Conspiring with a Rogue (30 page)

“
Yes, I know. I mean who are you tonight? Who are you dressed as?”

“
Myself. I don’t like disguises.” She could hardly believe she could mutter such a lie with a straight face.

Saint Augustine gave a slight nod. “I hate disguises too, but Saint Lucifer insisted.”

The man had practically handed her the perfect opportunity to illicit some information. She rested her hand on his arm. “Do you always do as Saint Lucifer tells you to?”

“
No.” Saint Augustine shrugged. “He likes to think of himself as a puppet master and the rest of us as his puppets.” Saint Augustine’s brow drew together in a deep furrow. “I’m no puppet.”

“
No, of course not,” Whitney soothed. “You’re a virile man in your own right.”

Saint Augustine flashed a smile. “I am. I’m just as important as Saint Lucifer. We’re partners. A fact he conveniently likes to ignore.”

“
How brutish of him,” she said, hoping her excitement did not resound in her tone. “What sort of partners are the two of you?”

Saint Augustine’s dark, brooding gaze met hers. “I shouldn’t say.”

She grasped his hand and squeezed. “Then don’t. I’d hate for you to anger Saint Lucifer.”

“
I’m not afraid of him.”

“
Of course not,” Whitney agreed, but fear flashed in Saint Augustine’s gaze. “Still, you should say nothing that will bring his anger upon you.”

The man snorted. “We’re shipping partners. He needs me, just as much as he needs the bank that loaned him the money to buy the blasted ships.” Saint Augustine’s lips twisted into a sneer. “I can’t figure how he managed to acquire the loan, but he did.”

Whitney’s thoughts raced. What bank would have loaned a man with no collateral money? She couldn’t think of an institution that would take a risk like that. Before she could contemplate the matter further, Saint Augustine took her elbow and drew her closer.

“
Like father, like son, if you take my meaning?”

The strong smell of whiskey flowed over her face. The man was drunk. She’d not recognized his inebriated state until now, but she was glad of it. Men in their cups always had loose tongues. “I’m afraid I don’t take your meaning,” she replied, hoping he would elaborate further.

The man’s gaze darted around the room quickly, then back to her. “His father controls him with a very tight string. If Cad, I mean Saint Lucifer, doesn’t do as told, then no money.
Saint Lucifer
likes to use other things to control people.”

“
Such as?”

“
This and that. Sometimes it’s easier to go along with him and sometimes it’s beneficial. Between you and me, of course.”

“
Of course.”

A smile tugged at the right side of his mouth. “I’d very much like it if we could be friends.”

“
I’d like that too.”
Time to play coy
. “Do you think Saint Lucifer will allow that?”

“
He doesn’t need to know.”

“
Mmm.” She leaned forward a bit more until her breasts brushed up against his arms. Victory shone in his eyes and her skin tingled into nervous awareness. She was playing a dangerous game. It had better be worth it. “Secret friends,” she murmured. “I like the thought.”

A glass shattered near the window, drawing her attention to the corner. She knew before she found him that it was Drake. She could practically feel the heat of his anger enveloping her. He didn’t like her charade, but what did he expect? She gave a quick shake of her head to him and clucked her tongue for Saint Augustine’s benefit. “That man’s got clumsy hands.” She locked gazes with Saint Augustine. “Take it from me.”

“
I suppose you would know.”

“
I would. And you? Do you have clumsy hands?”

A quick grin spread across his face. “I’ve been told they’re quite agile.”

“
I wonder if I’ll get the chance to find out.”

“
If you want the chance, it’s yours.”

“
I’m not sure Saint Lucifer will give me up tonight.” Her heart pumped viciously in her at the raw lust that sprang into Saint Augustine’s eyes. They went instantly from a shade of light blue to a smoky gray. Drake was watching her. She firmly believed she had nothing to fear, yet her act left her nerves humming like the string of a freshly plucked violin.

Eliciting the desire of a man she had no intention of ever allowing to touch her was like playing with fire. Men could be cruel when provoked by lust. Her sister’s betrothed had taught her that with his vicious treatment of her sister, and so far Saint Augustine had not proven himself as any sort of saintly man.

Saint Augustine shook his head. “You’re right about tonight. He’ll not let you out of his sight once he’s had you. And, Jezebel, just so you know what you’re getting into, Lucifer never gives up any woman he considers his.”

It sounded like a death sentence to her. She stepped back, and another person brushed her arm. Instinct told her it was Drake, but she looked anyway, blinking in surprise at the sight of him so near. Her gaze strayed beyond him, and she stared in shock to see Sin and Audrey strolling arm in arm, seemingly lost in conversation to anyone who may be observing them.

She could only imagine how Audrey managed to convince Sin to bring her here. Though she wished dearly Audrey had not become this involved, she was glad to have one more person here who was watching out for her and trying to help find Lillian. “Well,” she said brightly, bestowing a large smile on Saint Augustine, “I suppose he just won’t
have
me then. I’ll tell him when he returns that I prefer you.”

Saint Augustine’s hands rose as if to quiet her. “Are you mad? The last wench who denied him ended up in a brothel. I’m quite sure she now wishes she had taken Cadogan as a lover when he offered.”

Stunned, Whitney searched for a question that might lead to the answers she sought. “A brothel? Are you sure?”

“
Quite. I saw the miserable redheaded wench with my own eyes.”

Lillian had red hair. Whitney tried to force a calm she did not feel. “You do not care for the woman?”

Saint Augustine shook his head. “You misunderstand me. She’s quite nice. I mean she’s miserable with her circumstances. But those won’t be changing no matter what she does.”

“
Dear God,” Whitney blurted. “All because she denied Lord Cadogan?”

“
Now do you see my point?”

Whitney nodded, but she was not worried for herself. Lillian occupied all her worry. “This demirep―”

“
She’s no demirep,” Saint Augustine interrupted. “But I’ve said too much as it is.”

She would have protested, tried to learn more, but she could see Lord Cadogan approaching them from across the room. With his black hair and black clothes, he looked like the devil, and now she knew he was evil. All Lord Cadogan was missing was horns.

Poor Lillian. Whitney held little doubt Lord Cadogan had seduced her friend. Whether for the bet that he could, or to distract Lillian’s father, or a combination of both, it mattered little now. Lillian’s ability to make a good marriage would be next to impossible if her innocence had been stolen. And what of her heart? Had Lillian lost her heart to Lord Cadogan? Had her friend been duped and then betrayed?

Whitney fixed a smiling gaze on Lord Cadogan. She had to get him alone and find out exactly where the bastard was keeping Lillian. “What took you so long, my lord?” she asked, extending her hands toward him.

He tucked a carafe of wine under his arm and grasped both of her hands to draw her to him. His mouth came down on hers in a savage kiss that left her gasping for air when he released her. She would have clobbered the devil, but that would not get her what she wanted.

She quickly scanned the room for Drake. She located him in seconds, his face twisted with such rage she feared he would never let her quit the room with Lord Cadogan. Just then, a group of chattering guests moved in front of Drake, and Whitney grabbed Lord Cadogan by the arm. She had to escape the room before the opportunity was gone.

She pressed her mouth to his ear. “Let’s not waste another minute. Take me to your bedchambers.”

Lord Cadogan winked at Saint Augustine, who stood with his mouth hanging open. Undoubtedly, her abrupt decision had surprised Saint Augustine. “I knew you were exactly the kind of woman who would suit me when I saw you.”

“
Yes, yes,” she murmured, one eye on Lord Cadogan and the other focused on the crowd. They were beginning to part and soon her chance would be gone. She pulled on Lord Cadogan’s arm.

“
All right, Kitten.”

She would never garner a tingle of pleasure from the endearment again. Pushing the thought away, she quickly followed Lord Cadogan toward the hallway. As they reached the staircase, panic seized her. What was she doing? What if Drake did not find her in time and she was Lord Cadogan’s next victim? With Lord Cadogan ahead of her, she pulled the green scarf that was tied around her waist quickly off. She dropped it behind her and hoped Drake would find it, and that it would be enough of a clue to send him up the stairs to look for her.

“
Here we are,” Lord Cadogan said as he swung the door to his bedchamber open.

Whitney’s shoes felt as if they had lead soles, but she forced herself to walk forward into the room. A shiver of apprehension took hold of her. There were only two pieces of furniture in the bedchamber: a settee and a large canopied bed. The pristine whiteness of the settee and the bed’s coverlet and pillows glistened under the moonlight that shone from a large, ornate window.
How funny
. Did Lord Cadogan think all this whiteness could somehow wash away his sins?

Whitney stumbled in her haste to sit on the settee and avoid the bed, but before her bottom touched the white cushion, Lord Cadogan’s fingers curled around her arm and he pulled her upright.

“
I prefer the bed for what I plan to do to you.” He pulled her toward the very place he had probably stolen Lillian’s innocence.

Whitney’s mind flew through a dozen protests, but Jezebel would never utter any of them. Jezebel would be jealous, though. All women were jealous. She tugged her hand out of his. “Are these sheets clean?”

“
What?” He gave a disbelieving laugh as he rounded on her.

She sighed audibly. “Clean, Saint Lucifer. As in new.”

“
Hmm.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I couldn’t say if the sheets are new, but I’m positive they’re clean. My maid is excellent.”

Whitney shook her head, her palms growing moist with her deception. “That won’t do.” She cleared her throat to cover the trembling of her voice. “I refuse to lay with you where another woman already has.”

“
Oh, come now, Kitten. You’ve no cause for concern. I don’t usually bring women in here to my private domain. Besides, the last woman in this room was never in my bed.”

“
I don’t believe you.” She stuck her lips out in a pretend pout. “What woman could possibly resist you?”

Lord Cadogan grabbed her around her waist and pulled her toward him. “A tart-tongued, redheaded wench who was no doubt raised to believe sex is sinful.”

“
Preposterous,” she managed to choke out over the string of vile curses she wanted to scream at him. He had to be speaking of Lillian. “Exactly where is this paragon of virtue now? Do you visit her nightly to deliver lessons of pleasure?”

Lord Cadogan pushed Whitney onto the bed. She hit the hard mattress with a thump, but managed to right herself enough to scramble backward until she was sitting up. She pulled her knees to her chest. If she had to fight Lord Cadogan off, she wanted to be prepared. One good kick in his groin could buy her enough time to get off the bed and out the door.