Hatshepsut's Collar (The Artifact Hunters #2) (30 page)

Adrenaline and fear surged with the cries of the hounds. The Chinese woman’s little bay gelding threw its head and plunged away, driven to panic by the howls of the dogs and the lone cry of the hunter turned prey. The petite rider gave a scream, throwing the reins as she was tipped forward. Her arms flung around the horse’s neck. The men were on the ground, distracted by the fate of the great wolf.

Show time
. Cara reacted immediately, and kicking her horse, they flew after the much smaller one. Her horse’s larger limbs covered the ground easily and she soon pulled level. Gripping both pommels between her thighs so she did not become unbalanced, she leaned out and grabbed the flapping reins. She tugged sharply, catching the fleeing horse’s attention and turned the frightened animal’s head into the neck of the much larger gelding before it dashed the rider into a tree.

She asked her mount to walk and quietly halt, forcing the over anxious bay to do the same, Cara’s firm grip on the reins not giving him any choice but to comply. He laid his head against the other horse and the frightened animal grew calmer. The terrified rider pushed herself up off his neck and resettled in the sidesaddle.

Perfect opportunity for a wee chat.

She raised tear-filled, almond shaped eyes to Cara. “Thank you,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry to trouble you. Grantham teaches me to ride, but I am not a good pupil.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Cara reassured her. “The horse took fright, and it could happen to anyone. Next time, turn his head sharp, so he cannot run away with you. And always to the right, so you’re not unbalanced.”

She nodded meekly at Cara’s words. The poor woman looked more beaten than the wolf.

“Duke Nolton is a generous man to take the time to teach you to ride.” She took a leading hand on the little bay’s reins.

The other woman’s eyes widened. “You know him?”

Cara placed a smile on her face, and dangled her bait, hoping for a bite from her frightened fish. “Of course, my husband and Grantham have worked together in China.”

Nerves loosened the woman’s tongue. “I’m sure he will rule how he teaches with a strong grip.”

Cara’s face remained schooled as she swallowed her surprise at the woman’s words. “Yes, I believe he will,” she murmured as she guided the horses back to the pack.

A few of the men broke away and headed in their direction. The woman’s husband snatched the reins from Cara, glared at her, and turned to babble at the distressed rider in mandarin. The petite woman kept her eyes lowered to the ground, her answers monosyllabic and apologetic sounding. Tears rolled down her face at her public shame.

Cara shook her head in disgust and nudged her mount close to Natalie. “Men. Poor thing has had the fright of her life, so he starts berating her.”

Natalie turned and kept her tone low. “Have an interesting chat on your way back?”

Cara gave a quick nod. Pieces of the puzzle slid in to place, but she needed to talk to the others, away from the gossiping ears of the court.

The wolf dispatched, Nate and Nikolai returned to their horses. Cara met Nate’s blue gaze as he swung up into the saddle, she inclined her head in the direction of the Chinese ambassador. “Mission accomplished.”

An hour later, they rode into the courtyard at Peterhof laughing and covered in mud splatter. The wolf pelt draped over the back of Alexander’s mechanical horse.

One of the waiting dandies eyed the sweaty riders with horror. He clutched a scented lace handkerchief to his nose. He paused only to wave the frippery in the general direction of Natalie and Cara and their exhausted horses. “You have ridden too hard. Look how those horses heave and sweat.”

Natalie turned a cool look on the gentleman in concern, too delicate to even dare to ride with the court. “Sir, if you were between my legs for three hours, I can guarantee you would also be heaving and sweaty.”

The man blanched and backed away.

Cara burst into laughter. “You have a way of torturing the lesser nobles.”

“On that subject, when will you stop torturing Nate?” Natalie asked before the men caught them up.

“What do you mean?” Cara turned wide eyes to Natalie.

“You are at peace with what he did, yes?”

Cara made her decision a few nights ago when the physical longing overcame her, but her need went far deeper than mere touch. A smile softened her face. She couldn’t live without Nate’s presence, without his scent wrapped around her at night, keeping the shadows at bay while she slept. Single, married, or divorced, it made no difference to how she felt about him, but she had her pride.

“Yes, I am at peace.” Mischief flashed over her face, bright and sparkling. “But he doesn’t need to know yet. I think he can suffer for just a bit longer, don’t you?”

Natalie shook her head. “You play a dangerous game.”

Cara arched an eyebrow at her friend. “And how many people do you think get to play with Nathaniel Trent, the villainous viscount?”

A frown marred Natalie’s brow and her eyes narrowed as she made a mental tally. “I believe only one person would ever survive playing with him.”

“Exactly. How can I let such an opportunity slip past?”

Both women smiled as they walked their mounts toward the waiting grooms.

he high from the hunt leached from Cara’s body, leaving behind exhaustion. They took an open carriage back to the city, no one wanting to be confined after the hours of freedom galloping across open pasture. She nestled against Nate and tucked the fur blanket around their legs. The temperature continued to drop, and she could well believe snow would soon claim the city and surrounding countryside. The mechanical horses set a brisk pace back to St. Petersburg, pulling the landau unceasingly, never flagging or balking. A land-strider’s turtle body blocked the sun when camel legs stepped over them, an occurrence that would have frightened lesser equines and caused them to bolt. With a side to side sway, the mechanical walker continued down the path, long legs devouring the miles.

Cara shuddered.
Horrid things.

On the way to Peterhof, they discovered the carcass of a land-strider. Limbs protruding, twisted and rusting, from the sinkhole that felled it. The turtle shell cracked open, perhaps in an attempt to rescue the survivors within. Scavengers had picked over the remains, the engine removed and other mechanical parts stripped for ready cash. All that remained was a metal skeleton, legs pointing skywards as a visual reminder of why Cara detested the creatures.

“You learned something out in the field.” Nate handed a silver hip flask to Cara, breaking her train of thought.

She took a sip of liquid fire, fending off the pervading cold from the inside out. “When her horse bolted, the fright loosened Xiulan Mei’s tongue. She let slip that Nolton taught her to ride and she believed he would rule like he instructed, with a strong grip.” The phrase made her shudder, his grip would strangle the life from whatever struggled in his hand.

“Rule?” Nate repeated the single syllable.

“Yes, rule. But how is that possible?”

Silence fell over the carriage occupants as they digested the implications. Nate pulled the threads together first and cursed under his breath. “Nolton has agitated against Victoria’s reign for years. It would seem he is not satisfied with being the second peer any longer. He seeks to overthrow the queen.”

“From what we have pieced together, with China’s backing.” Nikolai commented. “Rumours are drenching the aether that Victoria will declare war once she mobilises her troops.”

Cara remembered the mad glint she saw in the queen’s eyes, and the worry etched deep in the gaze of her husband. Thousands of young men conscripted by their queen, answered her call, fuelling her insane desire to conquer the globe. “The necklace will make Victoria overextend, she’s not thinking rationally.”

“She cannot spread the British Empire so thin.” Nikolai spoke with caution. “Soon you will be fighting on multiple fronts and former allies will band together against your country.”

Cara frowned, thinking of the lives that would be lost all for Victoria’s greed to wrap her hands around the globe. “And when the youth of England starts dying on foreign fields, bloodshed will follow at home.”

“This is Nolton moving his queen on the board.” Nate stroked his hands up Cara’s arms. “She will be exposed. I imagine he intends to strike from behind while she is focused on China.”

“What do we do?” Cara turned, worried eyes seeking reassurance from Nate, more accustomed to the complex game being played out around them. “How do we prove any of this, and get these charges against you dropped?” Although new to the game of politics, she proved a fast learner.

“Direct evidence implicating Nolton would be the best and most compelling defense,” Nikolai suggested.

“So do we search the ambassador’s apartments and look for signed communications?” Her gaze moved from Nate to Nikolai as the two men pondered the options.

A slow smile spread over Nikolai’s face. “I doubt a search would reveal anything. I believe we can go one better than that.” He turned to Natalie. “Does he have a woman in the city?”

“Yes.” She nodded. “I know where he will seek his entertainment tonight.”

Nikolai pointed to Cara. “You’re going to pay him a visit tonight. Let him think you are there to plead for your husband. Get him talking, boasting, if you can.”

“No.” One clipped syllable from Nate. “We’re not using Cara.”

“We cannot use you, my friend.” Nikolai kept his tone light. “Cara is our best choice.”

Cara bristled. “I will do what I can to help. We are in this together.”

Nate shook his head. “It’s too dangerous, Nolton is violent and unpredictable.”

A snort of disbelief left Cara’s throat. “When has telling me
no
ever stopped me?”

As Natalie’s laughter filled the carriage, Cara felt the connection between her and Nate slam shut and the mask dropped over his face.

He turned his gaze away, intent on the surrounding countryside. Long moments passed before he re-joined the conversation. “We make back up plans.” His hand brushed the nape of her neck, strong fingers slipping under the collar of her jacket to caress her skin. “We will ensure there is no danger to you.”

The warmth from his touch waged war with her indignation at his words. She didn’t need protecting. Life had taught her a hard lesson about looking out for herself. “Anyway, if you didn’t use me, who else could you send in?”

“We used to put Loki in a dress.”

Cara stared at her husband, unsure if he joked or not. He played his cards close to his chest and kept his sense of humour veiled. Though Nate rarely jested, Cara could imagine Loki dressed as a woman to engage in a spot of espionage. She shook the image from her mind to return to the immediate issue. “How exactly will talking to Nolton help?”

A smile as mysterious as the one Natalie wore played over Nikolai’s face. “You will see.”

Cara resisted the urge to throw her hands up in frustration; spies seemed to talk in overlapping spirals never in straight lines. “Fine,” she agreed. “Natalie can walk me through what I need to do and school me in any secret spy business I might need to know. You all have several years’ experience at playing this game and I need to catch up.”