Dueling With the Duke (Brotherhood of the Sword) (6 page)

“So you plan instead to—”

“Take Isabel somewhere else. Give her a new name. Let her choose her own future.”

He nodded. “That is what the money is for.”

“Yes.”

She looked vulnerable in that moment, almost fragile, but he knew better than to succumb to how things appeared with Lilith. While he believed what she said about the girl, he knew there was much more left unsaid. She was many things, but altruistic wasn’t one of them.

“How is it that you and Viscount Ellis have the resources to protect us?” she asked.

“I cannot tell you that.”

“Cannot or will not?” She looked up at him. “We will not stay. I’ll run at first chance, and then you’ll never see us again.”

“You would risk that?” he asked.

“I need to know why you think you can protect us. You owe me that much after chasing me all over London tonight.”

Ordinarily he would not answer such questions, but she had a point. They’d had to tell Evelyn Marrington, Ellis’s cousin, about the Brotherhood when she’d agreed to pose as Queen Victoria. This was a similar situation, and as long as Lilith was here with him, she couldn’t divulge said secrets to anyone else.

He sat on the sofa. “I belong to a group of men dedicated to protecting the throne. We are known as the Brotherhood of the Sword.”

Her mouth opened for a moment, then she closed it. “So you do work for the Crown.”

He nodded. “I do.”

“Both you and Viscount Ellis are part of this group?”

“And many more. We are all over the country and serve in many different capacities. Ellis and I happen to be in the most elite circle, closest to Her Majesty.” He considered telling her he’d been the only one trusted to protect Victoria while she’d been injured, but thought better of disclosing the information. He placed his hand over hers. “Lilith, believe me when I say that we can protect you and Isabel.”

Her gaze moved from his to their hands and back up. Her lips parted.

Damnation, she was beautiful.

The moment ended as Ellis reentered the room. “Lady Thornton,” he said. “I believe your charge wishes to retire for a while. Perhaps a change of clothes.” He frowned, looked back at the corridor behind him. “In truth, I’m not certain what she wishes, but she does seem rather restless.”

Lilith nodded. “I shall tend to her. Thank you.”

“There is breakfast being served in the dining room. Perhaps food would help,” Ellis said.

Gabe waited until Lilith had left the room before speaking. “They cannot be allowed to leave.”

“Already taken care of. I have all the doors being guarded,” Ellis said. “Now, what happened outside that school?”

Gabe paused, uncertain what he should share, but Ellis was, and always had been, his most trustworthy comrade. “There was a man outside the school. He’d been loitering in the alleyway and then tried to snatch the girl when we brought her outside.”

“And you believe this has something to do with Thornton’s attempt on Victoria?”

“It’s the only thing that makes sense. If Thornton was involved with a plot, then whomever he worked with is still out there,” Gabe said.

“Why would they want his niece?” Ellis asked.

“I’m not certain. Lilith doesn’t believe that she’s merely Thornton’s niece. Perhaps she knows something.”

Ellis nodded. “And whomever Thornton had been working with took his body, but why the devil would they do that?”

“It could be nothing more than a cover-up, a way to protect the people he was working with,” Gabe said.

“Which means that somewhere there’s evidence, a trail that will lead us from Thornton to whoever is behind the attempted assassination.”

“Potterfield will never approve of the investigation since we have already broken protocol,” Gabe said.

“You’ll have to do this on your own,” Ellis said.

“Abandon my oaths to the Brotherhood?”

“Yes, but remember, if you’re right, then ultimately you aren’t abandoning anything. You are, instead, steadfastly upholding them in the face of adversity.” Ellis took a deep breath. “I can cover for you for a while, but you know Potterfield.”

“He is relentless about following the rules. Normally, so am I, but I feel certain that Thornton is—was—involved in this, and I need to know to what end. Need to know with whom he worked.”

“Presumably the threat is still there.”

“While I am working this investigation, can I trust you to protect the girl?” Gabe asked.

Ellis frowned. “I am not equipped to be a nanny.”

“She’s in danger and might prove important. No one will look for her here.”

“That’s certainly true. My townhome is the last place anyone would look for a maiden,” Ellis said.

“That is true. It is why I brought her here. I know I can trust you not to be tempted by the girl’s virtue.”

“Indeed.” Ellis paused a moment. “Will you be all right? Working so closely with Lady Thornton?”

Gabe knew what the man was asking. Lilith would be a temptation for any man. But not all men had the strength he had; not all men had made the same oath he’d made. “There is a reason they call me the Priest. I shall be more than all right.”

Ellis didn’t look convinced, and if Gabe were completely honest with himself, he wasn’t totally convinced, either.

Chapter Five

Instead of going directly to the dining room after locating Isabel, Lilith found doors that led to the garden area behind Ellis’s house. “I thought some nice morning air would be just the thing,” Lilith said. They wound through the flowers to a stone bench.

Isabel glanced around. “Why do you suppose that man was after me?”

“I’m not certain.” Lilith didn’t want to tell Isabel everything, as she didn’t want the girl to worry too much. “He probably wasn’t after you specifically, but merely a vagrant looking for valuables.”

Isabel nodded, but her expression clearly showed she didn’t believe Lilith’s explanation.

“They’ll keep us safe.”

Isabel nodded. “It seems I should feel something now that Thornton is dead, but I don’t.” She looked up at Lilith with her crystalline green eyes. “That makes me a horrible person, doesn’t it?”

“Of course not. Thornton was a cruel bastard. All he ever did for you was pay for your schooling and belongings. He certainly offered you no familial love.”

“Was he even my uncle?”

So Isabel suspected something, too. There was no point in arguing with her. She placed her hand over Isabel’s and squeezed lightly. “Honestly, I’m not certain. Do you remember anything from your past, from before Thornton?” Lilith asked.

Isabel looked up as if trying to search through her memories. “I remember a cottage…by the sea, I believe, because I recall the salty air.” She shook her head. “And a woman. Perhaps she was my mother, but I only remember her voice singing a song about birds, nothing about the way she looked.”

“That’s a start.”

Isabel’s head tilted. “It’s not very helpful.”

“It’s all right. We’re together now, and we’ll figure everything out. I’ve saved money so we can have a new start somewhere. On the Continent or even the Americas. You think about where you might like to go,” Lilith said.

Isabel nodded.

Lilith stood.

“I should like to discover the truth about myself before we leave the country,” Isabel said.

That, Lilith had not been expecting, but it certainly made sense. “Of course.”

Isabel came to her feet, and resolve settled in her features. “I believe I am hungry.” She embraced Lilith. “Thank you for coming to get me.”

Tears pricked Lilith’s eyes, but she swallowed hard against them. “Of course. No matter where you truly came from, we are family.”

Isabel nodded firmly, then disappeared into the house.

Lilith inhaled deeply, allowing the rich aroma of roses to settle into her lungs. Viscount Ellis had gone to discuss something with Gabriel. More than likely it had something to do with Isabel or Thornton. Lilith needed that information. And, it would seem, she needed Gabriel’s assistance in determining Isabel’s true identity. So far he’d been interested only in getting information from her, not sharing it with her.

She’d have to change that. In the past, she’d known how to get what she wanted. On more than one occasion Thornton had forced her to flirt in order to get information for him, usually something as simple as what would give him the upper hand in a game of cards. She’d learned how to manipulate men so that they’d tell her nearly anything.

Gabriel was smart, though; he’d see through her coy glances, so she knew this would require more than mere flirtation. There was only one way to get information from him—she’d have to seduce Gabriel.

Lilith had waited through luncheon and felt certain now was the best time to approach Gabe. It was midafternoon, and after some searching, she was able to find him working on something in the library. It was a large room, floor-to-ceiling shelving holding books of all sizes and colors. Books were also stacked on the edges of shelves. It was quite evident Viscount Ellis was a book lover. She suspected Gabriel’s library would look similar. She knew he read often; he’d told her as much that first night they’d met.

“Did you need something?” Gabriel asked, not bothering to look up from his work. He was bent over a small writing table, writing in a leather-bound book the size of her hand. “I believe Ellis said you and Isabel had been given rooms on the second floor. Is everything suitable to your needs?”

It had always been simple to flirt with men, as natural as breathing or walking. Thornton had capitalized on that skill, and she’d become his secret weapon to be used whenever he’d required it. She knew how to get a man’s attention, make him feel important and desirable. She also recognized that everything seemed more complicated with Gabriel. She couldn’t just slide over to him and run her hands over his broad back. He wouldn’t be swayed by her curves and subtle glances. His seduction would need to be more calculated than that.

“I was looking for a book to read. If I am to be held captive, then I require entertainment,” she said. She moved over to one of the shelves and stared at the spines of the books. The words blurred together as she considered her next move. She ran her fingers along the worn leather books, moving from one shelf to another.

She came to the end of one shelf and discovered a telescope standing at the juncture between the two shelves. Her breath caught, and she dared to put her hand on the cool brass, then run it shamelessly across the polished mahogany. Why would someone keep such an instrument in a corner of a room, far from the windows and the night sky?

“Do you still study them?”

His voice broke her reverie as abruptly as if he’d struck her. “Beg your pardon?”

“The stars. Do you still study them?”

Her heart thundered, and her mouth went dry. She had forgotten that he knew that about her. No one knew that about her, at least not anymore. It had been years since anyone had seen her as more than just the pampered wife of a cruel man. Years since she’d thought of
herself
as more. However, Gabriel had caught her gazing at the stars the night they met. She’d thought then that they’d made a real connection. For a few brief moments out on that patio, she had dared to hope that she’d met a man capable of looking past her appearance to the person she was beneath. They had talked, flirted even, and for once she’d actually enjoyed the attention of a man. Then his brother had joined them. She had waited for Gabriel to stake some claim on her. To tell his older brother that he’d met her first. But he hadn’t. She’d been left convinced that she’d imagined the connection she’d felt. Like that telescope shoved in the corner, she was destined to live her life as an ornament and nothing more. She swiped her hand away from the telescope and turned her back on it, much as she’d done on her studies of the heavens. “Of course not. That was nothing more than the fancies of youth.”

His brow furrowed. “Did your father tell you that? Or Thornton?”

Both had, but she dared not admit it. She might use this reunion with Gabe to aid in her protecting Isabel, but she would not reveal to him any other part of her. He did not want to know the true her. In any case, he wanted to believe she was nothing more than a liar with a pretty face.

“A pity. I always found that part of you fascinating.” He leaned back over his book. “You don’t find many women bold enough to pursue higher studies.”

Or perhaps that wasn’t his only thought of her. His opinion warmed her, that she could not deny. But the truth was, his opinion was rare. Most people in the aristocracy wanted their women handsome, accomplished at running a household, willing in the bedroom, and empty of thought. She had managed three of those. Thanks to the fact that both of her parents had been beautiful, Lilith had always been able to catch a man’s eye. Whether it was her lush curves or her raven-black hair, men saw her the moment she entered a room. She’d learned early that it took little to captivate them. Only a small amount of effort was required to persuade them to do her bidding, and if she was particularly accomplished, they walked away from the experience believing the entire situation had been their idea.

Which brought her back to her current task. She knew that Viscount Ellis had brought information to Gabe. More than likely it had something to do with Thornton’s death, which might give her some indication to who was after Isabel. She could simply ask Gabe what he’d been told, but she knew that he wouldn’t be so accommodating with information. He didn’t trust her any more than she trusted him.

She crossed to him and sat on the edge of the desk where he worked and toyed with a lock of hair behind his ear. “I hadn’t realized you found any part of me fascinating,” she said.

That got his attention. He folded the book over his hand to mark his place. “Lilith, don’t play coy with me. You know you’re a beautiful woman.”

Yes, she’d been told so her entire life, but that meant people only ever saw the beauty; no one bothered to ever look beneath. “Yes, I’ve had plenty of men tell me that, but that doesn’t mean that the Priest noticed.”

His brows rose. “I hadn’t realized my moniker had reached outside of my small circle.”

“Indeed.” Of course, that had been because any time he was mentioned in conversation, she’d inquired about him. The name hadn’t made much sense to her as she’d always thought his reputation was that of a lothario. But for the moment, she’d stick with this direction, since it had caught his attention. “So the Priest has noticed?”

“A vow of celibacy is not the same as plucking one’s eyes from one’s head. Of course I noticed.”

Perhaps all the rumors of his legendary seductions had been nothing but fanciful stories. She’d be guilty of the very thing she hated about this town, believing rumors instead of bothering to look for the truth.

He had vowed to be untouched. That would most assuredly make seduction all the more difficult. She had never met a man who could resist her charms. Not to say she’d actually seduced many men. People expected her to play the part of the harlot because of the way she looked, but there had been only one man to share her bed. They hadn’t been married for very long before she’d learned that distracting Thornton with her marital duties could prevent him from abusing her or the servants. She knew how to cajole Thornton, keep him happy. But certainly men couldn’t possibly be that different when it came to pleasures of the flesh. She could do this. She needed to feign her own desire only long enough to get Gabriel interested, and then he would do the rest.

“That must be a difficult vow to keep at times.” She crossed her legs, knowing that in doing so a fair bit of her calf and ankle were revealed.

His eyes trailed the length of her leg, and then he set his book aside. He came to his feet. “Not very often.” He walked past her, then paused and said, “Though some situations are notably more difficult than others.” At the sideboard, he poured himself a drink.

He was tempted, she realized. The thought was more terrifying than satisfying. It would make the seduction easier, but the knowledge that Gabriel Campbell found her desirable was enticing, and she had to wonder who was seducing whom. She sauntered over to him and took the drink from his hand before he had taken a sip. She put the glass to her lips, lifting her eyes to his.

The heat in his gaze was enough to burn her skin. This was a dangerous game she played, she realized with alarming clarity, far different from anything she’d done with her husband. She gulped down some of the amber liquid, then set down the glass. With feigned bravery, she put one hand on his chest. “I might have walked away from my fascination with the stars, but that vow of yours, to walk away from the pleasures of the flesh… That is the true pity.”

To her surprise, he closed the distance between them, pulling her to him. His hands cradled her face, but the kiss that followed was anything but gentle. Gabe’s soft lips slanted across hers; his tongue beguiled and tormented her.

He had turned the tables on her, seducing the seductress. She leaned into him, kissing him back and reveling in the sensations his lips created. Desire, as unfamiliar as it was unmistakable, bubbled to life low in her belly and pooled outward. She slid her hands up his chest and plunged them into his hair. No sooner had she melted into his lips than he abruptly let her go.

“Enough!” Gabe said, his tone lined with intensity. “I will not have you try to manipulate me. Your feminine wiles will not work on me.”

She tried to calm her breathing, resisted the urge to reach up and touch her lips to see if they’d been forever changed by such a kiss. She turned away from him, willing herself to appear unaffected, too.

She had been a willing woman in his arms, yet he’d remained unmoved by her, something she hadn’t ever experienced. Since she’d been a small child, she’d been able to get what she wanted simply by batting her eyes and smiling. Of course, none of that had worked on her family when it came time to her pursuing her dreams. No, she’d been forced to marry a cruel man who’d proceeded to parade her around London as if she were nothing more than a pretty brooch.

“What is it that you want, Lilith?” he asked.

“What do you mean?”

“You wouldn’t try to seduce me simply because you desire me. You’re after something. What is it?”

Why was she so transparent when it came to him?

She shuddered. She should run, grab Isabel, and get the hell out of there. But it was that thought of Isabel that kept Lilith’s feet planted firmly to the library floor. She needed protection, and a level of protection that Lilith simply couldn’t provide. It was time to ask for help, something she was loath to do, but desperate means called for desperate measures. “Can we strike a bargain? A truce, perhaps?”

He leaned against the sideboard, his long legs perfectly encased in his black trousers. He wiped his spectacles on his shirtsleeve, then nodded toward her. “Go on.”

Gracious, had he always been this handsome? She frowned. “You obviously need me, or think you do, for something involving Thornton,” she said. “Perhaps you have resources that would assist me. We could trust each other, for this brief amount of time, to get what we need. Then we move on,” she said.

He shoved off the sideboard. “Will you give me access to Thornton’s belongings so I can proceed with this investigation?”

She nodded. “I will.”

“And in return?”