by Affair (lit)
Baxter frowned at the sound of her voice. He crossed the library id reached the doorway in time to see her rising from one of her raceful curtsies.
The familiar Jolt of aching awareness sang through him at the ,ight of her. She was dressed in a green and white pelisse and a
)wn trimmed with green velvet ribbon. The wide brim of her i@ arching straw bonnet framed her vivid eyes. Little corkscrew curls
dark red-brown hair bobbed in front of her small ears. "Charlotte." He started toward her. Then he saw the hackney ach that was standing in the street. "What the devil are you doing re at this hour? And why are you alone? You should have brought ur housekeeper or your sister with you. I do not want you dashing out on your own like this anymore."
Hamilton rolled his eyes in derision. "Ever the gracious host, St. h es. One would think that you could come up with a more hospitable greeting for your fianc6e."
Baxter set his teeth. It occurred to him that Hamilton no doubt had a point.
Hamilton gave him a superior, sarcastic smile and then inclined hi s head over Charlotte's gloved hand.
11 1 must tell you that if I were in your shoes, Miss Arkendale, I Would definitely reconsider this engagement. Baxter's poor manners
11 arc hardly likely to improve after the marriage.
Cbarlotte grinned as she stepped into the hall. "I shall bear your ,@,arning in mind, Lord Esherton. I hope I am not interrupting." "Not at all." Hamilton shot Baxter another angry glare. "We l1w,'e just finished our discussion."
222
Amanda Quick
"Already?" Charlotte shot Baxter a quelling glance. But she was
all smiles for Hamilton as she casually untied her bonnet strlrjgs. "Did he ask you about Juliana Post?" "What is all this nonsense about some woman named Post?" Hamilton moved out onto the front step. "I have never heard of her." "I was certain that would be your answer." Charlotte's eyes
glinted with satisfaction. "But Baxter felt he had to ask." "I see." Hamilton's lip curled. "My dear half brother seems
intent on amusing himself by interfering in my personal affairs these days. One would have thought that his forthcoming marriage would hold more interest for him. Good day to you, Miss Arkendate." He pulled the door shut behind him.
Charlotte whirled to confront Baxter. "I told you that I wished to be present when you spoke to him about Miss Post's visit. Now
look what you have done. I suspect you did not employ any tact at
all. He's obviously quite overset by whatever it was that you said to him." "Tact is not my strong suit." "I've noticed. At least you got your answer. I told you that he was not responsible for Miss Post's visit." "So you did." "Which means that she may, indeed, be connected to this bust-
ness, after all," Charlotte said. "The murderer must have employed
her to break up our association because he knew that together we
were a threat to him." "I do not see how he could have known that. The only thing we
had done at that point was search Mrs. Heskett's house and then got ourselves engaged. Damnation, Charlotte, why did you come here alone?"
She frowned. "Never say that you are truly angry with me sim-
ply because I came here without a companion?" "Yes." He whipped off his glasses and began polishing them
with his handkerchief "Yes, I am bloody furious with you. All the
223
rriorc ,o now that I know Hamilton was not the one who sent Miss
post to see you. ''hut, Baxter, it is broad daylight. There was no danger." ::loody hell, woman, we are investigating a murder." He sho - I the glasses back onto his nose. He had lost his temper again. Tho., 1,AoWledge appalled him. "The least you could do is display sot, le common sense in the process." "There is no need to rail at me, sit. I must point out yet again ti-taE I do not take orders from you."
if he possessed any common sense of his own, he would shut his mouth right now, Baxter thought. Hamilton was right; when it came to handling women and their damned delicate sensibilities, he was clumsy, ungracious, and ham-fisted.
He looked into Charlotte's beautiful eyes and he knew again the powerful sense of dread that had descended on him earlier. She might be al risk. The dark wings of the recent nightmare stirred and fluttered at the edge of his mind. Anger was the only emotion strong enough to keep the fear at bay. "Very well, Miss Arkendale," he said, "we are agreed that you do not take orders from me. If you have no concerns about your own
safety, however, you might at least show some regard for my peace of mind."
Her eyes widened with comprehension. "Yes, of course," she murmured.
For some obscure reason, her sudden, calm, polite agreement did nothing to pacify him. Instead, he felt obliged to defend his foul
mood. "It is not as though I don't have enough to worry about as it Is. My aunt is insisting upon answers that I do not have. Maryann expects me to keep out of trouble my wretched half brother, who Will pay me no heed. I have not had any time for my chemical experiments since this whole affair began and I have just lost the fourth housekeeper in five months."
A quite understand, Baxter." Charlotte gave him a brisk, bright smile. A regret that your life has been so disrupted of late. But
224
Amanda Quick
never fear. This will all soon be over and you will be free to retu,11
to your customary routine. just think, when we have finished &IS affair, you need never set eyes on me again."
Baxter had a sudden vision of himself hurtling toward the crashing waves far below the castle window. The old acid scars burned with cold fire. He fought an inexplicable surge of panic with all the powers of logic and reason at his command.
"Yes, I am well aware of that," he said very quietly.
A terrible silence descended. He turned and led the way back into the library. "So long as you are here, I may as well tell you that I think we must change the focus of our researches. Rather than investigate Drusilla Heskett's other suitors, I believe we should look more closely at the members
of Hamilton's club." "Excellent notion. I quite agree with you." She followed him into the library. "We cannot overlook the fact that there is a connection to Len-
nox's heir, young Norris." "Indeed. Mrs. Heskett was having an affair with his father. But
I cannot envision Norris as a murderer." "Neither can I," Baxter admitted. "But it is a place to start. I
shall enlist my aunt's assistance. We require an invitation that will
get us inside the Lennox mansion as soon as possible." "That should not be difficult," Charlotte said. "Ariel tells me
that Norris's eldest sister is giving a masquerade ball at the family
home in two days' time."
,-A
Charlotte watched proudly as Ariel, costumed as a water sprite, was led out onto the dance floor by another in a long string of partners. "Isn't she spectacular?" Charlotte smiled fondly as she watched the dancers whirl beneath the jeweled lights of the colored lanterns that had replaced the chandeliers for the evening. "I vow, she has danced every dance since we arrived." "She's just a blur to me," Baxter said gruffly. "Especially in this dim light. Not wearing my spectacles, remember? They're in the pocket of this damned domino cape." "Oh, yes, I forgot. You can hardly wear your spectacles with your mask, can you?" She glanced at him and felt a curious dread that had nothing to do with their plans for the evening.
The long, black, hooded cape and half mask of Baxter's austere domino was indistinguishable from several other similar costumes in the crowd. She knew he had chosen the black domino because he thought that it would make him virtually anonymous in the thronyed ballroom and he had been correct.
But she feared that the unrelieved darkness of the flowing cape and mask suited Baxter all too well. She had a sudden vision of
226
Amanda Quick
Baxter disappearing forever into a dark cavern with his alchemi(,[i
fire and
crucible.
In a moment of whimsy, she had chosen to attend the masqut t
ade as Diana the Huntress. As she had explained to Ariel, the costume seemed appropriate for a lady who was hunting a murderer.
"I detest masquerade balls," Baxter grumbled. "Grown peol)l(! running about in masks and costumes. Utter nonsense." "You must admit, this particular ball will be quite useful to us.''
"Indeed. I shall rely on you to tell me when Ariel takes the floor
with young Norris," Baxter said.
11 She advised me a few minutes ago that she has made certain
that Norris would have the next dance."
The plans had been formulated that afternoon. It was Ariel who
had suggested that she could provide an extra measure of insurance
for Baxter. She had pointed out that it would be simple enough to
make certain that Norris was occupied for at least some of the time
Baxter needed to locate and search his bedchamber. "We appear to have a few minutes to wait." Baxter abruptly set
his champagne glass down on a nearby tray. "May as well spend them on the dance floor."
Charlotte blinked. "Are you asking me to dance, Baxter?" "Why not? Supposed to be engaged, aren't we? Engaged people do that sort of thing. I assume you can manage a waltz with that silly bow and arrow you've got dangling from your wrist." "They're part of my costume. And, yes, I think I can man,,ige the waltz." She raised her brows behind her feathery mask. "I did not realize that you danced, sir." "It's been some time. Several years, in fact." He took her hand without waiting for a formal acceptance of his offer. "Expect It s
rather like riding a horse. Doubt that one forgets how to do the thing."
She hid a smile as she allowed him to lead her toward the dance floor. "Let's hope that is the case, because other than that gall()]-,
227
aroun id the floor with Lennox the other evening, I have not had any practice in an age."
He stopped at the edge of the crowd and took her into his arms. ,,Ve won't try anything fancy." She chuckled. "We shall likely resemble a pair of rusty barges
6hing about on a lake filled with sleek sailing yachts." "Don't be ridiculous." Behind the openings in his black mask, xter's eyes were intense. "You are the most graceful barge in the
room.
The awkward compliment should have amused her but instead N@,irmed her to her soul. "Thank you, sit. That is the most charming tlijng anyone has said to me in a long while."
Without another word, he tightened his arms around her and @pt her out among the brilliant sails. just as she had anticipated, Baxter's dancing was all power and c0iitrol. But there was an underlying sensuality in his movements that reminded her of the way he made love. She gave herself up to the moment. There would not be many such, she reminded herself. She must seize each one that came along, drain it of its memories, and store them up against the possibility of a long, lonely future.
As the strains of the waltz swelled around her, Charlotte briefly forl,,',ot the reason she was there with Baxter in the first place. She
y knew that she was in the arms of her lover, the man whose face would see in her dreams for the rest of her life. The jeweled lanterns created a spangled pattern of lights on the uaiice rs. The ballroom was transformed into a shadowy faerie land Populated by costumed legends and masked myths. Gods and goddesses from ancient Greece mingled with the old deities of Rome and Egypt and Zarnar. Highwaymen and pirates conversed with queens and elves. And on the surface of the bejeweled lake that was the dance floor, Diana the Huntress whirled in the arms of an alcheMist.
When the music ended at last, Charlotte felt an inexplicable
228
Amanda Quick
urge to burst into tears. Her affair with Baxter might not last any longer than this perfect dance, she thought. A moment out of time that she would cherish forever.
"Charlotte?" Baxter came to a halt and stood looking down at
her. "Good God, what is it? Did I tread on your toes?"
She shook off the gloomy mood with an act of will. "No, of course not." She managed a smile. "I thought we did rather well, sit. We did not disgrace ourselves by sinking to the bottom out here among the pretty yachts."
His hand clenched fiercely around hers. "No, we did not. We managed to stay afloat." "That bodes well, don't you think?" She heard the ill-concealed hope in her own voice. And then she caught sight of Ariel's blond head, unmistakable with its garland of delicate sea fronds. "Baxter, Norris has just gone over to Ariel to claim his dance. You had best be on your way." "Yes." Baxter turned abruptly and hauled her quickly to a shad-
owed corner near the terrace. "Wait here. I shall not be long." "Be carefur,
He did not respond. He surreptitiously removed his pocket watch, glanced briefly through the glass cover to orient himself, and then turned and walked out onto the darkened terrace.
Charlotte watched him go, amazed at how easily he appeared to
vanish into the night. She knew that he was headed toward the
conservatory at the rear of the great house but she lost sight of the black domino before he had got as far as the stone steps. One moment she was aware of the outline of the black cape against the hedge and the next she could not see it.
A liveried servant appeared with a tray of glasses. Charlotte took some lemonade and then turned to watch Ariel and her new partner. Norris was dressed as an ancient Roman. He looked quite dashing in his toga but she noticed that he did not seem to be conversing
with his usual enthusiasm.
The minutes ticked past. Charlotte grew restless. She should
_-%D
229
hjj (, ac (_ ompanied Baxter, she thought. She should not have allowed hini to convince her to stay down there.
she silently counted the seconds as she listened to the music and ,,ardied the dancers. Her uneasiness increased. She could only hope that l3axter had been able to locate Norris's bedchamber quickly and that it Would not take long to conduct the search.
S[ie was attempting to follow Ariel and Norris as they swung
I into a long, whirling turn when a sudden whisper of night air from clie terrace stirred the flounces of her forest green gown.
Startled, she turned quickly and saw a familiar figure in a black c]()rnino standing in the shadows on the other side of the open Fren(h doors. In the darkness, it was difficult to see him clearly, The hood of his black cape was pulled down low over his masked face. The edges of the cape were closed, concealing his hands. The folds sxvirled around his black boots.
liaxter," Charlotte whispered. & ought to be vastly relieved by the sight of him, she thought
hurried through the French doors. He had obviously accomplished his goal quite quickly. She could not explain why little frissons of ice were jangling her nerves. Perhaps it was because the night air seemed several degrees colder than it had a few minutes ago. She was only steps away from the man in the black domino when she realized that something was wrong. She had made a mistake. It was not Baxter who stood there.
The figure in the cape and mask was too tall, too lean, too elegant. He lacked Baxter's powerful shoulders and aura of solid strength. Intuitively, she sensed that this stranger was not someone she wished to meet.
"I beg your pardon, sit." She came to an awkward halt. "I thought you were an acquaintance."
Th@, man said nothing. Beneath the edge of the half mask, full, seriSLIal lips curved. The folds of the dark cape parted to reveal a
1(, red rose gripped in a black-gloved hand. Silently he held out I, iood-red blossom.
230
--%D
Amanda Quick
Charlotte took a step back. She glanced at the rose and then at the masked face beneath the hood. "I fear you have confused me
with someone else, sir." "No." The voice was a raw rasp of sound that lacked any trace ofwarmth. "There is no mistake."
She shivered. T
here was something in the ragged words that called up old terrors. Impossible, she thought. She had never heard this voice. No one could forget such an unnatural sound.
She struggled to suppress her wholly irrational reaction. The poor man had no doubt suffered an injury to his vocal cords, she told herself. Perhaps he had been born with a deformity of the throat or mouth.
She managed a weak smile. "I do not believe that we have met, sir. Please excuse me, I must go back inside. Someone is waiting for me. " She turned to flee.
No, she was not running from him, she thought, irritated. She was merely chilled and anxious to return to the warmth of the ballroom.
"In all your researches into the lives of men, have you ever given consideration to the subject of destiny?"
Charlotte stumbled and nearly fell. She caught herself on the
terrace wall.
No, it could not be the monster. The voice was not the same.
She would never forget that other voice. It had been a dark, oily thing that had slithered through the night. This voice was harsh
and broken.
She turned slowly to confront the figure. She must not allow her
ittiagination to run riot. Logic and reason, not old fears, were the tools needed to deal with this.
"I beg your pardon. What did you say?" she asked with a calm
she did not feel.
"It's not important." The masked figure held out the rose, "This is for you. Take it." "I do not want it."
1// 1
--.%D
231
I
@,Zcu must take the rose." The raspi ng voice lowered until it
o more than a whisper. "It is for you and no other." iere was a strange, compelling quality about the ruined voice. h,, koned and fascinated. "Come. Take the rose." The lights and music from the ballroom receded into the disce. She was alone out there in the night with this man. "We do know each other. Why do you want to give me a flower@- "Take the rose and see. " The words were slivers of frost on a
ve.
She hesitated, but she knew that she could not turn and run. iger did not disappear when one turned one's back on it. She had