“We still must find Mrs. Marley’s contact. And she was never even suspected until you brought her to my attention!” He made no attempt to keep the savageness out of his voice. He helped Riki in and they drove in silence back to Half Moon Street.
When they entered the front hall, though, he stopped her. “I believe you and I still have something to discuss.”
Riki looked the picture of guilt. “Have we?”
“In my bookroom, if you please.”
Without another word she preceded him down the hall and into the chamber. He closed the door then looked up to find her standing before the hearth, her posture rigidly straight. Only a touch of uneasiness showed in her lovely gray eyes.
“I’m waiting,” he said.
Haltingly, she related her escapades of the night before. His first impulse, which was to shake her, he fought back. Such an action was far too likely to end in his kissing her. He wasn’t about to give in to that.
Instead he gritted his teeth and directed his frostiest glare at her. “Can you not keep from acting in the most reprehensible manner? Going out alone at that hour of the night! Your behavior has been shocking.”
“And just what would you have done? You refused to believe me concerning David’s innocence.”
Probably he’d have done much the same thing, he admitted—but only to himself. Damn the chit for coming into his world and wreaking havoc with his life! Abruptly he turned on his heel and stalked from the room. He wasn’t thinking reasonably and he knew it. He encountered a footman in the hall and sent him to the stables to order his horse brought around. Taking the steps two at a time, he went to change into riding dress.
The traffic on the London streets irritated him further but at last he passed Regent’s Park and approached Finchley Common. Once free he urged his restive mount into a gallop. For a long, chill mile, he abandoned himself to the exhilarating exercise, then at last slowed, albeit regretfully. It was strange how the fresh air cleared his head. Already he could think more clearly. He brought his horse about and headed back toward town.
Before returning home, he stopped at Linton House in Curzon Street. A distraught butler opened the door and a swarm of activity met his gaze. Everywhere, servants scurried about their unexpected jobs of packing everything that would be kept. A house agent, a furious Clarissa informed him when he at last found her, had already been summoned.
“Rather fast,” Belmont commented, eyeing his sister narrowly.
“Oh, it is so vexatious of Linton to decide to remove from town just before the season is to begin, and without any warning!”
“But preferable to destroying your husband’s health.”
“But—” She broke off, startled. “Is he truly that ill, do you think?”
“Had you not noticed?”
She looked away, troubled. “I had thought—” She broke off then rallied. “He…he will recover in the quiet of the country, will he not?” She raised large, worried eyes to her brother.
“I am sure he will.” He took his leave, well satisfied with the results. Clarissa was not hard-hearted, merely too wrapped up in herself. Nursing an invalid husband back to health would do her a world of good.
When he at last returned to Half Moon Street, he found Riki pacing anxiously about his bookroom and his carefully recaptured control wavered. She looked so vulnerable. Again he fought back the impulse to drag her into his arms and kiss that frown from her brow. She didn’t belong in this time, she must return to her own, where she had her own future. Life without her, though, was going to be depressingly empty.
“What is it now?” he asked, doing his best to sound merely resigned to her latest folly.
She strode quickly up to him, her anxiety patent. In spite of his better instincts he took her hands in a sustaining clasp.
“Now that we are certain about Mrs. Marley, we must warn David, stop him from inadvertently telling her or anyone else anything more.”
“Yes, but first we must learn to whom she passes the information. And at the moment I have not devised a satisfactory plan for how that might be achieved.” Absently he raised one of the small hands he still clasped to his lips, realized suddenly what he was doing and released her abruptly. He turned away to the fire that blazed in the hearth.
“Can we not give her some more false rumors and see where she goes?”
Even her soft, husky voice did pleasantly distracting things to him. Firmly he shook his head. “That wouldn’t be subtle enough.”
“Have we time for subtleties? We don’t know what David told her about his resigning from the War Office. And now Linton is leaving abruptly. Aren’t you afraid she’ll realize he’s told us about her and take fright?”
He looked at her over his shoulder. “She can only guess and worry at this stage. But if Linton remains in town, she’ll be certain. He’s no dissimulator.” He rocked back on his heels, his gaze never leaving hers. “If you had told me what you were about last night, I could have placed an immediate watch on her and discovered where she went or who called upon her.”
“Yes, I might have known this mess would all turn out to be my fault. You wouldn’t have placed any reliance on one of my plans, and so you well know! You’d have told me to go home and go to bed and forget the whole thing.”
Dull color warmed his face at the accuracy of her guess.
She awarded him her sweetest smile.
And there was more sweetness in that one smile than he could have believed. After a brief struggle he said with as much sternness as he could muster, “In the future, I’ll thank you to keep me informed of your plans.” Under the circumstances, he felt he had let her off with a very mild rebuke.
Apparently she did too. Her eyes crinkled with suppressed laughter as she lowered her head in mock contrition. “Then I’d better tell you now that I’m going to speak with David.”
“I wonder what he’ll do,” he murmured.
“Come back to our own time with me, of course.” Riki looked up, met his gaze and looked away quickly. “You said yourself that couldn’t happen soon enough to suit you.”
“Did I?” He caught the wistful note in his voice and recoiled. Lord, I can’t become a sentimental fool! There was too much at stake in this deadly game to allow blatant emotionalism to interfere.
He crossed to his desk and began to shuffle papers unnecessarily. “There’s always the chance he’ll try to get word to Mrs. Marley that she’s been discovered.”
“He—” Riki broke off her heated retort.
“He might very well. You have no idea what idiocies a man might commit when he’s in love.” And that was why he’d never succumb to that lamentable complaint himself. “I’ll send a message to him to meet us in the park.” He dashed off a quick note then strode from the room, calling for Charles, the second footman.
Riki watched him go, her heart heavy. Her adventure was almost over. Once David learned the truth, that he had been tricked by the woman he loved, he’d be only too ready to return home.
And Belmont would be only too ready to see her leave. He liked her, he was even attracted to her. But he wasn’t about to give in once more to that glorious wave of sensation that had swept over them when he’d kissed her. That would only lead to heartbreak for them both.
She caught herself up on that thought. Heartbreak, indeed! What absolute drivel she was thinking! Her mind seemed to be trapped in melodrama mode, in some 1930s tearjerker movie. But just because the words were so corny and trite, that didn’t make them any the less true.
She trailed out of the room and found to her relief that Belmont, having entrusted his message to Charles, had gone to his club. That left her free until their meeting with David.
When the footman returned, however, she found the meeting had been put off. In a brief note, which David directed to Riki not to Belmont, he pleaded a prior engagement for the afternoon but promised faithfully to look for them at the Carltons’ card party that evening.
With that R
iki had to be content. Belmont, upon returning and hearing the news, merely set his jaw, gave her a curt nod of acquiescence and closeted himself in his bookroom until dinnertime.
By nine o’clock Riki found she could barely contain her nerves. Should she depart with David upon the instant? But that would mean she wouldn’t see Belmont any more. Should they wait a few more days? But that only dragged out the inevitable parting—and gave David an opportunity to confront his ladylove with the evidence of her treachery. No, they had better get David out of London at once. Perhaps they could journey to Falconer’s Court and stay there until the weather turned favorable, which in this case meant stormy.
Carefully Riki concentrated on not looking at Belmont during the short ride to the party. Opposite her in the carriage Felicity kept up a lively chatter, but Riki paid her words little heed. She would miss them—all of them. Hillary, of course, was already set to depart on the morrow to return to Oxford. But she didn’t want to say goodbye to any of them!
So this is what comes from living alone on a tiny island for so long. I’m starved for company.
When she got home she would invite people for weekends—perhaps ask ornithologists and students over to observe the peregrines. She would surround herself with people and then perhaps she wouldn’t miss Belmont so terribly much.
The bouncing of the carriage as they pulled up before the Carltons’ house jarred her out of her depressed reverie. She still had a very unpleasant confrontation ahead of her. Squaring her shoulders, she marched forward to face it.
Her preparations were to no avail. After a quick search of the comfortably filled rooms, it became apparent that David was not present. With a sinking heart she settled down at a card table, knowing there was nothing she could do but wait.
That quickly proved almost more than she could bear. David would not take this well. He would defend Mrs. Marley, probably refuse to believe the terrible things Riki must say against her. He would think she was trying to trick him into leaving his love and returning to his own time. He would want to go back to the future as little as did she.
She caught sight of Belmont playing piquet with an elderly gentleman on the other side of the room. He showed incredible tact, she realized with a flood of gratitude. Instead of waiting like this, he probably should have gone directly to whichever office in Whitehall dealt with spies and told them the whole—except, of course, where David had gained his knowledge of French and British strategy. David’s very existence, the information he could be forced to give the French, was a danger to England. But Belmont, against his innate loyalty to his country, was giving her the chance to save her cousin, to take him home.
The evening dragged on and still David did not appear. Nor, Riki noted with growing unease, did Marie Marley. Frustrated, she returned her attention to her game of piquet, playing with an intensity that soon brought a growing number of coins into a pile before her.
At last Lady Prudence rose from her whist table and announced in tones that carried across the room that she wished to leave. With a sense of shock, Riki realized it was almost two o’clock in the morning. Where is David?
She glanced across at Belmont, whose eyes glittered in the candlelight. He must be burning with fury, with a sense of betrayal. She could only hope he didn’t hunger for blood.
Quickly she hurried to his side and just touched his arm. The look he directed at her left her cold and shaken.
“He didn’t keep the appointment.” He barely repressed his anger.
“He couldn’t have known how urgent it was. Can we not go to his lodgings?”
“I shall, certainly.”
“I’m coming too.”
He didn’t waste time arguing. He sent for his mother’s carriage, begged her pardon and informed her that there was someone he must see.
“Me too,” Riki added urgently.
Lady Prudence regarded them both from her queenly height and inclined her head. “You will have a care for Miss van Hamel, Belmont. See that she gets home safely.”
“That is my intention.” He waited with barely disguised impatience while they took their leave of their hostess, then he ushered his family from the house and out to the carriage that had just pulled up to the door. He handed in his mother and sister then waved the driver on.
“What about us?” Riki breathed easier now that he hadn’t insisted she accompany them.
“We are going to have a talk with your d—with your cousin.”
He started briskly down the street and Riki almost ran to keep up with his long-legged stride. He didn’t slow for her, and she was relieved when at the corner they spotted a hackney standing by the curb. Belmont gave her cousin’s address, they settled inside and Riki caught her breath. They rode in silence until the carriage pulled up before the lodging house in Albemarle Street.
“Wait here.” Belmont jumped down and strode across the street.
Riki peered out the window. The large, dark building appeared in no way remarkable. She tired of staring at it almost at once. But before she had time to become bored, Belmont strode back out—alone.
“Half Moon Street.” He gave the jarvey the direction of Belmont House, pulled open the door and climbed in.
“Where is he?” Riki caught his arm in agitation. “What did you do?”
“Nothing!” He spat out the word then continued in a savage undertone. “Your beloved cousin, my dear, has flown.”
Chapter Eighteen
“What—?” Riki stared at Belmont, startled.
“Left. Vanished. His room’s been stripped and the fellow running the lodging says Mr. Warwick will not be returning.”
“But…that’s impossible! He knew we—” She broke off, shaking her head, fearing the worst. “He wouldn’t leave like that, not without telling me.” Even to herself her voice sounded forlorn.
“Well, he has. Confound it! I never should have waited. I should have turned this entire matter over to our people as soon as I got to London!”
“You didn’t because of me.”
He turned dark, brooding eyes on her. “Yes, because I promised you. I’ve never let a woman cloud my judgment before.”
And he never would again, his tone said clearly. Riki closed her eyes, feeling ill. “Where has he gone?”
“Do you really need to ask? To France, of course.”
“No!” She grasped his arm, shaking it in her intensity. “You heard him. He’d never try to alter history! He would never go willingly…” Her voice trailed off on that last word.
“If he’d been abducted, his room wouldn’t have been emptied of his possessions. No, he left of his own accord.”
“Then he couldn’t have gone to France!”
He grasped her hand and eased her grip on his coat sleeve. “I’m sorry, Riki. What else am I to think? He got my message today, he knew it was urgent, and the man who runs his lodgings says he paid his account and left alone with all his baggage.”
Riki shook her head, trying to block out the knowledge that her cousin had betrayed her—and Belmont, England, even their own future. It was too much to take in.
With a palpable effort, Belmont resisted the temptation to draw her against himself, to offer comfort for the pain rampant in her strained face. Instead he hunched his shoulders and glared out the window. Damn David Warwick. Damn himself, for not denouncing the traitor when he had the chance. And damn Riki van Hamel, while he was at it. He’d let his infatuation with this impossible female cloud his normally excellent judgment. Abruptly he let down the window and shouted to the jarvey to take them to Mount Street.
Riki huddled in her corner. “I can’t believe it,” she murmured.
“And just see the result!” No, that isn’t fair. It was his own fault for not acting on impulse—and good sense. They still had one chance, though a very slim one, he admitted. A watch had been placed on Marie Marley only that morning. If she left her house, she would be followed. And if she carried any baggage, she would be arrested. Since he
had heard nothing, perhaps Warwick had not gone that far.
The carriage jolted to a stop, he jumped down, strode across the street and vigorously applied the knocker. He was forced to repeat his rapping several times before a sleepy and highly affronted retainer opened the door to him.
“I must see Mrs. Marley at once,” Belmont declared.
“I am sorry, sir, she is not at home.”
“When do you expect her back?”
“I couldn’t say, sir.” He began to close the door.
Belmont stood his ground. “If you do not take me to her at once, you will be placed under arrest for treason.”
“Treason?” The man’s face paled and his hand dropped to his side.
But though the elderly man was quite willing to talk, he had little to say that Belmont found of use. Madam had simply vanished. No, he could not state with any certainty when she had left. After her nuncheon, of course, but she had not been there for dinner. No, according to her maid she had taken nothing with her. She’d left only one letter, to be delivered on the morrow, and a note for himself, directing him to close up the house. “To whom was the letter addressed?”
“A Miss van Hamel, sir.”
“Give it to me.”
As soon as the man returned with the sealed sheet, Belmont tore it open. At a glance he recognized Warwick’s fist.
Sorry I couldn’t stay to say goodbye, he read. We’re in a bit of a hurry. For obvious reasons, we have to get out of here today. There’s a little business I have to settle in Spain. A scrawled “D” was the only signature.
Belmont swore long and fluently, drawing an admiring glance from the retainer.
“Will that be all, sir?” he asked.
“Yes. No. Don’t go.” He turned and waved both arms over his head. A minute passed, then a dark shape detached itself from a doorway just up the street and hurried over.
“Did you see anyone either come or go?” Belmont demanded as the young man joined him.
“No, m’lord. Only servants.”
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