Dangerous (37 page)

Prudence frowned. “But who could have informed him?”

Sebastian shrugged. “Whistlecroft, no doubt. Although why he gave Curling the information defeats me. Whistlecroft has always been even more eager than I to keep my hobby a secret. He prefers to take full credit for the investigations so that he can collect the rewards.”

“Well, I suppose it does not matter how Curling learned of your interest in conducting investigations. The point is he did.” Prudence shook her head in disgust. “He left evidence implicating poor Jeremy at the scenes of the deaths, trusting that you would find it and identify it.”

“Which I did.”

“I cannot imagine what made Curling believe that you would be eager to see Jeremy arrested for murder.”

“Everyone knows I have no love for my relatives,” Sebastian said.

“Yes, but Curling should have realized that when all is said and done, family is family. He should have understood that you would protect Jeremy.”

Sebastian arched a brow. “My dear, your naïveté alarms me at times. Curling was far more pragmatic than you in his logic. He knew my opinion of the rest of the Fleetwoods and he had every reason to suspect I would not lift a finger to protect any of them.”

Prudence glowered at him. “Do not tease me anymore about this matter, my lord. You know very well that you would never have let Jeremy hang.”

Sebastian smiled at her. “Your boundless faith in my character never fails to amuse me, my dear.”

Prudence gave him a quelling frown. “What are we going to do now? We cannot prove that Curling is behind the murders. So far all we have accomplished is to remove the evidence against Jeremy before it fell into the hands of the authorities. Next time we might not be so fortunate.”

“I think it is time I had another talk with my cousin,” Sebastian said.

“Right now?”

“I cannot envision a better time,” Sebastian said. “It is nearly three. He will no doubt be at his favorite club.”

“I shall come with you,” Prudence said eagerly.

“You will not come with me,” Sebastian said evenly. “You know damn well that you cannot enter a gentlemen’s club.”

“I am aware of that.” Prudence smiled serenely. “I shall wait in the carriage with you until Jeremy leaves the club.”

“Bloody hell,” Sebastian muttered. But there was no real heat in the words. He was learning to recognize a losing battle when he saw one.

They did not have to wait very long in the fog outside the St. James Street club before Jeremy emerged. Sebastian watched his cousin descend the steps and start toward a waiting hackney. He noted with satisfaction that Jeremy did not appear unsteady in his walk.

Sebastian opened the carriage door just as Jeremy went past. “A word with you, Cousin.”

“What the devil?” Startled, Jeremy looked into the darkened carriage. His glance went from Sebastian to Prudence. “What are you doing here, Lady Angelstone?”

She smiled reassuringly at him. “We wanted to speak with you about a very urgent matter, Mr. Fleetwood. Would you mind joining us?”

Jeremy hesitated, clearly torn between good manners and a distinct distaste for Sebastian’s presence. Good manners won.

“Very well.” He got into the carriage and sat down. “I trust this will not take long. I am on my way home. It’s been a long night and I plan to attend a boxing match in the morning.”

“It concerns Lillian,” Sebastian said quietly. He closed the carriage door.

“Lillian?” Jeremy stared at him as the carriage rumbled forward. “Haven’t you already said enough on that subject?”

“I have recently learned how she died,” Sebastian said. “I thought you should know the truth.”

“I don’t understand. I told you that Lillian drowned.”

Prudence touched Jeremy’s arm. “Listen to Angelstone, Mr. Fleetwood. Your beloved Lillian did not drown. She was driven to her death by four terrible men.”

Jeremy gazed at her in astonishment. “I don’t understand,” he said again.

“Neither did we until tonight.” Sebastian relit the carriage lamp. He leaned back into the corner of the seat and quietly told Jeremy the entire tale, including his own involvement in the investigation.

It was just as well he had brought Prudence along, he reflected when he was finished. Jeremy might not have believed him otherwise. But Prudence’s presence and her air of genuine concern lent credibility to the story. Jeremy looked at her several times for confirmation. Each time Prudence nodded soberly.

“It’s true, Mr. Fleetwood,” she said at last. “All of it. I myself helped question Bloomfield.”

“And Curling is the one who is trying to implicate you in the deaths of Ringcross and Oxenham,” Sebastian added. “He deliberately made certain that I would find the evidence that pointed to you.”

Jeremy’s mouth tightened. “Because he thought that you would seize the opportunity of seeing me arrested for murder.”

“Yes.”

“You say you occasionally involve yourself in investigations such as this?” Jeremy looked at Sebastian.

“Yes.”

“But why in God’s name would you choose to do so?”

Sebastian shrugged. “It amuses me.”

Prudence pushed the hood of her cloak back slightly.
“Curling miscalculated badly, of course. He apparently did not realize that as the head of the family, Sebastian would not hesitate to protect you.”

“I beg your pardon, Lady Angelstone,” Jeremy said tightly, “but I find that as difficult to believe as Curling obviously does.”

“Nonsense,” Prudence said. “I told you the other day that there is no question of where Sebastian’s ultimate loyalty lies.”

Sebastian regarded her with a hooded gaze. “There is no necessity to go into that right now, madam.”

Jeremy glanced at him and then looked back at Prudence. “Did those four men really abuse my poor Lillian and drive her to her death?”

Prudence nodded sadly. “I do not think there is any question about it. But we will never be able to prove it.”

Jeremy’s eyes narrowed. “I do not care whether or not you can prove it, Lady Angelstone, as long as you are certain of the facts.”

“As certain as we can be.” Prudence looked at Sebastian. “Is that not right, sir?”

“I believe Bloomfield’s tale.” Sebastian watched as Jeremy’s gloved hand curled into a fist. “But I think it will be possible to get confirmation.”

Jeremy’s head turned swiftly toward him. “From whom?”

“From Curling himself,” Sebastian said slowly. He met Jeremy’s eyes. “I suggest that you and I talk to him.”

Jeremy hesitated, searching Sebastian’s face. Then he jerked his chin up abruptly. “By God, yes.”

“It is obviously time to make our plans.” Prudence glanced expectantly at Sebastian. “What shall we do first?”

“First, my dear, Jeremy and I are going to take you home.”

“Oh, no, my lord, you cannot leave me out of this.”

Jeremy frowned. “You cannot possibly come with us,
Lady Angelstone. This is men’s business. Isn’t that right, Angelstone?”

“Yes,” Sebastian said, surprised by the vehemence in Jeremy’s voice. “Quite right.”

He braced himself as Prudence opened her mouth to argue. This time he would stand his ground, he told himself.

But to his astonishment, she closed her mouth again without saying a word.

It was nearly four in the morning before Sebastian finally found himself alone in the carriage with Jeremy. They were headed for Curling’s house. Prudence had maintained her unaccustomed silence all the way home, where Sebastian had quickly escorted her inside and sent her upstairs to bed. He knew she would be waiting up for explanations when he got home.

“I shall challenge Curling, of course,” Jeremy burst out as soon as the carriage was in motion.

“Will you?”

“It is all I can do to avenge poor Lillian. When I think of what she must have gone through that night, my blood boils.”

“Risking your neck in a duel will not bring her back,” Sebastian said softly.

Jeremy’s eyes glittered. “I intend to kill him.”

“Are you a creditable shot?”

“I have practiced for some time at Manton’s gallery.”

Sebastian smiled faintly. “Is your mama aware of your interest in the sport?”

Jeremy shifted uncomfortably. “No, ’course not. She wouldn’t approve.”

Sebastian listened to the clatter of the horses’ hooves on the paving stones. “Tell me, Cousin, have you ever actually engaged in a duel?”

“Well, no, but I’m certain I can hit my target.”

“Putting a bullet in a man who is aiming a pistol at your
heart is not quite the same as putting a bullet in a target at Manton’s,” Sebastian said quietly. “It requires ice, not fire, in one’s veins. You are too hot-blooded for dueling.”

Jeremy scowled at him. “There are rumors that you have fought one or two duels in your time”

Sebastian gave him a bland look. “Dueling is illegal.”

Jeremy’s eyes slid awkwardly away from Sebastian’s face. “Yes, sir, I know.” He cleared his throat, “You are accounted something of a legend, sir, as I’m certain you are well aware. You are a man of the world. I would greatly appreciate it if you would give me some hints on the subject of conducting a duel.”

“Your mama would not approve.”

“Hang my mama.” Jeremy’s eyes were suddenly fierce. “It’s none of her affair. I have to do this for Lillian. Don’t you understand? I loved her.”

Jeremy meant every word, Sebastian thought. He made his own decision. “Very well. If it comes to a duel, I shall act as one of your seconds.”

Jeremy was taken aback. “You will?”

“Yes.”

“I say, Angelstone.” Jeremy stared at him in astonishment. “That’s very good of you, sir. I appreciate it.”

“You do realize that if you get yourself killed your mama will blame me. And so will my wife.” Sebastian smiled faintly. “I can deal with your mama, but I do not like to contemplate my future if Lady Angelstone concludes that I did nothing to prevent you from getting yourself shot.”

“I do not intend to get myself shot,” Jeremy said. “The goal is to put a bullet in Curling.”

“No, Cousin,” Sebastian said softly. “The goal is to destroy Curling. Challenging him to a duel is a tactic of last resort.”

“Why?”

“The results would be far too uncertain. He might very well survive, for example, even if you do lodge a bullet in
him. Many men do. Trust me when I tell you that there are other, more reliable methods for accomplishing your goal.”

Jeremy watched him as the carriage rumbled down the street. “How do you suggest I go about destroying Curling?”

Sebastian explained the plan he had been formulating since the moment he had discovered the business agreement that bound The Princes of Virtue.

They arrived at Curling’s town house an hour before dawn. The fog was thickening rapidly.

Curling’s butler, disheveled and angry at having been summoned from his bed at such an early hour, answered the door. He sighed at the sight of two gentlemen standing on the doorstep.

“Inform your master that Angelstone wishes to see him at once,” Sebastian said.

“His lordship only got in an hour ago,” the butler said. “He won’t like being awakened.”

Sebastian smiled. “I do not particularly care if he likes it or not.”

The butler eyed Sebastian’s smile. “Very well, m’lord. If you and your gentleman friend will step inside, I’ll see that his lordship is informed of your presence.” He stalked away.

Sebastian looked at Jeremy, who was rigid with anger and tension. “Calm yourself, Jeremy. Or at any rate, try to give the appearance of being calm. Nothing does more to unsettle the nerves of one’s foe than to appear unutterably amused or even bored.”

“You should know,” Jeremy said dryly. “You’re a master at the art. I’d give a fortune to know how you manage to act so damnably amused or excruciatingly bored in a situation such as this.”

“There is acting talent on my side of the family, if you will recall.”

Jeremy slid him an assessing glance. “There are many who say you are cold-blooded by nature.”

Sebastian thought of Prudence waiting at home. “And one who says I am not.”

The sound of voices at the top of the stairs caught Jeremy’s attention. “Here comes Curling.”

“You will allow me to conduct this interview,” Sebastian said quietly.

“Yes, sir.”

Curling, garbed in a silver gray dressing gown, ran a hand through his hair as he descended the staircase. He had a vaguely irritated expression on his face, suitable to a man who has been rudely awakened, but his eyes were alert and watchful

“What the devil do you want at this ungodly hour, Angelstone?” He gave Jeremy an unreadable glance. “I do hope this won’t take long.”

“Not long at all,” Sebastian assured him. “Shall we go into the library?”

Curling shrugged and led the way into the small library that opened off the hall. He casually motioned toward two chairs as he went to the brandy table. “Will you join me in a glass?”

“No,” Sebastian said. He sat down in an armchair and hooked one booted foot over his knee in a casual manner.

“No,” Jeremy said in the same cold tone. He stole a quick glance at Sebastian and then he, too, sat down. He was unable to achieve the same degree of ennui in his manner, but it was obvious he was making the effort.

“As you wish.” Curling poured himself a glass of brandy and turned to face them with a shuttered gaze. “Well? What is so important that you felt you must call upon me at this hour?”

“We are here to discuss the recent deaths of two of your business associates,” Sebastian said.

“Business associates?”

“Ringcross and Oxenham.”

Curling swallowed brandy. “What makes you think they’re business associates of mine?”

Sebastian smiled. “A document I found in Bloomfield’s desk. It is obvious by the terms of the agreement that you are now a great deal more wealthy than you were a few days ago. And if you succeed in finding and murdering Bloomfield, you will be even richer.”

Curling went very still. “Good lord, man. Are you accusing me of murdering my business partners?”

“Yes,” Sebastian said. “I am.”

“That’s nonsense.” Curling shot a narrow glance at Jeremy. “Ringcross died in a fall and Oxenham committed suicide.”