Beyond the Duke's Domain: Ducal Encounters Series 4 Book 4

by Wendy Soliman

  Raph strode across the room and cut in front of the men petitioning Lucy’s hand.

  ‘I believe you promised me this dance, Miss Boyd,’ he said with confidence.

  She sent him an arch look. ‘Perhaps I did. But if so, the engagement must have slipped my mind.’

  Cartwright and Pilkington looked vaguely disappointed but stepped courteously aside when Lucy placed her palm in Raph’s outstretched hand.

  ‘I definitely didn’t promise you this dance,’ she said as she fell into step with him. ‘Why would you suggest such a thing?’

  ‘And why, in that case, would you agree to dance with me?’

  ‘To save you from embarrassment,’ she replied with asperity. ‘Things are obviously done differently in this country, and it isn’t polite to contradict a gentleman in public.’

  Raph chuckled and held her a little closer. ‘But you won’t hesitate to do so now that we are alone.’

  ‘Certainly I shall not. You are far too sure of yourself. You didn’t for a second imagine that I would refuse to dance with you, which is very arrogant. I wish now that I had done so, just to teach you a lesson.’

  Raph adopted a hurt expression, enjoying the exchange far too much. The minx was spirited, unafraid to express herself, and unlike the majority of the females he had spent years fending off, seemed not to harbour any expectations. ‘You are not enjoying dancing with me?’ he asked.

  She tilted her head and pretended to consider the question. ‘You are adequate,’ she said loftily, spoiling her lukewarm judgement by allowing a grin to escape.

  ‘Why are you so cross with me?’ he asked. ‘I thought I was doing you a kindness by rescuing you from those two, but if you were enjoying their attentions then I will gladly return you to their care when the dance is over.’

  ‘What on earth made you suppose such a thing? You have barely looked at me the entire evening.’ She turned her head away as soon as the words slipped past her lips, obviously regretting them.

  ‘I am a trained observer,’ he told her.

  ‘Ah, that would be it.’ Her feet followed his as he swung her into a turn. ‘Actually, I have no interest in either of them. Well, no romantic interest. They are both drawn to me because they have heard that I have a modest fortune, nothing more.’

  ‘You do yourself an injustice,’ he said, squeezing her waist.

  ‘Do I?’ She lifted one bare shoulder, drawing Raph’s attention to the smoothness of her unblemished skin. The desire to run his tongue across it grew more tempting by the moment. ‘If they were a little less obvious, I might find them more enticing. Ariana is ten times prettier than I am, but neither one of them has gone out of his way to engage her in conversation.’ Her brittle smile moved Raph. ‘Point proven, I believe.’

  The dance came to an end. Raph raised her from her curtsey, kept possession of her hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm.

  ‘Where are we going?’ she asked, when he led her away from the dancers.

  ‘You have earned a respite,’ he replied, not stopping until they had slipped through the open French doors and stepped onto the terrace.

  He released her hand and she walked the few steps to the balustrade, leaning on it and throwing her head back to breathe the clean evening air deeply in, exposing the long column of her neck for his uncomfortable inspection. Raph stood directly behind her, watching her but not speaking and not daring to touch her for fear that he wouldn’t be able to contain himself if he did.

  ‘What is it?’ she asked. ‘I sense there is something you want to ask me. Is it about Ariana? Are you worried about her?’

  ‘Naturally I am worried. I don’t feel as though I understand her anymore. She has matured beyond my reach, which is not to be wondered at, I suppose, given what she has been forced to endure. Does she confide in you about her aspirations?’

  ‘If she does then I wouldn’t be much of a friend if I betrayed that confidence.’ She turned to face him. ‘Sorry, Mr Sanchez-Gomez, but if you want to know more about Ariana’s desires and ambitions then you will have to ask her yourself. I cannot help you.’

  ‘But you would tell me if…’

  ‘If what?’ She blinked up at him. ‘Talk to her. She loves and respects you and will listen to your advice.’ A mischievous smile slipped past her guard. ‘Probably.’

  Raph shook his head and impulsively touched the curve of her face, cupping her cheek in his hand. She momentarily leaned into it and then pulled away. ‘I am glad she has such a good and faithful friend,’ he said softly, somehow resisting the desire to kiss the intriguing minx, more tempted in that regard than seemed credible.

  ‘Why were you spying on me when I was in conversation with Mr Cartwright earlier?’

  ‘What makes you suppose I was?’

  She sighed impatiently. ‘Always answering a question with another question.’ She shook her head. ‘I asked mine first so you have to give me an honest answer.’

  ‘I thought you were of the opinion that I hadn’t looked at you all the evening.’

  ‘You are up to something,’ she said, narrowing her eyes at him. ‘That is the only reason why you would take any interest in me.’

  ‘So little self-confidence,’ he said, shaking his head slowly, a provocative smile gracing his lips.

  ‘The same cannot be said of you,’ she replied with asperity, apparently unmoved by his provocation. ‘And I haven’t forgotten that you’ve failed to give me an answer.’

  ‘Has Ariana been to see you today?’

  ‘I am not telling you anything, Mr Sanchez-Gomez,’ she said, pulling herself up to her full height.

  ‘Don’t make me torture it out of you,’ he growled.

  She squealed and moved away from him when he reached for her. ‘Don’t be such a beast!’ she cried, laughing. ‘I dare say you could force me to tell you things, but that works both ways.’

  ‘You know what happened to her, don’t you?’ he asked softly, tapping the fingers of one hand against his lips. ‘She told you.’

  ‘I am sure I have no idea what you are referring to.’

  ‘And I am equally sure that you do,’ he said, exasperated. ‘You must realise that I am trying to do a better job of protecting my sister this time.’

  ‘Ariana doesn’t blame you for anything that has happened to her, so I fail to see why you should.’

  ‘She is my responsibility.’

  ‘I could say that it’s a little late for you to think that way, but it would be grossly unfair since obviously your first loyalty was to the security of your country, which is admirable.’

  ‘Perhaps, but at what cost to my family?’ Raph looked down at the flagstones beneath his feet, wondering how he had managed to handle this conversation so ineptly. He blamed Lucy. Those wide, judgemental eyes focused upon his profile made it difficult for Raph to think rationally, at least about anything relevant to the subject under discussion. Those eyes made sure that his mind wandered constantly, settling upon more agreeable possibilities—possibilities that had no business taunting him. ‘She is vulnerable, even though she cannot see it—or would admit to it even if she could. I simply want to reassume my protective duties, as any brother should.’

  ‘Has it occurred to you that gentlemen are far too protective? It’s insulting to be left feeling as though we ladies are totally incapable.’

  ‘I cannot change the way that I am.’

  She offered him a wry smile. ‘No, I don’t suppose that you can, but neither can we.’

  ‘What does that mean?’ The space between them appeared to have shrunk and her light floral perfume pervaded his senses. She suddenly seemed to notice the lack of distance separating them and glanced up at him, a little less sure of herself as she moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. Raph clasped his hands firmly behind his back to prevent instinct from trumping common sense.

  ‘My father was in your line of work,’ she told him.

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘We never saw hi
m. He was an expert in Chinese affairs and they always required him for just one more mission, one that was always vital to British interests and one that nobody else could possibly see through to a successful conclusion.’ Lucy pulled a face. ‘They played on his vanity and his patriotism, much as they do with you, one supposes. Anyway, after Mama died, Papa threw himself even more comprehensively into his work and Petra became my mother and my father. She sacrificed so much to protect me.’

  ‘I am sure that she was glad to do it.’

  ‘I was sixteen when we came to this area for a holiday. I didn’t learn until later that our lives were in danger because someone wanted something that Papa had left with Petra for safekeeping.’ She threw back her head and sighed. ‘Petra was attacked and was only saved thanks to the quick thinking of Cal and Lord Amos. Oh, and Muddle.’ She offered up the suggestion of a smile. ‘Muddle is Cal’s dog, who was just a puppy at the time. Anyway, I am telling you this only to give you a factual account of how harmful constantly being at one’s country’s beck and call can be to those who are left behind.’

  ‘Ouch!’ Raph winced. ‘You think I am not aware…’

  ‘I have no way of knowing what you think or how you feel and I make no apology if I have insulted you.’ She folded her arms across her waist and turned away from him. ‘Papa lost his mind and disappeared for over a year, causing Petra no end of distress because she didn’t know if he was alive or dead. And I was oblivious to it all. It was all kept from me. Anyway, he eventually surfaced in India, where he now lives with his second wife. We never see him and are unaware if he even remembers that we exist. He has run completely mad, and I hold the Foreign Department responsible for that situation. They put him under too much pressure.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he said softly, touching her cheek.

  ‘I don’t want your sympathy,’ she snapped, turning to face him again and impatiently brushing aside an errant tear. ‘I simply want to make you understand how frustrating it can be, how damaging it is for the rest of us when you diplomats take it into your heads to save the world single-handedly. I admire your dedication, yet abhor your selfishness.’

  ‘I have resigned from the service of my country,’ he said.

  ‘That is exactly what Papa thought. You will find it isn’t as easy as you suppose.’

  ‘Perhaps.’ He tilted her chin with the tip of one finger and smiled into her eyes. ‘I have made you angry, which was not my intention. Come,’ he added when she shivered. ‘You are cold. I will return you to your sister’s care.’ He took her gloved hand, raised it to his lips and kissed the back of it. ‘You have confided in me regarding your father’s situation, Lucy Boyd,’ he said softly. ‘Do it again for Ariana’s sake. I am not your enemy.’

  Chapter Eleven

  The following morning Adler finally had news to impart. Raph joined the rest of the gentlemen in the library, anxious to hear what he had to say, hoping that the time for action had come. Raph’s burning desire to extract revenge for the horrors that his sisters had been obliged to endure had not diminished.

  He adjured himself to pay attention to what Adler had to say, distracted after his exchange with Lucy the previous evening. A largely sleepless night had failed to provide a reason for his fascination with the chit, other than that she was his sister’s friend and he owed her a debt of gratitude for that reason alone. The fact that she also intrigued him on a level over which he could exercise precious little control was neither here nor there.

  Their conversation had shown the delectable young woman in a lively, intelligent light. But she was also impulsive, thirsting for an opportunity to prove something to herself, despite the fact that her protected upbringing had not prepared her for the realities of the world. Raph was at a loss to know how to curtail her impetuosity. He thought of confiding in Cal Harrison, who was responsible for Lucy’s care, but quickly dismissed the idea. It would seem like a betrayal. Besides, he had no specific concerns to voice, and only the instincts of a spy to convince him that Lucy and Ariana were plotting something that would land them in danger.

  Unfortunately for the ladies, Raph had no intention of being outwitted. The annoyingly independent Miss Boyd would soon discover that she had met her match.

  ‘The man I have working on Basingstoke’s estate reports unusual activity.’ Adler’s voice recalled Raph’s wandering attention. ‘It seems on the face of it that Mr Nash’s agents are in the right of it, insofar as my man chanced to overhear a conversation between Basingstoke and a man who fits the description of Cutler that took place in a quiet section of Basingstoke’s grounds a few weeks ago.’

  ‘Careless of Basingstoke to speak so freely when there was a possibility of his being overheard,’ the duke said, sharing a perplexed glance with Lord Romsey. ‘Say what you like about the man, but he’s nothing if not cautious. That’s why he gets away with all manner of nefarious activities that we know about but can’t prove.’

  ‘My informant is an under-gardener who does, in his own words, “all the bleeding donkey work”.’ Everyone smiled. ‘He was carting cuttings to the compost heap and took a shortcut back through the rockery, an area that he had no business being in. He did so because he’d noticed Basingstoke walking in the direction of a secluded coppice with our nameless friend and got curious.’ Adler allowed himself the suggestion of a smile. ‘Enterprising chap, is our Mr Stone, always on the lookout for information he can sell on to me for a profit.’

  ‘As long as it’s only you whom he keeps informed, Adler,’ the duke said.

  ‘I can assure you that it is, your grace. His sister is employed here as an upstairs maid. I have offered Stone a position far more worthy of his talents here at the Park if he continues to help us beat Basingstoke at his own game.’

  The duke nodded his approval. ‘What did he overhear?’

  ‘A loud difference of opinion between Basingstoke and the man. Something about the difficulties of transportation. The man whom I assume must have been Cutler was pushing to unload what he referred to as cargo on the south coast and leaving it there, arguing that it was close enough to make no difference and cut down the possibility of being intercepted on the road. But Basingstoke was having none of it. Said he had an ideal place to keep them that wouldn’t inconvenience the gentlemen they would be here to entertain by making them travel too far.’

  Raph fixed the other gentlemen with an angry glower and clenched his fists, overwhelmed with a fresh torrent of guilt. ‘There can be no mistake then? The blighters are in league.’

  ‘This man of yours is definitely reliable, Adler?’ the duke asked.

  ‘He hasn’t let me down so far, your grace. He has his own reasons for hating Basingstoke. The earl violated a kitchen maid in his own household with whom Stone had been walking out.’

  ‘Damn!’ Romsey muttered, thumping his fist against the arm of his chair.

  His sentiment was echoed by every man in the room—none of whom, Raph instinctively knew, would ever take advantage of servants in their employ.

  ‘What happened to the girl?’ Raph asked.

  ‘Stone doesn’t know. She just disappeared. Townsend, Basingstoke’s henchman, put it about that she’d left without giving notice, but no one believes it. Basingstoke is not a popular employer, as we all know, but positions are hard to come by in the current climate and no one walks out on regular work.’

  ‘You think she was either increasing and dismissed for that reason, or sent to join the girls in Basingstoke’s den of iniquity?’ the duke asked.

  ‘Both possibilities occurred to me, your grace, but I thought it prudent not to make those suggestions to Stone. He can be hot-headed when roused and his knowing would serve no purpose other than to make him lose his temper and perhaps take a swing at Basingstoke. Satisfying though that might be from his perspective, it’s not worth him being hanged for attempting to murder an earl.’

  ‘Quite so,’ Lord Amos agreed.

  ‘So,’ the duke said, ‘we know that Cu
tler is still up to his old tricks, and that Basingstoke is up to his grubby neck in it. We also know that he has set up shop somewhere in this area, where he has customers who are ready to be entertained by the poor girls. What we don’t know is when or where.’

  ‘The when is imminent,’ Adler told them. ‘Stone heard Cutler say that he would be leaving on the morning tide.’

  ‘How long would it take his cohorts to kidnap the girls he intends to bring in?’ Lord Amos asked.

  ‘It’s a slick operation,’ Lord Romsey told them. ‘They’ve been at it for a while. My guess is that Cutler has someone in France or Spain capturing the girls, who are ready to be loaded onto the ship the moment it arrives.’

  ‘Ariana said that she and Martina were taken directly to the vessel,’ Lord Amos said, ‘but one of the Italian girls brought to England with her mentioned that they had been kept in a warehouse for a couple of days before being loaded onto the ship.’

  ‘So, it’s safe to assume that if the girls are not already here, then their arrival is imminent,’ Raph said.

  ‘They haven’t come into London docks,’ Lord Romsey said in an assured tone.

  ‘How can you be so sure?’ Raph asked.

  ‘The vessel he ordinarily uses, the Seafire, hasn’t made port, that much I do know. We still have a few honest customs men we can depend upon. They have been told to look out for her, and she hasn’t docked.’

  ‘Perhaps the less scrupulous officers warned the captain that he’d been rumbled,’ Lord Amos suggested.

  ‘They could have used a different ship, come into London port and got away with it,’ Lord Romsey said, grinding his teeth, ‘but I doubt it. All vessels arriving from Spain and France have been thoroughly searched.’

  ‘You think they are one step ahead and have changed their landing place to somewhere more remote?’

  Romsey shrugged, looking as disgruntled as Raph felt. ‘That’s the obvious conclusion to draw. I’ve had people watching all their previous landing sites along the south coast, but that’s a labour intensive task, and I can’t guarantee that my men will remain vigilant forever, nor can they patrol the entire coastline. They seldom use the same place twice for their regular contraband and thus far there has been no sightings.’ He threw up his hands. ‘They could already be here, for all we know, but none of the people in the coastal towns who ordinarily supply information in return for a reward have heard anything.’