Something Sinful (30 page)

He shook himself. “No. I’ll let Melbourne give them the background information. I’m still trying to decide how best to handle DeLayne.” And he didn’t want to hear whatever comments the rest of his family would be making about Sarala and her poor judgment, and then him and
his
poor judgment in compromising her.

“You’re hiding me, then. I’m not a fool, you know. I haven’t been for several years.”

“That’s not it. They will probably want to know the reason we have to take DeLayne’s threats seriously, though. Melbourne can tell them that story.”

“You know, back then my eyes were clouded with flattery and promises of things I don’t even remember any longer. Now my eyes see quite clearly what I’m doing. And what I’m willing to do to make amends.”

“Sarala, you frighten me a little, do you know that?”

With a nod she leaned over the billiards table and made another shot, sinking two balls. “I like this game,” she said with a slight grin. Her eyes remained serious, though. They both knew what was at stake here.

“Are you certain you’ve never played before?” he asked, moving around to the far side of the table to watch her line up her next shot. Who would have guessed: Sarala Carlisle was a billiards fiend.

“I’ve watched, but I hadn’t realized how mathematical it all is. Fascinating.” She made another proficient shot, then straightened. “Jenny and I will be fine in here,” she said, indicating her maid sitting in the corner. “Go talk to your family.”

Still thankful that Melbourne had banished Jenny to the kitchen during their negotiation with DeLayne, Charlemagne reluctantly set his billiards cue back into the rack. He walked up to Sarala and kissed her deeply, ignoring the maid’s gasp and drawing strength from her boundless spirit. “The library’s right next door, and you can ring for Stan—”

“I won’t flee,” she interrupted. “But don’t think I’ll sit by while the lot of you decide what to do about John without my participation, either. I’m staying in here for your benefit.”

“I’ve learned the wisdom of not trying to exclude you from a plan, princess.”

She sighed. “I don’t feel as much like a princess today as I do a rampaging elephant in a house made of glass.”

Charlemagne chuckled as he pulled open the door. “You’re
my
princess.”

Downstairs he could hear muffled conversation emanating from behind the morning room door. With a wary glance at Stanton to make certain he wasn’t going to be tackled and thrown into the pantry, he knocked and pushed open the door.

“How far along are we?” he asked.

Five pairs of eyes looked at him, three gray, and the other two dark green. Interesting that the Griffins seemed to favor green-eyed mates. His own green-eyed, exotic princess had become an obsession; he would risk losing everyone in this room for her.

Eleanor rose from her seat and walked up to kiss him on the cheek. Surprised and relieved, he hesitated only a second before he returned the gesture. “That’s not quite the greeting I expected,” he conceded as she released him.

“I knew I didn’t like DeLayne,” she said, scowling as she said the name. “And now I know why.”

“What’s the plan, then?” Zachary took up, standing himself and offering Shay a deep bow.

“That’s enough of that, you muggins.”

“Mm-hm. Insult me all you like, big brother; I’m not the one with a blackmailer chasing me about.”

“That’s the thing,” Melbourne interrupted from his chair closest to the fireplace. “We all have a blackmailer. DeLayne’s threatened all of us. And while the damage to us would probably be negligible, that wouldn’t be so for Shay, and especially for the Carlisle family—and it would be worse for them
because
of their connection to us.”

Charlemagne’s jaw tightened. “I’m sorry for the tangled web,” he said stiffly, “but I’m not going to separate myself from Sarala because of it.”

“I didn’t expect that you would,” the duke returned, gesturing for him to take a seat. “But I do want to make clear precisely what the situation is. That being said, perhaps you’d care to elaborate on your plan to put that frig pig out of our misery?”

“
Sebastian,
” Eleanor exclaimed.

The duke raised an eyebrow. “You think I can’t be vulgar simply because I generally choose not to be?”

“I think a bit of vulgarity is rather called for,” Deverill said, speaking for the first time since Charlemagne had entered the room. “Seb said the royster wants to be part of your Chinese dealings. Do you think you can convince them to lop off his head?”

“I have a few ideas,” Charlemagne said, “but first I have to say that I’m a little…surprised that you want anything to do with this. You especially, Sebastian. I mean, it’s not as if DeLayne would be lying.”

“What the devil makes you think we wouldn’t wish to help you if and when you found yourself in trouble?” Melbourne retorted. “We don’t abandon Zachary when he gets into some difficulty.”

“Yes, but Zach’s always blundering about.”

“I say!” Zachary put in mildly. “That’s all very nice, isn’t it? I think the point, Shay, is that, yes, you generally toe the line. You’re the steady one, the smart one. But I for one am a bit relieved to see that you’re not an abacus. I like your Sarala, and she shouldn’t have to pay now because some shocking bad hat tricked her when she was a girl.”

From the nods of the others, Zachary had merely spoken aloud the sentiments they all felt. For a moment Charlemagne stood there, unable to speak. He knew how supportive his family was, how close they all were, but it warmed his heart deeply to see how staunchly they were willing to stand with him in the face of a possible scandal, and even after he’d practically forced them to admit Sarala into the family. “Thank you,” he said finally.

“Well, get on with the plan, then,” Deverill drawled. “I want to do something nefarious. It’s been at least a fortnight for me.”

“I’ll get Sarala, then,” Charlemagne said. “She’s got a few ideas, herself.”

“Why didn’t you bring her in here in the first place?” his sister asked.

“She wanted all of you to be able to speak your minds.”

“You stay here,” Nell countered, pulling Caroline to her feet. “We’ll fetch her. She should know that we’re here to help.”

“She’s in the billiards room,” he said over his shoulder as the two women left the morning room.

“So what about killing the bastard?” Deverill asked as the door closed. “We’re not overlooking that option, are we?”

“Someone would have to take the blame,” Melbourne returned smoothly, “and I prefer that none of the suspicion fall on us. With Shay’s plan there will be some gossip, but it should for the most part be in our favor and otherwise harmless to everyone concerned—except for DeLayne.”

“There is the possibility that whatever we plan won’t work. If it doesn’t, everyone connected with me will feel the sting.” With the scheme they were about to embark on, the family needed to realize how possible a negative outcome would be.

Melbourne held his gaze for a moment. “Then we’ll find butter to soothe the burns,” the duke finally said. “I had a rather long chat with Sarala while we were hunting down DeLayne. She may be an outsider, but I can easily see her as a Griffin.” He cleared his throat. “I’d be happy to see her as one, Shay.”

Today had been full of surprises. He’d known Sebastian for all of his own twenty-eight years. It didn’t seem possible that he could be learning something new about him after all this time, but that was precisely what had happened.

Sarala glided into the room, Nell and Caroline with her. Her green gaze met his, and he smiled, offering his hand. “I almost pity DeLayne,” he said, drawing her close. “He doesn’t stand a chance.”

“I am worried. Do you know how much of my plan relies on gaining the cooperation of three men who’ve threatened to drag me off to China in chains? Or worse?”

“Hence
my
worry. This is such a bad idea, Shay.”

“You contributed your share of ideas to it,” he said, eyes on the area around the pond. He took a moment to look over at her. “And given the alternative, I’m willing to accept the risk that things might go wrong.” He put an arm across her shoulders, wishing he could protect her from DeLayne as easily as he could from the cool breeze. “Besides, you wanted to be here today, and here you are.” His muscles tightened as he glanced toward the pathway again. “And here
they
are.”

The three Chinese soldiers appeared from around a stand of drooping willow trees. “Shay, we could escape together to India,” she whispered abruptly.

“Sarala, I—”

“I know, I know. You could never leave your family or your business.”

“I wouldn’t give DeLayne the satisfaction of besting me without a fight. Now wait here for a minute,” Charlemagne said, releasing her. “If everything goes well, I’ll nod, and you come forward. If it doesn’t go well, then—”

“Then you’ll cross your arms, and I’m supposed to run. I remember the signals, though I doubt I could outrun those men in this dress.”

“Don’t forget that Zach and Valentine and their muskets are in the trees behind us. Run in that direction.”

“I will.” Sarala took his hand and squeezed his fingers. “Just make certain everything goes well,” she whispered.

“I will,” he repeated, and strolled over to the pond to meet Yun and his two companions.

“Griffin,” Yun said, bowing.

“Yun. Have you discussed with your companions how we should proceed?”

“We have. And we are all very distressed by the gravity of the crime committed against our emperor.”

“As am I. What are your recommendations?”

“A personal apology from your Regent would do much to calm His Eminence’s wrath. And a gift of respect might enable our two nations to remain friends.”

Charlemagne nodded. He’d expected as much. “I believe I can arrange for both of these. And of course for the return of the silks.”

“Our ship leaves for China in ten days,” Yun continued. “All must be accomplished by then.”

“And what of Captain Blink?”

“He remains a thief, and will pay the penalty for being one.”

Damn.
Their refusal to make a concession about Blink didn’t bode well for what he needed to ask of them next, but he had to give it a try, nevertheless. “I understand.”

“And what are your demands, then?”

“Demands? There was a theft, and I’m in the position to return the items and recompense the owner for the inconvenience. I have no demands.” He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over. “There’s the address of the warehouse. My men are guarding it to be certain the silks remain safe.”

The soldier looked at him. “I may have been mistaken in my estimation of the English.”

Not all of them.
“Yun, I do have a
request
to make of you and your companions.”

Yun cocked his head. “What kind of a request?”

“I have no right to ask it, and I would consider anything you could do to be a personal favor to me.”

“And if I decline?”

“Nothing. I’ve given you my word about the return of the silks and the gesture from Prince George. That won’t change, regardless.”

“Then what is this request?”

Charlemagne cleared his throat, his hesitation only partially feigned. “There is a man, a lord, who has threatened to tell certain tales about my family. These stories are true, but they are private, and of no one’s concern but ours. Nevertheless, they could be very damaging—to one young lady in particular.”

“We are not assassins for another man’s cause, Griffin.”

“I know that. What I need to do is discredit this man, so that no one will listen to the tales he tells. You are in a perfect position at the moment to assist me with that.”

To his surprise, Yun grinned. “That is the lady, yes?” he asked, gesturing at Sarala.

“Yes.”

“She is ready to come rescue you now if we should attack?”

Charlemagne smiled. “Most likely.”

“This man, he stole from her?”

“He dishonored her.”

Yun turned and said something in Chinese to his companions. After a moment of conversation, he faced Charlemagne again. “What is your plan?”

Thank God.
Charlemagne faced Sarala and nodded. With a visible lowering of her shoulders she approached. “First of all,” he said, “this man, John, Lord DeLayne, will be here in approximately thirty minutes. He is using the threats of these stories to tangle himself into my business. Into
our
business, with no regard as to how important it is to both our countries. He wants profit, and he wants recognition.”

“I think I understand,” Yun returned, sending Sarala an intent look as she reached them. “You wish to catch him in his own web.”

“Exactly. Lady Sarala, this is Yun. Yun, my wife-to-be, Lady Sarala.”

“Ah. Now I see all.”

Sarala bowed much as Yun had when the soldiers had arrived. “Thank you so much for helping us. I don’t think anyone else in England could do it.”

“What do you require, my lady?”

“We need you to offer us some porcelain vases in exchange for the silks,” she said, beginning the plan they’d outlined last night. “Vases that we will provide, of course. And a large ribbon of honor for Lord DeLayne to wear in exchange for his assistance in this highly important matter.”

“And ultimately,” Charlemagne put in, “we will need you to cut off my head.”