The Lady In Question (26 page)

Cassie nodded. “Absolutely. Go on.”

Delia smiled. “Our surreptitious meetings and even sharing his bed were all part of a grand adventure. The only one I thought I would ever have. I knew by doing what I was doing I might well never marry and I didn’t really care. I’ve always accepted that marriage was inevitable, but it never particularly intrigued me. Probably due to the quality of my suitors.”

Cassie studied her curiously. “Why didn’t you ever tell me about this deep desire of yours for adventure?”

“I don’t believe I realized it myself until the opportunity presented itself.”

“In the form of Wilmont?”

“Apparently.” Delia shrugged. “I have had a great deal of time to examine my actions and decisions in the past six months. In truth, far too much time. I have come to know myself far better than I ever have. I

’ve realized with every passing year I have grown more and more restless.”

“As have I, but it has not led me to throw myself into the bed of the first rogue I meet.”

“Perhaps because you have always had the opportunity, whereas I did have not.” Delia smiled slowly.

“I never thought of myself as particularly adventurous before all this, and now there is so much I wish to do and see and experience.”

“Like Lord Mysterious.”

Delia laughed. “He is on the list.”

“Do you know what you’re doing?”

“Not at all.” Delia pulled her brows together and tried to find the right words. “It’s different with him than it was with Charles. The very clandestine nature of it all, the idea that it was quite scandalous and absolutely forbidden, was what made it all so exciting. With Tony, there is little risk, yet it is somehow more exciting.”

“You are still in mourning. Being seen with him would indeed be scandalous.”

“Yes, but that scarcely matters at this point. I have weathered scandal and it no longer holds the threat it once did. And I believe he is worth it.” Delia sat upright and searched for the right words. “With Tony, a mere conversation is exciting and a simple waltz is an adventure. I suspect even a walk in the park with him would be grand. My heart beats faster when I so much as see him. My stomach flutters and it’s difficult to breathe and I want all sorts of things I can’t quite put into words.”

“He sounds far more dangerous than Wilmont,” Cassie murmured.

“He may well be. Cassie.” Delia’s gaze met her sister’s. “He may not be my first step.”

“Victim,” Cassie said with a grin.

“Step,” she said firmly, and held her breath. “He may well be my last.”

Cassie studied her for a long moment, then nodded thoughtfully. “Blue.”

Delia frowned. “Blue what?”

“For the room, of course. A sea-blue, I should think. Deep but not too dark.” Cassie slipped off the bed and moved to the center of the room, surveying the walls and furniture with a critical eye. “I don’t know if we can do it all in three days, mind you.” She glanced at her sister. “It will cost a great deal of money to do it so quickly.”

Delia laughed. “I have a great deal of money.”

“Yes, I know.” Cassie flashed her a grin. “And I shall have a great deal of fun spending it. Now then, we have no time to waste, so I suggest we visit the shops and make some calls and begin arrangements. With luck and money, we can have workers in here by tomorrow.”

“Excellent.” Delia beamed. “I suspected as much, so I had Gordon tell your carriage driver he would be needed shortly.” Delia scrambled to her feet and started toward the door. “Why blue?”

“It’s a lovely color for a bedchamber. At once peaceful yet intense, I think. Besides, it goes well with your eyes.” Cassie nodded at her sister, a satisfied smile on her face. “We shall have Lord Mysterious seducing you in no time.”

Tony moved away from the door and composed his features to hide the too-satisfied grin that had spread across his face midway through the conversation between the sisters. The very idea that Delia was refurbishing this room with seduction in mind — and better yet, his — was perhaps the most delightful thing he’d ever heard. His plan to make Delia fall in love with him was working far better and far faster than he’d expected. He was good. He was very good.

“Gordon.” Delia stepped into the hall, her sister trailing behind. “We shall be gone for a bit, probably until well into the afternoon.”

“Very well, my lady.”

“There will be a great deal of activity here for the next few days, but it shall all be quite, quite worth it.” Delia fairly burst with enthusiasm. “Will that cause any problems, do you think?”

“Not at all, ma’am,” he said in his most competent butler voice.

“Excellent.” Delia leaned toward him in a confidential manner. “We have decided on blue as per your suggestion.”

“I am grateful I could be of help, ma’am.”

“Are you feeling better today, Gordon?” Miss Effington’s gaze skimmed over him in a speculative manner and he realized she didn’t trust him and realized as well she probably wasn’t quite sure why. It was wise of her and most annoying.

“I am quite well. Thank you for asking, miss.”

“Good. I should hate to have anything happen to you.” Delia cast him an affectionate smile and his conscience twinged. He ignored it.

“Come along, Cassie.” Delia took her sister’s arm and practically pulled her down the hall to the stairs. “We have a great deal to do and we need to accomplish as much today as possible.”

Miss Effington muttered something Tony couldn’t quite hear, and he thought it for the best. Miss Effington’s tone was not nearly as enthusiastic as Delia’s.

Mac assisted the ladies in the front hall, and after a brief flurry of activity, the women took their leave. Tony breathed a sigh of relief. He had a great deal to accomplish and could do nothing until Delia was occupied. For one thing, he thought it best to speak to Lord Kimberly in person today rather than reply to his latest note by messenger. For another, he had a number of arrangements to make regarding Delia’s
grand adventures
and no time to waste.

He wasn’t entirely certain which of those adventures he’d provide her with, although he had some excellent ideas. It all depended on which he could pull off without putting her in a position of public scandal. In spite of her declared lack of concern about scandal, he didn’t want to be the cause of any further difficulties.

He ignored the fact that his very presence, both as Gordon and St. Stephens, put her in constant threat of scandal.

“She doesn’t like you, does she, sir?” Mac said mildly. “The sister, that is.”

“No, I don’t believe she does.”

Miss Effington was a bit of a problem. She was definitely suspicious of Gordon and, from what he had overheard, was not particularly pleased with Delia’s interest in St. Stephens either. It struck him that it might be exceedingly awkward when he became a member of their family. Of course, with luck, Miss Effington would never know of his identity as Gordon.

“Sir.” Mac’s brow furrowed. “It’s not my place to interfere — you are in charge of all this — but…”

“But what?”

“Well, the other men and I were wondering…” Mac paused for a moment. “Is it entirely wise to, well

—”

“Court Lady Wilmont?”

Mac nodded. “That would be the question, sir.”

“Probably not.” Tony rubbed his hand across his eyes wearily. “If I were to justify it, I would say spending time with her, whether as her butler or as myself, was all part and parcel of keeping her safe.”

“And?”

“And it would be a lie.” Tony crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. “It started that way, you know. It was all quite innocent and indeed even necessary, but now…”

“Now?”

Tony grimaced. “Now I’m going to marry her.”

Mac grinned. “Aren’t you a bit old for her, sir?”

“Old?”

Mac nodded toward the mirror, and Tony caught a glimpse of himself with his bushy eyebrows, mustache, white hair and spectacles. He laughed ruefully. “I see your point.”

“If I might ask, what does Lord Kimberly think of this?”

“I haven’t quite told him yet.” Tony winced at the very thought. “I’m not sure I’m going to.”

“Sir?” Mac raised a brow. “Is that wise?”

“I don’t seem to be doing much that’s especially wise at the moment.” Tony shook his head. “Have you ever been in love, Mac?”

“Depends how you define it, sir.”

“And how do you define it?”

“Well, I’ve had my share of the ladies. Even spent quite a lot of time with one or another, now and again. But I’ve never felt the need to shackle myself to a particular one for life.” Mac shrugged. “I’d say that’s the definition.”

“You might be right. I have to admit the very idea of wedded bliss has always scared the hell out of me. But with her, it sounds, I don’t know…” He straightened and heaved a sigh of surrender. “Grand.”

“Sounds like love to me.” Mac paused. “What are you going to do about Gordon, sir? She’s become quite fond of him.”

“That’s a sticky problem, and I’m not sure what to do about it, although I shall have to do something soon. We’ve been here for more than a fortnight now and absolutely nothing has happened, nor has there been any indication that Lady Wilmont is indeed in any kind of danger.” Still, there was an odd sense deep in his gut that danger to her was still a possibility, but he was no longer sure if it was born of that instinct he had counted on for much of his life or his love for Delia. “Lord Kimberly’s last note indicated it may well be time to call a halt to all this. Neither you nor anyone else has noted anything of suspicion.”

“Not a thing, sir.”

“Mind you, I think we were wise to watch her in the first place, but at this point I have to reluctantly agree with him.”

“How will you tell her?”

“The truth, you mean?” Tony shook his head. “I haven’t the vaguest idea right now, but something will come to me. It always has in the past.”

“Pardon me for saying it, but isn’t this rather different than anything in the past?”

“Rather,” Tony muttered, and met the other man’s gaze directly. “Still, there’s nothing to be done for it, is there? I’ll tell Kimberly everything and hope he is a wiser man than I am and has a way out of this mess.”

“You know, sir,” Mac said thoughtfully, “it shouldn’t be all that curious if her new staff was to resign. We have not been in her employ for very long. And Gordon could always claim a distant relative, an elderly aunt, say —”

“She’d have to be ancient.”

“Perhaps living near Edinburgh —”

“Edinburgh?”

“Gordon is an old Scottish name, and I myself have an elderly aunt living near Edinburgh. You can use her.” Mac grinned. “She’s a nasty old thing at that.”

“I appreciate your offer,” Tony said with a wry chuckle. “But Gordon has already told her he has no family.”

“Even so, the point I’m trying to make is, why tell her the truth at all? We resign. Gordon goes off to care for his poor old auntie, or whatever else you can come up with, and she’s none the wiser.”

“It’s an interesting idea, but” — Tony shook his head — “it doesn’t seem right. It seems —”

“As if you’re lying to her, sir?”

Tony studied the man. “I know what you’re trying to say, but I can’t compound one lie with another. She deserves to know the truth.”

“Beg pardon, sir, but if you don’t mind my saying, that’s, well, one of the stupidest things I’ve ever heard any man say.” Mac shook his head, sympathy in his eyes. Obviously for Tony’s lack of intelligence. “It’s been my experience with women that the less of the truth they know, the less they can hold against you or over you. And quite frankly, sir, this particular woman has enough to make your life miserable for the rest of your days.”

“Thank you, Mac, I hadn’t thought of that,” Tony said dryly. “You do put it in an interesting perspective.”

“When it comes to women, there are times for honesty, sir, and times when the wisest course is to keep your mouth shut.”

“You’re probably right. I’ll consider it. It’s a better solution to all this than I have thus far.”

Indeed, thus far his only solution was a vague, convoluted plan to get Delia to fall in love with him on the theory that she would then forgive all. A plan he still believed had some merit, although even he could see its potential for disaster. Still, he’d hate to start their lives together with a deception of this magnitude between them. And he did love her.

Perhaps Lord Kimberly would have a suggestion if, of course, he didn’t have Tony shot for mucking everything up.

On the other hand, being shot might just be the best solution of all.

“Is she back yet?” Tony closed the front door behind him. He’d been gone the better part of the day. Mac, as always, was in his assigned spot.

“No, sir.” Mac studied him curiously. “If I might ask, how did it go with his lordship?”

“Not well, not well at all,” Tony said, and headed toward his room. He wanted nothing more at the moment than a bit of privacy to gather his thoughts and decide on a next step. Indeed, saying Lord Kimberly had not taken Tony’s confession well was something of an understatment. Even now, hours later, Tony was still blistering from his superior’s dressing down. He well deserved it, of course. There was never a particular problem with involvement with a women, even bedding her, in the course of an investigation, especially if it provided needed information. But this was not any female. This was the niece of the Duke of Roxborough, who was not merely powerful but the ultimate head of the organization. A man who was already quite unhappy with the use of his niece in an investigation that had stretched on for more than half a year, cost the life of a good man, ruined a young woman’s reputation, put her at risk of further scandal as well as real harm and occupied far more department resources than could be spared.

Tony had unwisely pointed out that that first part was not his fault. Kimberly had taken that bit of information even worse, if possible. However, to give the man credit, he had had a modicum of sympathy for Tony’s awkward position and thought a marriage with Lady Wilmont might well be the most graceful solution in the end. At least as far as the duke was concerned. Furthermore, he wanted Tony and the others to continue their masquerade. Kimberly had the same feeling Tony had that something was amiss, even though he too had nothing solid to base it on. Both men had long ago learned the value of listening to that vague instinct.