UNCOMMON DUKE, AN (19 page)

Stepping closer to him, she rested her hands on her hips as if her small stature could intimidate him into agreeing to what she wanted. ‘I will go with you.’

How she could try his patience. At least she was speaking to him. As he’d raced through the street of Mayfair to find her, he wasn’t certain he could convince her to see him, let alone speak with him. It was time to tread carefully.

He rubbed his forehead and stared at the unconscious Comte. ‘Why are you not hysterical? I believe most women, if a knife were held to their throats, would be a shaking, sobbing mess. But you appear to be unaffected.’

‘I have had a horrid day! I am too angry at this moment to even consider crying!’

She’d saved herself and Prinny by smashing that piece of porcelain over Janvier’s head. If she wasn’t his wife, he would think of recruiting her. ‘Very well, you will go with me to Richmond. I will take Homer and you will follow in your coach. In light of this evening’s events and your actions you have every right to see this through to the end. However, I need your word that whomever you see me converse with, you will forget their identities by morning. Trusting people is not in my nature. I need to know I can trust you.’

‘You’re speaking of trust? Oh, that is almost too much to bear,’ she sputtered. He waited for her to agree to his condition and she must have realised he would not be taking her anywhere until she gave him her promise. ‘You have my word. Now, how do we get his unconscious form out of here without anyone seeing?’

‘Help me empty one of the trunks in the entrance hall, then go fetch your coachman. We will strap him to the roof of your carriage in the trunk and take him to my safe house in Richmond. He will be held there under guard until his trial. By my estimates, he will swing in less than a week.’

* * *

Once Janvier was secure in Richmond, Gabriel needed to inform those at the theatre the Frenchman had been apprehended. Of course Olivia wasn’t content to return home while he did that and with more coaxing on her part he let her accompany him. Strangely enough, the idea of sharing this with her was no longer terrifying.

They had not spoken one word to each other since they had left Richmond and as her carriage rolled to a stop in front of the theatre Gabriel glanced at his wife, who sat silently across from him staring out the window.

He rubbed the stone of his ring through his leather glove. ‘Remember, you are to tell no one what you see tonight. Trusting you with this is harder for me than you realise, Olivia. I need you to promise that you will not tell even Victoria.’

‘I understand and have already given you my word. Shall we go in now?’

Gabriel opened the carriage door and jumped down onto the pavement. Without pulling down the step he reached into the carriage, grabbed Olivia by the waist and lowered her to the wet ground.

* * *

Olivia discovered it wasn’t easy to keep her cloak closed to hide the disastrous state of her gown when Gabriel took it upon himself to lift her out of her carriage. Thankfully the rain had stopped. However, the puddles that shone in the light from the windows proved a nuisance as they navigated their way along the pavement to the door of the theatre. Heads turned as they made their way inside.

This should have been a triumphant moment. This should have been the beginning of a new life together. Instead, their arrival together was a sham.

‘This changes nothing between us,’ she whispered to Gabriel, lest he need clarification of her feelings for him. ‘I am here with you to see this through, not because I have any intention of resuming an amiable marriage with you.’

‘The world does not need to know that at the moment. Our appearance together should be believable, so I suggest you smile as if you are genuinely happy to be on my arm.’

It would be a cold day in hell before she was ever happy to be with him again. Pulling from her years of experience disguising her feelings for him when they were in public, Olivia flashed him a pleasant smile. It must have been believable, because he gave a slight nod of his head and grinned at her with that annoying heart-melting smile of his.

The confines of the theatre amplified the buzzing around them, as happy voices greeted friends and audible whispers carried their names across the lobby. Aside from their unprecedented arrival together, she was certain people were questioning their lack of formal evening attire fitting such an occasion. That busybody the Duchess of Skeffington even had the gall to raise her quizzing glass at them. Thankfully Olivia’s cloak was long enough that it covered her entire gown.

Olivia raised her chin and glanced over at Gabriel, who was discreetly scanning the crowd.

‘Would I know any of your people? It would expedite our search if we were both looking.’

‘I need to find Lord Hartwick,’ he whispered into her ear.

She tried to school her features at her disbelief. ‘Surely you don’t mean the Earl of Hartwick?’

‘The one and the same.’

‘But he’s—’

‘An immeasurable asset in protecting the Crown.’

‘Truly?’

‘Truly. Now tell me if you see him.’

‘Perhaps we should search the ladies’ retiring room. I have seen him hovering outside of it on a number of occasions.’

‘Not tonight—tonight he has a job to do.’

It was not long before they spotted the earl in his formal black evening attire casually leaning against the banister leading up to the boxes. He should have been the one to garner all the attention in the theatre with his handsome face. And yet for all his looks and charm, Olivia had no desire to wrap herself around him and get lost in his reputed skills. She glanced at the man next to her and wondered for the hundredth time what it was about Gabriel that set her body on fire—correction,
had
set her body on fire. Now he would simply be the man she’d married and once lived with.

Directing her attention back to Lord Hartwick, she watched him speak to a dark-haired woman dressed in a silvery-blue gown. Although one might think he was taken with his companion, Olivia could see his attention was on the crowd of people moving around him. Then his vibrant blue-eyed gaze locked with Gabriel’s. When he shifted his focus to Olivia, he raised an inquisitive brow.

After excusing himself to his companion, Hartwick strolled up to them. ‘Now I will say what everyone in this room is thinking. I am surprised to see the two of you together. Care to share?’ he said with tilt of his head.

‘Not in the least,’ Gabriel replied.

Hartwick let out a deep chuckle and looked past Olivia to continue studying the crowd.

‘We have to alter our plans,’ Gabriel commented, flecking a speck from his shoulder. ‘Our French friend is being detained in a safe location even as we speak. Has Prinny arrived?’

Hartwick raked his gloved hand through his hair, moving a shiny black lock out of his eyes. ‘He has. Looking a tad sour, if you ask me.’ He attempted to suppress a grin and then took measure of Olivia.

She shifted slightly under his piercing gaze.

‘This is an interesting conversation for us to have,’ he continued.

Olivia pulled her shoulders back and smiled warmly as if he paid her the nicest compliment. ‘Situations have been brought to my attention due to unforeseen circumstances that required it. I assure you, I am the soul of discretion, my lord.’

He nodded slowly and tossed his head to the side to shift the lock of hair that found its way back over his eye. ‘You always have been, madam. Now you know two of my secrets and I know none of yours. That does not seem at all fair.’

That small bit of information had not gone unnoticed by Gabriel, who looked down at her with a questioning gaze. There was no need to inform him she’d helped the earl avoid an unfortunate encounter with an unhappy husband by pulling him into her room at a house party two years ago.

Hartwick stepped a bit closer. ‘So now I suppose you wish me to inform everyone they are no longer in search of the Frenchman.’

‘That would be most helpful. I still want them to be diligent. There is no harm in remaining alert for the rest of the evening,’ Gabriel replied.

Two fashionable women walked slowly past them and giggled behind their fans at Hartwick’s obvious attention.

Olivia’s attention wandered as she let the men discuss whatever it was men discussed when they were together. She watched the people moving up the staircase on their way to the boxes when her eyes settled on a willowy, dark-haired woman with fine features and a prominent dark brow. She was dressed in black and was not completely hidden by the moving crowd. Straining her neck, Olivia moved away from the men to get a better view of the woman’s face. Some distant memory tugged at her as she tried to place how she knew the woman.

The slight pressure at her right elbow made her jump and she looked over, realising Gabriel had followed her.

‘What is it?’ he asked, leaning down with keen interest.

‘I thought I saw someone I might have known.’ She tightened her cloak. ‘Shall we see how Prinny is faring, or do we need to locate more of your acquaintances?’

He led her to the stairs by her elbow. ‘No, I believe Prinny will be very happy to see us. Let’s not keep him waiting.’

They were granted permission to enter from the guards standing outside the royal box. As she crossed the threshold the sight of ‘Prinny’ in the second row of the otherwise empty box gave her pause. The man wore a wig that so closely resembled Prinny’s own hair, one would think it was made from strands gathered from the Regent’s own head. He was in profile, but his puffy cheeks marked him as an accurate replica of her friend.

The impostor turned his head to face them and Gabriel executed a respectful bow. It took a moment for Olivia to gather herself to curtsy. He appeared surprised to see them and eyed both of them from top to bottom before standing up and walking to the back corner of the box.

‘My, this is a surprise, don’t you know?’ came the deep voice she knew she’d heard before.

Looking into a pair of familiar hazel eyes, she recognised Andrew at once.

‘You?’

‘Aye, it’s me. Wot, wot? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost, my dear.’

It was difficult to keep a straight face with Andrew using a number of Prinny’s favourite sayings—sayings Andrew would never think to use.

‘You appear well,’ Gabriel said.

‘Prinny’ smiled and patted his stomach as an array of serving trays were added to the table set out with at least ten trays of delicacies against the wall. ‘The selection is impressive.’ He leaned in closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. ‘Do you have news for me, or is this simply a social call?’

‘Our Frenchman is secured in Richmond.’

‘How?’

‘Imagine my surprise when I realised his house was my destination this evening.’

Andrew looked at Olivia, giving her a thorough appraisal. ‘That’s an interesting destination in light of this evening’s plans.’

‘I had nothing to do with that,’ she stated firmly, looking him square in the eye.

‘And yet, you sought him out.’

‘To give him tokens to my box. He was to join me here tonight.’ Could Andrew truly be questioning her motivation? ‘Are you insinuating—?’

Gabriel stepped closer to her. ‘There is no insinuation. Is there?’

Andrew shifted his gaze back and forth between them. ‘If you feel there is no reason to make one.’

‘There is not. Olivia is responsible for his capture.’

‘And how did she do that?’

She pulled her shoulders back and raised her chin. ‘With a brooch and a vase.’

Andrew jerked his head back. ‘Surely I misheard.’

‘You did not.’

He turned to Gabriel. ‘So you do have an accurate assessment of her character.’

Gabriel crossed his arms and let out a breath. ‘I told you.’

‘Told him what?’

‘That you have a temper.’

She pressed her lips together and gave her right glove a firm tug. ‘Well, in a few short hours, Gabriel, you won’t have the opportunity to witness my temper.’

He placed his hands on his hips in a commanding stance. ‘That is up for debate.’

She unintentionally mimicked his posture. ‘No, it is not.’

‘Yes, it is.’

‘No, it is not.’

Andrew cleared his throat. ‘Well it was lovely chatting with you. Think I’ll see what the footmen have brought me before it turns cold. Don’t you know? Wot? Wot?’

They stood staring at one another, silently daring the other to move. Olivia won when Gabriel pulled her by the arm out into the hall.

‘We are settling this right now.’

She tugged her arm out of his grasp. ‘I am not discussing anything with you in the hallway of Drury Lane.’

‘Then we will adjourn to our box, but make no mistake, Duchess, we are having this discussion.’

The riotous applause and cheering from the audience broke the silence between them as he dragged her into their box. Storming to the front, he jerked the curtains closed. Apparently he wasn’t considering what people would think about the curtains being drawn in their box after they had been seen together earlier.

He advanced on her so he stood less than a foot away. ‘You are not leaving me.’

Even with his noble actions, she could not forgive this last betrayal—and it would be the last. She could not endure crushing hurt like this again.

‘It is obvious I am not enough for you. When I send out cards with my new address it will cease the chatter about us and everyone will know we care nothing for one another.’

All of Britain might believe that, but deep down she knew she still loved him and probably always would. Physical distance was the only solution she had to save what was left of her heart.

He grabbed both her hands, and she tried to pull away. His grasp tightened, though not painfully. ‘There is no one else I need. You are more than enough for me.’ He looked her in the eye. ‘I have sacrificed much for what I do, but I will no longer sacrifice my marriage with you.’

‘Fire! Fire!’ The shout came from right outside their box.

Olivia turned towards the door and sucked in a deep exploratory breath. There was a faint scent of wood burning. They needed to leave right away.