Anne Barbour (28 page)

That’s why,” interjected Jonathan, “I was forced to allow my ex-beloved to bludgeon me from behind. We had to get the papers back into Crawshay’s hands.”

“But why didn’t you tell me?” The question was fairly ripped from Tally’s lips.

This time the glances exchanged by Richard and Jonathan were sheepish, and they shuffled uneasily.

“Jonathan didn’t know,” said Richard, “until tonight—after you disappeared. It was for your own good,” added Richard hastily, as Tally rounded on them furiously.

“My own good! I was nearly k-killed trying to retrieve those stupid papers. I--I nearly killed a man because of them!”

The two men stared, appalled, at the little whirlwind raging before them.

Richard put his hand on her arm in a placating gesture, but she shook it off angrily. After a moment, however, when some of the shock had worn off, Tally said gruffly, “Well, what?”

He sighed and shifted uncomfortably. “We— at the Foreign Office—were concerned that something might go wrong, and we were trying for some sort of contingency plan. We—that is, I--thought that it would be better if you did not know, so that you would not inadvertently give the plan away. I— in the heat of the action, so to speak,” he finished in a perspiring rush of words.

“Of course,” said Tally in a voice of studied calm. “You could not be expected to place your reliance on a poor, weak female, who as everyone knows, might tend to sink into an attack of the vapors at some critical moment.”

“Richard meant well, Tally,” said Jonathan quietly. “He was acting from a typical male viewpoint as I have done myself in my misguided past. He believed he was protecting you.”

“And,” pointed out Richard, “if all had gone according to plan, you would have been none the wiser. Not that,” he added hastily, “that makes my actions any less, er, regrettable.”

Tally looked from one to the other of them and sighed heavily. “I am still angry—very angry, but I am too tired to continue this discussion. Please…”  She lifted her arms to Jonathan. “…take me home.”

He lifted her tenderly into the saddle of one of the horses tethered nearby and swung himself up behind her. Richard also mounted, and the party started at a leisurely pace back to London. Tally’s eyes closed, and she allowed herself the supreme luxury of leaning back into Jonathan’s arms. Despite herself, she reveled in the security and warmth she felt there. The steady thud of his heart sounded in her ears, and she curled contentedly into his embrace.

In a few moments, her curiosity got the better of her, and she lifted her head. “But how did you know where to find me?” she asked.

Jonathan chuckled deep in his throat. “Your stratagems were successful, my darling. We puzzled over that pile of chalk dust for some time. We knew you must be trying to tell us something, but it took awhile to make the leap from slate boards to the white cliffs of Dover. Oh, yes” — he paused, fishing in his waistcoat pocket.

“Your ring, madame.”

“Oh, Jonathan. Thank you! I thought I’d never see it again.”

She lifted her hand so that he could place it on her finger.

Richard now took up the thread. “You see, we had no idea that Crawshay planned to leave the country after stealing the papers, since his usual pattern was apparently to pass information along to Mendoza, who then carried it abroad. However, one of my men hurried in to report that Mendoza had left his home in a traveling carriage, heading at a smart pace toward London Bridge. It was then that we realized a sea voyage must be in the offing. Thanks to your clever message, we realized the embarkation point must be Dover.”

“It did not take us long,” Jonathan continued, “to catch up with Crawshay’s coach, but we dared not approach for fear of endangering you further.”

“Our first piece of luck came when the coach went off the road.” Richard smiled. “When you came tumbling out, we couldn’t contain Jonathan. Before I could stop him, he was loping off cross-country, pistol in hand like a bandit of Senor Mendoza’s native land. If he had been spotted, Crawshay could have picked him off like a spring turkey.”

Tally tightened her grip on Jonathan’s coat sleeve and smiled mistily at him. Then she straightened abruptly as a thought struck her.

“But tell me how you knew about Clea?”

“Ah, yes, the lovely Lady Belle,” mused Jonathan. That was the hard part. I knew she was inside the carriage, and I was certain that she would not let the fact that for years she has been proclaiming her undying affection for me sway her from removing me from her path.”

“We have been monitoring Lady Bellewood’s activities for some time,” Richard put in dryly. “We knew she was part of your little entourage tonight.”

“I had,” continued Jonathan, “to allow them an opportunity to escape with the false documents, and she was the only one among those present in a position to render me inoperable.”

“But what if she’d had a gun?” Tally felt herself grow cold.

“That thought did disturb my serenity somewhat,” Jonathan replied cheerfully. “But I was pretty sure that even if the lovely Clea were possessed of such a weapon, an extremely unlikely contingency, she would not be able to bring herself to actually fire it.” He glanced down at Tally. “She being, of course, one of those weak females who tend to fall apart in a crisis. She is, on the other hand,” he continued, ignoring the sharp dig in his ribs administered by his love, “quite adept at hitting and throwing, and I had every confidence in her ability to fell me with a single blow.”

He lifted an arm away from Tally’s shoulders to rub the back of his head, and Tally reached up to touch the bruise with gentle fingers.

“My only concern at that point,” he went on, pulling her hand around to press a kiss on it, “was that with me out of commission, you would once more be at the mercy of our treacherous friend, Crawshay, which is why I turned over that pistol to you. I have every confidence in the marksmanship of Richard and his stalwarts, but at a hundred yards, under a cloudy moon, I hesitated to take the chance. Besides…”  He twinkled. “…I know you to be a female who can keep her head in a crisis.”

Jonathan’s arms tightened around her, and Tally twisted about to look at Richard once more.

“But how did you know about Clea?” she asked. Her eyes widened. “Richard! All that time you were making such a cake of yourself over her, you were...”

“Yes,” he answered with a heartfelt sigh. “We have been aware for some time that Lady Belle has been, er, assisting Crawshay in his treasonable little sideline.”

He sighed again.

“It is a truly lowering reflection,” he mused aloud, “that we males can be so easily duped by a beautiful face. And,” his voice sharpened, “that we persistently underrate the intelligence of the fair sex. I shudder to think of the number of men who, possessed of the utmost discretion in their dealings with other men, become babbling idiots in the presence of their ladies. They boast, they muse aloud, they leave important papers about.

“Clea Bellewood, since her marriage to the earl, has moved in the best of circles. She has had as lovers…” He shot a quick glance at Jonathan, who merely shrugged. “…men in the highest levels of government, as well as others less well placed. Last year, she ensnared a young fellow in our department, Daniel Ridgeway. He knew little of importance himself, but he had access to some extremely sensitive material, even if it did mean nothing less than breaking into the offices of his superiors. He was the young man, who, apparently torn between loyalty to his country and his infatuation with the lovely Lady Belle, hanged himself last year.”

“Oh, dear lord!” Tally pressed a hand to her lips. “How awful!”

“You see,” Richard continued, “Clea, though she was left a very wealthy widow, has extremely expensive habits—the clothes, the carriages.

“The gambling,” finished Jonathan tiredly.

“Yes, above all the gambling. When Crawshay began his treason, it did not take him long to realize that in Clea, he had his perfect tool. In fact, we believe that it was his cousin’s advantageous position in the
haut ton
that gave him the idea for his scheme.”

“Good Lord.” Jonathan laughed shortly. “And here I thought it was Clea who was making use of Crawshay.”

“Well, it was most likely a partnership of mutual benefit. At any rate, we were not sure about Clea’s activities until — until she chose me to replace the young clerk as her conduit for stolen secrets.” He stopped abruptly, and a slow flush spread to his cheeks.

“Oh, Richard,” breathed Tally, her eyes wide. “The night Cat and I came upon the two of you at Lady Talgarth’s ball....”

“Yes,” he interrupted hastily. “I reported her, er, interest in me to Lord Whittaker. It was decided that I would appear to respond to her lures, at least until she incriminated herself thoroughly. And we hoped she might lead us to Crawshay’s contact. At that time, of course, we were still trying to ferret out his identity.”

“Do you mean,” interjected Tally indignantly, “that Lord Whittaker actually asked you to place your marriage in jeopardy by making love to that... that... She dropped her eyes. “Lady Bellewood?”

“Yes — well, I did meet with Clea several times, and it was not long before she made the suggestion that I could be extremely useful to her if I chose to do so. Unfortunately, it became obvious that she wouldn’t go into specifics until our relationship had reached a more, ah, physical level. At that point, I informed Lord Whittaker that, while I was prepared to go to almost any lengths to serve God and country, I regretted that my devotion does not stretch to ruining my marriage.” He smiled suddenly. “Whittaker replied with the merest twitch of his lips that I should indeed not be called upon to make such a sacrifice, and gave me permission to end my so-far harmless relationship with Lady Belle.”

He bowed his head for a moment, then lifted it with a hunted expression on his face.

“That was the evening I returned home to find that my bride had discovered all.”

“Poor Richard.” Tally giggled. “You should be given a medal for such selfless immolation on the altar of duty,”

“Mmph. I’m not so sure Cat would agree with you. At any rate,” continued Richard, striving for a business-like tone, “when my grand passion for Lady Belle cooled so rapidly, Crawshay must have cast about for another route to the papers which, as he had learned from our clerk, I kept in my study at home,”

“I wish I could have been there to watch him scan those documents,” Jonathan chuckled. “And I wish even more that I could be a fly on the wall when the French authorities realize they’ve been gammoned,”

“I very much fear,” added Richard laconically, “that the future for Mendoza and Crawshay and Lady Bellewood will not include castles and chateaux. They’ll be lucky if they escape the guillotine for this night’s work,”

There was a moment of silence before Jonathan said with soft savagery, “For the crime they committed—and for what they put Tally through—I’d be delighted to pull the cord,”

Tally shivered, then, still held securely in Jonathan’s arms, related the events that had taken place after her precipitous departure from the masquerade ball. She omitted any mention of Clea’s note. She kept that bit of news tucked away in a corner of her mind, where it lodged like a steel splinter. There would be time to consider it later, when she was alone. Alone to make her plans to leave London—and Jonathan—forever.

Chapter Twenty-four

When the little cavalcade reached London, the group of agents who accompanied the main players in the drama that had unfolded during the night drifted off to their respective homes, and dawn was beginning to lighten the shadows of Half Moon Street when three weary travelers pulled up to the front door of the Thurston home.

Scarcely had Jonathan lifted Tally from the saddle, when Cat flew out to greet them. She flung her arms about her husband, who quite lifted her off her slippered feet in an exuberant hug. Next Cat turned her attention to Tally, and the two friends joined in a tearful embrace.

“Oh, Tally,” bubbled Cat. “I have been sitting by the window for simply hours! Are you all right? Tell me everything that happened!”

“Oh, best of my friends.” Tally laughed shakily. “Yes, I’m fine, although for a moment, the issue surely hung by a thread.”

Tell me everything,” repeated Cat, ushering the group indoors. “But first, you must all be starved. I have had a nuncheon set out for you.”

Over a splendid spread of ham and sirloin for the gentlemen, and kippers, eggs, and Tally’s favorite muffins, the three took turns relating their night’s adventures: Cat was the most appreciative audience any spinner of tales could hope for, and interjected the tale with gasps and oohs and shudders in appropriate places.

At one point her eyes grew wide, and her delicate brows rose almost into her hairline. “Clea Bellewood a spy!” she gasped. Then she smiled slyly. “Not that I did not always believe that she was, despite those melting blue eyes, and the most outrageously expensive clothes, capable of anything!”

Soon after, Jonathan rose to go, and Tally saw him to the door. With his hand on the latch, he gazed down at her for a long moment, and Tally cast her lashes over her cheeks in confusion. He cupped her chin up toward him.

This is not the time, my dearest love, but we have much to discuss.”

His head was so close to hers that she could feel the warmth of his breath caress her cheek.

“You must rest now,” he continued softly, “but I shall return this evening. Until then....”

His lips brushed hers, and she felt the familiar tingle start from her toes to spread through all her secret places. She held back the tears that were lodged in her throat, for she knew that by this evening she would be gone.

“Of course, Jonathan.” She dipped her head to hide her eyes. “Until this evening.”

She raised her mouth for one, last precious kiss, and then he was gone. She sagged against the closed door, suddenly weary beyond words. She returned to the breakfast room to find that Richard had also departed and was on his way to his own well-earned rest upstairs. Cat sat smiling among the cups and invited Tally to join her for more coffee.