The Duke’s Indiscretion

by Adele Ashworth

  Knowing time remained valuable, he immediately chose what Charlotte had described as a vocalise, a book of vocal exercises, and opened it to the third page before placing the forgery inside. Certain that it would be both hidden and yet easy to find if one were determined, he then returned the book to the box, this time standing it upright with a stack of loose music so that about a half an inch of the forged paper stuck out noticeably from the book itself, though blended with the other sheets in its vicinity.

  He then stood, pulled out another box, and switched the two in the wardrobe so that the box containing the forgery would be second from the top, less obvious to anyone searching to steal it.

  A sudden knock startled him into action. As fast as he closed the wardrobe doors, the one at the entrance to the dressing room opened and Sadie stuck her head inside.

  “Lottie?” she called out, her face covered in cosmetics in preparation for their final dress rehearsal before opening night. Then her painted brows rose in surprise. “Your grace?”

  Heart pounding, Colin planted a grin on his face and tried to look sheepish. “Anne Balstone came to get her a few minutes ago,” he said. “I think the director wanted to see her at once.”

  “Oh…of course. I forgot he was looking for her,” she replied with a satisfied smile as she entered the room and closed the door behind her. “I thought she would be here dressing.”

  He didn’t believe that for a minute, mostly from instinct. She’d found exactly who she wanted, though he played along with her desire to confront him with Lottie clearly otherwise engaged.

  “I see you’re ready for rehearsal to begin,” he remarked with a nod to her attire.

  She glanced down her body, her palms deliberately smoothing her servant girl costume at her waist. “Yes, well, I’m confident with my part and anxious to get the production under way.” She began to sashay toward him, her hands on her hips. “What are you doing in here, your grace?”

  Colin hadn’t expected to discuss the music with her until later, perhaps not until opening night, after he’d figured out exactly how to introduce the topic without sounding obvious. But her sudden appearance provided him an excellent opportunity—as long as his wife didn’t walk in and discover them.

  “Just…waiting for Lottie to return,” he replied, scratching the back of his neck as she approached him.

  “I think you were looking for her rare music instead,” she counted coyly, her painted lips tipped up at one end.

  He chuckled, dropping his hands to his sides. “You’re a very clever woman.”

  “Can I help?” she offered, standing very close to him now.

  Although it would be a prime opportunity to find out how much Sadie knew, he nonetheless hesitated, again concerned that Charlotte would walk in and he’d be stumped for words. The scene would no doubt confuse his wife since having Sadie look for the music with him wasn’t part of their plan.

  “Don’t worry,” the Frenchwoman fairly purred, evidently reading his thoughts. “Lottie and Mr. Barrington-Graham will be in deep discussion until rehearsal begins. We have some time.”

  “You can’t be certain of that,” he replied, purposely glancing to the door.

  She laughed softly. “Yes, I can. Because she has also been invited to sing in Florence, and he’ll want to discuss her impending departure for Italy. The particulars have become more complex.”

  That startling information caught him off guard, troubling him deeply, and he frowned. “Are you sure?”

  She looked insulted. “Of course I’m sure.”

  “How is it that you know of these invitations before she does?”

  She nonchalantly rubbed her breasts against his chest, gazing into his eyes with raw appreciation. “I look and I listen, Colin. Trust me when I tell you that I know everything that happens in this theater.”

  He didn’t doubt that at all, but more to the point, if Sadie’s information was indeed correct, Charlotte would be even more tempted to travel abroad and he wasn’t certain she could ever let such an opportunity slip through her fingers.

  Tugging his thoughts back to the gravity of the moment, he ignored Sadie’s sexual overtures and replied huskily, “Then we do, indeed, have a bit of time to search.”

  Just as she looked ready to draw him into another long kiss, he turned around and opened the wardrobe door. She sighed, but apparently decided to forgo an embrace for a possible fortune. That was, of course, if she actually had outside information about the music and would likewise know a priceless masterpiece if she saw it, and Colin still contended that she did, and would.

  “I’ve already checked the first box,” he said, lifting the one on top to give her access to the next. “I didn’t see anything important, though I’m not sure what valuable music looks like.”

  She reached for the second box and pulled it out easily. “I will certainly recognize rare music if it’s here,” she replied confidently.

  He didn’t offer comment as she placed the box containing the forgery on the floor, knelt before it, and quickly lifted the lid.

  He’d hid it well, he decided, but as he didn’t want to lead her, he began sifting through the music still laying flat, allowing her the opportunity to start with the stack he’d left standing.

  They searched for a minute or two, he pretending to be entirely ignorant, she completely engrossed in her effort.

  “How do you know she hid it in her dressing room?” she asked without looking at him.

  He lifted his shoulders negligibly. “I don’t. But I heard she possesses priceless music, and my guess is she’ll want to sell it before she travels abroad. And what better place to store it than with other music?”

  “You don’t think she would keep it at home?”

  “It’s possible, I suppose.” He paused for effect, then replied, “But it would make more sense to hide it more or less in the open, where nobody would suspect.”

  “I see,” she muttered as she finally neared the book of vocal practice. “A thief would never think to look with the music she uses every day.”

  “Yes, exactly.”

  “And she is here every day, so it is always with her,” she added.

  “Right again,” he returned as gentle praise.

  She glanced up and grinned at him. “You still haven’t told me how you came to learn of this rare music.”

  He sat on the ground as if discouraged with his own progress, watching her. “I heard she received it as a parting gift from a vocal instructor years ago.”

  Sadie stilled for the slightest second, then returned to her assessment the music at her fingertips, amusement fading from her features as she neared the vocalise.

  “Heard that from whom?”

  He had to think quickly. “From a drunken peer at a very lucky game of cards.”

  She shot him a quick, sideways glance, her forehead creased. “A member of the peerage?”

  “Indeed, though I don’t now recall his name.”

  “I see.” At last she pulled the book out from the stack. “What do you plan to do with the music if you find it, Colin?”

  His gut tightened the moment she opened it to the third page and began to skim the forgery.

  “I don’t know, Sadie,” he replied as evenly as he could. “Maybe keep it for my personal collection. Maybe sell it. What would you do?”

  Cautiously, she turned the pages one by one. “I…would probably sell it, depending on the value.” She looked up into his face, her eyes sparkling mischievously. “If one could easily sell something deemed priceless.”

  His heart nearly stopped beating as she studied him with a calculating expression.

  And then suddenly he had his answer as she abruptly closed the music book and replaced it, reaching for another.

  Clever girl. “I’m sure it can be sold,” he argued, his mouth unnaturally dry. He groaned for effect. “I just wish I knew precisely what I was looking for.”

  She patted his thigh, then caressed it. “Not to
worry, Colin. If it’s here, I’ll know it.”

  For another few moments she continued scrutinizing the remainder of the music in the box, then finally replaced it all into a neat stack and sat back on her heels.

  “Unfortunately, I don’t see anything in this box that strikes me as rare or priceless,” she remarked through a sigh.

  “Are you certain you’d know if you saw it?” he asked once more, giving her a final time for truth.

  She looked into his eyes and smiled. “If it’s very old, or composed by a master, then yes.” Leaning toward him, she whispered, “I’m very good at what I do, Colin.”

  He grinned slyly. “I’ve no doubt, Sadie.”

  Thankfully, the sound of female voices on the other side of the door startled them in to action. Colin jumped to his feet and lifted the box, stacking it quickly, then stepping back as Sadie closed the wardrobe door.

  Charlotte knew Colin waited for her in her dressing room, and since she hadn’t seen Sadie since she left Walter’s office, she suspected the woman was with him.

  She trusted her husband wholeheartedly, and yet she couldn’t deny the slight edge of doubt and even jealousy she felt just knowing they were together and alone. She could only hope he’d had the time to hide the forgery, and if not, that he hadn’t undressed for the woman she no longer considered a friend. But she didn’t think that likely. Not after the magical way he made love to her.

  Nearing her dressing room door, she greeted Anne and two other ladies in the cast, pausing only long enough to let them know Walter was on his way and rehearsal would begin shortly, then turned the handle and walked in.

  The sight of her husband huddled so closely to Sadie disturbed her momentarily, though she managed to act as if seeing them together meant nothing. Sadie looked contrite, but Colin admired her up and down as if undressing her with his eyes, a thought she found amusing since she wore costuming, heavy cosmetics, and a wig.

  “Your grace,” she said with a slight curtsy. “Sadie.”

  She left the door ajar and slowly walked inside. “What are you doing in here?” she asked pleasantly, hoping her husband would have an answer for the question.

  Sadie stepped in front of him. “I was just looking for you, Lottie, to let you know we’re on in less than ten minutes.” She glanced over her shoulder. “His grace and I were just chatting about music.”

  “Music?” She raised her arms to adjust her wig as she walked to her vanity. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”

  “Of course not, Lottie love,” Colin replied, his voice laced with amusement. “You look spectacular, as always.”

  Charlotte peered at him through the mirror, fighting a grin and using as much strength as possible to keep from blurting that he really, really couldn’t act very well.

  “Thank you, sir,” she said blandly, lighting the lamp next to her cosmetic case.

  An awkward moment passed. Then Sadie cleared her throat.

  “Well, I think I’ll be on my way,” she said breezily, fairly waltzing toward the door. “See you on the stage, Lottie.”

  “I’ll be there shortly,” she replied, gazing at her face in the mirror.

  As soon as the door clicked shut from the Frenchwoman’s departure, she whirled around to face him. “What happened?” she whispered, moving to his side.

  He grinned. “She knows. She saw it and didn’t say a word of its worth.”

  Hands on hips, she eyed him skeptically. “You don’t suppose she knew it was a forgery, do you?”

  He looked at her aghast. Then he grinned again as he reached out and grabbed the yoke of her costume, yanking her against him.

  “You saw it,” he teased. “Did you think it looked original?”

  She wrapped her arm around his neck. “You have a point, my darling, and if I thought it looked original, she surely did, too. But why on earth did you show it to her now?”

  Colin dropped his hands to her waist, scanning her entire face. “Your cosmetics have transformed you into the bewitching minx.”

  She laughed softly, then scolded him. “Answer my question, you insufferable man.”

  He shrugged a shoulder negligibly. “I’d just hidden it when she walked in unannounced and asked me what I was doing.” He kissed the tip of her nose, then added, “I’m afraid I had to improvise.”

  She pulled back a little, her expression growing serious once more. “But even if she now knows, it’s quite possible she’s not working with anyone and you’ve just given away a secret treasure she’ll simply want to steal herself.”

  “I’ve already considered that.”

  Raising her brows with skepticism, she asked, “You have?”

  “I have indeed, and that’s why I’m going to take it out again.”

  “What?”

  He smiled again. “Well, actually, I’m not going to take it out, I’m simply going to move it for now.”

  Charlotte shook her head, confused. “What would be the point in that?”

  “The point, sweetheart,” he explained, lowering his voice to a near whisper, “is that I pretended to have no idea what kind of music it was, and so she doesn’t, right now, suspect me—or rather, she won’t know if she can trust what I’ve said. I’m going to remove the forgery, so if by some chance she comes back to look for it, she’ll discover it missing, which will only mean, to her, that I have it.”

  “And then what?” she asked, her own excitement at this new development thriving. “Confront her?”

  He pulled her closer so that her breasts crushed up against his chest. “Blackmail her, and find out who’s behind this.”

  She fairly gaped at him. “Blackmail her?”

  “Tell her I’ll give it to her for a price.” He ran his fingers up her spine. “That should shake the leaves from the tree.”

  The sound of orchestral music abruptly interrupted their dialogue.

  “They’re beginning to warm up the instruments,” she said, withdrawing from his embrace. “I need to be on the stage before I’m missed—”

  He grabbed her arm, effectively cutting her off.

  “One more thing,” he murmured, his grin fading a little as he gazed into her eyes. “I heard you’ve been offered the chance to sing in Florence as well.”

  She blinked, startled and confused for a second or two—until she realized Sadie must have informed him of her meeting with Walter. With a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, she gently pried her arm from his clutches and he let her go.

  Frustrated, she said, “Why does she know of these things before I do?”

  His eyes narrowed as his body tensed. “That’s what concerns you?” he asked quietly, crossing his arms over his chest.

  She felt his sudden shift in mood and knew at once that he wasn’t all too happy with the news. Turning away from him, she walked back to her vanity, gazing down to the disorganized mess of creams and color-filled jars.

  “I just learned about it, Colin,” she replied matter-of-factly. “And yes, that concerns me. How does she know?”

  He inhaled deeply and leaned to his side, resting his shoulder against the wardrobe door. “I don’t know, Charlotte. Maybe she’s having an intimate affair with Barrington-Graham. Maybe he’s the man who’s really after your Handel masterwork. Maybe she simply eavesdrops because she’s a dishonest person at heart.”

  “I just can’t believe any of that,” she replied with a shake of her head. “I’ve worked with her for three years, Colin, and I’ve never known her to be deceitful.” She tossed her hand in the air. “Except where you are concerned, and her…attraction to you.”

  He remained silent for a long moment, though she could positively feel his eyes on her, sense his uncertainty. Then she heard him begin to move toward her, and just as she lifted her lashes again, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, lightly kissed her neck, and captured her gaze in the mirror.

  “She also knew about the music, of that I’m sure,” he said with conviction, his tone low. “She st
udied two or three pages and then put it back where I’d hidden it. Whoever she’s working with will soon hear of the discovery and then we’ll know.”

  She nodded, wrapping her arms around him as he clung to her. “I need to go. We open tomorrow night and this performance is vital. And I don’t want Sadie to suspect anything unusual.”

  He inhaled deeply once more, yet he didn’t drop his arms. “You still haven’t told me about Florence.”

  She swallowed, staring into his beautiful eyes through the glass. “The director of the Teatro della Pergola heard about my engagement in Milan, and he contacted Edward Hibbert. Walter told me of the offer only a little while ago, but I don’t know the particulars yet. I’ll learn more tomorrow evening when I speak to Edward about the offer in detail.”

  “I see,” he replied. They stared silently at each other for a moment, then she turned and briefly kissed him.

  “What are you going to do about Sadie?” she asked, pulling away from him.

  He ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m going to leave her an anonymous note telling her I have the music and want to meet with the person in charge tomorrow night. I have no doubt they’ll contact me.”

  She frowned. “Anonymous?”

  He shrugged and smiled. “Just to keep her guessing.”

  Touching his cheek with her palm, her gaze scanned every inch of his face. “Thank you, Colin. For everything.”

  His features grew serious as he gazed at her intently. But before he could reply, she lifted her skirts and walked from her dressing room.

  Colin stared at his handwritten note.

  I have the Handel masterpiece. I want to meet the person you’re working for during the second interval, opening night, in your dressing room. Bring no one else. Have him there or you’ll never see the work again.

  He left the page unsigned, then folded it and wrote her name on the front, leaving it unsealed. With the entire cast and chorus singing on the stage, he paused for a moment outside Charlotte’s dressing room to make sure he wouldn’t be seen, then swiftly moved to his right, passing two smaller rooms before coming to Sadie’s. After a quick glance around him to make certain nobody could see or place him there, he then knelt down and shoved the paper under the small crack at the floor. That done, he once again stood and promptly made his way past the large black curtain and out into the audience area to watch their final performance before opening night.