Spring Fires (36 page)

"If you insist—but Madame will not appreciate this intrusion." He turned away, only to be brought up short by Nicholai's hand catching the tail of his coat. "Was there something else, m'sieur?"

"Ahh, yes..." Nicholai's eyes twinkled with amusement. "I just wanted to pass along a few words regarding your... love life," he whispered conspiratorially. "Perhaps your disposition might sweeten if you were to pay a bit more attention to that aspect of your life!"

The Frenchman blinked, speechless for once.

"I happen to know a woman who apparently is very anxious to help you lighten your mood, if you take my meaning...."

"Mistress Hahn?" Pierre replied with mock innocence. "No doubt she will be lonely once you leave for England—"

Instantly, Nicholai's face darkened. "I would only suggest that Mrs. Flowers has been badly hurt by your cavalier treatment. She may be a woman of experience, but that does not mean that she feels less than some innocent maiden."

Pierre blinked again. "Yes, m'sieur."

Managing to mellow his tone, he added, "You might want to pay Mrs. Flowers a visit—tonight, perhaps. I am certain that it would set her mind at ease."

"Well..." He considered this. "Your brother
has
said that there is little to keep me here this evening...."

Nicholai cuffed his shoulder in a spirit of camaraderie and pointed toward the dining room, watching as the slight figure vanished around the corner. Moments later, Alec appeared in the stair hall and came toward his brother, a curious half smile playing about his lips.

"Nicky! What brings you here at this hour? Won't you join us and the—"

"Please, Sacha. I haven't much time..." Nicholai stood eye to eye before his brother, thinking that somehow the years in France had even caused him to grow a couple of inches, and the physical labor had strengthened his body so that his shoulders seemed even wider than Sacha's now. "I... have had a letter from Gabrielle."

"Your
comtesse!"
interjected a startled Alec.

"The same. It seems that she is alive—and safely ensconced with a sympathetic family in London. However, her brother is still missing and although she has some clues as to his whereabouts, she feels that only I can effect the actual rescue."

"I see," Alec answered warily. "It sounds as if all the plotting Caro and Meagan did was for naught."

"If you are referring to Lisette—that was none of their affair, but I would not say that our cause is hopeless. Lisette is just being her usual willful, fiercely independent self." Nicholai paused, rubbing a hand over the stubble on his chin. "It was she who urged me to go. In fact, she damn near forced me!"

"I think I should call Caro. She will want to arg—I mean, discuss this situation with you."

He caught Alec's shoulder in mid-turn. "No!" His whisper was as soft as possible. "I don't want to fight this decision out with my well-intentioned sister-in-law. You may tell her that Lisette and I have already raked the entire tangled mess over the coals. Really, the self-reliant Mistress Hahn left me no choice." He sighed, considering what words to use. "And, perhaps she is right, in some perverse way. I ought to discover what has become of Gabrielle; clear that matter up once and for all...."

"Is that all that it is? A 'matter'?"

"I trust so. I am in love with Lisette. It won't be easy, as our Maman has so wisely reminded me, but I plan to make our romance work—forever." His smile was flavored with cynicism. "She thinks I won't be back, but I intend to surprise her. I'm counting on you, big brother, to make certain that she is safe in my absence."

Alec didn't know what to say. "But Nicky, if you loved Gabrielle so much, what makes you think that things have changed? Perhaps, when you see her, touch her—"

"I'm human, there is no doubt about that. I suppose that I am depending solely on the memory of Lisette to restrain my baser instincts."

"I certainly won't try to change your mind," Alec murmured. "Do you need some form of transportation? A Beauvisage ship, perhaps?"

Nicholai grinned engagingly. "That would help."

"It just so happens that we have a large schooner that will depart for Britain the morning of the thirteenth—from New York. That's just three days away, so you won't have much time—"

"I'll make the boat," said Nicholai grimly. "I have already packed and will leave for New York immediately."

"Is there anything else that I can do? I hope that you've spoken to Maman about this. She will be devastated to hear that you are leaving again—"

"Listen, Sacha, Maman strongly encouraged me to test my feelings for Lisette. I think she's convinced that the fair Austrian maiden is the wrong match for me, so she should be overjoyed to hear that I have gone in search of Gabrielle." He paused to give his brother a bittersweet smile.

"You've spoken to our parents, then?"

"I stopped there barely an hour ago. They were out, but I left a letter that Mrs. Reeves promised to deliver as soon as they return from their supper engagement at the Binghams'."

Alec absently shook his head. "I don't know, Nicky, this all seems too sudden. Perhaps you should put this journey off for a few days to give yourself time to think about—"

"Excusez-moi
, m'sieur," Pierre whispered apologetically from the far end of the stair hall. "I do not like to interrupt, but I could wait no longer. If it meets your approval, I will be going out for the remainder of the evening." The elfin Frenchman gave Nicholai a wink. "I have
some business to attend to in Philadelphia."

"That's fine, Pierre. I will see you tomorrow," Alec replied distractedly.

"Good night, Pierre—and good-bye, for a few months at least," added Nicholai.

"Bonsoir,
m'sieur." He turned to give the younger Beauvisage a long, warm look. "I wish you a safe voyage and a speedy return, M'sieur Nicky."

"Thank you."

After watching his valet disappear into the shadows that darkened the hallway, Alec returned his attention to Nicholai. "I'd better get back to Caro and our guests or she'll be out here looking for me."

"I, too, must be on my way."

"So, it's farewell again." Unashamedly, the strong, handsome brothers embraced with obvious emotion. "I hate like the devil to see you leaving so soon."

"I'll be back." Nicholai managed a roguish grin. "Godspeed,
mon frere.
Give your beautiful Caro a hug and a kiss for me—and Etienne, little Natalya, and Kristin, too. It has been a great joy for me to meet your children."

"They will miss you... as will I."

Nicholai put on his cape and gloves, glad for the excuse to avert his eyes before Alec could see their sudden telltale glistening. Then, after one last sad embrace, he opened the door on the cool spring darkness and Alec watched from the threshold until his brother had mounted a horse and set off down the drive.

"Alec, what in the world is going on out here?" Caro had come up behind him, her whisper edged with exasperation.

He turned, closed the front door, and leaned back against it. "That was Nicky. He is on his way to England."

"What on earth! Have you gone mad? When is he leaving for England—and
why?"

Briefly, Alec explained the situation, reminding her of Nicholai's entanglement with Gabrielle in France. Then he described the surprising letter from England and Nicholai's subsequent decision to go there and discover the truth.

"I cannot believe that Lisette is letting him leave Philadelphia—to go to another woman!" Caro finally exclaimed in a high-pitched whisper. "And what about Antonia? Has Nicky discussed this with her?"

"He says that Maman came to him and urged that he not rush a deep involvement with Lisette Hahn. Frankly, I think Maman was right. The two of them couldn't be more mismatched. No doubt they have a fine time under the covers, but neither of them is going to want to make drastic changes in—"

"Under the covers!" Caro interrupted, pressing a tiny fist against her husband's chest for emphasis. "You have no right to assume that their relationship is based on anything besides a spiritual and intellectual rapport!"

"Oh,
please."
Alec snorted in disbelief. "You do my brother a great injustice."

"Ohhrrr—
men!
I suggest that we suspend this discussion for the time being. I am not only angry at you, but at your mother as well. How could she interfere that way in a relationship that was proceeding successfully? It was none of her affair!"

"But it
is
yours?" Alec inquired with quiet irony.

"I am going out to catch Nicholai before he's out of earshot."

He gripped Caro's arm with fingers that seemed made of iron. "You and I are going back to our guests. Nicholai is a grown man, responsible for his own private life. I suggest that you pay more attention to matters that concern your own husband and family!"

"Such as my
husband's
fulfillment—under the covers?" Caro inquired with sweet sarcasm.

"Look—!" Alec's grip tightened on her soft upper arm, then abruptly relaxed. "If you insist on making a fool of yourself with my brother, that's just fine, but one of us has to pay attention to our guests."

As her husband roughly turned toward the dining room, Caro spoke up. "You are absolutely right—and your turn is overdue!"

With that, she threw open the front door and ran outside. She nearly twisted her ankle running across the gravel drive in an effort to cut off her brother-in-law before he made his exit from the stables to the main road. Almost immediately, she heard the hoofbeats on the road just past their driveway; he had already gone!

"Nicky!" cried Caro.
"Nicholai! Nicky!"

After a moment the hoofbeats seemed to pause; then they turned back toward Belle Maison. She stood shivering on the drive until her brother-in-law came into view.

"What is it?" he demanded. "Have you changed your mind about me after all this time?"

"Don't tease me, Nicky. I want to tell you farewell, if you insist that that is what must be, but more than that, I want to urge you to stay here, to resolve your problems with Lisette—"

His gloved hand reached down to cover her mouth. "That 's enough, dear Caro. I appreciate your good wishes, but the rest you will have to leave to Lisette and myself, and to fate...." He gave her a grin that seared her heart through the moonlight. "Did you want to give me a kiss, then?"

Nervously, she pulled free and took a step backward. "Not a kiss... though if things were different, I wouldn't mind—"

"Shocking! Another word and I will be forced to confirm my brother's darkest suspicions!" His gloved hand darted out in the moonlight to capture four of her delicate fingers. "Your beauty is as captivating as ever, my dear sister-in-law."

"Please don't go to England, Nicky. It's a mistake. I can feel it."

Releasing her hand, he straightened in the saddle. "In that case, you must keep me in your prayers. Now, go inside, Caro. Yours guests—and Sacha—need you more than I." Seeing the tear that sparkled like a diamond on her cheek, he picked up the reins and nudged the horse with his knees.
"Au revoir."

Chapter 32

Midnight,

May 11, 1793

The keeping room was bathed in a dim golden luster as
Stringfellow finished banking the fire and looked around to see if anything else needed doing before he took his leave. A tub of still-warm water, recently vacated by Lisette, sat before the hearth, but he knew that Purity and Chastity would see to it when they began their day's labors at dawn. Meanwhile, his own bed beckoned. Stretching, the Englishman yawned, and then inhaled the aromas of the CoffeeHouse with contentment. He thought of Nancy, who had lately begun to give him more than shy kisses, and decided that it was a fine life that they all shared here. Even the long hours of work were happily spent, thanks to Lisette. She was a rare person and an even rarer female! Intelligent, warmhearted, fair minded, hardworking... and so beautiful. With all his heart, Stringfellow wished that his mistress would find the happiness that she so richly deserved. Remembering the sight of her red-rimmed eyes and sad mouth this evening, he ached for her. How could things have become so ensnarled between her and Nicholai Beauvisage?

Stringfellow's reverie was broken by a knock at the garden door. The late hour and the sharpness of the rapping gave him pause, but he crossed the wide-planked floor and called out, "What is your business?"

"For God's sake, Stringfellow, open the door! It is Nicholai Beauvisage."

The Englishman pushed aside the bolt and threw open the door, trying not to smile. "Well, well, Mr. Beauvisage! What brings you here?"

"I would like to see your mistress." He strode into the keeping room, doffed his cape and gloves, and raked a hand through his windblown hair. "Where is she?"

"Unfortunately, she has already retired."

Nicholai's eyes fell on the bathtub that reposed before the fire, shreds of steam still visible above it. "I saw her light still burning from the street," he murmured in a hard voice. "I will check to see if she is still awake."