The Duke's Daring Debutante (Regency Historical Romance)

by Ann Lethbridge

  And it wasn’t as if they were in love or anything. Bedding him, finding truly amazing pleasure in his arms, didn’t mean love. It certainly didn’t mean they had to marry.

  No, she was wedded to the idea of being a spinster and an aunt. She just had to convince Nicky it was so once she’d broken off the engagement.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jimmy, his tiger, came hours before the time Freddy had set to visit Barker.

  One of the grooms brought a message about his horse being in need of shoeing, a prearranged signal, while he and Minette were at dinner. Fortunately, Mother’s headache required her to take her dinner on a tray, as it usually did when he was home, so they could exit his apartment with no one being aware. As they crossed the courtyard to the stables, he couldn’t stop himself from glancing upwards. To his mother’s suite of rooms. Narrow chinks of light indicated she was still awake.

  The woman thought she was punishing him by not coming down to dinner. When he’d been young, her withdrawal had hurt. No longer. Her enmity had existed for too many years for him to care. Besides, she was giving him the hours he needed to spend with Minette. What would Mother do if she had any idea she was doing exactly as he wanted? Show up for dinner?

  Unlikely. Not even to thwart him would she spend any more time in his company than necessary.

  One thing she would not do was stop him from marrying Minette, despite her privately expressed disapproval.

  Jimmy jumped up from the table in the saddle room, where he was wolfing down what looked like stew when they walked through the door.

  With one eye on the stew and the other on Minette, Jimmy bowed. ‘Yer Grace. A man arrived at the farm half an hour before I left to find you.’

  ‘Eat,’ Minette said.

  Freddy nodded. ‘Get something hot inside you while you can.’

  ‘I know one thing, Guv,’ the boy said, a spoonful of steaming stew hovering before his lips. ‘I ain’t cut out to be a soldier. Nor a farmer neither. Sooner we gets back to Lunnon the better I’m goin’ to like it.’ He shoved the mouthful in, chewed methodically and swallowed. ‘Mind you, the vittles is good. I’ll give you that.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Freddy said. He waited for the boy to clean his dish with the last of his bread. ‘Now. The message.’

  ‘Three coves showed up when it was full dark and the moon wasn’t up. They’s bein’ very careful-like, Mr Barker says. They wasn’t so leery as Mr Barker didn’t see they was carrying barkers and a couple of long pops.’

  ‘Qu’est-ce que c’est?’ Minette said. ‘Dogs?’

  The boy laughed.

  ‘He means pistols and shotguns,’ Freddy said. ‘Go on.’

  ‘That’s it.’

  ‘How did they travel?’ Freddy asked. ‘Horse? Carriage?’

  ‘One drivin’ the carriage and a couple of outriders.’ He rubbed at the bridge of his nose. ‘One saddle horse, without a rider.’

  ‘So they have enough horses for three of them to ride.’ Freddy looked at her. ‘It’s a small force. The Regent is bound to come with a company of dragoons.’

  ‘Perhaps a member of government isn’t the target,’ Minette said.

  ‘Then who?’

  ‘Nicky?’

  Something in her voice made him look at her hard. ‘Why would you think so?’

  ‘He might be angry that she bested him.’

  ‘Revenge, you mean.’ Minette wanted revenge on Moreau for the death of her lover. The Frenchman wanted revenge on Nicky because she’d escaped his clutches. ‘It all sounds rather Gothic. This is war. He might have been bested by Nicky, but if he wants to rise in Napoleon’s favour he needs to do something to grab attention. That was his aim last time. The death or kidnapping of the wife of an earl won’t do him a scrap of good. Though I’m sorry to say it, since Nicky’s death would be a horrible blow to Gabe and to you, it won’t make a ripple as far as the war is concerned.’

  She worried her bottom lip with her teeth before speaking. He wanted to be the one to bite that full lip. He folded his arms across his chest to keep himself standing right where he was.

  ‘Only three men to capture or assassinate the Prince or someone in his party?’ she said finally, shaking her head. ‘Why bother when there are men aplenty to take their places? Yes, that, too, would make a stir but little difference.’

  ‘Honestly, I have no clue. Our best course is to ask them.’

  Her gaze rose to meet his face. ‘You will arrest them before they have a chance to do anything.’

  ‘No point in shutting the gate after the horse has gone.’

  She frowned. ‘Certainement, but I don’t see what escaped horses have to do with the matter we are discussing.’

  A weird feeling of tenderness he hadn’t known for years lodged in his throat. Heartbreaking in its sweetness. A small chuckle escaped his lips.

  Jimmy glanced up at the sound in surprise equalled only by that on Minette’s face.

  ‘It’s a colloquialism,’ he said, smiling. ‘We need to nip their plans in the bud. Stop them before find ourselves at point non plus.’

  ‘I see. Once captured you think they will tell you their plans?’

  ‘We’ll make sure of it.’ Once the men were taken, Sceptre would take charge of relieving them of their knowledge. It would be up to him to find the rest of the web of spies. The key would be for no one to learn that Moreau had been arrested. ‘As yet, we don’t know for certain that Moreau is among these men. I will need you to take a look at first light. In the meantime, we will get some sleep. You, too, young man,’ he said to Jimmy. ‘You can bed down here for the night. Barker won’t expect your return until morning.’

  ‘Aye, Guv. So he said.’

  Freddy took Minette’s arm and walked her back to the house. Against every instinct and baser urge, he delivered her to her chamber door and stepped back. ‘Get some rest. I’ll make sure your maid wakes you in time in the morning.’

  ‘What if Moreau is not there?’

  ‘Then we wait and we watch, and hope he comes.’

  He opened her door and thrust her inside, catching a glimpse of her waiting maid and walking away quickly before he changed his mind, sent her maid packing and undressed her himself.

  He needed to go and consult with Barker. Arrange things for the following day to his satisfaction. Minette would not be put in danger.

  * * *

  The weather was fair and fine, if a little chilly, the next morning when she and Freddy rode into the clearing. Her heart was beating very fast at the thought of seeing Moreau again. At the thought of retrieving the miniature. A trickle of sweat ran down her spine. Nerves. Because retrieving that little picture under Freddy’s nose was not going to be easy. She’d have to find an opportunity to go through Moreau’s things without raising suspicion.

  A sour-looking Barker rose from a log to greet them.

  ‘What is wrong?’ Freddy asked.

  ‘Loped off is what is wrong,’ the other man grumbled. ‘Some time after you left here last night.’

  Minette glared from one to the other. ‘You said you would not come here last night. What is this loped off?’

  ‘They’ve gone,’ Freddy said.

  Her stomach dropped so fast she felt sick. ‘You scared them away?’

  ‘No,’ Barker said slowly. ‘They’ll be back, but as yet I don’t know where they went.’

  Freddy swung down from the saddle to face his minion eye to eye. ‘You have someone following them.’

  Barker nodded. ‘I do.’

  ‘What makes you think they will be back?’ Minette asked.

  ‘They left the carriage and its horses, with enough feed and water for a couple of days.’

  Freddy shook his head. ‘Damnation.’

  ‘What?’ s
he asked.

  ‘If he’s brought a carriage then I assume he means to use it to transport something or someone,’ he mused. ‘They must have been informed that the place is unoccupied so decided to make use of its nearness to Falconwood.’

  Her heart dipped. ‘And there is no Moreau conveniently waiting for his arrest.’

  ‘Apparently not.’ He turned Barker. ‘I need you to send a man to London.’ He went to his saddlebag and pulled out a notepad, pencil and a little book. He took a seat on the log where Barker had been sitting and set to work composing a note using the little book as a reference. The note would be in code.

  ‘To whom do you write?’ she asked.

  He lifted his head and gave her an enigmatic smile. ‘No one you know.’

  He wasn’t going to trust her with that sort of information. Of course he wasn’t. The trust between them was a fragile thing and not yet complete. She certainly didn’t intend telling him all her secrets. Not unless she had to. She turned to Barker. ‘Did you search inside?’

  ‘Top to bottom. Nothing except the horses. They had no intention of staying.’

  She wanted to curse. They had been so certain they had their man in their net. ‘What do we do now?’

  ‘Wait for my man to report back,’ Barker said. ‘Keep watch for their return. Guard Falconwood.’

  A mocking smile curved Freddy’s lips and lit his eyes. ‘In the meantime, my guests are due to arrive and I am tied to the house.’

  A terrible thought occurred to her, and her hands tightened on the reins. ‘You don’t think I am part of Moreau’s plot?’

  He hesitated a fraction too long. ‘I don’t know.’

  At least he was being honest, but it hurt. Deeply. That he would think she would betray him. ‘I am not.’

  ‘There are a few too many coincidences for my liking.’ He tore a leaf from the notebook and handed it to Barker. ‘Get this to our contact right away. Make sure your man is not followed.’

  Barker touched his forelock and disappeared into the woods.

  Freddy mounted up, his face grim.

  ‘You do think I had something to do with it,’ she said.

  ‘I know you are at the centre of what Moreau is plotting. I know there are things you have not told me. That is all I know.’

  Heat seared her face at the sound of his anger. She felt as if she had been slapped. She urged her horse up close to him. ‘If you think I would do anything to put my sister’s life in danger, you really do not know me very well.’

  He gave a weary shake of his head. ‘You misunderstand my meaning.’

  ‘Then explain.’

  ‘I do not think you are complicit in Moreau’s plan, but he is using you.’

  A cold hand fisted around her heart. It sounded so like Moreau. ‘So what are we going to do?’

  ‘We are going to formally announce our betrothal at our ball tonight. There is nothing else we can do.’

  The edge of bitterness in his tone clawed at her heart.

  * * *

  The guests began arriving at noon. First to arrive were Nicky and Gabe. While Nicky and Minette hugged, Freddy shook hands with his best friend, who gave him a hard look. ‘Everything all right?’ he asked.

  ‘We’ll talk later,’ Freddy said. When they had a moment alone.

  Mother, who had emerged from her rooms looking magnificent in a rose-coloured turban and an imposing gown of green silk, sailed into action. ‘The butler will show you to your rooms, my lord. I have, of course, put you beside Minette, in my wing of the house. You will no doubt require time to recover from your journey. I will have tea sent up to your room.’

  ‘You are very kind, Your Grace,’ Nicky said. ‘I would indeed like a few minutes to rest. Minette, will you join me? I am longing to hear all about your visit. And since there are others arriving behind us, you may show us the way. Her Grace will need the services of her servants.’

  ‘You are all that is kind, Lady Mooreshead,’ Mother said.

  Gabe and Nicky followed Minette up the stairs.

  The next to arrive was his cousin Arthur and his wife, Liz. The woman looked as if she had bitten into a lemon. Freddy shook his cousin’s hand and kissed Liz on the cheek. ‘Thank you for coming to celebrate my news at such short notice.’

  ‘Wouldn’t have missed it for the world,’ Cousin Arthur said. His eyes narrowed. ‘Looking a bit pulled, though, what? Shouldn’t you be sitting down?’

  ‘You do look rather tired,’ Liz said with a sugary-sweet smile. ‘Doesn’t he, Your Grace?’ she appealed to his mother.

  Mother sniffed. ‘Too much racketing about in the middle of the night.’

  Liz gasped.

  Cousin Arthur leaned closer. ‘Still up to your old tricks? You will have to settle down once you are married, you know.’

  Freddy gritted his teeth and passed the couple off to the butler.

  And so it went on for three interminable hours. Greeting one overnight guest after another. The rain yesterday had made his leg ache like the devil. The last to arrive in a flurry of gentlemen, dragoons and boon companions was the Prince Regent. His major-domo consulted with the butler and the whole party was led up to the suite of rooms set aside for their royal visitor.

  His mother sank onto one of the hall chairs. ‘That is everyone, I believe.’

  ‘Yes. Thank you for doing such a sterling job of getting them settled.’

  Her shoulders tensed. ‘I have never been one to shirk my duty.’

  He ignored the implied criticism. ‘Indeed not.’

  Her face reddened. ‘Your father would certainly not have approved of this dreadful misalliance.’

  He sighed. ‘Mother, I am marrying Miss Rideau, and there is nothing you can say or do to change it.’

  ‘Yes, and I know how it came about. You have made us a laughing stock. My Reginald would never have behaved in such a disgraceful way.’

  His fists clenched.

  His mother recoiled.

  Damn the woman for making him come so close to losing his temper. He sought the coldness of their usual interactions. ‘I suggest you repair to your room and ready yourself for this evening.’ He limped down the hallway to the library, where the captain of Prinny’s guards had been instructed to wait for him.

  Captain Stalbridge rose when Freddy entered. ‘Your Grace.’

  Freddy shook his outstretched hand. The captain was a sensible man, even if he was a Hyde Park soldier. ‘Sorry to put you to so much trouble. I have a map of the house and grounds and we can talk about the disposition of your men while the Prince is here.’

  ‘I gather we are expecting trouble.’ The man looked eager.

  ‘It is more a case of better to be safe than sorry,’ Freddy said, smiling. No sense getting the man excited. That way led to mistakes. Besides, he much preferred to put his trust in Sceptre’s highly trained men.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The gown Madame Vitesse had sent along with Nicky was the most beautiful creation. A rose-coloured gown, open at the front to reveal its white satin slip, edged in lace and trimmed with pearls and diamonds. The woman really had taken advantage if indeed she had lied to them about Moreau. The gown must have cost Freddy a king’s ransom. ‘Turn around,’ Nicky said, having come to help her dress. ‘My word, that is just lovely, and perfect for your colouring.’

  A knock came at the door. When Christine opened it, one of the footmen handed her a wooden box with the Duke’s compliments. She set it on the dressing table.

  ‘Open it,’ Nicky said.

  Inside a nest of indigo velvet lay a tiara, along with a matching necklace of pearls and diamonds.

  Nicky gasped. ‘My goodness. These must have cost a small fortune.’

  ‘According to Her Grace, these are always
worn by the bride at her betrothal party,’ Minette said. She had been expecting the jewels, but not their opulence. She lifted the necklace, its sparkle almost blinding.

  ‘He must have told Madame Vitesse about them before she made the gown,’ Nicky said. ‘Clever man.’

  That was one of the things she really liked about Freddy. He was exceedingly intelligent. About some things anyway.

  Christine artfully worked the tiara into her hair and fastened the necklace around her neck. ‘Mademoiselle looks beautiful,’ she said, stepping back.

  ‘You do,’ Nicky said, looking quite lovely herself in green taffeta and emeralds. She waved the maid away and once the girl had closed the door behind her came forward to take Minette’s hands, searching her face with a worried look. ‘You are happy about this marriage?’

  ‘Of course,’ she said, hoping she sounded happy, while inside the sadness seemed to be growing. A longing for what might have been. If Freddy had really wanted to marry her, if he hadn’t been forced up to the mark, and if her life before she’d met him had been different, she might well have been happy.

  An ache set up residence in the region of her heart. He was a good man, even if he was haunted by the demons of the past. He deserved a proper wife. And it was now up to her to make sure he got one. Because, in spite of all her good intentions, she had fallen in love with the man behind the icy mask.

  Love. Was that what she thought it was? She’d been mistaken in her feelings before. But she did respect him and want the best for him. She was not what he deserved.

  She forced a smile. ‘If I look a bit peaky, it is because of Her Grace. She is a difficult woman to please and I have the strong feeling she does not approve of me. She took to her bed almost as soon as I arrived.’

  Nicky frowned. ‘She was supposed to be acting as your chaperone. It was the only reason I agreed not to come with you.’

  ‘It was only three days. And we are going to be married.’ Minette gave her sister a teasing smile. ‘You said yourself I needed time to know him better.’