Intriguing Lady Read online

  “For an intelligent woman, Miss Rushforth, you are displaying a great deal of ignorance. With the facts that you have at your disposal, I’m surprised you haven’t deduced the truth.”

  “Truth, Sir Nicholas! Since when has the truth bothered you?” she retorted. She was annoyed by his refusal to be drawn. “You burst into my life, and I thought you were dead. When it became apparent that you weren’t, you foisted yourself upon Mrs. Ashley and myself in order to make your escape from France. Add to that the occasions I have had to endure improper advances from yourself and the comte, to bear the constant snooping of your watchdog posing as a knife sharpener. What time have I had to deduce anything?”

  “My watchdog, Miss Rushforth? I’m afraid I don’t understand. To what are you referring?”

  “Don’t toy with me, Sir Nicholas. I’m aware of the man you have posted outside my uncle’s house. Were you surprised to learn that Stephen Davenport visited me and that I received him personally? Would you like to know what transpired at that meeting?” She broke off in some confusion as she became aware of Sir Nicholas’s bemused glance. It was perfectly obvious he had no idea what she was talking about. “I suppose you are going to deny any knowledge of such a man?”

  Sir Nicholas nodded. “However, you are right about one thing, Miss Rushforth. I would dearly love to know what you discussed with Stephen Davenport.”

  “You—you—Oh! You’re insufferable!” Roberta snapped. “Take me home, please,” she said, brushing her brow wearily. “You have exhausted my patience, and I can see no point in continuing this conversation.”

  Sir Nicholas gripped her arm tightly. “Will you promise me one thing, Miss Rushforth?” he asked softly, his voice filled with concern.

  Roberta shivered at his touch. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek, and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. His nearness was suffocating, yet she was incapable of moving away. She turned to face him, her eyes open wide, and the peak of her bonnet brushed his nose. The tension between them increased.

  “Don’t look at me like that, Miss Rushforth,” he said hoarsely, “else I might lose my grip on my self-control.” She parted her lips and shook her head in confusion. By rights, she should be angry with him, but instead she wanted nothing more than to feel his lips on hers. She lifted her head slightly, still mesmerized. In that instant, she experienced a gamut of emotions that left her breathless. Her fingers, with a seeming will of their own, reached out to touch his cheek. Dimly she heard him exhale sharply, and then he jerked his face away. It was white with strain. Her hand fell, and she finally emerged from her hypnotic state, shaken and abashed.

  “Forgive me, Sir Nicholas,” she said in a strained voice. “I can’t think what came over me. You wanted to extract a promise from me?”

  He stared blankly at her for a moment and then shook his head. “It’s of no importance,” he replied, obviously as shaken as herself by what had just occurred. “I’ll take you home now.”

  He turned and started to retrace his steps to Grosvenor Square. Roberta followed him meekly.

  Chapter 11

  “I’m ashamed to say, Uncle, that I allowed my tongue to run away with me,” Roberta was saying an hour later to Lord Bromley. They were ensconced in the blue room, and Roberta was nervously pacing the floor. “I questioned Sir Nicholas about the names on that list.”

  “You did what, Roberta?” Lord Bromley expostulated. “Have you taken leave of all your senses?”

  “I was suddenly seized by this madcap idea that if I confronted him directly, I would surprise the truth out of him.”

  “Madcap, indeed. What on earth could have gotten into you? You don’t normally act so foolishly. Do you realize the danger you have put yourself in? If this Sir Nicholas is as guilty of treason as you would have me believe, he could have you silenced immediately with one thrust of a knife. Did that not occur to you?”

  Roberta had never seen her uncle so angry before, and she did her best to appease him. But he refused to listen to her excuses and continued to upbraid her.

  “The next thing you’ll be telling me is that you have confided all this nonsense to the comte,” he said sarcastically. “And, no doubt, you will say that you were seized with another madcap scheme.”

  Roberta started guiltily at this, for she had suggested that very possibility to Sir Nicholas. “I wouldn’t be so stupid, Uncle. After all I’ve done to save the neck of that—that ungrateful—nay, hateful—man, I’m not likely to throw him back to his tormentor.”

  “That is not what I heard,” Lord Bromley said carelessly, and then frowned at his slip.

  “What exactly have you heard, Uncle?” she demanded, suddenly intrigued. “I have only made mention to one person of the possibility that I might confide in the comte, and that was no more than two hours ago.”

  “Drat you, my gal. Sometimes you are too clever for your own good.”

  “Tell me about Sir Nicholas, Uncle,” she begged, her interest now fully roused. “If you wish to silence my tongue, you must explain why Sir Nicholas sought you out today.”

  “I don’t have to explain anything to you, Roberta. However, in the interest of your own self-preservation, I will break with my usual silence and tell you a few pertinent facts.”

  Roberta sat down and folded her hands in her lap. She knew better than to break her uncle’s concentration with any interruption.

  “Perkins tells me you had a visitor this morning.”

  “The comte,” Roberta confirmed. “He came to inquire after Papa’s health, and to ask me to go for a ride with him on Monday.”

  A look of concern lit Lord Bromley’s deep-set eyes. “You won’t go, of course,” he said as he sat down next to her. “And that is an order.” He stared at the flames dancing in the fireplace, and then suddenly turned to face her. “Look at me, Roberta.” She complied quickly. “You know that in my capacity as Under Secretary, a lot of my work is of a secret nature?” Roberta nodded. “And that normally I do not speak of it to anyone outside government circles?” Again Roberta nodded. “What I am about to impart to you, Roberta, is so confidential, so delicate, that if one word leaks out, a whole year’s work will be wasted, and countless people will suffer. Do I have your word that you will remain silent, and do your best to forget what I am about to tell you?”

  “Yes, Uncle,” Roberta responded quietly. The deadly seriousness with which her uncle addressed her had filled her with alarm. “No provocation, no matter how great, will force me to repeat anything you say.”

  “That list of names you deciphered—I think it is a list of men who are being blackmailed by the comte.”

  “Good heavens!” she exclaimed. “Whatever for?”

  “Secrets, Roberta,” he responded heavily. “Military and political. All of them vital to this nation’s security. For the past twelve months, I have been trying to discover what hold he has had on my friends that would force them to talk of such delicate matters. Because by nature, none of these is a traitor. Whatever this hold is, has, unfortunately, eluded me thus far. I must find out, though, and quickly. I also must discover exactly what information he has extracted from them. However, thanks to Sir Nicholas, we now know the names of the men he has either used or is planning to use.”

  “Sir Nicholas?” Roberta breathed shakily. “You mean Sir Nicholas is working for you?” The relief she felt at this disclosure caused her to laugh. “I had convinced myself he was working for the French. How could I have been so blind?”

  “He’s a clever young man, good—nay, excellent—at his work. You assumed what you did because that is what he wanted you to think. He would have preferred that you remain in ignorance of his background, but I have deemed it too perilous to our cause. There is no one more dangerous than the person who only knows half the truth.”

  Roberta bowed her head sheepishly. “I feel so ashamed of myself,” she murmured.

  “There, there, my gal. Now that you know the truth, you will be more d
iscreet.”

  “How did Sir Nicholas manage to acquire the papers?”

  “He penetrated the comte’s household. Goodness knows, it wasn’t easy, and without Henri and Marie, he never would have succeeded.”

  “I am beginning to see just what harm a few careless words to the comte might have caused,” she murmured. “I had no idea, no idea at all. This affair that Sir Nicholas had with the comte’s sister, was that part of the plan as well?”

  “It was a deliberate ploy. There was no other way he could gain access to the fortress the comte calls his home.” The answer was all she wanted to hear—and she was delighted she had misjudged him! “What a dangerous thing to have to do. Why, his true motives could have been uncovered at any time!”

  “Oh, the woman wasn’t without certain charms,” Lord Bromley said lightly. “He knew the risk he was taking, but he is a man who puts the honor of his country before his own safety. Unfortunately, for my sake, there aren’t many like him.”

  “I hope he didn’t lose his heart to this femme fatale,” she responded. “Marie said she is a beautiful woman.”

  “What, and risk jeopardizing everything? No, my dear, Sir Nicholas is not a man to lose his heart to any woman.”

  “It is certainly the impression he gives,” she said. “He is a self-contained person, quite obviously wedded to his work.” The truth of her words made her feel strangely deflated, and she was forced to wonder why he had acted so oddly during their walk.

  “As for you, Roberta,” Lord Bromley continued gruffly, “I’m afraid I’m going to have to spoil your return to England. I have made arrangements to send you to the country for the duration of the comte’s visit here. I can’t think of any other way of giving you adequate protection.”

  “No, Uncle!” she cried. “It’s unfair of you to expect me to do such a thing. My absence is bound to cause all sorts of wild speculation about my health.”

  Lord Bromley shook his head. “My mind is made up, Roberta.”

  “Is Sir Nicholas behind all this?” she asked shrewdly. “Is he the one who wants me out of the way?”

  “It was his suggestion, but a sound one nonetheless.”

  “And how do you propose to seek the solution to the greatest dilemma facing you now?” she demanded with a cunning born of desperation. “Namely, what information does the comte have that enables him to blackmail your colleagues?”

  “I refuse to discuss any further aspects of my work with you, Roberta. You already know far too much for your own good.”

  “You refuse, Uncle, because you have no ready answers. Well, I have a plan, and it’s the only one, in my estimation, that has a chance of succeeding quickly.”

  “And it undoubtedly calls for your presence in London,” Lord Bromley said dryly.

  “How astute of you.” Roberta laughed. “I propose that I actively encourage the comte’s pursuit of me. At the risk of sounding immodest, I—I know he is not indifferent to my charms. You know as well as anyone that a man can be extraordinarily indiscreet in the presence of a lady, especially a lady he is trying to woo. Why should the comte be any different? A little flattery from me, a few naive questions about his work—oh! There are countless ways a woman could uncover the necessary information where no man ever could.”

  “You are a scheming little minx, my dear,” Lord Bromley said with a laugh.

  A pained expression crossed her face. “Not scheming, Uncle,” she said in injured tones. “Just logical.”

  “You place me in a very difficult position. There is a certain urgency involved in this matter which makes it impossible for me to refuse your request. I need to know what the comte is using to blackmail my colleagues, before another of them is murdered or kills himself.” His voice was heavy with regret, and he shook his head sadly. “But to involve someone I look upon as my own daughter, why, it’s abhorrent to me.”

  “I won’t do anything foolhardy,” Roberta assured him quickly. “And I will certainly do everything in my power to bring about that fiend’s downfall. Poor Mr. Lambert, poor Willie. The comte has a lot to account for, hasn’t he?”

  Lord Bromley nodded. “There are two conditions I must place upon you before I give my final consent to this—this plan of yours,” he said as he stood up. “First, you will not leave this house unless you have either Mrs. Ashley, Williams or Polly with you. I know I have turned a blind eye in the past when you have sallied out unchaperoned,” he added as Roberta pulled a wry face. “However, it is unseemly behavior, and I do not approve of it at all.

  “Second,” he continued, “you will have to bear with Sir Nicholas’s attentions at all social functions you attend. He can pretend that he is smitten by your charm. He has all the right credentials to gain entry to the same affairs as you, and he can be on hand to protect you from the comte, should it become necessary.”

  “If you insist, Uncle,” she said, “but I don’t think Sir Nicholas will agree so readily to such a scheme.”

  “He will,” Lord Bromley averred. “He is as anxious as I to put an end to the comte’s game.”

  “And, like you, dear Uncle, he will use anyone he can to gain this victory?”

  The slight touch of bitterness that tinged her voice caused Lord Bromley to look at her sharply, but she smiled up at him sweetly, and he relaxed again. “Yes,” he said.

  “We could begin this charade tomorrow,” she said, joining her uncle by the fireplace. “Lady Winthrop is holding a masked fancy-dress ball.”

  “Did the comte say he would be present?”

  “No, but I’m sure if he hears I intend to go, he will make the necessary arrangements to be there.”

  “And how do you propose he find out?”

  “Lady Jersey has invited me to tea this afternoon,” she returned nonchalantly. “Knowing her penchant for gossip, if I tell her I shall be attending, the whole of London will know by nightfall.”

  “You seem very confident of yourself, my dear.”

  “I am,” Roberta said, recalling with a shudder the intimate way the comte had caressed her hand that morning. “The comte will undoubtedly seize the opportunity that such an informal gathering presents to accost me. The only thing is, will Sir Nicholas agree to attend as well?”

  “You can ask him yourself, my dear,” Lord Bromley responded, a sudden twinkle in his eyes. “He is due here any minute now.”

  As if on cue, the butler entered and coughed discreetly. “Your late-afternoon appointment has arrived, my lord,” he said. “Shall I have him wait?”

  “No, no. Ask him to join us.”

  Roberta moved to a small writing desk set in an alcove and leaned against it for support. Her legs felt weak at the thought of seeing Sir Nicholas again so soon. She had only just positioned herself when the door swung open once more, and a portly, bowlegged, immaculately dressed old man teetered into the room on bright red shoes with overly high heels.

  She glanced at him sharply and then looked to her uncle for an introduction. Her uncle, however, was smiling warmly at the newcomer and advancing toward him, a hand outstretched in greeting. Only then did she realize that she was looking at Sir Nicholas.

  “A fine disguise, my boy,” Lord Bromley commented heartily. “Our little friend outside will have a difficult time identifying you for the comte.”

  Sir Nicholas laughed, a deep, resonant sound that Roberta easily recognized. “I thought it a necessary precaution, John, but it’s damned uncomfortable and deuced hot. Davids insisted on all this padding, though why I ever let him persuade me to don these dreadful creepers and galligaskins is beyond my comprehension. I swear I would rather die a young man than to have to face the prospect of wearing such cumbersome things in my dotage.”

  “Such a prospect seems unlikely, Sir Nicholas, given your line of work,” Roberta observed mildly. Her presence in the room obviously caught him unawares, for he wheeled around in surprise.

  “Miss Rushforth!” he exclaimed, making as elegant a leg as he could manage. “I
had no idea you were here. Please forgive my unwitting rudeness.”

  His easy manner helped her overcome the embarrassment she felt at seeing him again, and she was thankful he made no reference to their earlier meeting.

  “I asked her to stay a moment,” Lord Bromley interjected, “while I explain to you the slight modification of the plan we discussed over luncheon.”

  Sir Nicholas was frowning his disapproval by the time Lord Bromley had finished his explanation.

  “I like it no more than you, Nicholas,” Lord Bromley said. “But we are pressed for time, and this scheme of Roberta’s offers the most expedient way out of our dilemma. She’s not lacking for common sense, and I know we can rely on her discretion.”

  “’Tis not that that bothers me,” Sir Nicholas replied slowly, ignoring Roberta’s presence, much to her annoyance. “I can’t like the fact that she will deliberately set out to win the comte’s affections. He doesn’t live by the same code of honor as you or I. He takes what he wants, when he wants, and discards it when he’s had his fill. If he really is an enamored of her as he would have her believe, then he will act ruthlessly until he has achieved his end.”

  “If you are alluding to his possessing me, Sir Nicholas,” Roberta interposed, “let me allay your fears. I shall carry with me at all times the small pistol my uncle gave me. I will not hesitate to use it if the occasion arises.”

  Sir Nicholas raised his eyebrows at this piece of bravado and looked to Lord Bromley for confirmation.

  “Aye, it’s the truth; she is a remarkable shot. I taught her myself.”

  “I hope your disapproval of my plan doesn’t mean that you will be reluctant to offer me your protection,” Roberta said in a deliberate attempt to goad Sir Nicholas. She found his high-handed manner of dispassionately discussing her extremely irksome. But he didn’t rise to her bait, and to her further annoyance, he shook his head and continued his conversation with Lord Bromley.

  “You may rest assured, John, that I will do everything in my power to prevent Miss Rushforth having to resort to such an act.”