Ruined by Moonlight (25 page)

No, he wanted the
culprit
to suffer. Their rescue was
all well and good, but who the devil had turned his life upside down? Luckily, he had wealth and influence, and he planned to engage an investigator.

“Don’t you?”

Had he just betrayed too much? He wasn’t sure but a hint of softness in Janet’s eyes told him he might have. So he answered coolly, “Of course not.”

There was a subtle rustle of silk as she stood, composed, her hands folded in front of her in a ladylike fashion. “You do realize that Lord Colbert might challenge you.”

If he knew the truth he certainly should.

“And I,” he said, recalling the tale of Elena’s objection to her engagement and how it was ignored, “am an excellent pistol shot, so if that becomes an issue, then I will deal with it at the time.”

B
en realized the visit was inevitable, but he still didn’t welcome Alicia’s uncle particularly on a day when he should be enjoying the aftermath of a personal triumph.

His duty was done, Lady Elena was back with her family, and though as of yet Ben still had no idea who had perpetrated the crime—he wasn’t even certain it would be considered a crime by a magistrate, since both parties were unharmed and back with their families—he had fulfilled his promise. Wasn’t that enough?

So he merely motioned to a chair. “Whitbridge,” he said, inclining his head. “I understand you wish to see me, and I can guess why, though I doubt I have many answers.”

“Who did this?” The petitioner was gone. The Earl of Whitbridge was gracious enough to not be downright surly, but he was still an unhappy man. “My daughter told me what happened. It seems fantastical to me that someone would deliberately seek to imprison her with a known rakehell like Andrews, but that seems to be what has occurred. What can you do?”

Ben admitted silently he was convinced he’d already
done quite enough. He wasn’t necessarily eager to get back to his duties as the stodgy earl again, but neither was he obligated to go out seeking errant viscounts and missing maidens. “With all due respect, my lord, I found your daughter, just as you asked, and as far as I am concerned my participation stops there.”

“Someone is behind this.”

“I agree.”

“I want the culprit caught and punished. Who would want to bring scandal upon my daughter?”

Deliberately Ben folded his hands. “I suggest that you take the necessary steps, but I am not a detective for hire, even if the payment is fulfillment of family obligation. Alicia is very fond of Elena, so I did my best, but that is over.”

“You have no personal curiosity?” The earl lifted his graying brows and leaned back, his laced fingers over the front of his waistcoat. “I was told you would be most intrigued.”

Damn Wellington,
Ben thought darkly. The man was a crafty general.

“I have personal obligations,” he countered. He was intrigued, true, but he was also busy.

“Alicia will agree with me. My niece is a most intelligent young lady. I assume that is why you married her.”

That was difficult to argue, unfortunately. Picking up a long, engraved letter opener, Ben toyed with it as he considered his next comment. “I married her for myriad reasons. That aside, if vengeance is what you seek, I could perhaps suggest a few names of some people who might be able to help you ferret out the culprit. I think Andrews would also be more than willing to contribute
both funds and energy. It was not his choice either to be locked up for five days against his will.”

Whitbridge gave a derisive snort. “So he says.”

“He is not behind this.” Ben had already given it a fair measure of thought and was convinced. “Do not waste your energy in that direction. Even setting aside the evidence of a family heirloom that I know he treasures ending up in the hands of a common thief, it is my opinion that if he’d wanted to seduce your daughter, he would simply seduce her. All the publicity surrounding their disappearance puts social pressure on him and paints him in a bad light. Whatever you’ve heard, please think back and admit there aren’t rumors about him preying on unsuspecting debutantes. He isn’t interested in marriage, but he is interested in protecting his younger sister. If he is a libertine, he is a selective one, and all his staff, from the lads in his stable to the upstairs maid, swear he cares for his duty to family and country above all else.”

At the end of that long speech, Whitbridge stared at him. “How do you know all this?”

“How did I find your daughter in the first place, sir? I thoroughly looked into him.”

That courteous—or Ben thought it was—reply was met with a blink. Alicia’s uncle had the grace to clear his throat apologetically, but his hand curled around the arm of the chair so tightly the knuckles went white. “I’m not certain how you managed that, but I am very grateful.”

“Then take my word about Andrews.”

The Earl of Whitbridge nodded grudgingly after a moment. “I suppose you have a right to ask that of me,
so I agree. If he wasn’t the one who masterminded it all, then, who was it?”

“I have no idea. Who are your enemies, my lord?”

“Mine?” Graying brows shot up.

“Yes. You might want to make up a list.”

“That is ridiculous.” His wife’s uncle frowned fiercely. “I can’t think of anyone who would be so cowardly as to seek to harm me by striking at me through my daughter.”

“You might take the time to ponder it if you intend to investigate.”

“You have no intention of discovering who might have done this?”

Ben picked up a pen, jotted down a few names, and handed over the slip of vellum. “My Lord Wellington will confirm these are all sound trustworthy men and most of them have experience along the lines you seek.”

“I want
you
.”

Now, that was damned inconvenient. Ben had done this in the first place for Alicia, to repay a favor second, but he wasn’t haring off to castles in the middle of the night on a regular basis, much less retrieving ransomed watches or even lending his coat to semiclad young ladies. “My lord,” he said with as little inflection as possible, “I have other obligations. You are also a busy man. Surely you understand.”

“I understand you are my niece’s husband, and, therefore, family. Please tell me you realize my daughter has been irrevocably ruined. You and I both know it. Since it was done with malicious intent, I would, as her father, like to know why she was targeted and, most of all, by
whom
.”

It was a difficult argument to resist, especially since Ben had the feeling he might have to participate in the same discussion with his wife later. He could tell Whitbridge to go to hell, but Alicia was another matter. An inner groan was only barely stifled.

Just when it was all going so well
…

Once he’d heard the story, he’d wondered if getting the lovely Elena home was going to be only part of the chore. Whitbridge’s request didn’t really come as a surprise. “Should I hear anything I will let you know at once.”

The earl proved more wily than anticipated. “Picture this, Heathton. A tiny child,
your
child. The first time you hold her in your arms makes you acknowledge the world actually is full of miracles. A child you and your wife created together and is part of you irrevocably, and as this child grows and matures you can see your features in her face, your mother’s eyes, the same temperament as the father you lost far too young.…She is
yours
. Not in the same way you own your estate or the title you inherited or even the money that came with it, but this is you. Understand? It is life.”

Ben took in a deep breath. “I do think I understand where you might be going with this, and—”

“Not until you are a father.” Lord Whitbridge stood. His gaze was piercing. “Someone deliberately destroyed my daughter’s future. I need to know
who
. Please keep me informed on the progress of your investigation.”

To her utter surprise, her husband joined her.

When the door opened Alicia was absorbed in a discussion with her maid about what gown she might wear, and both of them looked up, startled beyond measure as
Ben entered the room. The unprecedented event made them both stop midspeech, and she nodded when her maid hastily excused herself. The Earl of Heathton didn’t usually arrive at this hour…or really at any hour.

The night before had certainly left an impression on her.
Maybe on him as well?
She could only hope. Boldly, she asked, “Since yours is the only available opinion now, what do you think, my lord? The aqua silk or the midnight blue?”

“What?” Ben abstractedly seemed to register she was dressing for the evening and eyed both gowns. “I’m partial to green, as you have pointed out.”

A typical nonanswer. “It isn’t one of the choices.”

One eyebrow went up. “You don’t possess a green gown? How remiss of me to not have purchased one for you. That aside, can I speak with you for a moment or two about something much more important?”

As she was sitting at her dressing table, clad only in a chemise, her hair still tumbled down her back, she had to suppress a laugh. “I’m hardly in a position to get up and dash from the room. Not that I would anyway. I’m beyond fascinated as to why you are here.”

“My motives are pure enough.” His gaze skimmed her décolletage. “Or at least they were before I walked in that door. Don’t distract me, please.”

He was a bit distracting himself in just a white shirt unbuttoned at the neck, dark breeches tucked into polished boots, and his hair uncharacteristically rumpled. He was usually impeccably dressed and it was getting late.

“My apologies.” She wasn’t truly sorry her partial nudity distracted him; quite the opposite. It felt wonderfully intimate to have him in her bedroom while she was
not fully dressed. He’d certainly seen every bare inch of her anyway, and she was rather enjoying her newfound freedom now that she understood better the potent power of desire as opposed to simple marital duty. “What is it we need to discuss?”

His gaze lowered to her bared calves and thighs, where it lingered before he looked her, with obvious effort, in the eye. “You are a very beautiful young woman.”

The compliment was nice, of course, but she looked back at him a little nonplussed. “I…well…thank you, my lord. You are hardly unattractive either.”

There was a glimmer of amusement finally in his eyes. “I am glad you think so, but that isn’t my point. I mean that you are beautiful, gracious, a success in society, and the daughter of a titled wealthy man.”

She was well aware her uncle had called earlier, and she finally realized this had to do with Elena. “I take it my uncle did not just spend an hour in your study this afternoon to thank you.”

Ben lifted his brows. “Were you not going to also ask me to discover who is behind the deliberate and malicious destruction of your cousin’s debut? I am merely facilitating the process by giving you an opportunity to do so now.”

Not that there weren’t leagues of distance to go, but she was finally getting to know him better and as such had become used to the indirect way he approached a question. Alicia paused for a moment as she decided how to respond. “Well, my lord, aren’t you also curious? You have bested much more cunning opponents, I’m sure, and while you did recover my cousin—for which my entire family is grateful—the villain remains at large. It hardly seems fair for such a vindictive person to get
away with what may not be precisely a crime but certainly a wrongdoing.”

He regarded her with unsettling directness. “Yes, I’m curious, but in an abstract way only. I’ve a full schedule as it is, and even more so lately, as my wife now likes to take rides in the park and walks in the garden.”

Alicia lifted a brow. “Do you find those activities tedious?”

“That isn’t what I am saying at all.”

A part of her sensed he was testing her resolve to hold fast to her ultimatum, but after the delicious interlude of the evening before, she wasn’t sure she still had the ability to resist him anyway. Had she accomplished all she set out to do? No, not yet, but the progress had been most satisfactory.

“I will be happy to help you. Seeking out the perpetrator of Elena’s kidnapping could be something we do together on an intellectual basis.”

It took a moment but then he laughed softly. “Touché. I was hoping you would say that after last evening I was no longer required to court you to gain entrance to your bed.”

“Last night was wonderful.” There was no helping it; she blushed when she thought of the wickedly pleasurable sensation of his mouth between her legs. “But I still believe we have quite a lot to learn about each other, my lord.”

“I see.” His masculinity was a stark contrast to the pale blue and rose in the patterned rug, the faint smile curving his mouth telling her he remembered the night before also. “I suppose, as there is no one better to question your cousin, you could assist me in that capacity.”

A bit surprised at the easy acquiescence, Alicia merely nodded. “Of course I will talk to her. I planned to visit tomorrow. Harriet is going to go with me, but I am sure I can get a few minutes with Elena alone.”

“As I mentioned, she is very beautiful and was popular this season. There are other women who also have those same attributes, but why is it your cousin was kidnapped? There’s a key.” He walked across the room, his brow furrowed. “She holds it. I’m afraid I don’t have the slightest idea what it might be. If it lay with Andrews, the man would have deciphered it already. I saw his face on the carriage ride back to London. He had five days with nothing to do but think about it and couldn’t come up with a solution. The more I contemplate it, the more I am convinced he’s right. This isn’t about the viscount. When a man has a foe that is potentially vindictive he generally knows it.”

No one wished for Elena to escape this unscathed more than Alicia. It would be nice if she could at this moment produce a brilliant thought that would solve the entire problem, but if Ben was puzzled, she was even more so. “I appreciate the earlier compliment but I am also the
wife
of a wealthy, titled man,” she pointed out, admiring the way the linen of his shirt clung to his broad shoulders. “There would be absolutely no point in ruining me. I assume it has occurred to you that the person behind this could have targeted Lord Colbert. After all, he is Elena’s fiancé. Or still is, as far as I know anyway. There is every chance he will cry off, I suppose. How would you feel if I were locked away with the notorious Lord Andrews for almost a week?”