The Handmaiden's Necklace (27 page)

“Yes, love. I do. And I am happy for them.” But he didn’t believe in legends or curses or strange, inexplicable powers. If he did, he wouldn’t be worried about the man who was trying to kill them.

He wouldn’t be afraid for Dani, or worried that the bastard might just succeed.

I
t was nearly time for supper when Danielle went in search of her husband the following night, foraging through the downstairs drawing rooms, checking his library-study, but Rafe was nowhere to be found.

“Good evening, Wooster,” she said to the white-haired butler. “Do you know where I might find the duke?”

“Certainly, Your Grace. He is upstairs preparing to go out for the evening.”

The notion surprised her. Rafe hadn’t mentioned going out, and ridiculously she had imagined him staying at home as long as the threat to his life remained. She should have known he would never be that sensible.

“Thank you, Wooster.” Lifting her skirt up out of the way, she climbed the stairs and hurried down the hall of the east wing, to the adjoining rooms they were using until their rooms in the west wing could be refurbished.

Dani didn’t bother to knock, just opened the door and walked in. Rafe paused in the act of tying his wide white stock.

“Good evening, love.”

She ignored the little curl of warmth that came with the endearment and tried not to notice how good he looked in his evening clothes. He hadn’t yet put on his tailcoat. His white shirt stretched nicely over a set of very wide, very solid shoulders, and his breeches fit so snugly she could see the outline of his maleness against the front.

A delicious little shiver went through her. Dani firmly reminded herself why she had come. “What are you doing, Rafael? You never said you would be going out for the evening.”

Rafe went back to work on knotting his stock. He rarely made use of his valet and even less since they had moved into the east wing of the house. “There is a soirée at the Earl of Louden’s town house. Rumor has it Bartel Schrader will be there. If he is, I want to have a word with him.”

The Dutchman, an international trader who might benefit from Rafael’s death.
A chill swept down Dani’s spine. “If you’re going, then I am going with you.”

He stopped tugging on the long white strip of cloth. “Not tonight. You’re staying home where you will be safe.”

Dani came forward and began to work on his stock. “Are you sure I’ll be safer here by myself than I will be if I am with you?”

Rafe’s nearly black eyebrows pulled together. “You will scarcely be alone. The entire house is overflowing with servants and there are a half-dozen guards outside.”

“There were footmen on the carriage as well, if you recall, to say nothing of the possibility that one of the servants is somehow involved.” In fact, there was a very good chance, though she had interviewed Mrs. Whitley, the
housekeeper, about the two newly hired chambermaids, spoken to the young women herself and was convinced they had nothing to do with setting the blaze that had destroyed a portion of the house.

Rafe’s frown deepened. He took over the work on his stock and pulled the knot perfectly into place. “You are simply chafing at the confinement.”

Dani gave him a sugary smile. “So you are certain, then, that I will be safer here.”

Rafe cast her a glance that would have made the average man cower. He whispered a nearly silent curse. “You are a conniving little baggage. Get dressed. And don’t you even think to leave my side for the duration of the evening.”

Dani bit back a grin of triumph. “Of course not, darling.” Hurrying away from him before he could change his mind, she scooted through the door between their two rooms and made her way toward the bell pull. She hadn’t quite reached it when Caro came bustling into the bedchamber.

Dani arched a burnished brow. “How is it you always seem to know what I need even before I am certain I need it?”

Caro laughed. “In truth, I saw you looking for the duke. I heard Wooster telling you that your husband was going out for the evening. I knew you would wish to go with him.”

Danielle walked over to the armoire in search of something to wear. “I’m hiring another maid as soon as I can find one. You’re going to be a countess. It is highly improper for you to be waiting on me.”

“We are friends and I enjoy helping you.” Caro’s lips curved into a dreamy smile. “I still can’t believe it. Robert loves me. He is an earl and yet he wishes to marry me.”

“He is lucky to have you and he knows it.”

Caro looked over at Dani. “I’m afraid for Robert. Until all of this is settled, he could still be arrested.”

“Robert is using the name
McCabe.
There is no reason for anyone to connect him with a crime that happened three years ago.”

“I hope you’re right.” Caro began to dig through the armoire, assessing one gown and then another. She pulled out a rose silk trimmed with bands of heavy black velvet. “How about this one? Or perhaps the forest-green with the overskirt of gold-shot lace would better suit.”

Dani took the rose silk from Caro’s hand. “This will do nicely.” She waited while her friend unfastened the buttons on her day dress, hurriedly stepped out of the garment and drew the evening gown over her head.

Caro settled the dress in place and began to work the buttons. “Robert is anxious to wed.” She looked at Dani and faint rose circles appeared in her cheeks. “He says he cannot bear living under the same roof with me and not being able to share my bed.”

Dani grinned. “He loves you.”

Caro sighed. “Now that it looks as if he may be able to clear his name, Robert is determined to play the gentlemen. He says until we are man and wife, he will do nothing that might sully my reputation.”

“I think you should be flattered.”

“I suppose so, but I—” She broke off and glanced away.

“You what, dearest?”

“I want him to make love to me, Dani. The way he did the night he came into my room.”

Dani clamped down on her surprise. Caro was in love.
When Danielle had first fallen in love with Rafael, she would gladly have gifted him with her innocence.

Reaching out, she caught hold of her friend’s pale hand. “Desire is only natural when you love someone.” Turning thoughtful, she pursed her lips. “I suppose that is the reason Rafael was so determined to discover Robert’s intentions. I think he must have guessed.”

Caro blushed fiercely. “Surely not.”

Dani just smiled. “It hardly matters now. Soon the two of you will be married and you can make love as often as you like.”

Caro’s cheeks went redder still, but she said nothing more on the subject and neither did Dani. They told each other most everything. Perhaps if Dani hadn’t been so obsessed with her own set of problems, she would have guessed the depth of Robert and Caro’s involvement.

As Dani finished dressing and left to join Rafael, she couldn’t help feeling a twinge of envy. Robert loved Caro. Dani had no idea what Rafe felt for her.

Her heart squeezed a little as she made her way toward the staircase and spotted him waiting for her at the bottom. She tried to read his expression but, as always, he kept it carefully guarded. Rafe led her out to the carriage and settled her inside, then seated himself across from her.

Dani said nothing as the carriage rolled over the cobbles on its way to the earl’s soirée.

It was well after dark, beyond ten o’clock, when Rafe and Danielle arrived at the three-story brick mansion in Cavendish Street. Lights blazed through the windows of the Earl of Louden’s town house as Rafe and Dani descended
the iron stairs of the fancy new ducal carriage Rafe had purchased after the old one was destroyed. A pair of armed footmen rode at the rear of the coach, and Michael Mullens, the driver, also carried a pistol.

Though no one knew Rafe intended to leave the house, he wasn’t taking any chances.

Keeping an eye out for trouble, he led Danielle along the path and up the steps to the wide front porch. A liveried footman stood on each side of the door and politely ushered them inside.

The party was already well under way. Shouldering a path through the crush of people milling in the entry, Rafe led Danielle into one of the drawing rooms, pausing only long enough to lift a glass of champagne off a passing silver tray, along with a glass of brandy for himself.

He surveyed the throng, checking again for any possible threat, but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

“Look!” Dani motioned toward a handsome couple standing off to the right. “There’s Cord and Victoria.”

“So it is.” He led her in that direction, grateful to see a friend, then spotted Ethan and Grace a little farther away. “And there is another pair of familiar faces.”

Cord spotted him walking toward them and cast him a look of reproach. “I thought you were staying at home.”

“I can hardly discover who is trying to kill me when I am locked away inside my house.”

“What about Danielle?” Ethan asked. “Both of you should be staying out of harm’s way.”

Dani smiled. “I’m grateful for your concern, my lord, but surely you agree I am safer with Rafael than I am home by myself.”

“Of course she is,” Grace put in before Ethan could answer. “With Rafe to protect her, she is quite safe, indeed.”

Cord rolled his eyes. “We were just on our way to get something to eat,” he said. “Why don’t you join us?”

Rafe nodded, using the excuse to survey the guests in the drawing room. They made their way through the well-dressed crowd into a long gallery where refreshments were being served. A crystal punch bowl sat next to several silver trays overflowing with an array of treats: roasted fowl, a round of beef, pickled salmon, cheeses of every variety, freshly baked breads and an assortment of fruits and sweets.

The line was long and Rafe stood there with his friends, though he didn’t plan to stay long enough to enjoy the meal.

“So why this particular affair?” Cord asked, his gaze wandering the gallery and the drawing room beyond.

Rafe’s gaze followed his. “Rumor has it the Dutchman will be here tonight.”

“Schrader?”

He nodded. “If he’s here, I want to talk to him.”

It was only a few minutes later that Rafe spotted the man, sandy hair, late thirties, in conversation with the earl himself. Schrader moved in upper-class circles with the ease of an aristocrat and Rafe wondered if perhaps his family was among the Dutch nobility.

“Will you look after Danielle for a moment?” he said to Ethan and Cord.

Both men nodded.

“Don’t let her out of your sight.”

“But surely, I’m in no danger here in—”

“We won’t,” promised Cord, and both men moved a little closer to the women, forming a shield around Danielle.

Rafe strode toward the Dutchman, intercepting the man as he finished his conversation and made his way toward the door.

“Excuse me, Mr. Schrader,” Rafe said. “You may not remember, but we met in Philadelphia. My name is Rafael Saunders. I’d like a word with you, if you don’t mind.”

Schrader was lean and athletically built, his eyes an unusual shade of bluish-gray and amazingly discerning. “Your Grace.” He made a slight bow of his head. “It is good to see you again.”

“Is it?”

Schrader just smiled. “Ah, yes, I heard about your troubles.”

“Is that so?” Rafe tipped his head toward the door, urging the man out of the drawing room, down the hall where they might be private.

The men stopped beneath a pair of gilded sconces and the Dutchman eyed him warily. “Surely you don’t think that because we are competitors, I would wish to kill you?”

Rafe was only mildly surprised the man knew about the attempts being made on his life. He was, after all, in a business that required information.

“It’s possible. Perhaps you believe my demise would clear the way for you to make the deal you’ve been working on so long.”

“Perhaps. But even with you out of the way, there is always the chance your two friends would move forward with the acquisition in your stead.”

“You amaze me, Schrader. You seem to know more about my business than I do.”

The Dutchman shrugged. “That is my job.”

“Since you’re in England, it would appear you have not yet made the sale of the fleet to the French.”

“I’m afraid I am not at liberty to discuss my client’s business.”

Rafe thought of Dani and the carriage accident, thought about the fire and how both of them might have died. “I don’t give a damn about your clients, Schrader, but let me make one thing clear. Killing me will not solve your problems, and should something happen to my wife and I discover that you are the man responsible, there will be no place on earth where you will be able to hide.”

Schrader merely laughed. “I am a businessman, nothing more. Look elsewhere for your villain, my friend.”

Rafe studied the man a moment longer, then turned and started walking. Bartel Schrader was intelligent and extremely clever. Rafe was no more certain of the man’s guilt or innocence than he had been before.

Wishing the interview had been more helpful, he strode back into the drawing room in search of his wife and friends and spotted the group near the corner.

Anthony Cushing, Viscount Kemble, had joined them. He was a rake of grand renown, handsome and wealthy, and he was staring with hot eyes at Dani. She laughed at something Kemble said, and a chafe of irritation crept up Rafe’s spine.

He walked to where his friends stood guard over his wife, slid a proprietary arm around her waist and fixed his gaze on the viscount. “Nice to see you, Kemble.”

“You, as well, Your Grace.” The black-haired man smiled, rather wolfishly, Rafe thought. “I’ve just had the pleasure of meeting your very lovely wife. I discovered that she is quite charming.”

“Indeed, she is,” Rafe said through clenched teeth.

The viscount turned back to the others, his gaze lighting once more on Danielle. “If you will excuse me, I’m afraid I’ve got to run. It’s been a pleasure, Your Grace.” He bowed deeply over Dani’s hand, and Rafe’s jaw hardened. “Have a good evening.”

Rafe didn’t say a word. So he was a little jealous. It was only natural when a man had a wife as beautiful as Danielle. It had nothing to do with the depth of his feelings for her.

“Well…?” Cord drawled, turning Rafe’s thoughts back to his earlier conversation.

“Schrader denied any involvement in the incidents. My instinct is to believe him, but there is no way to know for sure.” Rafe caught a final glimpse of the international trader as he crossed the entry toward the door.