No Decent Gentleman (33 page)

Prince Adolphus didn't look surprised at all. "So Charles told you, heh? I suppose it was time ..."

"I have several questions concerning that," she said.

"Ask away."

"Why did you marry me off as an infant to the Marquess of Stonehurst?"

"Child, I am familiar with Adam St. Aubyn's history," the prince told her. "You were an unacknowledged princess and he was a prince in disguise from one of the world's greatest dynasties. I felt the union would be beneficial to both of you. His St. Aubyn bloodline promised intelligence and integrity. Both of you were of equal rank, in a manner of speaking. Not only that, but marriage to the Marquess of Stonehurst ensured you a respectable place in society. All of us agreed that the match was excellent. Yes, we did ... did ... did."

"What about Courtney?" Sabrina asked. "Why didn't you arrange a marriage for her?"

Adolphus smiled. "Why, child, I'd run out of available princes. Princes don't grow on trees, you know. If another had been available, I certainly would have arranged a match for her."

Sabrina inclined her head, accepting his answer. "I want to know my mother's identity," she said.

Prince Adolphus grimaced and looked away, as if struggling with himself about what to tell her. Finally, he looked at her and said, "You possess your mother's beauty and temperament."

"Her name?" Sabrina pressed him.

"Madame Esmeralda."

Shocked, Sabrina sagged in the chair. She'd been speaking with her natural mother at the coming-out ball and hadn't known it.

"Does she know—?" Sabrina broke off, unsure if she really wanted to hear the answer to that.

Prince Adolphus nodded. "That is the reason Esmeralda agreed to sing at the ball. It was her gift to you."

Sabrina stared at her hands folded in her lap and tried to summon the courage to ask her next question. "Did you love her?" she asked without looking up.

"Very much."

''Why didn't you marry her?" she asked, raising her emerald gaze to his.

"The marriage would have been illegal," the prince told her. "By law, I am required to marry a German princess only."

"How could she have given me away?" Sabrina asked in an aching voice.

"Esmeralda gave you away because she loved you," Adolphus said, reaching out to cover her hand in consolation. "She wanted you to grow into womanhood as a lady accepted by society, not illegitimate issue."

"I see," Sabrina said, though she didn't see at all. What she'd needed all those years was the security of knowing her natural parents had loved her, not given her away because she was somehow flawed. "I suppose I should visit her."

"You will need to wait to do that," the prince told her. "Esmeralda left a few days ago on a tour of Europe. France was her first scheduled stop. Ah, Paris ... Paris ... Paris."

Brushing off her anguish, Sabrina took a deep, calming breath and became all business. "Sir, I need a favor."

Adolphus stared at her expectantly, awaiting her request.

"I want control of the Savage estates returned to me immediately," Sabrina told him.

"You don't trust your husband?" he asked.

"Yes, I trust Adam," she answered. "However, we are not in accord at the moment. You see, I am convinced that Edgar Briggs murdered my father."

"What did you say?" the prince exclaimed.

"You heard correctly," Sabrina said. "The only way to ferret him out is if I regain control of my assets."

"I can arrange that for you," Adolphus said. "Tell me why you believe the baron is the culprit."

"My father disappointed Edgar when he refused his marriage offer," Sabrina told him. "More than anything else, Edgar wants to join the Savage lands with his. I don't know how he managed the deed with the study door locked, but Edgar is no magician so I'm positive there is a logical explanation. Besides that, Vicar Dingle recently told me that Edgar persuaded him to rule my father's death a suicide. Don't you see? Edgar thought he could purchase the land at auction, but he hadn't foreseen the St. Aubyns' arrival."

"Does your husband know about this?" Adolphus asked.

Sabrina looked him straight in the eye and said, "Nobody knows, which is how I want it kept."

"What a little schemer you are," Adolphus said, and then chuckled. "You must have inherited that from my family."

Sabrina smiled at the prince but remained silent. The Hanovers were not considered university material. Undoubtedly her intelligence had come from her mother's family.

"Is there anything else?" Adolphus asked.

"Papa told Courtney and me that we had the same sire but different mothers," Sabrina said. "I want you to tell my sister who her mother was."

"Very well, I'll tell her right now if she's at home," the prince replied.

"I'll have someone get her," Sabrina said, rising from the chair. She walked across the study and opened the door, calling, "Forbes, tell Courtney that His Royal Highness wants to speak with her."

Sabrina returned to her seat and a few minutes later heard a light rap on the door. "Come in," she called.

Courtney walked into the study and dropped Prince Adolphus a curtsey. Then she crossed the room to the desk.

"Please, Your Royal Highness, you needn't give me your chair," Courtney said.

"I don't
need
to do anything," the prince replied, leaning against the duke's desk. "I want you to sit there so that I can admire my two beautiful princesses."

Courtney smiled and sat down.

"My sister and I realize that we can never be acknowledged," Sabrina spoke up. "The knowledge of who our natural parents were is enough."

Prince Adolphus inclined his head and then looked at Courtney. "I've just told your sister that Madame Esmeralda is her natural mother and that your mother is a different story. Are you certain you wish to hear this?"

"Was she evil?" Courtney asked, becoming frightened.

"Nothing like that," the prince assured her. "However, your mother passed away many years ago."

Courtney relaxed. "I want to hear about her."

"Surrendering Sabrina to Henry Savage and his wife caused Esmeralda unimaginable anguish," Prince Adolphus began. "Oh, the pain ... pain ... pain. In an effort to relieve her emotional suffering, she decided to tour Europe and share her voice with the Continent. She even sang for Napoleon, you know."

"What about Courtney's mother?" Sabrina prodded him.

"Oh, the impatience of youth," the prince said with a smile, making her blush. "I became lonely while Esmeralda was away. One night at the ballet, I spied an angel dancing in the chorus—your mother, Courtney. Her name was Eugenia Darlington, and, oh, what a darling she was. No sooner had Eugenia gone on tour with her ballet company, than Esmeralda returned from Europe. Eugenia must have learned from newspaper articles that I had resumed my friendship with Esmeralda. I didn't see her again until she was seven months heavy with you. Eugenia had run out of money and had nowhere to go, so she decided to ask Esmeralda for shelter. Confident of my affections, Esmeralda took the girl into her home and provided for her. When Eugenia died in childbirth, Esmeralda suggested that I send you to Henry Savage. After all, Sabrina and you were half sisters."

With tears in her eyes, Sabrina reached out and grasped her sister's hand, saying, "We will always be grateful to Esmeralda for bringing us together."

Courtney nodded, but was too overcome with emotion to speak for several minutes. "Can you tell me where she is buried?" she asked the prince.

"Your mother lies in St. Paul's churchyard," Adolphus told her.

"I would like to visit her," Courtney said.

"And now I must be leaving." Prince Adolphus looked at Sabrina and promised, "I will take care of that other matter immediately."

"Thank you, Sir."

After seeing Prince Adolphus and Uncle Charles off to their ride in Hyde Park, Sabrina turned to Baxter and asked "Has the Duchess of Kinross arrived?"

"Her Grace is in the drawing room," the majordomo answered.

"Please send her to us in the study." Sabrina and Courtney retraced their steps down the corridor. This time Sabrina sat behind the desk in an unspoken gesture of being in command. She only hoped that Lily would help her unmask the murderer.

The door swung open. The duchess burst into the study.

"Sit down," Sabrina said. "I have a plan to ferret out my father's murderer, but I'll need help from you."

Cautious, the Duchess of Kinross gazed at her friend for a long moment and then said, "You may speak freely. I won't betray you. However, whether I'll help or not depends upon the plan."

"That is fair enough," Sabrina agreed. She looked at her sister and said, "Courtney, you are the bait."

"Edgar won't try to murder me, will he?" Courtney asked.

Sabrina shook her head. "Being the bait will have the opposite effect on him."

"What is your plan?" Lily asked.

"Prince Adolphus has agreed to revert control of the Savage assets to me, which means I can do anything I want without my husband's permission," Sabrina told them. "Lily, I want you to send a piece of gossip to that society writer for
The Times
. Tell him that the Marchioness of Stonehurst is relinquishing her Savage title and the family assets to her younger sister."

"Sabrina, are you mad?" Courtney cried, clearly appalled by her sister's intention.

"I am the Marchioness of Stonehurst, and my husband is one of the wealthiest men in England," Sabrina reminded her. "I don't need the Savage assets. Consider it a wedding gift from me."

"Are you certain you want to do this?" Lily asked.

"I will do anything to clear my father's name of suicide," Sabrina answered. "The only way to accomplish that is to get a confession out of the murderer."

"How will giving your assets to Courtney help?" Lily asked.

"Don't you see? Edgar killed my father because he'd refused the marriage proposal," Sabrina said. "Briggs assumed he could purchase the land at auction, but never counted on the St. Aubyns showing up. If Briggs shifts his attention to Courtney once the gossip spreads that she is the Countess of Abingdon and in control of the Savage estates, then that proves he is the murderer. Of course, we'll need to find a way to make him confess, but I can only think one step at a time. I will come to Grosvenor Square each day to await Edgar's next move, and I daresay he won't wait too long with Dudley Egremont courting my sister. So, what do you say?"

"What will Dudley think?" Courtney asked uncertainly.

"Your Dudley will be none the wiser," Sabrina assured her. "If he should find out, well—"

"A man in love will excuse anything," Lily finished.

Courtney nodded. "Very well, I'll do it for Father."

"I'll send that note as soon as I get home," Lily said.

Without warning, the duchess hiked the skirt of her gown up to her knee. Attached to a garter strapped on her leg was a small black leather sheath. Lily unfastened the garter, held it up, and removed a dagger from inside the sheath. The blade appeared to be about four inches long.

"It's my weapon of last resort," Lily said, smiling at their surprised expressions. "Wearing it is an old habit from my days of clandestine activities back in America." She passed it to Sabrina, saying, "I want you to wear it whenever you come here." She slid her gaze to Courtney and added, "I'd offer it to you for protection, but I believe you'd swoon dead away rather than use it on the baron."

Much to her sister's obvious dismay, Sabrina flipped the bottom edge of her gown up and strapped the garter to her leg. "I'm going to wear it home," she said.

"You won't use it on the marquess?" Courtney asked.

Sabrina smiled and shook her head. The three of them stood and walked toward the door.

"You will return in the morning?" Courtney asked, unable to keep the panic out of her voice.

"Don't worry, Sister," Sabrina said, putting her arm around her. "I will return as soon as I can. Do not go out alone after today, though. A man who is capable of murder is capable of anything."

"You're frightening me," Courtney moaned.

"There's no need to be afraid," Sabrina assured her. "You trust me, don't you?"

"Yes, I trust you."

Staring out the coach window on the short ride to Park Lane, Sabrina hoped that her plan would work. If Edgar Briggs was as greedy as she suspected, there was little chance of its failure. She would need to guard her sister carefully, though. If anything happened to Courtney, she would never forgive herself. Too bad there was no other way to ferret the villain out.

The closer she got to Park Lane, the more she thought of Adam. Would he be angry when he discovered what she had done? What if he refused to let her leave the town house?

There was little chance of that happening, Sabrina decided with a heavy heart. Her husband seemed quite content to ignore her and squire his harlot around town. She would think about that later, though. For now, her thoughts needed to remain focused on her sister and their father's murderer.

At five o'clock that afternoon, Sabrina dressed in a tea gown of white lawn material with short, scalloped sleeves edged in ruffled lace. Then she tied a pink ribbon around the wolfhound's neck and left her bedchamber.

While making walnut creams that afternoon, Sabrina had decided to behave as if her marital life was normal. She refused to give her husband or his staff the satisfaction of knowing she'd been hurt by his defection.

Walking into the drawing room, Sabrina stopped short when she spied Adam standing near the hearth. Then she realized the hour was still too early for his wicked activities. Only the dead of night could hide disreputable pursuits like adultery.

Adam turned around and stared at her with a little smile on his face that she didn't like one bit. "I'm staying home this evening," he told her, reaching down to unfasten the pink ribbon around the wolfhound's neck.

"Whatever for?" she asked indifferently, though her heartbeat quickened.

"Because, Princess, I generally prefer my morning paper without tears," Adam said.

"I assure you that will never happen again," Sabrina replied, sitting down on the couch. She offered Winston a cucumber sandwich, and the dog gobbled it up in one bite. Then she offered him another.