To Sin With A Scoundrel (29 page)

From out of the shadows, she saw a shape lunge for the open window. For a brief instant, a burly figure was silhouetted in
the mizzled moonlight, then disappeared.

“Milady!” Still in his nightshirt, McCabe stumbled down the stairs, a cudgel in his hand.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes.” It was only now that Ciara realized how badly her hands were shaking. She set down the candlestick and drew a deep
breath.

“I shall send Jeremiah for the magistrate immediately,” said the butler. His brow furrowed as he watched her strike a flint
to the oil lamp inside the doorway. “Er, perhaps you ought to wait until help arrives.”

“Whoever was here, he is gone now.” She stepped over the broken beaker, anxious to check on her microscope.

Thank God, no damage done.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she moved down the counter, carefully checking that all was in order. It was odd that someone
would target this house, this room. There was nothing of real value for a common thief to pawn at a flash house.

It wasn’t until she turned the corner that she spied the papers strewn on the floor. The neat stack of books on her blotter
lay in disarray, and by the look of the open drawers, her desk had been searched.

Staring down at the muddy footprints, Ciara expelled a harried sigh. In the swirl of the storm, the intruder must have mistaken
her townhouse for one of her wealthy neighbors.
Bad luck—but it could have been worse.
She set about straightening her work. At least she had scared him off before he could do any real damage.

“What!”
Lucas let the library door bang shut behind him. Seeing Henry with a lady at this hour of the morning was a bit of a shock.
But it was his uncle’s announcement rather than his breakfast companion that froze him in his tracks.

“Lady Ariel just arrived a few minutes ago to tell me the news,” replied Henry. “Apparently someone broke into Lady Sheffield’s
townhouse last night, but she managed to scare him off.”

“No harm done,” added Ariel. “I rushed over to check on her as soon as I received her note, but Ciara is fine and nothing
was taken. She was awake at the time and heard a noise in her laboratory, so she went to investigate.”

A wave of cold fury washed over him, and then his face was sheened in sweat. The idea of Ciara alone and at the mercy of an
intruder made him feel nauseous.

“Her presence must have scared off the thief,” finished Ariel.

Lucas tried to calm himself with a deep breath. “That was bloody stupid of her. He might have had a weapon.”

Ariel tactfully ignored the oath. “Yes, I wish she would not take such risks. But I suppose in the heat of the moment, she
wasn’t thinking too clearly. Her scientific instruments and papers are very dear to her.”

“Her life ought to be even more precious,” he growled. “Damn it, she could have been hurt.”

“Pour yourself some brandy, Lucas,” said Henry softly.

“I don’t need a drink, I need a… plan.” He smacked a fist to his palm. “One that will keep Lady Sheffield safe from further
threats until I can prove who all is behind these dastardly deeds and see that they are brought to justice.”

“Why, that is an excellent idea, Lord Hadley,” said Ariel. “Er, have you any suggestions?”

Pursing his lips, he began to pace the room.
Damn
. Surely he could come up with something. However, try as he might to concentrate on logistics and legalities, he kept thinking
of Ciara.

Her face, her fears. Her eminent intellect, her unrestrained passion. She was so utterly unlike any woman he had ever met
before. So utterly worthy of respect.

While he, on the other hand, had so little to be proud of. He found himself regretting his idle, rakehell existence. There
wasn’t an accomplishment he could think of that might attract her admiration.

“My dear boy, much as I wish that we could look to Buddha for guidance, I fear that the statue can offer no words of wisdom,”
murmured Henry. “Especially when you have its neck in a stranglehold.”

Lucas placed the jade carving back on the bookshelf. “Right. Much as I’d like to crack a few skulls, we must use brains rather
than brawn to protect Ciara.” He took another turn by the hearth. “The attacks are getting more brazen. Whether real harm
is intended, or Sheffield’s family is simply trying to intimidate her into acceding to their demands, we cannot take any more
chances.”

His uncle nodded.

“So, first things first. We must remove her from London.”

“Yes, that makes a great deal of sense,” mused Henry.

Thus encouraged, he went on. “And we must ensure that she is not alone.”

Ariel clutched at her teaspoon. “Most definitely not alone.”

“The spot must be safe, secure.” Lucas pursed his lips. “I think I’ve come up with an idea…”

“It’s been decided—you can’t stay in London any longer.” Lucas marched into Ciara’s study and closed the door. “The risks
have grown too great.”

Drawing in a sharp breath, she rose from her desk. Her nerves were already frayed, and his tone of command rubbed raw against
her lingering fears. She needed someone at whom to lash out.

“You have no right to bark orders at me. Let me remind you that you are not yet my lord and master,” she snapped.

“And let me remind you that you are not yet free of suspicion for your late husband’s murder.” He scowled. “Damnation, don’t
be a fool. Given the past rumors and current nasty innuendos, the authorities will be loath to take these threats against
you seriously. And on your own, you cannot force Sheffield’s family to back down.”

She refused to meet his gaze.

“I tell you again, the only sensible thing to do is to take refuge in the country. It will be far harder for anyone to make
trouble for you at my estate in Derbyshire.”

Ciara knew that she was being irrational. Still, she set her jaw. “No.”

He muttered something under his breath. She thought she overheard “stubborn” and “arse” mixed in with an oath.

Mention of the word
arse
brought a rush of heat to her cheeks. “Blast it all, Hadley, aren’t we taking this charade a little too far? You have no
real hold on me, you know.” Seeing a sardonic curl of his lips, she hastened to add, “And don’t you
dare
bring up what happened between us yesterday.”

For a moment, he looked blank. “Oh. That.”

Yes. That.

“I agree,” he continued in a brusque voice. “It has no bearing on the present situation.”

How was it that men could dismiss sex with a casual shrug? Seeing how little it mattered to him did nothing to improve her
mood.

“Well, at least we are in accord on
something
.”

He looked at her a little strangely before resuming his gimlet glare. “You may be willing to risk your own neck, but what
of Peregrine? Or have you forgotten that he may also be a target of attack?”

“That is a low blow, Hadley,” she whispered.

“I’ll stoop to any measure to get you to see reason.” His tone softened. “Damn it, Ciara, I am not trying to hurt you. I am
trying to help you.”

“I know, I know.” She swallowed a sigh, unable to articulate why she was acting like a peagoose. He was right, of course.
She couldn’t just stand by meekly while someone tried to harm her son. “Let me talk it over with my friends and get their
advice,” she muttered.

“Lady Ariel already agrees with me,” he replied.

Her prickliness was back in a flash. “You went behind my back to conspire with her?”

He bristled at the accusation. “She was visiting Henry. Have you made up yet another new rule, one that says I cannot visit
my uncle?”

She colored. “Forgive me. I—I am still a trifle overset.”

“With good reason,” he conceded, though his tone was a little stiff.

For a few moments, an uncomfortable silence hung between them, broken only by the ticking of the mantel clock.

“The Circle is scheduled to meet in an hour,” she said after a sidelong glance at the gilded hands. “I will let you know my
final decision later this afternoon.”

He took up his hat and gloves from the side table. “Do.”

“So.” Alessandra added a splash of cream to her tea. “Lord Hadley wants you to seek refuge with him in the country?”

“Yes,” answered Ciara, rather hoping that her friend would voice an objection. “I know—it’s a bad idea.”

“On the contrary,” said Alessandra. “I think it an excellent plan.”

Ciara felt her face fall. “You do?”

“And I agree wholeheartedly.” Ariel pushed her spectacles up to the bridge of her nose. “Indeed, Sir Henry and I think there
are a number of points in favor of Lord Hadley’s plan.”

“I didn’t realize that you and the baronet have become such bosom friends as to meet first thing in the morning.”

Her friend blushed. “Sir Henry and I have a mutual interest in
Papervira
. We talk about flowers.”

“And perhaps the birds and the bees?” quipped Alessandra.

Ariel’s face turned a vivid shade of scarlet. “Good heavens, I am far too old to succumb to girlish fantasies,” she stammered.

“Love knows no age,” teased Alessandra.

Seeing that the conversation was making Ariel acutely uncomfortable, Ciara quickly changed the subject back to her own dilemma.
“Much as I hate to nip this conversation in the bud, I promised to give Hadley my answer later this afternoon. So I must make
a decision about what I should do.”

“The country,” advised Alessandra. “Without delay.”

“But talk about gossip!” argued Ciara. “I can’t just fly off with the earl to his country manor.”

“Actually, Henry thinks it makes more sense to go to his own estate near Eastbourne. It’s far closer than Hadley’s lands,
and the secluded location by the sea makes it a perfect retreat,” said Ariel. “As to propriety, we have already agreed that
no tongues can wag if he and I go along as chaperones.” She thought for a moment. “What about you, Alessandra? I am sure that
Ciara would welcome your company, too.”

“Me?” Alessandra’s usual mask of cool composure slipped ever so slightly. “I—I have a tentative engagement… however, I suppose
I could change my plans.”

“Isabella would be a welcome playmate for Perry,” pointed out Ciara.

“Very well.” Her friend thought for a moment. “I suppose I can come for a week. After that, I really must return to London
and prepare for my trip to Bath. I promised the Antiquities Society that I would spend several weeks there to help oversee
the excavation of a newly discovered site of Roman ruins.”

“I don’t expect to stay sequestered for longer than a week,” muttered Ciara. “I refuse to remain a prisoner to fear indefinitely.”

“Until we have a better idea of what is going on, it is better to be safe than sorry,” said Ariel.

Somehow, the idea of living under the same roof as Hadley seemed… dangerous. But Ciara kept such sentiments to herself.

Alessandra put down her cup. “Hadley is taking charge of discovering who is responsible for the attacks?”

“Yes, and he’s enlisted some of his friends to help him. Lord Haddan and Lord Woodbridge are both former military men.” Ariel
tapped her chin. “Come to think of it, so is Lord James.”