Derek flushed guiltily under his wife’s pointed glance. “It is not as though I wish to deliberately exclude you, Diana.”
Diana’s thoughtful brown eyes swept their faces. Tristan squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. Even Morgan would not directly meet her gaze. Diana tilted her head down to hide her smile.
“Of course you are not deliberately excluding me, Derek,” Diana said, lifting her head. She stared at him with wide, innocent eyes.
Diana’s ready agreement and open trust made Derek even more nervous. “Good Lord, Diana, don’t tell me you expect to accompany me when I meet Marlow.”
“Whatever would make you think such a thing?” she asked in a light voice. She smiled broadly at him as she held out a cup of hot tea toward him.
He was instantly suspicious. “You are being entirely too accommodating and reasonable,” he said, snatching the cup from her hand.
“What a strange comment. Precisely what do you mean?”
“Yes, what do you mean?” Tristan said, biting into his second sandwich.
Derek shot his friend a withering look before addressing his wife. “I will deal with Marlow, Diana,” he said in a commanding voice. He knew he sounded annoyingly superior, but it could not be helped. At all costs, Diana had to be protected. “This need not concern you.”
“It already concerns me, Derek.” Diana calmly sipped her tea. “Despite what you may be thinking, I am not foolish enough to want to take on Marlow myself,” she said softly. “I gladly leave him to you.” At Derek’s triumphant smile, she quickly continued. “But I do take exception to being treated like a dim-witted child. I believe I have earned the right to be told of your plans. After all, I shall be left behind to worry about you.”
Diana gazed expectantly at him, as did Morgan and Tristan. Derek smiled grimly, knowing he had been neatly outmaneuvered.
“I am certainly glad to know you are on my side,” he said quietly. “I believe you can hold your own matching wits against Marlow, my dear. However, I would never allow you to be placed in such jeopardy. When Marlow contacts you, I shall finalize my plans.” He bowed his head graciously. “And naturally I shall enlighten you.”
“That is most considerate, Derek,” Diana said, holding aloft a large platter of sandwiches she had made. “Now, gentlemen, is anyone else besides Tristan hungry?”
Derek and Diana spent the majority of the next day closeted together in various rooms of the house. They received several queer looks from the servants, but no one was bold enough to make a comment. Diana supposed the staff was becoming used to the eccentric behavior of the earl and his new bride. Their tireless searching was again an exercise in frustration. The mysterious book was not located. Diana began to have serious doubts if Giles had ever possessed the book, but she knew Marlow would not be interested in hearing her opinion on the matter. He would demand results.
“It is still early, Derek. Do you think we should go out tonight?” She asked while they finished their dinner.
Derek frowned. “Was there some affair you specifically wished to attend, Diana?”
“Oh, no. But Marlow said he would contact me in two days to arrange a meeting. I haven’t left the house since the ball. How will Marlow get a message to me if I don’t appear in public?”
Derek grimaced. “I do not wish to make things any easier for Marlow, Diana. Truthfully, I would prefer it if he was unable to contact you. We could certainly use the extra time.”
“For what?” Diana asked. “We have combed this house for two entire days and found nothing. I would prefer getting the whole mess over with as soon as possible.”
Derek did not argue, but they did not go out that evening either. In the end, it made no difference. While Diana sat at her dressing table brushing her hair before retiring that night she noticed a folded note next to her hairpins. Her stomach felt decidedly queasy as she stared down at the bright white paper. With shaking fingers she picked up the offending note and quickly scanned it.
The King’s Arms Tavern, on York Street. Ten o’clock, Tomorrow morning. Come alone.
The note was unsigned, but there was hardly need for a signature. Diana knew very well the message was from Marlow. A small chill went through her. Somehow Marlow managed to invade her bedchamber, the most private and intimate part of the household, to deliver his message.
Derek came up silently behind her. He did not notice the small scrap of paper she clutched in her tightly closed fist. She saw his handsome reflection in the mirror and she relaxed when his strong fingers closed around her shoulders. He bent low, trailing a delicate line of soft kisses just below her ear. “Ready for bed?” His voice was deeply sensual.
Diana closed her eyes and leaned her head back. The urge to succumb to his seductive kisses was strong, yet she knew she must tell him about the note.
She turned in her chair to face her husband. The words she was struggling to speak were instantly forgotten as she took a full, long look at him. “You’re naked,” she said, feeling her cheeks flush.
Derek grinned broadly at her, and he lifted his hand, tracing with his finger the lines of her flushed cheekbones. “I always sleep naked, Diana. I thought you were becoming use to it by now.”
Diana paused, unable to put her thoughts into words. It was one thing to cuddle naked against Derek’s hard strength in their bed, but quite another to watch him wander casually about the room without his clothing. She did not think she would ever become used to that.
She swallowed hard. The sight of her husband’s taut, sensual male body was having its usual devastating effect on her senses. Her breathing quickened and her pulses raced, and she felt the tingling desire deep in her belly. She longed to reach over and embrace his warm masculine form.
He leaned forward and began kissing her throat. “Derek,” she said weakly, holding up the fist containing the crumbled note.
“Mmm,” he replied, his hand closing over her breast. Diana moved her head back so he could not kiss her lips and she waved her clenched fist at him.
Wordlessly, he reached for her hand and she relinquished her hold on the paper.
“Where was this?”
“On my dressing table.”
“Bloody hell,” he said softly. “That bastard must have one of the house servants working for him.”
“I know. Only a member of our household could have placed the note there without drawing attention to himself,” Diana said grimly. It pained her greatly to think one of the staff was disloyal to Derek. “What are you going to do?”
“Forget about it for now.” He threw the note to the floor. Then he pulled Diana into his arms. “What am I going to do, my love?” he said hypnotically, sensually into her ear. “I am going to strip my beautiful wife of her clothing and carry her over to our bed, where I can hold her sweet, naked body in my arms. Then I am going to kiss her senseless and stroke and caress her until she is moist and burning hot and I can feel her body quiver with need. And then I will enter her warm sweetness. Fill her. Possess her. And I am going to feel her cling to me and listen to her moan and whimper for more as I drive her to mindless excitement. And when she is finally sated and totally relaxed, I am going to start all over again.”
“Oh, Derek.” Diana felt the flames of his words and the rigid trembling of his passion. She totally forgot about the note, about Marlow, about everything.
“There is one slight flaw in your plan my lord,” she said as her body arched toward his tender stroking caresses.
“Problem?” Derek murmured, taking her nipple carefully between his teeth.
“I don’t believe I can wait until you carry me all the way across the room to our bed,” she said with a teasing growl. Reaching down, she glided her hand over his broad, naked chest and then lightly caressed the tip of his fully aroused manhood.
Derek groaned and thrust himself back against her hand. “Don’t fret, my love. I am a man who has learned to appease his wife in all things.” Laughing, he pulled her onto the soft carpeted floor.
Afterward, Derek held Diana in his arms, listening to her shifting restlessly in her sleep. Slumber eluded him. His mind was focused on the events of the upcoming morning. He assumed Marlow would have someone watching the house, but Derek needed to contact Tristan and Morgan. He decided to send a footman to bring Ramsey to the house to guard Diana. Since she would be left behind, she would need the extra protection the Bow Street runner could provide. Given the ease in which Marlow’s note had been delivered, Derek felt justified in taking the extra precautions to guard his wife.
He did not doubt his own ability to effectively dispose of Marlow, but faint lingering doubts about Diana’s safety haunted him. He loved and cherished his beautiful wife, and he was uneasy about leaving her. He knew if any harm came to her, he would probably kill Marlow with his bare hands.
Diana muttered something in her sleep and cuddled closer to him. He slid his leg lazily along hers until he felt her calm and relax. Vowing to keep her safe at all costs, he finally relaxed and fell asleep.
Diana awoke shortly after dawn, feeling heavy headed and uneasy. She sat up quickly, alone in the large four-poster bed. “Derek,” she called out softly in the near darkness.
He appeared instantly at her side, and she noted with alarm he was already dressed. “You are leaving so early?”
“I am going to Tristan’s house. He and Morgan must be told about the meeting with Marlow. I am also going to arrange for Ramsey to come to the house to stay with you while I am gone.” Derek leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “Try to go back to sleep, sweetheart. I’ll see you later.”
“Don’t forget you promised to tell me your plans, Derek,” she said as he slipped quietly out the door.
Feeling restless and abandoned, Diana sank back against the pillows. She tried to take Derek’s advice, but it was impossible to return to sleep. Giving up on that idea, she rose from the bed and leisurely dressed. She was waiting anxiously in the drawing room when Derek returned later with Morgan and Tristan by his side.
The men declined her polite offering of breakfast and immediately began an intense and occasionally heated discussion about how best to trap Marlow. When the final plan was agreed to, Diana was not sure she should have insisted on knowing all the details. It sounded far too dangerous.
“Is it really necessary for you to go yourselves?” she asked warily.
“We won’t be alone,” Derek said soothingly. “Over the past few years Tristan has found employment on his estate for several soldiers who served under our command during the war. They have agreed to help. We will be taking ten seasoned war veterans with us, all of whom are crack shots.”
“You will take every precaution,” she said, not knowing what else to say. She was feeling apprehensive and exceedingly powerless. “All of you.”
“I can assure you, Diana,” Morgan said, “none of us has any desire to get hurt.”
Diana knew the duke spoke the truth, yet in spite of the apparent danger, she could see the men were excited about finally confronting their adversary. They seemed to actually be looking forward to the adventure.
“Ramsey is down in the kitchen eating his breakfast. He has been assigned the task of guarding you while I am gone, Diana,” Derek said. “You will do precisely as he says. And stay inside the house until I return.”
Diana nodded her head and watched with growing alarm as Derek loaded two pistols. He placed one in the breast pocket of his jacket and the other inside the waistband of his leather breeches. Diana glanced speculatively at Morgan and Tristan, wondering if they were equally well armed. She hoped so.
“Be on guard,” she whispered softly to Derek. He nodded solemnly and gave her a hard, fast kiss of farewell.
Once alone, Diana nervously paced the drawing room floor for over an hour. Feeling tired, she sank down on the settee. Automatically her eyes scanned the room and came to rest on the large oil painting hanging over the fireplace.
She frowned in true annoyance as she stared at the likeness of Giles sitting triumphantly upon his horse, his face a mixture of pride and excitement while he displayed the bloody kill of the hunt. Diana turned her head away in disgust—of both the man and his obvious enjoyment of the blood sport. Killing a poor defenseless animal and then insisting the moment be forever captured on canvas—it was disgusting. The poor little fox looked so small and fragile. Little fox!
Diana whipped her head around and stared again at the picture. Yes, it was definitely a fox. Giles was holding a fox. Excited, she jumped up from the sofa and ran across the room.
Giles had uttered, “Look to the foxes,” as he lay dying. Was it to this painting he was referring?
Diana intently examined the painting. Perhaps the clue was in the picture. Maybe she could recognize something in the background—a person, a landmark, anything that might reveal where the book was hidden.
Gingerly she traced her fingertips over the trees and falling leaves of the autumn countryside. Nothing looked familiar. In fact, just the opposite was true. The backdrop was merely a forest scene; there were no distinguishing features about it. It could have been any forest in England.
Disappointed, but not yet discouraged, she removed the painting from the wall. Even though both she and Derek had carefully searched this room, she almost expected to see a tiny wall safe hidden behind the painting. There was none.
Diana turned the painting over, carefully examining the back. There was nothing unusual about the paper backing protecting the picture. She burrowed her finger through an edge of the paper, gently tearing the lining away. She had ripped more than half of it off when a small black leather book dropped out and a sheet of paper floated slowly after it.
Diana almost screamed aloud in her exhilaration. She had found it! She had actually found Marlow’s book! Eagerly she snatched up the book and quickly scanned the pages. As Marlow had told her there were lists of names, with various notations, numbers, and dates written by each entry. However, Marlow had been right. She could not make any sense of the entries.
She started running from the room, but stopped suddenly when she unintentionally stepped on the piece of paper. In all the excitement, she had completely forgotten about it. She picked it up, glancing down at it with uninterest. But the words Chippenham and Rutledge immediately grabbed her attention. Squinting hard, she read the page.
Diana gasped out loud in disbelief. She was holding the missing church register page validating her marriage to Giles. Derek had been correct all along. Giles must have stolen the page. Marlow had been bluffing when he’d said he’d it and threatened to send it to the newspapers as proof of her marriage.
Her temper flared at Marlow’s deceit. What an odious man! She did not waste time indulging her feelings of outrage. She knew she must make arrangements for the book to be brought to Derek immediately. Tucking the book and the paper carefully in the deep pocket of her gown, she raced from the room to find Mr. Ramsey.
Diana got no farther than the front foyer when she was suddenly grabbed roughly from behind and pushed forward, her face nearly flattened against the wall. There was no one about—no servants, no security men. Just Diana and her unknown assailant. She felt panic setting in and her blood ran cold as an all-too-familiar voice hissed menacingly in her ear.
“Ah, so there you are, Lady Diana. I am afraid, if you don’t take your leave soon, you shall be late for our meeting this morning.”
Chapter Twenty-six
Diana shrank deeper into the corner of the coach trying to keep her seat while the vehicle tipped and swayed viciously. They were traveling at a rapid speed, convincing her they must have reached the outskirts of London. She also could no longer hear the bustling sounds of the crowded town streets.
Agitated, she wrinkled her nose at the bothersome scarf blindfolding her. The silken material had fallen down over her nostrils and it itched. She very much wanted to reach up and adjust the cloth, but she did not. Although she was fairly certain she was alone in the coach, Marlow h
ad given strict orders not to touch the blindfold, and she did not dare disobey.
It was distressingly easy for Marlow to remove her, seemingly unnoticed, from the house. After surprising her in the foyer, he had boldly pushed her out the front door, down the steps, and into a waiting coach. She’d landed in a heap on the bottom of the carriage. Taking advantage of her momentary disorientation, Marlow had quickly tied a silk scarf around her eyes before she had so much as caught a glimpse of him. Once her eyes were securely covered, he’d slammed the carriage door shut and the vehicle had jolted forward.
Marlow’s continuing precautions to conceal his identity led Diana to two conclusions: he was someone known to her and he did not intend to hurt her immediately since he continued to hide his identity. By the time the carriage stopped, nearly an hour after it had started, she had almost convinced herself Marlow truly meant her no great harm.
Her stomach turned over in nervous anticipation, however, when she heard the driver scramble down from the top of the box. Above all else, she told herself, she had to stay calm. Strong fingers gripped her arms tightly as they pulled her out of the coach. She stumbled, but was caught before she hit the ground.
Once standing, she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. She was immediately nudged from behind and told to walk. The voice commanding her was not Marlow’s, but that of another man, perhaps the driver. For a second, she panicked, thinking Marlow had not accompanied them out of town. “Mr. Marlow?” she asked softly.
“Have no fear, Countess, I have not abandoned you.” Cool, strong fingers closed around her wrist. She choked, stifling her screams at the unexpected contact and willed herself to remain composed.
They entered a dwelling and Diana nearly tripped as she was pulled up a long staircase. After being shoved into a room, she winced when someone roughly pulled off her blindfold, tearing out strands of her hair in the process.
She blinked several times in rapid succession, allowing her eyes to become readjusted to the daylight. Then she turned with great curiosity to face Jonathan Marlow.
Notorious Deception Page 28