Secrets to a Gentleman's Heart (Gentlemen of Intrigue Book 1) Page 23

  Her sister shook her head. “We’ve captured everything. I am certain.”

  “Very good. Please proceed Evangeline.”

  Regina’s sister sanded the paper and waved her hand over the top with a dramatic flourish. “I give you Uncle Charles’s map.” She pushed from the table and stood, allowing Xavier a better view of the drawing.

  He scrunched his brow as he read the title scrawled across the top of the roughly drawn map. “Sinai Peninsula.”

  Regina handed him the map. “Evangeline has perfected our uncle’s hand, so even if Farrin’s buyer is familiar with Uncle Charles, he won’t guess it is a forgery.”

  “What are you suggesting?” He dropped the map on the table and crossed his arms.

  She imitated him, crossing her own arms and notching her chin. “I’m suggesting a solution to keep my family safe. We have searched every hiding spot in Wedmore House and found nothing. Only three days remain to uncover something that isn’t here. It is time to alter our strategy.”

  Sophia linked arms with Evangeline. “Perhaps we should give the two of you a moment alone.” Before he or Regina could respond, the ladies hurried for the library door.

  Color had risen in Regina’s face, and her eyes had assumed the feverish gleam that came when she was agitated or excited. “I want Farrin to call off his men, so we have to make him believe the map is not at Wedmore House. This is a business venture for Farrin. As long as he produces a map for his buyer, he will receive his reward. He will be unaware it is a fake, and we doubt the buyer will realize it until later. By then, we will have an advantage because we will know the buyer’s identity.”

  “You don’t know that for certain,” he argued.

  “I realize it is a gamble, but I see no other choice. You can withhold the forgery for information just as well as the real map.”

  Xavier pinched the bridge of his nose to stem the pressure building behind his eyes. Perhaps she was right about Farrin being unfamiliar with the details of the map, but he would know what area of the world it should depict. If they were wrong about the location, the blackguard wouldn’t hesitate to kill every one of them for trying to dupe him.

  “How do you know the Sinai Peninsula is the right place?”

  She explained Evangeline’s belief that someone else wanted access to the map Charles Wedmore was using to pinpoint the location of his next big discovery. “Uncle Charles’s notes indicate the Black Death originated in Egypt. He has reliable evidence they had a fortress in the mountains of Sinai. He has done extensive study, and Uncle Charles is rarely wrong about these sorts of things. Sophia saw a map of the Third Crusade at a lecture today. Our map might not lead anyone to the Black Death, but it is an accurate depiction of the area. There are no mistakes.”

  “And you trust her memory?”

  “Explicitly when it comes to matters like this. You would as well if you’d grown up with her. She never forgets anything she sees.”

  “I understand your desire to protect your family,” he said. “I want it as well, but there are three more days to search. Couldn’t we give ourselves at least one more day to be certain?”

  “Lord Margrave arrived with our special license this morning, and he arranged for a vicar to come at nine o’clock tomorrow. We could reschedule, but I’m afraid I don’t want to wait.”

  He blinked. A smile eased across his face as he realized her meaning.

  She plopped into the chair her sister had vacated and gazed up at him with a look of misery that made his heart ache. “I’m sorry about what I said about the gold coin and post coach. I didn’t mean—”

  “I know what you meant, Regina.” He snagged a chair to sit close and playfully squeezed her knee. “And I’m certain there will be some days when you will want to be rid of me. That seems to be a common sentiment among those who know me.”

  Her throat convulsed as she swallowed. She turned her palms toward his to link fingers. “I don’t want to be rid of you. Quite the opposite. I was afraid if I admitted to loving you, perhaps I would never have the chance to tell you again.”

  “I will never leave you. I don’t have the willpower.” He leaned toward her. The faint notes of her citrus and spice soap teased him. “You have become part of me. I cannot walk away without losing a piece of myself, even though I know you don’t deserve the burdens that come with marrying me.”

  “Your burdens are mine, and mine are yours. That is how it is with marriage. Farrin and Stanhurst are temporary complications.” One side of her mouth twitched as if she might smile. “You, on the other hand, will be saddled with my kin forever.”

  He opened his arms to her. “I adore your family.”

  She left her chair to sit on his lap and laid her head on his shoulder. She sank against him with a sweet little sigh. He wrapped his arms around her to savor the soft feel of her body curled against his and touched his lips to her hair.

  “I adore you, Regina. A lifetime together will never be enough, but I will take whatever gift I’m given. I want to hold you like this forever. I want to wake to your smile and spend our days verbally sparring with one another, or physically if you wish it—although I will need lessons if I hope to hold my own.”

  She lifted her head. “Lessons in bantering or Wing Chun?”

  “I suspect both.” He kissed her forehead then rested his cheek on the top of her head when she laid it against his shoulder again.

  “I’ve been thinking a lot about fatherhood today,” he said. “I will be a better father to our children than my own was to me. I want to be part of their lives from the beginning. I want to cradle them against my chest while they drift to sleep, secure in the knowledge they are loved. I’ll teach our children to skip rocks on the lake, how to sit a horse, to hunt and fish—”

  “You would teach our daughters these things, too?”

  “Of course! Why wouldn’t I? If my wife knows hand-to-hand combat, her daughters are more than capable of mastering each of these tasks and more.”

  “I do love you,” she murmured and wiggled even closer, the heat of her skin penetrating the barrier of clothes between them. “I love you so very much.”

  He hadn’t realized what a balm those words would be to his soul, but now that she’d said them, he wanted to hear them again and again.

  “I think Uncle Charles will heartily approve of you.”

  “He has my gratitude, as does Aunt Beatrice. I credit them for the courageous woman you are. I want our daughters to be like you.”

  She shook her head, her hair making a shushing noise against his jacket. “I’m not courageous.”

  “You are the bravest person I know.”

  “I am afraid,” she said.

  Xavier urged her to sit up to allow him to look into her face. “What frightens you? No one is going to hurt you. I promise.”

  “It is a promise you cannot keep. Love can only end in heartbreak. This is the lesson I learned from my parents. One day, everything can be perfect, and the next the ones you love are never coming back. I’ve managed to keep everyone else at a distance because it is safer. But I can’t do it with you. I love you, Xavier, and I am frightened of losing you.”

  “You aren’t going to lose me. I will still be chasing you when I’m an old man, and you’ll be wishing I would leave you alone.”

  “Never.” She twined her arms around his neck. “Promise you will be careful. Claudine fears the duke will come for you once he realizes she is gone.”

  “Stanhurst is a coward who hurts those who cannot fight back.”

  “But he brought Farrin into your life—into our lives—and now we are entangled in this mess with Claudine and the duke, too.”

  Xavier stiffened. “Do you believe Stanhurst has a connection to the map? What did Claudine tell you?”

  Regina’s eyes flared. “I— No, she said nothing. It didn’t occur to me that Stanhurst might be involved with the map. I figured he was responsible for your disappearance. Do you think the duke is Farrin�
��s buyer?”

  “Farrin would need a giant set of brass ballocks to defy the duke’s wishes then use me to make a profit off him. If Stanhurst leveled charges against me to get me out of Claudine’s life, I’m sure he expected Farrin to kill me. The duke has powerful friends in Parliament. Farrin would be foolhardy to test his reach. I think it is unlikely Stanhurst has any interest in the map.”

  “Maybe Claudine can tell us if he collects antiquities. She already admitted to knowing Farrin. He dined with the duke several times years ago, which is rather damning. I have no doubt Stanhurst tried to get rid of you.”

  “We will speak with Claudine after dinner. The duke’s connection to Farrin could be a coincidence, but I wouldn’t want to be caught unaware. I suppose I have one last gamble in me.”

  He tried to grab the paper, but Regina jerked it out of his reach.

  “You are not facing Farrin and his men alone, not this time.”

  “You are not accompanying me.” He grabbed for the map once more and she hopped from this lap, dancing out of his range.

  “Yes, I am.” She folded the paper into a small square and shoved it into the bodice of her gown. “I will keep it safe in the meantime.”

  He allowed a wicked smile to slide across his face. “You know I am not afraid to fish around for it.” Slowly, he stood and took a step toward her.

  Her lips parted in surprise. “Don’t you dare come any closer.”

  “Or what?” He prowled toward her as she scurried backward. “Are you going to unman me before our wedding night? I do hope you will ponder the consequences and reconsider.”

  A red blush rose in her cheeks. “I would never do any such thing. It is improper to even suggest it.”

  She backed into a stack of books and lost her footing. Xavier pounced, catching her around the waist and pulling her toward him before she tumbled. She clung to his jacket, a breezy laugh escaping her. “Thank you. That could have been disastrous.”

  “Allow me to check you for injuries.” He skimmed his hands along the curves of her waist and brushed the undersides of her breasts.

  She grumbled and tried to twist away, but as soon as he grazed her nipple, she held still. He circled the pad of his finger around the erect bud, avoiding contact until she began to whimper and lean into his touch. He rewarded her with a light pinch then twirled the nipple between his thumb and fingers.

  She closed her eyes with an exaggerated sigh. Her head lolled back, exposing her neck and chest. Pushing the yellow muslin from her shoulder, he placed a kiss on her dewy skin and nibbled along her collarbone. Her pulse fluttered beneath his lips. The soft little noises coming from her were as erotic as hell, and he was losing sight of his original purpose.

  The folded paper blocked full access to her other breast. He reached into her bodice, grasped the edge, and leisurely pulled the map from her gown. Tossing it over his shoulder and not caring where it landed, he grinned. “Now you are all mine, Miss Darlington. There is nothing to keep me from touching you wherever I like.”

  “Regina,” one of her sisters called from the corridor. “I have been sent to retrieve you and Mr. Vistoire for dinner.”

  “One moment, Sophia.” Regina jerked her gown to cover her shoulder as Sophia appeared at the threshold. Regina cleared her throat. “We will meet you at the table.”

  “Um, all right. I will let Aunt Beatrice know. Take your time.” Sophia turned on her heel and left.

  “Oh, law.” Regina held a hand to her head and squeezed her eyes shut. “Do you think she saw us? I won’t be able to look in her direction without dying of mortification.”

  “She saw nothing.” Xavier offered Regina the reassurance she needed. Sophia might have stumbled across them, but he would have been obstructing her view. He pointed to the dust stains on Regina’s gown to distract her. “Would you like to change before dinner? I will inform everyone that you will be joining us soon.”

  “Yes, thank you.” She dropped her hand to her side. “This settles it. We are spending our wedding night at the hotel. Otherwise, I’ll be wearing a sack over my head to avoid looking at anyone.”

  Xavier chuckled and held his hand out to her. “A simple request that I am happy to grant. Will you allow me to escort you to the stairs?”

  She placed her hand in his, and he drew her from the room. At the foot of the stairs, he kissed her cheek. “I will see you in the dining room, love.”

  Holding the hem of her skirts out of her way, she practically ran up the stairs. When she disappeared from sight, he returned to the library, grabbed the map from the carpet, and tucked it inside his jacket. He was willing to take a risk with his own life, but he would never risk Regina’s. Any meeting he arranged with Farrin would be with him alone.

  Thirty

  When Xavier returned to the Pulteney Hotel after dining at Wedmore House, he discovered word of his move had reach Farrin. One of the blackguard’s regulars—the dead-eyed gent with pocked skin—was posted on the walk outside the hotel. He stepped into Xavier’s path as he neared, blocking the entrance.

  “Come with me,” he growled and tried to seize Xavier.

  He evaded the man’s clumsy grab and raised his fists. “In case you have forgotten, you did not fare well in our last scuffle.”

  The brute hesitated, lowered his arm, and took a step back.

  “Yes, that is much better.” Xavier didn’t relax his guard even though the man seemed to heed his warning. “Tell your boss I have what he wants. I’ll be at the coffeehouse in an hour.”

  He nodded in the direction of the coffeehouse on the corner where he’d been earlier. The patrons would be engaged in lively debate even at this hour, which meant more witnesses, and the close proximity to the Pulteney Hotel provided Farrin with less opportunity to nab him along the way.

  Xavier couldn’t resist taunting the man for allowing another to control him. “Your master will need to leave you on the street. Dogs are forbidden inside.”

  The other man snarled then snapped his jaws before grinning like a Bedlamite.

  “You are an ill-mannered mutt,” Xavier grumbled. “Go fetch your master. I will not wait if he is delayed.”

  The beast ambled away.

  Xavier visited his rooms to retrieve the firearm his brother-in-law had provided for him before making his way to the coffeehouse. Isaac’s lack of questions about the need for a weapon and his brief commentary on the matter had been appreciated.

  “Watch yourself,” he’d said.

  As planned, Xavier arrived at the coffeehouse first and chose a place at one of the less crowded tables. He sat on the bench facing the door, so he could see when Farrin arrived. Iron candleholders hung from the arched ceiling, bathing the room in a golden glow that matched the jovial mood of the men. Their voices melded together and rolled over him like the rumble of thunder. The gent next to him slapped the table, tossing his head back with braying laughter. Even in a room crammed with men, no one seemed to notice Xavier was there, which was not reassuring.

  He reflected on the conversation with Claudine after dinner. She’d been able to shed a little light on the relationship between the Duke of Stanhurst and Farrin. Xavier and Regina were certain Stanhurst had given him up to Farrin. One evening Claudine had overheard the men talking over brandy and cheroots, but hadn’t known what to make of their conversation.

  Stanhurst congratulated Farrin on being named commander of the Regent’s Consul. I didn’t pay much attention to anything beyond that point. I figured they were discussing one of those ridiculous secret societies men are fond of joining.

  From what Xavier had seen of Farrin’s men, they were not pampered gents who wished to play at intrigue. They were trained in inquisition and subterfuge, which pointed to the group having a much more subversive purpose.

  Despite Stanhurst’s likely involvement with Xavier’s disappearance, he did not seem to be linked to the map. Claudine said she’d never known him to have an interest in antiquities, but his son was an
avid collector. She reported that Lord Geoffrey had joined the duke and Farrin for dinner a few times, and while Stanhurst had retired to his study to read, Lord Geoffrey and Farrin spoke of Lord Geoffrey’s latest interests.

  Did you ever hear Lord Geoffrey speak of the Black Death? Regina had asked. Claudine confirmed the men had seemed fascinated by the topic, and she had always excused herself since discussions of plagues were not pleasant after-dinner topics of conversation.

  It seemed the duke and his son had been in bed with the devil, and perhaps Lord Geoffrey still was.

  Farrin entered the coffeehouse alone with ten minutes to spare. He scanned the area until he locked eyes with Xavier. His expression was blank as he sauntered toward the table. Xavier took in the plainness of his gray jacket and the beaver hat pulled low on his head. Farrin didn’t want to be recognized, which provided Xavier with an advantage.

  The blackguard slid onto the bench across from him, frowning when the man beside him elbowed him in the side without seeming to notice. He skipped any pleasantries. “Hand it over.”

  Xavier aimed a humorless smile in his direction. “I’m afraid you have mistaken the purpose of our meeting. I am not here to kowtow to you. I have a proposition.”

  “Is that so?” Farrin leaned across the table and bore his teeth. “What do you think you can do if I refuse to hear your proposition?”

  Xavier pushed his jacket aside to reveal the holstered firearm. “I could shoot you now and be rid of you, or perhaps the Duke of Stanhurst will handle the matter when he arrives. He is your partner, is he not?”

  Farrin blanched and threw a wild-eyed look behind him. Power rushed through Xavier’s veins. He had Farrin by the short hairs, and the other man knew it. “I don’t take your meaning.”

  “I believe you understand perfectly.” Xavier drummed his fingers on the table. “I wonder, did you receive payment for doing his bidding, or were you simply expected to obey a man of superior status?”

  Farrin quivered, clenching and unclenching his fists.