Daring the Duke (12 page)

He had also invested in a few shipping ventures, but they were still at sea, and no one knew when they would return. None were scheduled to return for the next few months, and with the problems that plagued the shipping community, if any managed to return, it could be more than a year.

He rubbed his chin on the back of his knuckles. He had just promised Lady Stinson that all three cousins would be given seasons. The cost of one season was outrageous. The cost of three was, well, three times the outrage.

He could finance their seasons using his own savings, but that still didn’t solve the estate and long-term financial problems.

Damn this whole title business. He shook his head and sat back. He needed a diversion, something to take his mind away.

He withdrew a piece of paper, and started a list of options. Roth would be pleased with his industry, no matter the slight mockery Stephen was making of his situation.

Number one, sell all unentailed properties. He estimated a figure and made a column to the right, filling it in. He made a third column with the anticipated date of payoff. He could probably sell the properties at a loss within the next few months. He entered that total into the column.

Number two, wait for shipping ventures. At half of the possible monetary reward the estimated cost was generous, but he entered it anyway. One needed a bright hope somewhere. Since he was being optimistic, he gave it six months.

Number three, use his own funds. He knew that amount and entered it.

Date equal to the present.

Number four. He chewed on the top of the pen. Did he really have to write it? Did he really want to list it as an option? Stephen sighed for the third time.

Number four, marry an heiress. Estimated amount, dowry covers operating cost, income enough to keep estates alive. Estimated date, anytime.

He winced. Even seeing it on a ludicrous list, that one hurt.

He continued the numbered list with other options like taking up a trade and becoming a merchant, but the estimated dates were far in the future.

To complete the rapidly degenerating catalog, he added begging and running to the Continent. Heck, even running to the Americas. Or jumping off a bridge. They were all options, and one had to be thorough before making an informed decision. He was feeling a bit more sarcastic than usual.

Stephen smirked at the last option. He had lived through his last leap off a bridge, so that might not be a solution after all. Although one couldn’t always count on having a rescuer.

Roth’s voice irritatingly echoed in his mind. Responsibility. He looked at the list and began to cross off possibilities until he was left with the first four. The first three combined might give him enough. The fourth definitely would.

He looked at the massive ledgers sitting on his desk mocking him.

Conspiracies screamed through his mind. But was he trying to convince himself that he wasn’t in trouble by falling back on the old habit of looking for villainy everywhere? Or were things really bad? He hadn’t seen his stuffy cousin in a long time—but Vernon couldn’t have ruined the estates that badly, could he?

He would talk to Bessington first and settle the gaming debt. That, at least, was a tangible thing. Then he’d figure out the rest.

The window jiggled. Stephen turned in surprise as Audrey Kendrick hoisted herself up and over the sill with ease.

"What the hell are you doing?"

She stood and brushed her trousers. Trousers that clung to her in all the right places. What was she doing crawling through his window in those things?

"I’m here to see you."

"What’s wrong with the front door?"

Her brows puckered. "I didn't feel like using it. And I'm not dressed properly."

"Keeping in practice for this evening’s activities?"

She gave him a dark look. "Listen, Chalmers, I don't have time to chitchat with you. I came to offer-"

There was a knock at the door. Audrey dove under the desk.

Grimmond entered. "Your Grace, the Earl of Bessington is here to see you."

Stephen tried to hide his surprise for the second time in the same number of minutes. "Send him in, Grirnmond." Grimmond left to get the earl.

Audrey squeaked. "Send him away, you lunatic. I can’t stay under here."

"Then you should have come the proper way."

"Chalrners, I swear I’m going to--"

Stephen saw the list of options and shoved it under the desk and into her mouth as the visitor entered.

"What a pleasure it is to see you, Lord Bessington." Stephen said as he reached across the desk to shake hands with the distinguished-looking earl. "I was just pondering a visit to you myself."

"Ah, yes. Probably about the same matter."

Stephen motioned for Bessington to be seated. Audrey beat his toes with her fist.

He hid the jerk of his body behind a cough. "I was just informed that my late cousin, the seventh duke, had an unfortunate turn at the tables with you."

"He did indeed."

"Do you happen to have the marker?"

"I do, but that is not what I was hoping to discuss today."

"Splendid. But all the same, why don’t I take the marker from you now and get it settled."

Bessington fished the marker from his pocket and handed it to him.

Stephen looked at it and raised his brows.

"Fifteen hundred pounds? Is that all? I was led to believe it was significantly higher."

Bessington shook his head. "No."

Relief cascaded through his body. Perhaps all of Logan's figures were off.

He was going to have a bloody fun time burning his list of options in the fire grate as soon as Bessington was off.

"The thing is, Your Grace." Bessington hesitated. "I bought a few of Vernon’s outstanding debts."

At the look on Bessington’s face the list was once more dry and whole in Stephen's brain.

"I see."

Bessington shifted. "Your cousin and I had an understanding. He was about to propose to my daughter, Clarissa. Things were going to change, Vernon promised me. I hold the strings to Clarissa’s income. And then the riding accident happened."

Dread coiled in Stephen’s gut. He knew exactly where this conversation was heading.

Bessington pushed on. "Clarissa’s dowry and income are substantial."

Bessington named the figure, and the coils of dread knotted. "She's a good girl. Not yet had a season, the next one would be her first. Can’t deny her the first few balls, but an early marriage in the season would be encouraged. In exchange, upon signing the betrothal documents I’ll advance you the sum necessary to keep the estate afloat until the wedding.

And after the wedding I will consider the debts repaid."

Lord, he didn’t know whether he was hot or cold. He fought both sweat and chills.

"That is a very generous offer, Bessington. Let me think it over." He wanted to add that the offer was very close to blackmail, but he knew better than to antagonize someone before he was ready to destroy him.

Bessington nodded. "Going to have a lot of offers for Clarissa, but I know she will like you much more than she did Vernon and all the other swains as well. You have a good lineage and a distinguished title. We will be making a very good match."

Stephen nodded mechanically, already planning the first bit of research into Bessington’s affairs. "Yes, that would be true."

Stephen forced some small talk, then Bessington was on his way.

Bessington could be acting as a noble, aristocratic parent. Everything he had said was true. The match would be flawless. He had seen the chit. She was a lovely girl. Everyone would exclaim it was the match of the year.

Everyone but Stephen.

Today hadn’t much put him in the mood to be amenable to blackmail. His intuition was saying that something didn’t ring true, and he was going to discover what.

Sharp teeth bit into his leg.

"Ouch!"

"He’s gone, let me out!"

He moved his chair back as Audrey pushed her way out from under the desk. His list was crumpled in her hand.

"Here let me have that back." He tried to snatch it from her, but she scooted around the desk.

"Interesting reading, Chalmers. Sounds like you need some blunt. And quickly too."

He frowned. "Give me the list, Audrey."

"So what’s it going to be?" She scanned the options. "Jumping off a bridge? Why is it crossed off? Sounds like a good one to me."

He growled and moved toward her, she darted to the other side, keeping the desk between them. "Uh-uh, Chalmers, I don’t think we’re done just yet."

Audrey looked down again, number four on the list leaping toward her.

She had overheard the entire conversation with Bessington. A conversation she’d rather not think about.

"Well, along with your first three options, being hired for some side work could provide you with enough to cover the costs of your failing lands."

Stephen shook his head and leaned into the desk; she couldn’t read his expression. "No, I fear you will see me leg-shackled to some whey-faced debutante."

The thought bothered her more than a little.

"Why did you come through the window?"

"Are you really going to marry an heiress to save your lands?"

He shrugged. "It’s the way of things among the ton. But, it’s not my first choice as you can see." He motioned toward the list, and she looked down.

Next thing she knew it was out of her hands and she was spun and trapped against the desk. Damn but he moved quickly.

"Chalmers, let me up." His legs were inside of hers so that she was nearly straddling him. The heat from their joined bodies sent warmth shooting straight to her face.

"Why did you sneak through the window?"

"I told you, I felt like it."

He leaned forward and pressed her farther into the desk. "Not good enough."

"I considered your offer of help." Audrey was nearly breathless.

"Good. We can get to that in a minute. Why’d you come through the window?"

He moved his hips, and she felt the lower portion of her body catch fire.

But his words registered through the haze. "You’re a tenacious piece of—

"

He slipped his hand into her trousers, and she gasped in outrage and from the tremors that shot through her body.

He stepped back with her papers in his hands. He had removed them from her waistband, that rotten bas—

"What’s this?"

"Dammit, Chalmers, give that back."

"Fair is fair, Audrey. Now you’ll have to earn it."

"You are a rat bas-"

"Did anyone ever tell you what a foul mouth you have? Really, a lady shouldn’t speak thus." His mouth twisted into a lazy smile.

She fisted her hands and glared at him. "What was this offer you were going to tell me about before we were interrupted?"

"I have a mission to undertake."

"And what? You came to turn yourself in first?"

"No, I need your help."

"My help?" He quirked a brow, but the lazy smile remained.

"You did offer it yesterday. Twice in fact."

"Yes, but I don’t plan on taking up any illegal hobbies to do so."

"No illegal activities. It doesn't even involve stealing." She crossed her heart.

He looked doubtful.

"Well, not really," she said defensively.

His delicious mouth turned up. "Let’s hear it."

"I need access to a certain place." She paused and brushed a piece of lint from her trousers. "I need you to give me access."

"So you can steal something?"

"No, so I can
recover
something that was stolen from me."

Stephen observed her. "The mission documents are in here?"

She nodded, and he shuffled through the pages. They were still warm from her skin. His fingers tingled at the contact.

There was a map located in the middle of the stack. The aged parchment had lines and symbols a drawn in dark ink. It was a map of Newgate Prison. Stephen felt a stirring of interest.

A determined smile appeared upon her face. "I will pay you extremely well, with both money and information."

"That’s very generous of you. It seems quite against your nature. What are you looking for and where?"

"I’ll tell you when you need to know."

He looked at the map again. A scan of the rest of the papers showed detailed accounts of twelve men. He didn’t recognize any of the names.

"Not illegal, you say? Looks like you are trying to break someone out of prison."

She gave him a tight smile and pointed to his list. "Do you want the job or not? You aren’t going to get the information otherwise, and based on these, you could sure use the extra money "

Stephen considered her. She was wound as tightly as she had been the two nights he had caught her. Why was she exposing herself to him now?

He could have her arrested on pure suspicion and she knew it.

"You can consider me a tentative participant. I’ll need to know the full details and full amount you will be paying me before I make my decision."

She looked relieved.

"However, you have to promise to forgo any illegal activities while working with me."

"Deal. If you uphold your end of the bargain, then you never need see me again, Your Grace. I will disappear and never darken your door again."

An unidentified flash ran through him. "You are leaving?"

"Yes, when this is done I will bother you no longer."

He felt that nothing could be further from the truth, and he did the only thing he could think—he began a campaign.