“Yes, sir.” And he would send Mr. Butler back to London as quickly as he could.
“This is your final mission, Langford.” Holding Julian’s gaze steadily, Sir Charles leaned back in his chair. “When the investigation is complete, you may consider your service to His Majesty concluded and attend to your estates.”
An angry protest rose in his throat, but he swallowed it. He’d bought a reprieve. “Understood, sir.” He pushed himself out of the armchair to stand in front of Sir Charles’s desk, waiting for dismissal.
Within minutes, Julian was flicking the reins to spur the matched bays harnessed to his high-perch phaeton. Instinct navigated him through the busy streets of London, but his mind was on treason.
Innocent soldiers fighting for England had died because of this traitor. The country was at risk, and the bastard had betrayed Julian. Fury lanced through him, hot and sharp. Retirement was simply not tolerable. Retribution, he thought. Redemption. He would pursue Miss Hannah, find the traitor, and turn him over to Sir Charles. Or kill the bastard.
Sir Charles would reinstate him if he found the traitor. He had to.
There was no alternative to spying.
Chapter 2
“MOST UNFORTUNATE, MY lord.” The valet’s nasal tones cut through summer birdsong. He poked his head out of the open carriage door as the vehicle rolled to a stop in front of the Traverses’ ancestral home.
“What is unfortunate, Roberts?” Julian shifted in the saddle as he reined in his mount. Beneath him, the horse’s hooves danced over gravel, then stilled. Dust puffed up to hang in the humid air. “The heat or the dust?”
“Neither, my lord.” Roberts squinted up at Julian’s mount. “If I may say, the dust would not be such a difficulty if you traveled inside the carriage instead of on that ill-tempered beast.”
“I’d rather be covered in dust than baking in that stifling carriage.” Julian studied his valet and fought back a grin. The man’s heat-flushed face resembled a bright red posy on the skinny stalk of his neck. Roberts stubbornly insisted on traveling inside the carriage, but that same stubbornness made him the perfect loyal assistant for a spy. “Besides, this ill-tempered beast carried me through enemy lines and back again. Come to think of it, Roberts, this beast saved your hide a time or two.”
“True enough, my lord.” Roberts sniffed and stepped gingerly onto the carriage step.
“In fact, I recall an escape from a jealous husband in Italy.”
“My lord, I—she—” Roberts sputtered. “She had information necessary to the mission—”
“Oh, cheese it.” Julian laughed. “You’re an easy mark.”
“Well.” Roberts’s lips twitched into a smile before he could hide it. He brushed a speck of nonexistent dust from his sleeve. “To return to our initial subject of unfortunate happenings, I was referring to our location. It’s quite unfortunate your mission brought us to the wilds of Devon.”
“Devon isn’t wild, Roberts. A Parisian salon is considerably wilder these days.” Julian dismounted to stand beside the valet. A groom jumped down from the carriage to take the reins.
“Perhaps,” Roberts conceded. “Still, Devon isn’t London or Brussels or Lisbon.”
“Indeed not, but my informant tells me the traitor isn’t in London or Brussels or Lisbon. The traitor is in Devon.” He narrowed his eyes at the Jacobean architecture of his ancestral estate. He had intended to go the whole of his life without ever seeing it again. “She has much to answer for,” he added softly.
“Quite.” Roberts straightened his waistcoat, sent his thin nose into the air and turned to the carriage. “I shall see to the trunks, my lord.”
“Good. I was beginning to wonder if the coachman would be required to hold the horses here indefinitely.” He set his hand on Roberts’s shoulder to take the sting from the words.
While Roberts grunted and muttered behind him, Julian stepped back to study the façade of the home he hadn’t seen in twenty-three years.
Thistledown spread its wings across acres of green lawns and gardens brimming with bright summer blooms. Towers speared toward the vivid blue sky, long fingers reaching for the clouds. Mullioned windows caught the August sunlight and reflected it in a thousand tiny rays.
He hated the very sight of it.
It was unfortunate that Thistledown was only a few miles away from Grace Hannah. The traitor had sent him to the one place he’d vowed never to return to.
Wheels crunched over gravel as the carriage trundled toward the stables. Julian glanced at the wide front steps of Thistledown and sucked in a breath as memory flashed, as clear and focused as though it had happened yesterday. His father dragging him by the collar down those steps, kicking and screaming. Being tossed into the carriage and held down.
It was the last day either one of them had been there.
The day of his mother’s funeral.
Anger stabbed through him. He did not have the choice to turn away. He could not climb onto his horse and ignore the memories.
He forced himself to take the front steps two at a time. Pushing open the heavy paneled front door, he stepped into the dark, cool interior and breathed deep. It smelled of home. Grief rose in him, bittersweet and raw. The clean scents of linseed oil and beeswax mingled with aged wood and dust. But the sweet scent of fresh flowers he remembered from his childhood was missing.
Julian let the door fall closed. Brooding silence surrounded him. He wasn’t surprised at the lack of life. There were no residents at Thistledown aside from the butler and housekeeper, Mr. and Mrs. Starkweather. The other servants came only to do the necessary tasks to keep the house from falling into neglect and left again.
He poked his head into nearby rooms in search of the caretakers. Silence rang in the empty chambers. Fireplaces were bare and curtains were drawn. Furniture and paintings were draped in wraithlike dust covers, as though life had stopped and only ghosts remained.
As he turned away from the great hall, he heard laughter echoing. Finally, Julian thought. Signs of life. He followed the sound through the halls toward the upper kitchens. The air here carried the delicious scent of roasting meat. Savory herbs mingled with it and set his mouth watering.
Cautiously, Julian pushed open the door to the kitchen and paused on the threshold to scan the room. Mr. Starkweather, older and plumper around the midsection than Julian remembered, sat in his shirtsleeves at the kitchen table, a cup of tea and an empty plate before him. His feet were propped on an adjacent chair and he was gazing fixedly at the roasting oven.
Rather, he was gazing at what was in front of the roasting oven.
Two derrieres bobbed side by side. One was wide with ample hips that shook as its owner made a movement inside the oven. The second, however, had slimmer hips with a bottom that was lush and rounded, and clad in a light wool riding habit that pulled tantalizingly against the curves it covered. A pair of serviceable leather ankle boots extended from the long skirts.
Yes, a fascinating view, thought Julian, eyeing the shapely bottom. And not bad as far as homecomings went.
“I think it could use a touch more rosemary. What do you think?”
Julian assumed the voice belonged to Mrs. Starkweather, the caretaker’s wife.
“I agree. Perhaps basil might be added as well?” The second voice was younger, smoother, with the clear, modulated tones of an aristocrat. He could just make out a shining coronet of white-blond hair floating above the lady’s shoulders.
“You know, basil might be just the trick,” the older woman agreed. “Mr. Starkweather? Your preference?”
“I think your roast is superb, dear. But you should add whatever you think best.”
“A diplomatic answer.” The young woman’s laugh bounced through the kitchen like a beam of silvered light on the air. “Clearly, you are the wisest of husbands, Mr. Starkweather.”
Julian glimpsed a full, smiling mouth and delicate features as the young woman swung to face the butler. Her smiled died when her gaze lit on Julian. To his regret, the pretty features blanked.
Vaguely discomfited, as though he’d been revealed as a voyeur, he infused his smile with charm. “What incredible feast do I smell?”
The comment resulted in a flurry of movement. Mrs. Starkweather backed up and whirled around, narrowing her eyes for one long, appraising look. Mr. Starkweather jumped to his feet, frantically snatched his coat from the back of his chair and shrugged into it.
The young woman, however, exhibited no such distress. She didn’t smile in greeting, but rather regarded him with the polite indifference of an ancient statue, pale as marble and carved of stone.
Unlike Mrs. Starkweather, who planted her hands on her hips and beamed at him. “Well, young master! I barely recognized you—it’s been three years since you last had us brought up to London for an accounting. You are a sight for these old eyes!”
Julian plucked up the woman’s hand and brought it to his lips. “Never old, my darling Mrs. Starkweather. Why, you’re as lovely as ever.” He bowed, adding a flourish to amuse her.
“Go on with you, Master Julian.” Her round cheeks pinked. “Though I suppose you’re ‘his lordship’ now. You should have told us you were coming. We would have readied everything for you. Instead, you give us not a word of warning.”
“I do beg your pardon.” Julian laughed. “I didn’t know I would be taking up residence until the day I left London.”
“Welcome home, my lord,” Starkweather added to his wife’s greeting, tugging his coat into place.
“Thank you.” Julian sent an appreciative smile toward the caretaker.
Turning to the pretty blonde, he warmed his smile. She remained in precisely the same position, fingers linked together in front of her, quietly watching. Her eyes were silver gray, a perfect complement to the fair hair.
“I quite forgot myself!” Mrs. Starkweather gestured to the young woman. “My lord, may I present Miss Grace Hannah? She lives a few miles away.”
Surprise had him quirking a brow before he slipped his mask into place.
How convenient to find Miss Hannah’s head in his oven.
__________
“WELCOME HOME, MY lord.” Grace hoped her voice didn’t crack. She hated to be caught unprepared. Forcing her fingers to loosen, she extended her hand to the earl in greeting.
“Miss Hannah, a delight to meet you.” His lips curved, at once beguiling and sensual.
On purpose, she was certain.
She sent him a polite half smile as their gazes met over their linked hands. His eyes were the bright blue of a cloudless sky in midsummer, a color that would have been attractive if not for the calculating light behind them. Her pulse skittered as those shrewd eyes scanned her face.
“Had I known such a fair lady would greet my homecoming I would have returned fifteen years ago,” he said.
“I would not have been here fifteen years ago.” The words sounded stilted. She struggled to add something witty and engaging. “Your homecoming would have been bereft of my presence.”
“Ah, then I shall be content with today, and count myself fortunate to be honored with your charming company.”
He looked truly disappointed. But she knew the reputation of the Wandering Earl, as well as the reputation of his father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Wastrels, gamesters and womanizers, every one. A lady couldn’t trust a rake and wastrel.
Then again, she wasn’t a lady.
She schooled her features into the polite, expressionless face she had mastered for dealing with aristocrats and their ilk. “Regrettably, my company is about to end, as I must be on my way.”
“Alas, must I be deprived of such beauty so soon?”
Her instincts leapt again as his watchful and cunning eyes continued to hold her gaze. The hair on her nape rose, sending a shiver down the line of her back. She suddenly felt like prey.
Uneasy, Grace collected her riding hat, more than ready to depart. She secured the plain hat by its long ribbons beneath her chin and wished it had been fashionable even three years ago, instead of five.
“Mrs. Starkweather, Mr. Starkweather, thank you for your hospitality. If you will excuse me, my lord? I must return home.” Acknowledging the earl with a nod she hoped appeared regal, she turned toward the door to depart.
“I shall return as soon as I have escorted our guest to her carriage, Starkweather,” the earl said.
“My lord, there’s no need—” Grace began.
“There is every need. My afternoon would be incomplete without a few additional minutes of your delightful company.” He offered his arm, extending it with a short half bow.
Nearly ten years of being the poor relation had taught her when to hide behind the pretense of submission. Resigned, she nodded in acquiescence and took his arm. It was strong and hard beneath her fingers. Their shoulders brushed, just the lightest touch as he steered her through the house. She felt the heat of him, and rising with it was the scent of man and leather and outdoors. Fresh, earthy and oddly appealing.
They left the silent interior of Thistledown and emerged into the bright August sun beyond. Grace glanced over at the earl, studying him quickly. His gaze absorbed the lawns, the drive, even the horizon in one quick glance. A breeze teased his light brown hair. The tips faded to gold at the ends, as though they had been dipped in sunlight. Lean and handsome features held a subtle tan that set off those blue eyes.
She turned away, refocused her attention on the grounds of Thistledown. It wouldn’t do to be caught staring.
“Thank you for escorting me to the stables, my lord,” she said.
“I take my duties as host quite seriously. Courtyards are dangerous places, you know.” He smiled at her in that way people did when they shared a private jest. Flirtation came easily to him. “And I’m ever a gentleman, Miss Hannah.”
Absurd. And amusing. She should remain quiet. She should refrain from responding to his banter. And yet—“It’s quite difficult to traverse a courtyard, is it not?”
“Extremely. One must be forever on guard against wayward guests interrupting your walk.”
“Or wayward residents.” Gravel crunched beneath her feet.
“Residents as well,” he agreed. “In fact, residents may be worse than guests, since they never leave.” He paused, glanced around. “But where is your carriage?”
“I rode from my uncle’s.”
“What did you ride?” he asked, turning smiling eyes toward her. “A dainty palfrey so delicate her feet barely touch the ground? A proud, high-stepping mare? But no.” He laughed. “Something more fantastic—a dragon covered in jewel-toned scales, perhaps? Or did you use your own exquisite wings? For surely only an angel could be so beautiful.”
Hard-pressed not to laugh at the sheer nonsense of his words, she tried to keep her features bland. “None of those, my lord. I arrived on an ordinary horse.”
“Alas. My enchanted visions dashed. Well, an ordinary horse can be raised to extraordinary by its rider, as must be the situation here. I trust you do not have a difficult journey home?”
“I have lived at my uncle’s estate for the last ten years. I probably will not lose my way,” she said drily.
“I hope not.” He slid a glance in her direction. “I may be a gentleman, Miss Hannah, but a few miles across the Devon countryside may be beyond my escort skills.”
“Gentlemen are just not what they used to be.” She sighed. Despite his amused smile, her mind chastised her tongue. What devil was pricking her sense of humor?
“Having lived here for so many years you are probably familiar with the people in the community and countryside,” he said. “No doubt there would be any number of friends to help you find your way.”
; Grace cast a glance at the earl. The calculating, watchful look returned to his eyes, turning a rogue into a predator. “Indeed, my lord,” she answered warily. “One can meet any number of people in ten years.”
“I’ve met a fair number myself.”
“In London?”
“And on the Continent.”
“The Wandering Earl. I have heard the sobriquet.”
“My reputation precedes me.”
“You are an earl, my lord. The only one in these parts, in fact, which makes your various activities interesting.”
“I haven’t been to this part of Devon in years.”
“That doesn’t negate the fact that you are the only earl. The others are merely barons, knights, honorables, or, as in my case, mere misters and misses.”
His eyes gleamed. “Somehow, I don’t think you are a mere miss.”
“I’d like to think you’re correct.”
The earl pulled open the stable doors and stood aside for her to enter. The faint scents of horse and hay drifted on the air. Grace let her eyes adjust to the dim light as he closed the door behind them. In the first stalls she saw what must be the earl’s horses busily munching their feed. They passed the animals and Grace pointed to a large stall near the end of the row. “My mount is there.”
As they approached the stall, a massive black horse thrust its head over the door. The stallion’s head was huge, his eyes a little wild. Grace watched man and beast eye each other with distrust. The horse snorted, nostrils flaring, and a hoof pawed the ground. His ears pricked forward and a decidedly irritated glint appeared in his eyes.
“An ordinary horse, Miss Hannah? That horse is definitely not ordinary. In fact, he looks to be a Thoroughbred.”
“Demon is descended from the Darley Arabian.” She crossed the few feet to the stall that housed her stallion. The animal whinnied softly at her.
“I assume he earned the name Demon.”
“Would you expect otherwise?” Grace stroked the stallion’s muzzle. “Demon has the speed and stamina for racing, but not the temperament, poor fellow. He has trouble following directions. Which is why my uncle dislikes him and handed him off to me.” She was lucky, really. If he didn’t bring in a fee for acting as stud, her uncle would have sold him years ago.
The Smuggler Wore Silk Page 2