‘But he’s twice their ages!’
The duke merely shrugged. ‘But well connected and…’
‘Rich,’ they said together, laughing.
‘I don’t think Miss Frazer likes me very much. She can’t seem to stop glowering. Is she Sir Gregory’s sister?’
‘She is.’
‘Well, if Sir Gregory is half as self-aware as that young madam then I definitely suspect him. The silk in Miss Frazer’s gown is the very finest quality and cost a great deal more than most of the other ensembles in this room.’ Brione clasped a hand over her mouth. ‘Oh dear, there I go again, displaying my lack of breeding by talking about something as vulgar as money in your drawing room. I do apologise.’
‘There is absolutely no need. You can be sure it’s the subject occupying the majority of the thoughts of those supposedly better bred than you are,’ the duke replied, a cynical edge to his voice. ‘I assume you learned about silk from your husband’s father’s business.’
‘My own father, as a matter of fact. He was in the industry as well, although not as successful as Evan’s father. That is how I first met Evan.’
‘I see.’
‘Why are you still here?’ she asked, sending him a mischievous smile. ‘I have just admitted to you that I am the daughter of a moderately successful silk merchant. I appreciate that you have a traitor to catch but even so, standards must be maintained.’
‘Stop tormenting me, minx! You are worth a dozen of every woman in this room.’
‘There is no need for false praise,’ she replied, her expression sobering. ‘Let’s concentrate upon the reasons for my being here and overlook my momentary lapse.’
‘I enjoy your lapses. I like it when you allow yourself to be yourself. I have more than enough of people putting on airs and pretending to be something they are not in the hope of impressing me.’
‘You will not have to worry about that sort of thing in your dealings with me,’ she replied, thinking it important to make that point clear. ‘Where are our suspects?’
‘Either still fishing, hiding away in the billiards room, schooling their horses in preparation for the race or sleeping off last night’s excesses. Not many of the gentlemen show themselves at this time of day. I rarely make the effort myself.’
‘I can quite understand why,’ she replied, casting an eye over his bevy of admirers, most of whom looked glum because he’d failed to acknowledge a single one of them individually, other than Miss Frazer, who had forced herself upon him. Instead he had kept his attention focused on Brione. ‘It must be hard for you.’
He chuckled. ‘I have a feeling that you will soon discover the same thing for yourself. You have been spared the Inglewoods of this world only because you have remained reclusive since your husband’s death. But be warned, your period of official mourning has come to an end, word of your beauty—’
‘More to the point, my wealth.’
‘And that,’ he agreed with a smile, ‘will spread, and you will be considered fair game.’
‘You make me sound like a deer.’
He laughed. ‘Just don’t allow this lot to deter you from our purpose.’
‘Should I be concerned for my safety?’ she asked, not feeling anything other than warm and breathless in the duke’s company.
‘Not for a moment. If I am not watching over you, Kensley will be. You will never be alone. Besides, I doubt whether our suspects will…well, suspect you. They will be too busy admiring what they see.’
‘Thank you, but enough of the compliments if you don’t mind. They are both distracting and unnecessary. I am not here to be admired; merely to clear my husband’s name.’
‘I have not forgotten.’
‘When I start asking questions about their association with Evan, they might feel some concern,’ she said after a reflective pause.
‘That is only natural. But it would appear odd if you did not ask, and we hope that your doing so will make the culprit panic and do something rash. But he will not get close enough to threaten you in any way.’ Out of the sight of the others, he briefly squeezed her hand. ‘Don’t worry. I will not take any risks with your safety.’
‘I am capable of taking care of myself and I am not afraid. I merely wanted to know what to expect.’
‘If you are not afraid then you are very foolish, and I don’t believe for one minute that you are. I haven’t known you for long, but I have already reached the conclusion that you are one of the most intelligent females of my acquaintance.’
‘Thank you.’ She paused. ‘I think. Women are not supposed to be intelligent, are they? It makes gentlemen feel inadequate.’
‘Not this gentleman. And if you had to listen to all the drivel that I have to put up with…’ He waved a hand in the general direction of his admirers and didn’t complete the thought. ‘Anyway, you are also brave and determined, if a little headstrong and impulsive.’
‘How very discourteous of you to assess my character so well after such a slight acquaintance. Allow me a little mystique, your grace.’
He smiled. ‘By all means, be as mysterious as you please.’
‘You accuse me of being headstrong and impulsive, yet you led your regiment from the front, Evan told me.’ Brione had doubted it and repeatedly told herself it must be untrue. Having met the duke, she had already amended her opinion in that regard.’ That, I believe, is unusual for a man of your stature.’
‘And the only way to ensure complete loyalty in one’s troops. I never asked any of them to do anything I wouldn’t do myself.’
‘I know. Evan said.’
‘I didn’t act on impulse, but on sound military intelligence and strategy. I assessed all the possible scenarios before risking the lives of the men beneath my command.’ He glanced away from her, his expression remote. ‘Not always successfully, as you have good reason to know. I am surprised you are willing to talk to me.’
‘If anyone is to blame for Evan’s death then it’s that horrible little Frenchman, not you.’
‘Thank you for saying so, but it will take a long time for my conscience to feel clear and for the recollections to fade. Perhaps neither will ever happen.’ His eyes clouded with pain. ‘Anyway, as I say, I don’t ordinarily step into this room at this time of day. I came to ensure that you weren’t being eaten alive, but I can see that I don’t need to concern myself. You are more than capable of deflecting the spite of a few jealous and very silly girls.’
‘Jealous?’ She raised both brows in a gesture of genuine surprise. ‘Why ever should they be jealous of me?’
The duke smiled and shook his head. ‘For a clever person you are sometimes rather dense, which is to your credit. However, you must excuse me. I look forward to seeing you at dinner.’
‘Yes, go by all means. I dare say that glorious stallion I met this morning is anxious to blow off some steam.’
‘Did you get anywhere near Omega without being bitten?’ he asked, looking surprised. ‘He does not possess a calm temperament.’
‘He didn’t allow me to actually touch him, but he did snort at me. Does that count?’
The duke laughed as he walked away. ‘It’s more than he does for me,’ he said.
Brione watched him go, feeling a little breathless and confused by his conflicting statements. She withstood the glowers now openly sent her way by the younger set. Several put their heads together to gossip, casting her assessing looks as they did so. It seemed that she had unwittingly collected a few enemies on her first afternoon, and it was all the duke’s fault for making it seem as though he favoured her! Ye gods, social intercourse was far more complex than she had realised.
She wandered around the room, avoiding the gentlemen and ignoring the curious glances sent her way by the matrons, and perched on a chair beside Rachel’s. Her friend, at least, was pleased to see her and looked up with a smile, breaking off her conversation with another lady, who excused herself.
‘You have well and truly set the cat a
mongst the pigeons,’ Rachel said, grinning and then glancing at the still gossiping young women.
‘Not intentionally. I am too old for all this nonsense.’
‘Oh, I quite agree. Five and twenty is positively ancient.’
‘You and I both know why the duke made a point of singling me out.’
‘Well anyway, my dear, I think that will do for now.’ Rachel put her empty cup aside. ‘If you have had enough enjoyment then I suggest we go up, rest and then ready ourselves for this evening.’
‘Certainly,’ Brione said, smiling as she linked her arm through Rachel’s and they left the room side by side.
As they ascended the stairs, Brione wondered what the gossipmongers in that elegant drawing room would be saying about her. Then she told herself that she really didn’t care what anyone thought of her.
With the possible exception of one person.
Chapter Eight
Troy had only just returned to his library when Kensley joined him.
‘The ladies have gone up to their rooms,’ he said, flopping down into a chair. ‘They will be safe enough for now.’
‘I hope this works,’ Troy replied, leaning back in his own chair and letting out a frustrated sigh. ‘Not sure I like the idea of Mrs Gilliard putting herself at risk while we sit back doing nothing.’
Kensley chuckled. ‘And her idea of coming here and breaking into your library was a better one?’
Troy rolled his eyes. ‘There is that. Still, it shows a level of determination that one cannot help but admire.’
‘Is that all you admire about her?’ Kensley asked irreverently.
‘Don’t be any more of an ass than usual, if you can possibly avoid it,’ Troy replied impatiently. ‘The lady is still grieving the loss of her husband.’
‘And that will stop the barracudas from making inappropriate advances?’ Kensley eyed Troy with open cynicism. ‘She’s not only beautiful but wealthy too. You know as well as I do that she will be inundated with attention.’
Troy scowled at a picture on the opposite wall as though he bore it a grudge. ‘I dare say she’s accustomed to fending off unwanted advances.’
Troy sounded more assured than he actually felt. Despite having been married, there was a refreshing naiveté about Mrs Gilliard that both fascinated and worried him. Females in possession of her vibrant beauty were accustomed to being admired, knew their own worth and exuded self-confidence. Mrs Gilliard seemed blind to her appearance. Even when dressed as a maid and making no effort to impress she…well, impressed.
‘Anyway, she’s the best chance we have at getting to the truth. I’m being put under pressure by our lords and masters to ferret out the bad apple, and I don’t like failing. To be frank, she’s manna from heaven. I’m loth to admit that you and I didn’t have much of an idea how to tempt the traitor into revealing his hand before she came along. But now, with all the suspects under the same roof with Mrs Gilliard, we will never have a better opportunity. And at least here at the castle we can keep Mrs Gilliard in our sights and step in if anyone tries to threaten her.’
‘They’re more likely to ravish her,’ Kensley said, chuckling.
‘The devil they are!’
‘You’re worrying unnecessarily. We won’t allow any harm to come to Mrs Gilliard—unless she takes a liking to one of our suspects, that is,’ he added, watching Troy closely for a reaction, but this time Troy was ready for his mischief, kept his features impassive and failed to oblige him. ‘I’ve seen you far cooler in much more dangerous situations. What’s changed, I wonder.’
Troy grunted. ‘A woman taking all the chances. It don’t seem right.’
‘Nothing to do with the attractive attributes of the lady in question, one assumes.’
‘One assumes too much,’ Troy retorted, throwing Kensley’s words back at him and earning an amused chuckle for his trouble.
‘Look, Troy, use that legendary brain of yours, if it hasn’t turned to mulch since returning to England and being obliged to endure all the drivel spouted by females keen to impress you with their…well, drivel. Brione Gilliard is determined to clear her husband’s memory of all suspicion, and that determination drives her. She loved the scoundrel; heaven alone knows why, but there you have it, and she will find no peace until she gets some answers.’
‘Ha! Let’s hope she doesn’t figure out what we already know about her paragon of virtue, in that case.’
‘Aside from that, you and I both know that her being here will be enough to spook the guilty party, hopefully into indiscretion. But what if he holds his nerve? It’s a distinct possibility since the blighter’s a cool customer. He’s had to be to have survived all this time.’
‘There will be other opportunities if she fails. We both know that there will be more fighting. We haven’t seen the last of Napoleon, so whoever the annoying little man had recruited to pass on our secrets, his services will again be in demand. If our man has gambled his all on a French victory, then he’ll have to step up to the mark. And since we have now whittled down the number of suspects, we will be better prepared.’
‘Let’s hope so.’
‘We could, if necessary, put out some false information, I suppose,’ Troy mused. ‘I’ll suggest it to Liverpool if this doesn’t work.’
‘Mrs Woodley has heard whispers about Gilliard’s chequered past,’ Kensley said, taking their conversation on a detour as he stood to pour whisky for them both.
‘Has she indeed?’ Troy accepted his glass and raised a brow in amusement. ‘Told you that, did she? I wasn’t aware that you were so well acquainted with the lady that she would talk of such personal matters.’
‘Well, you know me,’ Kensley replied cheerfully. ‘People like me because I’m a highly likeable chap, and they take me into their confidence far too easily.’
Troy chuckled. ‘I’m perfectly sure that they do. Bear in mind that although Gilliard was a wealthy man, he had a lot of additional expenses that his wife knew nothing about. If he wanted to continue in that vein, the financial burden would have been considerable.’
‘You think he might have been the traitor,’ Kensley said slowly, ‘despite the assurances you gave his widow to the contrary.’ Kensley looked concerned as he rubbed his jaw. ‘We discussed the possibility before but you seemed unconvinced at the time. The leak of secrets did stop at about the time Gilliard met his maker, there’s no getting around that, and taken in conjunction with his additional expenses…’
‘I wonder if his widow would be so convinced of his innocence if she was in possession of all the facts.’ Troy kicked moodily at the corner of a rug. ‘Damn! I hope it wasn’t him in some respects. It would be convenient to blame him, but I’m damned if I’ll do so without proof. That is, after all, just what she believes the real traitor has done. Anyway, do we know what’s happened to his Portuguese interests since his death? How are they being financed?’
‘No idea. Not sure if I can find out either, not with the way things stand.’
‘It doesn’t matter. It was just a thought.’
A tap at the door preceded Troy’s sister bustling through it. He sighed, having expected both the visit and a demand for an explanation.
‘Who is this Mrs Gilliard?’ she demanded. ‘Everyone is talking about her and I have to pretend to know her, even though I have never set eyes on her before. I hope you have not fixed your…’
Troy cut off her words with an impatient dash of one arm. ‘She’s the widow of one of the officers beneath my command, which is all you need to tell people,’ he replied, draining the last of his whisky in one swallow. ‘I have a specific reason for wanting her here which has nothing to do with my matrimonial aspirations.’ He paused. ‘Or lack thereof,’ he added sotto voce.
‘She has spoiled everything,’ Deborah said. ‘She is far too attractive for her own good and leaves the rest of us ladies in the shade. But still, my friend Rachel Woodley is devoted to her and so I suppose I will have to tolerate her.’
‘How has she spoiled things?’
‘Your singling her out earlier has upset everyone.’
Troy drew in a sharp breath, striving for patience. ‘I am sorry if I have failed to dance to your tune, Deb.’
‘Oh, when do you ever, wretch of a brother?’
They both laughed, easing the tension.
‘Rest assured that my interest in Mrs Gilliard does not run in the direction that you appear to believe.’ Troy failed to add that she had attracted his attention in ways that none of the silly misses occupying his drawing room were ever likely to manage, but that was his cross to bear in solitude. She was also still in love with a ghost. A ghost who could possibly be a traitor to his country. A man who was definitely not the paragon that she appeared to think, but it would be cruel to disillusion her in that regard. Her memories were precious to her and Troy wouldn’t snatch them away.
‘I should hope not. Her father, I gather, was a silk merchant.’
‘You have something against silk?’ Troy asked innocently.
‘You know very well what I mean, Troy Erskine. I am sure Mrs Gilliard is perfectly amiable, and one cannot help but have sympathy for her circumstances. Even so, her background precludes a permanent connection to this family. I know standards are more relaxed nowadays but even so, there are limits. It isn’t as if you need her fortune.’ Deb paused and flexed a brow in casual enquiry. ‘Is it? I know this place costs a fortune to run and your coffers are not bottomless.’
Troy glowered at her and Deborah wisely stopped speaking. ‘We have had this discussion before and it has become tedious. I have other things on my mind than matrimony, but I have not forgotten my obligations in that regard either. I hope that will satisfy you, Deb, and that I can depend upon you to show Mrs Gilliard every courtesy. Where you lead, others will follow. I don’t want her to be ostracised by the rest of the ladies.’
To Desire a Duke: Dangerous Dukes Vol 8 Page 10