Nicole Jordan (3 page)

Dare had first spied the ring several months ago on Lord Riddingham’s hand. Since then he’d covertly followed the viscount’s trail, trying to determine if he could possibly be Caliban. It was that possibility that had led Dare to spend a tedious interlude in Yorkshire, where he could better investigate the theory.

His lack of success galled him. But he could hardly be expected to accomplish overnight what had eluded the nation’s best agents. His licentious past, Lucian was wont to remind him, had not exactly prepared him for a career in government espionage.

In fact, Lucian had recruited him last fall primarily because of his well-known predilection for sin—he made such an unlikely candidate as a spy. Caliban would never suspect the Prince of Pleasure of leading the hunt for his capture.

Dare had agreed to help, not only because he was familiar with most of society, both high and low, but because he’d become restless and bored with his life. He was more than a little intrigued by the challenge of pitting wits against a cunning killer. He’d only half laughed at Lucian’s assertion that having a serious goal could be the making of him.

He was not laughing now.

Dare took another swallow of brandy, hesitating while he debated telling Lucian of the new twist in the game.

“What do you know of the new actress at Drury Lane?” he finally said. “The Jewel who has the entire ton abuzz.”

Lucian sent him a penetrating glance. “Am I to presume you have a new love interest?”

“Hardly. Riddingham is one of her suitors.”

“Ah.” Lucian leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful. “I took Brynn to see Miss Laurent perform last week. We both found her surprisingly good. You’re suggesting that her association with Riddingham is more than simply amorous?”

“Possibly. She bears investigating, at least. She is French, after all. It wouldn’t be impossible for her to be in Napoleon’s employ. Given their sparse incomes and dubious moral values, actresses are highly susceptible to bribery.”

When Lucian raised an eyebrow, Dare realized how ironic it was for
him
to be decrying dubious moral values.

Yet this was not the first time Julienne Laurent’s allegiance to England had been questioned. Seven years ago his grandfather had called her a traitor, claiming she was conspiring with Bonapartists and threatening to have her arrested for treason.

At the time Dare had been certain the accusations were fabricated—merely the old bastard’s attempt to force him to end his betrothal. His chief concern had been protecting Julienne from his grandfather’s wrathful machinations. But he was more willing now to believe there had been substance to the charges after all.

“I may be leaping to conclusions,” he admitted, “but she could be in league with Riddingham.”

“Why do you say so?” Lucian asked curiously. “Didn’t Riddingham return to London only last week? They would scarcely have had time to meet.”

“But they may claim a prior association. Riddingham’s family seat is in Yorkshire. And Miss Laurent reportedly has spent the past half-dozen years treading the boards in York.”

“Perhaps she was once his mistress.”

“Perhaps. When I saw them driving in the park today, they seemed closer than mere acquaintances.” Dare forced a smile. “If he isn’t already sharing her bed, he certainly appeared eager to. He was hanging on her every word, along with half the male population of London.” He hoped his sardonic tone hid the note of jealously he found difficult to repress. “But either way, she could be his accomplice.”

“Or,” Lucian countered, “he may solely be pursuing her with a carnal relationship in mind. Rumor has it that she is looking for a protector.”

“I’ve heard the same rumor. Apparently La Belle Laurent made a public declaration that her choice will be made at the end of the season. A clever ploy,” Dare said cynically. “The better to keep her admirers vying for her favors. Regardless, she merits watching. And you could perhaps use her to get closer to Riddingham.”

“I? Don’t you mean
you
?”

“I might not be the best man for the task. I had a…brief acquaintance with Miss Laurent a number of years ago.”

Lucian studied him for a long moment, while Dare struggled to remain unruffled by those perceptive eyes. He was not about to disclose his wretched history with Julienne. How he’d discovered his betrothed in the arms of another lover. How his heart and his pride had been ravaged by her betrayal. Or how the memory still left him aching.

At length, Dare shrugged. “The affair ended unhappily.”

“So you think the lady will want nothing to do with you?”

“Yes, I seriously doubt she will.”

Lucian flashed him a wry grin. “You, my friend, have never been at a loss with any female. Surely you have only to wield your vast charm to persuade her to change her opinion of you.”

Dare stared down at the amber liquid in his glass, wanting to refute the statement. It was true; when he chose to be persuasive, some of the haughtiest and most reluctant females had come into his arms willingly. But in this instance, he would be starting with a possibly insurmountable disadvantage.

Lucian broke into his dark thoughts. “I understand your reluctance to become involved with her, Dare, but clearly you should be the one to investigate her connection with Riddingham.”

He grimaced wryly. “I feared you might say that.”

Lucian’s expression grew intent as he leaned forward. “I’m certain I don’t need to remind you that England’s future could be at stake.”

“No, I need no reminding.”

“This bloody war may at last be coming to an end—nearly every day there are fresh reports from the battlefield about Allied victories. But even if Napoleon is vanquished, I don’t expect Caliban to retire. A man like that does not simply disappear.”

“I’m well aware of the danger Caliban represents.”

“Then you will do it?”

Dare took a long swallow of brandy, feeling the burn sear a trail down his throat to mingle with the fire already churning in his gut. “Yes,” he said finally, exhaling a reluctant sigh. “I expect the best approach would be for me to join the supplicants for the Jewel’s favors. Pretend to be one of Riddingham’s rivals. That would give me a legitimate excuse for getting close to him. Stir the pot, as it were. Perhaps he will show his hand if I can manage to burrow deeply enough under his skin.”

“Good. And if you find your reservations interfering with your mission, you have only to recall how many innocents have died as the result of Caliban’s treachery. Meanwhile, you can use the opportunity to ascertain Miss Laurent’s loyalties. You may be right. She could very well be working for the French.”

Dare smiled to himself. It would be poetic justice if he could not only unmask Caliban, but discover that the temptress who’d broken his heart was abetting England’s most dangerous traitor.

The tension that had gripped him since seeing Julienne this afternoon eased with the sense of having reached a decision.

He would use the dazzling actress to help him get closer to Riddingham, Dare vowed. And if she was indeed a French spy, he would make her pay dearly.

Chapter

Two

The cloying scents of orange peels and tallow from the footlights and torchères seemed almost overpowering tonight, yet Julienne knew the normal stage accoutrements were not to blame for her feeling of faintness. An entirely different cause had set her senses spinning.

He
was in the audience, watching her performance.

She found her knees shaking. Even the ogling bucks in the pit couldn’t distract her from his relentless regard. He sat in one of the luxury boxes, his fair hair shimmering in the glow of the theater’s massive chandelier.

Dare North. The legendary lover who had stolen her heart and left her reeling in the aftermath.

Under his intent scrutiny, Julienne had executed her leading role in the John Webster tragedy in a daze, barely able to remember her lines. Once she had even missed her cue, which had earned her a disapproving scowl from the theater’s august manager, Samuel Arnold.

I will
not
think of him,
Julienne vowed futilely for the hundredth time as she waited in the wings for her final entrance.

The Theater Royal at Drury Lane was one of two premier theaters in London, and tonight’s house was completely full. Filled to overflowing, in fact, a distinction normally reserved for London’s reigning thespian, the remarkable Edmund Kean. Yet Kean had reportedly “taken ill,” a public fiction to conceal the truth that he was still recovering from a fierce bout of drunken brawling.

Julienne had been given top billing this evening—a splendid coup for a hitherto unknown actress from the provinces. She could not afford to squander this opportunity, or have her wits battered by memories she’d fought so hard to vanquish.

It had taken years to cleanse the ache of Dare from her soul, to conquer her yearning for him. She’d risked coming to London, even knowing of his presence here, yet hoping to avoid him.

A foolish notion, she realized now. The Marquess of Wolverton—his present illustrious title—was one of the chief leaders of the Beau Monde, despite his scandalous reputation, or perhaps because of it. He moved in London’s most elite circles, as well as the more disreputable ones. She could no more have avoided him than she could quell the painful memories that seeing him resurrected.

Another foolish notion, believing she could forget someone so unforgettable, or a passion so wondrous. She had loved Dare with a reckless hunger she’d never felt with any other man, before or since. But her love had proved her downfall.

Her eyes blurred as she remembered the last time she had seen Dare, when she’d had no choice but to betray him. In a fleeting moment his regard had transformed from shock to desolation, from disillusionment to chilled contempt.

Unable to explain her reasons, she had watched through a haze of scalding tears as he walked out of her life. Losing him had left her devastated. Alone. Facing disaster—

A low hiss from the manager made Julienne realize she had missed another cue. Steeling herself, she swept out onto the stage to enact the final gory scenes of
The White Devil
.

It was a coveted role for any actress, playing a scheming Venetian courtesan, and she managed to make it through the dark tale of murder and vengeance with no more serious lapses. But she was grateful when her character’s demise came at the end and the company could finally take their bows to shouts and whistles and sincere applause.

That the majority of the accolades were showered upon her surprised Julienne, considering her wretched performance. Pasting an alluring smile on her lips, however, she gracefully accepted the acclaim, executing a deep curtsy for the cheering crowd in the galleries, then the wilder throng in the pit, and finally the nobles and gentry in the boxes.

She was just rising when she made the mistake of glancing at the particular nobleman she’d tried so desperately all evening to ignore. Dare had moved to the front of his box to stand at the railing.

Julienne froze, caught in the hypnotizing power of his gaze; even at this distance, she could feel the searing impact. Her lips parted in a sharp inhalation, while his curved in a faint smile, slow and lazy and provocatively rakish.

She saw his sensual mouth move then, but with the rush of blood in her head making her senses swim, it took her a moment to realize he had spoken to her.

Without volition, she raised a hand, absently signaling for quiet. Slowly a hush went over the crowd, while countless heads swiveled in the direction of her fixed gaze.

Dare called her name again, this time loudly enough to be heard throughout the theater.

“Mademoiselle Laurent,” he drawled, conversing as if they were completely alone. “Allow me to commend you on a most excellent performance.”

Uncertain of what he planned, Julienne felt an unmistakable ripple of tension course through her, drawing her nerves taut.

“Thank you, my lord,” she replied, striving to keep her voice steady.

“Is it true?” he asked.

“Is what true?”

Casually he lifted a hip onto the railing and lounged there, surveying her indolently. “That you intend to make your choice of protectors at the end of the season?”

Bewildered, Julienne thought back frantically to the declaration she’d made last week, half in jest. She had been in the green room after a performance, surrounded by eager swains, all vying for her attention and urging her to accept their unwanted invitations. When one persistent coxcomb crudely pronounced his determination to have her in keeping, she hid her dismay and feigned a laugh, protesting that she couldn’t possibly decide from among such delightful gentlemen just yet.

Her indecision was purely a defensive strategy. She had no intention of accepting any man’s protection, but neither could she risk spurning her devotees or alienating any of these wealthy theater patrons. She would have to tread a careful line, holding her courtiers enthralled while putting them off, maintaining their admiration without committing herself.

When pressed, she pledged to make her choice at the end of her acting engagement. Her unattainability had an added benefit, she shortly discovered. Being fought over by rich, titled admirers actually increased her value to the theater because it brought in more business.

That Lord Wolverton had learned of the episode, however, was a testament to the efficiency of London gossips, Julienne surmised.

Trying to regain her splintered composure, she uttered a polite response. “I fail to see how my intentions would concern you, my lord.”

“I should like to declare myself as a candidate in the competition.”

An audible ripple of surprise and interest emanated from the crowd.

To her shock, Dare hoisted himself up to stand on the balcony railing. Julienne wasn’t certain if the gasps she heard came from the audience or from her own throat. Both, she suspected. In all her days in the theater, she had never been more at a loss; her mind went blank, and she felt the particular panic that came from forgetting a crucial line.