Once Upon a Diamond (33 page)

“Not now,” Robert said, his eyes narrowing on the couple.

“Your father’s right.” Tristan looked up at Robert. “I’ll
hire a Runner to look into Peter. We’ll find him." 

Kate gave a grim nod. She felt drained from the
horrendous night. Gaston was a despicable man. She couldn’t say she was sorry
he was gone from the world.

She glanced at Tristan and her brief happiness began to
falter. Oh, he had rescued her, and was probably quite fond of her. But love? That
didn’t fit into his plans.

When they returned to the duke’s townhouse, her hope
began to fade like the bloom of a flower. Though she knew Tristan desired her
as a man did a woman, she would not give herself to him. He didn’t love her. The
man loved the diamond, if he loved anything at all.

Her experience the last twenty-four hours helped her
make up her mind. She would stay at the duke’s home, and give Tristan a few
more days to profess his love. She would use the excuse that she needed more
time to tell her father of their marriage. She loved Tristan, but if he refused
to open his heart, she would leave with her father.

And then there was Mr. Bartholomew Travis. She was
surprised to see him in England. He was such a dear friend of her father’s. He had
always wanted her to marry his stepson Jake, even though it wouldn’t be a love
match. But at least her heart wouldn’t suffer like it was now. Perhaps, she
thought sadly, if things didn’t work out here...

“You’re my wife,” Tristan said later that afternoon when
they were alone in the duke’s gardens. “I want you home. With me. I’ve already
apologized, what more do you want?”

Your love, she thought. Tell me you love me.

An hour later, Matthew and Devin watched in awed silence
as the married couple separated to different homes and different beds.

That evening Tristan and Edward made their way to the
club.

“A drink?” Devin asked with a twinkle in his eye. “No
doubt you need one after the last twenty-four hours." 

Tristan sent him a disgruntled look and grabbed the
brandy. “How is she?" 

“My sister, or your wife?" 

Tristan’s head jerked up and he turned to see Matthew’s
pale form laid out on the settee behind him. “What the devil are you doing
here? You look as if you’re about to die on the spot.”

Matthew waved his hand. “Gets a bit stuffy at the duke’s.
Devin took pity on me. Besides, I needed some fresh air and to tell you a thing
or two. Why in the name of King George did you not take her home with
you?"

Tristan glared at his brother-in-law. “I couldn’t very
well take her from your father, not after what had happened. Now get yourself
back home, you idiot!”

“Why the devil couldn’t you take her?” Devin demanded.

Tristan’s lips thinned as he turned toward Devin. There
were two reasons why not. One, Kate didn’t want to be married to him. And two,
even in the unlikely event she did, she would never forgive him if he spoke to
her father about their marriage before she did.

Either way, he vowed he would no longer be the
domineering fool he had been most his life. He would get Kate back. He’d been
given another chance with her. He would be a fool to throw it away. But the
diamond had put a crimp in his immediate plans. Headquarters believed the gem
still here in London and Tristan was ordered to find it.

He would be seeing Andrews tomorrow. The retired Bow
Street Runner had finally been informed of the true reason for the return of
the diamond. The man was adamant in not being paid for his services, for he was
working for the Crown now, and England depended on him.   

Switching subjects, Tristan turned to his brother. “Now
that things have calmed down, what about your upcoming marriage?" 

“Calmed down?” Edward gasped in outrage. He held his
brandy glass tightly and gulped the liquid down his throat.

“Ah, getting cold feet already?" Devin slapped the
table in amusement. “I shall have to call you out if you cannot honor your
proposal to my sister." 

The gentlemen all laughed, all except Edward.

“I’ll be speaking to the duke tomorrow.”

Tristan gave his brother a hard pat on the shoulder. “Nothing
to be nervous about."

“Easy for you to say,” Matthew laughed. “You never had
to approach my father on the subject.”

“Ah, true. But I sense he knows something."

Tristan lifted his glass. The other gentlemen followed
in turn. “A double toast. To the safe return of my wife and the upcoming
marriage of my dear brother.”  

His wife.
Tristan
prayed she would stay his wife or he would die trying.

After downing their drinks, Devin leaned forward and
gave Tristan a wry smile. “Hear the latest
on-dit
? Before you entered,
Matthew and I overheard some rather interesting gossip.” He tilted his head
toward the table across the room.

Tristan scowled. “Never thought I’d see the day you two
gentlemen would turn to the latest gossip. You’ve been with my wife too long,
eavesdroppers the lot of you.”

Devin chuckled. “Truly, we couldn’t help overhearing.”

“He’s correct,” Matthew defended. “The gentlemen were so
loud, we couldn’t help listening to the news of the baron."

“Lord Douberry?" Edward interrupted, leaning
closer.

Devin took a long sip of his brandy. “What baron do you
think we’re talking about?”

“What news?” Tristan asked, growing impatient.

Devin cocked a dark brow. “Man’s dead.”

“Dead?” Edward asked.

“Dead,” Matthew repeated.

Tristan couldn’t believe it. The baron dead? He had just
seen the man at the ball. “How did it happen?"

“They say the old man didn’t wake up this morning,” said
Matthew. “Poor buzzard died in his sleep.”

Edward leaned back in his chair and gazed pointedly at
his brother. “That takes him off your list then."

“I would say so,” Tristan said, his mind reeling with
the information. Douberry dead?

“Who knows,” said Devin, “Douberry may have been the man
concocting all those attempts on your life.”

Tristan tapped his fingers on the table. “I’m thinking
the same. The baron is dead. Gaston is dead. Two of the most likely people wanting
to kill me are gone. That leaves only one other person that might wish me dead.
Though I highly doubt Lady Helen could be behind all these schemes.” 

Devin frowned. “It can’t be her. The chit was only looking
for a husband, and you were her first choice. Hell’s bells, the other night, I
saw her digging her claws into Viscount Rushting. Digging for gold, I might
add."

“Well, hope she digs hard.” Tristan grabbed his glass
and smiled. “Man deserves everything he gets if he marries that chit.”

“It looked like Rushting was more than interested,"
Devin suggested. “By the way, thought you’d like to know, tomorrow afternoon,
my uncle will be driving Kate about Hyde Park.”

Tristan nodded. “I’ll be there.”

Devin glanced at the two brothers. “Don’t forget, both
of you are invited to dine with us tomorrow. Should prove interesting.”

“Interesting?" Matthew replied. “Entertaining,
would be more like it.” 

Tristan
scowled at Matthew. “You should be in bed, you fool.”

Matthew
chuckled, placing one hand over his heart. “Ah, let me leave you with a few
lines from Shakespeare’s famous play,
Taming of the Shrew
. ‘Thy husband
is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper, thy head, thy sovereign; one that cares for
thee, and for thy maintenance commits his body to painful labor both by sea and
land.’” 

He
paused and grinned at Tristan’s grim expression. “
Act 5, to be precise, my noble brother-in-law. Remember it well." 

K
ate could not deny
her father’s offer of taking a turn at the reins of
the
duke’s phaeton
while they drove through
Hyde Park. She was still in ecstasy over the ten baskets of red roses Tristan
had sent her. In his letter, he begged her forgiveness once again. But most of
all, he wanted to stay married, if she would have him.

Though her mind still played havoc with the fact that he
had never professed his love, he did seem to care for her, and that was a step
in the right direction. Though she had gone against her principles and married
someone who didn’t love her, she reminded herself that she would not have married
any man if she did not love him.

She also decided that today would be a perfect time to
explain to her father about her recent nuptials. Then, she could be with Tristan
and give him the chance to tell her the words she desperately needed to hear.

Her feelings about someone wanting to kill Tristan had vanished.
Gaston was dead and so was the baron. She had heard of Douberry’s death after
breakfast. To her, the baron didn’t seem like the sort of man who could concoct
a villainous scheme to kill Tristan, but he had held a grudge against her
husband. Either way, she felt certain that Tristan was no longer in danger, and
in effect, he would no longer try to protect her with his unseemly demands.

Kate parked the phaeton beneath the shade of a large oak
and reflected on the best way to break the news of her marriage to her father. “It
is nice here, Papa, don’t you think?” 

Her father smiled and nodded. “Is something wrong,
darlin’?" 

“No,” Kate said, suddenly feeling anxious. “I was
thinking about the oak tree back home. Remember when we used to picnic under
the cool shade in the heat of the summer?" 

“I remember,” he sighed and studied the people strolling
about the park. “Soon we’ll be back at Wilcox Manor. England is all well and
good, but it is nothing like America." 

Alarmed coursed through Kate. Her father was making
plans for their return. She lightly touched his arm. “Papa, there is something
important I need to tell you."

“It sounds pretty serious, considering that determined
look in your eye.”

She avoided his gaze and glanced across the park,
staring blankly at two people conversing on horseback. “You see, Papa, when
Matthew was shot, I thought he was going to die.” She finally turned toward her
father. “We thought you were dead." 

She averted his gaze once again and squinted in the
direction of the advancing horses. “You remember when Matthew made that promise
to you about seeing me wed. Well, when he was shot
–
” 

Kate’s mouth snapped shut when she caught sight of the
two people on horseback. Her face stung as if she had been slapped.

She could see the couple quite clearly now. Lady Helen
was grabbing Tristan’s arm in an intimate embrace, and they were in full view
of almost everyone in the park.

Kate’s first impulse was to bolt between the two, horses
and all. But she controlled her inclination and continued to glare with
mounting rage. Her bubble of happiness had burst.

Tristan sent those flowers, but they had meant nothing. He
would never love her. Who was she fooling? Oh, he was fond of her perhaps. But
love? He didn’t know the word existed. It was obvious he planned to carry on
with her as his wife, but he also planned to continue his liaisons with
questionable ladies of the ton.

As if acutely aware of the little scene that Kate was so
curiously watching, Robert switched his gaze back and forth between the earl
and his daughter. He relaxed in his seat and smiled.

Tristan could not believe the obnoxious women had found
him again.

“Lord Lancewood, I did so want to see you," Lady
Helen said, batting her eyes like a sick owl.

“Indeed," Tristan replied gravely.

He felt her grip on his arm tighten. He could only hope
that Kate had yet to arrive at the park. Looking at Lady Helen’s small form, it
was hard to believe she could involve herself in a plot to kill him merely out
of wounded pride. Though it didn’t seem wounded right now.

“I had hoped to talk to you sooner,” she replied,
fluttering her obnoxious lashes at him, “but everything happened so fast.”

Tristan pursed his lips. What the devil was she talking
about? He could have kicked himself for ever getting involved with the stupid
chit last Season.

“I can see you have not heard of my generous offer
then."

A chime went off in Tristan’s head. “I assure you,
madam, I have not heard a word concerning anything."
Anything but your
insistent blabber.

The lady leaned forward, as if trying to comfort a wounded
soul. “Well, I’m sorry to tell you, but I am no longer in the running for a
husband." She stared at him, eager for his response.

Tristan shifted on his saddle and studied her face. Was
she telling him that she had found some addlepated twit to marry her?

“I am engaged to Viscount Rushting.”

“Ah,” Tristan answered, swallowing a snort of laughter. If
she were to be married to the old goat, then there would be no reason for her
to make any attempt on his life. It must have been the baron who had solicited
his murder. Relief swept through him.

 “I can see that you are happy for me, my lord. Indeed,
I had hoped that you would not call the viscount out because of your deep
affection for me."

Tristan coughed. Call the old viscount out? Was she mad?
Did she think for one minute that he would fight a duel over her with the man who
was to be her husband? Quite unlikely. As a matter of fact, he might hold a
funeral for him. The poor ninny. The thought of a deep affection for her almost
made him curl up and laugh.

“I’m truly happy for you, Lady Helen. In fact, I wish
you all the best." He kissed her hand a fond farewell.

Her eyes narrowed, obviously stung by his unemotional
exit. However, she did recover enough to reach over and kiss him on the cheek,
her eyes flashing him a wicked smile. “I take it you are still interested in
the American chit as second choice?"

“As a matter of fact, I am,” Tristan said with a hint of
impatience.

“Well, then, I suggest you go to her. She’s been
observing us from under that huge oak.”  The lady pointed across the park. “She’s
probably relieved that I’m out of the running.”  The lady let out a small
chuckle before she said good-bye and departed.

Tristan froze his gaze in the noted direction of the oak
and sensed two dark pools of fury reflecting back at him. “Of all the
confounded things...” 

His heart skipped a beat as he dug his heels into his
horse and galloped across the park toward Kate.

Kate’s knuckles turned white as she watched Tristan sit
on his horse like a flattered oaf. It was all she could do to control her
mounting rage and not blast through the two horses, burying them both in the
ground.

To think she thought he would love her in time. Who knew
how many other ladies he had waiting for him? He had played her the fool again
and again, and now, in front of her father.

Her hands shook with anger as she grabbed the reins. “Hold
on, Papa. We’re going for a ride."

Hiding his grin, Robert glanced at his daughter’s taut
features and held tight to his hat as the phaeton whipped through the park.

A minute later Kate heard the sound of thundering hooves
coming up behind her.

“What the devil do you think are you doing?" 

Kate clenched the leather reins tighter at the sound of Tristan’s
shout. She could not outrun him, so she pulled the horses to a slow trot,
permitting him to ride beside her.

She bit
down on her teeth and stared at the horses in front of her. “What do you think
I’m doing? I’m driving my father back to the townhouse.”

“I see,” Tristan said and glanced over at Robert who was
smiling as though he was rather enjoying the heated exchange.

Tristan gestured for the man to switch places. Unbeknownst
to Kate, Robert nodded and turned toward his daughter. “Katherine, would you
mind changing seats?” 

Kate looked at him oddly and gave him the reins. “You
would like to drive?” 

“No, darlin’.”  To Kate’s horror, her father stepped out
of the carriage. “I believe I would like to ride the earl’s fine horse.”

Kate opened her mouth to protest, but within moments the
trade had taken place.

Robert sat triumphantly on the earl’s bay mare and rode
ahead while Tristan held the reins to the duke’s phaeton, maneuvering the vehicle
off the lanes and into a small opening between the trees, pulling it to a halt.

“Kate, that woman means nothing to me.”

Kate pressed her lips together and refused to speak.

Tristan took hold of her chin and tipped her face toward
his. “Must we always fight, sweetheart? There are other things I’d rather do
with you, you know.” His emerald gaze darkened, and Kate felt the heat of his
caress as if he had kissed her. She blushed.

“I want you home with me. I want you as my wife, Kate,
in every sense of the word.” His hand moved to her waist and he drew her to him.
“Ah, sweetheart, I don’t think I can wait another day. This is pure torture.” 

Kate bit back a groan as his thigh brushed up against
hers. Her determination to keep her distance was failing miserably.

“Kate. Sweetheart.” The velvety whisper of his voice pulled
her to him like a cat to cream, and all concerns about his love for her tumbled
from her mind. His lips slanted against hers in a tender kiss, and she was
shocked at her own response.

She leaned into him, flattening her body against his. “Tristan.”

“The devil, Kate. Come home with me now.” His kiss was
more demanding, sending a burning fire through her veins. His gentle hands
began a search of her body. The turbulence of his desire swirled about her like
a dazzling storm.

He suddenly pulled back, his breathing harsh. “Come back
with me. Please. Send a note to your father. This is insane. Devin knows. Edward
knows. There’s no reason not to tell your father. I want you. You want me. Hell’s
teeth. We’re married!”

Kate blinked, still reeling from his touch. Her swollen
lips and disheveled hair were only outward signs of what he had done to her. “I
was going to tell him in the park,” she said softly, her mind slowly coming
back to earth.

He grimaced. “But then you saw me with Lady Helen.”

She nodded as her heart began to frost over with doubt.
He
didn’t love her.

“She means nothing to me. You must know that.” 

“What about the diamond? Does that mean nothing to you too?”
She blurted out the words, trying to push away her pain.
Tell me you love me.
Tell me, Tristan.

His face hardened and he pulled away. “You think I’m insane
like the rest of the ton thinks, don’t you?”

Kate stared at him. An icy chill spread between them,
widening with each passing second. She couldn’t compete with a missing gem.

Tell me you love me.
A few words could take away her fears, but he didn’t say them.

Instead, he spit out a curse and tightened his hold on
the reins, sending the phaeton rolling out of Hyde Park and back to the duke’s
townhouse.

After dropping his wife off at the duke’s, Tristan threw
his riding gloves on the hall table and slammed a hand against his thigh. “Blasted
woman!”

“My lord,” the butler replied, clearing his throat.

Tristan glanced up. “Yes, Perkins?”

“Andrews has been here over an hour.” The elderly man
lowered his voice. “I believe he has finished off at least
half
of the
brandy." 

Tristan’s
lips twitched. His butler was an incessant watchdog. “An hour?”

The elderly servant sent his master a distressed look. “Indeed.”

“I see.” Tristan nodded. Andrews could down the entire
decanter and still be standing, unlike his trusty butler.

A moment later Tristan strode into the room after
assuring Perkins that Andrews was the best Bow Street had to offer. “Andrews, I
see you’ve made yourself at home.”

Startled by the commanding voice, the Runner swung his
feet off the nearby end table and quickly stood. “Good day to you,
m’lord." 

Tristan nodded for the man to resume his position and
rang for the maid. “Tea and cakes?"

“No tea, but I would enjoy a bit of cake if you
please.” 

Tristan seated himself in the wing chair, throwing one
Hessian boot over the other.

“May I say, my lord, I am extremely grateful you have
taken me into your confidence.”

“I could see no other way, Andrews. You can see that
this quest means more than family honor. England is at stake here.”