“Then it’s agreed. We’ll marry as quickly as possible. Do you have any more conditions?” he asked.
“None.” This might not be the perfect marriage, but it would allow her the one thing she desired the most.
So why wasn’t she happier?
33 - Found
Daniel and Charles eyed one another in Kensington House’s elaborate drawing room. Charles stood framed in the large picture window with the sun streaming in behind him, leaving him silhouetted against the light. This should have been the position of power, with the light behind him partially blinding his opponent, but Daniel remained unperturbed. He recognized the power play for what it was and mentally applauded Charles for it, but he was unwilling to yield the advantage.
He strode across the room, putting distance between himself and his adversary in this negotiation. As he’d hoped, Charles followed him, losing his position of strength.
Daniel paused before the fireplace, where Charles joined him. This maneuver left them as equals, a situation Daniel preferred with the younger man. After all, the marriage contract negotiations had been going well, so a détente was in order.
“Should we wait for your father’s final approval? If I were in his position, I’d want to meet the man my daughter would marry.”
Charles looked away, not meeting his gaze, which surprised Daniel. Charles cleared his throat but didn’t say anything for a moment.
Daniel examined the younger man more closely for any other hints of deception. “Is there a problem?”
Charles puffed air out through his nose. “Yes, I believe there is. I received a note from Father this morning that he has been sent to Paris. I’m supposed to break the news to Mother and Catherine, but I haven’t had an opportunity. I wanted to tell Mother first, but since she hurried off to Lady Wilmot’s home so quickly, I haven’t had the opportunity to speak with her. I know she’ll be disappointed.”
“Who sent your father to Paris?”
Charles shot him an assessing gaze. “That’s an interesting question to pose. Not ‘why’ or ‘when will he return,’ but ‘who sent him.’”
Daniel offered a slight shrug of one shoulder, but kept his intent gaze fixed upon Charles. He watched as the young man came to a decision.
“Queen Victoria sent him as her representative to Emperor Napoleon’s court. She believed him to be the perfect man for the task, and as soon as he arrived in port here in England, he had to take the first ship back across the channel. He should be there for at least a month.”
Daniel frowned. “Then I won’t be able to meet him before we announce our engagement, perhaps not even for the wedding. Will he permit you to finalize the marriage contract?”
Charles gave a crisp nod. “I have Father’s trust in this. I hope he’ll return in time to give Cat away.”
Daniel smiled when he heard the nickname Charles used. His little mouse must have claws.
Charles glanced toward the door as a footman entered the room. “I’ll have our lawyers draw up the papers.”
Daniel watched the footman deliver a folded bit of paper to Charles, who quickly scanned it. The young man’s eyes widened in surprise as he took an excited step back and then forward again. Whatever the news, it seemed to energize him.
Charles glanced at the footman. “Please find Lady Catherine. I need to speak to her at once.”
Daniel watched the footman leave the room and then glanced back at Charles. The younger man had a speculative glint in his eye as he openly assessed Daniel.
“I’ve fenced against you,” Charles said. “You strike me as someone good in a fight.”
Daniel gave a noncommittal shrug. “I prefer to avoid them, but yes, I can hold my own.”
Charles grinned. “Then I have a story to tell you, and a request to make.” Charles quickly explained his unintentional entanglement with an Oxford professor’s daughter named Calliope. “It’s been a horrendous mess. I keep worrying that a rumor will get out, dragging my name through the muck. My best hope is to help the silly girl find Attwood and force him to marry her.”
Daniel froze. “Attwood, you say? What’s his Christian name?”
“That’s part of the problem. He shares my first name, Charles. Charles Attwood.”
“Damn. Attwood? Of all people.”
“What? Don’t tell me you know the man.”
“I wish I didn’t. He was at Eton with me until he was kicked out for stealing from some of the other students. The man made my life miserable before that. Even though he was a couple of years younger than I, he had the nerve to accuse me of the thefts. If not for the fact that Wentworth vouched for my alibi, the crime would have been attributed to me, and I would have been expelled.”
Charles grinned. “Would you like the opportunity to hold him accountable for his crimes? This note is from the man I hired to find him. Attwood’s here in London.”
A slow smile spread across Daniel’s face. “That I would. I’ve heard a few rumors about the man over the years, none of them good. What’s your plan?”
Out of the corner of his eye, Daniel saw Catherine approach the doorway and pause with her hand on the door frame. “Charles? You wished to speak with me?”
She cast a cautious glance at Daniel. Clearly, she didn’t trust him yet. He frowned at the thought, but Catherine noted his expression and frowned as well, so he smoothed his features.
“Cat. I’m glad you’re here. Read this.” Charles thrust the note into her hand.
She quickly skimmed it and then grinned. “So you’ve found him. Congratulations. But at a dog fight?” She shuddered. “The man is quite odious, isn’t he?”
Daniel snorted. He might have guessed as much. “Dog fighting is a weakness of his.”
Catherine shot him a questioning look.
“I knew him at school. He wasn’t very pleasant then, either.” And that was putting it mildly. “We were about to devise a plan, but I need to know our goal.”
“Calliope needs to be married, and quickly,” Catherine said without hesitating. “We need to find him, bring him here, and hold him until the wedding can take place. After that, her reputation will be intact and it won’t matter what happens to her husband. If she’ll have him, that is.”
“Oh, I have no doubt about that,” Charles said. “Even though he’s treated her abominably, she still claims to love him.” He shook his head as he appeared to contemplate the convolutions and complexities of Calliope’s mind. “I’ll never understand women.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. I can’t understand her either.” Catherine grinned at him. “Or maybe I’ve simply spent too much time around men and some of it has rubbed off.”
Charles’s brows bunched, and then he shot Daniel a curious look. Daniel was confused until the realization hit him. Then he grinned. “I’m already aware of Catherine’s unconventional interests.”
Charles grinned in surprise and seemed to relax. “Now, that’s a relief. I was wondering if she’d break the news to you before you married her.” He furrowed his brow. “What do you propose to do about it?”
“About Catherine?” he asked. Charles nodded. “Nothing at the moment. She and I have come to an agreement.”
“You aren’t going to insist she stop, are you? You can’t. She’s truly magnificent with a foil.”
“I’ve seen her, and I agree.” He glanced at Catherine and noticed her face turning pink with embarrassment. “But enough of that now. We need to apprehend Attwood before he leaves the dog fight.”
Charles glanced from Daniel to Catherine and back again with an odd look on his face, but didn’t comment. Instead, he gave Daniel a crisp nod. “Mr. Phipps is watching him now, and we can join him there. I’ll send Professor Caruthers a message letting him know we’ve located Attwood. We’ll need to take the carriage to bring him back. If you can go on horseback, Daniel, I’ll ride in the carriage.”
“I’d prefer to ride horseback as well. I wouldn’t want to share the carriage wi
th Attwood on the return trip,” Catherine said.
Daniel shot her a sharp look, but she just lifted her chin. “You can go without me if you like, but I’ll only follow. I already know where you’re going, since I read the letter.”
“A lady can’t go to a dog fight. It simply isn’t done,” Daniel said, exasperated.
“Perhaps not, but Alexander Gray can attend. And he’s quite useful as a lookout.”
Daniel glared at Charles, but the man only shrugged. “She’s always been like this. You might as well get used to it. The only family member she’s ever tried to hide this side of her personality from is Mother.”
“Fine,” Daniel said. “You have five minutes to ready yourself, or we’re leaving without you.”
Catherine’s eyes widened with surprise, and without a word, she spun on her heel and ran from the room.
“Did I frighten her away?”
“Not likely,” Charles said. “It takes about seven minutes to create that scar. I think she’s trying to make every second count.”
Daniel pulled his watch from his pocket. “Let’s time her,” he said, trying to look stern.
34 - Dog Fights
They made their way toward a seedier section of London where the dog fight was being held. The wider streets gave way to narrower ones, and then the well-kept homes and storefronts transitioned to places with peeling paint and broken windows. This was a neighborhood where people minded their own business and stayed behind closed doors— a perfect place for dog fights.
Daniel glanced at Catherine. Her transformation into Gray was amazing. She wore the white head covering with a hat over it, and the scar that bisected her cheek seemed a bit wider and longer than he remembered, but she’d made it downstairs within the allotted five minutes. She didn’t wear fencing clothes but those of a privileged young man. Probably Charles’s castoffs.
If he hadn’t known better, he would have taken her at face value. As it was, however, he had a difficult time dragging his eyes away from her thighs. He kept glancing at her hips as he rode beside her. They were well proportioned and nicely rounded. He mentally shook himself and forced his eyes to turn away.
Following Mr. Phipps’s directions, they headed toward an abandoned warehouse near the river. Even in winter, the stench in that region was palpable. After years of neglect, the smell of dead fish and other rotting detritus permeated the place. His valet, Madson, would have his work cut out trying to remove the insidious odor from Daniel’s clothes tonight.
When they arrived at the warehouse, a tall, burly-looking man stepped out from between two buildings and waved them down. The carriage stopped and Charles jumped from it, hurrying forward to shake hands with the man.
Daniel and Catherine dismounted, and he had to force himself not to assist her. As they approached the new man, Charles introduced him as Mr. Phipps.
“I was lucky to find him,” Charles said, tilting his head toward Phipps. “When word got out that I was searching for Attwood, he contacted me. He used to know him, but apparently Mr. Attwood took something that belonged to Mr. Phipps.”
Phipps smiled as an evil glint appeared in his eye. “I’ve been wantin’ to catch up with Attwood for years,” he said with a nod. “I’d not miss out on this for anythin’.”
They left their carriage with the coachman and approached the warehouse on foot. Nearing it, Daniel heard the raucous shouts of men coming from inside. There was a smaller shed to one side of the main building, and it emitted the frightened whines of dogs.
Daniel’s stomach clenched. This sport sickened him. He paused, wanting to move toward the pitiful sound, but with a sweep of his arm, Mr. Phipps motioned them to move closer to the wall of the warehouse.
Catherine stayed close as they approached the building, and her floral scent invaded his senses. He murmured into her ear, “You don’t smell like a boy.”
Her face paled. “I forgot,” she replied softly. “I usually wear a men’s cologne, but I was in such a hurry that I didn’t put it on.”
“Just don’t stand too close to Attwood or Phipps. But even if they smell your perfume, they’ll be unlikely to guess the real reason.” They’d be more likely to assume the boy had come from a brothel, but there was no need to embarrass Catherine by telling her.
From ahead of them, Phipps gestured toward some mounts tied to a rail near the entrance. “His horse is still here. It looks like they’re almos’ done. I don’t think there are many dogs left. I’ll go in n’ drive ’im out. He hasn’t seen me in years, but I’ll lay money that he’ll go flyin’ out that door as soon as he claps eyes on me. You can grab him then.”
The three “men” stationed themselves on either side of the main door, with Charles and Catherine on one side and Huntley on the other. Mr. Phipps entered the warehouse. Just a moment later, the door opened again. The three were poised for an attack, but had to break off when they realized it wasn’t Mr. Attwood.
The man they’d nearly attacked scowled at them, but since it was three against one, he didn’t confront them, but instead found his horse among the mounts and left. He’d just cleared the open yard when the door slammed open. This time, it was Attwood. As the door bounced shut, Charles grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him to face him.
“Attwood, my old friend. How are things at Oxford?” Charles’s face was grim as he stared at his opponent.
The only people Attwood saw were Charles and “Gray.” He never noticed Huntley standing behind him.
“You need to come with us.” Catherine used her deep voice, imbuing it with a strength that surprised Daniel. “There’s a certain young lady you’ve wronged, and it’s time you did right by her.” She pierced Attwood with her hard, steely gaze.
Attwood smirked and ignored Catherine, turning his attention to Charles. “Found me out, did you, Charles, my boy? But you’re overreaching. There’s nothing you can do.”
“You might be surprised at what we can do.” Charles stepped forward, forcing Attwood to back away from him. “You’re coming with us. Now.”
For a moment, it seemed Attwood would comply with his command, but then his years as a bully asserted themselves and he offered a flash of defiance. Straightening his spine, he said, “No.”
Attwood spun on his heel and took a step toward the horses. He didn’t get far.
“Wrong.” Daniel grabbed his arm and spun him back to face them. “You’re coming with us, one way or another.”
Attwood might have been surprised to see him, but if so, he hid it and instead shot Daniel a belligerent look. “Let go. Now.” He tried to yank his arm free, but Daniel’s iron grip held him in place. “You think you can stop me? I remember you. You’re the one with the mad father who couldn’t add two numbers together,” he said with a sneer of derision. He pulled back his elbow, breaking Daniel’s hold on his arm. Then he threw a punch toward Daniel’s face.
Daniel ducked to one side and landed a fist in Attwood’s gut. When the man doubled over, Daniel followed it up with a second blow to his face.
Attwood fell to his knees. His hands flew to his face as he let out a low wail. “My nose.”
The door behind them opened, and Mr. Phipps came hustling out. He stepped forward to take in the scene and let out a loud guffaw. “I see them lords got the best of you, Attwood.” Phipps grunted as he looked over his shoulder and closed the door. “We’d best be gone. This match is dragging on, but there’ll be two more short fights after it. They have a couple of mongrels they picked up to use as bait, and they’ll let their newer dogs take them down in the warehouse to get used to fighting there. It should be over quick.”
Daniel glanced back at the shed. He could still hear the frightened, high-pitched whines of the dogs. Knowing their fate sickened him. Without saying a word, he turned away from the others and stalked toward the sound, his jaw aching from the tension of his tight muscles. He’d seen something like this before, when he was a boy at Eton. At the time, he hadn’t understood what would happ
en to the poor dogs used as bait. He’d seen one ripped to pieces before his eyes, still alive as the other dog ravaged it. The poor animal’s eyes had been so trusting as the man had led him to his death.
Daniel wouldn’t let that happen again.
He flung open the door of the shed. His eyes adjusted to the darkened space quickly, spying only one man sitting inside on a low stool, gawping at Daniel with his mouth hanging open.
With great strides, Daniel closed the distance between them. The man barely had a chance to climb to his feet before Daniel was upon him. He slammed the man, hard, against the wooden beam behind him, and then held him against the wall by pressing his forearm against his throat. He held the man in place as he glanced around the dirty shed.
The small space smelled of dog excrement, and in the dim light he saw the two remaining dogs cowering before him, whining as they backed away. He turned back to the man and pressed harder with his arm. As the man’s eyes rolled back in his head, Daniel let him slide to the floor.
He should be out for a few minutes. Long enough to get the dogs away.
Each dog had a rope tied around its neck, and the other end was attached to a hook on the wall. The ropes kept the dogs away from one another. Daniel unhooked one lead, then another, all the time speaking softly to the dogs.
“Come along, lads,” he crooned at them. “Let’s go for a walk.”
At those words, both their ears perked up. They looked at him expectantly and then glanced toward the door behind him. The smaller of the two let out a whine and bounced with excitement.
These dogs are pets. They looked so ragged that he’d assumed they were strays. But these two were obviously used to going on walks with their owners. They’d been stolen, probably for this express purpose. It would be cheaper to steal a dog than to raise one.
He moved toward the door, but as he reached out to open it, the latch moved. Daniel dropped the leashes and launched himself to the side of the door, pressing his back against the wall. Someone pulled the door open, but remained standing outside the shed.
Lady Catherine's Secret: A Secrets and Seduction book Page 21