Secrets of a Duke's Daughter (The Duchess's Investigative Society Book 1)

by Samantha Holt

  “What happened to Betty?”

  “Someone attacked her, struck her on the head apparently, though I heard one of the girls say it had been worse than that.” Cassie twisted in his hold. “She took a beating regardless.” Her chin quivered.

  The housekeeper kept telling her it was not a sight for young ladies, but she’d seen enough blood to know the attack must have been severe. “Luke, they might have killed her!”

  He hissed out a curse. “I should not have allowed this.”

  “What could you do? You cannot stop everyone from leaving this house or it will grind to a halt. Besides, it seems as though she was attacked before she even entered the grounds. She staggered here and was discovered by one of the runners you hired.”

  He shook his head, his brow creased with deep furrows. “Damn it.”

  She bit down on her bottom lip. “There’s more...”

  “More?”

  “Betty looks a little like me.”

  “Looks like you?” he repeated.

  “It’s always been a bit of a joke, but we have the same build and hair color.” She plucked a mussed curl and stretched it straight before letting it spring back. “What if they thought they were attacking me and went for her instead?”

  “If they did, they cannot be all that bright. There’s a distinct difference between the daughter of a duke and a servant.”

  “Regardless, someone was attacked and it’s my fault.”

  “It’s the fault of whoever did this.” His jaw ticked and she felt his fingers flex into her arms. “We shall hire more men.”

  She shook her head. “And have them follow everyone about all the time? It is not even possible. What if this person means permanent harm, Luke? What if they no longer want to warn us?”

  “You haven’t even discovered much. What could possibly be worth killing a duke’s daughter for?”

  “I do not know but we have to end this somehow.”

  He released his hold on her and shook his head. “Oh no, Cass. No way.”

  “Whoever did this nearly hit Eleanor with that stone. He could have killed her. And now he has attacked a servant. It might only be a matter of time before they harm someone else—maybe even my father!”

  “They would have to be insane to attack a duke, for Christ’s sake. It would draw far too much attention.”

  “I thought that was perhaps why they resorted to simply warning me, but it seems they are past warning.”

  “Or this is just a grave warning indeed and the fact Betty looks like you was deliberate.” He fixed her with a grim look. “They want you too scared to do anything.”

  “I am scared, Luke, but how can I sit by and let people be harmed by my actions?”

  He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Good Lord, Cass, it is not your actions that have caused this.”

  “I think I’m going to follow Jane’s cousin,” she declared.

  He was the logical enemy after all. He wasn’t pleasant to Jane, was forcing her into a marriage and had gained a great deal from the death of Theodore.

  Perhaps she should have been focusing on him all this time, but it seemed odd to her that he would not simply have Theodore murdered if he wanted his inheritance. Why pretend he was dead? Why go to the lengths of having a body furnished with his jewelry? Something was still strange here but perhaps watching Mr. Harding would give her some answers.

  Luke moved his legs wide and folded his arms, effectively blocking her exit as though she were about to dash out past him. Which she might—if he did not agree to let her do something.

  “Someone has just been attacked and you still want to pursue this?”

  “I’m not foolish, Luke. I shall...take my father’s pistol.”

  “You hate guns and you do not even know how to shoot.”

  “I can shoot. A little bit.” She tilted her chin. “And enough to protect myself if needs be.”

  “I’ll tie you up first.”

  “You would not. My sisters would not allow it for one.”

  “I actually think they would at this point.”

  She let her shoulders drop. They were all concerned for her welfare to be certain and she was sure once they woke to the news of Betty’s attack, they would not be any more keen on her trying to bring this investigation to a close. But how could she sit idly by when people were being hurt? Somehow, she needed to end this.

  ***

  LUKE SPIED THE determination in the sudden tilt of Cassie’s chin and the hardening of her gaze. He hardened his own stance. She’d already talked him into allowing her into at least a dozen situations he did not want her involved in—not least with him—but there was no chance he was letting her put herself at risk.

  Nausea still rolled in his stomach at the thought it could have been her—and the attack could have been far more lethal. Even if he did not believe the attacker truly thought it was her, there was no mistaking what this was.

  A last warning.

  One more wrong move and Cassie would be dead. He was convinced of it.

  She did have one point, however. They had made no progress and were no closer to finding out who was behind the disappearance of Theodore. So why escalate now?

  Regardless, he wasn’t letting her out of his sight from now on.

  “We cannot simply sit around and hope someone does not do anything else.”

  Jaw tight, he forced himself to focus on the brick wall behind her. He’d already proven himself far too weak around her. Hell, if not for the interruption, would he have broken his promise to himself and her not to take her innocence?

  He could not be certain, and he didn’t want to be grateful for such an interruption but, damn, it had been close. He should have realized Cassie would be so passionate, so eager. It was how she approached almost everything else in life so why not lovemaking?

  He’d ruin her in so many ways if he did such a thing, whether he thought he was saving her from some other rogue or not. Dukes, marquesses, or even damned earls would be better for her.

  Ones with less sordid pasts than his preferably.

  “Luke,” she begged. “I must do something.” She went to move past him, and he shifted his stance, shuttering some of the light that filtered in from the open doorway of the stables. A horse snickered from one of the stalls, apparently as annoyed at his behavior as Cassie. Or perhaps as frustrated with Cassie as he was that she should be so flippant about her safety.

  Her gaze flared. “You cannot hold me prisoner.”

  “I’ve already proven I can lift you quite easily. I could lock you away in your room if I wished.”

  She gasped. Whether in shock that he would stoop to such a thing or because of the memory of what had occurred mere minutes ago, he could not be certain. Lord knew, the images of having his fingers buried deep in her lingered and likely would not vanish for some time. If ever.

  “I thought you were on my side.”

  He shoved a hand through his hair. “Of course I’m on your side, Cass. Why do you think I have been trekking around London with you and getting damn near strangled to death? I was hardly doing it for my own purposes was I? But this is too much now.”

  “I still think that had nothing to do with this case.”

  “Why do you have to be so determined? Why do you think you are some sort of private investigator? You are a duke’s daughter and it’s about time you remembered that.”

  Her eyes widened and he half expected a slap from the fingers that flexed at her side. He would not blame her.

  “I would not expect you to understand,” she finally whispered.

  “Then make me understand.”

  “You are a man—able to do whatever you wish. You will always be believed. Women are not. We are crazy or silly or simple or ruled by our wombs. When men will not step up to help us, we must help ourselves.”

  Pink splotches appeared high on her cheeks. He could not argue with that. He had sisters and already saw how the world treated them differently to his
brother. But that did not mean he could let her dash into danger simply because she needed to prove something.

  “Let me by, Luke,” she said through clenched teeth as she tried to push past him.

  He gripped her shoulders and she struggled against his hold. “We won’t do nothing.”

  She stilled and looked up at him. “We will not?”

  “We can hire someone to follow Mr. Harding. There’s no need for you to do it yourself.”

  “A man?”

  “I can even hire a woman if you’d prefer. There are a few private investigators who take on women.”

  “But—”

  He curved his hands around her chin and lifted her face as he closed the gap between them. “I’m not letting anything happen to you, Cass. Take my offer. Because I am not letting you out of my sight until the danger is passed.”

  Her lips parted marginally. He braced himself for the next round of arguments. Her gaze dropped down then finally back up to his and he felt her body shift.

  “It must be a woman. They are naturally less suspicious anyway.”

  “Agreed.”

  There was a reason these private investigators had started to hire women. They could go unnoticed and even use their womanly wiles to do things men could not.

  He did not think Cassie was wrong in wishing to find the answer to whatever they had tangled themselves up in—it was the only way to guarantee Cassie’s safety but he sure as hell wasn’t willing to let her put herself at risk. And he could not leave her side. She’d either do something reckless in a bid to protect her sisters or she’d wind up hurt and he’d never be able to forgive himself.

  Despite himself, he dropped a kiss to her lips. Now was not the time but it seemed his body thought otherwise. As did hers. She wound her arms up around his neck and pulled him close. He kissed her deeply, taking the welcome warmth of her mouth and winding his arms about her waist to draw her as close as humanly possible.

  He had no doubt about it now. He was a fool for this woman.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Cassie watched Luke tug on his gloves and put his hat on with some trepidation. She eased out a shuddery breath and willed her stomach to stop swirling. The desire to rush to him and beg him to be cautious made her legs twitch but somehow she kept her feet rooted. Having him under the same roof as her was becoming impossible. What had started as a rush of sensations was becoming something more, something rooted deep into the core of her.

  And she had little idea what to do with that.

  “I’ll meet with the investigator and return promptly,” he assured her.

  She nodded, not quite trusting her voice to stay normal if she replied.

  “Stay in the house, stay away from the windows,” he ordered.

  She nodded again.

  His gaze narrowed. “No argument for me?”

  Forcing a strained smile, she shook her head.

  “Promise me you are not planning something reckless.”

  “I promise.”

  The need to do something still lingered, she could not deny that. The fury that a servant had been attacked and Eleanor nearly been hurt had eased but not abated over the past few days of no more incidents.

  Thankfully Betty was recovering well but the thought that someone had waited so close to the house to deliberately beat a defenseless woman kept her awake at night. She had brought this upon them all and she needed to fix it. If she could not leave the house then she would find some other way of ending this and finding who was responsible for harming a servant.

  This was about more than simply proving herself to her sisters and aiding Jane. None of them could live until justice had been done. They were nearing the end of the Season and yet could not even leave the house. She hated that someone had done this to her and her family.

  “There are additional men on the grounds and outside the gates now,” Luke assured her.

  “Go,” she said, gesturing with a hand. “You shall be late.”

  He sighed, eyed her for a moment, nodded and swung a sideways glance at the butler who waited solemnly to one side. She met his gaze. His eyes darkened briefly. I would kiss you now if I could, they seemed to say.

  She would let him kiss her if he could. She might even cling to him and plead for more. It was hard to believe she had gone from little interest in the opposite sex to wanting Luke’s touch all day long. He had awakened something in her she did not know existed and it both excited and terrified her.

  What would happen once this was over? Would they ever kiss again? Would she experience his hands on her body once more or would they return to being simply friends?

  Unfortunately, she had to conclude the latter. He was a rake and would no doubt return to a life of flirtation until he was ready to marry.

  Straightening her shoulders, she snapped her gaze away. Luke wanted her to act with more caution and she had done so but now she needed to transfer that caution to whatever this was between them.

  Cassie hastened to the window of the drawing room to watch him walk efficiently down the path until she could no longer see him. Hands pressed to the cool painted wood of the window sill, she shook her head at herself. Here she was, trying to prove she was more than some silly, spoiled daughter of a duke and instead she was sighing over handsome rakes.

  She straightened, tweaked her bodice and sat at the leather-top desk. She glanced around and withdrew a stash of papers, secreted away in one of the drawers. If she could not go out then she could at least figure out what they were missing. This attack surely proved they had found something, and it had been overlooked. But what?

  They were going to follow Mr. Harding now, but she had her doubts as to his guilt in all this. Lord knew, the man was hardly a pleasant one but why the pretense of the body? Unless he knew it meant no one would look for Jane’s brother. Then there was the strange shipping company. She would write to all the London newspapers and see if they could find mention of it.

  She plucked out the will and eyed the mention of Jane’s house. This niggled. Why would a company even be willed a house, if not to sell for profit? Yet no mention of it coming up for sale had occurred. Could the company be using it for other purposes? Illegal ones perhaps? She grimaced. If she had not been so tangled in this desire to Luke, maybe she would have visited sooner and concluded this whole messy affair.

  The door to the room opened and Cassie swiftly pulled out a blank piece of paper to hide her notes. She smiled as Chastity walked into the room and visibly relaxed at the sight of her.

  “There you are.” Her sister pressed a hand to her chest. “I was worried.”

  “I am quite well and nowhere near the window.” She gestured at the new position of the writing desk.

  “Good.” Chastity glanced out of the window in question. “Where did Luke go?”

  “Oh, he had some business to attend to,” she replied vaguely. “I’m not certain what.”

  Cassie could not admit they were still pursuing the case. Chastity, in particular, would not be happy at all.

  “I’ll admit, I have not always trusted him, but his desire to protect you is admirable.”

  “He wishes to protect us all.”

  Chastity nodded. “Anton will be grateful for his care.”

  Cassie tried not to think how Anton would react if he knew his best friend had kissed his sister. But Anton had no say in what she did anyway, especially if he returned home and still pressed for her engagement to the duke.

  Her sister paced the room several times, winding her hands together.

  “It has been several days, and nothing has happened, Chastity. You can relax.”

  She cocked her head. “I’d never forgive myself if something happened to any of you.”

  “It’s not your fault.”

  “I’m the oldest.”

  “And I’m the youngest, I know.”

  “Cassie, that is not what I was saying at all.” Chastity walked over and put a hand to Cassie’s shoulder. “We
all know you are clever and capable. I just love you so much, Little Sister. I cannot help but want to shield you from the world.” Chastity dropped a kiss to the top of her head and Cassie’s stomach dropped.

  Chastity would hate her following this investigation. And she would especially loathe what she was doing with Luke, whether she thought a little better of him or not.

  ***

  USHERED IN BY an efficient-looking chap with a slightly hooked nose and simple but smart clothing, Luke found himself in a generous office at the rear of the building. He’d never needed the services of a private investigator before, but Cunningham had recommended them and they had a woman working for them, even though it was not advertised on the door.

  The private investigator, Mr. Archer, rose from his chair and shook his head. “Viscount Whitehurst, thank you for making time to see us today.”

  “Of course.” Luke removed his hat and gloves and handed them to the other man who ducked silently out of the room. Luke scarcely noticed the door closing.

  Mr. Archer smiled. “Hampton used to be a butler. He is excellent at slipping around unseen.”

  “A useful skill in an investigator no doubt.”

  The investigator nodded. “Most useful, and his age does not harm matters either. No one notices an older gentleman.” He gestured to the chair opposite. “Please.”

  Luke unbuttoned his jacket and sat in the stiff chair. The scent of leather suffused the room, though whether it was from the chairs, the books or the generous sofa opposite, he did not know. He could not claim to have honed his observational skills like Cassie had but it appeared Mr. Archer was not lacking in business given the shiny elegance of the room.

  “I’m assuming that’s the same reason you requested Mrs. Lyle take your case.” Mr. Archer laced his finger together atop the mahogany desk. “Though, I will confess she is not usually used for trailing people. I took on a woman for some of the softer, more delicate cases. Society ladies sometimes prefer a feminine touch.”

  “She is capable, though?”