Stolen Kisses (29 page)

“Don’t act so surprised,” William murmured. “She was in tears, begging me to go find you and tell you she wanted to see you. Correction—she
needed
to see you.”

Jack stood. If Dolph had done something to her, there were going to be two dead Remdales. “Where is she?”

“Not so fast, Dansbury,” her brother returned, unmoving.

That didn’t bode well. Slowly Jack retook his seat. “Yes?”

“Why did you take up with me?”

“What sort of question is that?” Jack said, lifting an eyebrow. “And hardly the time for it, don’t you think?”

“I’d heard about you, you know,” William continued, undaunted, “and I didn’t expect you’d want anything to do with a simpleton like me. After seeing Lilith earlier, though, I’m beginning to suspect why you allowed me to tag along. I’d just like to hear you say it.”

Jack looked at his companion. “I’ll admit,” he said after a moment, “initially I considered that befriending you would get me your sister’s attention.”

William’s jaw twitched. “I see.”

It annoyed Jack to realize that hurting the boy’s feelings bothered him. He was becoming so sentimental he hardly recognized himself. “It took me a very short time to realize that I’d made an error in my initial perception of your sister, and that in addition, she rather detested me.”

“At the least.” William glanced about the room again, noting the distance between their party and the rest of the club’s patrons. “So why didn’t you cut me, after you realized your plan wasn’t going to work?”

“Because—and at the moment to my surprise—I like you,” Jack said flatly.

“I heard Price calling me your whipping boy the other day.”

“You’re no fool, William. Initially I may have thought so, but I was mistaken.”

“But—”

“William, I’m likely about to be arrested for killing the Duke of Wenford, and your sister is in tears and asking to see me. We don’t have time for this.”

“Yes, we do. You know how important this Season is to Lil. So now that you apparently have her ‘attention,’ what do you plan to do with it? For God’s sake, Jack, she’s to be married. And she’s not used to your type, or to your games. You could hurt her very badly.”

“I wouldn’t hurt Lilith,” Jack returned indignantly. “And as for her being betrothed, you might have taken her part and told your father how much she hates Dolph Remdale before such a damned stupid thing could happen.”

Her brother blinked. “I know she thinks Wenford’s a dull pot, but she doesn’t hate him.”

“She hates him,” Jack repeated. “And I intend to get her out of it.” By any means necessary.

For a moment William looked at him. “And then what?”

Jack gritted his teeth irritably. “I have no idea. If you attempt to delay me any further, though, you won’t be alive to find out. So may we go?”

Finally William nodded and stood. “You can’t call on her at home. Where do you wish to meet her?”

Jack pulled out his pocket watch. It was well into the afternoon, a little late for shopping, but not unfashionably so. “I’ll meet her on Bond Street, by Brook, in forty minutes.”

William likewise glanced at the watch. “All right.” Jack started to leave, but William put a hand out and stopped him. “Jack, I’m trusting that you won’t pull her into more trouble.”

“I won’t,” he promised, though he wasn’t certain whether he was trying to convince William or himself. “I’m trying to pull myself out.”

William gave a slight smile as he lowered his hand. “If it matters, I thought from the beginning that you were the right one for her. You’re the only man she’s encountered who actually makes her forget what she’s supposed to be doing for everyone else.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Jack said dryly.

He made his way to the appropriate corner of Bond Street and hid Benedick so Lilith’s aunt wouldn’t see him. It would be difficult to get Lil away from her escort, especially when he couldn’t show himself first, but short of starting a fire or a stampede, he had very few ideas. Jack looked up the street, then smiled. Speaking to Penelope Sanford was almost as risky as seeing Lilith, but at least the accompanying innuendo was absent. And Miss Sanford had helped them before.

Arranging to collide with her wasn’t difficult, given the crowded streets. She dropped one of her packages
as he bumped into her, and with an apology he bent and retrieved it for her. “Beg pardon.” He smiled, handing it back.

She blushed. “Quite all right, my lord,” she returned, glancing at her mother.

“I need to pay more attention to where I’m going,” he continued, then leaned closer on the pretext of helping her rearrange the bundles in her arms. “Lil will be here in a few minutes,” he murmured. “I need to see her, over in the alley off Brook Street. Can you get her over there?”

She looked at him for a moment, then licked her lips and nodded. “She won’t get in trouble?” she whispered.

He gave his head a slight shake. “She asked to see me.”

“All right.”

With a polite nod to Lady Sanford, Jack strolled down the street. Penelope and her mother disappeared into a shop on the corner, and Jack immediately turned and made his way back to his post at the entrance to the alley. With a slight scowl he checked his pocket watch again. Ten more minutes. He found himself pacing, and sternly planted his feet by the wall. Nervous and worried, he spent the time wondering what had happened to make her need to see him as soon as she returned from her picnic. She might have news about Dolph’s guilt, but he thought she would have been more subtle in getting the information to him if that were the case.

He stood about kicking his heels, fretting like an old woman and wondering if he would have to storm Benton House to see her after all, until finally the Hamble coach appeared. Jack ducked back into the narrow alley to wait, trying not to feel like the skulking criminal he was doing a sterling impression of.

She appeared sooner than he expected, resisting as a
giggling Miss Sanford led her down the street and into the alley’s entrance. “Pen, stop it,” she was whispering. “I have to meet…” She saw Jack and stopped. “Jack,” she muttered, her tense expression easing, and rushed forward.

Jack opened his arms and pulled her into a tight embrace. “Are you all right?” he murmured into her hair.

“I am now,” she returned shakily, her shoulders heaving as she began to cry.

“I’ll be right around the corner,” Penelope said, and with a last, compassionate look for the two of them, vanished.

“I like your friend,” Jack offered, looking after her.

Lilith raised her tear-stained face. “She knew?”

“I ran across her, and asked her to lead you over here.” He held her gaze. “What happened?”

“Oh, I suppose it’s silly, but…I just needed to see you,” she said, her arms still wrapped tightly about his waist.

“It’s not silly,” he stated. “And you don’t panic. What happened?”

“He did it,” she stated. “I know he did it, and he threatened me about it, but I still can’t prove anything.”

She tried to duck her head into his shoulder, but he shifted his grip to hold her away. “What do you mean, he threatened you?”

Lilith looked at him, then shook her head. “I don’t want to tell you.”

Now he was worried. It was serious, and she had not kept secrets from him before. “Lil, you wanted to see me. Please tell me why.”

She sighed shakily. “It’s just that—well, you warned me that he abused his female staff, but I never expected—” Lilith stopped, her face flushing, and roughly moved his hand aside so she could rest her cheek against
his shoulder. “I never expected,” she repeated.

“
He hit you?
” Sudden black fury coursed through Jack.

“He slapped me,” she admitted.

“I’ll kill him for that.”

“No, you won’t, Dansbury, because then no one will believe you didn’t kill his uncle, too.”

Her tone was matter-of-fact, and a slight smile touched Jack’s face. She was still more concerned for him than for herself. “Probably not. But no one believes me, anyway.”

“I do.”

He kissed her. “I know.”

“It really didn’t hurt, anyway, but it surprised me. But that’s how I knew for certain that he killed his uncle. The look on his face was frightening.” She looked up at him again, tears welling in her eyes. “But how can we prove it, Jack?”

For a moment, the marquis rested his cheek against Lilith’s hair and allowed himself to consider just how slim his chances of escaping Wenford’s trap were. “I don’t know.” He took a slow breath, trying to contain his anger. “I should never have let you go off with him.”

“I wanted to help,” she protested. “I still want to help. And I’m supposed to marry him, remember?”

He gave a bitter laugh. “How can I forget?” Jack tightened his arms around her shoulders. “We could just run away, you know, you and I. Spain, or Italy. You would like Venice,
ma chère
.”

For a long moment she was silent, her breath warm on his shoulder. Finally Lilith took a step back and lifted her hands to cup the sides of his face. “Is leaving England the only way to save you?” she asked.

Jack met her gaze. She would go with him—and part
of him was elated. At the same time, he knew he couldn’t do that to her, couldn’t hurt her by making her desert her family as her mother had done. “No,” he answered slowly, rocking her in his arms. “It’s not. Tomorrow, Lil, I want you to go see Alison. Stay with her, until Richard or I tell you otherwise.”

“And what will you be doing?”

He gave a grim smile. “Hunting.”

“A
unt Eugenia, please?”

Lilith watched her aunt out of the corner of her eye, saw her frown, and tried to keep the pleasant expression on her own face. She had expected her task to be a difficult one, but even though Lilith had been pestering since breakfast, Aunt Eugenia was showing no sign of weakening.

“I have accepted an invitation for tea with Lady Neuland. One does not cancel an invitation to chat with Lady Neuland,” Eugenia said.

“But I have accepted an invitation for tea with Lady Hutton.”
And I promised Jack I would spend the day with his sister
.

“She is only a baron’s wife,” Eugenia sniffed. “Lady Neuland is a marchioness. Don’t be ridiculous.”

This was not going well. “Papa?” Lilith appealed in desperation.

Lord Hamble looked up from his perusal of the morning newspaper. His irritated expression did little to boost her confidence. “Your aunt is correct, Lilith. You’re to be a duchess. Don’t waste your time with inferior relations of unacceptable persons.”

“That is not fair!” Lilith burst out, frustrated beyond bearing and angry at the jibe sent at Jack.

Her father looked up from his paper again, then folded it and set it aside. “Beg pardon?”

Lilith recognized the tone. She’d heard it every time she displeased him with her behavior over the past six years. “I’m only asking a small thing, Papa,” she said, in as calm and reasonable a voice as she could muster. “I want to spend the morning with a friend. Is that so terrible?”

“It is if you have no one to escort you. Which you don’t,” Aunt Eugenia broke in.

The morning room door opened, and William stepped abruptly into the room. Looking sheepish, he cleared his throat and walked over to drop onto the couch beside his sister. “I was thinking of going over to see Richard Hutton this morning,” he said brightly. “You know Lady Hutton, don’t you, Lil?”

He had been listening through the door, obviously. Lilith wanted to kiss him. “Yes, I do. As a matter of fact, I was planning on going to see her this morning. Would you mind escorting me?”

He grinned. “Not a bit.”

“What’s going on?” the viscount said, scowling at the two of them.

William shrugged. “All right, so I overheard you a moment ago. Lil deserves a little fun before you leg-shackle her to that big oaf Wenford, and I’ve no objection to being her escort if our aunt has a previous engagement.”

“Oh.
You’ve
no objection,” Lord Hamble retorted caustically.

“What is your objection then, Papa?” Lilith asked carefully, trying to keep her anger and frustration in check. It was painful to realize how little he truly did
care for her, after she’d spent every waking moment of the last six years trying to please him. “I have nothing else scheduled for this morning, and I did give my word.”

“You shouldn’t have done so without getting our approval first,” Aunt Eugenia pointed out unhelpfully.

Unexpectedly, her father waved a hand at his sister. “Let her go, Eugenia,” he said. “I don’t want her storming off in another selfish fit.” He lifted his paper again and resumed reading.

Lilith quickly stood, unwilling to give anyone time to change their minds. “Thank you, Papa,” she said, and quickly left with William.

Her brother caught hold of her arm as she shut the door behind them. “Where’s Jack this morning?” His expression and his tone were serious, and another jolt of worry ran through Lilith.

“He was going to find Wenford. I think he knows the only way he’ll be able to prove his innocence is if he gets a confession.”

He looked at her for a moment, then nodded. “Do you love him?” he asked quietly.

“With all my heart,” she answered.

“Then get your wrap, and I’ll take you to the Huttons’. I won’t be staying, though.”

“Where are you going?”

“To find Jack.”

Lilith hesitated. “Why, if you don’t mind my asking?”

“I owe him some assistance. Don’t ask, but I have my reasons.”

“All right. And thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I happen to think we’re all doomed.”

Jack Faraday ducked behind an ice cart and swore. Tracking someone in Paris, where he had been unknown, had been difficult enough. The infamous Marquis of Dansbury following the Duke of Wenford through Mayfair without arousing suspicion, though, was a near impossibility.

He wasn’t certain confronting Dolph would work, anyway. As Richard had said, all the blasted duke needed to do was keep his silence, and he had won. And not only did Jack need him to confess, the marquis needed him to do it in front of witnesses. In private, it would be as useless as the near-confession Lil had heard. Dolph had known that, had known that Lilith wouldn’t be able to pass on anything she discovered, but Jack was encouraged by the fact that the duke hadn’t bothered disguising his animosities and motivations. Hopefully his confidence and arrogance would make him careless.

As plans went, he considered confronting Dolph a poor one, for it left him little room for subtlety or for error. And with Lilith’s reputation and well-being at stake, he had to tread more carefully than he was used to. Jack counted to ten, then stepped around the cart and up the street. Dolph had made his way into Stanton’s, and was no doubt exercising his newly substantial purse in the purchase of the most expensive cigars in London. Jack tilted his hat lower over his eyes and settled back against the bakery wall to wait. It was cold again today, and he was grateful for his heavy, dark greatcoat. In addition to the warmth, it provided a convenient hiding place for the brace of pistols resting in its deep pockets.

“Dansbury.”

Jack turned quickly. “Price,” he acknowledged, relaxing a fraction. “I thought you’d gone to visit your brother in Sussex. Or was it your sister in Devonshire?”

“Don’t expect me to apologize,” Price countered,
stopping before him. “Your ship is sinking, my friend. I’m merely an insightful rat.”

“That saves me the trouble of calling you names, anyway,” Jack said, glancing toward the tobacco shop. “So what brings you here now?” Price was in his evening clothes, and obviously hadn’t been home since last night. That wasn’t unusual, except by this time of the morning he should have been looking for a bed, rather than traipsing about the shopping district of Mayfair.

“Actually, I was looking for you. I happened to breakfast with Landon this morning, at Boodle’s. A pair of Bow Street Runners came in, if you can believe their gall, and ended up at my table, asking me if I happened to know where you were.”

For a moment Jack was silent. “And you said?” he finally prompted.

“I told them you’d sailed to China on Tuesday. I don’t believe, however, that they were convinced.”

“Thank you.” If Bow Street was after him, it was either for questioning, or there was a warrant out for his arrest. In either case, he had more individuals to hide from than Dolph Remdale, and if he couldn’t end this today, he would end up jailed in Old Bailey.

“If you’ve any sense, you
will
make for the Orient, Jack, posthaste. Face it, my friend, you lost this one. And playing as deep as you do, you lost everything.”

Amused despite the fact that Price was likely correct, Jack grinned and clapped his friend on the shoulder. “Your degree of faith in me is truly astounding, my dear. But don’t try to collect your wager yet. I’m not finished.”

Price looked at him. “You don’t need to put on a front for me, Jack. Just get out of London, before you get arrested.”

“I can’t do that.” Jack hesitated, trying to decide how
much he could tell Price. Thus far his friend had shown himself to be loyal—more loyal than he’d expected, in fact—but it wasn’t just his own freedom, or his own reputation, at stake here. “Perhaps you’d best make yourself scarce for a day or so. Not as far as China, but Sussex might be wise.”

“What do you think to accomplish?” Price persisted, searching his gaze.

Jack could see in his companion’s face the speculation about whether he had actually killed old Wenford or not. At least he still wasn’t certain, which set him apart from most of the rest of their fellows. He shrugged, trying to make as little of it as he could. “Justice, I suppose. Or at least retribution.”

“You’re mad, Jack—but then, I’ve always said so.” Price gave him a jaunty salute. “Best of luck, and I’ll be skulking about. Wouldn’t want to miss this.” He sauntered back down the street in the direction of his townhouse.

Jack shifted impatiently. He enjoyed a challenge, but this was becoming ridiculous. He looked up the street, sudden suspicion tugging at his insides. His Grace had been in that shop for a very long time. With a wary glance around him, Jack pushed away from the wall and strolled toward Stanton’s. He paused in the doorway, peering into the relative darkness, then with an aggravated sigh stepped inside. It was a small shop—and Dolph was not there.

“Wenford?” he barked at the flustered-looking attendant.

“Ex—excuse me, my lord?”

“Where the bloody hell is Wenford?” Jack repeated, ducking around the far side of the counter and making his way toward the clerk.

“Haven’t seen him, my lord.”

Jack shoved him aside and continued on into the back of the shop. He’d kept his eye on the front door while he’d been speaking to Price; Dolph had not left that way. In the back room, Jack stopped, staring at the door leading out into the alley. Either Dolph had managed to turn himself into the rat he was and scuttled away, or he’d known he was being followed and had gone out the back door. With a curse, Dansbury pushed through the doorway into the narrow, dirty alley. China was beginning to sound better with every passing moment. He wondered if Lil would like it there.

“I don’t think this is what Jack had in mind when he asked you to stay with me,” Alison Hutton whispered.

“You said you wanted to get out of doors,” Lilith reminded her, taking Beatrice by the hand as the three of them crossed the street toward her favorite dress shop. “And here we are.”

“He wanted you somewhere safe, Lilith. This is not safe.”

“Of course it is, Alison. Besides, London’s a big place. He may not even be able to find Dolph on his own. This way, there’re three sets of eyes looking for him.” She sighed, irritated at the useless role she’d been relegated to play. “I can’t sit about and do nothing. I would go mad from worrying.”

“About my brother?”

“Of course about your brother.”

Alison smiled. “Good.”

“I hope so.”

“You know, I think there may be four sets of eyes about,” Alison said thoughtfully. “Someone came pounding on the door this morning, and Richard vanished just after breakfast.” Her eyes narrowed. “He didn’t look very happy about whatever it was.”

Lilith looked at her, far more alarmed than relieved. “William said Richard would be the one to arrest Jack if a warrant was signed.”

Alison shook her head, her expression worried. “He wouldn’t. They may not get along, but he would never do that.”

“Are you certain?”

Alison thought over her answer for a moment. “I don’t know,” she said finally. “Lately, over the past few days, Richard and Jack have actually conversed with one another. They haven’t done that in five years. But I don’t know. I don’t know.”

“I need to warn him.” Lilith reversed her direction, and Beatrice looked up at her.

“Are we helping Uncle Jack?” she asked.

Lilith shook her head. “No.
I
am helping Uncle Jack.”

“Lilith—”

She looked up to meet Alison’s gaze. “
You
are going home.”

Alison sighed. “Jack will kill me for this. Please be careful.”

“I will. Don’t worry.” It sounded brave and determined. As Lilith turned and made her way down the street, though, she began to realize just how large London was, and just how small the odds were of her finding Jack before Lord Hutton did.

She rounded the corner and froze. The Duke of Wenford stood looking in a shop window only a few feet away from her. With a strangled curse, Lilith ducked back around the corner, nearly colliding with the Earl of Manderly. “Beg pardon,” she said in a rush, stepping back against the wall.

“Miss Benton,” he returned, lifting both his eyebrows and his hat, and continued on his way.

Lilith took a quick breath, her heart beating fast and hard. She frowned, trying to calm herself and think clearly. Abandoning the duke to try to find Jack could be disastrous for both of them. But following Dolph would leave Jack unaware that Lord Hutton was likely after him.

“Oh, damnation,” she whispered. Then she mentally shook herself. Jack was rarely unaware of events. He would be cautious—or at least as cautious as he was about anything.

And if it was too late, and if they couldn’t stop Dolph or Richard Hutton, then she would go away with him. She shut her eyes for a moment, missing him with a physical ache, missing his voice, his touch, his warmth and passion. Her family would hate her, but she couldn’t imagine living without him. And though she didn’t know whether he felt the same or not, she thought that perhaps he did. He had twice asked her to flee with him, and she had seen the look in his dark eyes when he held her. She would go.

Determined to do everything she could, Lilith leaned back around the corner. Dolph was still in sight, several shops farther down the street. He paused in the crowd, looking into another window, and then slowly wandered away in the opposite direction. She looked up and down the street. As the duke turned up the next street and vanished, Lilith stepped out onto the walk and hurried forward.

She stayed half a block behind Wenford for nearly an hour, ducking into doorways when it seemed he would turn around, and trying not to be too obvious. Several of her fellows gave her odd looks as she passed by, but she pretended not to notice and kept her attention on her quarry. Jack was obviously much better at this sneaking about than she was, but she thought she was doing a
very adequate job of it. Twice she caught herself grinning as she evaded detection with particular skill. No wonder Jack had agreed to become Wellington’s spy: this was rather exhilarating, really.