Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

The Next Morning

J onathan greeted the morning with a smile, his first thought about his encounter with Melanie in the kitchen at midnight. He tugged on the velvet cord next to his bed to summon the valet. Leaning back on his pillow, he thought about that kiss. She was enchanting. Touching his bottom lip, he recalled the feel of her lips touching his. And how she had wanted his kiss. Every time he spoke to Melanie, he found out something new about her. And there was so much more he wanted to know, including her favorite flower, her favorite color—he wanted to know all of her favorite things. She had always enjoyed life and just being around her made him happy.

The door to his room opened, and a short, red-haired young man stepped inside. “You’re up early, my lord.”

Jonathan smiled. “Good morning to you, too, Harold.”

“Yes, milord.” His valet pulled open the dark green drapes, instantly brightening the room. “Your bath is ready, and I’ve laid out your clothing. The last couple expected for the house party arrived last evening, and everyone is supposed to meet this morning for breakfast. However, Lord Rochester has asked that you stop by his study on your way. I had the impression it was urgent.”

“Thank you, Harold. I will make haste,” Jonathan said, swinging his legs to the side of the bed, slipped into the banyan his valet had selected for him, and hurried with his bath.

“This arrived for you, my lord,” the valet said, handing him a sealed missive before he dressed. “It came last evening after you’d turned in for the night.”

Too bad he didn’t know I couldn’t sleep, Jonathan thought, opening the sealed letter.

LDL ~

X is in Bath. Talbot has a high fever.

If I find out more, I’ll send it.

C

Jonathan’s brow furrowed in frustration as his valet helped him into his waistcoat and he pondered the situation. I wonder if Rochester has any informants in Bath that we could tap into. Perhaps they have contacts we can use. He realized his patience was wearing thin as he fastened the last button on his waistcoat. The days had grown increasingly perplexing; each message received felt like a riddle, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he might face an unwelcome surprise if he stumbled upon this mysterious figure in Bath. But at least he’s here and can watch over Melanie. And he was thankful his friends were with him.

Harold, his ever-dutiful valet, approached with a cravat. “I learned a new knot, my lord—at least, new for me. Lord Rochester’s valet showed it to me. It is understated yet refined. Not fussy. The way you prefer your cravats knotted,” Harold said, his fingers deftly working the cravat in practiced precision.

Jonathan turned slightly to regard the knotted tie in the mirror, taking in the careful work of his valet. “Crisp and neat, I like it,” Jonathan said with a firm nod. “I’ve seen this before but haven’t worn it.”

“Yes, my lord. It’s the Sentimentale,” Harold said with a touch of pride.

“Harold, I appreciate your attention to detail,” Jonathan said. Harold was the son of an informant who died in the line of duty while in Paris, killed by one of Talbot’s men. Jonathan had taken him under his wing, determined the young man would have a job and a place to live. Since Harold aspired to be a valet, Jonathan made arrangements to have him trained properly and subsequently hired him.

The young man beamed at the praise. Sometimes Jonathan forgot how very young Harold was.

He gave a final check in the mirror and opened the door to his room. “I’m off. If I get any other missives, please find me immediately. It’s important ,” Jonathan said, planting firm emphasis on that last word as he left the room to find Rochester.

In the dimly lit study of the opulent manor house, Rochester leaned forward and spoke in a low voice to Jonathan and Worsley. “A footman informed me there’s a carriage idling outside the gate. It’s been there for a half-hour,” he remarked, with a frown.

“How curious,” Worsley replied, arching his brow as he exchanged a glance with Jonathan. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“I think we’ve all arrived at the same conclusion,” Jonathan said, irritation creeping into his voice as his temper began to simmer. “Why are we sitting here like three old ladies waiting for our tea?” Jonathan growled. “She tried to kill Melanie!”

Rochester shook his head and blew out a breath. “You are letting your emotions cloud your judgment. Let’s bide our time and wait for her to reveal herself. We suspect she did it, but we have nothing to tie her to it. Melanie’s my sister. I want to get her as bad as you do. If what I suspect is true, she’s a murderer. Except for the tip from the stable hand about the carriage markings, we have nothing. She’s a peer and if that’s all we have, that’s not enough.”

“What do you suppose she’s after? This is a very bold move. She’s after something so important, she’s willing to face scandal and embarrassment,” Worsley said, his tone one of concern. “Surely she’s not after a simple chat. I think she’s after another chance with you, Jonathan. Think about it.”

“Ridiculous,” Jonathan interjected, an edge of frustration in his voice. “I have no interest in the woman. And if the rumors regarding her late husband hold any truth, I’d want to keep her at arm’s length. I wouldn’t want her in my presence.” Despite his irritation, a wave of relief washed over Jonathan as he recalled his narrow escape from her grasp. The memory of receiving her note of an impending marriage to the duke had initially filled him with dread, compelling him to track her down for a face-to-face conversation. Only to discover, through her father, that she had married two days earlier in a quiet ceremony on the duke’s estate. “Our personal business was concluded four years ago. If the widow thinks there’s unfinished business between us, the only thing left unresolved is that I received her ‘farewell’ in a letter. If she insists on showing up in person, perhaps she should be gifted a proper send-off.”

“If she knocks on the door, my grandmother will relish the opportunity to greet her,” Rochester said, his tone light. “What a fine birthday present that would be for Grandmama.”

“I wholeheartedly agree,” Jonathan replied, as he stretched his neck to relieve the tension in his upper body, considering the formidable presence of the dowager countess. He drew a long breath and, withdrew the note from the pocket of his waistcoat and passed it to his friends.

“I received another missive this morning from Conners. It says X is in Bath and our friend Talbot is ill,” he said, his voice tense as he passed the note to Rochester. Jonathan blew out a frustrated breath. “I thought I was done with that bastard,” Jonathan muttered. “We didn’t even find out about X until after we captured Talbot.”

“Strange. About Talbot,” Worsley said. “Do you find it suspicious?”

“Everything about Talbot is suspicious,” Jonathan replied. “I’ll send a missive to my contact to inquire after Talbot’s condition.”

“Also strange about X being in Bath,” Worsley added. “Perhaps there’s a meeting being set up with another traitor?”

“I’ll look into it,” Rochester said. “I have some strong contacts in Bath with the authorities. I’ve already put the word out to find out where Aumale’s widow is keeping a perch. That bitch will pay for what she tried to do to Melanie.”

Jonathan nodded. “I would rather we took matters into our own hands. We could search ourselves.”

“Let’s leave after breakfast,” Worsley suggested.

“One of us should remain here,” Rochester said. “We shouldn’t leave the women on their own. Even though I have very capable footmen and hired guards patrolling the property and the manor house.”

“Don’t let the ladies hear you. Maggie is more than capable of handling herself.” Worsley chuckled.

Jonathan agreed. Maggie was a strong woman. But Melanie, on the other hand, was headstrong, and that worried Jonathan. “I think Rochester makes a good point.”

“Then we agree,” Rochester said.

“That would be tidy, of course. Often, it is incomplete information because it’s all they have,” Worsley said. “It is frustrating, to say the least.”

“Aye, it is,” Rochester agreed.

Jonathan grumbled. Foremost in his mind was finding who tried to run over Melanie. “Conners is a good informant. He’s still looking.”

Hearing the rumble of a coach on the crushed oyster drive, their attention riveted to the window.

The now Dowager Duchess of Aumale sat outside the estate of the Earl of Rochester. She was hidden from view on this dark and foggy morning. Nevertheless, she’d taken additional precautions in having her driver pull onto a dirt path behind a stand of trees. Her ice-blue eyes were focused on the large white stone manor house on the hill in the distance. Its entrance was shrouded protectively by mature hardwood trees and wild rosebushes, along with the high stone wall. But light from various windows cast a glow around the elegant home.

It’s time I looked after myself.

She’d grown tired of doing Talbot’s bidding.

The cause needed money, according to her erstwhile lover, Monsieur Pierre Talbot. Honestly, she didn’t care a whit about the cause.

She’d met Talbot while in France on her honeymoon with the late Duke. Talbot had suited her needs. But despite how skilled Talbot was, she’d never stopped wanting Jonathan.

If only Jonathan weren’t so noble. She could have had him as a lover and Aumale as her husband, but she’d known from the beginning that Jonathan would never have accepted that. He was far too honorable.

Her engagement to Jonathan had been completely pre-meditated and expertly executed by her. She’d compromised him, essentially trapping him into marriage by manipulating him into seducing her. Her lips curved up in a feline grin as she recalled how she’d drugged his brandy and tempted him beyond the point of even the most stalwart resistance he could summon. But eventually, he succumbed. Men always succumbed to her charms. Jonathan had been smitten. And her performance as the na?ve virgin had ensnared him completely. And so, he’d proposed.

He’d been the catch of the Season. Everywhere they went, she could feel the other debutantes stare daggers at her. She’d known about all the young ladies who’d pined after him. Especially Lady Melanie Stenson, a truly na?ve little thing who only had eyes for Jonathan. That was most evident the night Jonathan announced their engagement. She heaved a breathy sigh. Jonathan had been an agile lover. She’d always yearned for him above all the others.

Jonathan was never greedy about anything. But Talbot was. Especially for that Godforsaken cause. And she’d grown tired of his constant demands for money. Their intimate moments had turned into discussions about his cause and about what she could provide—information and money—rather than about what he could offer her. And Diana had begun to feel more like his servant—which did not please her at all, and she was tired of it. It was time for her to focus on herself.

She’d been thrilled when she’d heard that Jonathan had captured Talbot. Not because she’d wished to see her lover in a London prison, but because of the excitement of knowing it had been Jonathan. Perhaps she could do away with Talbot and then turn her attention to Jonathan again. She’d become very adept at the use of drugs and poisons over the years. But now that she had been cast out by the new duke’s harpy of a wife, Diana was in dire need of a protector.

Which was why she’d decided to stop by Rock Springs Manor with a gift for the dowager countess’s birthday. Her goal was to prevail on their hospitality, as a lonely widow, and be invited to stay. Then, she could begin to implement her plans for Jonathan.

Though this was not an ideal way to reunite with Jonathan, he hadn’t been in London long enough for her to arrange for an accidental encounter with him. Discovering he was here among the high elites of London society gathered for the house party, she had decided to seize the opportunity for what could prove a delicious diversion. She would flirt boldly with Jonathan, intent on ensnaring him in the alluring web of her charms and reigniting the embers of the connection they’d once shared.

She knew Talbot would discard her soon as his mistress, once he found out she’d been cast out on her own and no longer had a flow of funds. For her own survival, Diana would have to be resourceful and find a new protector. Eventually, she would have to remarry to remain an esteemed member of Society. But it would be a struggle in the meantime. The pittance her father had called a dowery would never support her—even though the duke had invested it for her. Her parents had bluntly told her four years ago it was all they’d be giving her. Nor had there ever been any love lost between her and her brother, who was now the new Earl of Biggerly, inheriting the title last year after their father died. She didn’t bother visiting him, for she knew he’d spare her nary a copper.

Reflecting on how she had been expelled from the ducal mansion—and not given so much as a dowager dwelling, filled her with anger. “First things first,” she said to herself. “Once I secure a husband, I will respond to them in kind.” Her thoughts drifted to her competition. “Stay out of my way, Lady Melanie,” she muttered, tapping the ceiling of her coach with her parasol and urging it forward.

Making sure the dowager countess was behind him, Rupert opened the door to find the Dowager Duchess of Aumale standing there. He stepped aside to reveal the Dowager Countess of Rochester, and the duchess held out a wrapped package in front of her.

“Happy Birthday, Lady Rochester. I hope you won’t mind my last-minute decision to attend. Your footman refused to take my trunk, so I fear there’s been some sort of mistake.”

Jonathan edged his way to a darkened corner behind the dowager countess. He glanced over his shoulder and noted his friends had disappeared into the sitting room and were doubtless listening in like schoolboys.

Seeming to understand the situation, the dowager countess cleared her throat. “Mistake, dear? I confess this has never happened. I’ve never had a house party guest show up…without an invitation. Most unusual.”

The duchess’ face turned a dark shade of pink. “I am stranded. My driver says he thinks he heard a wheel crack, and since we knew of your manor house close by, we thought we might seek help here. I had been on my way to my brother’s home for a visit, but we were too afraid to go any farther—for my safety. Luckily, I’d been planning to stop by and leave a gift for your birthday on my way. But now, it seems I find myself unexpectedly stranded.” She offered the wrapped parcel to the dowager countess, who accepted it with a cool disdain.

“That is very gracious, my dear. Unfortunately, we have no room for you. It is my birthday, and we have filled the house with my dearest friends and family.”

The dowager duchess’ face darkened.

“Besides, I don’t believe your reason for stopping by. Not one whit.”

The dowager duchess sputtered at the intended insult. “You…you realize you are speaking to a duchess do you not?”

“Pish, posh! Let’s not get into the subject of titles and expectations. Facts can be so tedious. As you pointed out, it’s my birthday. Why don’t you tell me the real reason for your sudden arrival, my dear?” The dowager countess tapped her brass cane, something she did when she was getting ready to make a point.

“I have only the best intentions…”

“I know all about your intentions ,” the dowager countess said, tapping her cane once more. “I understand you’ve been roaming about Bath for a new conquest after the sudden demise of your husband. I do wish you luck, but you’ll have to continue your prowling elsewhere. We already have an adopted kitten. We have no room here for alley cats.”

Judging from the crimson shade of her face and neck, Jonathan was certain Diana’s head would explode any moment.

“Allow me to see you to your carriage, your Grace ,” Jonathan said, stepping forward from the shadowed corner where he’d been observing the dowager countess berate Diana. Despite his desire to arrest her on the spot, his instinct told him to proceed with caution.

Diana could only sputter as he offered her his arm and walked her to the carriage. He paused briefly while she whispered to him.

“Jonathan, I am completely offended and mortified by that woman’s treatment of me. But I am so very grateful that you gallantly stepped in to rescue me. I’ve thought of only you these past many months. I realized what a fool I was to have listened to my parents. They all but forced me to leave you and marry Aumale,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

“You truly missed your calling, Diana. You would have been perfect for the stage,” he said in a cold voice. Diana gasped and proceeded to act the role of a poor, victimized woman.

He pretended to listen to her as he glanced at the wheels of her carriage but paid more attention to the freshly painted doors. He could see what the stable boy had described. There seemed to be remnants of a gilded letter A beneath the black lacquer.

“I don’t see any problems with the wheels of your carriage,” he said. “But I would suggest you find some lodging for yourself, just in case.”

“Please, Jonathan. You must listen to me…” she pleaded.

He laughed harshly. “That’s rich. You were a gold digger then, and you are still digging now. I’m only glad I realized it before it was too late.”

“How dare you! You were the one who seduced me, if you recall.”

His eyes narrowed. “Yes, I do recall. I also recall how strange I felt the next morning. As though I’d had far too much to drink when I’d only consumed one glass of brandy.”

Diana tossed her head, her eyes flashing with fury. “It’s that simpering Lady Melanie Stenson,” she snapped, her voice filled with fury. “She is after you. She was after you then four years ago. But you were too besotted with me to notice her back then. Of course, she looked like a child. Gazing up at you as though you were her knight in shining armor. You must have broken her heart when you didn’t even ask her to dance. It was her first Season. How insensitive of you. I’m surprised she even deigns to speak to you after you treated her with such inconsiderate disdain. Then again, she could never compete with me. And back then, you only had eyes for me.”

“Did the duke leave you this carriage?” he asked simply.

“No,” she shot back. “It’s always been my carriage.”

“Well, take your carriage back to where you came from. I’d make haste…in case the make-believe break in the wheel worsens.”

Jonathan watched as Diana screamed at her driver to make haste. He blew out a breath. He’d kept her talking long enough so that Rochester could instruct two of his footmen to follow Diana’s carriage.

The last thing Jonathan wanted was to confront Diana about attempting to run over Melanie. He’d needed to make certain by looking over the carriage himself. With Rochester’s footmen following her, he and his friends could confront her properly and deal with her later.

He blew out a frustrated breath. It angered him that he had to let her go. But for Melanie’s sake, he did. Catching a movement from the corner of his eye, he glimpsed Melanie turn from the window in the drawing room where she must have been watching. Had he seen tears in her eyes? Damn! What she must be thinking. He needed to speak to her, but he didn’t have time at the moment.

Right now, he needed to speak to Rochester and Worsley first. He turned back to watch the carriage disappear down the crushed oyster drive, leaving a trail of crushed shell and dust as it lumbered away from the manor house.