Dueling With the Duke (Brotherhood of the Sword) (4 page)

She knew better now, and though much of Gabriel looked the same, down to the locks of hair that fell onto his forehead and his same intense bespectacled gaze, he was not the same as he’d been so many years ago. He was harder; she could see the pain and jadedness in the tense tic of his jaw.
Normally she was quite comfortable in silence, but under the weight of his stare, she buckled. “What do you want from me, Gabriel?”

“Your husband is suspected of some questionable behavior, and I need to know what you know.”

“I know nothing.”

His right brow rose. “Indeed. Well, that might be more believable had you not just broken into the British Museum.” His forehead wrinkled in a frown. “Precisely what were you doing in there?”

“Would you believe me if I told you I have a key and I was retrieving my own personal property?” she asked.

“No,” he said plainly.

Of course not. Because Gabriel, as most other people in this damned town, expected the worst of her. “I suspected as much. Then it matters not what I was doing in the museum. It is a public building and I owe you no explanation. Even still, I’ll tell you that I know nothing about Lord Thornton’s behavior, nefarious or otherwise.”

“Would that I could believe you, but it has been my experience that you are not always so forthcoming with information. Honest information, that is.”

His jab wounded her, but she was skilled enough to keep that to herself. She’d been fielding such attacks for years, ever since marrying Lord Thornton. If it hadn’t been his insane jealously, it was his general mistrust of her. He’d not thought highly of his wife, and he never missed an opportunity to tell her or anyone else who would listen. She’d stopped trying to defend herself years ago. It never mattered what she said, never mattered what the truth was. Thornton had believed what he’d wanted to believe, as had the rest of London. The men and women alike believed her to be nothing more than a loose-moraled woman. She’d never bothered disputing any of them; such reputations could be useful at times.

It seemed Gabriel was no different. Pity. There had been a time that she’d thought him quite different from the rest of the men in this damned town. Of course then she’d heard all the rumors of what a rake he was. Stories of his seductions had reached her ears, but she’d never been able to reconcile them with the man she’d spoken to that night on the balcony. The man she’d thought would ask her to dance but had instead allowed his older brother to sweep in and take her off his hands.

“Your husband. When was the last time you saw him?”

She glanced out the window, wondering what she could say to Gabriel to make him go away. He took the opportunity to snatch her reticule from her grasp.

“I beg your pardon, sir, but that is mine.” She reached to grab it back, but he was too swift for her.

He opened it and peered inside, then he looked back at her, both brows lifted. “This is quite a sum of money, Lilith.”

Why was it she could never get too far removed from a man wanting to control her? “This is all none of your concern.”

“On the contrary, my dear lady,” Gabriel said, his tone stern and brimming with judgment. “Your husband is under investigation for crimes against the Crown. Being his wife, you are being scrutinized as well. Not to mention stealing from the British Museum is as good as stealing from the Crown.”

“What sort of crimes against the Crown? Thornton might not have been the most gregarious man, but he was a patriot, always fighting in Parliament for something or another.” That was the honest truth; however, she never knew precisely what he’d been fighting for, though she knew enough to be certain it wasn’t for the benefit of the lower class.

“And his feelings about the queen?” Gabriel asked.

“How am I supposed to know? We never talked about such matters.” He rarely spoke to her. She had been an extension of his property. “You said that you sent that young man to my house on your own authority, but under whose authority are you making these inquiries? I don’t recall you working for the Crown.”

Again she looked out the window and was pleased to discover the carriage had turned down her street. “Regardless, you asking questions does not mandate I answer them,” she said. She had a sneaking suspicion he would come inside with her. After all, he was the one who’d sent that boy tonight, confirming her suspicion that something had happened to Thornton. And there was the annoying little fact that he currently held her monies captive.

Besides, she knew virtually nothing about her husband’s activities outside of their townhome. For that matter, she knew little of what he did when he was home with her, which he hadn’t been for the better part of a week.

Once the carriage stopped, Gabriel stepped down and assisted her to the ground.

“Perhaps you do not realize what you know. We shall talk when we get inside,” Gabe said.

At least he had followed his word and returned her to her home. “If I answer your questions, you must return my funds.”

He did not verbally agree, and her protest was lost as another carriage pulled up and stopped in front of the house. The man driving it jumped down and followed them as they went up the walkway to her front door. She glanced over her shoulder. “Who is that?”

“Viscount Ellis, pleasure to meet you, Lady Thornton,” the man said, stepping forward and bowing over her hand when she turned toward him.

But where had he come from? Had she been so distracted at the museum at the sight of Gabriel that she hadn’t noticed an additional hack? “Do you always follow Lord Lynford around?” She unlocked the door, and together the three of them breached her threshold.

Her skin prickled. Though she might not be interested in answering Gabriel’s questions, she did want to know what he knew about her husband. Had Gabriel come to confirm Thornton’s death? Or perhaps he hadn’t been killed and was being detained somewhere? She had no notion of what had been happening with her husband, but she was counting on Thornton’s being gone for a prolonged absence so she could grab Isabel and run.

“Do you know where he is?” he asked, though his tone suggested it wasn’t a real question, as if he already knew the answer.

“Before I answer any of your questions, I want you to promise you will return my bag. That is my money,” she said.

“And if I refuse?”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Then so do I.”

“Ah, but I can have you arrested for treason,” he said.

“I highly doubt that. And you have no proof else you wouldn’t be here looking for clarification or additional details.”

Viscount Ellis chuckled, and both she and Gabriel glared at him.

The housekeeper came and took their coats and hung them. “I suppose our guest is still waiting in the parlor?” Lilith asked her.

“Yes, my lady.”

“Very well. You may retire for the evening.” After the housekeeper had nodded and left the foyer, Lilith turned to Gabriel. “I haven’t seen Thornton in several days, though I don’t see how that’s any of your concern.”

Gabriel’s jaw muscle ticked. “I believe your husband was murdered.”

She nodded.

“You do not seem to be surprised.”

“I have scarcely had time to react. But, no, I don’t suppose I am surprised. You met my husband. Perhaps it’s more surprising that he wasn’t killed sooner.” She tried to sound flippant. The truth was there was no love between her and her husband. Never had been. She didn’t even like the man. He was cold and cruel. That didn’t mean she had no feelings at all. But there was no sense in advertising that fact. Showing too much emotion only made you more vulnerable, and if Thornton were truly dead, it meant she needed to get to Isabel as soon as possible.

“What do you know of your husband’s activities over the last several days?” Viscount Ellis asked.

“Nothing. He rarely told me where he was going or what he was doing unless he brought me along, which he hadn’t done recently.” She paused, wanting to ask, but uncertain if she should. Finally curiosity got the better of her. “Do you know for certain he was killed, that he is dead?”

Gabriel’s greenish-brown eyes seared into her, then he slowly nodded. “I believe I saw him. Dead.”

“You believe, but you are not certain?”

“The body was taken.”

Perhaps Thornton was simply too cruel to die and had gotten up and walked away. Chills scattered up her arms. She shoved the thought away and asked, “Who the devil would want my husband’s dead body?”

“I suspect whomever he’s been working with. What can you tell me about your husband’s communications? Did he have visitors here or go places to see people? Receive messages from anyone?”

Yes, yes, and yes, but she had no reason to trust Gabriel with that information. She’d learned the hard way that it was best to keep information close and reveal it only when necessary. Anything that could provide the upper hand gave her a measure of power, regardless of how small. Power kept one alive.

…

Lilith Crisp was still ridiculously beautiful, that Gabe could not deny. And she was obviously as secretive as ever, which in his experience meant deceptive. More than likely he was wasting his time standing here and asking her questions. If she knew anything, she wasn’t inclined to share it with him. There was always the chance that she knew nothing. Men didn’t always share everything with their wives.

She led them to a parlor, where Gabe found the young man he’d sent earlier. He was dozing on the sofa, his snores echoing through the small room.

Ellis coughed and the boy jerked awake.

“Sirs,” he said, coming to his feet.

“Come with me,” Ellis said, and the two of them disappeared from the room.

Gabe turned back to face Lilith. “You did not answer my question about your husband and the men he might have worked or corresponded with.”

She shrugged, her delicate, feminine shoulders rising slightly, drawing his eye to her exposed collarbone. “I cannot say I ever noticed. My husband, as you well know, was quite busy. Between his investments, his club, and Parliament, he had more than his share of things to do to occupy his time.” Her voice seemed to come out in a purr.

He hated that he’d always found her so damned attractive. He knew better than most men that what the mind knew and what the body wanted didn’t always coincide.

She walked to the bookshelf lining the back wall and retrieved a tray with a decanter of sherry and placed it on the table in front of the sofa. Here in the better light of the parlor, he could see her full form. Head to toe, in a dark charcoal dress that hugged and accented her luscious figure, she was the embodiment of femininity. Regardless that Gabriel’s pulse had ticked up and that his eyes wanted to study every curve of her body, he forced his attention upward.

That didn’t help much, as there he was met with her breathtaking face: flawless skin with artfully sculpted cheekbones, thickly lashed, sultry brown eyes, and naturally red lips so perfectly lush they begged for a kiss. But it was those very lips that reminded him of her lies. All the lies she’d told his brother, about how he had won favor with her father and their union was a near certainty. Then she’d encouraged Thornton in the duel and ultimately Rafe’s murder.

Just then Ellis returned to the room.

“It’s evident that you seem to believe I’m keeping secrets from you about my husband’s activities, but there is nothing I can tell you,” she said. She retrieved a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. “I would appreciate you letting me know what you discover about my husband’s death.”

Ellis stepped forward. “Of course.” He nudged Gabe in the side with an elbow. “The lady is obviously grieving, and we have kept her up much of the evening.”

Gabe glanced at Ellis and nodded. This wasn’t over. He’d discover what Lilith was hiding. No one took that much money without having one hell of a secret.

…

Lilith allowed the tears to fill her eyes, a skill she’d mastered as a young girl to get whatever she wanted from her father. She held the handkerchief to her eyes. She loathed pretending to shed even one tear for that bastard, let alone many, but if portraying the grieving widow would get Gabe and his companion out of her house, then she would weep all night if she had to. Her eyes welled, and she knew it would take only one blink to release the tears. She closed her eyes, then opened them.

“I am truly sorry, Lady Thornton, for your loss,” Viscount Ellis said.

The men stepped into the corridor to leave. Gabe stopped, turned, and looked at her. The weight of his stare nearly made her falter. Thankfully he’d returned her reticule of money, otherwise she would have had to hunt him down to snatch it back. She put the handkerchief up to her eyes again, not willing to watch him as he left.

She’d seen enough in his glance to know he’d return. But for now he was leaving, and that might buy her enough time to get to Isabel.

Chapter Three

They had driven down the street and were about to turn when Gabriel stilled Ellis’s hand on the reins.

“You aren’t coming, are you?” Ellis asked.

“I can’t. I must see this through. I know you don’t understand—”

“I understand,” Ellis said with a chuckle. “She’s a stunning woman. Perhaps even stunning enough to test
your
resolutions.”

Gabriel climbed down from the rig. “That has nothing to do with this.”

Ellis nodded, but Gabe could tell that his friend did not believe him.

“Her husband tried to assassinate our queen. Is it not our duty to follow the evidence and see where it leads?”

“I will make your excuses to Potterfield, but you know he will not be deterred long.”

Gabe nodded and Ellis snapped the reins, leaving him standing on the quiet abandoned street. Lilith knew something. She was running, stealing money, and behaving most suspiciously. These were not the activities of an innocent person. Or at least she knew that her husband was involved in something nefarious, and she was taking precautions to keep herself safe. Gabe was determined to discover everything she knew. The fact that she was a beautiful woman had no relevance to his investigation.

Besides, Gabe knew who she was underneath that lovely exterior. She was a rose, carefully hiding her thorns below her vibrant color and beauty, but he would not be fooled. He turned and walked back to her townhome, noting that the rig still waiting outside. He walked closer to ensure it was in fact her home and not one of her neighbors’.

It was the third home in the row, boasting two columns and a black door with a gold number five on it. Hiding himself in the shadows, he crept closer. Lilith slipped out the front door and into the waiting rig. He withdrew his pocket watch, noting the time: a quarter after four in the morning. Where the devil could she be going at this hour?

There was only one way to find out. He quickly jumped onto the back of the rig and held to the mudguard as the horses clipped forward. The carriage turned several times and eventually headed down the King’s Road heading straight out of London. Had he known this trip would be farther than a few blocks, he would have climbed inside with her instead of hanging off the back. Where the devil was she going? Perhaps a clandestine meeting with whomever had stolen Thornton’s body? He didn’t want to believe that Lilith could be involved in an assassination attempt on the queen, but he knew he couldn’t trust her. She certainly could be involved, and she might be leading him into some sort of a trap. He’d have to be on alert and make certain to not fall prey to any of her schemes.

An hour and a half later, the rig stopped outside a large building surrounded by a black metal fence. A sign read
Saint Bartholomew’s School for Girls
. She made no move to leave the carriage. Gabe quietly jumped to the ground and stretched his legs. Thankfully the days prior had been relatively dry and they hadn’t hit many puddles on the journey here, else his pants legs would be caked with mud. Gabe scanned the area—the school across the street, a park behind them, and then houses up the way.

Was she meeting someone in the park? He glanced at his watch again. It would be another hour before the sun began to rise. Perhaps going into that neighborhood down the street? Though she’d parked right here at the school.

Scrutinizing the building, he noticed a man standing off to the side, looking up at the windows. He stuck to the brick, standing in the shadows, and appeared to be shielding himself from Lilith’s view. Was she meeting him? Certainly not. Or perhaps he was waiting for Gabe. This could all be some sort of trap to remove him from Lilith’s path. Or she was in danger. Either way he needed to be closer to her, to offer her protection, or to ensure he played no one’s fool. Without warning he opened the door and climbed inside the hack.

She shrieked, then recognized him and smacked him on the arm. “Gabriel! What the devil is the matter with you?” Her breathing came out in little puffs, and she clutched the fabric at her breast. “Are you so certain I’m a villain that you must follow me everywhere?”

“I did witness you stealing funds from the museum earlier this evening,” he said.

“I told you I did not steal them.”

“Then how could you have possibly known they were there?”

She leveled her gaze on him. “Perhaps because I put them there. Or had that thought not crossed your mind?”

No, that hadn’t occurred to him at all. “Why hide money there?”

“Because putting it anywhere in the house would have been a disaster. He would have found it and—” Her words stopped abruptly as she looked up at him, as if only now realizing to whom she’d been speaking. “It matters not.”

If he had to make a wager in that moment, he’d say she was telling the truth. So she’d been hoarding money and hiding it at the British Museum, but why? He could certainly ask her now, but he knew she wouldn’t answer. So instead he asked, “Are you here to meet that man?”

It was too dark in the carriage to tell for certain, but he would have sworn her face paled.

“What man?” She swallowed and pulled back the tiny curtain to look out into the darkened street.

“The man lurking in the shadows out there.”

“No, I am not here to meet a man.”

“Then what are you doing here?”

She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. She was silent for a minute or more before releasing a breath. “If you must know I am here to pick up Thornton’s niece to inform her that her uncle has passed.”

“Why would Thornton’s niece need to be informed at this hour? Could you not send a messenger?”

“I intend to go in at first light. I cannot bear to sit in that house alone.”

He could believe her. She certainly sounded as if she were telling the truth, and her dark brown eyes did not waver from his gaze. But this was Lilith, and didn’t he know better than to believe her? She had never been truthful. She had deceived his brother, and it had led him right to his death.

“Why doesn’t anyone know about this niece?” Or perhaps people did know and Gabe wasn’t aware of her existence, but that seemed unlikely. Over the years, he’d kept a close eye on the affairs of Lord Thornton. He was, after all, the man who’d killed Rafael.

She looked out the window again, shifting in her seat. “Who is that man?”

“I have no notion. If he’s not here to meet with you, then perhaps he is loitering,” Gabe said. “Now, about the girl.”

“She is illegitimate. Her mother, Thornton’s sister, died and now, it would seem, that I am all she has left.”

“She is not your responsibility.”

Something flickered across Lilith’s eyes, but it was so quick he nearly missed it. “That may be, but I have known her since she was but a child. I will not pretend I don’t know she’s here.”

Gabe felt a stirring at her admission. That was not the confession of a heartless woman. Caring for the illegitimate niece of your late husband, that was the act of a caring person. That was the act of the woman he’d first thought she was when they’d met so many years before. When he’d approached her on the balcony before his brother had swooped in. Lilith had been animated and passionate and full of wonder that night, not at all the duplicitous woman he’d discovered her to be.

It mattered not if Lilith had some humanity left. Right now she was a means to an end. Someone was after the queen, and as a member of the Brotherhood, it was Gabe’s duty to discover who that was. If Lilith could lead him closer, then he would endure time with her.

“That man is still out there,” she said, her tone edged with concern. “I’m going in. I can wait no longer.”

Gabe stilled her hand on the door. “I’m going with you.” He jumped down from the rig and then assisted her. Together they crossed the road; the man disappeared into the shadows of the alleyway. Perhaps he was nothing more than a vagrant.

“Saint Bartholomew’s School for Girls,” Gabe read aloud.

“Please allow me to do the talking,” Lilith said as they reached the door.

Gabe nodded, lifted the heavy knocker, and banged it against the black door.

“Is he still over there?” she whispered.

“He is, though he’s attempting to conceal himself in the shadows. He could very well be harmless.” Still, Gabe would stay alert.

The door locks clicked and an older woman, sleep cap still placed atop her head, opened it. “May I help you?”

“I am here to collect Isabel Crisp,” Lilith said.

At the sound of Lilith’s voice, the older woman’s eyes lit with recognition. “Ah, Lady Thornton, I did not realize it was you. Come in, come in.”

She gave them entrance and soon Gabe stood in the entry foyer of a girls’ school. Heavy wood paneling lined the walls and filled the air with lemon oil from being over-polished. The wall sconces flickered as the older woman passed by them. “I will have her wakened. Is there a reason you’ve come to gather her?”

Lilith folded her hands together and bowed her head slightly. “I’m afraid her uncle has passed. I should like to take her home with me.”

“Of course, my dear. Will she be returning?”

“It is unlikely, but I do not know right now. I’ll send for her belongings should I need them.”

The older lady nodded. “Yes, yes. The two of you can wait here and I’ll fetch Isabel.” She briefly eyed Gabe but did not inquire about his presence.

She was gone fifteen minutes. In that time Gabe managed to peruse the books filling the bookshelves. What was his next step? He’d have Lilith and her niece. What was he going to do? Bring them both into Brotherhood headquarters to question them? Not with Potterfield watching. The man would never approve. Not until Gabe had some solid proof that exposed Thornton as the man who’d tried to kill the queen.

If he couldn’t get Lilith to answer any questions about her husband, then he might never find the evidence to support his theory. The damn body was gone, which meant that Thornton had to have been working with someone. Gabe needed some time in the man’s study. Perhaps there was something to be discovered there in the midst of letters and invitations and bank notes. If only Lilith would grant him such access.

So she’d taken the money because it belonged to her. And perhaps she’d taken it now because she knew with Thornton dead, taking care of his illegitimate niece would fall to her. But believing Lilith could be so altruistic went against everything Gabe thought he knew about her.