Deception (41 page)

“Take your hands off my wife.” Jared’s voice was as cold as the steel blade of the Guardian. “Or I will very likely kill you here and now, Seaton, rather than at a more convenient time.”

“Chillhurst.”
Gifford released Olympia and swung around to confront Jared.

“Jared, you decided to attend the ball, after all,” Olympia said. “I am so glad.”

Jared ignored her. “I warned you to stay away from my wife, Seaton,” he said very softly.

“You bloody bastard.” Gifford’s voice was laced with disgust. “So you finally decided to put in an appearance tonight. Everyone wondered if you would bother. I trust you realize that your poor wife has been thoroughly humiliated by your absence?”

“Nonsense,” Olympia said briskly. “I was not in the least embarrassed.”

Neither man paid any attention to her. Jared regarded Gifford with an expression of cold boredom. But Olympia saw the dangerous gleam in his eye.

“I shall deal with you later, Seaton.” Jared took Olympia’s arm.

“I shall look forward to it.” Gifford inclined his head in a mocking little bow. “But we both know that you will never find a convenient time in your appointment journal to meet me, will you? You certainly could not find one the last time.”

Olympia was well aware that Jared’s temper was on a very short leash. “Mr. Seaton, hush. Pray, do not say another word, I beg you. My husband is very slow to anger, but I fear that you are pushing him to the very brink of his control.”

Gifford’s expression turned scornful. “You need not concern yourself on my account, Lady Chillhurst. There is no danger of a duel. Your husband does not believe in taking such risks in the name of honor, do you, Chillhurst?”

Olympia began to panic. “Mr. Seaton, you do not know what you are doing.”

“I think he knows very well what he is doing,” Jared said. “Come, my dear. I grow weary of the conversation.” He took Olympia’s arm and started walking back toward the ballroom.

“Yes, of course.” Olympia was so relieved that no challenge had been issued that she picked up her emerald skirts and almost broke into a run.

Jared glanced down at her, amused. “Are you in such a hurry to dance with me, then, madam? I am honored.”

“Oh, Jared, I thought for a moment there that you would allow Mr. Seaton to goad you into a stupid duel.” Olympia smiled tremulously. “I was very concerned.”

“You need not be concerned, my dear.”

“Thank heavens. I must say, I never cease to be amazed at the degree of restraint you are able to exert over your darker passions, sir. It is most impressive.”

“Thank you. I make every effort. Most of the time.”

She gave him an apologetic glance. “I was afraid you would be deeply offended by some of the nonsense Mr. Seaton was spouting.”

“May I inquire what you were doing out in the gardens with him?”

“Heavens, I almost forgot.” The excitement Olympia had experienced earlier returned. “I went out there because Mr. Seaton wished to speak privately with me.”

“So I concluded.” Jared drew her to a halt just outside the glittering ballroom. “A great many other people here tonight apparently came to the same conclusion. There was certainly no shortage of whispers as I walked into the room.”

“Oh, dear.”

“Perhaps you will enlighten me as to the nature of this very private conversation?”

“Yes, of course.” Olympia was almost bubbling now. “Jared, you will never credit what I have discovered. Gifford Seaton and his sister are the direct descendents of Captain Edward Yorke. They have possession of the other half of the treasure map.”

“Good lord.” Whatever Jared had been expecting to hear, that was obviously not it. He stared at her, astounded. “Are you certain?”

“Absolutely certain.” Olympia smiled proudly. “I began to suspect the truth after I heard a brief history of his family and after I learned that Mr. Seaton was as interested in maps of the West Indies as I was. Then I chanced to see his watch and recognized the motif of the design on it.”

“What motif is that?”

“It is a picture of a sea serpent.” Olympia could not keep the triumph from her voice. “The same sort of sea serpent that is pictured on the prow of the ship on one of the endpapers of the Lightbourne diary.”

“The emblem of Yorke’s ship?”

“Precisely. Tonight I confronted him with my information and he admitted that he was, indeed, Yorke’s great-grandson. That is what we were discussing out in the gardens.”

“Bloody hell.”

“He and Demetria are dependents of Yorke’s daughter and that is why they do not bear Yorke’s name.”

Jared looked thoughtful. “So someone really was after the map all along.”

“Yes.” Olympia touched his arm. “Please do not be offended, Jared, but I must tell you that the reason Demetria arranged to meet you three years ago was so that her brother could search for the missing portion of the map.”

“She persuaded Hartwell to introduce her to me solely so that idiot brother of hers could look for a legendary treasure map?” Jared sounded thoroughly disgusted.

“I’m certain Mr. Hartwell did not know her true intentions,” Olympia said quickly.

“Then again, perhaps he did and thought to use the knowledge in some manner in the future,” Jared said. “Perhaps he was as taken with her beauty as every other man generally is. But that is neither here nor there now.”

“Quite right,” Olympia agreed quickly. She did not want Jared to dwell too long on thoughts of Demetria’s beauty. “It is all in the past, my lord.”

Jared surveyed her from head to toe. “I regret I was not able to escort you here tonight, my dear.”

Olympia warmed beneath the admiration she saw in his gaze. “Do not concern yourself, Jared. I know you received an urgent message. Graves told me about it.”

“The message was that Hartwell was still in London.”

Olympia was shocked. “You went out to find him tonight?”

“Yes. I went to his former premises because I had been told he might be there. But he was not around and there was no sign that he had returned. I am convinced
that the information that I received in the note was incorrect.”

“Thank goodness.” Olympia relaxed. “I am very glad to hear that. I hope that wretched man will stay out of England forever.”

“So do I.” Jared took her hand and led her toward the French doors. “Now that I am here at long last, I trust you will favor me with a waltz, my dear?”

Olympia heaved a sigh of regret. “I only wish that I could. I am very sorry, Jared, but I do not know how to dance the waltz.”

“Ah, but I do.”

“You do?”

“I took the trouble to learn three years ago when I realized that I was going to have to court a wife. I have never made use of the skill, but I do not believe that I have completely forgotten it.”

“I see.” He had learned the skill in order to court Demetria, Olympia thought dourly. “I wish that I could partner you. The waltz appears to be a very exciting dance.”

“We shall find out together just how exciting it is.” Jared drew her through the curious crowd and led her out onto the dance floor.

Olympia was nearly overcome with anxiety. “Jared, please, I do not wish to embarrass you.”

“You could never embarrass me, Olympia.” He fitted his hand to the small of her back. “Now, pay attention and follow my instructions. I am a tutor, after all.”

“Quite true.” Olympia smiled slowly as the music swirled around her. “You do have a rare talent for instruction, Mr. Chillhurst.”

The message from Demetria reached Olympia the following morning just as she was preparing to go back to work on the Lightbourne diary.

A cold chill swept through Olympia. She leaped to her feet and ran to the door.

“Are you certain of this information?” Olympia asked. She sat tensely on the blue and gilt sofa, shocked by what Demetria had just told her. Shocked, but not terribly surprised.

“I have many sources of rumors. I have checked and double-checked all of them.” Anguish and fear haunted Demetria’s beautiful eyes. “There can be no doubt. Chillhurst has engaged to meet my brother in a duel.”

“Dear heaven,” Olympia whispered. “I was afraid of this.”

“You have no cause to be afraid, damn you.” Demetria whirled away from the window where she had been gazing
out into the garden. “I am the one who is terrified. Your husband means to kill my brother.”

“Demetria, calm yourself.” Constance poured tea from a silver pot and helped herself to sugar. It was obvious she was as much at home in Demetria’s drawing room as she would have been in her own. “There is nothing to be gained from panic.”

“That is easy for you to say, Constance. It is not your brother who is about to die.”

“I am aware of that.” Constance glanced meaningfully at Olympia. “But all is not yet lost. I believe Lady Chillhurst is as alarmed by the situation as you are. She will want to help us.”

“If what you say is true, then we must find a way to stop the duel,” Olympia said. She rallied herself and tried to think in a logical fashion.

“How can we stop it?” Demetria fluttered restlessly from one window to another, a wild, exotic bird trapped in a luxurious cage. “I was not able to establish the day or the place or even the time of the affair. Such things are kept closely guarded secrets by those involved.”

“I may be able to discover those particulars.” Olympia got to her feet and began to pace the other side of the room. Her brain was reeling with the implications of what she had just heard.

Jared was about to risk his life in a duel.
And it was all her fault
.

“You think you can discover the date, time, and place of the duel when I, with all my sources, have failed?” Demetria demanded.

“It should not be difficult,” Olympia said soothingly. “My husband is a man of very precise habits.”

“Yes, he is, is he not?” Demetria snapped. “Rather like one of those clockwork toys in Winslow’s Mechanical Museum.”

“That is not true,” Olympia said coldly. “But he believes in the value of a well-planned day. If he has made a dawn appointment I suspect it will be noted in his appointment journal along with all the rest of his engagements.”

“Good God.” Constance’s eyes widened. “She’s quite right, Demetria. We all know that Chillhurst is a great believer in habit and routine. It would be just like him to write down the particulars of the duel.”

Demetria looked at Olympia. “Can you find a way to inspect his appointment journal?”

“Very likely. But that is not the chief obstacle we face.” Olympia concentrated fiercely. “The real problem is finding a way to halt the duel.”

“I suppose that we could notify the authorities,” Constance said slowly. “Dueling is illegal, after all. But such an action might result in the arrest of Gifford and Chillhurst. At the very least it would cause an enormous scandal.”

“Dear God,” Demetria breathed. “Beaumont would be furious if there is a scandal of that proportion in the family. He would very likely cut Gifford off without a penny.”

Olympia drummed her fingers on the arm of the sofa. “And Chillhurst will certainly not thank me if I get him arrested. We must think of another way to stop this nonsense. Have you tried to talk Gifford out of the affair?”

“Of course I have tried.” The skirts of Demetria’s blue and white morning gown swished furiously as she strode to another window. “He will not even admit that he has planned a duel, let alone listen to me when I tell him that Chillhurst will very likely put a bullet in his heart.”

“My husband will certainly not deliberately attempt to kill your brother,” Olympia said brusquely. “He will
only try to defend himself. I am far more concerned that your brother will kill Chillhurst.”

“My brother is no match for your husband,” Demetria whispered. “I am told that victory on the duelling field generally goes to the man who possesses the coolest head and the steadiest hand. It is cold blood, not hot, that wins out. And Chillhurst is nothing if not coldblooded.”

“That is untrue,” Olympia said tightly.

“I know Chillhurst well and I assure you he would not break into a sweat were he to dine in hell with the devil himself,” Demetria flung back. “But Gifford will not see that. He is actually looking forward to the event.” She closed her eyes briefly. “He says he wants a chance to avenge my honor. He has never forgiven Chillhurst for what happened three years ago.”

Olympia exhaled deeply. “Your brother is a very emotional man. As is everyone else involved in this blasted affair.”

“In addition to avenging my honor,” Demetria went on grimly, “I believe he feels he will be doing you a very great favor if he lodges a bullet in your husband, madam.”

“Your brother’s emotions tend to rule his head, do they not?” Olympia shot Demetria a considering look. “A family trait, no doubt.”

Demetria gave her a sharp glance. “Gifford told me that you know that he and I are Edward Yorke’s greatgrandchildren.”