkerchief.

“Dust,” he said by way of explanation.

Jason was waiting for them, but Mr. Armstrong, the clerk said, was delayed though expected at any moment. The clerk ushered them into the inner office and shut the door.

Gwyn felt awkward and slightly resentful of Jason’s obvious ease. He complimented her on her green pelisse, remarked on the weather, and invited her to be seated.

He’d left off his winter coat and that made her feel less conspicuous in her summer pelisse. Jason’s garments, of course, were made by a master tailor. His dark jacket molded his shoulders like a second skin. When he held a chair for her, she couldn’t help noticing how his sleek muscles moved across his arms and shoulders.

Suddenly realizing where her thoughts had taken her, she blushed. Just like Maddie, she blushed! And when she saw Jason’s brows going up, questioning her, she became flustered.

It was Mark who, unconsciously, came to her rescue. “Why is this office in such a mess, Mama?”

“I don’t know.” Grateful for an excuse to avoid Jason’s eyes, she looked around at the books and papers that littered every surface and part of the floor. “Some people don’t notice untidiness, I suppose.”

“In Mr. Armstrong’s case,” said Jason, “I think it’s a lack of interest. The clerk was telling me that our attorney is an itinerant preacher and spends more time touring the counties than he does in London.”

“What about his clients?” asked Gwyn, not liking the sound of this.

Jason shrugged. “We’ll know soon enough. I think that’s him now.”

And Mr. Armstrong it was, a plump little man with pink cheeks, a shining pate, and bubbling over with good humor. “Ah,” he said dramatically, pausing on the threshold. “How do you do? I am Benjamin Armstrong, and you must be Mrs. Barrie, Mr. Radley, and Master Mark Barrie.”

He rubbed his plump hands together as he seated himself behind his desk. “There is nothing I like better,” he said, “than to bring families together.”

If Mr. Armstrong had been a neighbor or an acquaintance, Gwyn would have liked him on sight. There was something appealing about his openness and friendliness. But as an attorney, he left something to be desired. She nodded to Mark, who immediately got up and excused himself.

“No, no,” protested Armstrong. “Stay right where you are, Master Mark. The terms of this legacy apply to everyone here, and since this concerns your future, you are entitled to hear what I have to say.”

Gwyn felt a ripple of alarm. She looked at Jason. He shrugged, indicating his ignorance, and stretched out his long legs. He wasn’t smiling, but she suspected that he was highly amused.

“Mama?”

Mark’s all-seeing eyes were on her. She nodded and he took his seat again.

Mr. Armstrong beamed at each one in turn. “I don’t have to read the document in question,” he said. “The terms are quite simple. The interest on the legacy of ten thousand pounds is yours for life, Mrs. Barrie, then the capital passes to your son outright.”

Gwyn leaned forward slightly. “I don’t want the interest for life. I’d like the capital to pass to Mark when he comes of age.”

Armstrong shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s out of my hands.”

“Couldn’t we,” she darted a glance at Jason, hoping for his support, but he was staring at his boots, “couldn’t we persuade this anonymous benefactor to change the terms of the legacy?”

“I’m afraid not. My instructions are quite clear. My client wishes to remain incommunicado. That means, he or she does not want to be approached for any reason.”

“But …” Gwyn smiled appealingly. “Couldn’t I write to this person, if only to thank them?”

“No.” Armstrong clasped his hands and rested them on his desk. “You’d like to know who your benefactor is. That’s only natural. My advice is to leave it alone. Don’t speculate. When someone wishes to remain anonymous, in cases like this, it usually means they don’t want the beneficiary of their generosity to feel beholden to them. If you reverse your positions, I think you’ll see what I mean.”

Gwyn didn’t know how to answer this. “Jason?” she said, prompting him.

“What? Oh!” He straightened in his chair. “What I’ve been wondering,” he said, “is what happens to this legacy if Mrs. Barrie refuses to accept it?”

Armstrong’s brows rose. “That’s not likely to happen, is it?”

“No, indeed,” said Gwyn. She shot Jason a frigid look. This was no time for jokes. She smiled at Mr. Armstrong. “Go on, Mr. Armstrong. You were saying?”

“Ah, yes. When the donor of your legacy deems the time is right, he or she will make themselves known to you. So you see, you have only to contain your curiosity for a little while longer.”

Gwyn sat back in her chair. “A little while? I don’t understand. Why wait? Why not tell me now?”

Armstrong laughed. “If I told you that, I’d be going against my client’s wishes. Just be patient, and all will become clear to you.”

The door opened and the clerk entered. “The title to the Barrie legacy, sir,” he said.

“Thank you, Thomas.” Armstrong quickly scanned the two-page document. “As I said, it’s all quite clear and quite simple. Mr. Radley has agreed to serve as your trustee.” He looked at Gwyn and she nodded. “And as your guardian, Master Mark.”

Mark said, “Cousin Jason will be my guardian?” His face registered his delight.

Gwyn was stunned, then she was furious. She leaped to her feet. “I am my son’s guardian,” she cried out. “I’m his mother. I know what’s best for him.” She whirled on Jason. “Is this your doing?”

Jason rose slowly and faced her. Deadly calm, he replied, “You know me better than that. If I’d known about it, I would have told you.”

“My dear Mrs. Barrie,” Armstrong interposed soothingly, “you didn’t allow me to finish. I meant, of course, this would be a courtesy title and only if there is no male relative whom your husband appointed to be Mark’s guardian.”

There should have been, but Nigel had made no provision for Mark of any description. She wasn’t going to explain her private life to anyone. “Nigel … Nigel and I didn’t think it was necessary. There’s no property or estate for Mark to inherit. Only the wealthy need guardians.”

“Well, then.” Mr. Armstrong smiled. “All my client intended was to ensure that Mark’s closest male relative would have a role to play in the boy’s upbringing. And the roles of trustee and guardian are practically inseparable.” He looked at Jason. “I’m sure I mentioned it when I spoke to you, Mr. Radley.”

Gwyn didn’t hear the exchange that followed. She felt as though a great pit had opened up before her. She had just escaped from one tyranny. She wouldn’t, couldn’t accept another. There wasn’t enough money in the world to tempt her to share the care of her son. And Jason was the last person she wanted to be close to Mark.

“No,” she said, rudely interrupting Mr. Armstrong. “You may tell my benefactor that the terms of the legacy are unacceptable. Mark, come along. We’re leaving.”

“But Mama—”

“It’s all right, Mark.” Jason reached over and grasped Gwyn’s wrist. “Your mother has had a shock, that’s all. Let me talk to her. Excuse us, Mr. Armstrong.”

It was the look on Mark’s face that made Gwyn bite down on her tongue. Nor did she complain when Jason propelled her out of Armstrong’s chambers, past the startled clerk, and into the corridor. But as soon as they were alone, she let the words fly.

“A trustee is one thing, but a guardian, even a courtesy guardian, is something else. Mark is mine, mine, and no one is going to tell me what is best for my son.”

His anger was equal to hers. “You frightened Mark with your outburst in there! And what is so bloody awful about my having a say in Mark’s upbringing? He’s a Radley, isn’t he? I’m a Radley. And I’m the head of our house.”

His hands grasped her shoulders, making her flinch, and he went on, “I should have been named as his guardian, or Mark’s uncle should have been named in your husband’s will. Are you estranged from all your relatives? Or is it just me? What did I ever do to you to make you hate me?”

It wasn’t anger she felt now, but cold stark fear. “Nothing,” she said quickly, “nothing at all.”

“That’s not how it sounded in there. I’m sure Mr. Armstrong thinks you consider me unfit to have a role in Mark’s life.”

She was a better actress than she knew she was. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “It’s not you. It’s anyone. Men always assume that a woman is incapable of managing her own affairs. Well, I’m not incapable; I’m very capable, and I resent anyone implying the opposite.”

The hard look on his face gradually softened. When he let her go, she resisted the urge to rub her arms where his fingers had dug in. She didn’t want him to feel guilty. She didn’t want him to apologize. She just wanted to get out of there and away from his watchful gaze.

He spoke slowly, thoughtfully. “You’re spouting Lady Octavia’s ideas, aren’t you? Is that what you’ve picked up at the Ladies Library, that men can’t be trusted?”

“No, Jason. What I learned from Lady Octavia is that men don’t trust women. If they did, they would change the laws.”

He smiled then, fleetingly, but it was still a smile, and some of the tension went out of her.

He said, “You would give up the legacy on principle?”

She hadn’t been thinking along those lines at all. But he’d given her a way out, and she seized it. “I feel I must.”

He shook his head. “Gwyn,” he said, “be reasonable. Go back in there and tell Armstrong that you accept the terms. It’s only a courtesy title. You’ll still be in charge. Nothing will change except that I’ll expect you to consult me on any major decision you make, and keep me informed of Mark’s progress.”

The picture dismayed her. That’s how it would begin. But where would it end? “I’m sorry,” she said, “but my mind is made up.”

“Then you leave me no choice.”

She regarded him warily. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll go to court and apply for legal guardianship of Mark.” He paused to let his words sink in. “And they’ll give it to me Gwyn, because, fair or unfair, I’m a male, and I’m Mark’s nearest male relative. Now what is your answer? Do I go to court, or do you accept the terms of the legacy?”

Not only did they go to Gunther’s for the promised ice, but afterward, they drove to Richmond Park in Jason’s curricle. Though there was still a chill in the air and Gwyn was wearing her light summer pelisse, she didn’t feel the cold at all.

She was seething, and nursing her wrath to keep it warm. She’d had no choice but to accept Jason’s terms, but that didn’t mean she had to be gracious about it. Her arms were folded over her breasts. She stared straight ahead. She spoke only when spoken to.

Now that Jason had got his way, he was all charm, pointing out things of interest, trying to draw her into the conversation. She kept her replies short, almost to the point of rudeness. Mark was so thrilled to be with Jason in his curricle that he did not notice her anger.

They ate a late supper in Chelsea. Mark was too excited to eat much. He was fascinated by the ostlers and grooms in the stable yard and, as soon as they were finished, they went outside and allowed him to explore.

“Are you going to teach me to ride when we go down to Haddo Hall?” asked Mark. Jason’s groom was standing at the horses’ heads, while Mark fed the horses lumps of sugar.

Jason gave Gwyn a quick look. “If you want,” he said. “But your mother is a fine rider. She can teach you as well as I.”

“Will you teach me, Mama?”

“Mmm” was all she said. Flattery would get him nowhere.

“Mama, can we go and visit grandmother’s grave?” Then to Jason, “Grandmama is buried in St. Mark’s churchyard, right here in Chelsea.”

“Yes, I know,” said Jason. “I was there with your mother at the service when your grandmother was buried.”

And if he was trying to soften her by reminding her of how close they had been as children, it wasn’t going to work either. She spoke to Mark. “The churchyard will be locked up. We’ll go another day.”

“Did you know my grandfather?” Mark asked Jason.

“Your Grandfather Radley? Oh, yes. He was in the navy. I remember he took me sailing with him once. When you come down to Haddo, I’ll teach you to sail.”

Haddo. She gave Jason a look that told him what she thought of that idea. When he smiled, she was horrified to find she returned his smile. She wasn’t softening! It was just that she was tired of being angry.

It was dark when they left Chelsea, and very late by the time they arrived in Sutton Row. For the last mile or so, Mark slept in his mother’s arms, but when the curricle stopped, and Jason lifted him down, he wakened.

“Are we going to have hot chocolate, Mama?” Mark yawned hugely.

“It’s way past your bedtime,” she pointed out. “But I’m wide awake. Put me down, sir. I can walk.

See, Mama?”

In spite of her own feelings, this had been, Gwyn decided, a special day for Mark. She wasn’t going to spoil it for him now. “All right,” she said, “but you’ll go straight upstairs and get ready for bed. I’ll bring the chocolate up to you.”

“Perhaps,” said Mark innocently, too innocently, “Cousin Jason would like chocolate, too?”

Gwyn didn’t want to be rude in front of Mark, but she didn’t want to be alone with Jason, cozily ensconced in her kitchen while she made the chocolate. She might be tempted to murder him. She didn’t want to talk, she didn’t want to discuss things, not until she’d had time to think about things on her own. She just wanted Jason to go away.

She gestured to the curricle. “The horses must be tired, and it would be cruel to keep them standing out here in the cold.”

“That’s easily dealt with,” said Jason. “Knightly can drive them home and stable them.”

“Then how will you get home?” asked Gwyn.

“I’ll walk, of course. It’s not that far.”

How could she have forgotten how obstinate he could be, and how manipulative? Her eyes flashed. His danced. “In that case,” she said, “while I make the chocolate, you can help Mark get ready for bed. If it’s not too much trouble, that is.”

“No trouble at all,” he answered easily, then for her ears only, “and afterward we’ll talk.”

Conscious of Mark’s eyes on her, she contented herself with sucking in air, then led the way to the front door. It was only when they were in the house and she’d lit a candle to light their way upstairs, that it occurred to her that Jason would now see how poor they really were. After the first landing, there was nothing but bare floorboards. In Mark’s room, there was a bed, a washstand, a small chest, and a table set with toy soldiers in battle formation. After setting the candle on the mantel, she turned to face Jason.

He took in the room in one comprehensive glance. His eyes held hers momentarily, thoughtfully, and she felt her cheeks burn. He hadn’t missed a thing.

She didn’t wait for him to say anything. “I’ll make the chocolate,” she said, and quickly left them.

Ten minutes later, her arm aching from whisking the lumpy chocolate, she trudged upstairs with a tray set with three steaming cups. She took a few steps into Mark’s room and halted. Mark was under the covers and Jason was on top of them. He’d removed his jacket and neckcloth and held a toy soldier in one hand. They were both asleep.

“Jason,” she said softly as she approached the bed. “Jason!”

His long dark lashes fluttered, but he did not waken. She set the tray down on the chest and tried again. His only response was to frown and turn on his side, away from her, closer to Mark.

Since there was no one there to see her, she didn’t try to hide what she was feeling. It hurt her to see them like this, so trusting, nestled together, the dark-haired man and the fair-haired boy. And even as she watched, in sleep Jason reached out his hand, with its long sensitive fingers, and captured Mark’s smaller hand.

She swallowed the painful lump in her throat. How much did Jason know? Maybe he knew the truth. Maybe that’s why he wanted to be Mark’s guardian.

No. He didn’t know, because if he had, he would have confronted her with it, straight out. That was Jason’s way. He was a Radley. Mark was a Radley. They were a close-knit clan. If she needed proof of that, she had only to remember how good they had all been to her own mother when she became a widow with a child to support.

But that was different. Her mother had been glad to return to the Radley fold, while Jason had forced this on her. Beneath the charm and smiles, there was a hard edge to him that frightened her. She had to be careful, very careful, because she had far more to lose than Jason.

Better a courtesy title than the real thing.

She turned away and picked up a soldier she found on the floor. Mark’s clothes were neatly folded over a chair, and she knew she had Jason to thank for that. Neatness was not one of her son’s outstanding virtues. She folded the towels at the washstand and emptied the basin of water into the slop pail. It was all so domestic and trivial. She’d done it a thousand times before, but never with Jason there, never with this feeling of foreboding in the pit of her stomach.

When Jason stirred, she turned and stared at him for a long, long time. Finally, she went to the closet in the hall, found a blanket that wasn’t too threadbare, and draped it over his inert form.

She knew one person who would be delighted when he wakened in the morning. She wasn’t so sure about Jason. It was a narrow bed and if he wasn’t careful, he would fall out of it.

The thought should have amused her, but it didn’t. With one last, lingering look, she went downstairs to tidy the kitchen.

Chapter 10

Though it was very late, Gwyn did more than tidy up downstairs. Tomorrow was Sunday. There would be no Maddie, and all the work would fall on her. All the same, she wasn’t going to make a drudge of herself just because there was a guest in the house—an uninvited guest. Jason would have to take them as he found them or trot off home where, no doubt, he’d be waited on hand and foot by an army of servants.

The chocolate she’d made earlier was carefully poured into a jug and placed in the larder for tomorrow’s breakfast. She then took out the dishes and cutlery they would need and stacked them on the table. The fire was the next order of business, and a tedious business it was. She raked it, carefully banked it with lumps of coal, and finally covered it with the metal couvre-feu. Fires were not her forte, but, with luck, she’d be able to blow it to life in the morning with the bellows. When the fire was damped down, she filled a kettle from the pump and set it on the hearth, not to boil the water, but to take the chill off it. This was the water they would use for their morning ablutions.

The temptation to do more, such as scrub the granite sink, polish the furniture, and put away the laundry that Maddie had ironed had to be sternly resisted. Jason, she reminded herself, would have to take them as he found them.

She was reaching for the candle when she heard someone knocking on the back door. She glanced at the clock. Who, she wondered, could be calling at this time of night? It couldn’t be for her. Then it must be for Jason. Brandon? A footman?

When the knocking came again, she quickly left the kitchen and crossed the vestibule to the back hall. It took her a moment or two to recognize the young man who stood on the doorstep. He wasn’t wearing his workman’s clothes, but was smartly dressed in a well-fitting dark coat and trousers.

It was Harry the plasterer.

She regarded him coolly. “You’re out of luck, Harry,” she said, “My maid is not here, nor do I expect to see her until Monday morning. And,” she went on tartly, “as for you, I don’t expect to see you again until you’re ready to begin work on my walls and ceilings.”

He prevented her from closing the door by wedging his foot against it. “Mrs. Barrie,” he protested, “you’ve got it all wrong. I knows Maddie isn’t ’ere. No. What I came for was my toolbag. I left in such a ’urry this morning that I left it behind. I ’ad a funeral to go to, see, and forgot all about it.”

The funeral explained the smart clothes. “Your toolbag?”

He nodded.

She remembered interrupting Maddie and Harry when they were eating scones and sharing a pot of tea in her kitchen. He’d left in a hurry all right, but only because she’d appeared on the scene.

“I didn’t see any toolbag in my kitchen.”

“But it ’as to be there. Maybe Maddie put it in a cupboard to keep it out of your boy’s way?”

“Wait here and I’ll look.”

It seemed strange to her that Maddie hadn’t mentioned the toolbag, but she wasn’t going to stand on her doorstep and argue the point with him when it would only take her a moment to find it. She turned away and made for the kitchen. When she heard his footsteps as he followed her, she felt a ripple of something, not alarm, but something verging on annoyance. Give Harry an inch, she thought, and he’d take a mile.

She crossed to the cupboard where she kept supplies. He’d closed the kitchen door so softly that to her ears it sounded stealthy. The fine hairs on her nape began to rise. He’d known Maddie wouldn’t be here. There was no toolbag or Maddie would have mentioned it. He’d expected to find her and Mark alone. He was up to no good.

Beyond that, she didn’t take the time to think, other than to call herself a fool for trusting someone she knew nothing about. Blind instinct had taken over. If she was wrong, they would have a good laugh at her expense. But if she was right, if he was up to no good, she didn’t have a moment to lose.

“If it’s in the cupboard,” she said as naturally as she could manage, “it will be on the top shelf.”

She reached for the crock where she kept Nigel’s pistol, on the top shelf, well out of Mark’s way. Her hand dipped in and her fingers grasped the smooth wooden butt. Slowly, slowly she withdrew the gun.

“It doesn’t seem to be—” she said, and in the next instant, the breath was knocked out of her as his fist slammed into her back, propelling her forward, and her head struck the sharp edge of a shelf.

Dazed, gasping for breath, she sank to her knees and the gun clattered to the floor. She wasn’t given time to recover or cry out. Grabbing a fistful of hair, he yanked her head back. His other hand closed around her throat.

“On the top shelf?” he said, and laughed softly. “I think not. If only you’d trusted me, Mrs. Barrie, we could have settled our business amicably. Now look what you’ve made me do.”

She would never have believed that cultured voice belonged to the young man who had flirted with her maid. She tried to speak, to ask him what he wanted, but her throat closed in terror, and all that came out of her mouth was a choked sob.

When the fingers at her throat tightened, she went rigid.

He spoke pleasantly, and that only added to her panic. “You know what I want don’t you, Mrs. Barrie? I hope you know, because if you don’t, you have nothing to trade for your life. You have a fine son. You wouldn’t want anything to happen to him, would you?”

The reference to Mark brought a swift and sudden chill on her. The pain in her head was forgotten as was the ache in her back. She was mortally afraid, but the threat to Mark helped her get a hold of herself.

Her mind worked like lightning. She was convinced he had the wrong house and the wrong person, but she did not think protesting her innocence would save her. He’d said as much. But it wasn’t hopeless. He knew about Mark, but he didn’t know about Jason. She had to find a way to alert Jason.

His warm breath fanned her ear, making her flinch, and he went on softly, “So, where is the portrait, Mrs. Barrie?”

The moment his fingers relaxed their hold, she began to pant, as though she was having difficulty breathing, and it wasn’t all a sham. But she was playing for time, groping frantically in her mind for a way of outwitting him.

If she tried to scream, the fingers around her throat would choke her to death. The gun was somewhere on the floor in front of her, but with her head pulled back and his knee digging into her spine, she couldn’t move an inch. She had to trick him into relaxing his crushing grip.

“Where is it, Mrs. Barrie? Where is the miniature? I know it’s not in the house. Tell me where you’ve hidden it.”

“I don’t know what—”

The fingers at her throat tightened, choking off her words, and she began to retch.

“If you don’t know,” he said, faint humor coloring his voice, “then I have no use for you. Shall we try again? Where is it, Mrs. Barrie?”

Her fear was edging toward panic again. Think of Mark. Think of Jason. Where was Jason?

“It … it …” She began to suck great gulps of air into her lungs, then, with a little sigh, she went as limp as a rag doll.

“Mrs. Barrie?”

He gave her a rough shake, but she kept her eyes closed and her limbs relaxed. He muttered a profanity under his breath and let her slump on the floor. She heard his steps as he moved toward the sink. Wait! Wait! her mind screamed. When she heard the pump gurgling, she opened her eyes, grabbed for the pistol, and swung herself onto her back.

He charged her then, his foot lashing out at the gun. It spun out of her hand, smashed into the kettle on the hearth, and slithered under a chair. There was no time to think about the pain in her arm, no time to cry out. He kicked out at her again, and she dived for his leg, sending him sprawling on his face. It wasn’t much of a victory. He was on her in an instant and they went rolling on the floor.

Fear gave her a strength she didn’t know she possessed. He couldn’t get his hands around her throat because she’d fastened herself around him like a terrified monkey. But her strength was no match for his. He pushed her head back and backhanded her across the face. Pain exploded inside her head, but she screamed with all the breath she had left. Then his fingers were at her throat again, squeezing the life out of her.

Just when she thought her last moments had come, her assailant was hauled off her and sent flying. Jason!

With a roar of rage, Jason flung himself at the younger man. They fell against chairs and tables and sent dishes crashing to the floor.

Gwyn was in no condition to help Jason. She was hunched over, trying to suck air into her lungs. Her head was swimming. She thought she was going to faint.

She was dragging herself to her knees, looking around for the pistol, when Mark ran into the room. “Mark, go back upstairs!” she screamed.

Mark stared at her in a daze, his eyes still heavy with sleep.

Harry took advantage of the distraction and kicked out at Jason, catching him in the side, and Jason went reeling backward. Then Harry reached inside his vest and produced a gun.

“Mark, run!” Jason yelled. “He’s got a gun.”

Mark turned and ran.

As Harry backed to the door, Gwyn slowly pulled herself to her feet. It happened so quickly, she didn’t have time to be afraid. Harry leveled the pistol at her and pulled the trigger.

Gwyn felt as though she’d been hit in the side with a blacksmith’s hammer. Her knees buckled and she sank to the floor. Then Harry was through the door and racing down the back hall.

She saw Jason’s stricken face above her.

“Mark?” she groaned. “Don’t let him hurt Mark.” Her side was on fire. She writhed, trying to escape the pain.

She heard the outside door slam, and Jason’s face faded as darkness overwhelmed her.

Jason’s hands were shaking as he reached for Gwyn. It took him only a moment to determine that the wound was not mortal. Then he looked around for Gwyn’s pistol, picked it up, and ran into the hall. Mark was halfway up the stairs and looking as frightened as Jason felt, but he hadn’t seen that his mother was shot.

“Mark,” Jason said, “we’re leaving at once. Get dressed, quickly mind.” When Mark remained frozen in place, staring down at him, Jason gentled his voice. “Your mother is going to be fine. I’m not leaving you here. Anything could happen. I’m taking you to my house. You’ll both be safe there. Do you hear me, Mark?” Then urgently, “Get dressed at once.”

Mark blinked, nodded, and ran up the stairs.

Jason quickly returned to the kitchen and knelt beside Gwyn. His fingers were trembling as he tried to undo the buttons on her gown. Losing patience with his ineptitude, he tore the gown from throat to hem. A large crimson patch of blood had soaked both chemise and stays. He gritted his teeth as he gently eased Gwyn to her side so that he could slip the gown from her shoulders and undo the laces of her stays. When this was done, and the stays discarded, he lifted the hem of her chemise. The ball was lodged in the fleshy part of her hip, just below the waist.

He looked around for something to staunch the bleeding. There was a basket on the floor that had been overturned in the fight, a basket of clean laundry. He found a sheet, tore it in strips, and made a pad of one piece to cover the wound and used another to bind it tightly to Gwyn’s side. This done, he lowered her chemise. He looked at her gown and decided it was useless now that he’d torn it to shreds. What he needed was a blanket, but there was no maid or servant to do his bidding, and he wasn’t going to leave Gwyn alone, not for a second.

A few strides took him to the door. “Mark,” he bellowed, “bring my coat with you when you come downstairs.”

Jason returned to Gwyn, knelt down beside her and studied her pale face.

“What in hell’s name have you got us into this time?” he whispered.

When they were children, it was always like this. Whenever Gwyn fell foul of the local bully, she taunted him with the refrain, If you lay a hand on me, my Cousin Jason will beat you to a pulp! He’d rescued her from one scrape after another. But this was different. Gwyn was at the center of something profoundly sinister, and he had to get her away from this place.

When she made a sudden, spasmodic movement, he reached for her hand. “It’s all right,” he said. “I’m here.”

The words seemed to soothe her and she quieted. Something seemed to lodge in his throat. She looked so small and defenseless, like a waif of the streets who had been set upon by footpads. There was a lump forming on one temple and a graze on her cheek. What kind of monster would have done this to her?

There would be a reckoning, he promised himself. As God was his witness, there would be a reckoning.

Just as he got to his feet, Mark came racing into the room. His eyes were very wide and his face was pale, but it did not look to Jason as though he were in shock. He had to give the boy something to do.

He took the coat from Mark. “I need your help,” he said. “Can you help me, Mark?”

Mark nodded.

“Good. Let’s spread my coat on the floor and we’ll wrap your mother in it.”

When the coat was spread on the floor, Jason gently rolled Gwyn to one side then the other as he positioned it beneath her. Then he wrapped it around her and lifted her high against his chest. She moaned, but did not regain consciousness.

Mark stared up at Jason. His voice held a betraying quaver. “Why doesn’t Mama open her eyes?”

“Because she has fainted. But that’s all to the good. Trust me.”

When Jason smiled, Mark made a valiant effort to do the same. That smile was so like Gwyn’s that Jason felt himself swallowing. “Your father,” he said softly, “would be very proud of you if he could see you now.” Then in a different voice entirely, “Now, blow out the candles and lock the doors after me. And stay close to me.”

“Yes, sir,” said Mark.

There were no neighbors or pedestrians congregating outside the door; no sign that the report of the shot had carried to the front street. Either the neighbors had not heard it, thought Jason, or the residents of Sutton Row had not recognized the sound for what it was. Either way, it suited his purposes. He wanted Gwyn and Mark out of here before anyone knew where they were going.

He knew there was a hackney stand in Soho Square, but luck was with them, and before they’d taken more than few steps, a cab rolled into Sutton Row. Jason emitted a shrill whistle to bring it to a stop.

“There’s been an accident,” he told the driver, and that’s the only explanation he offered for his wild appearance and the unconscious woman in his arms. It was only after he’d settled Gwyn on the banquette that reaction set in. If that shot had been a little higher, Gwyn would be dead now.

Harry climbed into the hackney and told the driver to set him down in King Street. He smiled a lot, slurred his speech, and staggered as though he’d had a mite too much to drink—just another young buck bent on having a good time. That would explain his disheveled appearance and his torn jacket.

The blood was still pumping hard and fast through his veins. It had been a very close thing. He wasn’t afraid. He was exhilarated. He loved the risks. He was living on the razor’s edge and that made him feel superior to all the boring farts who looked at him and saw only what he wanted them to see. Another boring fart like themselves.

He laughed out loud.

When his amusement faded, he began to go over the sequence of events of that night’s near debacle. He’d handled the job with his usual attention to detail. He knew what time Mrs. Barrie got up in the morning and what time she went to bed at night. He knew she had been a guest at Sackville’s party, but from what the maid and boy told him, he understood that in her own home at least, Mrs. Barrie was as saintly as the Virgin Mary. That had been his impression as well. And in his role as the plasterer, he’d been through every room and had come up with nothing. If she had the miniature, she wasn’t hiding it in the house.

Sir Galahad had given him quite a start when he’d appeared on the scene. He’d managed to get off a shot, but he didn’t think it was fatal. In fact, he was sure of it. The trouble was, he wasn’t at his peak, because that other bitch, Gracie, had sliced him with a knife before she’d run from him. He’d made her pay for that. And when the wound under his arm had healed, he’d try again, and this time, he’d make sure Sir Galahad was nowhere in sight.

He settled back on the banquette and thought about Mrs. Barrie’s protector. If the man had any intelligence, he’d get her out of that house as soon as possible. It didn’t matter. He’d find them and strike when they least expected it.

It wasn’t a wasted night. He’d thought at first that Mrs. Barrie knew nothing of the miniature portrait. If she had, she would have told him, not to save herself, but to protect her son. Now he realized that she’d been counting on Sir Galahad coming to her rescue.

No, he was not yet done with Mrs. Barrie.

She was more than a job to him now. She was a challenge, part of a game. And this game was worth playing because it was dangerous. She would fight back, and she had a protector. But he would win, because he was clever. Nobody beat him in this game.

Wheatley would want a full report. He would wait in vain. That’s not how he conducted his business. When the job was satisfactorily completed, he’d let Wheatley know, and not before.

When the hackney stopped in King Street, he paid off the driver and made for a coffee shop on the corner of St. James. He didn’t enter the coffee shop, but went straight to a room one floor up. Twenty minutes later, the man who left that room bore very little resemblance to the man who had entered it.

A red-hot poker was lodged in her side and her head felt as if it were going to explode. The pain was unbearable, but pain or no, the voice in her ear kept droning on, demanding an answer. Why wouldn’t he leave her alone?

“I can’t give you anything for the pain,” said Jason, “till I know you’re all right. Now tell me your name.”

For a moment, she was completely alert. She knew she was in a strange bed in a strange room. She remembered Mark running from the kitchen and her attacker going after him.

“Mark,” she whispered, but only a breath of sound came out of her mouth.

“Tell me your name.”

She looked wildly into Jason’s intent stare. Why was he asking her this? He knew her name. She was suddenly awash with fear. “Mark?” she cried.

“He’s fine,” said Jason quietly, “and sleeping in the next room. Who is Mark?”

She wanted to scream in frustration, but knew it wouldn’t do her any good. She’d seen that look on Jason’s face before. There was no escaping him.

“My son,” she whimpered.

“And my name?”

She gritted her teeth. “Jason, of course.”

He chuckled. “Good girl.”

She closed her eyes on a wave of pain. When it ebbed a little, she said as clearly and as distinctly as she could manage, “I want to see my son.”

Jason turned his head to confer with someone else in the room. She heard another voice. Brandon’s? She wasn’t sure. A door opened, then Jason’s voice again.

“See? I told you Mark was all right.”

The figure by the bed was just a blur. She forced her eyes to focus and saw that it was Brandon. In his arms, wrapped in an eiderdown, was Mark.

“Say goodnight to your mother,” Brandon said.

Mark stirred. “ ’Night, Mama.”

She choked out a goodnight and trailed them with her eyes as they disappeared through a door to an adjoining room.

“Leave the door open,” said Jason, his gaze never wavering from Gwyn’s face.

As her fear receded, the unrelenting pain returned. Her hands went to her side, but Jason stayed her movements. His strong fingers closed around her hands.

“Listen to me, Gwyn,” he said. “You were shot tonight. You’re going to be fine, but the ball is still embedded in your side. We’re waiting for the doctor to arrive so that he can take it out. I’ll give you something to dull the pain, then you must try to lie still.”

She cried out when he raised her head and put a glass to her mouth. He didn’t coax her to drink the foul-tasting liquid. As was his way, he forced it past her lips and kept her head up so that she had to swallow or choke.

When he let her head sink back on the pillows, she whispered, “I’m dying, Jason, aren’t I?”

Her words obviously jarred him. “No! Gwyn, it’s a flesh wound. You’ll be up and about in a day or two.” He shook his head. “What put that wild idea in your head?”

She’d read it in his eyes. She must have said the words aloud because he murmured, “It’s long past midnight. I’m tired, Gwyn. That’s all.”

Her eyelids grew heavy, but the pain did not abate. She clenched her teeth, trying to lie still as Jason wanted.

“She has a point.” Brandon’s voice. “You look sick with fear.”

Jason straightened. “Well, just look at her: those marks on her throat; that bruise on her temple. I keep thinking of what would have happened if I hadn’t been there.”

“I can’t believe—”

Jason swore. “I don’t care what you believe. I’m not taking any chances.”

Brandon’s voice rose a little. “You can’t keep her here. You must see that. There will be gossip.”

“There won’t be gossip. No one knows she’s here. When she’s fit to travel, I’ll take her to Haddo.”

“Gwyn might have something to say about that.”

“I’m not giving her a choice.”

And just when she wanted to stay awake to give Jason a piece of her mind, she drifted into an uneasy sleep.

She was a child again, and her mother’s face was smiling down at her. I have to go away, she’d said. No, you can’t come with me this time. But you like it here at Haddo Hall with your cousins, don’t you? Then her mother had kissed her.

She hadn’t understood at all. She’d gone riding with Jason, and when she’d returned to the house, it was all over. That night, she’d crawled into Jason’s bed and wept into his neck as he’d rocked her to sleep.

Other memories flooded her mind, other deaths that had shaken her to her very foundation. But tonight was different. Someone had tried to kill her. Someone had threatened Mark, someone who would try again, and she didn’t know how to fight back.

Jason—

Jason’s voice cut through the fog in her brain. “I’m here, Gwyn. It’s all right. Don’t fret. I’m here.”

She could feel the weight of his hands on her shoulders, pressing her into the mattress. There was another weight across her legs. Her eyelashes lifted and she stared into Jason’s taut face.

“Damn!” he said. “She’s coming round.”

A stranger’s voice answered. “Hold her still, man, or I’ll do more harm than good.”

The jagged pain in her side suddenly surged, engulfing her in fire. She tried desperately to throw off the hands that restrained her. She writhed, she arched away, but there was no escape. She bit down on her lip to stifle her screams.

“For God’s sake, be quick about it!” Jason’s voice, savage in its anger.

His lean, drawn face swam above her, then her eyes clouded over, and she was sucked into the darkness again.

Chapter 11

Gwyn came awake by degrees. The comforting sounds of a house going about its daily business gradually registered. A door opened and closed. She could smell the pleasant aroma of freshly-baked bread and roasted coffee beans. Her mouth was dry.

She blinked away the remnants of sleep and opened her eyes. Sunlight streamed through a long window. There were pictures on the wall she did not recognize. When she moved slightly, the dull throb in her side blazed to a razor-sharp edge. She gasped when she tried to pull herself up.

A figure was setting a tray on a table. At Gwyn’s cry, she crossed to the bed. It was Maddie, her maid.

Maddie clicked her tongue. “You mustn’t haul yourself about like that or you’ll start bleeding again.” She adjusted the pillows at Gwyn’s back to prop her up. “Is that better?”

Gwyn nodded. As long as she lay still, the pain in her side faded.

“I’ve brought you a nice cup of tea, just the way you like it.”

As Gwyn sipped the weak tea, she looked around the strange room, her mind in a whirl. Her last clear memory was of her own kitchen and Jason’s face hovering over her. This chamber was lavishly furnished in shades of white and pink. The bed she was lying in was immense, and its velvet bed hangings, with lashing of tassels, matched the curtains on the long window. The furniture was of French design, gilt-edged, upholstered chairs, and gleaming walnut commodes and chests of drawers. Porcelain figurines and urns were displayed in abundance.

It was a woman’s room.

“Where am I?” asked Gwyn.

“Don’t you remember? This is Mr. Radley’s house.”

Gwyn nodded uncertainly. It was coming back to her. Harry had tried to kill her. Mark was safe. Jason had promised to stay with her. Pain. She remembered the pain and a feminine presence bathing her, taking care of her needs.

She looked at Maddie. “I thought I heard Judith’s voice—Miss Dudley’s, I mean.”

Maddie nodded. “Miss Dudley has hardly left your side since that first night. She’ll be back shortly. She and Mr. Brandon are out walking with Mark.”

“She’s staying here?”

Maddie pointed to a door. “She’s taken over the master’s room, and Mark sleeps in his dressing room.”

Gwyn swallowed hard. “That’s very kind of her. I mean, she has so many social engagements.”

“She said that nothing could keep her away. And it’s not for long. You’ll soon be up and about. Now drink your tea.”

Gwyn drank her tea and handed the empty cup to Maddie. “What day is it?”

“Monday.”

“Monday?” repeated Gwyn faintly.

“You’ve been slipping in and out of sleep for two nights and a day.”

“And you and Miss Dudley have been here all that time?”

“And Mr. Brandon, too. Except for when he went to Sutton Row to get some of your clothes.” Maddie grinned. “I’m to be your personal maid. Mr. Radley fixed everything.” Her smile faded. “Who would have believed that Harry could be so wicked?”

Gwyn did not hear. She was still examining her surroundings.

Maddie picked up the tray. “I’d best go tell the master you’re awake.”

“No! Wait!”

Gwyn felt vaguely uneasy. “You did say this was Mr. Radley’s house,” she said. “Mr. Jason Radley’s?”

Maddie nodded. “Ain’t it lovely? Look at this.” Gwyn obediently looked at the pink-papered wall. “Can you see the concealed door? Well, on the other side is a lady’s dressing room with a porcelain bath big enough for a whole family.” When Gwyn merely looked puzzled, Maddie elaborated, “To bathe, you know, all at once? And the mirrors! They go right up to the ceiling.” Maddie giggled. “Miss Dudley said she was scandalized, but she winked when she said it. She’s ever so nice, isn’t she?”

A horrible suspicion was beginning to form in Gwyn’s mind. “Is this house on Half Moon Street?”

“Half Moon Street? Whatever gave you that idea? No. This is a beautiful little house on the edge of Marylebone Fields. If you look out your window, you’ll see fields and woods for miles around. It’s as good as living in the country, yet it’s only a short walk to the Oxford Road.”

Gwyn looked at the furnishings in the room and saw them in a different light. It was a feminine room, excessively feminine, but not, she would wager, furnished to Grandmother Radley’s taste, or to that of any of her female Radley cousins. She studied the pictures on the wall, and the abundance of porcelain figurines. Venus and Cupid were liberally represented.

She threw back the covers, and stumbled to her feet, gritting her teeth against a wave of pain and dizziness. “Maddie, help me get dressed,” she said. “We’re going home.”

Maddie’s mouth gaped. Recovering quickly, she said indignantly, “You get right back in that bed! Is this any way to repay Mr. Radley for what he’s done for you? I never seen a man so shaken with worry. Go on! Get back to bed!”

“Because, if you don’t,” interjected a masculine voice from the open doorway, “I’ll put you in it bodily. Maddie, you may tell Cook that Mrs. Barrie will be ready for breakfast in about ten minutes or so.”

“I am not hungry,” said Gwyn wrathfully.

“Nevertheless, you will eat. Maddie, at once, if you please.”

Maddie darted Gwyn a look of deep reproach, bobbed a curtsy, and left the room.

Gwyn was as rigid as the porcelain figurines that adorned the room. Through clenched teeth, she got out, though rather shakily, “Tell me I’m imagining things, Jason. Tell me this isn’t your mistress’s house.”

“I don’t have a mistress,” he said quietly.

“Hah! I bet that unhappy state of affairs won’t last long! Just how many women have you brought to this house? Mmm?”

He didn’t answer, but crossed the distance between them and took a moment to study her. There were dark smudges under her eyes, and the graze on her cheek stood out against the pallor of her skin. The bruises on her throat were fading. He wanted to pull her into his arms, just to satisfy himself that she was all right, but the sizzle in her eyes warned him not to make the attempt.

A sizzle in Gwyn’s eyes meant that she was on the mend, and base male that he was, he hoped the sizzle had a touch of green in it.

He was careful to keep the smile from his voice and lips. “Gwyn, I meant what I said. Either you get back in that bed or I’ll put you in it.”

Since her legs were beginning to buckle, she didn’t have much choice. She satisfied her pride by throwing him a resentful glare, then she edged to the bed, and stopped. She couldn’t sink into it because the mattress was too high. She was looking around for the steps, when Jason’s strong arms closed around her, and he hoisted her onto the middle of the bed.

A shaft of pain pierced her side and she cried out.

“I’m sorry,” said Jason, not sounding sorry at all, “but if you’d only ask for help when you need it, we could have done this slowly and painlessly.”

She drew the covers up to her chin. “Well, I’m asking for help now. I want to see my son. I want my maid. I want to leave this … this …” She looked around the opulent room and shrugged helplessly.

“This what?” He sounded distinctly amused.

“Whatever!” she snapped, “I have to leave before it becomes known I was ever here. Can you imagine what people would think, what they would say if they knew I’d been here? This is not a respectable house.”

He folded his arms across his chest and regarded her thoughtfully. “I never claimed to be a monk,” he said. “I’ve had my share of women. What did you expect?”

“Jason.” She inhaled a slow, calming breath. “It’s not your reputation that’s at stake here, it’s mine.” She paused, not to gather her thoughts, but because she felt as though a vise were squeezing her heart. How could her feelings betray her like this?

He said musingly, “Do you suppose anyone would mistake you for my mistress?”

Her eyes sizzled. “If this room is an example of her taste, I would hardly think so.”

Now he was sure he could see green in her eyes, and his lips quirked. He allowed his gaze to travel the room before bringing it back to her. “Now that I think of it, you never did approve of my taste in females, did you, Gwyn? I mean, when we were younger and lived at Haddo.”

“Approve of your taste?” She smiled sweetly. “Jason, you didn’t have any taste. If it moved and wore a skirt, you were smitten. No woman was safe from you, except, of course, the ones who were angling for marriage.”

“And you.”

He caught the flash of emotion in her eyes before her lashes swept down, and his amusement vanished. He grasped her chin and held her face up so that he could read her expression. “What is it, Gwyn? Why do you look like that?”

She slapped his hand away and said plaintively, “My side is on fire, my head aches, and this conversation is pointless. I’m grateful to you, Jason, deeply grateful for coming to my rescue.” Her voice grew husky. “If you hadn’t been there, I don’t know how it would have ended for Mark and me. I don’t mean to insult you. It’s not my place to find fault with your way of living. But you must see that I can’t stay here. If the parents of my students ever hear that I was living in this house, they would never darken my doors again. Then how would I earn my living?”

“Your living,” repeated Jason. His own temper began to stir. She could have died in that attack, and what was uppermost in her mind? How she would earn her living. Just remembering the agonies he’d suffered made him want to yell at her.

All this aside, he’d had a good look at her house. He knew genteel poverty when he saw it. She’d fooled him for awhile because she’d never allowed him to venture beyond the front parlor. She was living a hand-to-mouth existence, and the legacy would barely make an impression because he knew that Gwyn had earmarked that legacy for her son. He’d wager his last groat that she would barely draw a penny on the interest for herself. Well, she’d have to adjust her thinking. She was a Radley, as was Mark. He was their trustee, and he’d be damned if he would allow Gwyn to live like the proverbial poor relation.

Her beautiful eyes were brimming. He couldn’t upbraid her when she looked as though she were about to shatter. Groping for his patience, he sat on the edge of the bed and took her hands in his.

“Listen to me, Gwyn,” he said. “You can’t go home. Think about it. The man who attacked you is no ordinary housebreaker. What if he comes back? And this time, I may not be there to help you. That’s why I brought you here, not to insult you, but to keep you and Mark safe. This house is off the beaten track. No one would dream of looking for you here.”

His words mollified her a little, but not entirely. “Couldn’t you have taken us to your house on Half Moon Street?”

“I thought about it, but there are too many servants, too many people coming and going. It’s only for a day or two. Once you’re fit to travel, I’m taking you down to Haddo to convalesce.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know about Haddo, Jason. It’s so far away. I mean, I can’t afford to lose all my pupils.”

He smothered a curse and tightened his grasp on her hands with enough pressure to make her wince. “Haven’t you heard a word I’ve said? Your house wasn’t broken into. The thug who attacked you came looking for you, Gwyn, nobody else.”

The color drained from her face. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “He came to the wrong house. He must know it by now. It wasn’t me he wanted. It was a portrait, a miniature portrait, and I don’t own such a thing.”

“A portrait? What kind of portrait? I mean, was it a portrait of a man or a woman or a child?”

“He didn’t say.” She gave a strained laugh. “And he didn’t give me a chance to ask him.”

Jason thought about this for a moment. “You must know something. Think, Gwyn. Did someone show you a portrait or tell you about a portrait, or did you—”

“No!” she cried out. “That’s why I think he must have come to the wrong house.”

“Listen to me, Gwyn.” He spoke slowly and seriously, trying to impress upon her the gravity of the situation. “There have been too many strange things happening recently, and you are connected to all of them. That first day, you said you felt that someone was watching you. That same night, you almost walked in on a murder in Sackville’s house. And now the attack in your own home. It was premeditated. Mark said that Harry had been to the house that morning and had asked a great many questions. Maddie said much the same thing. He was in every room of your house. Obviously, he was looking for the portrait, and when he didn’t find it, he came back, expecting to find you and Mark alone. Can’t you see that it’s too dangerous for you to live alone until we find this man? You’ll be safe at Haddo, at least until you’re fully recovered. Then we’ll see.”

She put a hand to her temple as though that could erase the memory of the attack. It didn’t, and she began to shake. She felt weak and helpless and horribly afraid.

When her enormous eyes began to well with fresh tears, Jason sighed and put his arms around her. “Maybe I’ve exaggerated the danger,” he said.

She shivered. “Harry … he threatened to harm Mark.” She gulped as the memory came back to her. “I think he would have killed me and maybe Mark, too, whether I’d given him the portrait or not. It was that thought that gave me the strength to fight him off so that I could scream for you.”

As though it were happening again, Jason could feel the painful pounding of his heart as Harry leveled the pistol at Gwyn. He felt the same paralyzing terror when the gun went off, and the same murderous rage in its aftermath.

He said savagely, “None of this would have happened if you hadn’t been living alone. You should have returned to your family where you could be properly cared for. One of these days, Gwyn, your damn pride will get you killed. A woman on her own—” He broke off when she shrank away from him.

“That is so unjust,” she whispered, her throat working. “I did nothing wrong.”

“Gwyn,” he said, his anger receding, but the fear and emotion still pulsing in his blood, “don’t turn this into a contest of wills. Until this is settled, you can’t live alone. Why can’t you accept that?”

He drew her into his arms and held her fiercely. His restraint was at a dangerously low ebb, and he struggled to find it again. He didn’t want to hurt her, or frighten her, or fight with her. He just wanted to feel her warm body pressed against his and know that she was safe.

Gwyn felt those strong arms around her and she burrowed closer. When she was a child and someone hurt her, Jason was always there to comfort her. But this time, the balance had shifted. It was she who was comforting him.

She stroked his back. “It’s all right,” she whispered. “It’s all right.” She kissed his cheek, his chin. “It’s all right.” Then she kissed him on the mouth.

And that changed everything.

For a moment, his mouth was soft and smooth, then it slanted across hers, parting her lips until they opened for him and his tongue slipped inside. Her breath caught softly as he made love to her mouth, nipping at it, sipping, sucking. It wasn’t only desire that moved her, but the quickening of a lifetime’s memories. This was Jason. There was no one like him. She’d missed him. How she had missed him.

He eased her down on the pillows and braced his hands on either side of her head. He couldn’t believe this was happening. She was soft, warm, yielding. He wasn’t seducing her. She had kissed him. A fierce exultation surged through his blood. She might not know it yet, but she had just changed the rules of the game. A finer man would give her time to decide if she really wanted this. That finer man could go to the devil. He’d wanted her since he was a boy. He wasn’t about to let her change her mind now.

With exquisite care, he kissed the wound on her side through the material of nightgown and dressing. “I nearly lost you,” he whispered hoarsely. He kissed the bruises on her throat, the graze on her cheek, then brought his mouth to hers again. He knew he couldn’t go too far. It would be a long time before she was well enough to accept the hard intrusion of his body. But in these few moments, he wanted to make her aware that there could be no going back now.

When he brought the kiss to an end, he raised his head and gazed down at her. Her eyes were heavy-lidded; her lips were moist and swollen; her breasts rose and fell with each labored breath.

His fingers went to the tiny pearl buttons on the bodice of her nightdress. Her eyes went wide and she sucked in a breath. “Shh. Easy,” he murmured. “Let me touch you.” His hand spread under her breast, over her heart. “See what I do to you? Your heart is racing, just like mine.” He took her hand and spread her fingers on his chest. “See what you do to me? I ache for you. Don’t you ache for me, too?”

She moistened her lips.

“Tell me!”

Her reply was almost inaudible. “You know I do.”

His fingers trembled as he undid the buttons. When he pulled back the edges of her nightgown and spread his hand over one milky-white breast, Gwyn jerked and moaned.

“Shh,” he said. “Lie still. I don’t want you to move. I don’t want you to do anything.”

His hand brushed over her breast and a fierce little cry tore from her throat. His head dipped and with tongue and lips, he lavished attention on one hardened nipple, then the other. She tasted so good, so warm and womanly. He filled his hands with her, and at the soft sounds she made, his loins tightened in anticipation of taking her. Next time, he promised himself, there would be no chance of anyone interrupting them. Next time, next time … but his time was running out.

He allowed himself one quick kiss on a creamy breast, then he found her mouth again. He kissed her quickly and whispered, “Don’t be alarmed, love, but I think we’ve got company.”

His face came hazily into focus. His green eyes were heavy with desire, but there was a spark of humor in them as well. She put her arms out to draw him back. He captured her wrists to prevent it, and chuckled.

“Company,” he said, “as in Mark, Brandon, and Judith. They’re coming up the stairs. Can’t you hear them?”

It took a moment for her to come to herself. She looked at Jason, then at the door, and gasped. When she tried to free her hand so that she could cover her bare breasts, he prevented it by tightening his grasp.

His voice, though amused, was not quite steady. “Not so fast. We didn’t finish our discussion.”

“Jason!” The voices on the other side of the door were coming closer. “What discussion?” Her voice was high and breathless.

“That you’ll go down to Haddo and stay there until you’re completely recovered. Promise me, Gwyn.”

Someone laughed on the other side of the door.

“Well?” asked Jason. His face was unsmiling, his voice was hard. “I’m not letting you go until you promise.”

She tugged on her hands to no avail. “I promise,” she cried out. “I promise.”

Jason grinned, pulled the bedclothes up to her chin, and went to stand by the long window. Judith entered first, followed by Mark and Brandon.

Gwyn did not know where to look.

Brandon said, “Good, you’re awake. How are you feeling, Gwyn?”

Her voice was breathless. “Well. Quite … well, thank you.”

Mark skipped to the bed. “Mama,” he said, and stopped. “Why is your face red?”

“Because … because it’s hot in here.”

Brandon threw Jason a hostile glance, Judith’s brows rose speculatively, and Jason smiled.

“Mmm,” said Judith, “it looks to me as though you’re running a fever, Gwyn.”

Gwyn chanced a quick look at Judith and saw the laughter lurking in her eyes. She wasn’t brave enough to look at Brandon, but she could sense his hostility, not at her, but at Jason. Her gaze, against her express wishes, moved to Jason. As was to be expected, he was completely relaxed, unaffected, not only by their ardent lovemaking—while her own body was still humming—but unaffected also by the embarrassment of their situation.

Gathering what was left of her dignity, she said with a calm that surprised her, “Gentlemen, would you mind leaving Judith and me alone for a few minutes? I’d like to make myself presentable before receiving visitors. I know I must look a fright.”

“You look fine to me, Mama.”

“And to me,” said Jason.

Judith was more astute. She realized that there were some things a lady did not mention in front of gentlemen. “Of course you want to make yourself presentable,” she said, “before the doctor arrives to change your dressing.” As she marched to the door and held it open, Gwyn took the opportunity to do up her buttons under the concealment of the bedcovers. Judith went on, “I’ll let you know when Gwyn is ready for visitors. Meanwhile, Jason, perhaps you’d arrange for hot water to be brought up, and fresh towels?”

The gentlemen finally got the message. Brandon was the first to leave.

“Come along, Mark,” said Jason.

“But I want to tell Mama about my pony.”

Jason bent down, whispered something in Mark’s ear, and without more ado, they left the room hand-in-hand. Judith shut the door after them.

“What pony?” asked Gwyn. She threw back the covers and inched to the edge of the bed.

“Oh, it’s not my place to tell you,” said Judith. “It’s Mark’s surprise.” She stood at the foot of the bed and, with head cocked to one side, surveyed her friend. “This is more serious than I thought,” she said.

Gwyn touched a hand to the dressing on her side. “Has it started bleeding again?”

Judith came to stand in front of Gwyn. “Not that. This.”

Judith pointed. Gwyn stared, and a tide of color rose from her throat to hairline. The buttons and buttonholes on her nightgown were hopelessly mismatched.

Judith rested her hands lightly on Gwyn’s shoulders. “Don’t look so guilty. I’m unshockable. But let me give you my mother’s words of wisdom. Keep your buttons buttoned and your strings tied till you get his ring on your finger. Pity she didn’t listen to her own advice, but maybe that’s what made her so wise.”

Gwyn looked up quickly, saw the wicked glint in Judith’s eyes, and smiled in spite of herself. “You are outrageous,” she said. “You know that, don’t you?”

“I’m not the one who was carried off in the dead of night to a snug little love nest.” The mischief in Judith’s grin robbed her words of any censure.

Gwyn shook her head. “I think Jason must have bats in his head.”

“No,” said Judith. “I think he acted with remarkable intelligence. For a man, I mean. No one would dream of looking for you here.”

“You really believe I may be in danger?”

“I don’t know, but why take chances? Anyway, Jason has a friend he is going to approach, someone who can help us get to the bottom of this. I believe he works at the Foreign Office or maybe it’s the Home Office.”

“The Foreign Office! Shouldn’t we be calling in the magistrates?”

Judith shrugged. “Perhaps we shall. But not till Jason has a word with his friend.”

“My neighbor will be worried about me.”

“No. Jason told her that you’d suddenly taken ill and were staying with relatives.”

Gwyn’s tone was dry. “Jason seems to have thought of everything.”

Judith laughed. “If I had a man like that fussing over me, I’d kiss the ground he walked on. You don’t know how lucky you are.”

“Oh yes I do,” said Gwyn, thinking of Harry.

With the aid of Judith’s arm, Gwyn eased herself to her feet. “What does Brandon think? I ask because he seemed so angry.”

“Hah!” Judith snorted. “He’s so straitlaced it’s laughable. Yes, Brandon, the prize rake of five counties around! He’s angry at Jason for bringing you here, and angry because the only lady he knows who would not balk at taking up residence in this den of iniquity—to act as your chaperon, you understand—is me. So, you see, he’s angry with me, too.”

“Is he angry with me?”

“Of course not. You didn’t have a choice in the matter. Besides, Brandon has put you on a pedestal. In Brandon’s view, there are only two kinds of females, those who belong on a pedestal and the other sort. He doesn’t know what to make of my kind of woman. I think he means to reform me.”

“Reform you? There’s nothing to reform. You’re all talk and no action.”

“That,” replied Judith indignantly, “is because I haven’t met the right man yet.”

“What about your mother’s words of wisdom?”

“Mmm. You have a point. I suppose I haven’t been put to the test.”

“I thought you liked Brandon.”

“Brandon?” Judith looked amazed. “I despise him. He’s a hypocrite. He’s always finding fault with me. Well, two can play at that game.”

Gwyn’s response died on her lips when Judith pushed open the concealed door that Maddie had pointed out to her. The dressing room, Maddie called it. She hadn’t exaggerated. The porcelain bath with its hand-painted garlands of roses could have held a whole family at one sitting. Mirrors from floor to ceiling decorated each wall. She and Judith were reflected from mirror to mirror, giving the impression that a dozen of their replicas were watching their every move.

“Decadent, isn’t it?” said Judith. “But don’t blame Jason. Brandon says it was the lady’s taste that opened Jason’s eyes to her true nature. I mean, what kind of woman could bear to see her naked form reflected from every angle?”

“A beautiful woman,” said Gwyn.

“A woman with a monumental ego,” Judith corrected. “And she is long gone.” She studied Gwyn’s set face, then went on gently, “A man is entitled to his past, Gwyn, yes, and a woman is, too. There’s no need to look so tragic.”

“Oh yes there is,” said Gwyn with feeling.

“But why?”

“Because I very much fear that the spiteful hussie who decorated these rooms has run off with the chamber pot, and I really have to go.”

Judith stared, then dissolved in laughter. After a moment, Gwyn joined in.

Gwyn rested after lunch, fell into a deep and dreamless sleep, and wakened to find that it was dark outside and the candles had been lit. There was a handbell on a table beside the bed that she was supposed to ring if she wanted anything, and Maddie would come running. Gwyn didn’t even think of using it. She eased out of bed and in slow, cautious steps pushed into the mirrored dressing room. There were candles lit here too, one candelabra on a polished mahogany table that served as the washstand.

After pouring water from a porcelain pitcher into its matching porcelain basin, Gwyn carefully slipped her nightdress off her shoulders and let it fall to her feet, then she wrung out a washcloth and bathed her hot skin. She bathed her eyes, her throat, her arms, her breasts, and that was all she could do. She couldn’t bend or stretch or, as she belatedly realized, pick up her nightdress from the floor and put it on again.

So much for trying to do everything for herself.

She turned slowly, knowing full well that a dozen naked nymphs, her mirror images, would be waiting to greet her. And so they were, frights every one of them, with dark smudges under their eyes and a grotesque linen dressing crisscrossing their milky white bellies. She advanced upon them and stopped to stare. It was a humbling sight. Her red hair hung about her face and shoulders like the strands of a wet mop. Her breasts were too small; her hips were too large, and the skin on her abdomen was no longer taut. She didn’t know how any sane woman past the first bloom of youth could bear this kind of torture.

Gritting her teeth, she made her way back to bed.

Chapter 12

That same evening found Jason ensconced in a large wing armchair, sipping from a glass of Madeira in the lodgings of his friend, Richard Maitland, Chief of Staff of the Special Branch. He had just told him as much as he could remember about the attack on Gwyn.

“She was lucky,” Jason said. “The bullet did little damage. It’s going to hurt like blazes for the next day or two, but the doctor says that bedrest is the only cure.”

“You didn’t take her to Half Moon Street, I hope?”

“No. She’s in a safe place where no one will think to look for her. Brandon is there now, and her friend, Judith Dudley.”

“So far, so good. You’ve done well.”

His friend’s words went a long way to convincing Jason that he wasn’t the lunatic Brandon and Gwyn seemed to think he was. Like Gwyn, Brandon believed that he was making too much of the attack on her, that the housebreaker had panicked or broken into the wrong house and that’s the last they would see of him. Richard’s views, however, carried far more weight with Jason.

There was another reason that made him glad he had come. Richard was already on the case, because one of Lord Liverpool’s cabinet ministers had been a guest at Sackville’s party. There were also several members of parliament and two judges, but they were not under investigation. It was the footman, Johnny Rowland, whose murder had to be cleared up. Richard had thought it was a piddling affair that would be solved in a matter of days, but what Jason had to say made him want to rethink the case.

Jason’s friendship with Richard wasn’t exactly close, partly because they’d known each other for less than a year, but more so because Richard wasn’t an easy man to get to know. Maybe it was the nature of his work that made him an intensely private person, or maybe it was the fact that he was a Scot.

After five minutes in the man’s company, Jason had summed him up as the proverbial dour Scot, but that was before he learned that Richard was an avid rock climber, like himself. Since then, they’d done some climbing together. When two climbers who are practically strangers scale the peaks, they soon learn all they need to know about each other. After their first climb, Jason knew that Richard was fearless, though never rash, and when things went wrong, he could be counted on to keep his nerve.

Jason watched his friend add coal to the fire. When he sat down, Jason said, “What about magistrates? Should I go to them?”

“Like it or not, we have to involve them, or they may start an investigation that interferes with Special Branch. Leave them to me.”

Silence fell. Finally, Jason said, “It seems so bizarre.”

“What does?”

“That our paths have crossed like this. And I can’t see how Gwyn fits into the picture.”

“Maybe she doesn’t.” Richard took a long swallow of Madeira. “Tell me about her.”

Jason shrugged. “There’s not much to tell. When she was orphaned, she came to live at Haddo.” He gave his friend a short sketch of Gwyn’s life and concluded by telling him about the legacy.

“That’s one mystery,” said Jason, “I intend to clear up at once. I don’t think it’s related to any of this. But how can I tell until I know the donor’s name?”

Richard nodded. “That’s how I work. Make no assumptions and tie down every loose end.” After a moment, he went on, “Harry is the one who intrigues me most. A bold lad, is our Harry. No apparent disguise, you say?”

“He wasn’t disguised.”

“Not that anyone could detect. Was he really so reckless as to show his own face in broad daylight, then return that very night and knock on the door as though he were an invited guest?”

“What are you getting at, Richard?”

“I’m not sure. Why don’t we go to Sutton Row and have a look around? I like to picture exactly how the crime took place.”

“Fine,” said Jason.

Richard got up and walked to the open door. “Harper!” he roared.

Harper appeared almost at once. He was fortyish, with a battered look about him that always made Jason think of a retired pugilist. He was supposed to be Richard’s bodyguard, and was reputed to be a crack shot. If Richard was a man of few words, Harper was positively inarticulate, though he possessed an extensive repertoire of frowns and grunts that apparently passed for language. Jason knew he was exaggerating, but not by much.

“Did you hear all that?” asked Richard abruptly.

Harper nodded.

“Take a couple of militiamen and put a guard on the house, but nothing too obvious. We don’t want to scare Harry away if he decides to come back.”

“And if the magistrates or runners come calling?”

“Harper,” said Richard patiently, “you’re the biggest liar in the service. Use your imagination.”

With an evil grin, Harper left.

Jason was amused. “You allow your subordinates to eavesdrop on your private conversations?”

“Hah! You try convincing Harper that he’s a subordinate. He takes his orders from the prime minister and he never lets me forget it. Jason, I’m not joking. Lord Liverpool appointed Harper as my bodyguard, and like it or not, I’m stuck with him.” He paused. “Harper’s worth his weight in gold, but don’t tell him I said so.”

Both men grinned as they left.

“By the way,” said Richard, “you keep calling your cousin Gwyneth or Gwyn. What’s her full name?”

“Mrs. Barrie. Mrs. Nigel Barrie.”

“Mrs. Nigel Barrie. I seem to know that name.” Richard stopped on the stairs. “I remember her.” His voice was suffused with warmth. “Lisbon. Summer of eighteen nine. I was wounded in my first action. Your cousin nursed me back to health. She was in charge of the make-shift infirmary. We couldn’t believe it. She was only a girl herself. And we were all in love with her.

“Gwyneth Barrie,” he said softly. “Bad luck about her husband. She didn’t deserve that.” He looked at Jason. “Let’s see if there’s anything in her house that seems odd or out of place.”

The doors to Gwyn’s house were locked and there was no sign that anyone had forced an entry. The kitchen was as Jason had left it. Gwyn’s bloodied garments were on the floor, along with broken dishes and chairs that had been overturned in the fight.

“Brandon was here,” Jason said, “to pick up some clothes for Gwyn, but everything seems to be as I

left it.”

They went through the house room by room, and drawer by drawer. When they were finished, Richard said, “She has no mementoes of her late husband; nothing to pass on to her son. And no miniature portrait.”

“She has his pistol.”

They were in Mark’s bedroom. The bed was unmade and Jason was fingering a toy soldier he’d picked up from the table. He was remembering what Gwyn had said, that Harry would have killed her, then Mark, whether she’d given him the portrait or not.

His hand tightened around the toy soldier. “Harry is a killer,” he said harshly. He looked up at Richard. “I don’t believe he’s a housebreaker. He didn’t have to shoot Gwyn. He may have wanted the portrait, but he came here to kill her. That’s what he really wanted, to kill Gwyn.”

“Yes, I’m afraid you’re right,” said Richard. “And that means, he may try again. But I think you’ve already worked that out.”

“It sounds so much worse to hear you confirm it.”

Richard nodded. “I’ll want to talk to her at some point.”

“Then you’d better be quick about it. I’m taking her to Haddo just as soon as she’s fit to travel.”

“I think that’s wise. I can always post down and question her at Haddo. Meantime, find out if there’s anything else she knows. Something she’s forgotten. Small things that seem out of place. It doesn’t matter how insignificant. She must know something about that portrait.”

“I’ll question her, and I’ll make sure she understands how serious this is.”

“Good. I’m finished here. Shall we go?”

“You go ahead. I want to pack everything Gwyn and Mark will need for going down to Haddo.”

“Let Harper do it. He could move the Tower of London and no one would know it was gone till it was too late. What I mean is—”

“I know what you mean. You think someone may be watching the house and I’ll lead them to Gwyn. I wouldn’t, you know.”

Richard laughed. “If ever you tire of making money,” he said, “come to me and I’ll give you a job.”

The following morning, Sergeant Harper set a tray down on his chief’s desk in his office in the Horse Guards, and poured out two cups of coffee. He didn’t say anything. Colonel Maitland was making notes, and when the chief was deep in thought, it behooved everyone around him to keep his mouth shut. The thought softened the perpetual frown that seemed to have set like plaster on Harper’s brow. He remembered Richard Maitland as a young officer on his first campaign. They were all the same, those greenhorn officers. They didn’t know their elbows from their arses.

And now look at him! Not that Harper was uncritical of his chief. He worked too hard, and when he did take a rest, all he could think about was sailing or climbing great hunks of rock. There would be a woman in it somewhere, thought Harper. There always was. And though his own sad experiences in the petticoat line had put him off women for life, he wanted something better for the colonel than a bachelor’s life.

After all, he was a good-looking man in his thirties. He never lacked for a pretty woman in his bed, but he never got attached to any of them. Oh, yes, there had to be a woman in it somewhere.

Richard stirred, threw down his pen and looked at Harper. “Well, Harper,” he said, “what do you think?”

Harper shrugged. “As you said, it’s a piddling affair.”

“I wonder.”

“You’ve changed your mind?”

“I don’t know. Maybe there are two cases here. But what really interests me is Harry. You know he’s an assassin, don’t you?”

“Is that what you think?”

“Everything points to it.” Richard leaned back in his chair and stretched his cramped muscles. “So even if there is no connection between the murdered footman and Mrs. Barrie, Special Branch has to become involved. I mean, we can’t let an assassin loose on England, now can we?”

Harper nodded slowly. He was thinking of another assassin and another case, and the havoc Nemo had caused. “So where do we go from here?”

“We go back to the beginning and start over. I want Johnny Rowland’s background investigated so I’ll know him as though he were my best friend. And let’s take another look at that guest list. Maybe he went to see Mrs. Barrie and maybe not. Send Landon and Lord Ivan in. They’ve got a light slate right now. I’ll put them onto it. But I won’t mention Mrs. Barrie’s name. Let’s see what they come up with. At this stage, I’ll investigate Mrs. Barrie myself.”

“I doubt,” said Harper, “if young Lochinvar could come up with his own name.”

Richard chuckled. Harper did not have a high opinion of Lord Ivan and always referred to him in private as young Lochinvar, after the dashing hero of Walter Scott’s ballad. Harper had no time for heroes, or would-be heroes.

“Well, this will be a test for him,” he said, “and if he fails the test, out he goes.”

Harper merely grunted.

Ten minutes later, when the conference was over and they were descending the stairs, Lord Ivan asked Landon why on earth their chief would take so much trouble over a footman’s murder.

Landon smiled pleasantly. In his opinion, Lord Ivan was as thick as a door, and the only reason he’d been allowed to transfer to Special Branch was because his father and Lord Liverpool were close friends. He didn’t think Lord Ivan would last long because he was in it for the glamor. He, Landon, knew better. It was hard work, and often as boring as hell.

“Because,” he said, “something must have come up, something the chief hasn’t told us about. Some information is too sensitive to share.”

“Then how can we know what we’re looking for?”

“We do as we’re told. We investigate Rowland and see if we can find a connection to one of the guests on Sackville’s list, only we do it more carefully this time around. Why the sigh?”

“No reason. No reason at all.”

“I know what it is,” said Landon with the same pleasant smile. “You thought you’d be unmasking traitors and uncovering conspiracies when you joined Special Branch.”

“Well, I suppose I did. I mean, it’s an open secret that the chief foiled a plot to assassinate Lord Liverpool last year, he and that gorilla who acts as his bodyguard.” He stopped speaking abruptly when Harper passed them on the landing and went on down the stairs.

“Good Lord,” said Lord Ivan. “I hope Harper didn’t hear that last remark.”

“I’d watch my tongue, if I were you,” said Landon. “Just remember, we have a code at Special Branch.”

Lord Ivan grinned. “I know, we take no prisoners, but it’s only a joke, isn’t it?”

“Let’s hope you never find out. Now, where were we? Oh, yes. When we get to Sackville’s house, you start with the servants and I’ll tackle Sackville.”

Chapter 13

There are times when events take on the momentum of a torrential river, and there’s no swimming against the current.

This was Gwyn’s thought as she looked around her opulent chamber and surveyed all the boxes that Jason had, like a thief in the night, stolen from her little house in Sutton Row. There was no need to unpack them, Jason told her, because they were leaving for Haddo in the morning, and the boxes containing her clothes and personal effects were going with them. All else would be stored here until it was safe to return.

He seemed to think she was in mortal danger. Not only had he returned her pistol, but he’d also made sure that she was never alone. At this very moment, he was next door in his dressing room packing his own things for the drive down to Haddo.

It seemed unreal; it seemed as though she’d stepped into someone else’s life. This couldn’t be happening to her. Her life was so ordinary and uneventful.

Jason had taken care of everything, he said, so she need not trouble her mind about her pupils, her neighbors, magistrates, or even poor Mrs. Jamieson who had been deprived of Maddie’s services. All she had to do was concentrate on getting well. She’d slept for much of the time, and as she’d slept, all the decisions had been made for her. Maybe it was just as well. She really didn’t understand what was going on.

She looked at all the boxes on the floor and wondered what on earth Jason had found to pack in them. She didn’t have that many clothes, and now Jason would know it. It was so humiliating.

“That’s the third time I’ve heard you sigh.”

She looked up to see him watching her. It was absurd, but sudden tears filled her eyes. She’d caught the warmth and concern in his voice, and the worried expression on his face. She knew she was at a low ebb, but it was such a relief to have him on her side, helping her fight her battles again.

Her shoulders lifted. “I don’t seem to have the energy to do anything. I can’t even think straight.”

“May I join you?”

“Please do.”

He took the chair opposite hers, on the other side of the fireplace. “You’re too hard on yourself,” he said. “You’ve made remarkable progress.”

It was true, thought Jason. Only three days had passed since that cold-blooded attack on her. She should still be in her bed, yet she was up and dressed. She’d been pushing herself hard. She seemed to think that the world would end if she overslept for a few hours.

Gwyn’s world, he’d discovered, was her son. He had no quarrel with that. He didn’t want to take away from Gwyn’s world. He wanted to enlarge it.

But this was not the time to muddy the waters with unfinished business. It was not a lover Gwyn needed right now, but a friend.

He relaxed against the back of his chair. “What can’t you think straight about?”

“Everything. Nothing.” She shook her head. “Jason, what am I going to do with a pony when I’m settled in my own home again?”

The pony was a present from Jason to Mark, and she’d heard the whole story only that morning, when Mark burst into her room and roused her from sleep. It’s name was Bouncer, and Mark’s excitement could not be contained. She’d tried to curb Mark’s enthusiasm but, of course, it was too late. The deed was done. The others couldn’t understand her reluctance to accept the pony, and she couldn’t explain it to them. So, she’d taken the road of least resistance.

Jason said, “Isn’t it premature to be thinking of returning to your own home?”

“I wasn’t thinking of Sutton Row. I could find another house in another part of London, where no one knows me.”

His voice lost some of its warmth. “You’re not going to live alone until we find out what’s going on. I thought you understood that. As for the pony, it’s my present to Mark. I’ll see to its stabling. Does that set your mind at rest?”

Her shoulders lifted in another tiny shrug. Shrugs and sighs—that’s all she seemed capable of. She was beginning to loathe herself.

“It just seems so hopeless,” she said.

“It’s far from hopeless.” He linked his fingers and leaned toward her with arms braced on his thighs. “As I told you, we’re not working alone. I have a friend in Whitehall. He has agreed to help us. He says he knows you, Gwyn. His name is Richard Maitland.”

She thought for a moment and shook her head. “The name means nothing to me.”

“He met you in Portugal. He was a lieutenant then, wounded in action, and you nursed him back to health.”

“Oh.” Her brow wrinkled as she tried to place the name. “There were so many young soldiers wounded in action. I’m sorry I don’t remember him.”

For some obscure reason, her answer pleased Jason. He smiled.

She frowned. “Well? What did he say?”

He looked straight into her eyes. “He says you’re lucky to be alive.”

That got her attention, and he went on to tell her as much of his conversation with Richard as was relevant to the case. For the most part, she heard him out in silence, occasionally asking questions. As he spoke, one thing became clear to her. Like Jason, Richard Maitland was convinced that she was the target of some sort of conspiracy.

When he stopped speaking, she put a hand to her throat and absently massaged it. “If you’re trying to frighten me,” she said, striving for lightness but sounding shaken, “you’ve succeeded.”

Though he smiled, he answered her seriously. “We’re wise to be frightened, Gwyn. Frightened people take precautions and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. That’s why you and Mark are going down to Haddo.”

When she made no protest, he went on, “It would help if we knew what portrait Harry was after. Think about it, Gwyn. Did something come into your possession recently, something you haven’t opened? Did someone write you a letter mentioning a portrait? Did you buy something or receive a present?”

“No!”

“There must be something.”

“But there isn’t anything. You packed my things. Did you find anything?”

He looked at her boxes. “I wouldn’t know because I don’t know what I’m looking for. However, it seems odd …”

When he stopped in mid-sentence, and continued to stare at her boxes, she lost patience. “Tell me! What seems odd?”

His eyes lifted to meet hers, careful eyes, concealing his thoughts, and her heart began to beat in slow, rhythmic strokes. “I had expected,” he said, “to find mementoes of your husband. Richard and I went through your house as thoroughly as any housebreaker, and there was nothing: no portrait, no saber, no personal effects of any kind.”

“There is no mystery in that. I left them with my brother-in-law and his wife. It seemed easier than … It just seemed easier, that’s all.” She wanted to stop there, but he was waiting for her to elaborate, and any show of reluctance on her part would only make him suspicious.

She looked down at her clasped hands, gazing at the few freckles on them as though they were of compelling interest. “I’ve never told anyone about Nigel’s family. It didn’t seem … charitable to complain about them when they gave us a home after Nigel was wounded.” She looked up at him. “We didn’t get along, and soon after Nigel died, I packed my bags and started a new life in London.” She smiled faintly. “We’re not exactly on the best of terms. Nigel’s brother has all of Nigel’s personal effects. But one day, they’ll come to Mark. And that’s all I want to say on the subject.”

“I see.”

She heard a child’s laughter. Mark’s, she thought, and her eyes strayed to the open window. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the air was sweet with the fresh scent of newly mown grass and narcissi. She didn’t know why she shivered.

She tired easily, but after lunch made the effort of going with the others to the paddock at the back of the house to watch Mark perform on his pony. She saw, then, that Jason was in deadly earnest about keeping them safe. His groom and coachmen were never far away, and they were armed.

But it wasn’t the coachmen that held her attention; it was Mark. Though she herself had taken a tumble or two when she’d first learned to ride, it was a different thing watching her son take a tumble.

Her heart leaped to her mouth, then subsided when Mark picked himself up. Jason, Brandon, and Judith were unaffected. All they did was call out commands. Mark’s brow knit in concentration as he listened to them. When the groom helped Mark mount up, they all applauded, and Mark beamed. His mother returned his smile, but her smile was strained. Her hands curled around the fence post as the groom sent the pony into a trot.

“Relax, Gywn,” said Jason, “or you’ll make the boy nervous.”

His words did not register. Her eyes were trained on Mark. She was only vaguely aware of the coachman who approached Jason and, after a moment’s conversation, of Jason’s sudden departure from the scene. She was beginning to think that Mark was too confident by half, and she didn’t much care for the pony either. Now she knew why his name was Bouncer. Though one part of her mind told her that her fears were groundless, that children could take falls far better than adults could, another part of her mind was busily dredging up every bizarre riding accident she’d every heard about.

It started to rain, and Gwyn tried to look disappointed, though what she really wanted to do was cheer. The riding lesson would have to be postponed, and next time she hoped she would be more like herself, and not this shivering jelly she’d turned into in the last few days. Mark’s pleasure hardly dimmed. The pony had to be rubbed down and stabled. He was in his element.

She couldn’t run or walk quickly so that by the time they entered the house, they were all wet through. In the vestibule, they halted to strip off their coats. The door to the dining room was closed, and from behind that closed door came the sound of voices, a man’s and a woman’s, raised in anger. She recognized Jason’s voice, but not the woman’s.

Brandon looked as though he’d turned to stone. Judith could hardly contain her mirth.

“How did she get in here?” she asked Brandon.

“Who?”

“Who!” scoffed Judith. “You know perfectly well who I mean.” Then to Gwyn, “It’s the divine Lady Daphne, you know, the worldly widow, Jason’s erstwhile mistress, or maybe not so erstwhile if she can come and go here as she pleases.”

Brandon suddenly came to life. He scowled at Judith. “Must you be so vulgar?”

“Must you be so stuffy?” she retorted.

“Upstairs!” Brandon pointed to the archway leading to the stairs.

“What? And miss the fun?” Judith shook her head. “I’m staying right here.”

Brandon gritted his teeth. “Gwyn is soaked through. Do you want her to catch a lung fever?”

“I am not soaked through,” protested Gwyn. Her ears were straining to catch the conversation on the other side of the door.

“Come along, Gwyn.”

“No.”

She wasn’t given a choice. Brandon grasped her elbow and propelled her through the doorway to the stairs. The sound of breaking china halted their progress. The dining-room door opened, crashing back on its hinges, and a dark-haired Vision in pink velvet, followed closely by Jason, stormed into the vestibule.

“Upstairs!” commanded Brandon in Gwyn’s ear.

But Gwyn dug in her heels and held on to the bannister. She wasn’t going to miss this for anything.

“You told me,” said Jason to the Vision, and sounding thoroughly bored, “that you never wanted to see me again. I took you at your word.”

Lady Daphne pulled up short when she saw Judith. Her frown vanished. Her lips turned up in a smile.

“Miss Dudley, is it not?”

Judith bobbed a curtsy. Her eyes were sparkling. “How do you do, Lady Daphne. I don’t believe we’ve met since Mrs. Crambe’s ball.”

The Vision ignored this idle observation. “I hope you will invite me to the wedding,” she said pleasantly. “Jason and I are such close friends.”

“Oh, I don’t expect there will be a wedding,” replied Judith.

At Gwyn’s side, Brandon stiffened. “What in Hades does she think she’s playing at? By tomorrow morning, it will be all over town that she’s Jason’s new mistress.”

Gwyn paid no attention to Brandon. She was peering through the arched doorway, making a thorough inventory of Lady Daphne, and what she saw made her heart sink. This woman wasn’t merely beautiful. She was arresting, the kind of woman who would turn men’s heads when she walked into a room. If she had a failing, it was that she was all in pink. Gwyn couldn’t abide pink.

Jason, she reflected, had always had an eye for the beauties. Nothing had changed, it seemed.

“Permit me to show you to your carriage,” Jason said.

“That won’t be necessary,” replied Lady Daphne. “I’ve forgotten something. What is it? Oh yes, now I remember.”

There was a handsome Sèvres vase on the hall table. She picked it up and smiled at it as though it were a long lost friend. “Oh, dear me,” she said. “How clumsy! Look what I’ve done. I’m afraid it slipped from my fingers.”

“Daphne!” said Jason in a warning tone.

But Lady Daphne paid no heed to Jason. She dropped the vase on the marble floor where it smashed to smithereens, then with a satisfied smile, she sailed out of the house.

There was a prolonged silence, then Gwyn giggled. After a moment, so did Judith, then Brandon’s shoulders began to shake.

With a face like thunder, Jason made straight for Gwyn and Brandon on the stairs. Judith trailed after him.

“That vase,” he said, “that vase … oh, never mind that now. The porters must have let her in. It was an unfortunate misunderstanding.” He raked Gwyn with his eyes. “I don’t think she noticed you on the stairs. And what were you doing on the stairs, anyway? As soon as you saw we had company, you should have retreated to your room.”

“I couldn’t get her to budge,” said Brandon.

“No,” said Gwyn, “because it was so entertaining. It certainly relieved the boredom of the sickroom. Didn’t it, Judith?”

“Mmm,” replied Judith.

“I—” Jason breathed in slowly. “We’re leaving for Haddo at once. No, I don’t think there’s any cause for alarm. But Daphne may have seen you. I don’t want anyone to know you’re here. Be ready in half an hour. I’ll order the carriage round.”

He turned and left them.

“Well!” said Judith, glancing from Gwyn to Brandon. “He might have thanked me for my quick-thinking. I thought I gave a brilliant performance.”

Brandon was livid. “Do you realize what you’ve done? You’ve ruined your reputation. It will be all over London that you’re Jason’s mistress.”

Judith sighed theatrically. “Brandon, does this mean that you care?”

“This is not a joke! Can’t you be serious for once in your life?”

Judith linked arms with Gwyn and they began to climb the stairs. “He’s so stuffy,” she said in a confiding whisper. “But adorable, too. I’m halfway persuaded to ask him to marry me.”

Brandon looked as though he would explode. “Marry you! I’d as soon marry a man-eating tigress.”

Judith pouted. “Now you have cut me to the quick.” She glanced at Gwyn and winked. “Only consider, Brandon, we are a perfect match. You are a fortune hunter, and I am rich beyond your dreams.”

“I am not a fortune hunter!”

“No? Pity. Then perhaps you’d like to marry me for myself?”

Brandon opened his mouth and quickly shut it. In a more moderate tone, he said, “When I decide to marry, Judith, I’m the one who will do the asking.”

“I told you he was stuffy,” said Judith.

Gwyn left them to continue with their endless sniping, and she slipped into her own room. She felt strangely passive, and sat on the edge of a chair, her mind still dwelling on the scene in the vestibule with Lady Daphne.

Since the porters had allowed her carriage through, they must have recognized it on sight. That meant, of course, that Lady Daphne was no passing fancy, but had been Jason’s mistress for some time.

There flitted into her mind a succession of nameless faces, the faces of Jason’s lightskirts; all of them pale copies of Lady Daphne. It had been a great source of amusement to her and Trish to watch them come and go. The good girls, the ones who were angling for marriage, didn’t stand a chance.

She looked around the room and decided it had Lady Daphne stamped all over it. No expense had been spared to furnish it. In comparison, the rest of the house was Spartan, as though it was rarely used. Her eyes strayed to the huge tester bed that dominated the room. It didn’t take a leap of imagination to conclude that the house had only one purpose, and it was right there in that bed.

Jason deserved better than this, better than the likes of Lady Daphne. He should have been married long since. He should have had a wife who loved him and children who adored him. She didn’t want him to be alone, as she’d been alone. He’d turned Haddo around after George’s death. Why couldn’t he turn his own life around? The world was full of eligible, accomplished young women. Why hadn’t he the sense to marry one of them, instead of living like this?

He’d told Mark it was because he was waiting for Princess Charming to come along. Princess Charming! Gwyn huffed. Princess Charming was as useless as Lady Daphne. He should be looking for a real flesh-and-blood woman who could be a true companion to him.

She tried to picture Jason married to some lovely young woman, a kindred spirit who would share his life with him. The picture that formed in her mind was so sugary it was sickening.

She was still sitting on the edge of her chair, lost in reverie, when Mark came thundering into the room. His eyes were bright and his cheeks were flushed.

“Haddo!” he cried out. “Cousin Jason says we’re leaving for Haddo as soon as we’re packed and ready.”

He didn’t wait for a response, but dashed into Jason’s dressing room where he’d slept in a trundle bed for the last few nights. Gwyn could hear him dragging some heavy object across the floor. A moment later, he was back.

He walked over to her and took her hand; his eyes anxiously searched hers. “Don’t you want to go to Haddo, Mama?”

Gwyn looked into her son’s troubled eyes and felt deeply chastened. There was no getting out of going to Haddo. The least she could do was put a face on it. What a pathetic coward she was turning into.

“Of course I want to go to Haddo,” she said, smiling. “I was just waiting for someone to come and help me pack.”

Mark’s face cleared. “I’ll help you, Mama.”

She looked up at that moment to see Jason framed in the dressing-room doorway. He’d obviously entered the dressing room from the other side. He didn’t say anything; he simply stared at her with an enigmatic smile on his face.

He left without saying a word.

At his house on the Strand, Hugo Gerrard threw his newspaper aside, left the dining room and his half-eaten dinner, and made for his library. He hadn’t heard a thing about the Barrie woman and that made him irritable. He’d scoured the papers every day, but there was nothing about a body being discovered in Sutton Row. And there was no word from Harry to say that the job was done.

He had just sat down at his desk when Ralph Wheatley walked in. He’d sent Ralph to Bow Street to find out if the magistrates or runners had heard anything. Ralph couldn’t ask openly, but his business took him there often enough so that his presence didn’t arouse suspicion and he could pick things up without anyone being aware of it.

“Well?” was all Gerrard said.

“There was a report of a burglary. No one was hurt. There are no suspects and no arrests, but no one knows where Mrs. Barrie is. All they can tell me is that she’s gone to live with relatives.”

Wheatley took a chair without waiting to be invited. “I learned something else. Everyone at Bow Street is hopping mad at Special Branch. They’re throwing their weight about, asking questions about Sackville’s party. Bow Street wants them to back off, but they won’t, and they’ve got the prime minister’s authority behind them.”

Gerrard didn’t like the sound of this. Special Branch was something new, a police force with special responsibility for internal affairs. National security came under its umbrella, not ordinary murders like John Rowland’s. “Why is Special Branch involved?”

“Because one of the guests at Sackville’s party is a cabinet minister. I’m not worried. They can’t connect Rowland to the cabinet minister. Their investigation will grind to a halt in a few days.”

“I suppose they’ll connect Rowland to me eventually. Not that it matters. He wasn’t in my employ that long, and I’m not afraid to answer their questions. I’m above suspicion.”

After a moment, Gerrard went on. “Who was the cabinet minister?”

“Sir James Davenport.”

Gerrard’s lip curled and so, thought Wheatley, must Caligula have looked when one of his murderous rages was on him. “You don’t like him?” It was the nearest he would come to provoking his father.

“No, I don’t like him. I detest him. He has no shame. He should be made to resign, but he’s one of Lord Liverpool’s favorites.” Gerrard’s eyes narrowed on Wheatley. “I thought you said Harry was the best.”

“He is.”

“Then where is Mrs. Barrie? Where is the portrait? And why haven’t we heard from him?”

“We’ll hear from him when the job is done,” replied Wheatley soothingly. “That’s how he works. He sent us a message about Gracie, didn’t he? I have every confidence that in a few days we’ll hear that he has completed this assignment as well.”

Gerrard drummed his fingers on the desk. “I don’t like it. I don’t like Mrs. Barrie disappearing like this. What if she tries to blackmail me?”

“There was always that possibility,” Wheatley said carefully.

“Then let’s make sure it never happens.”

Wheatley waited silently for his father to elaborate.

“I think,” said Gerrard, “that Mrs. Barrie is a greater risk to me than the portrait. I don’t want her stirring up trouble. I want her out of the way.”

Wheatley nodded. “I’ll pass the message on to Harry.” This brought him to a delicate subject. He cleared his throat. “When Gracie’s body is discovered, the authorities may wish to question Lady Mary.”

“They won’t get anything out of Lady Mary. She’s in no condition to tell anyone anything. And she’s at Rosemout. Who would make the journey to ask a frail old woman questions that I can answer just as well?”

“And if she recovers?”

Gerrard sat back in his chair and studied Wheatley. Finally, he smiled, but it wasn’t a pleasant smile. “Do you think I’m a fool? Don’t panic, Ralph. When the time comes, I’ll take care of my wife personally. It’s a promise I made to the earl, and I never break my promises.”

When Wheatley left the house, the fine hairs on the back of his neck were still raised. Gerrard had made a promise to take care of him, too. He wondered who was madder, Harry or Gerrard.

Chapter 14

Though they set out in two coaches, Jason and Brandon chose to ride horseback most of the way, leaving the ladies and Mark in the lead coach, and the second coach reserved for their boxes and trunks.

Judith went with them, but could not be persuaded to stay with Gwyn at Haddo. Her mother had retired to Brighton, she pointed out, and would be bitterly disappointed if her only child came into the area and stayed with strangers. She would see Gwyn safely at Haddo, then she would go on to her mother’s place.

“Besides,” Judith said, “this is a family reunion. I would only be in the way.”

And nothing Gwyn said could change her mind.

Under normal circumstances, Jason would have made the drive to Haddo in six hours, but for Gwyn’s sake, they did the journey in stages, stopping frequently so that she could stretch her legs and rest a while. At this rate, they would have arrived at Haddo in the early hours of the morning, and Jason decided to put up for the night at the Red Lion in Cuckfield. Gwyn’s tea, courtesy of Judith, was liberally fortified with brandy, and no sooner had her head touched the pillow than she tumbled into sleep.

The last part of their journey was made under a seamlessly blue sky, a blue that was reflected in the unending stretches of pasture and farmland that made up the south downs. Gwyn didn’t have time to fret about her reception at Haddo Hall because Mark kept up an excited flow of questions and chatter. Why was the grass blue? Where was Brighton and the sea? Who owned all the sheep and lambs on the slopes? Why weren’t they fenced in?

When they made the turn to Haddo, just a mile out of Brighton, Brandon rode ahead to give the family the news that they would be arriving directly. Not long after, at the summit of a rise, the sea came into view, and Gwyn called to the coachman to stop. At this point, the downs descended to the chalky white cliffs, and beyond the cliffs was the limitless horizon of sea and sky. Gwyn felt her throat close. This was home. She could deny it with her dying breath, but this was home.

Before anyone could stop her, she opened the carriage door, tipped out the step, and carefully stepped down. Mark was right behind her. When the wind caught her skirts, Gwyn laughed.

“I’d forgotten about the wind,” she told Mark.

Jason came up and dismounted. “What is it?”

“I’d forgotten about the wind,” she repeated.

“Hold onto your bonnet,” said Jason, and grinned.

So he remembered, too, the day the wind had whipped her first grown-up bonnet from her head as she was tying the ribbons, and Jason’s dog, Honey, had made off with it. She’d chased that dog through muddy fields, streams, and over stone dikes, until she’d finally caught up to her in the stable yard, where Jason and some of his friends from university were admiring his new curricle. Honey had laid her battered prize at Jason’s feet. They were both a ruin, she and her bonnet, and she’d been mortified, as only an adolescent girl could be, when Jason and his friends laughed. With the passage of time, the memory had lost its power, and she could laugh as much as anyone.

“Why are you smiling, Cousin Jason?” asked Mark.

As Jason began to relate the story of her bonnet, Gwyn walked on, her eyes fastened on the horizon. The sea was as pretty as a picture, with miniature sailboats floating on shimmering ribbons of silver. All was well with the world. But it was a false picture. In the west, a dark cloud was gathering, and it was a westerly breeze that was blowing.

“More memories?”

Judith stood beside her, one hand holding onto her bonnet, the other holding her skirts. She looked thoughtful.

Gwyn smiled faintly. “I don’t know why I allowed Jason to persuade me to come here.”

“Did he persuade you?”

“You all did!”

“I don’t think so. You’re here because you want to be. No one can persuade you to do anything you don’t want to do. You’re like me in that respect.” She touched Gwyn’s hand. “It was time to come home, Gwyn, time to exorcize the past.”

Gwyn brooded on that thought and said finally, “Can the past be exorcized?”

“That’s what you’re here to find out.”

Haddo Hall was no Blenheim or Chatsworth, Gwyn told her captive audience as their coach bowled along the approach to the house, but it was no less proud and no less steeped in history. “The estate has been in the family for over two hundred years,” she said, “but the Radleys lost it when they fought on the wrong side during the Jacobite Rebellion.”

“Then how did they get it back?” asked Mark.

“A wealthy widow bought it and offered it to William Radley, the last surviving heir, on one condition.”

“That he would marry her,” said Judith at once.

Gwyn chuckled. “How did you guess?”

Judith snorted. “It’s the way to a man’s heart.”

“How do you know this, Mama?”

She knew it because after George died, Grandmother Radley had given her a short history lesson to convince her that Jason would do his duty as all the masters of Radley had done before him. He would take a rich wife.

“Grandmother Radley told me,” she said.

Maddie said, “That doesn’t sound like a very nice story.”

“Oh, but it is,” said Gwyn. “In fact, it’s like a fairy tale. You see, after they were married, William fell in love with his bride. They had six sons and now the Radleys are scattered all over England.” She looked at Mark. “Our branch of the family comes from Wiltshire, but we’ve always regarded Haddo Hall as the ancestral home.”

“Do I have cousins in Wiltshire?”

“No. You’re the last of our line.”

She fell silent as the carriage emerged from a fold in the hills, and the house, nestled in a screen of yew trees, could be seen at last. Its mellow stone walls were dappled with ivy, all the way up to the pediment on the roof, and a graceful sweep of long windows reflected the sun’s rays in ever-changing patterns.

“It’s the grandest house I ever saw,” breathed Maddie.

“Impressive” was Judith’s comment.

Gwyn had dressed carefully for this moment, her light summer pelisse over a simple day dress the same gray as her eyes. Her matching bonnet and gloves were usually reserved for church services. Her mother’s pearls were at her throat. She knew she looked well and had hoped it would bolster her confidence. On the outside, she was calm, but inside a flock of humming birds seemed to have taken up residence in her stomach.

When the carriage stopped, Gwyn wasn’t sure whether she took Mark’s hand or he took hers, but they both held on tightly as they stepped down onto the gravel drive.

“Welcome home,” said Jason.

The front doors suddenly opened, and footmen hurried down to take care of the baggage. Then everything happened in a blur. They were in the great hall, and misery of miseries, they were confronted not only by Grandmother Radley and the rest of the family, but by a gauntlet of liveried servants who waited in line to make their bows and curtsies.

There must have been twenty people in the great hall, but Grandmother Radley had more presence than all the rest put together. From the corner of her eye, Gwyn glimpsed Trish, her husband Gerry, and Brandon. She was vaguely aware of a young girl, whom she took to be Sophie, but her eyes were riveted on the diminutive figure who held center stage.

As always, Grandmother Radley looked as though she had stepped out of another era. Her gown, a pale green brocade, was fitted snugly at the waist, and fell in voluminous folds to the floor; her silver hair was liberally powdered; her cheeks were crisscrossed with fine lines but bloomed with a judicious use of rouge. She looked just as Gwyn remembered her except that on this occasion, she was smiling and she leaned heavily on a cane.

Jason muttered something under his breath, then audibly, “I hope you know this isn’t my idea.”

“I think it’s charming,” said Judith. “A royal welcome.”

“I see,” said Grandmother Radley in her usual clipped diction, “that the prodigal has returned. Well, I’m waiting, Gwyneth.”

Gwyn’s spine stiffened. She darted a glance at Jason and saw that his eyes had narrowed. When he started forward, she laid a restraining hand on his arm. This was one fight she had to face on her own. As soon as the thought occurred to her, she discarded it. This wasn’t about fighting. This was about making her peace with an old woman who no longer had any power over her.

Still holding Mark’s hand, she crossed the distance between them. It was only a few steps, but it changed her perception. There were more lines on Grandmother Radley’s face; she seemed smaller, and beneath the rouge, her skin was unnaturally white.

“Don’t look so stricken,” snapped the old lady. “I’m not on my deathbed yet. A touch of arthritis, that’s all it is. Look to yourself, my girl. I wasn’t attacked by a housebreaker in my own home. Yes, yes, Brandon has told us all about it. Well, at least you’re here and that’s something. Haddo will soon put the bloom in your cheeks again and a little padding on your skinny bones. What are you laughing at?”

Gwyn didn’t know, but the laughter bubbled up anyway. She shook her head. “I don’t know. You haven’t changed a bit.” She kissed the dry, papery cheek that was held up to her. “Grandmother, may I present my son, Mark?”

Mark’s bow was everything his mother could have wished for, but he was still a boy. “Are you my grandmother?” he asked doubtfully.

Grandmother Radley let out a cackle of laughter. “That’s exactly what your mother said to me the day I arrived here to take charge of the household. I’ll tell you what I told her. I’m grandmother to all the children who live at Haddo. If you don’t wish to call me Grandmother, I don’t mind. You may call me Aunt Radley. Well, which is it to be?”

Mark shot a glance at his mother and whatever he saw in her face made him nod. “Grandmother Radley.”

There was a moment of silence, then everyone was talking and laughing at once. Gwyn was swept into Trish’s arms, then hugged by Gerry.

“You remember Gerry?” said Trish.

“How could I forget?”

Gerald Churchill was the suitor Grandmother Radley had chosen for Trish, a suitor Trish had wanted nothing to do with. Trish had wailed that he was all the things Grandmother said he was—loyal, affectionate, trustworthy, constant—but so was her pet dog. He wasn’t the romantic figure Trish had wanted. She wanted to be swept off her feet; she wanted to fall in love. She could never be happy with Gerald Churchill, she’d said.

Obviously, she’d been wrong. Their arms were linked, and easy, wordless messages passed between them whenever they looked at each other.

Gerry smiled at Mark. “Chris has been looking forward to meeting Mark. He’s out playing somewhere, but he should be back soon.”

“You knew we were coming?” asked Gwyn.

“Not the exact day,” Gerry replied, “but we knew you would be here before the week was out.”

Gwyn looked at Jason and found that he was watching her again. She gave him a look that she hoped spoke volumes. He shrugged and turned away to hide his smile.

Trish caught that silent exchange and laughed. “I’d forgotten how you and Jason could strike sparks off each other,” she said.

Gwyn was saved a reply when Sophie lost patience and edged her brother-in-law out of the way. The tomboy Gwyn remembered had turned into a ravishing young woman. Like all the Radleys of Haddo, her hair was dark and her intelligent green eyes dominated her face. A memory flashed into Gwyn’s mind: little Sophie had once dogged her heels in much the same way as she’d dogged Jason’s.

“I was heartbroken when you went away,” declared Sophie passionately. She glanced at Jason. “Yes, well, we’re not supposed to mention that.” Her dimples flashed. “Do you remember the day I soaked my hair in strawberry juice to make it red like yours, and a swarm of bees chased me into the house?”

Gwyn did remember, and a sudden unexpected lump lodged in her throat. She said something, she didn’t know what, but fortunately there wasn’t time to dwell on the past. Grandmother Radley was waiting to introduce her to the servants. There were only two whom Gwyn remembered, two of whom she had always gone in awe, the stiff as starch Miss Glennings, Grandmother’s personal maid, and the august Mr. Harvard, the butler. They didn’t seem so awesome now. She wasn’t sure whether they were genuinely glad to see her, but with Grandmother Radley right beside her, lending her support, they were all smiles.

When it was over, Gwyn breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes found Mark. He was the center of attention, and his sparkling eyes and flashing smile should have warmed her heart.

Luncheon was served in the informal dining room. Any awkwardness was dispelled when Trish’s young son, Chris, joined them. It took two minutes for he and Mark to size each other up, then they were chattering like old friends and straining at the bit to be off and exploring. Much to Gwyn’s surprise, Grandmother Radley gave her permission, and the boys left the table so hastily it made everyone laugh.

Gwyn’s eyes met Trish’s across the table and they smiled knowingly. In their day, they wouldn’t have been excused until the last person had finished eating.

After luncheon, the gentlemen drifted away. Jason had business with his steward; Gerry wanted to see what the boys were getting up to; and since Judith could not be persuaded to delay her departure, Brandon offered to drive her to her mother’s house in Brighton.

“I wish you would stay on for a few days,” said Gwyn.

They were on the front steps waiting for Brandon to bring round the curricle.

“You make it sound,” said Judith, “as if I were going to the far ends of the earth. We’re neighbors, Gwyn. I could walk to Brighton and back again before dinner time. We’ll see each other as often as you like.”

“It’s not the same.”

Judith touched Gwyn’s arm. “If I stayed, you would use me as a shield to keep your Radley relatives away.”

“You mean Grandmother Radley.”

Judith laughed. “Precisely.” She pulled on her gloves, then said seriously, “Give her a chance, Gwyn. At least meet her halfway.”

“You should be saying those words to Grandmother, not me. I’m the guilty party here, remember? I was the one who eloped.”

“It’s my impression that your grandmother feels more guilty than you do.”

Gwyn looked sharply at her friend. Judith spoke as if she knew Grandmother Radley intimately. Gwyn had known they were acquainted. They’d met in Brighton. Now Gwyn wondered just how friendly they were.

Brandon’s curricle rounded the corner of the house and pulled up beside them. Judith’s eyes roamed over it, then she gurgled with laughter.

“I had no idea,” she said, “that Jason collected antiques.”

“This is my curricle,” replied Brandon, tight-lipped.

“That explains it.” Judith approached the curricle. “If you married me, Brandon, you could have a dozen new curricles, and each one the envy of all your friends.”

He bared his teeth in a facsimile of a smile. “I would also have you, Judith, so you’ll forgive me if I decline the offer.”

“I’ll throw in a team of thoroughbred horses.”

Brandon lost his patience. “Will you be serious?” He leaned down, offered her his hand, and hoisted her none-too-gently into the curricle. “One of these days, some jackanapes will take you at your word. And when you tell him it was all a joke, he’s going to take matters into his own hands. Do you take my meaning?”

Judith lowered her eyes. “Yes, Brandon,” she said meekly.

He glared suspiciously at that bent head, growled something under his breath, then flicked the reins, and the curricle took off.

Gwyn was still smiling when she entered the house. A maid was waiting for her with a message from Grandmother Radley. Tea, she was informed, would be served in Mrs. Radley’s room. It was an invitation that had all the force of a royal command.

The maid led the way, but not upstairs as Gwyn expected. What had once been the morning room had since been turned into a lady’s bedchamber.

“Because of my arthritis,” Grandmother Radley explained. “I’ll not have servants cart me up and down stairs like a sack of potatoes. And I want to be at the center of things, not confined to a sickroom like a cursed invalid.”

Grandmother Radley was reclining on a chaise longue, sipping tea; Sophie was staring out the bow window; and Trish was seated close to the tray of tiny cakes and macaroons, stuffing her mouth, then starting on another as soon as she’d swallowed what she was chewing.

When she saw Gwyn staring at her, she swallowed and grinned. “Yes, I’m in the family way again. The doctor confirmed it last week. Gerry and I thought we’d never have another one after Chris. But here we are. Isn’t it wonderful?”

Gwyn’s throat constricted. “You’re to be envied,” she said. She crossed to Trish and hugged her.

“Kindly remember, Trish,” said Grandmother Radley, “that your younger sister is present.”

“Pooh!” Sophie flounced from the window and flung herself into a stuffed armchair. “I’m not a child, Grandmama. I know all about the birds and bees.”

“In my day, it wasn’t considered proper—”

Sophie drowned out her grandmother’s words. “But we’re not living in your day, Grandmama. This is my day, my time, and girls are different now.”

Gwyn waited for the rebuke, but all Grandmother Radley said was “That’s what every generation thinks, but you’ll learn.” She looked at Gwyn. “So you see our dilemma.”

Gwyn took the chair beside Trish, and nodded when Trish held up the silver teapot.

“No,” she said. “What dilemma?”

“Why,” said Sophie, “my Season in London. Grandmother can’t chaperone me because of her arthritis, Trish is in the family way, and you are recovering from a gunshot wound and have to be pampered.” Her eyes were sparkling. “So the Season in London will have to be postponed for another year.”

Gwyn sipped her tea and said nothing. She remembered Jason mentioning that Sophie fancied herself in love with someone in Brighton.

Sophie went on, “There are as many balls and assemblies in Brighton. What can London offer that can’t be found here?”

“A change of scene,” snapped her grandmother.

Unconcerned, Sophie rose and stretched her arms above her head. “You worry too much, Grandmama,” she said. “Look at Gwyn. She married her dashing soldier, and though they were poor, they were blissfully happy. Now don’t get your nerves in an uproar. I’m not thinking of eloping. I just want you to give David a chance.” She paused to give her grandmother a very direct stare. “And stop playing matchmaker. Nothing can induce me to marry Mr. Hunter.”

“I don’t want you to marry anyone,” declared her grandmother wrathfully.

“Good, because when I marry, I’m going to be like Gwyn. I’m going to marry for love, and no one is going to stop me.”

She kissed the top of her grandmother’s head, then sauntered from the room, leaving a wake of silence that was almost palpable.

Gwyn took a sip of tea to clear her throat. “Who,” she said finally, “is David?”

“Lieutenant David Jennings,” answered Trish, “of the … I forget what regiment, and the most sought after officer in Brighton. All the girls are mad for him.” She looked at Gwyn. “But really, he won’t do. He’s too hot-tempered, too wild. He fights duels at the drop of a hat. Jason would never allow Sophie to marry a man like that.”

Another silence. Then Trish said, “I think you’re worrying for nothing, Grandmama. Sophie is a sensible girl. And she thinks the world of Jason. She won’t go against his wishes.”

Grandmother Radley, who seemed to have sunk into the deepest gloom, rallied at these words. “She’s an incurable romantic! Gwyn is her idol! And Gwyn eloped, didn’t she?”

Trish said quickly, “We promised Jason we wouldn’t bring up the past.”

Gwyn felt as though she were being sucked into dangerous waters and she said abruptly, “The circumstances are different. When I eloped, everything at Haddo was in confusion. We were all in shock after George died. I had no one to turn to but Nigel. I’m not making excuses for myself or blaming anyone. It happened, and there’s no sense raking over old coals.”

“And everything worked out for the best,” Trish interposed, glaring at her grandmother.

Grandmother Radley looked as though she would argue the point, but after a moment she looked at Gwyn and said simply, “Will you speak to Sophie, Gwyn? I know she’ll listen to you.”

“Speak to her about what?” asked Gwyn, startled.

“Speak to her like a big sister. She won’t listen to Trish or me. She thinks you’ve led an exciting life. She admires you. Trish and I, well, what we have to say goes in one ear and out the other.”

A dozen good reasons for refusing this unreasonable request sprang to Gwyn’s mind, but they died unsaid when she saw the half-pleading look in the older woman’s eyes. “I’ll talk to her,” she said.

“Thank you.” Grandmother Radley sighed and closed her eyes. “Would you ring for my maid? It’s been an exciting day, and I’m more than ready for my nap.”

When Glennings entered, Gwyn and Trish tiptoed out, and headed for their own rooms.

As they climbed the stairs, Trish said, “Sophie doesn’t know how lucky she is. When I remember how we used to tremble in our shoes whenever Grandmother raised her voice!” She gave a theatrical shudder.

“She never raised her voice,” said Gwyn. “She didn’t have to. And though we trembled in our shoes, we still did pretty much what we wanted.”

“Speak for yourself!” retorted Trish. “I even married the man Grandmother picked out for me.” She added hastily, “Of course, it all worked out for the best, but that’s not the point. I should have had a choice. I think that’s Grandmother’s worst failing—she always has to play matchmaker. I’m sure I would have fallen in love with Gerry on sight if Grandmother hadn’t kept on singing his praises. It’s the same with Mr. Hunter and Sophie. If Grandmother would only leave well enough alone, I’m sure Sophie would see that Mr. Hunter is twice the man Lieutenant Jennings is.”

“Yes, but Grandmother wouldn’t be Grandmother,” said Gwyn, “if she stopped meddling in all our lives.”

Trish chuckled. “That’s true.”

At Gwyn’s door they halted, and Trish said, “Grandmother had no business asking you to speak to Sophie. What can you say to her that hasn’t been said before?”

“I don’t know. But what I want to know is how Sophie came by all these highly exaggerated notions about Nigel and me. He was a soldier. I was a soldier’s wife. There’s nothing glamorous in that.”

“Well, she didn’t get that from me. All I did was give her your letters to read.” Faint color ran in Trish’s cheeks. “I gave them to Grandmother, too. There weren’t that many letters, Gwyn, and Gerry said it was the right thing to do. Did I do wrong?”

“No, of course not. There was nothing in those letters that could embarrass anyone.”

The worry lines cleared from Trish’s brow. “No, indeed. They were very amusing. It was a great relief to us all to know that everything had turned out so well for you.”

Gwyn’s smile faded the moment she entered her chamber. Maddie was there, bustling about, putting away the clothes that had been unpacked and were now spread on the bed and chairs. All the boxes had been removed and the only place to sit was on the dressing-table stool, so Gwyn perched on it.

“Miss Glennings is ever so nice,” said Maddie. “She’s going to teach me how to be a real lady’s maid. There’s ever so much to learn. No, no, I don’t need any help. I’ve got to do this by myself.”

The reference to Miss Glennings aroused Gwyn’s interest. She remembered the old days when Haddo was full of guests and their maids, maids who would disappear into cracks in the wall whenever Miss Glennings was in one of her takings. A most superior servant, Miss Glennings, and she never let anyone forget it, least of all visiting maids.

“She said,” Maddie went on as she reverently placed Gwyn’s one and only red evening dress in the wardrobe, “that she was sure your cousin, Mrs. Churchill, would be happy to lend you some of her garments until the rest of your boxes arrive.”

“So Miss Glennings has gone through my boxes, has she?” asked Gwyn, torn between amusement and indignation.

“No,” protested Maddie. “She was showing me how to unpack, that’s all. But, never fear. I didn’t tell her that all the clothes you own was right here in the boxes we unpacked. What do you want me to do with this?”

Draped across Maddie’s arms was the beautiful blue coat that had been left at the library. Until that moment, Gwyn had forgotten all about it. It took her a moment to recall the name of the young woman who had left it there.

“Gracie’s coat,” she said. “Well, Gracie will just have to wait till I return to London before she gets her coat back.”

“Miss Glennings was ever so impressed when she saw it,” said Maddie. “See those buttons?” Gwyn looked at the distinctive buttons on the coat. They were made of jet and each bore the design of an oak leaf. “This coat,” Maddie went on, “was made by Madame … Carry something or other. I can’t say her name ’cos it’s French, but she’s a modiste who has a shop in Bond Street. Miss Glennings told me Madame only makes the best quality garments for the best quality people.”

The same thought had occurred to Gwyn when she first examined the coat, but so much had happened since then that Gracie and her coat held little interest for her now.

“Wrap it in tissue and put it in the wardrobe,” she said.

Maddie’s eyes twinkled. “I didn’t tell Miss Glennings that the coat didn’t belong to you.”

When the clothes were all put away, and Gwyn was alone, she rose and began to move around the room, touching first one thing then another. This had always been her room, ever since she and her mother had come to live at Haddo. The same flowery chintz curtains were at the windows, with their matching chintz counterpane on the bed. The carpet was a green Axminster, a perfect compliment to the green walls and flowery upholstery. A garden bower, her mother had called it, and that’s exactly how it seemed to her still.

She should have felt as though she’d outgrown this room, but she didn’t. It was welcoming and restful, and if there were any ghosts, they were all pleasant. Her own things that she’d brought from London were the very same things she’d taken with her when she’d left Haddo for good. Her silver brush and comb set, which once belonged to her mother, was laid out on the dressing table, and her sewing box was in its usual place on top of the dresser. Only Miss Glennings would have known to put it there.

She had the oddest feeling that time had stood still, that she was still a young girl again and had stepped out of her room for only a few minutes.

With a long, lingering sigh, she sat on the edge of the bed as thoughts drifted in and out of her mind. The day she’d left this safe haven had been the worst mistake of her life. Her letters were amusing, Trish said. What choice had she had? She’d made her bed and had to lie in it. Wasn’t that what Grandmother Radley always said? There was no point in making everyone miserable just because she had made a mistake. Her pride had played a part in that decision as well.

But her amusing account of life as a soldier’s wife had had an effect she could not have foreseen. And now she was in the unenviable position of having to put Sophie right about a few things, and she didn’t know how to begin.

She stretched out on top of the bed as another thought occurred to her. Why would Grandmother Radley entrust her with such a task? She had eloped. She had disgraced herself and her family. A woman in her position was the last person anyone would ask to advise a young girl on matters of the heart, and Grandmother Radley knew it. Grandmother Radley was up to something.

Devious, thought Gwyn as her eyes closed. Devious and manipulative. Grandmother Radley might look as though she’d softened, but she didn’t fool her. She was up to something.

Just what she needed. Something else to worry about.

She made herself think of something pleasant, and the legacy came to mind. It wasn’t the money she was thinking about, but the thought behind it. Someone, somewhere, must really like and admire her; someone who wanted to bring her and Jason together. She thought of Judith, Trish, and even Lady Mary Gerrard. She might have added Brandon to her list, but he didn’t have that kind of money. She remembered there was a small estate somewhere, but Trish said he’d let it go to wrack and ruin.

Someone, somewhere wanted to bring Jason and her together. If only they knew how much pain they were giving, at least on her side, they might have thought twice about it.

Her thoughts drifted, and she began to think of all the pleasant ways she could spend the interest from the legacy. That was much better. She fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Chapter 15

No one was surprised when, not long after dinner that evening, Gwyn pleaded fatigue and retired to her room for the night. But as tired as she was, she could not settle. Memories were flitting in and out of her mind, and she was determined to suppress them. She rang for Maddie, asked for a hot toddie, and after drinking it to the dregs, found some relief.

Eventually, she fell into a troubled sleep. She was walking home from the Ladies’ Library wearing Gracie’s blue coat, when the street turned into a maze. Her heart began to race uncontrollably. She could hear someone breathing, hear his footsteps as he stalked her. She wanted to run, but her feet were like lead weights. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came. He was gaining on her. But straight ahead, there was a gap in the hedge. All she had to do was get through that gap and she would be safe. Her skin was damp with perspiration, her breathing was labored, but she struggled on, one agonizingly slow step after another. She knew he was reaching for her, could feel his warm breath on her neck. But she made it! She was through the gap.

Then she realized her mistake. She wasn’t safe. She was standing at the edge of the cliff just below Haddo, and the maze wasn’t a maze. It was Haddo itself. There was no way out. Her pursuer’s hand was on her back, pushing, increasing the pressure, and she was falling … falling …

She awakened with a sob of terror. Her heart was pounding; her nightgown was damp with perspiration. She breathed deeply, slowly, and her panic gradually receded.

When she felt calmer, she slipped from the bed and groped her way to the dresser. After finding a fresh nightgown, she changed into it and reached for her robe. It took only a moment to get the candle on the mantel lit. A glance at the clock told her that it was well after midnight. The house was silent. All she could hear were windowpanes rattling, buffeted by the wind that swept in from the English Channel.

She moved to the window, drew back the curtains, and looked out. There was no moon, but the lanterns at the front porch were lit. She sank down on the window seat and closed her eyes. Memories came and went. She moved restlessly. Memories. That’s all they were. Ancient history. Ghosts from the past.

She was eighteen years old, and curled up in her night clothes in the same window seat, staring down at the midnight revelers who were making enough racket to be heard in Brighton. Jason was the ringleader, of course. It was his birthday, and he had descended on Haddo a few days before with a party of friends from London: fashionable young men with a reckless glitter in their eyes, and ladies who, though they were ladies by birth, left much to be desired, in Grandmother Radley’s opinion. Dashers, she called them scathingly. Adventuresses! But that was in private. In public, she was forced to curb her disdain because George insisted on it. He was master of Haddo, he said, and this time, he meant it.

This was more than a desire to keep the peace on George’s part. Gwyn suspected that he was smitten with one of the dashers, Mrs. Leigh Granger, and he was determined to be as reckless and amusing as any of the young men who vied for her attention. There were curricle races to Brighton, midnight parties on the beach, and a host of other entertainments to which Gwyn was not invited.

All the same, there were other occasions she met Jason’s friends—at the breakfast table; when she went out riding; on her daily walks in and around Haddo. It didn’t take her long to work out that though there was no Mr. Granger present, George still had a serious rival for Mrs. Granger’s affections—Jason.

She remembered wishing, as she watched Jason and his friends strike out for the path that would take them to the cliffs and the wooden staircase to the beach, that Mr. Granger would suddenly appear on the scene and carry his wife off. Of all Jason’s friends, Leigh Granger was the only one whom Gwyn truly disliked. It wasn’t because she was beautiful or charming or witty. It was because Mrs. Granger treated Gwyn like a schoolgirl. She wasn’t hostile or rude. In fact, she was the opposite, but Gwyn always felt, after one of their encounters, that she’d been mauled by a cat.

If Trish had been there, they would have presented a united front to Mrs. Granger. In the privacy of their chambers, they would have thought up witty rejoinders to cut the ground from under the butter-wouldn’t-melt-in-her-mouth tigress. But Trish was married and living in Norfolk, and Gwyn knew that she alone was no match for the worldly Beauty. Jason didn’t help. He’d taken to ruffling her hair, pinching her cheeks, and calling her “little cousin.” She might have been afraid to cross swords with Mrs. Granger, but with Jason she gave as good as she got. Leigh Granger watched them sparring and Gwyn sensed that she didn’t like it.

She’d watched the darkness swallow up the last of the revelers’ lanterns, then she padded back to bed. It was so humiliating, she remembered thinking, to be all grown-up and yet excluded from a midnight picnic on the beach as if she were a child. What was so sinful about a picnic on the beach that she could not be included? But even if she had been invited, Grandmother Radley would not have allowed it. Why was everyone so determined to treat her as a child?

The next thing she remembered was awakening to a ferocious clap of thunder. Almost immediately, lightning streaked across the sky, turning night into day, then another clap of thunder exploded overhead. It took her a moment to come to herself, a moment to remember Jason and his friends were picnicking on the beach.

Her window was open and she quickly rose and crossed to it. She loved storms, loved the sound of the rain and the wind rattling the windowpanes, but not tonight. She stood there for a moment or two, her hands braced to close the window, and she felt a sense of doom so intense that her whole body went rigid.

Her head jerked round when she heard a door slam. A tortured cry was quickly cut off. She heard footsteps and another cry. With alarm pumping through her veins, she felt her way to the chair beside her bed, found her dressing robe, and slipped into it.

Downstairs, the lamps had been lit and Harvard, the butler, stood in the middle of the hall looking like a lost little boy. Footmen and maids were everywhere, and the midnight revelers, some with blankets over their shoulders, all of them soaked to the skin and looking like ghosts of their former selves, were docilely being led by servants to the stairs. No one looked at her or said a word as she passed them on the way down, not even Mrs. Granger.

She scanned the faces in the great hall, but there was no sign of Jason or George. Her throat was so tight that when she came up to Harvard, she could hardly get the words out. He gave a start when she spoke to him. “Harvard, what’s happened? Where is Jason? Where is George?”

“They took a boat out, Miss Gwyneth,” he said. “Mr. Radley and Master Jason went out in the boat with some friends. Someone is missing. I don’t know who. Everyone is accounted for but Mr. Radley and his brother. They’re still searching the cove.”

What happened next was a blur of memories that ran together. Grandmother Radley and her maid, Glennings, were in the library, looking as stunned as she felt. Someone put a glass of brandy in her hand, but she couldn’t remember whether she drank from it or not. Grandmother Radley did all the talking, alternating between hope and despair. And she herself sat there silently, like a pillar of stone, inwardly making bargains with God that she could not possibly hope to keep.

An hour passed, the worst hour of her life, then they heard footsteps crossing the marble floor and they rose as one. When Jason and only Jason entered the library, Grandmother Radley let out a strangled cry. Gwyn’s knees buckled and she sank back in her chair. Jason’s face told them everything. Nothing could disguise his defeat or despair.

Gwyn felt as though her heart would break, but beneath the anguish was a well of thankfulness. Jason was safe. Until that moment, she had never truly known herself or her own heart.

He had changed his clothes and was dressed in the coarse garments of a fisherman. He knelt in front of his grandmother’s chair. “I was swept overboard,” he said, “and George tried to help me. We almost made it. They were hauling us on board when another wave …” He swallowed hard. “I’m sorry, bitterly sorry. When I found him, it was too late.”

His grandmother recoiled as though he had slapped her. “It should have been you!” she wailed. “You’re to blame for this. George should never have gone out in a boat in the dark. He can’t swim. You should have stayed away, you and your harlots. You’re all to blame! You’re all to blame!”

Jason’s face was frozen. “I must see to my brother” was all he said, and left them.

Gwyn could never remember clearly the events following those harrowing few minutes in the library. She had vague impressions of people coming and going and talking in whispers. The doctor arrived and ordered Grandmother Radley to bed. It was much later, in her own room, that the numbness began to wear off, and as her emotions thawed, tears welled up and spilled over. She cried for George, she cried for Jason, she cried for a senseless and unfeeling world where bad things happened to good people. She cried until there were no tears left.

She didn’t know how long she lay on top of her bed, her emotions spent. She didn’t know why she eventually rose and dressed herself. She remembered thinking that in every crisis of her life, Jason had been there to comfort her. Now Jason needed her.

She went in search of him. The butler was patrolling the corridors, and she learned from him that Jason had left the house.

“Leave him be, Miss Gwyneth,” Harvard said. “He’s not himself. He needs to be alone.”

Harvard’s words sent her mind spinning. She remembered the way Jason had looked when he’d told them about George, and his stricken expression when his grandmother had lashed out at him. The sense of doom she’d experienced earlier swept back. She didn’t take time to think things through. She flew down the stairs, out of the door, and hurled herself into the night.

She found him in the abandoned fishermen’s hut on the beach, not far from the wooden staircase that descended from the top of the cliff. There was no light in that one-room shack, but light or no, she knew it was Jason.

“I thought I heard your voice.” He sounded drowsy, as though he’d wakened from a sleep.

Her breathing was erratic not only from all her exertions, but also from the overwhelming sense of relief at finding him safe. She said on a choked sob, “I called to you as I descended the stairs.”

She sensed rather than saw his sudden, startled movement. “I’m not in the mood for company,” he said harshly. “You shouldn’t have come here.”

Her throat was aching from all the tears she’d shed. “I had to come.”

He moved again, and at last she saw him, his profile silhouetted against one of the broken windows. He combed his fingers through his hair. She stood there miserably, aware of her own inadequacy, but even more aware of his pain.

He suddenly lashed out with his open hand, sending some small object tumbling to the floor. “It should have been me!” he railed. “I’m the reckless brother. Ask anyone. But not this time.” His voice cracked. “Sweet Jesus, what got into him? He couldn’t even swim and he jumped in to save me. We almost made it. Then we were swept away again.”

Stifling a whimper, she felt her way around a table and other small obstacles until she reached him.

“It’s all my fault,” he said. “It’s—”

“Don’t!” She stopped his next words with a kiss.

She was aware of the rain beating against the windowpanes; she heard the mournful shriek of the wind. She tasted brandy on his lips and the salt from the spray as the waves surged toward land. Then everything faded and she was aware only of Jason.

When he lowered her to the floor, she wasn’t afraid. She had come so close to losing him, that she needed this, needed to feel his strong arms around her and his heart thundering against hers. He was alive. He had cheated death. In that moment, it was enough.

Her bed was his coat; her pillow was his arm. They didn’t undress; there were no words of love. It was a swift and silent coupling. There was pain, but she didn’t cry out. She wrapped her arms around him and showed him, with all her innocent ardor, what she was afraid to put into words.

Her joy was short-lived. When he finally lay still, it wasn’t her name he spoke. “Leigh,” he murmured drowsily. “Leigh, I’m glad you came.” Then he drifted into sleep.

Leigh. The name burned into her brain like a white-hot poker. She was numb with shock. She wasn’t angry. She was appalled. Pain and misery flooded every part of her being. She saw now that this must be their trysting place. And all unawares, she had taken Leigh Granger’s place.

Crushed, humiliated beyond anything she had ever known, she slipped from his arms and made her way back to the house. The only thing that made her humiliation bearable was the thought that Jason didn’t know what a fool she had made of herself.

And he would never know.

In the days that followed, there was more to think about than herself. George was gone, and the awful realization that they would be deprived of his presence forever was just beginning to sink in. On the few occasions she saw Jason, it was obvious that he suspected nothing. In fact, he was preoccupied. He was master of Haddo now, and there was much to do. If she was subdued, no one noticed it. They were all in shock, all grieving. Life would never be the same again.

Almost at once, the awful truth about Haddo’s financial situation came to light. Unbeknownst to them all, George had gambled away everything in the gaming halls of Brighton. Bankruptcy stared them in the face. Right after the funeral, Jason went to London to meet with solicitors and creditors, and that was the last she saw of him.

The news was not good. The only solution, Grandmother Radley bluntly declared, was that Jason would have to marry for money. Gwyn had already decided that she could no longer stay on at Haddo. The thought of Jason bringing a wife home to be mistress of Haddo, a wife she would have to love as her own sister, filled her with dread.

So she made her escape in the time-honored way of desperate women everywhere. And what a disaster that turned out to be.

Yet here she was, eight years later, in the fold of Haddo as though she had never been away. Everything seemed the same, yet everything was different. She was different, older and wiser, and she had a son to protect.

She dwelled on that thought for a long, long time before she padded back to her bed.

In the morning, she got up early and went for a walk along the beach. The fishermen’s hut had disappeared. She learned from Harvard that it had blown down in the ferocious gale in the winter of eighteen nine, and the locals had used it for firewood.

It was fitting, she thought.

Chapter 16

Jason stretched his cramped muscles and, rising from his desk, wandered over to the open window. On the lawn outside his study, Chris and Mark, along with their mothers, were playing croquet, but their laughter brought no answering smile to Jason’s lips. Almost a week had passed since he’d brought Gwyn to Haddo, an uneventful week, and though he was well satisfied with how his family had welcomed her—there were no hostile undercurrents that he could detect, and if there had been, he would have dealt with them swiftly and implacably—he was far from happy.

Looking out on that pretty, domestic scene, he found it hard to believe that someone had tried to kill Gwyn. In her pale green pelisse and straw bonnet, she looked as fresh and untroubled as the daffodils that spilled from their flower beds to encroach on Haddo’s dignified lawns. The color was high on her cheeks; her auburn hair tumbled wantonly around her shoulders. Her flashing smile and ready laughter would have convinced anyone that she didn’t have a care in the world.

He was glad, fiercely glad, to see that she had recovered from the attack, and that the horror of that night was fading from her mind. This is where she belongs, he thought. This is how he wanted to see her.

Every morning, they went riding along the beach, no more than a canter, until she had regained her strength, and every evening, he insisted she entertain them by playing the piano. It didn’t take much persuasion to get Gwyn to play the piano. He wished she would look at him the way she looked at that inanimate block of mahogany, and touch him, and play him. He would make the sweetest music she had ever known.

The thought made him grin, but the grin faded when he returned to his desk and picked up a letter he had received that morning from Richard Maitland. He’d already read it several times. Though they were making progress on the Johnny Rowland case, Richard wrote, there was still nothing that connected Mrs. Barrie to it. But the danger to her was still real, in his opinion, and their vigilance must not be relaxed.

He’d be out of town for a little while, Richard wrote, because something had come up, but when he returned, he hoped that Jason could bring Mrs. Barrie to him so that he could question her in person.

Jason tossed the letter aside and stared into space. His sense of frustration was growing by the hour. He couldn’t concentrate on anything. There were architect’s plans needing his attention, and a strategy that one of his business partners had sent him for taking over Barton’s bank. He couldn’t even drum up a tepid interest.

His pent up frustration boiled over, and with a swipe of one hand, he sent architect’s plans and documents flying to the floor. He wanted to be up and doing. He wanted to be questioning witnesses. Of course, he wanted to keep Gwyn safe, but he was going insane cooped up here while Richard chased down leads. He hadn’t even tracked down the maddening attorney, Armstrong, so that the mystery of the legacy could be cleared up. Armstrong’s preaching engagements took him from one end of England to another, and his hapless clerk knew only that his employer would be back on the sixteenth, and that was a week away.

He’d tried to fulfill the role Richard had assigned him. He’d talked to Gwyn, trying to draw her out or jog her memory on anything unusual that had occurred in the last little while, but she couldn’t elaborate on what she had already told him.

So what it amounted to was that he’d become her jailer. She couldn’t ride on the downs because there were too many riders there; she had to stay close to the house and always be in sight of one of the grooms or Brandon or himself.

There had to be a break in the case soon or he, for one, would go mad.

Cursing under his breath, he picked up the papers and plans he’d sent flying, and forced himself to concentrate on the architect’s plans for enlarging the stable block. He hadn’t been at it for more than a few minutes when Sophie poked her head round the door.

“Are you busy?” she asked.

“Not at all.”

Since Sophie wasn’t in the habit of seeking him out for idle conversation, he immediately rolled up the plans and set them aside. “Come in and sit down.”

She took the chair he indicated and, Sophie-like, came directly to the point. “I’ve changed my mind about going to London, Jason. Oh, I’m not looking for a come-out with balls and parties and so on. But … well … it might be good for me to broaden my horizons, you know, see the sights, take in concerts and lectures.”

“Broaden your horizons?” Jason leaned back in his chair, stretched out his long legs, and studied his sister’s face. “Those are not your words.”

Sophie dimpled. “No. Actually, they’re Gwyn’s. We had a long conversation this morning, Jason, and she made London sound like the most exciting city in the world, not like Grandmama, who only talks of balls and parties, and boring, eligible young gentlemen who may or may not want to offer for me.” She looked at him with big, appealing eyes. “Couldn’t you persuade Gwyn, I mean, when she is fully recovered, to come and live with us in London? Then she can be my chaperon.”

Jason smiled. “You like Gwyn, don’t you?”

“I should hope so. I won’t say that she was like a mother to me when I was a child, but at least she didn’t chase me away like the rest of you did.”

“I don’t remember chasing you away.”

“That was unjust. You were so much older and were hardly ever here.”

This innocent observation found a mark that was never intended.

“Why are you frowning?” asked Sophie artlessly.

Jason stopped frowning. “I was thinking about David Jennings. I seem to recall a difference of opinion with your grandmother when you declared that wild horses could not drag you away from him.”

“And you said, in your usual, odiously unruffled way that maybe wild horses couldn’t, but you could and would if you thought it was in my best interests.”

Jason laughed. “I meant it, Sophie, and I still mean it.”

She said archly, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll elope?”

“No.”

“Gwyn did.”

His jaw set. “That’s different.”

“How is it different?”

“There was some sort of misunderstanding between Gwyn and your grandmother. Grandmother wanted Gwyn to wait until the period of mourning for George was over.”

“You mean, wait for a year?”

“Yes. But Gwyn didn’t want to wait. Nigel Barrie was a soldier. When he was posted to Portugal, Gwyn went with him.”

She shook her head slowly. “And you allowed it?”

Jason shrugged indifferently. “I had no say in the matter. As you so succinctly put it, I was never here. By the time I learned of the elopment, it was too late. They were already married.”

“I see.” She thought about this for a moment, then went on, “If you had been here, would you have given permission for them to marry?”

“Certainly,” he said, not quite truthfully. “To my knowledge, Barrie was a decent young man. Gwyn loved him. The circumstances were exceptional. He was going off to war. It was unreasonable to ask them to wait for a year. As I said, it was an unfortunate misunderstanding.”

“Mmm.” She lapsed into another reflective silence. Finally, peeking up at him, she said provocatively, “Would you come after me if I eloped with David?”

“You can count on it, but we both know that’s not going to happen. Sophie, I’m not blind or stupid. I know very well that your interest in Jennings waned a long time ago.”

She straightened in her chair, glared at him, then surprised them both by suddenly gurgling with laughter. “Oh, Jason,” she said, “I’m so fickle, sometimes it worries me.”

He smiled. “When you stop being fickle, that’s when I’ll start to worry.” He studied her for a moment. “Don’t you think you should set your grandmother’s mind at rest?”

“Certainly not! All that would achieve is that she’d redouble her efforts to get me married to Mr. Hunter. That’s another reason I want to go to London. Gwyn says it will take me out of Mr. Hunter’s orbit, and Grandmother won’t be there to play matchmaker.”

Jason said, “I would never allow you to marry a man you could not love.”

She answered him with feeling. “You don’t know how persuasive Grandmother can be.”

“Oh, don’t I!”

At these words, her eyes lit with speculation, but when her brother merely folded his arms across his chest and regarded her steadily, the light in her eyes died away. “Jason,” she said diffidently, “do you think Gwyn was happy with Nigel?”

Her question startled him. “By all accounts she was. Why?”

“It’s just that, when I told her I wanted the kind of marriage she had with Nigel, she told me not to be a silly goose. She said that if I had to take anyone as my example, it should be Trish, but even that was foolish because no one could truly know what anyone’s marriage was like unless they were one of the partners to it.”

“She said that?”

“Yes. And she said a lot more besides.”

“Well, don’t look so crushed. I’m sure all she meant was that no marriage is perfect.”

“I suppose … yes, I’m sure you’re right.”

After Sophie left him, Jason picked up a pencil and stared at it blindly. He was thinking about Gwyn and her marriage to Nigel Barrie.

Though he had met Barrie once, at one of the regimental balls in Brighton, he couldn’t remember a damned thing about him. It was only after Gwyn eloped that he learned Barrie had been a frequent visitor to Haddo, but everyone thought it was because he was George’s friend. Obviously, there had been more to it than that, for the elopement came so soon after George’s death as to cause a great deal of unpleasant speculation.

Her marriage to Barrie was one subject on which Gwyn could not be drawn. He’d respected her reticence because he thought it was natural. No. He’d accepted her reticence because he hadn’t wanted to hear a damn thing about a man he regarded as his rival. He was jealous, of course.

There were no mementoes of her late husband in her house in Sutton Row. She’d left them with her brother-in-law, she’d told him, but they would come to Mark one day.

He’d given a lot of thought to the Barries recently, and the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that the brother-in-law was the most logical person to be the donor of the legacy. Gwyn had admitted there was some sort of estrangement. How else could Barrie provide for her and Mark except anonymously through an attorney?

And maybe there was more to their estrangement. He sensed … something. He didn’t know what.

He could almost hear Richard Maitland’s voice. Make no assumptions and tie down every loose end.

At last, here was something he could do. Suddenly reaching for Richard Maitland’s letter, he rose and went in search of Brandon.

He arrived in London late that night and put up at the Clarendon in Mayfair. He’d told Gwyn that he wanted to see Maitland to find out how the case was progressing and also check at the attorney’s office on the odd chance that Armstrong had turned up. What he didn’t tell her was that he would then go on to Lambourn to pay a visit on her late husband’s family. Had she known, she would have told him to mind his own business, and there would have been an almighty row. He didn’t want to quarrel with her, he just wanted to get at the truth, and if he had to face the music, he would do it later, when it was too late to make him change his mind.

The next morning, he rose early and went to Richard’s lodgings only to be told that the colonel was still in Oxford. He had no better luck at the attorney’s office. He lost no time after that in hiring a chaise to take him to Lambourn.

Chapter 17

Jason pushed into the Black Friar’s taproom and found a table in a quiet nook, close to the fire, where he could watch the door. The place was filling up fast. Most of the patrons were respectable farmers, with an odd sprinkling of professional men or merchants, the cream of society, he presumed, in the small market town of Lambourn in Buckinghamshire.

He was waiting for Samuel Barrie to show up, which, according to his landlord, was a sure bet, since this was market day and Barrie was likely to have money to spend. Not that Jason wanted to conduct his business with Samuel Barrie in a public tavern. He had intended to visit Barrie the next morning so that he could see the man in his own setting, but his landlord’s description of Barrie had piqued Jason’s interest, and he thought he might get a good look at Barrie before he met him face to face.

The Squire, the landlord called Barrie scornfully. A bull of a man with the nature of a bully, he elaborated. His regular patrons knew not to tangle with Barrie no matter what. It was the unsuspecting traveler who was most likely to become Barrie’s victim. So be warned! was the landlord’s parting shot.

Jason ordered a steak pie and a tankard of ale to wash it down. It was when he was on his second tankard of ale that Samuel Barrie swaggered into the taproom and made straight for the bar. Jason knew immediately it was him from the landlord’s description. The men at the counter moved over to give him room. Conversation lagged, then started up again. With tankard in hand, and one elbow on the counter, Barrie turned to survey the room. His posture was insolent, challenging, like a prize cockerel’s in a cock fight. Few patrons greeted him. Most kept their back turned and their eyes averted.

Jason would have been amused had Samuel Barrie been a stranger. But he wasn’t a stranger. He was, for a short time, Gwyn and Mark’s sole protector. He tried to imagine Gwyn and Mark in the care of this coarse-looking specimen of humanity and the picture that formed in his mind chilled him.

He reached in his pocket, found a cheroot, and lit it from the candle in the center of the table. He inhaled and exhaled slowly. This wasn’t the time to confront Barrie, he told himself. His only goal tonight was to take the man’s measure. Tomorrow, when he was rested, he would question him.

Their eyes brushed and held. Barrie’s bushy, black eyebrows came down. Jason looked away, drew sharply on his cheroot, and blew out a spume of smoke. Still carefully avoiding Barrie’s belligerent stare, he stretched out his legs and rested his booted feet on the flat of a chair. When next he looked casually in Barrie’s direction, he found those shrewd pig’s eyes were still locked on him.

After a moment, Barrie took a long swig from his tankard, wiped the foam from his mouth with the back of his sleeve, and sauntered over. “You must be a stranger here,” he said, drawling the words, “or you would know you’re sitting in my place.”

Jason stifled a sigh. So Barrie had decided to make him his next victim after all. Something entirely masculine and primitive in his nature urged him to accept the challenge. But that would only defeat his purpose in being here.

He quelled the urge, dropped his feet to the floor, and waved Barrie to the empty chair. “There’s room for two,” he said pleasantly. “Why don’t you join me?”

“I prefer to sit alone.”

“Then you’re out of luck.”

Barrie’s small eyes lit up with anticipation. “We’ll soon see about that.”

Jason tossed his cheroot into the fire. His patience obviously at an end, he said, “Sit down, Mr. Barrie. You and I have unfinished business to settle. We can settle it with words, or we can settle it with pistols at twenty paces. It’s all the same to me.”

The threat, an empty one, acted on Barrie as Jason hoped it would. He gave a start, stared hard at Jason as though trying to place him, and absently took the chair Jason indicated. “Lord save us,” he said. “I’m a simple country squire. I don’t settle my quarrels with pistols. Who are you, and what do you want?”

“Let’s just say,” replied Jason softly, “that I’m acting on behalf of Gwyneth Barrie and her son.”

Barrie sat back in his chair. “Gwyneth? This is about Gwyneth and her brat?” He gave a sarcastic laugh. “You’re wasting your time, Mr. Advocate or whoever you are. She got her widow’s share, aye, and there’s some say she didn’t deserve it. She came to my brother with the clothes on her back and another man’s brat in her belly. How’s that for one o’ them fine Radleys that lord it over us lesser folk? But I don’t suppose she told you about that.”

He was so caught up in his own umbrage that he didn’t notice Jason’s hands had curled into fists. “She deceived my brother in more ways than one. Nigel expected a dowry, you know, when the family came round. A fine dowry she brought to him, her with her superior airs. The Radleys were paupers, but she didn’t tell Nigel that until his ring was on her finger. My brother died a bitter and broken man. But we did right by her. Ask my solicitor. She got everything she was entitled to.”

He pointed his index finger at Jason’s chest. “I see what it is. She’s gone through the five hundred pounds I gave her and now she wants more. Well, she can go sing for it. If she’s fallen on hard times, she’s no one to blame but herself. We Barries owe her nothing.”

Jason breathed heavily, forcing air into his lungs. There was anger in his voice, a cold, implacable anger. “You lie. Gwyn was an innocent. Mark was your brother’s child. She doesn’t need or want your money. She has me now. But repeat those lies to anyone else, and I swear I’ll kill you.”

There was a silence as Barrie stared at Jason. After awhile, a slow smile spread across his face. “Oh, ho, so that’s the way of it, is it? She’s taken you in with her innocent ways. Well, take her. She’s ripe for the plucking as I should know. Just don’t make the mistake of marrying her as Nigel did. You might find yourself with another man’s brat to support for the rest of your life.”

Jason was as brittle as glass. Inwardly, he was fighting for control. Barrie’s words had conjured up a series of pictures that made him want to put his hands around the other man’s throat and choke the life out of him.

It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be true. Barrie didn’t know Gwyn at all. “How do you know that your brother wasn’t Mark’s father?”

“He told me so.” Barrie leaned forward and grinned slyly. “Right after the wedding, he learned that she was with child. There were a couple of cousins, as wild and reckless as they come. Nigel thought one of them might be the father, but we’ll never know. He couldn’t beat it out of her, or frighten it out of her. You can tell her that if she wants money, she should apply to the father of her brat.”

There was a roaring in Jason’s ears. His heart seemed to stop beating, then suddenly slammed against his ribs. A confusion of thoughts chased through his brain in quick succession, but he couldn’t hold on to a single one.

Barrie said, “Here, what’s your interest in the whore anyway? You don’t look like a solicitor to me.”

One remark Barrie had made emerged from the confusion in Jason’s mind. Through his teeth, he got out, “You tried to rape her?”

Barrie studied Jason’s expression and, well pleased with what he saw, put his tankard to his lips, drained it, then deliberately belched. Smiling into Jason’s face, he said, “How can a man rape a whore?”

Jason’s hand lashed out, and the tankard he was holding smashed into Barrie’s jaw. Barrie and chair went hurtling backward and toppled to the floor. Barrie moaned, made a slight movement to rise, then lay still.

The silence in the taproom was electrifying. With all eyes on him, Jason slowly rose, stepped carefully over Barrie’s inert form, and went to the bar.

“For your trouble,” he told the open-mouthed landlord, and emptied a leather purse onto the counter. “And I’ll take a bottle of your best brandy.”

One of the patrons knelt down beside Barrie and felt for a pulse.

“Is he still alive?” asked the landlord.

“Aye, more’s the pity.”

With that, Barrie hauled himself up. He spat out a tooth. “He broke my jaw!” he howled. “He broke my jaw!”

Jason said nothing. He left the taproom to the sound of applause.

They had driven into Brighton to pay a call on Judith, and afterward were strolling down Ship Street when Sophie spotted the bonnet in the milliner’s shop window. Her cry of delight brought them to a halt. They crowded around the window.

“It’s a dream,” breathed Sophie.

“It’s heavenly,” sighed Judith.

Gwyn didn’t say anything, but a blaze of lust—there was no other word for it—suddenly overwhelmed her. Bonnets had always been her weakness, but that was in the old days, when she’d had pin money to fritter away.

The bonnet might have been made for her. It wasn’t quite blue and it wasn’t quite green. The wide brim was artfully decorated with a swathe of filmy net, and a series of satin bows adorned the crown. Just looking at it made her mouth water.

“I must try it on,” declared Sophie, and without more ado, she pushed into the shop with Judith and Gwyn following hard on her heels.

Brandon, who was their escort for the day, made a feeble protest that nobody heeded, and after emitting a long-suffering sigh, he trooped in after them. The outing to Brighton, in his opinion, was harmless, but he wasn’t sure that Jason would agree with him. But Jason had left for London two days ago to confer with his friend in Whitehall, leaving Brandon in charge, whatever that meant.

He mustn’t let Gwyn take risks, Jason said. But he’d left no instructions on how to handle three determined females who had made up their minds to see the sights of Brighton. Trish had decided to forgo the outing at the last moment. Female trouble, Gerry had confided vaguely.

Female trouble. Now that was something Brandon understood only too well. Judith Dudley was nothing but trouble. He was still seething from his encounter with Judith’s mother earlier that morning, when they’d descended on her house on the Steine. The old dragon had got it into her head that he and Judith were engaged to be married. She’d even tried to pin him down to a date.

“A June wedding, Mama,” Judith said airily, winking at him. “I’ve always set my heart on being a June bride.”

“You won’t change your mind?” her mother asked.

“Oh, no. Not this time.”

“Good, because I’ve already spoken to the caterers.”

Sophie, the minx, cheerfully added coals to the fire. Eyes dancing, she chirped, “May I be one of your bridesmaids, Judith?”

“Of course. But I shall expect you, Gwyn, to stand up with me.” Then she’d turned those wide, guileless eyes upon him. “Do you suppose Jason will agree to give me away?”

He’d sat there like a block of marble, saying nothing, because in his book it wasn’t gentlemanly to contradict a lady in front of her mother. But he was biding his time, waiting for the moment when he could pounce on her and give her a piece of his mind.

He perched on the edge of a stuffed armchair as the milliner came forward to serve her customers. When she fetched the bonnet from the shop window, the ladies let out a collective sigh. Gwyn, however, took one look at the card with the price on it, swallowed hard, and turned away to examine other bonnets that wouldn’t bankrupt her. There weren’t any, of course, and as first Sophie then Judith tried on the bonnet, she resolutely kept her back to them and stared out the shop window.

There were many people strolling along Ship Street, but there was one gentleman in particular who caught her eye. She’d seen him earlier as they’d come out of Judith’s house, but he’d hurried across the road as though he were late for an appointment, and she’d thought nothing more about it.

Evidently, he had retraced his steps. He was standing under the awning of a bootmaker’s shop, occasionally scanning the folded newspaper in his hand. From time to time, he glanced across the road at the milliner’s shop.

She drew back a little and studied him more closely—a man in his thirties, well dressed in a blue coat, though not as fashionable a coat as Brandon’s.

Just then, Sophie said, “Gwyn, why don’t you try on the bonnet? It doesn’t do a thing for Judith or me.”

“No, indeed,” said Judith, making a face. She removed the bonnet and held it out to Gwyn. “The color is all wrong. It makes us both look sickly.”

“What is it, Gwyn?” asked Brandon. “What are you staring at?”

She knew better than to mention the man in the blue coat to Brandon. He had agreed to this outing with the greatest reluctance. If she told him about the stranger, he would have them back at Haddo Hall before she could say her own name. And the stranger had evoked no real alarm in her.

“Bother,” she said, looking at Brandon, “I think it’s going to rain.”

As Gwyn took Judith’s place in front of the looking glass, Judith settled herself in the chair next to Brandon’s. This was the moment Brandon had been waiting for. Smiling into her eyes, he said, “I had no idea you were planning a June wedding. Who is the lucky man?”

She gave him her profile and stared at Gwyn. “That color suits Gwyn, don’t you think?”

Brandon permitted himself a small smile. “Just as long as you and your mother understand that the lucky man won’t be me.”

“That’s ungrammatical.”

“Judith, did you hear me?”

She sighed and looked directly into his eyes. “You know you don’t mean that. You would never see me go to another man. You love me too much. One of these days, you’ll go too far and I’ll take you at your word.”

Brandon’s jaw dropped. “I wish you would.”

“Will you be serious?” she said angrily, flinging his own, oft-repeated words back at him.

She left him to exclaim over the bonnet and how well it suited Gwyn. Brandon was too stunned to be angry. He had always known that Judith was slightly fey, but now he was coming to seriously doubt her sanity.

Like a guilty schoolgirl, Gwyn used the servants’ staircase to get to her own room so that no one, least of all Grandmother Radley, would see the hatbox she carried. She still couldn’t fathom what insane impulse had provoked her to spend her hard-earned money on such a frivolous item of clothing. All the same, she was well aware that if anyone should offer her twice what she’d paid for her bonnet, she would tell them to go to Hades. There was the legacy, of course, but the interest from that could take months to accrue. And Jason was her trustee. He’d be shocked if he knew how much she’d spent on her bonnet. She thought of Lady Daphne and snorted. No. Jason wouldn’t be shocked. He’d probably think it was a bargain.

Her evasive tactics were all for naught, because after dinner, when the ladies had retired to the drawing room, Sophie told everyone her guilty secret, and that set Grandmother off.

“Gwyn and her bonnets!” she exclaimed. “I remember …”

It seemed there wasn’t much that Grandmother didn’t remember, not only about Gwyn, but about Trish as well. Gwyn’s eyes frequently strayed to Trish, and they smiled. The scrapes that had once roused Grandmother’s worst ire were now amusing anecdotes; the pleasant reminiscences of an old woman.

No one laughed harder than Mark or Chris. They had been allowed to join the adults that evening because Chris and his parents were leaving in a few days to take him to Eton for the start of the new term. Then Trish and Gerry would return to their own home in Norfolk.

“Tell us about Cousin Jason,” Mark piped up when there was a lull in the laughter. “You haven’t mentioned Cousin Jason, Grandmama.”

Gwyn looked at her son and felt an odd pang. Mark fitted in with his Radley relations as though he’d known them all his life. Only that morning, he’d demanded to know why he couldn’t go off with Chris to Eton. You’re too young, she told him evasively. Eton doesn’t accept boys until they’re eight years old. She knew the interest from her legacy would cover Mark’s fees to Eton, if she ever decided to send him there, but the thought of losing him made her realize how alone she would be.

When Grandmother did not reply at once, Trish said in a bantering tone, “You’re asking the wrong person, Mark. Grandmother doesn’t know the half of it. But your mother and I do, and since we are ladies, our lips are sealed forever.”

Sophie pounced on her sister’s remark. “Your lips are sealed? What does that mean? What do you know about Jason that I don’t know?”

Trish retreated a little. “He was a daredevil, that’s all I meant.”

“Jason?” Sophie looked from Trish to Gwyn. “Now this is truly interesting. I’m all ears.”

Grandmother rattled her cane, bringing all eyes to her. “Jason,” she said, in a tone that brooked no argument, “was no saint, but he never harmed anyone in his life. He has a heart of gold, and when he was put to the test, he showed his true colors. Look around you and see if I don’t speak the truth. We owe our happiness and prosperity to Jason. Maybe I didn’t always appreciate him as I should, but I assure you, I shall never make that mistake again.”

Her eyes touched briefly on each person present and she smiled. “I’m proud of all my offspring, proud of the way you’ve turned out. I should have trusted you more when you were younger, but then, wisdom comes with age, and I worried too much. If I was too hard on you, I apologize. On the other hand, why should I apologize when I’m proud of the way you turned out?”

She faltered a little, then went on, “I still miss George, and in spite of what happened, I’m convinced that if he had lived he would have turned himself around. He took a fall. It can happen to anyone. But we Radleys have always put duty first. I think George would have done his duty, if he had been spared.”

A look passed between Gwyn and Trish. They both knew what that meant. George would have had to marry for money to restore the family’s fortunes, supposing he could find a rich woman to marry him.

Sudden tears stung Gwyn’s eyes and she looked away. She didn’t know why she felt like crying.

The conversation had taken such a serious turn that everyone had lapsed into their own thoughts. Young Chris eventually broke the silence. “Mama,” he said, “was Papa a daredevil like Uncle Jason?”

His mother answered him absently. “There was no one quite like Jason.”

Grandmother Radley gave an indelicate snort. “I could tell you plenty about your papa, Chris, but because I’m a lady, my lips are sealed. Well, well,” she went on, when Chris beamed at her, “I’ve stayed up too long already.” She glanced at the clock. “Where is Jason? That’s what I want to know. He promised he would be back in time for dinner. I don’t like him traveling the roads at night.”

Sophie said, “Grandmama, he’s not in his dotage. He’s gone to London.” She looked pointedly at the boys. “Need I say more?”

Grandmother pinned her granddaughter with a steely eye. “One more word out of you, missy, and I shall box your ears. Now, give me your arm and help me to my room.”

As she got ready for bed, Gwyn was still dwelling on Sophie’s outrageous remarks, only maybe they weren’t as outrageous as she wanted to believe. She didn’t know why she was being so missish. As Sophie said, Jason wasn’t in his dotage, and now that Lady Daphne was out of the picture, he was free to find someone else to take her place.

He’d told her that he was going to London to confer with Richard Maitland, if he could be found, and Jason wouldn’t mislead her about a thing like that. No, Jason wouldn’t lie, but he was perfectly free to pursue his private life after he’d met with his friend. It was nothing to her.

She sat down at her dressing table, picked up her hairbrush and attacked her tresses with enough violence to make her wince. When she saw Maddie staring at her in the mirror, she stopped and smiled weakly.

“I’m angry with myself,” she said, bending the truth a little, “for buying that cursed bonnet. I haven’t got a thing to go with it.”

Maddie smirked. “Then you’ll just have to get something to go with it, won’t you?” she said as she bounced from the room.

She was too keyed up to sleep, so she didn’t even try. After donning her woolen dressing gown, she prowled around the room. Jason, she assured herself, would be home before long. He knew how anxious she was to hear what Richard Maitland had to say.

When she heard a door close downstairs, Gwyn slipped into the corridor and listened. A peek over the banister showed her that one of the footmen was closing up the house for the night. She waited until he retreated to the servants’ quarters, then she descended the stairs and made for the library.

The fire in the library was reduced to embers, and the glow from them spilled onto the hearth. There was no shortage of coal in Haddo, so Gwyn banked up the fire without a twinge of guilt, then she curled up in Jason’s huge leather wing armchair to wait for him. From this vantage point, she could hear his steps much better than she could hear them from her own room.

She looked at the clock. If he had not come home by midnight, she decided, she would give up and go to bed.

Chapter 18

It was after midnight when Jason entered the house. He made straight for his library, found the brandy decanter, and after pouring himself a short measure, quickly drank it back. Having poured himself another, he turned and took a step toward his favorite chair, then halted. Gwyn was there, curled up like a defenseless sleeping kitten.

There was no candle lit, but the red coals in the grate cast a warm glow. In that half light, she didn’t look like a grown woman, but like the girl he once knew. He stood there, staring down at her, his mind churning with a host of questions that only she could answer. He wanted to shake her awake; he wanted to hear from her own lips how much of what Barrie told him was the truth, and how much was a lie.

He took the chair on the other side of the fireplace, loosened his neckcloth, and sipped slowly from his glass, his gaze never wavering from Gwyn’s face. He didn’t want to believe Barrie, but things that had always bewildered him were now falling into place. He’d never understood how she could have loved George, and so soon after his death have eloped with another man. It made perfect sense now. She’d been carrying George’s child. She’d had no one to turn to. He, God help him, was spending every waking moment with solicitors and creditors, trying to come up with a plan to stave off bankruptcy. And when he wasn’t doing that, he was in Derbyshire, finding a buyer for his own property, and that’s where he was when word of the elopement reached him.

At first, he’d been shocked, then he was angry, blazingly angry. He’d wanted to shake her, but his worst fury was reserved for Barrie. He’d wanted to kill Nigel Barrie a thousand times over. When his temper cooled, he knew he should go after her, if only to satisfy himself that she was in good hands. But pride held him back. She’d rejected him once too often, he remembered thinking. She had made her choice, and he had to accept it.

And she had paid the price for his pride.

The thought of her life with the Barries made him writhe inside. But there were other emotions tearing his control to shreds—jealousy, disappointment, and a slow-burning resentment.

As he stared at her sleeping form, his hand tightened around his glass till his knuckles showed white. He was thinking of George, the brother he had looked up to all his life. It was inconceivable to him that George would have taken advantage of an innocent young girl. But then, it was inconceivable that George would have gambled Haddo away, and that’s exactly what he’d done.

A coal in the grate sputtered then flared. Gwyn stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She saw the figure in the chair facing hers. She gave a start of alarm, but her fear subsided when she recognized him.

“Jason,” she said, stretching her cramped muscles, “we expected you home hours ago.” As she came to herself, she sat up in her chair. “Did you see Richard Maitland? And Mr. Armstrong? What did they have to say?”

“I didn’t see Maitland or Armstrong. They were both out of town.”

“Then we’re no further ahead.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” He took a fortifying swallow of brandy. “I went to Lambourn to see Samuel Barrie. I thought he might know something that could help us, or that he might know something about the legacy.”

Every sound in that room faded away. Nothing stirred. It was as if they were trapped in a picture, forever frozen in place. When she could think again, she shrank into the folds of her dressing gown. It never occurred to her to upbraid him for spying on her. She was aware of the harsh tension that gripped his features; she’d heard the coldness in his voice. He knows, she thought wildly. He’s worked everything out, and stark fear shivered along her spine.

He saw the flare of fear in her eyes, saw the way her fingers plucked at her dressing gown, and he made a considerable effort to appear more relaxed. He didn’t want to frighten or shame her. All he wanted was the truth, then they would go on from there.

“Gwyn,” he spoke quietly and without heat, “did Samuel Barrie ever try to touch you? I think you know what I mean.”

She felt as though she’d been reprieved. “He tried, but he didn’t succeed.” When his eyes narrowed on her, she said quickly, “I kept a pistol by my bed and I know how to use it. I made him keep his distance.”

The images her words evoked made him wish he’d killed Barrie when he’d had the chance.

She was watching him warily, trying to gauge his mood. She couldn’t make him out, but she knew how she felt. She wished she were anywhere but in this room with Jason. She had to say something if only to break the silence.

“Did Samuel know anything about the legacy?”

“I never got round to asking him. You see, he told me things that put every other thought out of my mind.”

She looked into his eyes and read his complete knowledge of all her lies. Her throat worked. The breath she exhaled was very close to a sob.

“Do you know what he told me, Gwyn?”

Her eyes were trapped by his, and she couldn’t look away. She lifted her chin. “Yes,” she whispered.

He sat back in his chair. “I never understood how you could have eloped with Barrie so soon after George died, but now it all makes sense. You were pregnant and you were desperate, weren’t you, Gwyn? So you married Barrie knowing that you carried another man’s child. Oh, Gwyn, why didn’t you come to me?”

“That’s not true,” she cried. “When I married Nigel, I didn’t know I was carrying your child. I never would have married Nigel or any man if I’d known.”

Such a look blazed in his eyes that she flinched. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m telling you the truth. I didn’t know. I knew I was unwell. I thought it was nerves. So did Nigel. But the doctor suspected that I was pregnant. He didn’t know Nigel and I were just married. It was too late, don’t you see? We were on the boat taking us to Lisbon. It was too late. It was too late.”

Before she had finished speaking, he got to his feet. She felt a rush of fear and instinctively rose to face him. The shadowy figure who loomed over her looked like a stranger. Her eyes strayed to the door.

In a low driven tone, he said, “What are you saying? Who is Mark’s father, Gwyn? Who?”

She swallowed hard. “I thought you knew.”

Fingers like steel talons closed around her arms. “It was George, wasn’t it? Tell me! I have a right to know.”

She stared at him with wide, frightened eyes. When he shook her roughly, her own resentment began to stir. After all that had happened, she didn’t deserve this, and George didn’t deserve it either. She wrenched herself free of his grasp, but she didn’t retreat. If he was angry, so was she, and she had more right.

Her eyes glittered with emotions she’d held too long in check. “What’s the matter, Jason? Don’t you remember? No, I don’t suppose you do. What’s one more woman in your long line of conquests? You took me and you didn’t even know who I was.”

He shook his head, his eyes staring at her with a burning intensity. “That can’t be true. You’re the one woman I would know.”

She’d always told herself that she didn’t blame Jason for what happened that night, but she saw now that she’d lied to herself. If he’d come to her in the dark, she would have known him instantly. After that night, her whole life had been turned upside down, but not his. She’d eloped and he hadn’t come after her. He’d never written to her or tried to see her, not until someone settled a legacy on her. She’d hoped, oh how she’d hoped, in those first few weeks, but when all her hopes died, she’d married Nigel and tried to make the best of it.

And how she’d been made to suffer! But she’d persevered. For her son’s sake, she persevered. And there was no one there to help her. No one.

A well of bitterness rose up and spilled over in ugly, furious words. “Maybe this will help you. Think of the night George died. You left the house, and I went looking for you. I found you in the fishermen’s hut on the beach. I thought you recognized me, but I was wrong. You called me by another woman’s name.” Though her voice cracked, she wasn’t done yet, not nearly done, and she went on furiously, “But maybe you don’t remember that night? Maybe you’re so used to such nights that you can’t be expected to remember them all. Don’t worry, Jason, I’m not asking you for anything. I never have and I never shall.”

She wasn’t prepared for the effect her words would have. He put a hand to his brow, staggered, then turned away to get himself another drink.

With his back to her, he said, “God help me, I don’t remember. I can’t remember. I have only a vague recollection of that night. So much happened. So much was going on.”

He couldn’t have found a better weapon to hurt her. He still couldn’t remember that night, not even after she’d told him about it. It was too much. Suddenly, it was all too much. Choking back a sob, she ran from the room.

Jason turned abruptly when he heard the door click shut. He stared at that closed door for a long time, his thoughts, his feelings, his memories in total confusion. Nothing made sense. Everything in him rejected the idea that he could have taken the one woman who had ever mattered to him, thinking she was someone else.

Without conscious thought, he crossed to the fire, rested one hand on the mantel and stared into the dying coals. Slowly, deliberately, he cast his mind back, and tried to bring that night into focus.

He’d wanted to be alone, he remembered, but various friends kept seeking him out to offer their condolences and to talk. There was some woman in particular, he couldn’t recall her name, who’d refused to be shaken off. So, crippled with grief and despair, and very much the worse for drink, he’d fled from the house to find a haven where no one could find him.

But someone did find him.

Jason closed his eyes as the memory began to take shape. He’d been sleeping, dreaming that Gwyn was calling to him, when the woman found him. He’d had too much to drink and his head was aching. In the next instant, he remembered the accident, that George was dead, and the jagged edge of grief twisted inside him, leaving despair and hopelessness in its wake. But she was there, the woman he couldn’t shake off. Leigh, that was her name, Leigh Granger. She always talked too much, and her only subject of conversation was herself. He couldn’t remember now who had invited her to Haddo, but he knew that he hadn’t. He couldn’t stand the woman.

He remembered thinking he’d misjudged her. She really did seem to understand what he was suffering. She didn’t say much, but when she put her arms around him, the pain became a little easier to bear.

What happened next was inevitable, given the circumstances, and given the fact that the woman was willing, or he thought she was willing. But if the woman was Gwyn …

He bolted his drink, set his glass down with enough force to crack it, and went after her.

When Gwyn entered her own chamber, she threw herself on the bed and curled into a ball. The fire was out and there were no candles lit, but the blanketing darkness was exactly what she wanted. Some things should never be brought into the light. Some memories were too painful to remember. And some truths were too close to the bone to bear.

All these years she’d put herself on a pedestal, thinking she was brave and able to handle all the hard knocks that life had inflicted on her. But her performance in the library had opened her eyes to the truth. There was so much bitterness locked inside her, so much hurt pride and misplaced anger. Jason hadn’t tried to hurt her, not then or now. But she had tried to hurt him. And she’d succeeded.

She really didn’t like herself at all.

She was lying quietly, worrying about what the future would bring now that Jason knew Mark was his son, when Jason said her name on the other side of the door.

“Go away,” she said in a fierce whisper. She wasn’t ready to face him yet.

Either he didn’t hear or he wasn’t in the mood to listen. When the door began to open, she quickly sat up and scrubbed her face with the sleeve of her dressing gown. He had a candle in his hand and the shadows it carved on his face made her catch her breath. He was in the grip of some powerful emotion he was struggling to overcome.

“We can’t leave it like this,” he said. “You must see that.”

She watched him deposit the candle on top of the dresser. When he approached the bed, she involuntarily inched away. It did not save her. He reached for her and lifted her clear off the bed, with her face to the light. When she winced, he released her and thrust his hands behind his back as though he were afraid to touch her, and when she rubbed her arms where his fingers had dug into her flesh, he moved away, putting some distance between them.

His voice was deep and harsh, his breathing was strained. “I must know the truth. Was it you who came to me that night, Gwyn?”

She looked directly into his eyes. “Yes.”

A look of pain crossed his face. “And I forced myself on you?”

Shocked, she cried out, “No! I never said such a thing or even implied it.”

He seemed confused. “Then what are you saying? I don’t understand. What exactly happened that night?”

“I told you. You thought I was someone else.”

“But when you pushed me away, struggled—”

“I didn’t push you away.” She swallowed tears, impatient now to make amends for making him think he’d taken her against her will. “Listen to me, Jason. You’re not to blame. I’m sorry I said those spiteful things, but they’re not true. It was more my fault than yours. I thought you knew who I was, but you didn’t.”

“No, but I should have known. You were an innocent young girl, and I made no allowance for your innocence.”

He was absently fingering the objects on top of her dressing table,. His fingers suddenly stilled on the handle of her hairbrush, then his eyes jerked up to meet hers. “You didn’t push me away or struggle?”

She tried to drag her eyes from his, but he wouldn’t allow it. “No,” she whispered.

“Why not?”

Her chest felt as though it were collapsing and she used the heel of one hand to massage the hollow between her breasts. “Because I wanted you to make love to me.”

There was a sudden and absolute silence. She knew the exact moment enlightenment dawned. The tension across his shoulders seemed to relax. He left her dressing table and came to stand in front of her.

His eyes searched hers. “Why?”

She felt trapped, like a caged animal. “You never used to be so dense. I was in love with you, of course. Wasn’t every young woman?”

His response to these words was to fold his arms across his chest and study her as though she were a pawn that had just captured his queen in a game of chess. Gradually, his expression gave way to an odd mixture of gravity and humor. “You know, I always suspected you were. But that last year, you convinced me you were in love with George.”

That grave-eyed humor set her teeth on edge. “I did love George.” She checked herself. Her annoyance was showing and she wanted to appear calm and collected. “I did love George, but not in the same way. That’s all over and done with now, Jason. We must put it behind us.”

He smiled at this. “It’s all over and done with?”

She nodded.

“Then how do you explain what happened between us in Sackville’s house, hmm? Gwyn, I almost made love to you, and I would have if Brandon hadn’t interrupted us. And you would have let me.”

An annoying blush crept into her cheeks, but she kept her voice steady. “I can’t explain it.”

“Now who’s being dense?” The humor in his eyes was muted, but it was still there. “And,” he said, “how do you explain what happened in my house in Marylebone? Once again, we were saved by Brandon.”

The reference to the house in Marylebone, where he entertained Lady Daphne, made her palm itch. She said coolly, “You’re so clever, you explain it.”

He snagged her wrist and brushed his lips along her palm. She took a quick shallow breath. He looked up, his eyes narrowing on her face. Something beyond comprehension leaped between them. She tried to wrench her hand away, but he drew her into his arms. There was no humor in his eyes now.

“Listen to me, Gwyn,” he said. “It’s the same for me. And I don’t know why we’re fighting it.”

His hands cupped her cheeks, bringing her face up to his. She looked up, sure that she was reading too much into his words. When he kissed her, she curled her fingers around his wrists to steady herself.

There was a smile in his voice. “Don’t look so disbelieving.” Against her lips, he said, “I want to right the wrong I did you, Gwyn. I want to right the wrong I did my son.”

“Our son,” she cried mournfully.

“Our son.” There was wonder and awe in his voice. “Our son. We have a lot to talk about, but right now, I want to think only of you.” He kissed her eyes closed, he kissed her cheeks, her brows, the slope of her throat. “This is how it should have been. Let me show you how it would have been that night if only I’d known it was you.”

There was one moment of brilliant clarity when all her misgivings fused into a single thought: this could be the biggest mistake of her life. But clarity wasn’t what she ached for right then. Everything she had ever wanted was right there in Jason’s eyes.

He was watching her intently, waiting, she thought, for some sign that she would accept him as her lover. He felt guilty for the way he had taken her that first time, and that seemed strange to her. She had never thought of him as a brutal lover. They had come together when they were in the grip of a terrible grief. He hadn’t been gentle, but she hadn’t expected it. The only thing that was brutal, in her mind, was when he’d said another woman’s name.

“What’s my name?” she asked.

He frowned. “Gwyneth, of course.”

A smile softened her lips. “Well, at least you got that right. It’s a good beginning, I suppose.”

His hands slid over her shoulders. “I’m going to make you forget that night. Come to bed, Gwyn. Let me love you. Let me show you how it could have been.”

She didn’t resist. She’d already made up her mind that this was what she wanted. But she didn’t want it to be all one-sided. She hoped she wouldn’t disappoint him.

His movements were unhurried, his touch gentle, his kisses soft and undemanding. Desire crept up on her slowly, then not so slowly when his hand covered her breast. But when he pushed the edges of her dressing gown aside and began to undo the buttons on her nightgown, she stiffened involuntarily.

He drew away. “Gwyn, what is it?”

“Nothing.”

“I won’t hurt you.”

“I know you won’t.”

“You’re afraid of something.”

He had the kind of eyes that could delve into a woman’s mind and learn her thoughts before she knew them herself. She let out a shivery sigh. “I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you. Oh Jason, you’ve had so many love affairs, you’ve known so many beautiful women.” She stopped when it occurred to her that she was beginning to sound like an awkward schoolgirl. She shrugged helplessly. “Don’t expect too much. That’s all I mean.”

His fingers combed through her hair, keeping her head up as he kissed the frown from her brow. “Idiot,” he murmured. “What do you think I’m feeling? I don’t want to disappoint you either.”

He might have told her that his many affairs were mostly bought and paid for, with the finer feelings never entering into it. He could have told her that his many women were second best, and poor substitutes for her. But what really set Gwyn apart was what he felt for her. He wanted to care for her, he wanted to protect her. In short, he wanted to be master of his own woman, but all the power was in her hands.

Looking down at her he said simply, “I’m afraid I’ll fail with you, and you’re the one woman who matters to me.”

It wasn’t a confession of love, but his words thrilled her all the same. She twined her arms around his neck. “I won’t let you fail,” she said.

Though the room was warm, she shivered when he slipped her dressing gown from her shoulders and tossed it on the floor. But he drew her close again, and the heat from his body warmed her pleasantly. She was no longer shy, no longer afraid that he would find her wanting. It was so easy, so sweet that she gave herself up to whatever he asked of her.

His kisses became hungry; his touches more intimate. She was hardly aware when he removed her nightgown and sent it the way of her robe. Something was building inside her. She was restless; she wanted to get closer to him. She wanted … she wanted. She didn’t know what she wanted.

When he rose to strip out of his clothes, the one candle that was lit sputtered and went out. In the sudden shadows, all Gwyn’s senses became acute. She heard the wind soughing in the trees outside; she smelled the candle that had burned itself out; she felt the soft feather mattress at her back. But these things were as nothing to her awareness of the man who stood by her bed.

“Gwyn?” he said.

She didn’t know what caused the lump in her throat—Jason saying her name, or the uncertainty in his voice. She held her arms out to him. “I’m right here, Jason.”

Her breath quickened when bare skin brushed over bare skin, then caught on a sob when he covered her body with his. She thought she knew what to expect, but she saw now she didn’t know anything at all. He murmured something, but she didn’t respond. She was past thinking, past talking. Her skin was fevered, her blood was hot. Why couldn’t she breathe?

For years, she’d submerged her own desires for the good of her son. Caution and control were second nature to her. But tonight she had let Jason take control, and he was showing her a side of her nature she hadn’t known existed before now.

“Jason,” she said, trying to convey her urgency. “Jason!”

“Am I going too fast for you?”

She swallowed a moan. “You’re going too slow.”

“I want this to be perfect for you.”

“It is perfect. It is!”

He was smiling when his mouth found hers, but the smile disintegrated when she touched him as intimately as he touched her. From that moment on, he was lost. He slid between her thighs and slowly entered her.

Gwyn, he reminded himself. This is for Gwyn. Slow and easy. But her mouth was hungry on his, and he could hear the little cries of arousal at the back of her throat. He had to clench his teeth to stave off the first wave of pleasure.

He moved, and she wrapped herself around him. When she began to gasp, fighting for breath, he gave himself permission to take her the way he wanted. He had dreamed of her like this, not only wild to have him, but true mate to his mate.

At the last, it was her image that filled his mind, her name he cried into the hollow of her throat.

Chapter 19

It was the sound of the wind rattling the windowpanes that made her stir. She opened her eyes and gradually came to herself. Several candles were lit, and someone had revived the fire. The room was pleasantly warm.

As full awareness returned, she pulled herself up. Jason was not there. She felt the pillow next to hers. It was still warm from the heat of his body, as were the sheets where he’d slept beside her after they’d made love. He must have just left her bed to go back to his own room.

It was a reprieve of sorts, because she wasn’t sure she was up to facing him right now. She didn’t know what she was thinking or feeling. Everything had happened so suddenly. If she felt anything, it was that she’d been struck by a thunderbolt.

She became aware of other things: her body was warm and damp; his scent clung to her skin; she ached from the force of his passion. She was teary, not because she was sad, but because she was … teary.

She hated teary women.

With a snort of derision, she got out of bed and picked up her nightgown. She had just slipped it over her head when she noticed Jason’s jacket and neckcloth draped over a chair. This provoked another snort. If Maddie had found them in the morning, she would know what to make of it.

She was reaching for his jacket when she stopped, looked at the burning candles, the smoldering fire, and Jason’s discarded clothes. It came to her then that Jason had every intention of coming back. She stood for a moment, lost in thought, then she donned her dressing gown and left the room.

She found him where she thought he would be. A pool of light spilled into the corridor from Mark’s room. She stopped at the open door and watched Jason, with candle in hand, stare down at his sleeping son. The look on his face made her heart clench.

Jason looked up, saw her, and his expression gradually hardened. After adjusting the blankets to cover Mark’s shoulders, he ushered her from the room.

“We must talk” was all he said, and his tone of voice matched his expression.

She’d thought she would feel awkward when she had to face him again, but all she felt was bewilderment. In the aftermath of passion, he’d been so sweet and loving. She’d fallen asleep with her head in the crook of his shoulder, with his hands running ceaselessly over her back. She was at a complete loss to understand this change in him.

She answered him in a fierce whisper. “Not now, Jason. The servants will soon be up. If they find us together, what will they think?”

“I don’t give a damn what they think. And they won’t be up for hours yet.”

When he pushed her into her own room, she backed away from him. After shutting the door, he set his candle down and turned slowly to face her. Across the width of the room, his eyes blazed her such a look that her heart began to beat in slow, painful strokes.

“What is it?” she asked. “Why do you look at me like that?”

He began to walk toward her. “Do you realize what you have done? You and your pride have robbed me of seven years of my son’s life. You lived with a man who abused you, and abused my son for all I know. Why didn’t you come to me? Why didn’t you tell me about Mark?”

“Tell you what?” she asked incredulously. “What was I to say? ‘By the way, Jason, you won’t remember this, but you were my lover for one night and Mark is the result?’ Would you have believed me?”

“Yes!” he roared.

She wasn’t incredulous now, she was livid. “You were supposed to do your duty and marry a wealthy woman to save Haddo. I heard it from your grandmother long before I eloped with Nigel, and I heard it from Trish long after I was married. And we all know that Radleys do their duty. A fine wedding present that would have been for you and your wife if I’d turned up on your doorstep with a baby in my arms.”

A pulse beat furiously in his cheek. “That’s not it. It was because your pride was hurt. What kind of mother would stay with a man who hated her son? My son. You were Mark’s only hope and you let him down.”

She flinched from the words as if he had struck her. Her face was as white as the gown she wore.

“Gwyn, I didn’t mean it. I didn’t mean it.”

He reached for her, but she was quicker than he. She lashed out and struck him full across the face with her open hand. They were both shocked.

“Gwyn!”

She shied away from the hand he held out to her, and he let his hand drop away. When he spoke, it sounded as though a piece of glass had lodged in his throat. “He looked so small and defenseless in that big bed. When I thought of what his life must have been like with people who didn’t want him, something inside me snapped. You just happened to be there at the wrong moment, so you felt the brunt of my anger. But it’s myself I blame. If you didn’t know that you could always come to me for help, I failed you both.”

She said coldly, “You can stop blaming yourself. I stayed with Nigel because I didn’t have a choice. Legally, he was Mark’s father. If I had left him, he would have kept Mark. The law gives him that right.”

“But he didn’t want Mark. Your brother-in-law made that very clear. Nobody wanted him.”

She took a quick breath, then another, and suddenly she was fighting for every breath. “I wanted him,” she shouted. “I would never give up my son or let anyone hurt him. That’s why I stayed with a man who hated me. No, he didn’t want Mark, but he didn’t want it known that Mark wasn’t his son. He didn’t want to lose face if his wife left him. And what better way to punish me? So don’t you judge me, Jason Radley! Don’t you dare judge me!”

The torment in her voice scourged him. “Gwyn, don’t!”

He caught her in his arms. She twisted, she arched away, she tried to strike out at him, but he wrestled her down on the bed and subdued her with the press of his own body. After a while, she stopped struggling and he relieved her of some of his weight.

“Are you all right?” he murmured.

“Let me up,” she said, her voice sounding drained of all emotion.

“Gwyn—”

“Oh let me up. I promise not to cause a scene.”

He rolled to his side.

She got up, went to the washstand and bathed her face with a cloth wrung out in cold water. When he made no move to get off the bed, but simply swung his legs over the edge and sat up, she sighed and took one of the chairs by the fire.

“What now?” she asked, cold as ice.

He looked down at his clasped hands. “I wish I could take back those words.” His head lifted and he looked directly into her eyes. “And they’re not true. I’ve seen how you’ve looked after Mark. He couldn’t be the boy he is if you hadn’t been an exceptional mother.”

She tried to harden her heart, but the sting in her eyes warned her that she was no more immune to Jason than she’d ever been. “What is it you want to know?”

“I’ve lost seven years. I know I can never get them back, but I want to know about your life with Nigel Barrie.” He appealed to her, with hands extended, palms up. “Put yourself in my place. If you’d lost seven years of your son’s life, wouldn’t you want to know?”

It was the one appeal that she couldn’t resist. She was still smarting from his words, but she felt she owed him this. She couldn’t look at him, wouldn’t look at him. Instead, she fixed her gaze on the fire. “Of course it was difficult for Mark, but what he suffered from most was Nigel’s neglect, and that was all to the good. You must remember that Nigel was away most of the time. He was a soldier, and a good soldier. I think the army was in his blood. That’s what he really loved. At any rate, Mark and I were left to our own devices.”

She paused as she gathered her thoughts. “I thought things would improve when we returned to England, but they didn’t. You’ve met Samuel. You know what he’s like. Nigel was an invalid and confined to the sickroom. Martha, Samuel’s wife, well, she did her best, but she was frightened of Samuel. It was anything but a happy home. But I found ways to keep Mark out of it. I enlisted the vicar’s help. There was a school at the church. I enrolled Mark in it. And when he was at home, Martha or I contrived to keep him out of Samuel’s way.”

She lapsed into silence, remembering the long walks with Mark to keep him out of the house till Samuel had left for his nightly drinking binge in the Black Friar. She remembered how they’d turned everything into a game—how many times Uncle Samuel belched at the dinner table; how many times he cursed—but they couldn’t turn everything into a game—Samuel’s frequent outbursts of temper, Nigel’s ravings near the end.

“You mustn’t think Mark was miserable. Samuel didn’t know then that Mark wasn’t Nigel’s son. It was only in the last weeks of his life, when he was sedated and didn’t know what he was saying, that Nigel told Samuel the truth about Mark. Of course, after that, Samuel couldn’t wait to get rid of us.” She gave a mirthless laugh. “And we couldn’t wait to get rid of him. As soon as Nigel’s estate was settled and I had a little money, Mark and I left.”

“Gwyn, look at me.”

She steeled herself to show no emotion, but that annoying sting in her eyes was beginning to burn. It was pride that made her lift her gaze to his.

A responsive flicker came and went in his eyes. “But your letters to Trish—she said you were happy with Nigel’s family.”

Her voice rose. “What did you expect me to say? I didn’t want anyone’s pity, and there was nothing anyone could do. I told you, I would never give up my son, and as long as Nigel lived, I was tied to him. And I didn’t think I’d have long to wait before I was free. Nigel had sustained internal injuries at Vitoria. The doctor said he had only a few months to live. But he was wrong. He lasted for more than a year.”

She waited a moment to gain control of her voice, then went on, “I thought when I was finally free, I would weep tears of joy. Oh, I wept, but not because Nigel had died. I wept for the waste of it all. I wept because we failed each other. I wept because there was no reconciliation at the end, and that seemed wrong to me.”

She was crying now, silent tears that made tracks down her cheeks. “But I put that all behind me. I made a life for Mark and me, and we’ve been happy. I didn’t know if I could do it. But I did. Until Harry came along.”

He rose abruptly, and going to the window, stood staring out at the dark night. He said, “You’ve been a widow for a year now. Why didn’t you come to me?” He half turned to look at her. “Why, Gwyn? I had no wife. No one would have been hurt. Everything could have been put right.”

She shrugged helplessly. “It was too late. It was too complicated. And after Nigel, I wasn’t going to trust myself or Mark to any man.”

“For God’s sake, I’m not any man. I’m his father.”

She was silent.

Crossing to her, he went down on his haunches and took her hands. “It’s not too late and it’s not complicated. In fact, it’s simple. We marry. I get my son, and Mark gets a father who will love and cherish him. He will receive everything he’s entitled to as my son. His future will be secure, as will yours. And I’ll make him happy. I’ll make you both happy.”

She was staring at him with wide, unreadable eyes.

“Did you hear me, Gwyn?”

“I heard you.”

She tried to tug her hands free, but he held them fast. He said earnestly, “You must know there’s no other way for us. Mark is my son. I can’t lose him now. I won’t lose him. There’s no going back.”

“I know that.”

His jaw hardened. “Your place is in my home with our son. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Jason, I understand.”

“Then you’ll marry me.”

“I’ll marry you.”

He sat back on his heels and studied her face. Frustration roughened his voice. “Then what’s the matter? Why are you so remote, so disinterested?”

She wasn’t disinterested. She’d expected too much, not perhaps a declaration of love, but more than this cold-blooded ordering of her future. It was his son he really wanted, not the mother.

That wasn’t fair. Jason had done the honorable thing. So must she.

“Nothing is the matter, except that I’m ready to collapse. Can’t we talk about this in the morning? I can’t think straight right now.”

“Then don’t think. Let’s go to bed.”

He drew her to her feet. Their eyes met and held. She trembled when she realized that sleep was the furthest thing from his mind.

His arms went around her, pulling her close, and his mouth came down on hers. She made a feeble attempt to free herself. This was the last thing she wanted, she told herself. He had said things to her that had hurt her to the quick. She didn’t know if she could ever forgive him. But the power of that kiss, the passion in it, made her knees buckle and her head swim, and the hands that were on his chest to push him away fisted helplessly in the folds of his shirt.

She cried softly when he suddenly scooped her up in his arms. He kissed her again before he set her on the bed, then he straightened and began to strip out of his clothes.

This was the first time she’d seen him naked, and the sheer power in those broad shoulders and muscular thighs was almost intimidating.

When he joined her on the bed, her mouth went dry. His face was set in harshly sensual lines. She tried to control her breathing, slow her heartbeat.

“Jason?” Her voice was shaking.

His was deep and rough. “This is another reason why we must marry. And you know it as well as I.” Then fiercely, “This is all I can think about. Wanting you is like a sickness, and this is the only cure.”

She expected a fury of passion, but the hands that cupped her face were trembling, the lips that came down on hers were coaxing. Everything inside her melted. Her body softened, her breath caught on a moan. She brushed her hands along his arms and shoulders, savoring the feel of those powerfully bunched muscles that were held rigidly in check.

“Ah, Gwyn,” he breathed into her mouth. “Gwyn.”

Then everything changed. His mouth became hot and hungry; his hands raced over her, freeing her of her clothes, touching, taking, demanding everything she had to give and more. Kiss for kiss, touch for touch, she answered that demand. All her pent-up feelings, all her turbulent emotions were still there, just below the surface. Now they erupted into a white-hot passion, and she dragged him to the edge with her own unbridled demands.

He tried to pin her beneath him, but she wouldn’t be restrained and they went rolling on the bed. He murmured something about going slow, then tore her control to shreds by probing gently into the entrance to her body.

When she rose above him, they both stilled. Eyes locked on hers, he spread her thighs, and slowly entered her. Her hands clamped on his arms and she shuddered and writhed. Fettering her with one arm around her hips, he drove into her. She cried out, then crushed his mouth beneath hers. Locked together, their bodies moving as one, they gave themselves up to the storm.

When he slipped from her body and turned her on her side, she waited with bated breath to hear him say the only words that mattered to her.

“Everything will be fine,” said Jason. “We’ll take this one step at a time. A quiet wedding. I don’t want a big fuss.”

There were to be no words of love, then. She stirred and tried to contain her disappointment. “Your grandmother will be scandalized.”

He stopped kissing and petting her. “My grandmother will be ecstatic. She’s always telling me it’s time I settled down.”

“Yes, with some wealthy lady who can add to the family’s coffers. Not to some penniless widow with a son to support.”

He raised his head and studied her face. “She wanted that once, yes. But that was when Haddo was on the brink of ruin. Things are different now.” He traced her profile with the tips of his fingers. “I thought you and my grandmother had made up your quarrel.”

He was too astute for her comfort. She lowered her lashes to veil her thoughts. “There was no quarrel. I eloped. But all that’s behind us now. Let’s not dwell on the past.”

He stretched out beside her again, and crossed his arms behind his neck. After a moment, he said, “Do you think Mark will be pleased?”

She answered dryly, “You’re Mark’s hero. He’ll be pleased.”

“I don’t know. You and he are so close. He might look upon me as an interloper.”

She rose on one elbow and looked down at him. His features were softened in the aftermath of love. His eyes were wide, questioning, uncertain. The dark lock of hair that fell across his forehead made him look younger.

Her heart cramped. “I know my son,” she said, “and I’m telling you he’ll be floating on air.” He rewarded her with a big, lazy smile that provoked her to add, “Of course, we could delay the wedding, you know, to give him time to get used to the idea.”

“Not a chance.”

“Why not?”

He rolled with her on the bed and kissed her soundly. She felt his arousal pressed against her belly. Her breath quickened. When he ground himself into her, she wrapped herself around him.

“That’s why,” he said, and grinned. “Because now that I’ve had you, I can’t get enough of you. Now I’d better get out of here before someone finds us together.”

After he left, she gave her pillow a satisfying wallop and snuggled under the covers. That’s when she realized the candles were still lit. She got out of bed, stomped around the room, and blew them out.

Chapter 20

When Jason promised the boys that he would help them rebuild the old tree house at the edge of the west pasture, he hadn’t realized what he was letting himself in for. They were up at the crack of dawn, excited as monkeys, dragging him out of bed and out of the house before he had time to swallow more than a few mouthfuls of coffee.

But he wouldn’t have missed this chance to be with his son for the world. He was careful not to make too much of Mark. He wasn’t going to force anything, he told himself. He wanted to develop their relationship gradually and naturally. When the time was right, and not before, he would tell Mark that he was his real father. But it was hard not to touch and stare, and harder not to pull the boy into his arms and just hold him tight.

The more he watched Mark and listened, the more it seemed to him that life with the Barries had not left permanent scars. Mark didn’t seem so different from Chris. They chattered incessantly. They made rifles from tree branches and pretended they were soldiers defending a fort. But where Chris had no reserves about correcting his Uncle Jason when he was doing something wrong, Mark’s eyes went round and he became unnaturally silent. It was the same when Chris talked about all the things a boy could only do with his father. In these conversations, Mark had nothing to say.

But that would change, Jason promised himself, for he was one father who was going to spend a great deal of time with his son. And when Mark had brothers and sisters, as he had no doubt would happen soon enough, this boy would always hold a special place in his heart.

There was so much time to make up, so much to learn about his son.

He could not think of Gwyn without wanting to do violence to someone. He should have done better by her. There was no law in the land that would have kept him from her and his son if only he had known how unhappy she was. He would have called Barrie out; he would have used all his influence and connections to frighten Barrie into giving them up. But he didn’t think that would have been necessary. He was sure that if he’d offered Barrie enough money, he would have let them go. And he would have paid any price Barrie demanded.

But it wasn’t too late to start over. He’d been given a second chance. He had a son who was largely untouched by the ugly circumstances of his early years, and he knew whom he had to thank for that. He would try and make it up to them. Gwyn and Mark belonged with him. They were a family. Maybe their marriage hadn’t had an auspicious beginning, but they were both reasonable, intelligent people. If they put their minds to it, they could make it work.

All in all, he should be a very happy man, and he would be, if only he could convince himself that Gwyn’s reserve was a figment of his imagination.

He was mulling over that niggling thought as he and the boys made their way back to the house, when a footman came running to meet them.

“You’re to come at once, sir. There’s been an accident.”

“To whom?” asked Jason sharply.

The footman strove to even his breathing. “To Russell, one of the grooms. Someone attacked him.”

“See the boys back to the house,” he said to the footman, and he broke into a run.

He found them in his grandmother’s bedroom. Russell, the young groom, was stretched out on the chaise, and Gwyn was bathing a nasty gash on the side of his head as she asked him a series of questions—the same kind of questions he’d asked her after she’d been shot. Brandon and Judith were hovering around, and his grandmother was sitting in a chair sipping from what looked to be a glass of brandy.

She struggled to rise at his entrance. “A fine thing when we’re attacked on our own property in broad daylight! Jason, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know, Grandmother. Where are the others?”

“They went into Brighton to do some shopping.”

Brandon said, “This is a strange business, Jason. If Judith and I hadn’t come along when we did, God knows how it would have ended.”

Jason had eyes only for Gwyn. “Are you all right?”

Brandon didn’t give her time to respond. “She was his target. There’s no doubt about that.”

The fear that had subsided came back in a rush. His grandmother spoke but he did not hear her. The thought that possessed his mind was that Haddo was no longer a safe haven for Gwyn and Mark.

Gwyn saw his grim expression and she said quickly, “I’m fine, Jason, really I am.”

He spoke to Judith. “Would you mind taking over from Gwyn? Has the physician been sent for? Good. Gwyn, Brandon, come with me.”

He led the way across the hall and into the library. As soon as they entered, he shut the door and said, “Begin at the beginning, and tell me exactly what happened.”

A look passed between Gwyn and Brandon. She nodded and said, “I went riding, as usual, where we agreed, not on the downs, but along the beach.” Though the beach was not private, it was close to the house and could be easily patrolled.

“And,” said Jason, “you had one of the grooms accompany you? Russell?”

“Yes.”

“Go on.”

She shrugged. “Everything seemed normal. Just as always, I took the path to the cove—”

“The path that goes through the home wood?”

“Yes.” She moistened her lips. “It was only when I was cantering along the beach and I turned to look back that I saw Russell was no longer following me.” She was standing by a chair, and she curled her hands around the backrest as the memory came back to her. “But there was another rider on the beach, a man on a bay.”

When she paused, he asked quietly, “And you were frightened of him?”

“Not at first. After all, the beach isn’t private. I thought he might be one of your neighbors. I don’t know what I thought. All I knew was that something must have happened to Russell. I thought, perhaps, that his horse had gone lame. I was going to go back the way I’d come, but the longer I looked at that rider approaching me, the more uneasy I became. And I couldn’t go back to look for Russell without passing him.”

As she spoke, Jason walked to his desk and absently picked up a glass paperweight. He was visualizing the scene, and he had to struggle to keep his emotions in check. He wanted to roar that she should have known straightaway that something was wrong. But his logic told him that even if she had known, it wouldn’t have made a damn bit of difference. The trouble was, Haddo seemed so far removed from what had happened in London. They’d all become too complacent. When he saw that he was holding the paperweight in a death grip, he put it down and turned to face her. In as calm a voice as he could manage, he said, “So what happened next?”

She let out a breath. “I didn’t want to let the rider know I was alarmed, so I set my mount to a canter. I looked back once and saw that he was gaining on me. After that, I dug in my heels and we went flying over the sands. My one thought was to reach the path that climbs through the gap to the top of the cliff. And that’s when Brandon and Judith came trotting around the base of a cliff, so I made for them instead. Brandon can tell you the rest.”

Brandon said, “I didn’t realize the danger at first. I thought that the rider was Gerry and that he and Gwyn were having a race. It was Judith who grasped the situation. When she started forward, so did I.”

Gwyn gave a teary laugh. She said to Brandon, “I was never more glad to see anyone in my life.” Then to Jason, “You should have seen him, Jason. It was like a cavalry charge, with Brandon waving his pistol above his head, and Judith right behind him.”

Jason did not return her smile. He said to Brandon, “He was taking a chance, wasn’t he, with you and Judith on the beach, too? Or didn’t he know?”

“Ah, well, he wouldn’t.” Faint color tinted Brandon’s cheeks. “You see, I knew Judith meant to ride out to Haddo today to see Gwyn, and I thought the least I could do was offer her my escort. So, I left for Brighton early this morning. It was sheer chance that we decided to come to Haddo by the coast.”

“I see.” There was a pause as Jason digested this. “Did you get off a shot?”

“No. I mean, for all I knew, he might have been perfectly harmless. He wasn’t armed, as far as I could tell. It was only later, when we found Russell, that we realized that Gwyn had a narrow escape.”

“So you charged. Then what happened?”

“The blighter wheeled his horse around and took off like lightning. I gave chase, but I couldn’t keep up with him. He can ride like the wind. I’ll give him that.”

Jason regarded them for a long moment. Finally, he said, “What did this man look like? Would you know him if you saw him again?”

Brandon shrugged. “He was about my age.” He looked at Gwyn. “I really didn’t get a good look at him.”

Gwyn said, “I think I may have seen him before.”

Jason straightened. “Where? When?”

She moistened her lips. “In Brighton. Yesterday. When we went shopping. He was standing under an awning across the road from the milliner’s shop where we were trying on bonnets. But he was gone when we left the shop.”

“You said nothing to me,” said Brandon.

“I didn’t think it was important.”

Jason was outraged. “You went shopping in Brighton?”

Another look passed between Brandon and Gwyn. Brandon cleared his throat. “I didn’t see any harm in it.”

Gwyn said quickly, “I persuaded Brandon to take us. He was with us every moment, so we were quite safe. Jason, you must see I can’t spend my whole life cooped up like this. You might as well send me to prison.”

This wasn’t the time to read them the riot act. And whether he liked it or not, she had a point. They couldn’t go on living like this.

He said, “Gwyn, could it have been the man who attacked you in your own home? Harry?”

“I thought of that.” She shook her head. “But, no. This man was older, broader. Harry was, well, more noticeable. He had an air about him. This man was … I don’t know.” She looked at Brandon.

He shrugged. “I really didn’t get a good look at him.”

Jason breathed deeply. “Well, let’s see if Russell is up to answering a few questions.”

But the groom was no help at all. All he knew was that he was following Mrs. Barrie when his head exploded and he remembered nothing more till he awakened in old Mrs. Radley’s bedchamber.

Jason spent the next hour questioning all the grooms and groundsmen about a stranger who was hovering around the neighborhood, but no one knew anything. Later, secluded in his library, he went over everything that had been said and a picture began to form in his mind. The man on the bay horse had chosen his moment with care, the moment when Gwyn would be least protected. That meant he’d been watching her, biding his time before he struck. He must have known that Gwyn liked to go riding early in the morning. He’d known the route she would take, had known where to lie in wait. That Brandon and Judith had happened along was something he could not have foreseen.

It seemed inconceivable that someone could have been hanging around Haddo and no one the wiser. Someone must have seen something. He must have stayed somewhere close by, or with someone. The trouble was, he didn’t have the resources to go looking for this man.

One man or two? That was the question he kept asking himself. First there was Harry, then the man under the awning. If it was only one man, then he must be a master of disguise. An actor, perhaps? Or a man who knew all the tricks of an actor to change his appearance.

He hadn’t used his pistol and that was wise, because one shot would have brought all the grooms and groundsmen in Haddo converging upon him. He would have wanted to make a silent kill and get away before anyone was the wiser.

A silent kill. This time, he would have used a knife. Or smashed her skull.

Just thinking about it made the hair on the back of his neck begin to rise. He got up and began to pace.

This didn’t have the feel of a domestic intrigue where the players were known to each other. This had the feel of a conspiracy.

And he didn’t know how to start unraveling the puzzle.

Maybe that wasn’t the way to go about it. Maybe they should draw these scoundrels into the open. But the only way to do that was to set Gwyn up as a target.

And that was absolutely out of the question.

Fucking bitch! Fucking bitch!

The words drummed inside Harry’s head as his horse pounded up the incline to the downs. Only he wasn’t Harry now, he was Mr. Saunders, a horse dealer who had come into the area to buy stock for his fictitious master’s fictitious stud in Hampshire. He was making for the hostelry in Hove, only a mile along the coast, where he’d put up for the night. This was the long way round to reach his destination, but he wanted to make sure that he wasn’t being followed.

The blood in his veins seemed to pound in rhythm with his horses’ hooves. Last time, it had been a near miss and he’d felt exultant, the danger only adding to his excitement. This time it was different. The bitch was lucky. It didn’t matter how clever or how superior he was, luck played a part in it, and luck had been on her side.

When he entered his room at the Red Lion, he packed his few belongings, scanned the room to make sure he’d left nothing incriminating, then went down to pay his bill. He’d already told the landlord he’d be leaving this morning, so there would be no raising of eyebrows at his hasty departure. But he thought he’d be leaving in triumph.

He mustn’t lose his nerve. Luck was capricious, here today, gone tomorrow. And he had been lucky, too. He’d got away.

He was furious that she, a mere woman, had bested him. It was humiliating, but it wasn’t his fault. She’d had helpers.

God, he would make her pay. He would make them all pay. No one was going to laugh at him and get away with it.

She was sitting up in bed, her arms crossed under her breasts, when the door creaked open. Jason entered. He was dressed in a dark-blue dressing robe and held a candle in one hand.

He blew out the candle when he saw that there were several candles already lit. “I hope this means you were expecting me,” he said.

She resisted the smile calculated to melt the hardest feminine heart and said severely, “I want to talk to you.”

Jason laughed, closed the door, and padded over to the bed. “Talking is not what I had in mind,” he said, and kissed her. “We’ll talk later.”

“We’ll talk now.”

He looked at her expression, sighed, and sat on the edge of the bed. “Well?”

“You’ve been silent all evening. You’ve hardly said a word to me, or to anyone. You’re planning something, aren’t you? What is it?”

He captured one of her hands, turned it over and kissed the palm. “Gerry and Trish are leaving tomorrow.” He looked up at her. “I want you and Mark to go with them.”

She understood at once. “How will that stop them? If they found me at Haddo, they’ll find me in Norfolk.”

“This time, we won’t become complacent. You’ll be better guarded.”

“You mean, I’ll be in a more secure prison? For how long? A month? A year?”

He was silent for a long time. Finally, he said, “We have no choice.”

“Oh, Jason.” She looked at him despairingly. “You know that’s not true. There is a way to end this if we’re bold enough. We have to flush them out.”

His features hardened, his voice was harsh. “If you mean what I think you mean, the answer is no.”

“There’s no other way and you know it. It’s me they want. We have to do something. Set a trap. I don’t know. Something.”

“Gwyn, they want to kill you.”

“I know,” she said softly. “But you’ll stop them.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s too risky. We’re not dealing with one person.”

“Jason.” She lifted her shoulders. “I can’t go with Trish and Gerry. I’m a danger to whoever I’m with. I never thought of it at the time, but Brandon could have been killed trying to protect me today. You, Mark—I’m a danger to all of you.”

“Do you think I care about that? Do you think they do?”

His words warmed her, but they did not weaken her resolve. “We’ll go to London together. We can hide out there as well as anywhere. Mark can go with Trish and Gerry. He’d like that. We can tell Grandmother and Sophie that I have to see my solicitor … and we’ll go to Maitland. You said he wanted to question me. You were going there anyway, weren’t you?”

The wind whistled outside the windows; a coal cracked in the grate; candles flickered, dappling the room in a golden light.

“Yes,” he said.

“Then I’m coming with you.” When he would have spoken, she covered his lips with her fingers. “Whatever Maitland knows may mean more to me than to you. Perhaps it will jog my memory. I must know something. I must.”

“Let me think about it.”

“There’s nothing to think about. I’ve made up my mind.”

“Gwyn—”

“No! It’s settled. No more talk. Just love me.”

There was a moment when it looked as though he would argue with her, but he straightened and threw off his robe. He was brazen in his nakedness, brazen and beautiful, and hers for the taking.

She said hoarsely, “Don’t you own a nightshirt?”

“Dozens of ’em. But I won’t be wearing them to bed from now on. What would be the point?”

He climbed into bed and gathered her in his arms. “I just want to hold you,” he said, “and know that you’re all right.”

Her arms went around him, holding him close. Tears squeezed from under her lashes. No one had ever cherished her like this. No one. When she was in his arms, she believed that nothing and no one could ever harm her. She wanted to protect him, too. But life was fragile. That was reality. And she was so afraid.

His body moved on hers and she responded. There was no urgency. They touched, they kissed, they savored. Sighs became moans; their skin heated; their breath quickened. They drifted into passion as easily as a boat drifts with the tide.

When he entered her, their rhythm changed. The beat of their bodies became frantic. Tomorrow was a haze in the distance. All they had was now.

For some time afterward, as Gwyn lay curled against him in sleep, Jason lay awake, his mind churning with fear and doubt. Gwyn was right. If they had found her at Haddo, they would find her in Norfolk. There was no escaping them.

Rage tightened his throat. If only it was him they were after, he wouldn’t feel like this. He would take his chances. But to put Gwyn at risk was out of the question. But what choice did they have? She was at risk anyway.

It might come to that, but only as a last resort. They must have missed something, some clue that would point them in the right direction. They had to go over everything again, in meticulous detail. There must be something they had overlooked.

His thoughts drifted to Mark, the son he had found and who would now be taken away from him for his own safety. It was Gwyn they were after, not Mark. And what would happen to Mark if anything happened to him? What would happen to Gwyn?

He sat up and shook Gwyn awake.

She blinked rapidly and looked up at him. Something in his expression made her heart quicken. “What is it?”

“We have to marry at once. If anything happens to me, I want you and Mark to be well provided for.”

She gazed at him blankly for a long moment, then she pulled herself up. “Nothing is going to happen to you,” she said fiercely, “because we’re going to find them first.”

He smiled at this. “All the same, it would be one less thing for me to worry about. We were going to marry anyway. We’ll just do it sooner rather than later. That’s all.”

“Oh, Jason, what have I got you into?”

“Nothing I don’t want to be in.”

“Maybe Mark and I should just go away and start over where nobody knows me.”

His eyes darkened with sudden anger. “I might have something to say about that. I’m his father, remember?”

“I didn’t mean …”

“What did you mean?”

She put a hand lightly on his shoulder. “I wasn’t thinking. I would never try to keep you away from Mark.”

His expression softened. “I’ll keep you and Mark safe. I promise you, Gwyn.”

She nestled back on the pillows as she searched his face. Why, she asked herself, did men think they were the only ones who wanted to protect? The same instinct burned in her for those she loved. She wasn’t going to let him take any unnecessary risks just to save her.

“What is it, Gwyn? Why do you look at me like that?”

“I don’t want to think,” she said. “I don’t want to talk. I just want to forget. Make me forget, Jason. For a little while, make me forget.”

He chuckled softly, drew her into his arms and made love to her again.

Chapter 21

Richard Maitland walked into his office and nodded to the three men who were assembled there. He had just completed an assignment that had taken him to Oxford where a group of students, all members of a secret society, had been arrested for plotting to blow up the Houses of Parliament. A greater bunch of fools he had yet to meet. It had been easy to track them down. All he had to do was find the printer who had printed their seditious pamphlets, and one by one, they were rounded up.

Of course, there was no plot. They posed no danger to national security. They were playacting, like little boys playing war games. But it was a dangerous game. So he’d had them arrested and let them cool their heels in prison for a few days while he sent for their fathers—men of rank and privilege, every one of them. He’d put the fear of a traitor’s death into his plotters’ heads, and their fathers had done the rest, though much more ferociously than he.

They’d been sent down with no hope of ever returning to Oxford, and they were bloody lucky to get off so lightly.

But he was still seething. Every threat against national security, however frivolous, had to be investigated by him personally, and it used up valuable time. He’d had to turn the Johnny Rowland investigation over to Massie, his second-in-command, with all his notes on every aspect of the case. There had not been time to question Mrs. Barrie, and that was something he’d hoped to do himself. In fact, the hardest part of his job was to sit back and let others do all the investigating of the really interesting cases.

He wasn’t thinking of Johnny Rowland. He was thinking of Harry.

He took his seat behind his desk just as Lord Ivan smothered a yawn. “Dancing the night away, were you, Lord Ivan?” he asked politely.

Lord Ivan jerked to an upright position. “No, sir. I’ve been on the road this last week, tracking down guests who were at Sackville’s party. Some of them live outside London.”

“How far outside London?”

“Horsham. Windsor.”

Richard noted that Lord Ivan’s cheeks had turned pink, so he put a rein on his tongue. Lord Ivan’s social calendar was already a cause for snickering among the men. But to be fair to Lord Ivan, he tried hard. He was the third son, and younger sons had to find a source of income. Lord Ivan had chosen the army for his career, then transferred to Special Branch. But Richard sometimes wished that he had chosen the church or the law instead.

“And have they all been tracked down and interviewed, Lord Ivan?”

“All except Mrs. Barrie and her Radley cousins. Mr. Massie said I should leave them to you.”

“And I shall get onto it as soon as possible. Right. What progress, Massie?”

Massie’s memory for detail was phenomenal. He could spot an inconsistency that others missed, and that made him invaluable.

Massie said, “We knew that Rowland had quit his place of employment. We’ve found out since that he had another job waiting for him in Bristol and should have started it almost a week to the day after he was murdered. His friends say he was in some kind of trouble. Someone came around asking questions about him—no description that would help us though. But this is interesting. He had come into some money to help him start over, not a fortune, but enough to buy a new suit of clothes and a few luxuries. One other thing. When he handed in his notice, he told the porter at his place of work that he was going to put the boot to Mr. High-and-Mighty.”

“Mr. High-and-Mighty,” said Richard musingly. “Sounds like he had it in for his employer.”

“I thought of that,” said Massie, “but there was no quarrel there.”

“What about former employers?”

Landon said, “There’s quite a list. Johnny never stayed in one place for long. He was restless and got bored easily.”

“Could any of his employers fit the description of Mr. High-and-Mighty?”

“Several. I’ve made a start, but there’s quite a list to get through, and some of them live quite far away.”

Richard sat back in his chair. “How far away?”

“Ireland.”

“You went to Ireland!”

“No, sir. I thought I’d leave that to you.”

When everyone laughed, Richard shook his head and laughed with them. Landon hardly ever cracked a smile, though he had a ferocious sense of humor. He was in his thirties, had the face of a monk, and an unblinking stare that could make everyone feel guilty, whether they’d done anything wrong or not. And he was good at his job.

“What about the portrait?” asked Richard, and everyone groaned. “What did I say?”

Landon said, “There are portraits and miniatures aplenty in every house I’ve visited.”

“Same goes for me,” said Lord Ivan. “I can’t walk into a house now, but I’m looking at portraits on the walls. Do you know, in my father’s dining room alone, there are six full-size portraits and ten miniatures.”

More laughter.

Massie said, “Until we have more to go on, we’re not going to find the portrait, sir.”

Richard nodded. “Anything else?”

“We’ve saved the best for last,” said Massie. He nodded to Landon. “Go on, Landon.”

“There’s a girl,” said Landon. “We know that she spent nine nights at the Angel on Oxford Street, seven with Rowland, and another two after he was murdered. We think she was waiting for him, and when he didn’t turn up, she left.

“How did you find her?”

“The Angel was Rowland’s favorite watering hole. He’d registered the girl under the name of Mary Smith, but I doubt that’s her real name.”

“This gets more interesting by the minute,” said Richard. “Good work. Go on.”

“She kept pretty much to herself. Rowland told the landlord they were going to be married, but his friends find that hard to believe. They say that Johnny liked women, but no one special, except some girl in service who was more like a sister to him.”

“Who is she? Where does she work?”

Landon shook his head. “Johnny never told them her name. They were seen together on several occasions, and all he would say was that she was like a sister to him, and that they’d once been in service together.”

“Well,” said Richard, “we know she can’t work for Sackville. He only has footmen.” He thought for a moment, then went on, “Could this girl and Mary Smith be the same person?”

“It’s possible.”

“Did you get a description of her?”

“Yes, but it doesn’t help us much. She’s young, pretty, with fair hair and blue eyes. Half the young women in service fit that description.”

“Anything else?”

Landon referred to his notes. “When she left the Angel, she had to be helped with her bags.” He looked up at Richard. “If Mary Smith and this girl are the same person, you see what this means?”

Richard nodded.

“What does it mean?” asked Lord Ivan.

“It means,” said Landon, “that she’s either quit her job or been turned off. That’s why she had her bags with her. And when you think about it, it makes sense. Johnny had handed in his notice. Maybe the girl handed in her notice, too. Maybe they were both involved in whatever it was that got Johnny murdered. Maybe—”

“And maybe,” said Richard, “we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s keep an open mind until we make the connection. Any leads on where she went after she left the Angel?”

“The trail is stone cold.” Landon shrugged. “If we’d known about her from the start, we might have found the driver of the hackney who picked her up. As it is, no one remembers her.”

“What about the man who attacked Mrs. Barrie? Any leads?”

Massie shook his head. “We’re looking through old files.”

“Anything else?”

They talked back and forth, sharing information, speculating, and finally mapping out how they would proceed.

At the end of ten minutes, Richard said, “Let’s concentrate on finding the girl who was once in service with Johnny. Maybe she’s Johnny’s connection to Mr. High-and-Mighty. I want to know who she is and who she worked for.”

He stopped speaking when Harper entered and handed him a note. It was from Jason Radley and said simply that he was in Richard’s rooms in Jermyn Street and wished to discuss a matter of some urgency. After reading it, Richard got up. “Massie,” he said, “would you mind taking over? There’s something I have to see to at once. Gentlemen, let’s meet this evening and compare notes. Shall we say eight o’clock? Harper, come with me.”

Jason was the first to hear Richard’s step in the hall. He rose and greeted him as soon as the door to the parlor opened.

As they clasped hands, he said, “We decided to wait when your man told us you were back in town. They’ve found us, Richard, so there’s no point in us going to Half Moon Street or anywhere we’re known. I couldn’t leave Gwyn by herself, so I brought her with me.” He stepped to the side. “You remember my cousin, Mrs. Barrie?”

Gwyn was seated in front of the fire drinking tea and eating a piece of shortbread.

She’d known Richard was Scottish and hadn’t really formed an impression in her mind, but the gentleman who bent over her hand looked so typically English that she was mildly surprised. He was in his mid-thirties, of medium height and build; had fair hair, regular features, and eyes as blue and startling as a field of cornflowers.

“Mrs. Barrie,” he said. “I remember you very well. I’ll always be in your debt.”

Gwyn decided she liked his smile, and she liked his style, and she particularly liked the trace, a very faint trace, of Scotland in his accent. “I’m glad,” she said, “because, Mr. Maitland, we need your help.”

“I told you in Lisbon that I would always be yours to command.”

“And promptly rejoined your regiment.” She shook her head. “Not that I remember. But that’s what they all said, and that’s what they all did.”

They both laughed.

Jason shifted restlessly. “It was good of you to come as soon as you got my note.”

Richard dropped Gwyn’s hand. “You said it was urgent, and you don’t exaggerate. Besides, I wanted to see you, too. Can I get you something? Madeira? Coffee?”

“Your man has been most attentive,” said Gwyn.

“Good.” Richard waved Jason to a chair. “Now tell me what’s happened.”

“There’s been another attack on Gwyn,” said Jason.

Richard listened attentively as first Jason, then Gwyn, described the attack on her. He asked them a few questions on points that were unclear, but for the most part, he stared at his clasped hands and nodded encouragingly.

There was a silence, then Jason said, “Could it have been Harry?”

“I don’t think there’s any doubt about that.”

“But he looked so different,” protested Gwyn. “Older, broader.”

Richard replied, “I doubt that our man looks like Harry or the man on horseback. You’d be surprised how little it takes to change one’s appearance—different clothes, hair brushed back or forward; spectacles; a little powder and paint; a new personality.”

“Then it’s hopeless,” said Gwyn. “We’ll never find him.”

“I wouldn’t say that. But there’s one thing that puzzles me. Harry seems singularly inept. Two attempts on your life, Mrs. Barrie, and both attempts failed. I would have thought that our man would be the best that money can buy.”

Gwyn’s breath quickened. “He’s not inept. He’s cold and calculating and as bold as brass. Yes, he failed, but I don’t make the mistake of underrating him. The first time, he couldn’t have known that Jason would be in my house. Jason fell asleep. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t have been there. As for the second attempt, it was the same thing. No one knew that Brandon and Judith would be riding on the beach. It was sheer chance that saved me.”

Richard smiled. “Then all I can say is that you are singularly lucky, or our man’s luck is running out.”

“I hope so,” she said, visibly shivering. “I sincerely hope so.”

Jason said, “What did you mean when you said that you would have thought our man would be the best money can buy?”

Richard spoke as he reached for a piece of shortbread and began nibbling on it. “Something that Rowland told a friend. He said that he was going to put the boot to Mr. High-and-Mighty. I’m a long way from figuring things out, but I think this Mr. High-and-Mighty may be directing things. I think he may be a man of rank and wealth. The miniature incriminates him in some way, or there is something valuable hidden in it. He’s willing to kill to get it back and eliminate anyone who knows about it; so he has hired the best.”

“But …” Gwyn looked at Jason, who crossed to her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Why me?” she said. “I don’t know any man of rank and wealth.” A thought jolted her, and she went on, “Now if you had mentioned ladies of rank and wealth, that would be different. They’re volunteers at the library where I work, or they’re members. But I can’t say I know their husbands, except perhaps to nod to them.”

“I think,” said Richard, “we’re making progress. Perhaps you’d make a list for me?”

Then he went on to question her about friends, the library, her servants, her pupils and their parents, and a host of other topics that Gwyn did not think were relevant. By the time he was finished, she felt as though he’d removed her brain and examined it thoroughly before replacing it. Always, he came back to Harry, but she was of little help to him there.

Finally, he smiled and said, “Only one more question. Have you any knowledge of a maid or serving girl who lost her position from the home of one of these ladies of rank?”

“No.”

“Or any serving girl at all who lost her position or handed in her notice?”

“No. Who is she?”

“Just another piece of the puzzle. When we find her, I think our puzzle may be solved.” He looked at Jason. “I was hoping to meet your cousin Brandon.”

“He’s at Haddo,” said Jason. “Mark is there. We didn’t want to bring him to London, so Brandon is keeping an eye on him.”

These few words, thought Gwyn, told only a small part of the story. They’d hoped to send Mark to Norfolk with Trish and Gerry, but when he heard she was going to London with Jason, he wouldn’t hear of it. He’d clung to her hand and begged her not to send him away. She didn’t know who was more upset, Mark or herself. In the end, they’d reached a compromise. He could stay at Haddo where he was already happily settled with people he liked and trusted.

All they’d told Grandmother and Sophie was that she had to see her solicitor about the lease on her house, run a few errands, and they’d be back in a few days. Her last sight of Mark was of him clutching Grandmother Radley’s hand and waving good-bye as their carriage pulled away.

Richard looked at Jason. “Where are you staying?”

“Brandon’s rooms on Bond Street. It’s not the most secluded place, but it will do for a day or two until I can find a more suitable hiding place.”

“Bond Street. That’s only a five-minute walk from here. It’s a good choice. It’s not always the secluded places that are the safest.”

“But for how long will it be safe? This maniac seems to be one step behind us. How did he know to come looking for us at Haddo? Where is he getting his information?”

Richard spread his hands. “Maybe Mr. High-and-Mighty is feeding him information. I really don’t know. But we can take steps to tip the scales in our favor.”

He got up and went to the door. “Harper!” he bellowed.

A moment later, Harper entered.

“This is Sergeant Harper,” said Richard. “Mrs. Barrie, meet your bodyguard.”

“He’s done this sort of thing before.” Gwyn opened her eyes and looked at Jason. “I must have dozed off while I was waiting for you.”

“Who has done this sort of thing before?” asked Jason.

He glanced at Gwyn in the mirror above the washstand. She was propped against the pillows in Brandon’s indecently huge bed in his rooms in Bond Street, while he washed the day’s dust from his face and hands.

He’d spent the evening questioning servants at both his house in Half Moon Street and in Marylebone, trying to determine if they had noticed a stranger or a tradesman hanging around recently, but no one had. He’d then gone on to Sutton Row and questioned Gwyn’s neighbor, Mrs. Perkins. And at last, he’d struck lucky.

He’d arrived back at Brandon’s rooms a few minutes ago to find Harper bedded down in the parlor, and Gwyn asleep in Brandon’s bed. There were just the three of them, no servants who might inadvertently betray their hiding place. The fewer people who knew where they were the better.

“Harper,” Gwyn said. “He’s done this sort of thing before. There was a lady, Miss Abigail Vayle, who was pursued by an assassin and Harper was her bodyguard. It was almost a near miss, Harper said, because Miss Vayle wouldn’t do as she was told.” Her dimples flashed. “So naturally, I told him I wouldn’t put a foot wrong.”

He turned to face her. “Harper told you this?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t know the man could talk.”

“Maybe that’s because you’ve never spoken to him.”

He ignored the note of censure in her voice. “There must be more to it than that. What did you do to win him over? Offer him a bribe?”

“Well …”

One brow arched.

“He wanted to see if I could handle a pistol. And when he saw that I could clean and load it as well as any man, he became friendly, that’s all.”

“You like him, don’t you?”

“Sergeant Harper,” she said, “and men like him, are the salt of the earth. Or, at least, they’re the backbone of the army. Maybe they’re not brilliant conversationalists, maybe they don’t have pretty manners, but they’re the ones who get things done. Ask any officer.”

“And you discovered all this in the few hours I was away?”

“I discovered all this the moment I set eyes on him. I liked him on sight.”

“What? Harper?” He made a face.

“Yes, Harper.”

Jason shook his head, chuckled, and padded over to the bed.

She sat up straighter. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Coming to bed.”

“Keep your voice down. Harper will hear you.”

He kept his voice down. “He’s fast asleep, and I’m coming to bed.”

“Oh, no you’re not. Not this bed. Harper’s made up a bed for you in the parlor, right next to his, and that’s where you’re going to sleep. Jason, Harper would be shocked if you spent the night with me.”

“Harper,” he said, “can go to the devil.” When she glared at him, he went on in a more placating tone, “We’re going to be married just as soon as I get that special licence. Doesn’t that make a difference?”

“But we’re not married yet.”

He huffed, then tried a different tactic. “Don’t you want to know what I found out?”

“You found something out? Well, why didn’t you say so.” She patted the mattress beside her. “Sit down and tell me about it.”

When he climbed into bed, the bedropes squeaked and Gwyn sucked in a breath. She stared at the door as though she expected Harper to come charging through it.

“What in hell’s name?” Jason lifted a pillow and stared at the pistol concealed beneath it.

Gwyn said, “Harper said I’m to keep my pistol nearby at all times. And when I think of Harry, I need no persuasion. So, what did you find out?”

Jason set the pistol on the table beside the bed, and propped himself against the pillows next to Gwyn’s. “Your neighbor, Mrs. Perkins, told me that the night you went to Sackville’s party and she was looking after Mark, a young man came to your door and asked to speak with you.”

“A young man? Oh yes. I assumed he was sent by the landlord to look over the repairs.” She inhaled a breath. “That’s what I assumed when Harry showed up on Saturday morning. Jason, do you think it was Harry then, too?”

“I’m more inclined to think it was Johnny Rowland.”

“Johnny Rowland!” She shook her head. “But why?”

Leaning back comfortably, Jason crossed his arms behind his neck. “When he asked if he could wait, Mrs. Perkins told him that you were at Sackville’s party and wouldn’t be home till very late. If it had been Harry, I think he would have come back that same night.” He turned his head and looked at her, then gathered her in his arms. “Don’t look so frightened,” he said. “This means we’re getting somewhere. Johnny Rowland must have been—” he discarded the word desperate, “—determined to speak to you. And that’s why he went to Sackville’s party. I think he wanted to talk to you about the portrait.”

She shivered. “But I don’t know anything about a portrait. Oh, why on earth did we come back to London? I thought Maitland would have found out a lot more than he has. I thought, when he questioned me, he would find something that would lead him to Harry.” She looked up at Jason. “How long is this going to go on? How long before I can see my son again? You don’t seem to understand. Mark and I have never been separated. He’s not like other boys. He’s fearful, and … and he doesn’t like to be left with strangers.”

He cupped her chin in one hand. “What’s this about Mark? I don’t think he’s fearful.”

“You don’t?”

“No.”

“You don’t think he depends on me too much? That I’ve made him that way?”

“You have nothing to feel guilty about. You’ve raised a fine boy. So he cried when we left, but he’s only seven years old. Gwyn, that’s how seven-year-old boys behave. And considering who his father and uncle were, I think it’s a miracle Mark is as sane as he is. I bet he is as happy as a lark right now. He has his pony. He has Brandon. And there’s Brandon’s curricle. Gwyn, he’ll hardly spare us a thought.”

“Jason?”

“What?”

Emotion thickened her throat. She tried to speak but no words came. She shook her head.

“Gwyn, what is it?” he asked urgently. He felt her fear in every pore of his body.

She finally got the words out. “I … want … my life … back,” she said. “I want a future with you and Mark. And I swear to God, I shall never, never worry about little things again.”

“Ah, Gwyn. We’re going to have that future. Believe me.” Then more fiercely. “Believe me!”

His hand settled on the curve of her neck, and he drew her head up for his kiss. Beneath his fingertips, he could feel her pulse quicken, and an answering beat began in his own blood. He shifted slightly and her body went pliant beneath his.

Emotion tightened his chest. She was small made and fragile. Her strength was no match for his, or for any man’s, yet a maniac had been set loose to snuff out her life. Something close to panic gripped his throat and his whole body trembled. He had promised he would keep her safe. He would lay down his life for her. But he didn’t know how to fight a nameless, faceless adversary.

His kisses became wilder; the arms around her became like bonds of steel. She made a small movement to free herself, which he ignored. But when she felt his hand tremble as he cupped her face, knowledge and memory fused in her mind. He’d made love to her like this once before, in the fishermen’s hut, the night George died. He needed her, needed this. She wasn’t afraid. Just as she’d done then, she wrapped her arms around him and offered the consolation of her body for all the turbulent emotions that raged inside him.

He swept her nightgown to her waist and undid the closure on his trousers. Spreading her thighs, he guided his sex to the entrance of her body and pushed into her. Gasping now, he reared over her and took her in swift, violent strokes. Her body arched and tightened. When she began to shudder as the pleasure overcame her, his control shattered and he poured into her, flooding her body with his seed.

A long time later, when he could move, he pulled back so that he could see her expression. She looked stricken.

His voice was husky. “Did I hurt you? Did I frighten you?”

She shook her head.

“Then what is it?”

“Harper,” she whispered. “Stop laughing. Get off me. Oh, how can I ever face him again?”

He rolled from her, and the bed creaked. He sat up, and the bed creaked. Every time the bed creaked, Gwyn winced.

“I thought,” he said, “you weren’t going to worry about little things?”

She was, he thought, adorable, and never more so than when she hit him with a pillow and pointed to the door.

With a big smile on his face, he gave her a lingering kiss, then adjusted his clothes, snatched up his coat, and went to join Harper in the parlor.

Chapter 22

If Harper told her one more time, thought Gwyn, that he’d slept like a log, she would scream. Of course, he was saying it to make her feel better, but she would feel better if he didn’t say anything at all. She knew that he knew that Jason had shared her bed last night, because the cursed bed had sung like a church organ on Easter morning, and Harper was a seasoned soldier, the type who slept with one eye and two ears open. If a feather had fallen on the carpet, he would have heard it.

Harper said, “I feels real rested this morning.” He stretched his arms above his head. “I can’t remember when I had such a good night’s rest. Must have been the hot toddie I drank afore I bedded down for the night.”

To cover her awkwardness and for want of something to do, Gwyn had opened one of her traveling boxes, removed the contents, and was now repacking it. Jason had left some time ago to see Richard Maitland and give him the list of names he’d asked for, as well as the information about Johnny Rowland; then he was going to procure a special licence and visit Armstrong and make him tell him who the donor of the legacy was. When he returned, they were leaving Brandon’s rooms for something that wasn’t quite so cramped; perhaps, the Marylebone house. On thinking it over, he’d come to see that it was as safe as anywhere, safer, in fact, because the assassin—that’s what they were calling Harry now, the assassin—would have discovered that they’d been there and left. He wouldn’t be expecting them to return.

Assassin. Just thinking what that meant made her tremble. It seemed incredible. She was a nobody. Why would anyone want to kill her? But it was true. She’d been attacked twice and now more and more threads that connected her to the case were becoming visible: Johnny Rowland, Sackville, Mr. High-and-Mighty, and possibly the library where she worked.

This last thought passed through her mind just as she folded the ill-fated blue coat that Gracie had left in the library, the coat that seemed to be following Gwyn from one house to the next. This was Maddie’s doing. Maddie was still hoping that Gwyn would succumb to temptation and wear the coat. That’s why she kept packing it.

Gwyn sat back on her heels and stared at the coat. It was a little over two weeks since Gracie had left her beautiful coat at the library, and Gwyn didn’t know when she would ever get it back. The library would be open by now. Maybe Gracie had gone there to look for it, or maybe she’d discovered Gwyn’s address and gone to Sutton Row. Much as she wanted Gracie to have her coat back, it was too risky for her to show her face in either place. Gracie would just have to wait a little while longer.

She ran her hands over the velvety nap. She fingered the buttons with their distinctive acorn design. It puzzled her how someone like Gracie could own such a superior garment. Her brow puckered. Gracie, the library, the coat—were these more threads or just the fancies of her fevered imagination?

She experienced a sudden and startling sense of urgency. Gracie was in some kind of trouble. That’s why she’d run from the library. Maybe Harry was after her, too.

The idea was bizarre. She was overwrought. Gracie was in no danger. But these rational thoughts did not quell her alarm.

Quickly rising, she unfolded the coat and went through the pockets and lining just as she’d done before, but this time more thoroughly. There was nothing.

“What are you doing?” asked Harper.

She looked up at him. “This coat,” she said, “was left at the library where I work, and the young woman who left it took mine instead. One of the maids at Haddo said something—” She frowned down at the coat as she tried to recall exactly what Maddie said. “It has to do with the buttons,” said Gwyn. “Only one dressmaker in London uses these distinctive jet buttons, and that’s some French dressmaker right here on Bond Street.”

“There’s a dressmaker’s shop across the road.” Harper walked to the window and looked out.

“Can you see the name of the shop?”

Harper hesitated, then said slowly, “Carryher, Mantua Maker.”

Gwyn jumped up and ran to the window. “Carrière,” she said. Her eyes shone. “That’s it, Harper! That’s where Gracie got this coat!”

If anyone had to be her bodyguard, thought Gwyn, she was glad it was this slightly battered veteran of the Peninsular campaign, with his solid body and unfriendly scowl. He wasn’t handsome, he didn’t say much, and his dark coat and beige breeches had never seen the hand of a smart London tailor, but to someone like herself, who had seen the best and worst that the British army had to offer, he inspired confidence.

He stayed close to her side as they crossed the road. He hadn’t been exactly enthusiastic about leaving the house, but her anxiety, coupled with the fact that the shop was directly opposite and they could be there and back in five minutes, had finally persuaded him to give his consent. But just to be on the safe side, he’d tucked his pistol into the waistband of his trousers, and admonished her to do likewise. She wasn’t using Nigel’s pistol now. Harper had supplied her with something smaller, something more easily concealed, and it was tucked into her reticule.

A bell rang as they pushed open the door, and a young woman in mauve slowly rose from behind the counter. On every side, laid out on shelves, were rolls of material—gauzes, silks, velvets, twills—adding brilliant color to the subdued interior that was tastefully decorated in shades of gray and white. There were several alcoves, and in each was displayed a sample of Madame Carrière’s work. It was obvious to Gwyn that Madame’s customers must have money to burn, and they would be burning money in plenty with Princess Charlotte’s wedding coming up.

She took a quick impression of the young woman in mauve. They were about the same age, but this young woman had the presence of an actress on stage. Her smile was a little too artificial.

As Gwyn crossed to the counter, Harper positioned himself just inside the door. There were no other customers in the front of the shop, though girlish laughter and the deeper tones of an older woman drifted out from the back.

The girl behind the counter smiled at Gwyn. “Madame wishes to make an appointment?” Her French accent was so thick Gwyn wondered if it was real.

“No,” said Gwyn. “I want to find the owner of this coat. It was left at the Ladies’ Library in Soho Square about two weeks ago, and I was told that it could only be the work of Madame Carrière.”

Gwyn was aware of the young woman’s close scrutiny. She would know just by looking, thought Gwyn wryly, that she wasn’t a prospective customer. Her green pelisse and straw bonnet were presentable, but hardly up to Madame Carrière’s standards.

Whatever the young woman saw made a remarkable difference in her. The affected manner, as well as the French accent, vanished. She smiled, took the coat from Gwyn, nodded and said, “I remember this coat very well. It was made for Miss Gracie Cummings of Heath Cottage, Myrtle Lane, Hampstead.”

Gwyn could hardly believe it was this simple. Her eyes flashed to Harper. He nodded and almost smiled. Gwyn turned back to the girl. “Do you remember this well all your customers and where they live?”

The girl laughed. “No. But my name is Myrtle so the address stuck in my mind. Besides, we have a record of all our customers’ addresses, you know,” she winked at Gwyn, “in case we have to send the duns after them to get our money. And you’d be surprised how often we have to do that. But Gracie, well, she was special. That’s why I remember her.”

Gwyn’s heart was beating very fast. “How was she special?”

A look of suspicion crossed the young woman’s face. “I think I’ve told you enough already. At Madame Carrière’s, we’re not allowed to gossip about our customers.”

“Oh, but …” Gwyn hesitated, unsure of how to explain her interest in Gracie.

Harper saw her difficulty and sauntered over. Bracing his weight with one elbow on the counter, he cracked a smile and said, “Sergeant Harper of the Bow Street Office at your service, Miss—?”

The young woman blinked, then sucked in a breath as enlightenment dawned. “You’re a Bow Street runner?”

“I am,” replied Harper, without batting an eyelash at this blatant untruth. “What’s your full name, miss?”

“Myrtle. Myrtle Evans. Has something happened to Gracie?”

“Why do you say that, Myrtle?”

She shrugged helplessly and glanced from Gwyn to Harper. “It was a funny business all round. I mean, odd, you know? Gracie and her ladyship seemed excited, but at the same time they were, well, fearful, always looking out the window, you know what I mean? And then there’s the address, a cottage in Hampstead. No lady who can afford our clothes lives in a cottage, does she? No, she lives in a fine house in town. And her carriage was waiting for her, and footmen, right outside the door. A very funny business, I thought.”

When Harper would have said something, Gwyn put a cautionary hand on his arm.

Myrtle leaned toward Harper and lowered her voice. “And her ladyship paid for everything in gold coin. Doesn’t that strike you as odd?”

Harper nodded.

“And,” Myrtle went on, “her ladyship didn’t order anything for herself, only for Gracie.”

When it seemed that Myrtle had nothing more to add, Gwyn said, “What was her ladyship’s name?”

“Brand, or something like that. Let me check.”

Myrtle reached under the counter and produced a thick black ledger. After skimming through the pages, she found what she wanted. She looked up at Gwyn. “Lady Mary Bryant,” she said.

An ice-cold fist seemed to squeeze Gwyn’s heart. “Bryant?” she said faintly. “I know that name.”

Harper said, “How old was this Lady Bryant?”

“I couldn’t say. Well, I’m not good with ages. And she was wearing a veil. I don’t really know.”

They turned when a heavily-accented voice called out from behind the curtain. “Miss Ev … ong?”

Myrtle rolled her eyes. “Mrs. Carrie. She’d better not find you here, Sergeant Harper. A Bow Street runner would frighten all our customers away.” She shook her head. “I hope you find Gracie. She was such a nice girl, not at all like some I could name.”

“Miss Eve … ong? The voice was more strident. “In the fitting room, s’il vous plaît.”

Myrtle squared her shoulders. “Coming, Madame Carrière.”

When they were outside the shop, Harper said, “Well, that was interesting.” His eyes, ever watchful, scanned pedestrians and passing carriages. “I think my chief will want to interview both Miss Evans and Mrs. Carryher.”

Gwyn put her hand on his arm to bring his gaze to her. “Harper,” she said, “we can’t leave things like this. It could be hours before Mr. Radley gets back. He has to talk to Colonel Maitland, then find a cleric who can issue a special licence, then he’s going out to Marylebone to make sure the house is safe for our return.”

“So?” said Harper. He was frowning again.

Gwyn touched a hand to her bosom. “I have an awful feeling inside me, Harper. I think that something may have happened to Gracie and her ladyship. Don’t ask me how I know. I’m like Myrtle. I can feel it, that’s all.”

He regarded her steadily for a long time then, sighing, said, “You want to go to Hampstead?”

Gwyn nodded.

“You know she may have given a false address?”

“That’s what we have to find out.”

Gwyn didn’t see why they couldn’t simply leave a note for Jason propped up on the mantelpiece, but that suggestion appalled Harper. Anyone could find it and read it, he said. So he gave the note to their landlady with strict instructions to give it to no one but Mr. Radley. And to add weight to his words, Harper tossed in a threat. If Mrs. Bodley were so incautious as to give it to anyone else, she’d be charged with treason. Far from frightening Mrs. Bodley, Harper’s threat made her eyes glow with patriotism. She still seemed to think they were at war with the French. Then they hired a hackney to take them out to the village of Hampstead, only a short drive away.

They were both quiet on the drive out. Gwyn was completely absorbed in her own thoughts, and Harper was absorbed by thoughts of her. From time to time, he patted her hand awkwardly. Gwyn scarcely noticed. The name Bryant rattled inside her head, just like the hackney was rattling over cobblestones, jarring her, making it impossible for her to think straight. But one thing she knew for certain was that she’d heard the name Bryant before. In the reference room of the Ladies’ Library, there was a box of Williard Bryant’s sketches and designs for Rosemount’s gardens.

Gwyn didn’t believe in coincidences anymore.

When their cab left London and the cobblestones behind, she turned her thoughts to Gracie, and the one and only time they had met. She’d liked her. Just like Myrtle, she’d taken a liking to Gracie, though she couldn’t have been with her more than four or five minutes. The girl had been fearful, and she’d assumed that she was a young married woman trying to escape a cruel husband. But that wasn’t the picture that was forming in her mind now. Her ladyship seemed to fill the role of Gracie’s employer. She’d paid for Gracie’s coat. And her ladyship had worn a veil. So she’d wanted to keep her identity a secret. Why? Who was she?

Gwyn searched her mind, trying to remember her conversation with Gracie. She talks about you all the time. Her ladyship, I mean. You have a son, don’t you, called Mark?

She’d thought Gracie was talking about Lady Octavia and that had surprised her, because Lady Octavia could never remember Mark’s name. But what if Gracie had been referring to this other lady, Lady Mary Bryant?

What did it mean?

The more she discovered, Gwyn thought despairingly, the more confused she became.

Gracie’s voice, husky and fearful, flitted into her mind. You don’t know him, miss. He’ll do anything to stop me.

Mr. High-and-Mighty?

Her blood chilled. So much time had passed. So much time.

They paid off their driver at the top of Myrtle Lane and waited until he’d driven away. As Harper explained it, a waiting coach would only arouse curiosity, and they could hire another in the village after their business was done.

It was a glorious afternoon, almost like summer, and the heat of the sun dried the rain-soaked leaves and grass, scenting the air with the fresh smell of woodlands and pastures. The swallows had returned and were out in force, diving and circling overhead in a wild dervish. Along the dry stone walls that formed the lane, wild flowers grew in profusion.

Gwyn’s eyes were fixed on the horizon. Hampstead Heath, the vast parkland of a once gracious manor, was spread out before them like one of Constable’s landscapes.

There was only one cottage in Myrtle Lane, and it was right at the edge of the heath. Gwyn remembered something Richard Maitland had said, words to the effect that a secluded hiding place wasn’t always the safest place to hide. This house wasn’t secluded. It was isolated.

Gracie’s blue coat was still folded over her arm, and she smoothed out a wrinkle.

As though it mattered.

“Ready?” said Harper.

She had to swallow before she could meet his eyes. “Ready,” she said.

The cottage was smaller than she’d anticipated, only a one-storey building, but it was well cared for, with fresh paint on the trim and a thatched roof that looked fairly new to her inexperienced eye. But it had the neglected air of a place that had been abandoned. It must have had an acre of pasture and gardens, but these were a sad contrast to the house. The grass was overgrown; autumn leaves still littered the ground; the heads of withered flowers—hyacinths, primroses, daffodils—drooped forlornly on their stems.

Harper drew his pistol. At a nod from him, she used the knocker, but they weren’t surprised when no one answered the door. At another nod from Harper, she turned the door handle and the door swung open.

“Stay behind me,” ordered Harper, and he stepped over the threshold.

Gwyn’s nerves were stretched taut as she entered the hallway. As an army wife, she knew the smell of putrefying flesh. The battlefields of Spain had been a harsh teacher. She inhaled slowly, then let out a shaken breath. There was no odor of putrefying flesh in this house.

Harper heard that relieved breath and his eyes crinkled at the corners. He’d feared the worst and he, too, was relieved.

“Where’s your pistol?” he asked.

She dug in her reticule and produced her pistol. “Right here.”

“Why are you hanging on to that coat? Here, give it to me.”

He hung the coat on a hook by the door and motioned her to stay where she was. The two doors on the inside of the entrance were open. He entered first one, then the other, and after shaking his head made for the back of the house. A few minutes later, he returned.

“Someone’s been here,” he said, “and they’ve turned the place upside down. Stay here and I’ll take a look outside.”

When Harper went outside, she cautiously entered the room on her right. Though it was sparsely furnished, it was obviously the parlor. Dust lay thick on every surface. Every drawer and door was opened, and the contents of cupboards thrown on the floor. She saw lace doilies, and cushions that had been ripped apart, and reels of thread. She left the parlor and entered the room opposite, a bedchamber. The same frenzied disarray was apparent here, too. Moving quickly now, Gwyn went to the back of the house. She found another, smaller bedchamber that had been ransacked as well.

The last room in the house was the kitchen, and though the drawers had been left open, it was relatively untouched. The first thing she noticed was the black umbrella, unfurled, and set out on the hearth to dry. There was nothing unusual about that umbrella. It could have belonged to anyone in England, but she knew, she knew, it was Gracie’s, and that she’d last seen it in the office of the Ladies’ Library.

Her eyes strayed to the table. Someone, evidently, had been interrupted in the middle of a meal. She walked over and studied everything in detail. There was a mug that was rimmed with tea leaves and mold. She didn’t lift the lid of the teapot because she was beginning to feel queasy. There was a loaf of blackened bread that had two slices cut from it. She didn’t look at it too closely either after something scurried across the kitchen floor and disappeared under a cupboard. She saw mouse droppings on the table, and there was a candle that had burned all the way down in its candleholder and drowned in its own wax. And last but not least, there was a sheet of paper that was crumpled and stained. Gwyn picked it up. She recognized it at once. It was the program for the Open House at the Ladies’ Library.

Her pulse was racing now. She returned first to one bedchamber then the other. One thought possessed her mind. She was looking for her own blue coat. It was nowhere to be found. But she found something she’d missed before. On a hook, on the back of the door of the smaller bedchamber, was a bonnet just like the one Gracie had worn to the Open House.

She returned to the kitchen, and tried to imagine exactly what had taken place the night the cottage had been abandoned. Gracie would have come in the front door and locked it. She would have come to the kitchen first to light a candle.

But what if Gracie had come home in the middle of the afternoon? Gwyn shook her head. Then the umbrella would have dried out before she lit the candle and she would have put it away. So the umbrella was wet when Gracie came home and she’d put it in front of the fire to dry. She’d lit the candle, then the fire. She’d removed her bonnet, but the house was still too cold to remove her coat, so she’d kept it on while she made herself a pot of tea.

Then what?

Then Harry had come calling. She was sure of it.

Chills ran up and down her spine, and she made a supreme effort to concentrate on the clues Gracie had left her. The candle was in the kitchen, so that’s where Gracie must have been when Harry knocked on the door.

Her eyes strayed to the door. It was so like the attack in her own home that the hair on her neck began to rise. She saw Harry standing there with his wicked grin and his devilish air. How had Gracie managed to get away from him? Gracie wouldn’t have had a pistol.

Slow down, Gwyn told herself. Start over.

Gracie was drinking tea and cutting herself a slice of bread when Harry knocked on the door. She must have been very sure of who was knocking on that door before she went to open it. So she’d jumped up … But it wasn’t the person she was expecting.

And the knife was still in her hand.

Where was the knife now? It wasn’t on the table, or anywhere that Gwyn could see. As though she were Gracie holding a knife in her hand, she backed away from the man who had entered her kitchen. She retreated slowly, then she was through the door and racing down the hall to the front door.

It didn’t work. Harry would have caught her as she tried to unlock the front door. Gwyn returned to the kitchen and started over. How could Gracie have slowed him down?

She’d used the knife, of course. Then she’d turned and run.

She was Gracie, and she was running the race of her life. She opened the front door and burst into the sunlight. “Harper!” she screamed. “Harper!”

He was a good fifty yards away, crouched down on the grass, examining something under a bush.

Then she knew.

“Gracie!” she moaned “Gracie!”

Harper was on his feet and coming toward her. “Keep back!” he shouted.

She kept running toward him, her pistol clutched to her breast like a sickly babe. She could smell it now, the nauseating stench of decay, but it didn’t stop her. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Oh, Gracie! Oh, Gracie! Gracie!

She fought Harper off, then she saw it. Not a person. Not a body. Just a seething mass of maggots intertwined with scraps of material, and a woman’s hair spread out on the bloody leaves.

Harper wrestled her back, and as she sank to her knees, she dropped her pistol, and her stomach began to heave. She heard something, but she didn’t pay attention.

Harper said, “Mr. Radley, I’m right glad to see you, sir.”

Jason’s voice was savage in its anger. “What in hell’s name do you two think …” His words died when he looked at Gwyn.

Blinking through tears, she gazed up at him.

“It’s Gracie,” said Harper. “She’s been murdered.”

“No!” cried Gwyn.

Jason crouched down beside her and steadied her with his hands clasped on her arms. “What is it, Gwyn?”

She said, “I don’t know who that poor wretch is, but it’s not Gracie. Gracie was wearing my blue coat and her hair is blond.”

Harper answered Jason’s silent question. “This woman, if it is a woman, has black hair and was dressed in brown.”

“Gracie got away from him!” she cried “She got away from him!”

Chapter 23

Harper wanted them out of the way before he made his report to the local authorities. He was an officer of the law. They wouldn’t hold him for questioning, but there was no saying what they would make of Mrs. Barrie’s story, so it was best not to tell them anything at all. He didn’t want them to leave. They should wait for him in that nice little hostelry they’d passed at the edge of the village.

Jason, with the same caution Harper had shown, had paid off his hackney, but it was an easy walk to the inn, and half an hour later Jason and Gwyn were in an upstairs private parlor of the Stag, in Hampstead’s High Street.

Gracie’s blue coat was still in Gwyn’s possession. She laid it over the back of a chair, removed her own pelisse and bonnet, and sat down at the table like someone who was under the influence of a powerful sedative.

Jason’s mind was teeming with questions, but he realized that Gwyn was in shock and needed time to come to herself. He’d ordered sandwiches and coffee, and had already procured glasses and a bottle of brandy. He quickly poured a double measure of brandy into one of the glasses and set it to Gwyn’s lips.

“I’ve been so stupid,” she said.

“Drink!”

She drank, not in small sips, but greedily, before she understood what was in the glass, and in the next instant she was coughing, spluttering, and gasping for breath. Jason whacked her on the back and she sucked air into her lungs.

“You idiot!” she snapped when she could breathe again.

He pulled a chair closer to hers, seated himself, and grinned. The color was coming back into her cheeks; her eyes were stormy. The brandy was having the desired effect.

“More,” he said.

She took the glass from him and sipped delicately. He waited with raised brows. She obediently took another sip, then another, but the eyes that glared at him over the rim of her glass were anything but obedient.

When he thought she’d had enough, he poured himself a neat shot of brandy and demolished it in two swallows. “Not a pretty sight,” he said, remembering the seething hordes of maggots devouring their prey.

The fight went out of her eyes. “No. One never gets used to it.”

He was amazed. “You’ve seen sights like that before?”

This time, she didn’t have to be prompted to sip her brandy. She took a healthy swallow and nodded. “War isn’t pretty. But I never thought I’d see a sight like that in England. That poor woman.”

He thought of the letters she’d sent to Trish, and the amusing anecdotes she’d told. Life with the army, at least for the wives, was just one big party. He wished, with his whole heart, that he could move the clock back so that he could make sure nothing ugly had ever touched her.

“But it wasn’t Gracie,” she said.

“Then who was it? Do you know?”

“I think it was Lady Mary Bryant, only, I don’t think that’s her real name, not now. It’s so bizarre, I don’t know if you’ll believe me. I’m not sure that I believe it myself.”

Harper had told him as much as he knew, about the coat that had been left in the library by a young woman named Gracie—a name that Gwyn had never mentioned to him—and about the sales assistant who had given them Gracie’s address. Looking at Gwyn now, he decided to defer his questions and let her tell her story in her own way.

“Bryant,” she said. “That’s what made me think of Lady Mary.”

“Lady Mary?”

“Lady Mary Gerrard. Do you know her?”

“I know her husband. I don’t know him well, but he seems affable enough. I’ve met him in my clubs. He’s well liked.”

Her voice was hard-edged. “He’s affable to men he considers his equal. To everyone else he’s a quick-tempered tyrant.”

He was taken aback by her vehemence. “As I said, I don’t know him well.”

She stared at him hard, nodded, and somewhat mollified, went on, “Lady Mary’s gardens at Rosemount were designed by a landscape gardener named Williard Bryant. Some time ago—I can’t remember when exactly—she brought a box of his sketches and designs to the library. They’re still there. But we haven’t seen Lady Mary for more than a month. She’s supposed to be suffering from some kind of dementia. Are you following me so far?”

“I think so, except that I don’t see what this has to do with Gracie.”

She took another sip of brandy. “The coat was bought for Gracie by an older lady named Lady Mary Bryant. That’s what the salesgirl told us. I don’t know. It all seemed to come together in my mind—Maitland mentioned Mr. High-and-Mighty, and I made a list for him of all the ladies of rank who came to the library—Lady Mary’s name is on that list—then there was Gracie. I thought she was hiding from her husband, and Jason, she was truly terrified. But now I think she was running from Mr. High-and-Mighty, too. Don’t you understand? Lady Mary Bryant and Lady Mary Gerrard are one and the same person. Gracie is her maid.”

She was becoming impatient with him, because what was as clear as day to her was obviously confusing him. She tried again. “I think Mr. High-and-Mighty is Hugo Gerrard. And I think Lady Mary assumed a new name and went into hiding.”

“You’re assuming a great deal, aren’t you, on the strength of the name Bryant? It’s not that uncommon.”

“Maybe not. But I think Lady Mary was in love with Williard Bryant once, so when she was thinking of a false name, it came naturally to her mind. When she spoke of him, there was always a wistful quality to her voice. He died very young, she said, before his promise was fulfilled.”

She thought for a moment or two, then went on, “Something must have gone wrong, I don’t know what. So Gracie came to the Ladies’ Library looking for help. It was Lady Octavia she wanted to see. I think she hoped Lady Octavia could do something to help her mistress.” She couldn’t go on.

“Whom you liked very much,” he said quietly.

“Yes,” she said, her voice cracking. “When she first came to the library, she was very timid, but she gained in confidence with every visit. A bond formed between us. She knew that my marriage had been anything but happy. I didn’t say much. I didn’t have to. It was the same with her. But we both knew we’d been victims of brutal men.”

Her whole expression hardened. “I detested her husband. Not that I ever met him, but the other ladies told me he was a brute, and I could see for myself what he’d done to Lady Mary. I don’t think she had much stamina to begin with, and Gerrard wasn’t easy to take on. The only one among us with the nerve to stand up to him was Lady Octavia. Some of the ladies and I went to call on Lady Mary and the butler turned us away at the door. But Lady Octavia refused to be turned away. She stormed the house and insisted on seeing Lady Mary. Not that it did any good. She said that Lady Mary had suffered some sort of breakdown.”

“Why,” he asked thoughtfully, “didn’t Gracie ask you to help?”

She gave a short laugh. “Obviously, because Lady Octavia is the bravest of us all. Gracie must have known that. Oh, Jason, you should see Lady Octavia when her righteous fury is roused. She’s magnificent. The rest of us are cowards.

He smiled, and reaching out, clasped her hand. “I want you to know,” he said slowly and seriously, “that I deeply regret my uncalled for and totally erroneous remarks about Lady Octavia and her volunteers at the library. I mean it, Gwyn. I have nothing but admiration for you all.” Then, as her eyes filled with tears, in a different tone, he went on, “And I don’t believe for one minute that Gracie thought you were a coward. Good grief, Gwyn, how many women would stand up to the maniac who attacked you like you did? You are, without doubt, one of the bravest women I know.”

“Don’t go putting me on a pedestal, Jason. I was terrified. I’m still terrified.”

“That makes two of us.”

His remark won a smile from her, but it was fleeting.

He saw that his glass was empty and setting it aside, got up. He went to the window, opened it, and stared down at High Street. He hardly noticed the bustle of carriages and pedestrians outside. He was thinking of the body in the grounds of Heath Cottage and his rage sharpened to a razor’s edge. It could have been Gwyn lying there. It could have been Gwyn.

He turned abruptly from the window when there was a knock at the door. He almost smiled when he saw Gwyn, as cool as ice, reach into her reticule and produce her pistol. She got up and motioned for him to answer the door. As he expected, it was only a serving girl with the coffee and sandwiches. Gwyn hid the pistol in the folds of her gown as the girl entered and put the tray on the table. When they were alone, she set her pistol on the table, within arm’s reach.

“I know,” she said, watching him watching her. “It may seem far-fetched, but Harper would lose all faith in me if I didn’t follow his instructions to the letter.”

“I don’t think it’s far-fetched,” he said, and to prove it, withdrew his own pistol from his coat pocket and set it on the table.

They both smiled. He offered her a sandwich and took one himself. She had almost put it to her lips when her throat suddenly tightened.

“I can’t eat this,” she said hoarsely. “It would choke me.”

He looked at his own sandwich. Beefsteak. Rare. He had a vision of seething maggots and he swallowed hard. “Coffee?” he asked.

“I’ll pour.”

After taking a few swallows of coffee, Jason said, “So let’s assume you’re right about everything. We’re still no closer to finding the portrait.”

“Maybe Harry found it in the cottage and gave it to Gerrard.”

“The timing is wrong. The body in the gardens is at least ten days old, maybe longer.”

“She was murdered the same night as our Open House,” said Gwyn, remembering the umbrella and the programme.

“There you are then. Harry attacked you two days ago. That doesn’t sound to me as though Mr. High-and-Mighty has got his portrait back.”

“Gerrard!” she said emphatically. “Don’t call him Mr. High-and-Mighty when we know his name. Or don’t you believe me?”

He spoke in a placating tone. “Gwyn, it’s all very circumstantial. Lady Mary never mentioned a portrait to you, did she?”

“No.” Her shoulders slumped. “All she ever gave me was that box of Bryant’s sketches, and there is no portrait in that box.”

She lifted her head and their eyes locked.

Gwyn said slowly, “But I wasn’t looking for a portrait. I didn’t examine the box.”

“Then maybe we should take a closer look at it.”

Gwyn got up suddenly and went to the window. “Where is Harper? What’s keeping him?”

“We haven’t been here long.”

“No. But now that you’ve put the idea of that box in my head, I want to go through it and see if I missed something.”

“Do you have a key to the library?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. It’s in my reticule.”

She walked back to the table and picked up her reticule. It took her a moment or two to find the key. “I open the library three mornings a week,” she said. “Another helper opens it on the other three mornings. I never let the key out of my sight.”

She held up the key.

“Good, then we’ll go to the library and collect the box before we go on to the house in Marylebone.”

She sat down at the table again. “We’re not going back to Brandon’s rooms first?”

He topped up his coffee cup and did the same with hers. Her face was pale and showing the strain of the last few hours. It was her face that made him decide to add a generous measure of brandy to each cup. “Drink,” he said.

She looked at the cup, looked at him, sighed and did as she was told.

“No, we’re not going back to Brandon’s rooms,” he said. “Richard doesn’t want us to. You see, he thinks Harry will trace us to Bond Street.”

“How can he do that? What a silly thing to say! He found me at Sutton Row. He found me at Haddo. He may even find me at your Marylebone house. But do you know what? I don’t care anymore. He killed Lady Mary and somebody has to stop him. I knew it would come down to this.”

He was sitting on the edge of his chair. “Now just a minute,” he said. “Nobody said anything about Harry tracing you to Marylebone. Didn’t you hear me? Richard thinks he will trace you to Bond Street. And Special Branch will be there waiting for him when he shows up.”

“I hope you’re right, only …” She massaged her throat.

“Only what?”

“Only it’s too late to save Lady Mary.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Then whose body could it be?”

“Why don’t we wait until we hear what Harper says?”

He put his hand in his pocket, felt something, and pulled it out.

“What is it?” asked Gwyn.

He gave a wry grin. “The special licence I procured this morning. This was to be our wedding day.”

“Our time will come,” she said, “when this is all over.”

“Yes, Gwyn, our time will come.”

The sun was beginning to set when Harper arrived. “The local magistrate,” he said, “is also the local doctor. I had to wait until a baby was safely delivered before he would agree to look at the body.”

He walked to the table and helped himself to one of the sandwiches. “I wouldn’t mind some of that coffee,” he said.

“It’s stone cold,” said Gwyn.

“That don’t matter to me.”

“And?” prodded Jason, whose patience was wearing thin.

“It’s a local girl, he thinks. ‘Mad Hattie,’ they calls her. She often wanders the heath at night, but no one has seen her for over two weeks. They searched the heath when she first went missing, but didn’t find her. ’Course, the doctor couldn’t really say it was her, but we found her shoes. Her mother recognized them ’cos they was new.”

“Was she murdered?” asked Gwyn, her voice trembling.

Harper’s face softened as he looked down at her. “We may never know. But the good doctor found a knife under some leaves. He thinks that’s what may have been used to do her in. But he’s in no hurry to find out, if you sees what I mean.”

Jason was looking at Gwyn. The news that Lady Mary was not the victim did not seem to lessen her misery.

“That poor girl,” she said, “just happened along at the wrong moment. He wouldn’t have known her in the dark. He doesn’t even know that Gracie got away from him. He thinks he killed her.” Then fiercely, “But Gracie must have hurt him before she got away.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Jason.

“I’ll tell you on the way to town. This changes everything, don’t you see? If that poor woman is not Lady Mary, then we have no time to lose. We must go to Gerrard’s house and get her away from him. She didn’t get away from him. Don’t you understand? She didn’t get away.”

Jason started to shake his head, then stopped. He had no defense against the appeal in those huge eyes. “All right,” he said, “but we’ll go to the library first and get the box.”

She nodded and let out a little sigh.

Jason said, “Harper, I want you to go to the livery stable and hire a chaise for the journey. We’ll go to the library first, then you can go on to the Horse Guards and tell Colonel Maitland that we think Hugo Gerrard is Mr. High-and-Mighty. We’ll get a hackney to take us to the Marylebone house.”

“And tell him,” said Gwyn urgently, “that Lady Mary’s life is in danger. He must get her away from her husband.”

“Slow down,” said Harper. “You’re going too fast for me.”

“We’ll talk in the chaise,” said Gwyn.

Harper looked at the sandwich in his hand, his favorite, beefsteak, rare. “I haven’t had a bite to eat since breakfast,” he said.

Jason said, “All right, I’ll go and see about a chaise. But eat quickly, man. Or eat on the way.”

“You don’t want to share?”

Jason looked at the plate of sandwiches Harper held out to him, and suppressed a shudder. “No.” He strode for the door.

Harper carefully pocketed all the sandwiches bar one, wolfed it down in three bites, and reached for his coffee cup.

Richard Maitland stared out of his office window as the darkness crept over Whitehall, and he wondered what in hell’s name was making him so edgy. Everything was under control. They’d made real progress. Three people on Mrs. Barrie’s list had maids who had been dismissed recently, but only one maid could not be accounted for. In fact, she might as well have disappeared off the face of the earth. Gracie Cummings. They’d also established that connection between Miss Cummings and Johnny Rowland. They’d both been in service, until recently, with the Right Honorable Hugo Gerrard. And Lady Mary Gerrard was a member of the Ladies’ Library where Mrs. Barrie worked.

It was all coming together. He had Mr. High-and-Mighty in the palm of his hand.

Harry. That’s what was making him edgy. Who was he? Where was he? How did Gerrard find him? And how did Harry always seem to be one step behind them?

There was a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t want to believe what he was thinking. He was coming to the point where he didn’t want his left hand to know what his right hand was doing.

Come on, you bastard, he said into the silence. Come and get her. And we’ll be waiting for you.

Chapter 24

The member of parliament for East Hampshire had been laying forth for more than three hours against the proposed legislation, and the Right Honorable Hugo Gerrard wished the Honorable Freddie Smallwood would sit down and allow the question to be called.

He’d stopped following Mr. Smallwood’s argument a long time ago. He was too keyed up. There was to be a meeting at 10 Downing Street later that evening, at which time everyone expected that Lord Liverpool would name his new Home Secretary. It was a powerful position, and Gerrard was convinced, now that Robert Fortesque had retired, that it would go to him.

At long last, Freddie Smallwood sat down. The Speaker read the motion, and when the division bells sounded, the members rose and walked out of the chamber, dividing into the tellers’ lobbies to be counted for or against the proposed legislation. Now that he could relax, he put on his most affable smile and hailed one of the junior secretaries to the Home Office.

Though Robert Hill might not be a member of the cabinet, he had an intimate knowledge of what went on in the prime minister’s office. It paid to be on good terms with Mr. Hill.

“Shame about Fortesque,” Gerrard said. “I shall miss him on the bench. He was a good man. Shall I see you at 10 Downing Street?”

A look of surprise crossed Hill’s face. “Haven’t you heard? The meeting has been cancelled. There’s a reception at Carlton House in honor of Prince Leopold. The prime minister has been invited of course, and the leading lights of his cabinet.” Hill laughed. “Of course, I haven’t been invited. The Prince Regent doesn’t even know I exist. Ah, there’s Horatio Berkley. I must go and congratulate him. I’m sure he’ll make a very fine Home Secretary.”

He left Gerrard’s side so quickly that there was no time for Gerrard to form his reeling thoughts into a question. He must have misunderstood, he decided. Horatio Berkley was a nonentity. Lord Liverpool could not possibly have appointed him as Home Secretary.

But even as he was assuring himself that there must be some mistake, he saw the prime minister put his hand on Berkley’s shoulder as others in the cabinet crowded around to shake his hand. And Gerrard suddenly felt isolated. He was surrounded by inconsequential Honorable members of his party, while the men of consequence, the Right Honorable members of the cabinet, seemed to be shunning him.

It was as though he had ceased to exist.

He was imagining things. Hill had got his facts wrong. The prime minister wouldn’t appoint someone to a senior position in this setting. He’d wait until he’d assembled his cabinet in private, then he’d announce the appointment.

He should go over and make his presence known. Then Lord Liverpool would smile at him and mention the reception at Carlton House. Of course his lack of an invitation was an oversight. It was an important occasion. Tonight’s reception for Prince Leopold would be an all-male affair to introduce the prince to the most senior parliamentarians. If he, Gerrard, were not invited, it would be a humiliating slight.

The bells rang and the members began to drift back into the chamber. Now Gerrard knew he wasn’t imagining things. Not only were his colleagues in the cabinet shunning him, but others had noticed, and they, too, were keeping their distance and their eyes averted.

So it was true. He had been passed over for someone who was a joke, a nothing. He didn’t deserve this. What was most humiliating, however, was that everyone knew he expected to get the job.

When there were only stragglers left, he drew in a calming breath and left the building. On Bridge Street, he hailed a hackney to take him home. He was glad of the dark, glad that no one would see the hot tide of color that burned in his cheeks, or the tears of mortification that stung his eyes.

It was not long, however, before he began to seethe with resentment. He had spent money like water to get where he was, and some of that money lined the pockets of the very men who had shunned him this evening. He would make them regret it. He would make Lord Liverpool and his cronies pay for their heinous treatment of Hugo Gerrard.

He’s been so sure, so sure …

Another thought occurred to him. Maybe he hadn’t been passed over because the prime minister thought he couldn’t handle the job. Maybe there was a different reason. Special Branch, he thought. The chief of staff reported regularly to the prime minister. Was it possible that they’d come to suspect him?

Suspicion wasn’t the same as proof, and they could prove nothing. All the same, he was beginning to feel nervous.

When he entered his house, he made straight for his library with the intention of writing to Ralph asking him to come at once. They had to determine whether they had overlooked anything, and if they had, how best to cover their tracks.

He took one step into his library and halted. His butler, Reaves, was there looking flustered, and two gentlemen who turned to face him when Reaves made a small sound of distress.

Reaves said, “These gentlemen insisted on waiting for you, sir.”

Gerrard recognized one of those gentlemen. “Lord Ivan,” he said, “to what do I owe the pleasure?”

Lord Ivan clasped the hand Gerrard offered him. “Mr. Gerrard, may I present my colleague, Mr. Landon? We’re working on a case for Special Branch and hoped you might be able to help us.”

Gerrard nodded to Landon, but he did not offer him his hand. The man’s clothes looked as though they could do with a press; his expression was sullen. Landon wasn’t the kind of person Gerrard would normally invite into his library. Now he understood why his butler was flustered.

“Coffee, Reaves,” he said, and as his butler left to do his bidding, he waved Lord Ivan and Landon to chairs while he sat behind his desk. “Special Branch, eh?” He kept his smile fixed, and his eyes on Lord Ivan. “Your father is very proud of your success.”

Lord Ivan flashed a look at Landon.

So that’s the way of it, thought Gerrard. Landon was in charge, but he was shrewd enough to know that he’d get more out of him if Lord Ivan did the asking.

Lord Ivan said, “We’re trying to trace one of your maids. Grace Cummings. She’s missing, and we think she may be able to help us in our inquiries.”

“You’re asking the wrong person,” said Gerrard. “I don’t keep track of maids. You’ll have to ask my housekeeper.”

“Or your wife, Lady Mary?” said Landon softly.

Gerrard turned his head and stared at Landon. He said coldly, “My wife is in no position to answer questions. She suffers from a form of dementia.”

“Ah,” said Landon.

Lord Ivan said quickly, “We didn’t know. How dreadful for you. If we’d known, well, we wouldn’t have intruded. The last thing we want is to upset Lady Mary.”

Lord Ivan’s respectful manner, his tact and courtesy, blunted the edge of Gerrard’s anger. He said, “No harm done. Lady Mary has retired to our country house to recover her health.”

“That would be Rosemount,” said Lord Ivan. “My father says it has the best shooting within a hundred miles of London.”

Gerrard was genuinely pleased. “You must come and see for yourself; of course, the hunting season is over now.”

“Ah, well,” Lord Ivan shrugged helplessly, “my time isn’t my own, now that I work for Special Branch.”

When Landon coughed, Lord Ivan fell silent.

Landon said, “With your permission, sir, we’d like to question the servants.”

Gerrard was feeling relieved. They didn’t know anything. They were fishing. “May I be permitted to know what this is all about?”

Landon said, “We’re investigating the murder of John Rowland, the footman whose body was found in Sackville’s house.”

“Ah, yes. Poor Sackville. What a thing to happen in one’s own home.”

“Have you heard the name before? John Rowland, I mean,” asked Landon.

“You mean before I read it in the papers? No, I don’t think so.”

Landon said, “He worked for you for a time.”

“My dear fellow, I don’t pay attention to servants. You’ll have to speak to my butler. He may be able to help you. Let me ring for a footman. Tell him who you want to question and he’ll see to it.”

“Thank you,” said Lord Ivan. “Don’t trouble with us. We’ll wait in the hall.”

Once in the hall, and after they’d closed the library door, Landon let out a hissing breath. “Now I know why they had a revolution in France. Are your lot all like that?”

“What? Oh. Not as you go up the ladder. It’s only the ones who are climbing the rungs who throw their weight about.” Lord Ivan suppressed a shudder. “That was nerve-wracking. I know the man. I’m the last person who should have questioned him.”

Landon clapped him on the shoulder. “You did very well.”

“I did?”

“Indeed you did. You got him to tell us about Rosemount, didn’t you?”

“Did I?”

Landon shook his head. “And to think, I thought you were being clever! Where is Rosemount anyway?”

“It’s just outside Henley, a mile or so closer to town.”

“I wonder …”

“What?”

“If he was telling the truth.” Landon glanced at the stairs. “She might still be here; I think I’d like to check it out.”

Lord Ivan was aghast. “You’re not thinking of searching the house?”

“Don’t worry, he’ll never know.”

A footman appeared.

Landon said, “I want all the servants to assemble in the servants’ hall. Is that understood?”

“They’re there already, sir. It’s the dinner hour.”

“Good. Then keep them there till we can question them. Lord Ivan, you take the butler and I’ll question the housekeeper.”

Gerrard was completing the note to Wheatley when Wheatley, himself, walked into his library.

“There’s not a servant in sight,” said Wheatley. “Only the porter at the front door. What’s going on?”

Gerrard put a finger to his lips. “Keep your voice down. Special Branch agents are here and they’re questioning the servants about Grace Cummings and Johnny Rowland.”

“Special Branch!”

“Sit down, man, before you fall down,” snapped Gerrard. “This is no time to lose your nerve.”

But Wheatley did not sit down. “I don’t think you know how serious this is,” he said. “Magistrates and runners are one thing, but Special Branch! I don’t like it.”

“They don’t know anything. They’re fishing. What we have to do is make sure there’s no trail of evidence leading to us. It doesn’t matter what they suspect. They’re looking for evidence, and they are not going to find it. Do you understand?”

“More than you do. They wouldn’t be here just because two servants were murdered. That’s not the job of Special Branch. When they found out that Rowland wasn’t connected to the cabinet minister at Sackville’s party, they should have turned the investigation over to Bow Street. They must know something else.”

“Whatever they know, they won’t be able to prove a thing if my wife can’t answer their questions. So here’s what I want you to do. Go out to Rosemount and take care of things there. Make it look like a suicide. Everyone knows Lady Mary’s mind is unbalanced.”

Wheatley felt a chill race from his toes to his hairline. He curled one hand around a chair to steady himself. He couldn’t say that Gerrard was panicked, because he wasn’t. He sat there, calmly giving orders, as though he were in control of the situation, He was the one who was panicked. Discovery was staring him in the face.

Rowland and Gracie had both worked for Gerrard. It was a risk they’d taken with that connection, but not much of a risk. Magistrates and constables didn’t exert themselves to solve the murders of servants, and their enquiries would normally be confined to the servant class. Something else must have pointed them in Gerrard’s direction.

Mrs. Barrie? Harry?

Why hadn’t he heard from the magistrates at Bow Street that Special Branch was still involved? He was there often enough. Someone must have told them to keep their mouths shut. Or maybe they didn’t know.

He had a very bad feeling about this.

He knew what he was going to do. He was going to take a long holiday for his health, far away from London, and he’d watch how events turned out for Gerrard. If nothing happened to Gerrard, then he’d return eventually. Maybe.

“And what about Harry?” said Gerrard. “I paid him good money to take care of Mrs. Barrie. Where is he? What’s happened to the woman?”

“Nothing, I hope.”

“What?” Gerrard squinted up at Wheatley. “Get a hold of yourself, Ralph. You know as well as I do that we have to get rid of her. She knows too much.”

Wheatley sucked air through his teeth. With hands braced on the flat of the desk, he leaned toward the older man. “Now you listen to me,” he said. “I’m going to tell Harry that we’ve changed our minds about Mrs. Barrie, and I hope to God it’s not too late. As for Lady Mary, I suggest you take her to a warmer climate for the good of her health. Italy comes to mind. What you do when you get her there is nothing to me. Don’t you understand anything? We may be able to talk our way out of a servant’s murder, but it must go no further.”

Gerrard’s face twisted with contempt. “You’re a weakling, Ralph. You’ll never fill my shoes.”

“What makes you think I want to fill your shoes? You’re insane, do you know that? You and that idol you worship.” Wheatley gestured to the earl’s portrait above the fireplace. “He should have been locked up in an insane asylum—”

Gerrard roared, “You will speak of the earl with respect!”

There was silence, then Wheatley let out a pent-up breath. “You think you’re so moral! God, the inmates of Newgate are angels compared to you. I shouldn’t have come here. You shouldn’t have sent for me. They’re not fools. They’ll be watching you. And now they’ll be watching me.”

He walked to the door.

Gerrard looked down at the note he’d been writing when Wheatley arrived. “I didn’t send for you,” he said. “I never got round to it.”

Wheatley turned. “I’ve got your note right here.”

“I didn’t write it, I tell you.”

“I’m getting out of here.” Wheatley tried the door. “It’s locked. Someone must have locked it from the outside.”

A horrible suspicion took hold of his mind. Sweat broke out on his brow. He jerked round when the French doors to the terrace swung open and a man entered.

He stared open-mouthed as the intruder crossed to him. He saw the gun too late. The bullet entered his heart and he slumped to the floor without a sound.

Gerrard watched in horror as the intruder stepped over Wheatley’s body and inserted the key in the lock. Then he pocketed his spent pistol and produced another from the waistband of his trousers. Gerrard recognized it at once. It was his own pistol.

The intruder approached Gerrard. “I’m sorry, sir,” he said, “but you have become a liability. You see how it is?”

Gerrard’s throat worked. “Harry?” he said.

“Ah, so you were expecting me.”

“I don’t understand. I’ve kept to our bargain.”

“I know. But you just saw me kill Wheatley. You’re a witness. I didn’t expect you to come home. I thought you would still be at the House. But this makes it so much easier. They’ve made the connection between us, you see.”

“I swear I won’t tell them anything.”

“I can’t take that chance.”

As the gun came up, Gerrard fixed his gaze on the earl’s portrait.

Lord Ivan came tearing from the back of the house just as Landon thundered down the stairs.

“The door is locked,” shouted Lord Ivan.

“Then break it down.”

Lord Ivan put his shoulder down and charged. The door did not budge.

“Here, let me try.”

Landon used his foot and with a mighty lunge, broke the lock. They found Wheatley’s body just inside the door and Gerrard slumped at his desk, his hand clutching a pistol.

“It looks to me,” said Lord Ivan, “as if Gerrard shot this fellow, then did himself in.”

“There were two shots,” said Landon.

“He reloaded. Look.” Lord Ivan pointed to the desk. There was a powder horn on it and an open leather pouch with steel balls spilling from it.

“He has ink on his fingers,” said Landon.

Lord Ivan scanned the desk. “There’s no letter here. He must have written it earlier.”

Servants were crowding around the open door. The butler pushed through the crush and stopped dead.

“Do you know this man?” asked Landon.

The butler nodded. “It’s Mr. Wheatley, the master’s attorney.”

“Go back to your posts,” said Landon. “We’ll take care of everything.”

“I sent John to fetch the magistrates,” the butler said.

Lord Ivan groaned. “This isn’t going to look good on our record, is it, Landon?”

“Sometimes,” said Landon tersely, “you are the master of understatement, Lord Ivan.”

Harry told the hackney driver to drop him at the corner of Marylebone Road and Baker Street, and he would walk the rest of the way. He knew the house, knew its layout, and though that was an advantage, he really didn’t know what he was walking into. There would be Radley and the girl, and Harper, of course, and in all likelihood, someone else from Special Branch to keep an eye on things. Not that they expected him to show up at the Marylebone house. They were waiting for him in Bond Street. Special Branch. He had nothing but contempt for them.

Right under their very noses, he had popped off their prime suspect and his cohort. It was as easy as taking sweetmeats from a babe. And what a hornets’ nest he’d stirred up! Magistrates and runners at loggerheads with Special Branch agents. Everyone coming and going. There would be hell to pay at Special Branch for this night’s work.

He threw back his head and laughed.

But it wasn’t over yet. They would think that with Gerrard dead, the Barrie woman was safe. How little they knew or understood him. Mrs. Barrie was no longer a target paid for by Gerrard’s money. She was a prize. She was part of the game. And all that Richard Maitland had achieved by setting a trap for him was to make the game that much more exciting. Tonight, he’d already run rings round the best and brightest that Special Branch had to offer. After tonight, they’d know he was unstoppable.

When the hackney let him down on the Marylebone Road, he could feel the wild surge of anticipation all through his body. There was nothing like this. The thrill of the hunt had his blood humming. This time, nothing was going to go wrong.

After his last attempt on the Barrie woman, he’d had a few bad moments thinking that maybe he wasn’t as clever as he thought he was. But the daring and inspired way he had dealt with Wheatley and Gerrard tonight had restored his confidence. Mrs. Barrie wouldn’t stand a chance.

He regretted having to kill Wheatley and Gerrard. After all, they acknowledged that he was the best. But he’d known Special Branch was closing in on Gerrard, and after Gerrard, they would take a closer look at Wheatley. He couldn’t allow that to happen. Wheatley had become dispensable, and so had Gerrard.

He didn’t approach the house through the gates. He knew there would be porters there, and he found a gap in the hedge and squeezed through it. The driveway was illuminated by lanterns hanging from poles, so he kept to the shadows.

When he came to the house, he thought at first it was deserted. Then someone came out and lit the porch lamp. It wasn’t anyone he recognized, no one from Special Branch. After a little reconnoitering, he was puzzled. No one was home, except the caretaker, or whoever he was.

So much the better.

He squared his shoulders and made boldly for the front door.

Chapter 25

There was nothing in the box but sketches, and when Jason realized it, his sense of urgency evaporated. Gwyn was disappointed as well. She was so sure that the box would have contained something to incriminate Gerrard. But she wasn’t ready to give up yet, so she took the box with her so that she could examine the sketches inside out and back to front when they went to the house.

The caretaker opened the door to them. Gwyn didn’t remember him from before, but Jason introduced him as a runner whom Colonel Maitland had requested from the Bow Street Office.

She had expected someone from Special Branch, but was too polite to ask Jason about it till they were alone.

“Me name is Jakes,” said the runner. He watched Jason as he deposited Lady Mary’s box on the hall table. “I’m cook, footman, and whatever you wants, so if you sees anyone else on these premises, you’ll know they ’as no business to be ’ere.”

He was not unlike Harper, grizzled and shabby around the edges, but where Harper’s face seemed to be set in a perpetual scowl, Jakes’ was set in a perpetual grin.

“Who else is here?” asked Jason.

“No one else,” replied Jakes, “leastways not in the ’ouse. Though I was expecting Sergeant Harper to be ’ere. To tell the truth, I was beginning to be worried about you.”

“Yes, well, we were delayed,” said Jason. “Harper will be along soon. What about groundsmen?”

“There’s a couple of gatekeepers who take turns patrolling the area, and a groom in the stables. And they’re all crack shots, Mr. Radley, sir, so you’ve nothing to worry about.”

“Good,” said Jason. “And don’t worry about Harper. He’ll be here soon.”

Jakes said, “A message arrived for you, sir, not ’alf an ’our ago. I was to tell you, from Colonel Maitland, that Mr. Gerrard,” he glanced at Gwyn, “well, Mr. Gerrard met with a nasty accident, if you sees what I mean. Someone done ’im in, and Colonel Maitland wants you to meet ’im at Mr. Gerrard’s ’ouse on the Strand.”

“Why didn’t you tell me right away?”

Jakes’ smiled faded. He spoke in an injured tone. “Because you asked me a question, sir, and I answered it.”

Gwyn didn’t have time for this. She was no longer despondent. She felt charged with energy. “What did I tell you?” she said to Jason. “Gerrard is in this up to his neck. We must go there at once.”

“Oh, no,” said Jason. “I’m going, but you’re staying right here. We don’t know what Gerrard’s death may mean.”

“It means the danger is over,” she cried. “I’m free. Harry has no reason to come after me now.”

“If that were the case, Richard would have said so in his message.”

“Begging your pardon, sir,” said Jakes, “I don’t think you’d want to take the lady to Mr. Gerrard’s ’ouse. From what Colonel Maitland’s man told me, it ain’t a pretty sight.”

“That settles it then.”

She could have argued that she’d been a soldier’s wife and had seen sights that would turn most men’s stomachs. But Jason had that set look on his face, and she knew better than to try to argue with him. “Then go,” she said, “and hurry back. I can’t bear not knowing what’s going on.”

He grinned at this, then said to Jakes. “You’re to stay by Mrs. Barrie’s side. Don’t leave her alone, not for one moment. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And lock the door behind me.”

“Yes, sir.”

When the door was duly locked, Gwyn made for the stairs. She stopped and turned around and looked at Lady Mary’s box. She wanted to bathe and change out of her soiled clothes, but she didn’t want to let the box out of her sight. “Jakes, would you mind bringing the box?” she said.

When he picked it up, she continued up the stairs, with Jakes following her.

In Gerrard’s house in the Strand, Richard Maitland stood with his back to the fireplace in the library and reenacted in his mind what must have happened when Gerrard and Wheatley died. Their bodies had been removed, but the blood-spattered wall behind the desk and the stain on the carpet by the door were grizzly reminders of what had taken place in this room. There was no sign of a struggle, and the magistrates, who had left some time ago, were satisfied with what the evidence suggested, murder and suicide. But Richard was far from satisfied.

He looked at the French doors, and in his mind’s eye, saw them open. An intruder would have entered the room, someone whom Gerrard must have recognized or he would have raised the alarm or shot him with the pistol he kept handy in his desk drawer. Then the intruder had vanished. There were no footprints in the flower beds, not a sign that a stranger had calmly walked in, shot two men dead, then walked out again. Even the dogs that patrolled the grounds at night hadn’t made a sound. All of which supported the theory that the deaths were murder and suicide. But Richard was waiting for his men, who were combing the house and grounds, to find that one piece of evidence that would blow the theory to smithereens and confirm his worst suspicions.

There was one small consolation. With Gerrard dead, Gwyneth Barrie would no longer be in danger. But if he was right in his suspicions, the course of action he knew he must take gave him no consolation at all.

There was a knock on the door and Harper entered. He was breathing hard. “I just heard about Gerrard,” he said.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at the Marylebone house, guarding Mrs. Barrie?”

“It’s a long story,” said Harper sheepishly, “but I don’t suppose it matters now. Now don’t go looking at me like that. Mr. Radley is with her.”

Harper and Richard both turned when Massie, Richard’s second-in-command, entered.

“You were right, sir,” he said. “There is a window at the back that gives directly onto the servants’ staircase. We found grass and twigs on the stairs. Our man must have reentered the house right after the killings.”

“Good work. You know what to do?”

Massie nodded and left.

With that, Harper embarked on his report, beginning with the blue coat and how he and Mrs. Barrie had traced its owner to the cottage in Hampstead, but he sensed that his chief wasn’t really paying attention. He didn’t ask any questions, and he didn’t nod encouragingly. He seemed to be holding himself in readiness for something that was going to happen, something unpleasant.

Harper had just got to the bit about the box of sketches, when the door burst open and Massie came in. This time he was breathing hard.

“He’s not here, sir! He’s not in the house, and he’s not in the grounds.”

“He must be!”

“No, sir. We’ve looked everywhere.”

Richard stared at Massie without really seeing him. He knew, then, that he hadn’t stopped Harry. But Harry didn’t know, couldn’t know, about the house in Marylebone, and that Mrs. Barrie would be there. Or could he?

“Come on, Harper,” he said. “Let’s go.”

“But where are we going?”

“To the Marylebone house. Massie, get the men together. And be quick about it.”

Massie said, “But with Gerrard dead, sir, why would he still go after Mrs. Barrie?”

“Ego? Prestige? To make us all look like fools? Who can say with scum like that?”

Harper stopped in his tracks. “Who are we going after?”

Richard didn’t answer him. He was already through the door.

When Gwyn entered the bedchamber, she used the candle she was holding to light the candles on the dresser. As she turned, she caught sight of herself in the long cheval mirror. She was turning into a Harper with a perpetual scowl on her face. She was wishing now she had argued with Jason and insisted that he take her with him. She’d given in because she knew he’d only been thinking of her. He didn’t understand that she would not be easy until she’d seen Lady Mary with her own eyes.

And Gracie.

She still carried Gracie’s blue coat over her arm, and it made her think of Mark as an infant. He’d had a blue blanket that he refused to be parted from. It went everywhere with him until it was practically transparent. When it fell to pieces, he’d been heartbroken, but when she’d offered him another blanket, he would have none of it. She’d never understood her son’s attachment to that blanket until now. It was a talisman to ward off bad luck. As long as she had the coat, there was hope that she would find Gracie alive and well. Only then would she give the coat up.

She didn’t know where Gracie was hiding herself, but she thought Lady Mary might know, and that was another reason for insisting on speaking to her ladyship.

Oh, why hadn’t she insisted on going with Jason?

She laid Gracie’s coat on the bed along with her reticule, and walked through the open door to the dressing room with all the mirrors. There was a cloth and a jug of cold water on the washstand. After she’d washed her hands and face, she returned to the bedchamber.

Jakes had put the box on the small table, and she walked over to it and took a closer look. She noticed something she hadn’t seen in the library, a small brass plate with Williard Bryant’s name engraved on it. She couldn’t remember whether she’d known it was there or not. It was a well-made wooden box, the kind an artist would use when making rough sketches out-of-doors. On one side, there was a shallow drawer for storing charcoal and pencils. She opened the drawer, saw that it was empty, just as she expected, and shut it again.

She sighed and straightened. Jakes was at the window, looking out. “What are you looking at?” she asked.

“Oh,” he turned and grinned. “I’m just watching to see that Mr. Radley gets safely away. But he hasn’t left the stable yet.”

“The stable?”

“Yes. Why?”

Of course. When they’d returned to town, Jason had stabled his horses and curricle here because he was afraid Harry might be watching the house on Half Moon Street.

There was still time to change his mind and make him take her with him.

She picked up the box. “I’m going with him,” she said. “Come on, Jakes.”

He came away from the window and blocked her exit. “Now, now, Mrs. Barrie,” he said. “You ’eard what Mr. Radley said. ’E wants you to stay ’ere.”

“I don’t care what Mr. Radley said. I’m going with him. You can take me to the stable or you can stay here.”

“Be reasonable, Mrs. Barrie.”

“Get out of my way, Jakes.”

Something moved in his eyes, a shifting that seemed to make his irises several shades lighter. He was as still as a hunting dog that had caught the scent of a pheasant. She glanced at the bed, but her reticule with the pistol inside it was no longer there.

Harry? she thought wildly. Could Jakes be Harry?

Richard Maitland’s words flashed through her mind. You’d be surprised how little it takes to change one’s appearance—different clothes; hair brushed back or forward; spectacles; a little powder and paint; a new personality.

Could this shabby little man with the monkey face possibly be Harry?

A slow smile curved his lips. “Ah, I see you’ve penetrated my disguise. What gave me away?”

She knew then that it was useless to plead ignorance. She’d been caught staring at him like a petrified virgin at a naked man. “Your eyes,” she said numbly. “I once saw a rabid fox with eyes like yours.”

When the smile left his face and he straightened, she thought despairingly that she must have been blind not to have seen through his disguise as soon as she set eyes on him. He was becoming more and more like Harry as the seconds passed.

“What happened to the real Jakes?” she said, trying to keep her voice level. “Or is there a real Jakes?”

“Oh yes, he’s real enough. He’s in the coal cellar, trussed up like a chicken. He was so trusting when I told him I was one of the marksmen Colonel Maitland had sent to defend the fort, so to speak. Oh, yes, I spared him. You see, I wanted him to give a message to Colonel Maitland.”

“What message?”

His eyes danced. “That the best man won.”

She was still holding Lady Mary’s box, and though it wasn’t particularly heavy, her arms were beginning to feel the strain. She was afraid to put it down, though, in case this madman saw the movement as a provocation. But her aching arms were nothing compared to the wild thumping of her heart and the roaring in her ears. Should she scream like a banshee? Would anyone hear her? Should she charge him? Think! she told her reeling brain.

“How did you know we’d be here?” she asked.

He chuckled. “I went to Bond Street and exchanged a few words with your landlady. A very patriotic lady is Mrs. Bodley. She couldn’t say exactly where you were staying, but she heard the driver who moved your boxes say ‘Marylebone,’ and my agile mind did the rest.”

“Bond Street? But …”

He laughed. “I know. They set a trap for me. But I walked right in under their noses and walked right out again. No one can touch me.”

A wave of white-hot anger swept through her. He was smiling. This murderous swine was smiling, enjoying her terror. And in the gardens of Heath Cottage, one of his victims was fodder for maggots. More than anything, she wanted to wipe the smile from his face.

“Gracie touched you,” she said, almost yelling the words. “And she hurt you, didn’t she, Harry?”

She’d scored a point. She could see it in his eyes. There was that shifting again, but now he looked like a hurt puppy. Why was she trying to score points? She should be thinking of how to save herself. Where was her reticule? Where were Harper and Jason when she needed them?

His hand slipped between his arm and his chest. “Who told you about Gracie?”

He didn’t look quite so formidable now. That gesture spoke volumes. So, she’d been right all along. Gracie had used the bread knife to slow him down. She chanced a quick glance around the room and spied her reticule on the chair beside the door.

“Gracie told me.”

“She can’t have told you. I killed her. I cut her throat.”

He said the words as if he’d done no more than cut himself a slice of pie, and that sent another wave of rage pulsing through her. “Oh, no, Harry, you killed the wrong woman. Gracie told me what happened. You knocked on the door as she was cutting herself a slice of bread. You were so sure of yourself, weren’t you, Harry? But Gracie taught you a lesson, didn’t she? She was too clever for you. She stuck a knife in you, then she ran through the house and out the front door. You thought you killed her, but you didn’t. She got away, and instead, you killed Mad Hattie.”

“That’s a lie!” he shouted.

“Oh? Then how do I know?” She was boiling with rage, but also highly sensible of her danger, and edging toward the chair with her reticule. Her one aim was to get to her pistol.

“Do you know what Colonel Maitland says? He says you’re singularly inept. That means stupid. Just think of it, Harry. You attacked Gracie and she got away, then you attacked me, not once but twice, and you failed there, too. You’re pathetic, that’s what Colonel Maitland says.”

She stopped when it occurred to her that she was going about this the wrong way. She should be trying to placate him. He was a murderer, an assassin. But it was that shifting in his eyes that made her rash. Her words seemed to have the force of blows.

“Was I pathetic tonight when I put a bullet in Gerrard’s brain right under the noses of Special Branch?”

She’d already worked out that he’d killed Gerrard. “Pathetic and stupid,” she responded, not really knowing what she was saying, only that the more she called him inept and stupid, the less formidable he seemed. “You see, Harry, we know all about you. Poor, poor Harry.”

With that, she charged. All her fear and rage fused into pure energy. She hit him so hard that she knocked him off his feet. The box went flying and broke in two when it hit the floor. Gwyn made a dash for her reticule, grabbed her pistol, turned, and fired.

Nothing happened.

Harry said, “I took the liberty of disarming your piece when you were next door. So who is stupid now, Mrs. Barrie?” And with a disarming grin, he rose slowly and began to dust himself off.

Gwyn didn’t wait to see what he would do next. She threw her useless pistol at him and took off.

Jason held the horses’ heads as his groom adjusted the harness to the curricle.

“Where did you learn to be a marksman, Knightly?” he asked the groom. “You never once mentioned it to me.”

Knightly was bent over, hitching the traces to the swingle-tree. He gave a dry laugh. “Me, a marksman? I don’t know what gave you that idea, Mr. Radley, sir, unless it was Mr. Jakes having a little joke at my expense. I can shoot a pistol and maybe hit something if it’s close to me, but that’s about it.”

Jakes, evidently, was the type who would tell anyone what he or she wanted to hear.

Jason said, “That will do in a pinch, but don’t let your pistol out of your sight.”

“My pistol?” Knightly straightened. “What pistol? Mr. Jakes said he would get me one, but that was hours ago. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of him since.”

Jason wasn’t alarmed, he was annoyed. Richard Maitland had told him that Jakes was a veteran of the Peninsular campaign, a former Rifleman who knew his business. He’d worked undercover for a time with the partisans, and that’s how Richard had come to know him. It didn’t sound to him as though Jakes knew his business at all.

He glanced back at the house, then looked at Knightly. “How would you describe Jakes?” he said.

“Well, he’s not very talkative, but friendly enough for all that. It wouldn’t surprise me if he had a temper to go with that red hair. We’re almost done here.”

“What?” Jason was looking at the house.

“I said that we’re almost done here.”

Knightly spoke to air. Mr. Radley was sprinting toward the house. Shaking his head, the groom examined the harness and tightened it. Gentlemen were all the same. They were unpredictable. But he knew better than to question their odd ways. Mr. Radley had said they were leaving at once, so he’d best get the curricle down to the house.

Fear drove her down the stairs with such momentum that she slammed into the front door. At any moment, she expected to be felled by a bullet. Her one consolation would be that the sound of Harry’s gun going off would bring Jason and the men on patrol rushing to the house. Harry would never get away with it.

Some consolation!

The door was locked. Her fingers closed around the key, but she was too late. Harry was right behind her. Like an animal at bay, she swung to face him. She was still holding her reticule and used it like a sling. It caught him on the shoulder, making him grunt, but it did not check him. He had a knife in his hand, not a gun.

Clever, clever Harry. He would get away with it after all.

Not if she had anything to do with it!

She swung at him again. He caught her reticule with one hand, slashed the strings with his knife, then tossed the reticule aside. When he raised the knife, she thought her last moments had come. He was poised to strike, but before he could complete the movement, the hall exploded with the report of a pistol shot.

Startled, Harry swung around just as Jason charged him. Jason grabbed the hand that held the knife, gave it a sickening twist and sent the knife clattering to the floor. Then he closed with Harry. Locked together, they fell against the hall table and went careening against the wall in a brutal struggle for mastery.

Desperate to help Jason, Gwyn waited for her moment, then dived for the knife. She chose the wrong moment. The men fell against her; Jason’s elbow connected with her jaw and the knife slithered through the door of the dining room and out of sight. When she cried out, Jason slackened his hold on Harry, and with a mighty heave, Harry was free and on his feet. Before Jason could react, Harry reached inside his vest and produced a small pistol from a holster strapped around his waist.

“Don’t move! Don’t anyone move!” Harry’s words were punctuated by the harsh sound of his breathing.

Jason disregarded the warning and got slowly to his feet. He was breathing hard as well. “It’s all over for you, Harry,” he said. “The gatekeepers will be here at any moment. Why do you think I fired that warning shot? Gwyn, are you all right?”

She managed a shaken “Yes,” but she was far from all right. She was miserably aware that it was her fault that Harry had the upperhand again.

Or did he? She couldn’t take his impression. He seemed to be two people. One moment he was larger than life, brimming with self-confidence, and the next moment, he seemed out of his depth.

She didn’t know where the idea came from, but it suddenly occurred to her that he saw her as his nemesis.

He’s either singularly inept, Richard Maitland said, or his luck has run out.

But only with her!

He spoke to Gwyn. “You! Come here!”

“She’s not going anywhere with you,” Jason said.

“I think my ankle is broken.” She massaged the offending limb to make the lie sound convincing.

They could hear sounds coming from the back of the house, and someone calling faintly for Mr. Radley.

“I expect one of the gatekeepers has found the window I climbed through,” said Jason. “If I were you, Harry, I’d get going before it’s too late.” Jason hunched as though to spring. “If you use the gun, Harry,” he said, “I’ll kill you with my bare hands.”

Harry backed to the door, unlocked it, and dashed outside. Jason would have gone after him if Gwyn hadn’t grabbed for his ankle and held on tight.

“Let him go,” she cried out. “He’s got a gun.”

Jason swooped down and raised her to her feet. His face was a mask of determination. “He’s got to be stopped, Gwyn, or this will never end. Do you understand? He’s got to be stopped.”

When he charged out of the house, she went after him.

It was the last thing she expected to see. As if he’d conjured it out of thin air, deus ex machina, there was a chariot waiting for Harry, with two white horses stomping in their traces. He leaped into the cab, gathered the reins into his hands, and took off at a spanking pace. It was just like a fairy tale.

Gwyn stopped to watch, but Jason sprinted after the curricle, yelling at the top of his voice for the gatekeepers to shut the gates. She saw the curricle slow, but couldn’t see any obstacle to impede it. Then she saw shadows moving within shadows and realized that men on horseback had entered the grounds. She picked up her skirts and went after Jason.

The riders had fanned out, surrounding the curricle, and the light from the lanterns on their poles gave the whole scene a ghostly appearance. Harry was standing in the curricle, the pistol in his hand, and he looked anything but afraid. He was larger than life again, like a mythical figure from a Greek legend.

Gwyn jumped when she heard Richard Maitland’s voice.

“Why?” he said.

Harry laughed, an eerie sound that made Gwyn cringe. Jason put his arm around her shoulders and drew her close to the warmth of his body. In an undertone, he said, “Gwyn, I don’t think you want to see this. Why don’t you go back to the house?”

She stood her ground. “No,” she said. This man was a cold-blooded murderer. Just as he had felt no pity for his victims, she felt no pity for him. He would go to the gallows, and she would dance on his grave.

Harry said, “Maitland, you don’t understand anything at all. I’m not afraid of you. I’m not afraid to die.” His voice became less heroic, more scornful. “Oh, and remember to tell my dear, dear father I died a hero’s death. That, at least, should please him. It’s what he always wanted.”

“What?” said Gwyn. She would have started forward, but Jason’s arm on her shoulders tightened, holding her still.

Maitland said coldly, “Lord Ivan Brooks, I arrest you in the name of His Majesty, King George.”

Gwyn looked at Jason. “Harry is Lord Ivan Brooks?”

“He must be.” His eyes never wavered from the figure in the curricle.

Lord Ivan leveled his pistol at Maitland, who made no move to defend himself.

Gwyn screamed, but her voice was drowned out as the air exploded with guns going off. Lord Ivan fell back against the squabs, and the terrified horses plunged and wheeled around, then bolted. They didn’t get far and came to a quivering halt when the curricle overturned, spilling Lord Ivan onto the ground only a few yards from Jason and Gwyn.

“Stay back!” said Jason, but, of course, Gwyn paid no attention to this.

Lord Ivan’s eyes blinked open. His mouth was smeared with blood. There was a dark stain spreading across the breast of his coat. His face twisted grotesquely. “Help me,” he moaned.

Gwyn would have gone to him, but Harper got there before her. He knelt down beside Lord Ivan.

“Help me,” Lord Ivan repeated. “I want to die as myself.”

Harper seemed to understand. When Lord Ivan bared his teeth, Harper pried something from his mouth and tossed it aside. The grizzled hair was the next thing to go, though not without some difficulty. The wig was held in place with something. She didn’t know what. The last thing Harper did was to use his kerchief to wipe the blood and gray powder from Lord Ivan’s face.

It was Harry, and it wasn’t, thought Gwyn. This young man with the fairish blond hair, looked no more than a boy. A moment ago, she’d wanted to dance on his grave. Now, she felt empty of all emotion except horror.

Lord Ivan looked beyond her. “We take no prisoners, right, sir?” he said, and smiled faintly.

Gwyn turned. Richard Maitland was standing behind her. His face showed nothing; he said nothing.

She looked at Lord Ivan. His lifeless eyes were still staring at Maitland.

She felt her blood chill and she shivered.

“Come,” said Jason. “Let’s go back to the house.”

Chapter 26

The tea was scalding hot, but Gwyn hardly noticed it. She was going over in her mind the horrible scene when Lord Ivan’s own colleagues, men whom he’d known and worked with, had cut him down without compunction.

We take no prisoners, right, sir?

She shivered and took a sip of tea, then she glanced at the men who were sitting at the dining-room table, conversing in subdued tones. There were only three left now, Jason, Maitland, and a man called Massie. They seemed so stony-faced and cold-hearted, as though Lord Ivan’s death hadn’t affected them at all. It was a problem they had to get around. At this very moment, Harper and the other Special Branch agents were removing Lord Ivan’s body to another location, where he would die a fictional death in the line of duty. His name would be unsullied, as would the reputation of Special Branch, and his father’s grief would be assuaged by the knowledge that his son had died a hero’s death.

And she and Jason must forget the name Lord Ivan and that this night had ever happened.

Knightly, the groom, had missed most of it. When he heard the report of Jason’s pistol going off, he’d tried to enter the house. It was his voice they’d heard calling to them. By the time he came out of the house, it was all over, and Maitland’s men ushered him right back in again.

Jakes, the real Jakes, was different. Maitland had talked with him for a long time after he’d been brought out of the coal cellar. They’d worked together in Spain, Jason told her. Maitland trusted him. She didn’t know how much Jakes knew or how much Maitland had told him, but she’d heard Jakes pass on Harry’s message. The best man won.

Maitland had talked to her for a long time, too, about Gracie and Johnny Rowland, and what they’d found at Heath Cottage. Maitland was sure it was Johnny Rowland who had come to her door the night he was murdered, maybe to ask for her help, or for another reason they had yet to discover. He would know more, Maitland said, when he questioned Lady Mary. That’s when she discovered that Lady Mary was not in London, but at Rosemount.

Now they understood how Harry was always one step behind them. At Special Branch, he’d been at the center of things. He’d known their next move almost before they’d known it themselves. It was the attack at Haddo that first aroused Maitland’s misgivings. At the crucial time, two of his agents were tracking down people who were connected with the case. They’d had the opportunity to post down to Haddo and return to London before they were missed.

He hadn’t wanted to believe it, but Gerrard’s murder, almost as soon as he’d become their prime suspect, convinced Maitland that someone at Special Branch was either passing information to Harry or was Harry. He’d narrowed it down to Landon and Lord Ivan, the two agents who’d had the time and opportunity to attack Gwyn at Haddo.

Tonight, when Lord Ivan couldn’t be found at Gerrard’s house, Maitland knew who his man was and he feared the worst. So they’d made straight for the Marylebone house.

Another shiver passed over Gwyn. She could not reconcile in her mind the cold-hearted killer she knew Harry to be, a man she feared and hated, with the smooth-faced Lord Ivan who looked so young and innocent in death. She felt much the same about Jason and Maitland, only it was the other way round. She knew they were good, compassionate men, yet they had shown no mercy to Harry.

And she had wanted to dance on his grave.

What else could they have done?

She wanted Mark. She wanted to put her arms around her son and hold him tight. She wanted him to grow up to become a good man. She didn’t want him to take a wrong turn and become like Lord Ivan. She wanted him to care about people, she wanted—

She gave a start when Jason spoke to her.

“Did you find anything in the box?”

For a moment or two, she didn’t know what he was talking about. “Oh. The box. No. I didn’t have time to look.”

In the aftermath of all they’d been through, Lady Mary’s box didn’t seem so important.

“Richard would like to know.”

“It’s upstairs.”

“I’ll come with you.”

The box was on the floor where it had fallen when she’d charged Harry. Sketches and watercolors were strewn around like a patchwork quilt. Gwyn held the candle while Jason gathered them up.

“Wait a minute,” he said. “What’s this?”

In the palm of his hand he held a gold signet ring. Gwyn leaned over to get a closer look. “It has a rose design, doesn’t it?”

“I think so.”

“Well, that ring wasn’t there before. I’ve shown the sketches many times. I would have found it.”

Jason set aside the ring and began to examine the box itself. The leather lining on the lid was split in one corner and he pried it off. “So there’s your portrait,” he said. “Behind the lining.”

It had been painted onto the inside of the lid and was faded almost beyond recognition. But Gwyn knew it was Lady Mary, not so much a younger version, but a different woman entirely. The eyes of the young woman in the portrait were bright with hope.

“What is it?” asked Jason, staring up at her.

“Nothing,” she said, and swallowed hard.

He gave her a searching look, then went back to examining what he’d found.

“What is it, Jason?”

“A note and a cutting from a newspaper, the Bristol Post. The note is dated June fifteenth, 1783, and so is the cutting.” He read the note first. The gardener will trouble us no more. Mission accomplished. Hugo.

Gwyn’s breath quickened. “The gardener must be Williard Bryant. And Hugo … well … I think he murdered him. I think the ring will prove it.” She picked up the ring and tried to read the inscription inside. “It’s his ring,” she said. “It has his name engraved in it—Williard Bryant. What does the clipping say?”

“Hold the candle closer.” After quickly scanning it, he let out a breath. “Sweet Jesus!” he said.

“What?” asked Gwyn. “Tell me!”

He lifted his gaze to hers. “It says that Williard Bryant, the young landscape designer, was shot dead and robbed in Bristol when he was walking back to his lodgings after dining with a client. All his money was taken and his signet ring. The ring had a distinctive rose seal, the mark of his profession.”

They stared at each other for a long, long time. Finally, Gwyn said, “So this is why Gerrard was willing to kill. It proves he was a murderer.”

Jason said, “I don’t know if there’s enough here to convict him.”

“Maybe not, but if it had gone to trial, he would have been disgraced.”

Jason got to his feet. “I’ll give this to Richard, then we’ll go to an hotel for the night. We can’t stay here, and we’re not expected at Half Moon Street.”

“And tomorrow we’ll go to Rosemount to see Lady Mary?”

He smiled at her eagerness. “Tomorrow we’ll go to Rosemount.”

She didn’t go downstairs with him but made some excuse about having to change and tidy herself before they went to the hotel. Maybe it was rude not to say good-bye to Richard Maitland, but she didn’t know what to say. How could anyone behave normally after what they’d seen and heard?

She tried to push her unsettling thoughts aside, but it was hard not to think of Lady Mary. She was sure now that Lady Mary had been in love with Williard Bryant. Maybe they’d planned to elope and that’s why Hugo had killed him.

Lady Mary, Gracie—there was so much to think about. She picked up Gracie’s coat. She would give it to Lady Mary, she decided. If there was one thing she never doubted, it was that Gracie would eventually find her way back to Lady Mary.

An involuntary shiver made her teeth chatter, and she looked around for her coat to keep her warm. It was discarded in a heap on the bed, and it was very much the worse for wear. She’d worn it to Heath Cottage and she’d been wearing it tonight. It was mired in mud; one of the sleeves was half torn off, and a streak of blood stained the bodice. The coat would have to be replaced.

Now that she was soon to be Jason’s wife, she could have coats filling all the closets and wardrobes in Haddo if she wanted to. But never would she find a coat she loved half as well as her dirty, forlorn, green summer pelisse that she’d made with her own hands.

She didn’t know why she started to cry. It was only a coat.

She awakened with her heart thundering and tears welling in her eyes. As the dream faded, she let out a shaken breath. She’d been dreaming about Mark, only he wasn’t Mark. He was Lord Ivan, and there were grim-faced, cold-hearted men after him. Jason was one of them, and he refused to save his own son.

As her fear receded, reality swept in. They were in the Clarendon. She and Jason had arrived late last night and had finally managed to get a bite to eat. Then they’d gone to bed. But Jason wasn’t in bed with her now.

She pulled herself up and waited for her eyes to become accustomed to the gloom. His scent still clung to her body. She was sore and achy. She couldn’t remember how many times he’d made love to her last night, only “love” wasn’t the right word. There had been something desperate in the way he’d reached for her time after time. And she’d failed him. She couldn’t respond, though she’d tried. She’d felt as though she were in a stranger’s arms.

He was at the window, already dressed in his shirt and trousers, and the light from the lamps in the hotel’s courtyard cast cruel shadows on the hard planes of his face.

She shivered. “Jason?” she whispered.

He turned slowly. “I couldn’t sleep,” he said, “so I thought I might as well get dressed.”

He came to her and sat on the edge of the bed, but he made no move to touch her. “I was thinking about Lord Ivan.”

“What about him?”

“I think he hated his father, don’t you?”

“I … I don’t know. I hadn’t thought about it. But now that you’ve made me think about it, no, I don’t think that at all. I think he loved his father, but he thought his father didn’t love him.”

There was a long silence, then Jason said, “He was bad through and through. I should be rejoicing that he’s dead. But all I feel is this vast ocean of regret.”

The arctic chill that had settled in her heart melted a little. “I know. That’s how I feel too.”

“What went wrong? He had every advantage and he turned into this cold-blooded killer.”

She didn’t answer because she realized he was lost in his own thoughts.

He said violently, startling her, “Mark is going to know that his father loves him. I’m going to cherish him. I promise you, Gwyn, I’m going to cherish him.” He suddenly stopped. “What the hell am I saying? I don’t know the first thing about children. I don’t think I understand anything at all.”

She reached for Jason’s hands and brought them to her cheeks.

“What’s this?” he said. “Tears?”

She found her voice, though it was shaky. “You’re a good man, Jason Radley. You’ll make a good father. We’re going to do the best we can, and that’s all we can do. Now come to bed and love me, just love me.”

He was Jason again, just a man with all a man’s strengths and frailties, and the loving was sweeter than anything she had ever known.

She had no coat, but the weather had warmed, so she wore her kerseymere shawl over a gown of gray crepe, and she felt quite fashionable. Well, presentable at least.

They arrived at Rosemount House late in the afternoon and were met at the door by a beaming housekeeper.

“Mrs. Barrie,” she said before Jason or Gwyn could say a word. “Her ladyship is expecting you. That nice Mr. Maitland was here earlier, and told us you would be coming. May I take that?”

This last referred to Gracie’s blue coat that Gwyn carried over one arm, but Gwyn demurred. If she couldn’t find Gracie, she would leave it with Lady Mary and no one else.

The housekeeper stared hard at the box Jason was carrying, but she didn’t offer to take it from him. “Well, well,” she said. “Come in, come in.”

She led the way to a glass conservatory at the back of the house. Sunlight streamed in through every window and was filtered by fronds of palm trees that grew almost to the glass ceiling. Flowers that Gwyn could not name grew in colorful profusion in raised beds. She heard a waterfall. She had the feeling that she’d stepped into one of the sketches in Lady Mary’s box.

In the center of this tropical paradise, there was a clearing. Lady Mary was sitting in a wicker chair, listening to a young woman who was reading to her. Gwyn’s eyes fastened on the young woman.

“Gracie?” she said hoarsely.

She was dimly aware that Jason was saying something about returning Lady Mary’s property. She saw him place the box on the wicker table by Lady Mary’s chair, but her attention was focused on the young woman who had risen and was coming toward her.

“Well, I never!” exclaimed Gracie. “You’ve still got my coat, Mrs. Barrie.”

Her pleasant smile changed to a look of alarm when Gwyn swooped down and swept her up in a bear hug.

At first they did nothing but admire the layout of the conservatory and comment on some of the exotic plants, but when the housekeeper served tea, and they were sitting down, the conversation turned to recent events.

Gwyn learned that she’d been right about how Gracie escaped Harry at Heath Cottage. But Gracie didn’t know that he’d killed someone else by mistake, and Gwyn didn’t enlighten her.

“I didn’t know where to go,” said Gracie. “Then I thought of Mrs. Cleeves, you know, the housekeeper here. I knew she would help Lady Mary. And guess what? Lady Mary was already here.”

“Sending me to Rosemount,” said Lady Mary, “was more than I had hoped for. Mrs. Cleeves grasped the situation at once. She knew that my nurse was keeping me sedated and switched the bottle of laudanum for a mild restorative. I was becoming stronger every day. As for Gracie,” she smiled at her maid, “we passed her off as my housekeeper’s niece, and no one was the wiser.”

“Well,” said Gracie, “my own mother wouldn’t have recognized me with my mobcap pulled down around my eyes. And I was only the scullery maid. I rarely went upstairs.”

Gwyn hadn’t known what to expect when she came face-to-face with Lady Mary. She’d thought her ladyship had suffered a breakdown, and she’d feared that her mind might be affected. Now she understood why Lady Mary seemed so well, better than well. There was a sparkle in her eyes, her skin glowed with happiness—and maybe a touch of rouge—but that was a good sign, as was the fact that her ladyship had taken a great deal of trouble with her appearance. Her dark rose gown and paisley shawl were very becoming.

“And,” said Gracie, “when her ladyship was more herself, we were going to get her away from here, me and Mrs. Cleeves. But that nice man, Mr. Maitland, was here, and he arrested the nurse and that nasty footman who kept the key to her room.

“If only Johnny, if only Johnny …” Her face crumpled, and she fished in her pocket for a handkerchief to dry her tears.

Lady Mary said gently, “Gracie, why don’t you go and sit with Mrs. Cleeves. I’m sure she’d like your company.”

Still sobbing into her handkerchief, Gracie left the room.

Gwyn watched her go.

Lady Mary said softly, “You’ve hardly taken your eyes off Gracie since you arrived. I think you must have feared that something dreadful had happened to her.”

“No,” said Gwyn. “Not since last night. But before that …” She grimaced. “I was worried out of my mind.”

“Mr. Maitland said that if it hadn’t been for you, things might have turned out very differently for Gracie and me. My dear, I never wanted to involve you in this. But I can’t say that I’m sorry. Will you accept my thanks?”

Gwyn said, “I didn’t know anything. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t even understand the importance of the box until yesterday.”

“I’m afraid,” said Jason, “it has been knocked about a bit, but it won’t take much to fix it.”

“Ah, yes, Williard’s box.”

Lady Mary ran her fingers over its surface and carefully opened the lid. She stared at her own faded portrait for a long time, lost in thought, then looked up at Gwyn. “I remember the day Williard painted it. We were so happy. He said that every time he opened the box, he would see me. There’s no portrait of Williard, I’m afraid. But the gardens here are his. They are better than a portrait. And his artist’s box with his sketches. He left it here because it gave him an excuse to come back to the house. But I’m ahead of myself.” She smiled faintly. “Let me start at the beginning, though I’m sure you’ve worked most of it out.

“Williard and I were in love, of course. We didn’t want to fall in love. We knew my father would never allow the match. You had to know my father to know why Williard decided to overcome his scruples and get me away from here.”

Her voice became more halting as she went on to describe how she and Williard decided to elope and start a new life, as far from her father’s reach as possible. “Of course, everything went wrong.”

Her father, she said, had made up his mind that she was to marry Hugo Wheatley, as he was then known, a man she thoroughly detested and feared. She begged, she pleaded, to no avail. Hugo was in the process of changing his name to Gerrard and they would be made to look ridiculous, her father said, if the wedding did not go forward.

“But I never mentioned Williard’s name. I was too afraid of what my father would do if he found out. So Williard and I made our plans. We would elope when he got back from Bristol. He’d found a house for us. I was of age, and once we were married, there was nothing my father could do.”

Lady Mary closed her eyes momentarily and said in a shaken tone, “But Williard was murdered in Bristol and all my hopes and dreams came to nothing. After that, I didn’t care what happened to me or whom I married. So I married Hugo. It never occurred to me that my father and Hugo were ever aware that I had loved Williard and was going to elope with him. They never spoke of him to me, nor I to them.”

“Then,” said Jason quietly, “you found evidence that implicated your husband and your father in Williard’s death?”

“Yes. Right after my father died. That was more than ten years ago. His valet found the envelope tucked into one of my father’s hats, and he gave it to me. I think my father kept it deliberately in case he ever needed it to keep Hugo in check. But of course, Hugo was his devoted slave. He would never have done anything disloyal. You can imagine how shocked and angry I was. But, God forgive me, I was also afraid. I didn’t think there was enough there to make a case against Hugo. I just didn’t know. And it wouldn’t bring Williard back to me. So I didn’t do anything except hide the evidence in Williard’s box, and I covered it up with the leather lining.”

“Then what,” asked Jason, “made you change your mind?”

Lady Mary flashed him a shy smile. “I visited the Ladies’ Library to hear a lecture on English landscape gardening. I had not known that such women existed as I found there. The more I talked with you, Gwyn, and Lady Octavia, the more I realized I wasn’t without hope. If other women had succeeded in making a new life for themselves, then I could, too.”

Tears glistened in her eyes. “All I wanted was enough money to live quietly and peacefully far away from Hugo and his temper tantrums. So I made my plans with the help of Johnny and Gracie. I had to leave my gardens behind, but I wasn’t going to leave Williard’s sketches. So I loaned them to the library, knowing that I could retrieve them at any time. And, of course, the evidence against my husband. I hadn’t thought of betraying him to the authorities. As I said, I didn’t think that there was enough evidence to convict him. And it all happened thirty years ago.”

“Blackmail?” said Jason, smiling faintly.

“Persuasion,” she replied. “Of course, I wasn’t a fool. I wasn’t going to tell him anything until I was safely away. But he caught me, and I threatened him. But I didn’t tell him everything. I told him that the ring and his note were with my portrait.” She hesitated. “I don’t remember exactly what I told him. At that point, my only hope was that Johnny would get help. I told him that if anything went wrong, he was to tell Lady Octavia to open the lining of my box and take what she found there to the authorities. And if he couldn’t find Lady Octavia, he was to go to you, Gwyn. Gracie has since told me that Johnny tried to reach Lady Octavia, but he was sure she was being watched, and he was afraid to approach her.”

“So he came to my house,” said Gwyn.

“That’s what Mr. Maitland thinks.”

“And when he didn’t find me at my house, he went on to Mr. Sackville’s party, hoping to find me there.”

“Mr. Maitland said he made one other stop, to pick up his wages.”

Gwyn looked at Jason. “Gracie told me that! In the library. She was talking of her friend. But she told me so little.” She turned to Lady Mary. “It was Lady Octavia she wanted to see, and no one else.”

Lady Mary smiled. “Yes. Gracie was very impressed when Lady Octavia came to the house and refused to leave until she had seen me. I don’t remember it at all. At any rate, I didn’t tell Gracie about the box. I thought that the fewer people who knew about it the better. And she is nervous and frightens easily.”

Jason adjusted his long length in the chair. “Sounds like you put a great deal of trust in Johnny,” he said.

“Oh, I did. You see, I promised him a bonus of one hundred guineas the day I took up residence in the cottage in Hampstead. Poor Johnny. He really wanted that bonus. If only I’d known what extremes Hugo would go to, I would never have left him.”

After a long silence, Gwyn said, “What will you do now?”

“I haven’t given it any thought. I think I shall just enjoy the beauty Williard created for me here. Then, we’ll see.”

They spent an hour admiring the house and gardens, but could not be persuaded by Lady Mary to stay the night. Gwyn was anxious to get home to her son, she said, and there was no arguing with that.

Only one small thing remained to be resolved and that was the return of her own coat, the coat that Gracie had run off with after the library’s Open House.

Gracie’s hands flew to her mouth. “I … I had to throw it out,” she said. “I mean, it took me a week to get here. I walked most of the way. And I was sleeping under hedgerows. The coat was filthy, and when I washed it, it shrank. It was no use to anyone.”

Gwyn’s smile never faltered, but Jason was aware of her disappointment, and he waited until they were settled in the carriage before mentioning it.

“You shouldn’t be hurt by Gracie’s offhandedness.”

“What?”

“To Gracie, you’re only that nice lady she met at the library. She doesn’t know all the torments you’ve suffered on her behalf. So your coat has no more significance for her than, well, a coat. Whereas to you, Gracie’s coat became as sacred as the Holy Grail.”

She laughed, a genuine laugh. “There’s something in what you say, but that’s not why I’m stewing. What you don’t realize is that I’m the only woman in England without a coat to her name.”

“I’ll buy you a dozen coats when we’re married.”

“And I’m going to hold you to that promise. But I warn you, I don’t come cheap. Ten thousand pounds, Jason, that’s the sum you’ll have to pay to clear my debts. I’m talking about the legacy. It’s legally mine now, so I can’t give it back. But I shall expect you to return the capital to the donor, if we ever discover who the donor is.”

“The legacy!” he said. “I’d forgotten all about it!”

“You saw the attorney yesterday! You said you would.”

“No, I saw his clerk, and put the fear of death into him. Judith Dudley. That’s the name he gave me.”

“Judith,” she said. “I should have known it!”

Lady Mary wandered into the dining room and gazed at the portrait above the mantel. The girl in the portrait smiled down at her. She hardly recognized herself.

What will you do now?

She dwelled on Gwyn’s question for a long time. There was so much she had wanted to do once, so much she had never attempted. The question was, was it too late to begin? She was fifty-four years old. She wasn’t exactly brimming with confidence. She didn’t have a surplus of friends. She’d always been naturally shy. Williard had seen something in her that nobody else had.

The world is your oyster, Mary, he’d once told her. That was how he’d lived his life. He’d been such a vital, compassionate man. He’d made her want to share his eagerness to embrace life.

And now look at her.

If Williard could see her now, he would chide her. What would he say? He would say … he would say that she’d taken on one of the cruelest men in England, and she had won. That ought to count for something.

But if it hadn’t been for Gwyneth …

The world is your oyster, Mary.

But her world was so small.

Or was it? She had friends at the Ladies’ Library. And the need was great. There was never enough money to help women in distress, and never enough helpers to do the work. And if Lady Octavia’s ambitions to change the marriage laws of England were ever to get to parliament, it would take a great deal of money, and energy, and single-mindedness, and purpose …

She stopped right there.

One step, she promised the girl in the portrait, I’ll take one step, and go on from there. I’ll talk to Gwyneth, and with that, you and Williard will have to be content. Then we’ll see.

Chapter 27

It was late when they reached London, so they stayed at the Clarendon for the night. Gwyn wanted to make for Haddo early the next morning, but Jason had other ideas. He had the special licence in his pocket. He didn’t see why they couldn’t be married at once, before they returned home. Everything else could wait on their convenience—shopping for her bride’s clothes; the parties; the ball he would have to host at Haddo in her honor. And if he knew his grandmother, if they were not married when they arrived home, she would insist on a grand wedding with weeks of preparations beforehand, and neither of them wanted that.

And so it was done, simply and easily, in St. James’s Church on Piccadilly. It helped, of course, that Jason knew the rector.

They started the journey in high spirits, but it wasn’t long before Jason lapsed into a reflective silence.

“What is it?” asked Gwyn. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking about Mark,” he said. “He has had you to himself for so long. What if he resents me?”

They’d had this conversation before. She patted his hand. “I’m sure you are worrying for nothing. Mark likes you. He admires you.”

“As his Cousin Jason. But not as his mother’s husband. And not as his father.” He turned his head to look at her. “If Nigel Barrie had been my father, I wouldn’t have another father at any price.”

His doubts were beginning to put doubts in her mind too. “I’ll speak to Mark,” she said. “I’ll explain how lucky he is. I’ll make him understand.”

“No,” said Jason. “I’ll speak to Mark. We have to settle this between us. I don’t want us to start off on the wrong foot, with you acting as our intermediary.”

“What will you say?”

“I’ll think of something.”

They arrived at Haddo in the middle of the afternoon, just as Mark was leading his pony to the stable. Gwyn’s feet hardly touched the ground as she raced to her son.

“Mark!” she called out. “Mark!”

“Mama. You’re back early.”

She crouched down in front of him, drinking in the sight of his dear face, then she gathered him in her arms.

“Mama!” He squirmed and wriggled free. “Mama, you haven’t met Jonathan,” he said. “He’s Miss Dudley’s cousin.”

Gwyn sat back on her heels. Brandon was there, still mounted, but the boy who looked to be about Mark’s age was walking his pony, too.

He doffed his cap. “How do you do, Mrs. Barrie,” he said.

This was not the moment to tell her son that she and Jason were married. “How do you do, Jonathan,” she said.

“And this is my Cousin Jason,” said Mark.

Mark could hardly wait for the greetings to be over. At the first pause in the conversation, he burst out, “Jonathan and I have got frogs’ eggs, and they’re going to turn into tadpoles. And … and Maisie had her foal the day you left. We’re calling it Sponger. I forget why. And Mama, Cousin Jason, she can walk already, and she’s only three days old.”

Jason said, “Sounds as though you’ve had an exciting time when we were away.”

“Yes, and that’s not all—”

“Mark,” said Brandon, laughing, “give your mother and Cousin Jason time to catch their breath. Now get those ponies stabled and get them rubbed down. I’ll be along in a minute, then we’ll all meet at the house and exchange our news.”

Mark and Jonathan went off chattering, without a backward glance.

Jason squeezed Gwyn’s shoulder. “I’m afraid it’s a case of Gracie all over again,” he said ruefully.

Her eyes trailed Mark and Jonathan. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way … I think.”

She looked at Jason. He looked at her. They started to laugh.

Brandon was losing patience. “Well, how did things turn out in London?”

“It’s all over, Brandon.” said Jason.

“Thank God for that! So what happened?”

“It’s going to take an hour to give you all the details. Suffice it to say that Harry is dead.”

“That’s the best news I’ve heard in ages.”

Gwyn said, “What’s been happening at Haddo, then?”

“Oh, nothing much. Judith has been here every day with Jonathan. Mark, as you see, hasn’t had time to miss you. Oh, yes, and Judith’s mother has been a frequent visitor, too.” He touched a finger to his brow. “They’re both touched. I think it runs in the family. They’re still planning a June wedding. Trouble is, they don’t have a groom.”

Gwyn laughed. “Well, that is easily fixed, Brandon.”

“Now you’re beginning to sound like them. You’ll find Judith in the drawing room. I think she’s choosing a pattern for her wedding dress from La Belle Assemblée. And good luck to her! Grandmother is resting. Sophie is out riding, but don’t worry, there’s a groom with her.”

“Good,” said Gwyn. “I want to have a word with Judith in private.”

Brandon’s brows rose. “This sounds serious.”

“Well, it is, I suppose.”

“Then I’ll be with you directly.”

“There’s no need—”

But Brandon didn’t seem to hear Gwyn’s words. He wheeled his horse and made for the stable.

When Gwyn and Jason entered the drawing room, Judith reached for the copy of La Belle Assemblée, gave a start, then threw the periodical aside. “For a moment I thought you were Brandon, Jason,” she said, and laughed.

“That would explain,” said Jason, “why you’re poring over patterns of wedding gowns.”

“He never fails to rise to the bait,” said Judith merrily, “so how can I resist?” She got up and came to meet them. “I can tell just by looking at you that everything has turned out well.”

“Better than well,” said Jason. “The man who attacked Gwyn is dead. The danger is over, and Gwyn can lead a normal life again.”

“That’s wonderful news. Now tell me all about it.”

“We will,” said Gwyn, “when Brandon comes in.” She clasped Judith’s hands and squeezed. “Jason went to our attorney, Judith, and we know everything.”

Judith said blankly, “The attorney?”

“I’m talking about the legacy, Judith. The ten thousand pounds. I know now it came from you.”

When Judith took a step back, Gwyn released her hands. “It was sweet of you,” said Gwyn, “generous to a fault. But I really can’t accept it.”

Judith took another step back and shook her head. “You’ve made a mistake. Oh, how can I explain it?”

Jason said, “We’re not finding fault, Judith. All we’re saying is that it isn’t necessary. And we’d like to repay you.”

“Oh, this is so awkward.” She stopped when footsteps sounded in the hall. The door was thrown open and Brandon entered with Grandmother Radley on his arm.

She took one look at Judith’s face and said, “Has our little secret been discovered, Judith?”

“I’m afraid so, ma’am.”

“I thought as much when Brandon told me that Gwyn wanted a word with you in private. Well, go on girl. You, too, Brandon. What I have to say is for Jason’s and Gwyn’s ears only.”

When Judith left the room, Brandon went after her. He caught up to her on the front steps. “Will you stop running and tell me what’s going on?” And to make sure she obeyed, he caught her arm and turned her to face him.

“Well?” he said.

“It’s the legacy.”

Brandon knew about the legacy because Jason had told him. But he hadn’t known that Judith knew. “Who told you about the legacy? Was it Gwyn?”

“No. I arranged the whole thing.”

Brandon was incredulous. “You settled ten thousand pounds on Gwyn? How could you do such a thing? Think of her feelings. She’s poor, but she’s proud. Have you no sense, woman?”

She pried her arm loose. “Don’t be ridiculous! Where would I get ten thousand pounds?” And turning on her heel, she stalked off.

He stopped her this time by standing in front of her, blocking her way. “What do you mean ‘where would I get ten thousand pounds?’ Everyone knows you’re as rich as a nabob. Two titled gentlemen left you all their money.”

She said angrily, “Very true, all their money after their debts were paid. I think that amounted to a thousand pounds.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Do I look as though I have money?” she shouted. “Look at the way I dress. Look at the way I live. My mother and I are as poor as church mice.”

“But you choose to live like that because you’re eccentrics.”

She gave him a hard shove and slipped by him.

“Why did you lie?” he called after her.

She made a half turn. “To make myself sound interesting. To avoid pitying glances. I really don’t know. But I’m tired of the game now.”

He caught up to her in one bound. “Does this mean you can’t afford to buy me a dozen curricles?”

“Brandon, I can’t afford to buy the harness for one horse!”

With a great whoop of laughter, he dragged her into his arms and kissed her. When he let her go, he said, “You idiot! Now I can finally say it. I love you, Judith Dudley.”

She snapped, “I never thought you’d sink so low. You know you dislike me intensely.”

“What I disliked,” he said, “was the thought that you would try to control me with your money. Now that that’s no longer a problem, there’s nothing to stop us getting married.”

“Oh? What would we live on?”

“I have a property in Hampshire—”

“A wreck of a place, by all accounts!”

He grinned. “Ah, but now that I’m about to marry, I’ll settle down and make it pay. Ju, I’m not a pauper by any means. You can have your June wedding and that dress from La Belle Assemblée. You’ll want for nothing as my wife.”

She was still in a temper. “I would never marry a man for his money.”

“I should hope not. So marry me for love.”

She searched his eyes, saw what she wanted to see, and said, “I love you amazingly, Brandon Radley.”

“Oh, Ju, that’s all I ever wanted to hear. Why couldn’t you have said that months ago?”

“Oh, do sit down, Jason, and you too, Gwyn. You’re giving me a crick in my neck.” Grandmother Radley waited until her command was obeyed. “That’s better. So, you’ve discovered my little secret.”

Gwyn’s mind was in a whirl. She could accept that Judith might be her benefactress, but not the tyrant who had ruled her young life. She’d never done anything right in Grandmother Radley’s eyes.

Jason obviously did not share her skepticism. He said, “But why the secrecy? Why not do the thing openly and above board?”

“Do you think Gwyn would have accepted a penny from me? Of course she wouldn’t. She has always disliked me.”

“That’s not true!” Gwyn cried.

“Not now, perhaps, because you know how it is to raise a child on your own. But when I came to Haddo, I had five children to raise. Oh, yes, there was a guardian, Felix Radley. But he rarely showed his face at Haddo. The burden fell on me.

“I’m not complaining. I just want you to understand how it was with me. I could not relax my vigilance for one moment.”

Gwyn had never seen things in this light. She tried to imagine raising five children on her own, and her respect for the old lady went up by several notches.

Jason said, “All right, you’ve explained why it was necessary to keep the thing secret. But why do it at all? How could you have known Gwyn’s circumstances? Oh! Judith, of course.”

“Yes, Judith. Her mother is my closest friend. Oh, you mustn’t think that Judith gossiped about you, Gwyn. She admires you. But from what she said, there was no doubt in my mind that you needed a helping hand. I didn’t want to use my own solicitors because they’re in Brighton. You would have known the legacy came from someone in Haddo. So Judith became my messenger and used her own solicitor.”

Jason leaned back in his chair, stretched out his legs and stared at his boots. “I’m missing something,” he said. He looked at his grandmother. “Why was it necessary for me to track Gwyn down? Why didn’t you give the attorney her address? Judith must have told you that Gwyn was living in Sutton Row.”

“That would have been too easy. You would soon have worked out that Judith was involved. I didn’t want you pestering her.”

“No, because she would have led me straight to you!”

His grandmother’s only answer was a scowl.

“Grandmother,” Jason said, “were you by any chance playing matchmaker?”

The question did not put Grandmother Radley off her stride. “I had my hopes, of course, but I can honestly say that my main purpose was to right a great wrong I did you both.”

“What wrong?” asked Gwyn.

“If it had not been for me, you would have been married to Jason a long time ago. You would never have eloped. You would have been mistress of Haddo. Mark would have been Jason’s son. You see, Gwyneth, I felt I owed it to you.”

Gwyn shook her head. “Oh, no, Grandmother. You’re so wrong. I meant nothing to Jason.”

The old lady gave a most unladylike snort. “Child, you know nothing of men if you think that. Jason may have deceived you with his succession of dashers, but I was wise to him, and wise to you, too. I knew Jason loved you and that you loved him. My mistake was in thinking it was a youthful infatuation that would fade in time. Then George died, and there wasn’t time to let the infatuation fade by itself.”

Gwyn looked at Jason, but he was studiously examining a loose button on his coat. Her pulse began to race.

After a moment, Grandmother Radley went on, “I truly believed that the only salvation for us as a family was for Jason to marry an heiress and pay off our debts. So, I encouraged him to believe that you were in love with George, though I knew it wasn’t true.” She looked at Gwyn. “And I told you that Jason was engaged to some young woman, I forget her name.”

“Charlotte Roberts,” said Gwyn.

“In my own defense, I will say that I thought it was only a matter of time before the engagement would be announced, and I wanted to prepare you for the worst.”

To this point, her voice had been quite steady, but now it turned husky. “When you eloped with Nigel Barrie, I was crushed. I realized, then, how deeply you must have loved Jason. I never believed you were happy with your husband, whatever your letters to Trish said. They were too vague, and too cheerful. And you hardly ever mentioned your husband’s name. And when Jason never married, I knew that I’d been wrong about him too.”

There was a long silence, then Jason stirred. “You’re taking too much upon yourself, Grandmother. You can’t possibly have known how I felt or how Gwyn felt. We made our own choices and our own mistakes.”

Grandmother Radley rattled her cane. “A blind man could see how you both felt. Gwyn would walk into a room, and the atmosphere around you, Jason, would become charged. Do you know how many sleepless nights I endured, wondering how it would all end? You were both too young to know your own minds.” Her voice lost some of its force. “Leastways, that’s what I thought then.”

Jason was beginning to look amused. “And what do you think now, Grandmother?”

The cane rattled again. “I’m too old for sleepless nights. I’m too old to patrol corridors, making sure that you and Gwyneth are in your own beds. And you’re old enough now to know your own minds. Quite frankly, I don’t know what you’re waiting for. Well, I did my best. I tried to make amends. I can’t be expected to do more than that, can I?” She paused. “All right. I’m sorry, truly sorry for what I did.”

She leaned on her cane and slowly got up.

Jason said, “The attorney said that when the time was right, you would make yourself known to us. When would that have been, Grandmother? I mean, if we hadn’t found you out?”

“When you married, of course,” snapped his grandmother, “as you know very well.”

“You mean,” said Jason, “I was to repay the ten thousand pounds you settled on Gwyn and Mark?”

“Of course. What else?”

Jason rose. “Then let me do it at once. Perhaps you’d like to come with me to the bank?”

His grandmother, standing as though rooted to the spot, said in an odd little voice, “You mean …”

“Yes, Grandmother, I do mean. Well, aren’t you going to wish us happy?”

Grandmother Radley sank back in her chair. For a moment, her face was transformed with joy, but it was only for a moment. Her tongue was as sharp as ever. “You did this on purpose, to rob me of the pleasure of planning your wedding.”

“Not at all,” said Jason. “I did it to save you the trouble of patrolling the corridors to make sure that Gwyn and I are in our own beds.”

Gwyn waited in some trepidation for the explosion to go off. Grandmother Radley surprised her by cackling with laughter.

“Well, well,” she said. “What does it matter as long as it’s done? Of course, I wish you happy. Come here, both of you, and let me kiss you.”

Mark, bursting into the room a few moments later, found his mother sniffing back tears, and his grandmother blowing her nose into a gentleman’s handkerchief. “What is it, Mama?” he cried. “What’s wrong?”

Gwyn managed a watery smile. “Cousin Jason has something he wishes to say to you.”

She pinned Jason with a look and nodded, whereupon Jason took a deep breath and crouched down so that he and Mark were eye to eye.

“What would you say, Mark, if I told you … that is … if …” Jason glanced at Gwyn, who nodded encouragingly. He started over. “Do you remember, Mark, we talked once about why I wasn’t married?”

“Yes,” said Mark. “You said you were waiting for Princess Charming to come along.”

“Well, she did. And I married her. You see, Mark …”

“Oh, no!” Mark’s little face puckered. “I was wishing, I was praying that you would marry Mama.”

Gwyn and Jason stood at the edge of the bed, looking down at their sleeping son. “Who would have believed,” said Jason, “that it could have been so easy?”

Gwyn blew out the candle, then arm in arm, they walked along the corridor to Gwyn’s room. “I did,” she said. “I told you, Mark thinks the world of you.”

“I asked him if he would like to call me Papa instead of Cousin Jason, and he’s been ‘Papa-ing’ me all night long.”

“Don’t let it go to your head. He thinks now that I’m Princess Charming.”

They entered their room and shut the door. Jason took his wife into his arms. They were both smiling.

“You know,” he said, “I won’t be entirely satisfied until Mark knows I’m his real father.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be a hurdle. It’s Grandmother I worry about. How can we ever tell her; how can we explain that Mark is her grandson?”

Jason chuckled. “She knows already. No, I didn’t tell her. But I know my grandmother. Gwyn, you only have to look at her with Mark to know.”

“Oh.”

“She’s not going to find fault. She’s going to want the whole world to know. And so do I.”

Gwyn untied her dressing robe, slipped it off, and led Jason to the bed. “I don’t want to talk about Mark and Grandmother,” she said. “I want to talk about us.”

“And I don’t want to talk at all.”

“Jason, one of us has to be first to say those three little words, and I think it should be you.”

He scratched his chin. “I was thinking the same thing, only in reverse. I think you should say those words to me.”

“Why should I?”

He stretched out beside her and with a lover’s knowledge kissed the hollow of her throat, making her tremble. “Because,” he said, “you owe it to me, Gwyn.” He kissed her lips, silencing her protest. “You owe me for all those inadequate substitutes I was forced to make do with because I couldn’t have you; you owe me for all those empty years when I thought you were happy with Barrie, never sparing me a thought; you owe me for making me fall in love with you, all over again, just when I thought I was getting over you. So you see, you have to say the words first.”

Her heart was singing. “Well, when you put it like that, I suppose it’s only fair. I love you, Jason Radley. I always have and I always shall. Well, aren’t you going to say the words to me?”

“I thought I already had.” He winced when she punched him on the shoulder. “I love you,” he said quickly when she would have hit him again.

After several minutes of pleasurable activity, he raised his head and looked down at her. “You’re different,” he said. “You’re very sure of me now, aren’t you?”

Her smile was smug. “Oh, yes. Grandmother opened my eyes to so much that I hadn’t understood before. And you didn’t contradict her. So I knew it had to be true. All these years, you’ve really loved me.”

“Yes, well, she opened my eyes to a few things about you. If only—”

She covered his lips with her fingers. “Who cares about ‘if only?’ We’re here, where we belong.” She looked up at him, her face radiant with love. “Our time has come. Let’s make the most of it.”

“I intend to,” he said, and with a wicked grin, he began to disrobe.

Jason lay awake as Gwyn slept. He stroked her hair, he kissed the corner of her mouth, and smiled when she huffed in her sleep and tried to edge away from him. He wouldn’t allow it. She was never going to get away from him again.

It seemed incredible to him, lying here with his wife in his arms, how everything had turned out. Tomorrow, he decided, he would thank his grandmother for her part in bringing them together. Whatever she said about making amends, he knew that she’d been playing matchmaker.

There was someone else he had to thank, and that was Richard Maitland. Gwyn had hardly mentioned his name in the last two days. She’d come round in time. She must see that it was men like Richard who made it possible for them to sleep easy in their beds at night.

Gwyn stirred and made snuffing sounds that were perilously close to snoring. For some obscure reason, this delighted him.

With his lips close to her ear, he whispered, “Princess Charming you are not.”

“Mmm?” Gwyn’s lashes fluttered. “What did you say?”

“I said, my darling wife, that you’re Queen of my Heart.”

Epilogue

Richard Maitland read Jason’s letter, folded it, and tapped it absently against his desk. It wasn’t often that he was thanked for doing his job. It made him feel a little better about Lord Ivan, a little better about the agonizing interview he’d had with Lord Ivan’s father.

So Jason had married Gwyneth Barrie. He felt a small pang of regret. He had liked her, really liked her. And she had liked him, until she’d witnessed what she’d imagined was an execution. Then she’d visibly chilled.

He was used to it.

But it wasn’t an execution. It was a suicide. Lord Ivan hadn’t wanted to be taken alive. He could not face the disgrace.

He tossed the letter aside. He had some leave coming up. It would be a relief to get away from murder and mayhem for a while. He could do a little fishing, scale a few peaks, breathe in the fresh, untainted air of the Scottish Highlands; mix with ordinary, decent people.

He looked at the folder on his desk. It was a new case. He wondered why he was hesitating. He knew damn well he wasn’t going to let anyone get away with murder if he could help it.

He opened the folder and began to read.

Author’s Note

Special Branch, in my story, comes from my imagination, and is inspired by the real Special Branch (Irish), which did not come into existence until 1883. It was set up in Scotland Yard and was a police force within a police force, established to combat terrorism.

About the Author

Best-selling award-winning author Elizabeth Thornton was born and educated in Scotland, and lived in Canada with her husband for over thirty years. In her time, she was a teacher, a lay minister in the Presbyterian Church, a full-time writer, and devoted grandmother to her five grandchildren.

DON’T MISS ELIZABETH THORNTON’S CAPTIVATING ROMANCE …

THE PERFECT PRINCESS

On sale now wherever Bantam Books are sold

Read on for a preview …

Prologue

Richard Maitland decided that he wasn’t ready to die yet. Not that he had much say in the matter. A black mist was closing in on him. They must have fed him some powerful sedative, for his brain was telling him to give up and go to sleep. His death would be painless. But it would be ignoble, and that’s what kept him fighting to stay awake.

His murderers would get away with it because they were clever and he’d played right into their hands. He was a lone wolf—a fatal character flaw, according to Harper. In this instance, Harper was right. No one knew what he’d been up to in the last little while. He was supposed to be in Scotland, enjoying a well-earned rest from his job as chief of staff of Special Branch. Though his friends wouldn’t accept the neat little scenario that had been laid out for them, they wouldn’t know where to begin to look for answers to why he had to die.

He wasn’t sure he knew himself.

Who would want him dead?

His laugh turned into a dry, rasping cough, and he clamped his arm across his chest to stifle the stab of pain. He’d made enemies in his time, scores of them. Soldier, agent, chief of staff of Special Branch—a man in his position attracted enemies like flies to a rotting corpse.

Hard on that thought came another. Lucy.

The black mist faded as his mind grappled with a burgeoning fear. Lucy. Where was she? What had they done with her? He remembered …

He could smell the blood. The air was ripe with it. Lucy’s blood. His blood. He had to open his eyes, had to get his bearings.

It seemed to take forever before his lashes lifted. Lights flickered. Shapes advanced and retreated. He frowned as he willed everything to come into focus. He was staring at a bed, and the half-clothed body of the young woman who lay on top of it. Lucy.

He thought his lungs would burst as he tried to scream his protest. This should never have happened. She was innocent. Her only crime was that she had known him. She was a prop in this grotesque drama. That’s all she was to her killers, a prop to make his own murder seem more plausible.

It was all coming back to him. The bastards had stuck a knife in him, then they’d dumped him in this chair in a corner of the room and had left him to bleed to death. His hand was splayed against his chest, and something warm and sticky oozed between his fingers. He looked down. A large crimson stain was spreading across his shirt. If he didn’t do something soon, it would be too late.

He couldn’t pull himself to his feet, so he sank to the floor, on his knees, and used one arm pressed tight against his chest to stanch the flow of blood. Now that he was more awake, sensation was coming back, and his chest felt as though a red-hot poker was lodged in it. Ignoring the pounding inside his head, he propelled himself forward on his knees, inch by painful inch, till he came to the edge of the bed.

He groped with his free hand and found the pistol he had hidden between the mattress and the footboard. He had very little strength left, and though he knew it might be the death of him, he took his arm away from his chest and used both hands to cock the gun. Bracing his back against the bed, he aimed for the window and squeezed the trigger.

The report of the shot sent waves of sound echoing from wall to wall. There were shouts from below, then the thundering of footsteps on the stairs. He had no way of knowing whether he’d summoned help or his would-be murderers. Either way, things did not look good for him.

The mist was becoming thicker and he had no more will or strength to fight it. It sucked him under like a great black wave.

He was dreaming. He was in his grave and his friends had come to pay their last respects. Their faces swam above him, their expressions somber as befitted the occasion. There was one person there who wasn’t a mourner. He brought her face into focus. Lucy. She was reaching her hand into the grave, trying to draw him back to the land of the living.

Then the wave rolled over him and he knew nothing.

Chapter One

Why do you want to marry me, Michael?”

No sooner had she asked the question than she regretted it. There was no point in prolonging the conversation. She knew she was going to refuse him. Now she would have to appear interested in his answer.

“Prince Michael,” he corrected automatically. “Because, Lady Rosamund, I think you’ll make a perfect princess.”

A perfect princess. The words grated on Rosamund. That’s what they were calling her in the newspapers—the perfect princess—ever since Prince Michael of the diminutive principality of Kolnbourg had made her the object of his attentions. And the depressing truth was, she probably would make a perfect princess.

She was the daughter of a duke. She’d led a sheltered existence. From the day of her birth, she’d been trained in all the feminine arts, the ones that were essential for the wife of some gentleman from her own exalted sphere. She’d never been to school like other girls, or had beaux, or been kissed, or had adventures. That wasn’t precisely true, but the one adventure in her life was an aberration, a small ripple that had left no lasting impression on the smooth surface of her uneventful days, not to mention her uneventful nights.

She exhaled an inaudible sigh. There must be something wrong with her. Prince Michael of Kolnbourg was the embodiment of every young woman’s dream. He was tall, dark, and handsome. He was charming; he was titled. Legions of women had tried to lead him to the altar and failed.

The trouble was, much the same could be said of her. She was tall, dark, and handsome. She was charming; she was titled. But she had one asset that made her stand out from the crowd: She was, in her own right, as rich as a nabob. The result was no end of suitors for her hand in marriage, suitors who were all rigorously scrutinized by her father and her older brothers. And her father was becoming desperate because time was passing, and she wasn’t getting any younger. In another month, she would turn thirty, and the supply of eligible suitors might very well begin to dry up.

She wished it would. What she wanted was a beau, not a suitor, someone who would like her for herself. Suitors, in her experience, were bookkeepers. Every asset was noted in their mental ledgers before they made an offer.

Michael—Prince Michael—was definitely a suitor. He was only fourth in line to the throne and, if rumor was to be believed, hadn’t a sou to his name, a tragic circumstance when one considered his expensive tastes. Marriage to her would solve all his problems.

Obviously, he wasn’t going to elaborate on the answer he’d given her. The thing to do now was to let him down gently and tactfully. Well, she’d had plenty of practice in turning away suitors.

They were in the circular greenhouse of Twickenham House, the ducal mansion in Twickenham, just outside of London, and Rosamund took a moment or two to set the mood by staring at the vista through one of the long windows. Summer was in full bloom, and the gardens were ablaze with color.

“I’m an English girl,” she said. “I could never be happy transplanted to a foreign shore.”

She looked over her shoulder and caught him in the act of studying his watch. Evidently, she bored him as much as he bored her. That didn’t surprise her. Lady Rosamund Devere was a boring sort of person. That’s what came of being a duke’s daughter. She’d been raised to be as bland as a blancmange. And that’s exactly the kind of wife Prince Michael wanted.

The perfect princess, the bland blancmange, who could be counted on never to put a foot wrong, say a wrong word, or have an original thought.

If he knew what she was really like, he would run screaming from the room.

Without awkwardness or embarrassment, he slipped his watch inside his vest pocket and gave her one of his engaging smiles. “I have no objection to your remaining in England after we are wed,” he said. “In fact, I may decide to make England my home. The climate agrees with me.”

So did the actresses, but she wasn’t supposed to know about them. She gave him one of her own engaging smiles. “I’m almost tempted, but …”

“But?”

“You can’t play chess, your Highness. And I could never marry a man who cannot play chess.”

And that was that.

Mrs. Calliope Tracey put the teapot down with a thump. “Chess?” she said. “What has chess to do with anything?”

Rosamund gazed at her friend over the rim of her teacup. They were in the breakfast room in Callie’s house in Manchester Square, where Rosamund had taken refuge the night before in the interests of self-preservation. The duke, her father, had not been amused when she’d told him that she and Prince Michael would not suit. There had been a scene, if one person ranting and raving could be called a scene. And her brothers had not got off scot-free either. It seemed that His Grace had raised three thankless children, if persons of their advanced years could possibly be called “children.” Not one of them was married. At this rate, their line would die out. Then where would they be?

As was their wont, she and her brothers had listened to Papa in sympathetic silence, then made their escape to do precisely what they wanted to do. With Caspar and Jack, it would be chasing petticoats, racing their curricles to Brighton, dueling, gaming, or whiling the hours away in their ubiquitous gentlemen’s clubs. There wasn’t much a duke’s daughter could escape to, but she could always count on her one and only friend to put her up for a few days, and lend a sympathetic ear. So here she was.

That was another consequence of being a duke’s daughter. She had legions of acquaintances, both male and female, but they were not friends. They were so intimidated by her exalted station in life that they treated her with a deference that made her squirm. They never contradicted anything she said. Whatever she suggested was always accepted without argument. It was such a bore.

Callie was the exception. Her late father had been the duke’s steward, and Callie and Rosamund had known each other from the cradle. They’d even been educated together, not at school, but by Rosamund’s governess in the schoolroom at Westmount, the seat of the dukes of Romsey since the reign of Queen Elizabeth. This arrangement had suited both the duke and his steward, since Callie would have the advantage of a superior education her father could not afford, and Rosamund would have the benefit of Callie’s company. Though the idea was that they’d both be treated equally, it hadn’t worked out that way. Callie had always been allowed more freedoms than Rosamund.

“Roz?” Callie slapped her open palm on the table to get Rosamund’s attention. “Hallo? Hallo?”

Rosamund blinked. “What?”

“Where do you go when that look comes over your face? What are you thinking?”

“I was thinking that ordinary girls have an easy time of it. They have so many choices. They can do what they want or go where they want. Look at you.”

Callie laughed. “Nonsense,” she said. “The sad truth is no female has an easy time of it. We are tied to some man’s leading strings from birth, first a father’s, then a husband’s or a brother’s. It’s only when a woman becomes a widow that she is truly free. You should follow my example.”

Rosamund obligingly smiled. This was one of Callie’s oft-repeated jests, that life for a female began only when she became a widow, and in Callie’s case, it was true. When her unlamented tyrant of a husband died in a hunting accident, Callie had come to live with his uncle in Manchester Square, and she’d found her true vocation as Uncle Edward’s hostess. She was amusing; she was outrageous. An invitation to one of her parties was highly prized, and she was invited everywhere. Callie had no shortage of beaux either.

She was the kind of woman, Rosamund thought, that would appeal to men. She had expressive brown eyes and dark brown hair that curled naturally to frame her face in tiny ringlets. And she was as dainty and finely sculpted as a porcelain figurine. God forbid that she should alight from a carriage without some male rushing to her assistance, or that she should carry a hatbox or drop a handkerchief. It wasn’t that Callie expected these courtesies. It was simply that men thought she was fragile. And nothing could be further from the truth.

It was true that men showed her, Rosamund, the same courtesy, but that was because they wanted to curry favor with her father. Behind her back they called her the “Amazon.”

If they only knew how much of an Amazon she could be when the occasion demanded, they would bite their tongues.

“Why are you smiling?” asked Callie.

“I was thinking of Prince Michael.”

“You still haven’t explained what chess has to do with anything. What did the prince say after you told him that you could never marry a man who does not play chess?”

“Not ‘does not play chess’, but ‘cannot play chess.’ There is a difference. What could he say? I’d beaten him at chess, you see. If he hadn’t looked at his watch, I would have let him down gently. But after he slighted me like that, I didn’t care how brutal I was.” To Callie’s blank stare, Rosamund elaborated, “He’s a chess player. He fancies himself an expert. But I let him know he was no match for me.”

“Then what happened?”

“He clicked his heels and took off like one of Congreve’s rockets.”

Callie stared, then hooted with laughter. At length, she said, “You chess players are a breed apart. I never had the patience for it.”

“I remember.”

There was an interval of silence as Callie replenished their teacups. Without looking up, Callie said, “All this talk of ordinary girls and leading strings makes me think that you’re finally thinking of establishing your own home.”

“I’ve thought about it, but I don’t know what good it would do. I’d no sooner move in then so would my father and brothers. Or, if they didn’t move in, they’d visit me so often I wouldn’t know the difference.”

Callie sighed. “I’m sure you’re right. Your father and brothers are too protective of you. If they were my relations, I think I’d shoot them or shoot myself. Thank God my male relations know enough to keep their distance, except for Uncle Edward, of course, and he’s a dear. I’ve never regretted my decision to come and live with him.”

“And I’m sure he feels the same.”

This was no exaggeration. Edward Tracey had invited Callie to make her home with him after he’d suffered a mild stroke. Though there was an unmarried sister, Frances, who lived with him as well, she was as scatty as a bat, and had no idea how to manage a household or care for a semi-invalid. Callie soon became indispensable because Uncle Edward was an outgoing person, and without Callie there would have been no parties and nothing to look forward to.

Callie rested her chin on her linked fingers. “You know, Roz,” she said, “if I were you, I would get married. No, no, hear me out. It could be the ideal solution. Maybe you were too hasty in refusing Prince Michael. From what I hear of him, he’d make an ideal husband.” Her eyes danced. “He’d marry you and forget about you. You’d be free to come and go as you please. No more leading strings. What more could a woman want?”

“How about the right man?” responded Rosamund drily.

“The right man?” Callie laughed. “Roz, he doesn’t exist. If he did, you would have met him by now.”

“Now just a minute! I’m not exactly in my dotage.”

Callie sat back in her chair and studied Rosamund’s lowered brows. Finally, she said, “I’m all ears. Describe this romantic figure who can do what no other man has done and lead you to the altar. But I’m warning you, Roz, if he’s anything like Lord Byron, I shall laugh myself silly.”

“You think Lord Byron is a romantic figure? I think he’s a slimy toad.”

“Stop hedging!”

“I’m not. I’ve never give the matter any thought. Oh, very well then.”

Rosamund gazed down at the dregs of her teacup as though she were a fortune teller reading the tea leaves. A solitary tea leaf bobbed on the surface. With an index finger, she pushed it under. A moment later, it bobbed right up again.

“Drat,” she said, “I can’t get rid of him.”

“Who?” asked Callie, baffled.

“The one who is tall, dark, and handsome.”

“Well, I hope he is tall. Nothing looks more ridiculous than a woman of your stately proportions dancing with a man she stands head and shoulders above. So? Go on?”

Rosamund carefully set down her teacup and bared her teeth in a fixed smile. “Why,” she said, “he’ll be just like you, Callie, you know, blunt to the point of rudeness. I won’t have to wonder what he’s really thinking because he’ll tell me straightout, to my face. He won’t think of me as a duke’s daughter. He won’t care about my fortune. He’ll contradict me at every turn. He won’t try to curry favor with my father or my brothers, and if they cross him, he’ll tell them to go to the devil.

And …”

“And?”

“And when we play cards or chess or whatever, he won’t sulk just because a female has beaten him.”

Callie laughed. “I think you mean every word.”

“Oh, I do. But since this paragon of virtue has yet to show his face, I’ll just have to make do with you. Now, let’s stop playing games and tell me what we’re going to do this morning.”

Callie adjusted the clasp of her gold bracelet as she spoke. “I’m afraid you’ll have to entertain yourself for an hour or two this morning, because I have an appointment I must keep.” She looked up and smiled. “I’d invite you along, but your father would have a fit if he ever found out.”

Rosamund was beginning to be annoyed. “I thought you knew my father better than that. His bark is worse than his bite. He’s all bluster. And if I had paid attention to his fits, as you call them, I would have accepted Prince Michael, wouldn’t I? So let me worry about my father and tell me where we are going this morning.”

Callie shook her head. “No. All teasing aside, it’s not the sort of place you would feel comfortable in.”

“Let me be the judge of that.”

“Fine. I’m going to Newgate.”

“Newgate? The Newgate?”

“Yes. The prison.”

Rosamund had a ghoulish vision of a public execution. She gave her friend a sharp look as a thought occurred to her. This was typical of Callie. She’d established herself as an original, someone who would dare the devil just for the thrill of it. That was one of the reasons she was so much in demand. She had a fund of stories that kept her audience both shocked and enraptured. Callie was never dull. She attended masqued balls that ladies weren’t supposed to know about; she’d been on a balloon ride; she’d even watched the battle of Waterloo from the edge of the field. But a public execution was going too far.

Callie’s delicate brows winged upward. “I don’t know what’s going through your head, but I’m sure you’ve got it all wrong. This is a mission of mercy.”

She got up and went to the sideboard. A moment later, she returned to the table with a folded newspaper and passed it to Rosamund. “Front page, Richard Maitland,” she said. “The trial has been going on all week. You must have read about it. He’s been found guilty and sentenced to death.”

Rosamund glanced at the paper then looked up at Callie. “Isn’t he the man who murdered his mistress at the George and Dragon?”

Callie shook her head. “He denies that she was his mistress. He says he was trying to help her find employment. Her father served with him in Spain, and after his death, she had fallen on hard times. He says that she was already dead when he entered her room and her assailants attacked him.”

“That’s not what the prosecutor said. He called it a crime of passion. She was going to leave him for someone else, wasn’t she? There were witnesses who said as much.”

“Oh, yes, witnesses, if one can call barmaids and chambermaids credible witnesses.”

There were times when Callie could be downright irritating, as now. She wasn’t a snob, but when she made up her mind about something, she would say anything to win her point. Rosamund had followed the trial in the newspapers, but not very closely because her own name was being bandied about as the future Princess Michael of Kolnbourg and her mind had been preoccupied. But she remembered thinking that Richard Maitland was as guilty as sin.

“Barmaids and chambermaids,” she said, “are respectable people, and the jury believed them.”

“Hah! There was nothing respectable about that lot. I could tell just by looking at them. Oh, yes, I was there at the trial. I never missed a day.”

It didn’t surprise Rosamund to learn that Callie had attended the trial. It was quite common for ladies of fashion, at least the bolder ones, to attend such events, and Callie was bolder than most. After a moment, she said, “Why would these witnesses lie?”

“Maybe someone bribed them. Or maybe they’re frightened to tell the truth. Maitland said that he had powerful enemies.”

Rosamund shook her head.

“What?” demanded Callie.

“Why are you so determined to believe that this man is innocent?”

Callie’s voice was vivid with impatience. “Because of who he is. He’s an officer and a gentleman. He is … was chief of staff of Special Branch. I’d rather believe him than barmaids and chambermaids. And I’m going to tell him so, to his face. Oh, don’t look so shocked. He’ll be shackled. We won’t come to any harm.”

Rosamund didn’t know enough about the case to argue the point, and she knew, too, that when Callie’s mind was made up, nothing could change it.

“Who is ‘we’?” she asked.

“Oh, Aunt Fran. And we’re to meet Charles there. So you see, I’ll be well chaperoned.”

Charles was Callie’s brother-in-law and, as Rosamund remembered, held some position at the Home Office. He was a born worrier, and Rosamund wondered how Callie had managed to persuade him to become involved in such a hare-brained scheme.

Callie had been studying Rosamund’s face, and she let out a soft sigh. “Listen, Roz,” she said. “I feel sorry for the man, that’s all. His friends have all deserted him. I just want him to know that someone believes in him. So, I’m going to give him a royal send-off—champagne, roast duck, truffles, that sort of thing. Don’t look so worried. He may not agree to see me. Then I shall just leave my basket of treats with the keeper.”

There was an interval of silence, then Callie went on, “I don’t suppose you ever ran into Maitland when you were in Spain?”

“Was Maitland in Spain?”

“He served all through the Peninsula campaign. His war record is spotless. It was all in the papers.”

“No, I never met him. But that’s not surprising. My father and I were guests of the ambassador. The only soldiers I met were pretty high up in the chain of command.” Rosamund broke off when a maid entered.

“A letter arrived for Mr. Tracey, ma’am,” said the maid.

“Thank you, Mona.” Callie took the letter from the silver salver the maid held out to her. After the maid withdrew, she examined the seal. “Poor Uncle Edward,” she said. “He still gets invitations to his regiment’s reunions. He’ll want to go, of course. I suppose it will be all right if Charles goes with him.” She smiled at Rosamund. “But whether he goes or not, he’ll be delighted to receive the invitation. I’ll just run upstairs and give it to him. Shall we meet back here in say, oh, half an hour? If you’re not here, I won’t take offense. I know how difficult your father can be when you forget you’re a duke’s daughter.” And with a commiserating smile, she left Rosamund to her own thoughts.

Rosamund slumped back in her chair, something she would never have done if someone had been there to see her. Callie, she reflected, had the uncanny knack of making her feel less than adequate.

Who was she trying to fool? She was inadequate. She was the kind of girl nothing much ever happened to. But Richard Maitland? A mission of mercy to a convicted killer wasn’t the kind of excitement she was looking for.

Her eye fell on the newspaper Callie had offered her. After a moment, she reached for it and shook it out with enough force to tear the page. It was dated July 8, 1816. She began to read.

Maitland Guilty! Sentenced to Hang!

Colonel Richard Maitland, chief of staff of Special Branch, was found guilty today at the Old Bailey of the murder of Miss Lucille Rider. There was speculation that the jury might recommend clemency in view of the defendant’s distinguished war record, but no such recommendation reached the court. Before passing sentence, Chief Justice Robarts said that this was a particularly brutal crime, and that crimes of passion must never be tolerated in a civilized country. After donning the black cap, he pronounced the sentence of death.

Maitland’s expression remained stoic throughout. No sound was heard in the packed courtroom as the sentence was read. Colonel Maitland, who has always protested his innocence, was led away in chains.

There were many on the steps of the Old Bailey who expressed satisfaction with the verdict. The general view seemed to be that no one was above the law, and a man in Colonel Maitland’s position, a man who was sworn to uphold the law, should be dealt with severely.

Many expressed their sympathy for the victim, such as a former chambermaid at the tavern where the murder took place. It was the testimony of Miss Rider’s friends that was largely responsible for the conviction. Though Maitland always insisted that his relationship with Miss Rider was innocent, their sworn statements to the contrary undermined his defense.

A highly placed source at Special Branch, who wishes to remain anonymous, commented that the colonel was an intensely private person who ran the department with a rod of iron. When asked about rumors of Maitland’s unorthodox and sometimes brutal methods, the official refused to confirm or deny them.

The execution has been set for June 11 at 8:00 A.M. outside Newgate prison.

Rosamund read the article again, then laid the paper aside. It did not seem to her that there was anything here to stir her sympathy for Richard Maitland. Many soldiers had distinguished war records, but that was no excuse for murder. Even his own colleagues at Special Branch had nothing good to say about him.

His defense, as she remembered, was that his enemies had engineered the whole thing. He was the real target, not Miss Rider. They killed her to make it look like a crime of passion and so deflect suspicion from themselves. It was too bad for Maitland that the prosecutor produced a physician who claimed that the stab wound to Maitland was superficial and not life-threatening. The poor girl’s throat had been slit. As for Maitland’s enemies, there was not one shred of evidence to suggest that they existed.

There had been a gunshot, but she could not remember how that fitted into the picture.

She glanced at the paper again. The execution was to take place tomorrow morning. A shiver ran over her. Now her sympathies were stirred. A mission of mercy—

She was still mulling over that thought as she went upstairs.