Charming a Spy (17 page)

She tried to think good thoughts and distract herself instead of lingering on the possibilities while snuggling into a chaise and diving into the novel. Despite the generic name, it was actually quite a good book and Kat happily lost herself in it. Indeed, it was so engrossing she didn’t hear the library door open. It was only when a hand touched her shoulder did she snap to attention.

“Geo… Oh. Hello, Mr. Grier. I thought you were someone else for a moment.”

“Were you planning on meeting someone?” Rafe asked in a voice tinged with self-satisfaction, as if he already knew the answer. “A secret rendezvous, perhaps?”

Was it possible he knew? No, he couldn’t, Kat reminded herself. He was trying to make her uncomfortable, which she would forever be in his company after his disgusting attempt to kiss her.

Kat glanced towards the door, trying to ascertain whether she could make it before he caught her. He must have seen the panic clearly written across her face.

“Ms. Dubois, don’t worry. I’m not going to try anything with you again,” he said. “In fact, I’d like to apologize.” He was holding a bottle of wine and two glasses.

Maybe he was expecting someone else. Poor girl, whoever she was. The thought crossed her mind for a second, maybe he was lying and he came in here to find her. But no, there was no way he could know where she was. Besides, if Rafe was searching for her, he would have started in the drawing room where the other guests were. Only Geoff would think to look for her in the library.

“You wanted to apologize?” she asked dubiously.

“Yes, I felt bad about yesterday. I shouldn’t have treated you like I did. You are a well-bred lady and the sister of my good friend above all else. I’m afraid in my fervor I may have treated you with less than the proper amount of respect you are due.”

“I was quite disturbed by your behavior, Mr. Grier,” Kat said. His apology was pathetic. Less than the amount of proper respect? He practically mauled her.

“You must know how beautiful you are,” Rafe said. “I was so taken with you I fooled myself into believing you might even fancy me too. That was stupid, of course. You are much too good for a man like me. I now know you have no interest in me romantically and I understand. But I would be devastated if you didn’t still think of me as a friend. As a friend of Luke. I could be like an older brother to you, Kat. I could protect you.”

Kat wasn’t sure how to respond. He sounded sincere. And he had been Luke’s friend. Her skin still crawled when she thought about how he touched her, but she heard men could lose their better senses when caught in the throes of lust. Now that she had experienced the feeling herself, she could see how easy it was to get caught up in the sensation. Still, something in her gut was preventing her from forgiving him so easily.

He sensed her hesitation and went on, “I know you probably never want to talk to me again, Ms. Dubois.” He sounded repentant. “I certainly wouldn’t blame you. But I am sincerely sorry and I give you my word as a gentleman I won’t try anything like an errant kiss again.”

“And what of your threats to tell Duke Stamwell I came on to you?”

“I was hurt and my wounded pride made me say stupid things I wish I could take back. You must believe me, I would never tell Stamwell you did anything less than ladylike. I don’t even know why I said it. I was upset and something took over me. I’m so sorry.”

She wanted to believe him. He made a mistake and was caught in some sort of lustful craze and hurt by rejection. Pride could make a man do all sorts of horrible things. Besides Rafe couldn’t be a horrible person at heart. Luke was a very good judge of character and he would never befriend someone unworthy. This was Luke’s friend, if he was still alive, and she couldn’t bring herself to hate him.

“Very well then, I forgive you,” Kat said begrudgingly.

“Oh, thank you, Ms. Dubois. You are the truest and most generous of ladies. I’m so happy we can be friends again.”

“Yes, well, I should be going now,” Kat said. Despite their new peace, she still wasn’t comfortable alone with him.

“Wait, please. Before you go, share a glass of Madeira with me. To celebrate our truce,” he said, picking up both glasses. He held one out to her.

“Thank you, but I am not thirsty,” she said.

“One little sip,” he said again, this time pushing the glass into her hand. “I feel so awful, I did such a thing to my good friend’s little sister. Please, let’s show Luke, wherever he is, we are friends?”

She closed her hand around the stem.

“Thank you, Ms. Dubois. Luke would be so pleased right now. You know we shared many bottles of wine together while we were abroad.”

“You did? Luke never used to drink much at home.”

“War can make even the most chaste seek vices,” he answered. That made sense.

“What did you talk about when you were together?” She longed to hear more. Even about his vices. About anything. Any memory she could collect to make Luke whole again in her mind.

“War, home, women. Things men talk about, you know,” Luke said.

“Of course,” Kat said, disappointed at the lack of detail.

“He talked about you often,” Luke said.

“He did? What did he say?”

“He missed you terribly. You were his best friend and deserved the best type of man as your husband.” Kat’s eyes started to fill with tears at the thought of her brother saying such beautiful things about her. He was so protective.

“What else did he say?” she asked eagerly.

“First, let’s make a toast,” he said. “Perhaps the wine will help jog my memory.”

“Yes, a toast.”

“To Luke,” he said, raising his glass in the air. “May he be thinking about his sister and me together wherever he is now.”

Kat raised her glass, “To Luke.” She brought the wine up to her lips and was about to take a sip when the door slammed open.

“What in blazes do you think you are doing?” Geoff roared. He was standing in the doorway with his legs bent and his fists at his side, in the stance of a panther about to attack.

‡

“M
s. Dubois and
I were just about to enjoy a glass of wine, would you care to join us?” Rafe said casually, as if it was perfectly normal to be in a room alone with an unmarried woman, attempting to get her drunk.

Geoff could kill him right now. He wanted to use his bare hands to tear the dandy limb from limb. Not yet though. He couldn’t afford to blow his cover. Not when he was so close to figuring out the truth. It was time to exercise control. Use discretion. Normally staying calm was one of his best assets, but with Katherine… dammit, she was his Achilles heel.

Control. Deep breathe. Control.

“No, I would not care to join you,” Geoff said, through his teeth. “In fact, I don’t think Ms. Dubois is feeling much like having any wine either,” he said, commanding her silently with his eyes to put down the glass. She did but slammed it down on the table so hard he thought it might shatter. His brave Katherine was apparently not fond of being told what to do.

“Mr. Grier was telling me stories about my brother,” Katherine said indignantly as if Geoff was the one acting irrationally. Didn’t she realize if anyone else had found them in this cozy tête-à-tête, she would be hitched to Rafe Grier within a fortnight? She couldn’t possibly want that. Could she?

“I’m sure Mr. Grier would be happy to continue those stories tomorrow, Ms. Dubois. In the drawing room. With the other guests,” Geoff said, hoping his words implied his meaning.

“I think I shall go to bed now,” Katherine said, standing to leave. Geoff mentally applauded her tact. Retreat was often the best strategy, especially when one was not going to win the battle. And she was not going to win this one.

“Good night Ms. Dubois,” Rafe said, bending over her hand to kiss it. The snake.

“Ms. Dubois,” Geoff tipped his head to her, without making eye contact. This would not be the end of their conversation. But first, he had to deal with Rafe.

Apparently also planning to retreat, Rafe was gathering up the wine glasses and bottle. “Leave those,” Geoff stated as an order more than a suggestion. “I would like to have a few words with you.”

“Of course,” Rafe said, putting the bottle and glasses on the table and then sitting back down. He crossed his legs and stretched out his arms across the back of the sofa as if he owned the damn thing. This man had no shame.

Geoff paced around the room trying to suppress his anger. The silence grew palpable as the minutes ticked by. He always enjoyed silence as a weapon. It was slow but effective.

After several more quiet moments, Rafe finally broke down and started talking. “You are going to wear a hole in the carpet, Stamwell. Why don’t you come sit down?” The nerve. The man was inviting him to sit in his own blasted library.

“Mr. Grier,” Geoff started. “Might I assume you were trying to ruin Katherine Dubois’ reputation?”

“What? Not at all. We both happened to run into one another in the library at the same time and were simply enjoying a spot of conversation before you alighted upon us,” Rafe said, downplaying the entire incident.

“You may enjoy conversation with Ms. Dubois in public from now on. I don’t want to find you alone with her again. Ever.” Geoff growled.

“I apologize, Stamwell,” Rafe said. “I had no idea you had an understanding with Ms. Dubois.”

“There is no understanding. Ms. Dubois is a guest in this house. It is my duty to protect every guest under my roof, including your sister. You wouldn’t want me to allow your sister’s reputation to be tarnished, would you?” Geoff reasoned.

“Of course not,” Rafe answered.

“Good, I’m glad we understand each other. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some correspondence to handle.” Rafe rose and started to walk out of the room, seeming to hesitate. Geoff followed his eyes, which paused at the wine glasses before leaving the room.

Strange. Why would Rafe be so concerned about the wine glasses? The first time he went to leave, he was picking them up to clear them. And now he considered taking them again. As a member of the gentry who’d grown up with servants, he doubted Rafe had ever cleared a dish in his entire life. Why would he now be so interested in cleaning up wine glasses?

Perhaps Geoff was being overly suspicious. But he was a spy, dammit. That was his job.

Geoff went to the table and dipped his pinky finger into the wine glass. He brought it to his tongue. Nothing. He dipped his finger into the other glass and tasted again. Cyanide. It was faint, but the taste was there. Geoff recognized it from his training. Wickham had forced all his agents to consume tiny amounts of the poisonous substance so their bodies would eventually become immune to it.

Rafe was trying to poison Katherine. His Katherine.

Murderous rage flowed through his veins. If Geoff walked in a few moments later, Katherine might be dead right now. She was a sip away from drinking her doom. He studied the glass and noticed the faint lip print on the rim where she pressed her mouth against it. Death was so close.

It took every bit of willpower he had not to haul Rafe back in and force him to drink the poisoned wine himself. He would relish the opportunity to watch Rafe die a slow and painful death choking on poison. Unfortunately, it wasn’t an option with Rafe being a suspect in a crime against the crown. A suspect who was looking more guilty than ever.

Geoff could throw him in prison. Lock him up for years with the poisoned bottle of wine as proof and let starvation or dysentery do the killing for him. But it was too soon. Geoff didn’t have enough to nail Rafe on treason, and if he was going to have any chance of finding Luke Dubois, he still needed him. It was only a matter of time until Rafe made a mistake in the cat and mouse game they were playing.

In the meantime, he would have to watch Katherine at all times. He could never let her be alone since he knew Rafe was trying to kill her.

But why did he want to kill her? Doubt started chewing at his mind. Katherine must know something. She was a threat to someone. Perhaps she saw or heard something in her own investigation for her brother making her realize Rafe was the traitor. He would kill her before she revealed his identity.

Or perhaps he was right before and they were in it together. Maybe Katherine helped Rafe. Maybe Luke was in on it also. Theories started forming in Geoff’s mind. Frighteningly plausible theories.

Rafe and Luke could have gathered the information from the battlefield and then sent it to Katherine in England to channel it to France through the safety of her letters to a French cousin or friend. No one would suspect a gently bred lady as a traitor. But Geoff knew better. He’d seen plenty of high society ladies do horrible things—rob, maim, even kill. Underneath their petticoats and flighty exteriors, women could be just as deadly as men.

But could Katherine be one of them? Could she have been deceiving him this whole time? It didn’t all fit yet. Why would she have asked Geoff to help her find Luke if she knew all along where he was? Why would she offer her precious innocence to him if she were one of the traitors?