Chapter Thirteen

July 11, 1802

R am stood by the fire in his friend Ashley's parlor, his hands behind his back. He waited impatiently for minutes before he heard Kane's footfalls come down the hall toward him.

As the door opened, Ram smiled and greeted Kane.

"Good God, am I happy to see you!" Kane strode forward, arms out to embrace him. Lines of worry on his face eased. Ram had known his friend would fret about him and his efforts to find Amber these past weeks.

They patted each other on the back, then broke apart.

"Come sit down," Kane said.

Ram took a chair, as did Kane. His friend gave him a once-over, and Ram knew his clothing told a certain tale. Purposely tonight, he wore dark, modest clothes resembling that of a bourgeois merchant. He had not wished to call attention to himself and prepared well to see Kane in secret. He wished to put his friend's mind to rest about the chances he took coming here.

"I came in the back door," he said, "through the gardener's shed and up into your orangery." Ram arched a brow in humor as he crossed one leg over the other. "We are newly arrived in Paris, and I wished you to know."

"Madame St. Antoine is with you?"

"She is. And has been in my company for many weeks now. She is healthy, whole, a challenge—and at times a real hellcat."

Kane burst into a short laugh. "Whatever the circumstances, I am overjoyed that you found her and that both of you are well. I feared for you. But then, I am sure you know what misery that was. I am thrilled you are here and well. You look, dare I say, happy?"

"Please!" Ram grimaced. "Grace me with no flowers, Whit. The duty to find the lady was nothing to the challenge of persuading her to allow me the honor of protecting her."

Kane gazed at him as if he saw a new man. Perhaps he did.

"Amber and I arrived in Paris day before yesterday." Ram fixed his friend with a generous smile, something he knew Kane had not seen on him very often. "We read in a scandal sheet you recently married Augustine Bolton. I bring you congratulations from Amber and from me, my friend."

"Thank you. We are, I am pleased to say, very happy."

"I am thrilled for you. It is what you needed."

Kane arched both brows and grinned. He seemed a different man as well. Could it be he was a man in love with his wife? Ram knew the power of caring for another now, how it changed a man's perspective and made him anxious and eager to protect the woman he adored.

Kane gave a sharp laugh. "I did. But no man voices it, does he?"

"Never good for one's image." Ram ran a hand down his thigh. "Let me get to this. I come for a few reasons. I want them said quickly, and then I return to Amber. I do not want her without me for long. I have hired men as guards, but you know how that goes. You have five, your opponent has ten. It's never safe for long."

"Do you fear Vaillancourt knows where you are?"

"I gather your wife has told you how he hounds Amber."

"She has. We encountered one of his men in Varennes."

Ram sat forward, frowning. "You were there?"

"After the two of you left. We talked with Madame Verne and her daughter, Solange. They were helpful. But we met one of Vaillancourt's men in the town, and he is dead now."

Ram went stiff with shock. "How?"

Kane inhaled deeply. "My wife has a very special skill with knives. He attacked us, but she got the better of him."

Ram blew out a breath. "Good that these women have talents. Amber can handle a knife and pistol."

"To your advantage."

The hall door opened, and Gus stepped in.

Kane and Ram rose. But her appearance meant Ram could not speak about the weapons going to Sedan and Verdun. She was Amber's friend, but Ram doubted Amber shared all her secrets with Gus. He had to be prudent here, and was glad he had penned a short note with details about the muskets and cannon going to border towns in the east. He just had to find a way to put it into Kane's hand before he left.

His friend stepped forward. "My darling, you may remember my friend, Lord Ramsey."

Gus walked toward Ram and thrust out her hand. She was a lovely young woman with dark hair and bright green-gold eyes. "I do. We are so very happy to see you here, sir. Thank you for coming."

They shook hands. Gus indicated they should sit down again, her to the settee, the men to their chairs. "You are very welcome. I come with loving regards from Amber."

Gus breathed deeply. "She is well?"

"She is. So has she always been these past weeks. I like to think it is I who have kept her well, though she would not tell you that."

"I'm certain," Gus said with a sympathetic smile. "I hope you will tell me all. We have been very worried about you both. So is our Aunt Cecily. Have you been to see her? Will you? Will Amber?"

"That, I doubt."

Gus shook her head and frowned. "But…may we tell her?"

"Do not. Amber has her reasons. Not all of them does she share with me." To my regret .

Gus sighed. "I know. That is her way. But then, she must have approved of your coming here."

How much did Gus know about what Amber did to weaken the government of the consulate?

Ram chose his words carefully. "She did not want you to worry any longer. She was certain you had. Especially when we learned that the two of you had gone away on a lovers' escapade. Amber saw through your ruse. She knew you would not go away with any man without excellent reason."

Gus scoffed. "How good of her."

"She is a very fine woman."

Gus smiled. "She is indeed, Lord Ramsey. Now tell us, why are you here tonight?"

"I was just informing Whit that we arrived in Paris only day before yesterday. We are getting settled."

"In her house in rue Dauphine?" Gus asked.

"No. We are in a small house on the left bank in Saint-Germain-des-Prés."

She shook her head. "Why? Do you not wish to announce you are in the city?"

Gus knew about Vaillancourt's interest in Amber. Was she pressing him for more information about Amber's intentions to return to her espionage? "Exactly."

"Wise," said Gus with fear in her eyes. "But then, why return here at all?"

She knew Amber faced danger with Vaillancourt near. Ram would have to test to see how much she knew about Amber's so-called "work." "Amber insisted we return because she had lost the threads of her work."

"She has been away from Paris since mid-March," Gus said with anger and a harsh note of despair. "Of course she has not worked."

"When we heard that you both were looking for us in Reims, she considered returning. But doing so only if she were still invisible to Vaillancourt."

Kane looked at Gus. "The man is relentless in his pursuit."

Ram nodded. "And Amber is determined he will not stop her."

"And you agreed?" Kane asked.

"Only if I were her companion. Yes, we live together. We have developed a trusting relationship." Ram looked at Gus. "I hope I do not offend you when I admit that your friend and I are intimate?"

Gus smacked her lips. "No. Amber would not do anything unless she believed it to be right. Will she remain incognito? Indefinitely?"

"She says she will. I encourage it. Three of the deputy police chief's men found us at various points along the roads. They are ruthless creatures. I do not want Amber in public. They would take advantage at their chief's command. I think him capable of anything." He looked to Kane. "I will keep her by my side for as long as is necessary. No one will hurt her."

Gus let out a shaking breath, gazing at Ram with sad eyes. "So I conclude, then, that I will not see her."

"I came alone. I will go out with her on her journeys and I will not come here again. She congratulates you on your marriage and hopes you are very happy." He turned to Kane. "I bring you my own fond regards for a happy life together."

With a nod, Kane accepted Ram's kind words. "Ramsey, we fear Vaillancourt's orders to do anything to find you both and take Amber from you."

"That is not news. Amber has told me the same for weeks."

Gus whispered, "He wants her to reveal her network."

Ram held his breath. Gus knew so much about Amber's activities. She even called it a network.

Gus continued, agonizing over her words. "Perhaps he wants more than that."

"He does," Ram replied. "But he will have her over my dead body."

Gus stared at him. He remained silent as she absorbed the full meaning of that statement.

A knock at the door came, and Kane called to his majordom , Corsini, to enter. The man had a tray filled with cakes, glasses, cups and saucers, a teapot, and a carafe of brandy.

"Would you like any refreshment?" Kane asked Ram.

"None for me, thank you."

Corsini took his cue and drifted away, closing the door behind him.

Ram got to his feet. "And so if you will forgive me the brevity of my visit, I return home to Amber."

"You will let us know how and where you are, I hope?" Gus pressed him.

"I would like to say yes, my lady, but I cannot. To come here taunts the devil. It took me hours to change course and defy anyone who might have discovered me. I return now by different routes." He took Gus's offered hand and bent to kiss it. "No news will be good news."

Kane said, "I will walk to the orangery with you. Pardon me, my darling. I will have a few words with Ramsey."

Ram had a few things to divulge to Kane, too.

*

"Listen to me, please, Ram," Kane said when they stood amid the fragrant orange trees in the warm room at the back of the house. "I have men here to help you. If you need assistance, I can send them to you now. Also, if you need money, I have that too. Scarlett was more than generous. So whatever you may want—"

"I have men enough, Whit. Money is a challenge. If you can deposit an amount with my majordom in my house off rue d'Orleans, that would help."

"I gather you are not pleased to return to Paris."

"God help me, no." I'd rather be safely away in London with Amber beside me. Yet she substitutes my duty for her own, even as it helps assuage her guilt that she cannot do hers. "But Amber will not listen to reason. She is beside herself that Bonaparte makes way for himself to destroy the consulate. Dirk Fournier thinks the same."

Kane was shocked. "You've seen Dirk?"

"No. Not since he and I parted weeks ago." Ram paused. In the hallway, he thought he saw a shadow move. Kane employed trustworthy staff, but one could never be totally sure of loyalties. If someone were there listening, Ram would not chance saying anything more. He was glad he had committed the details of military supplies to paper. "Rumors there are that Bonaparte wants the territory along the border with German Baden. He offers land and money to the margrave. That man wants to be a grand duke."

"Dirk's grandmother's territory."

"Exactly. When I left Dirk in late May, he was in a hurry to get to Karlsruhe. Unless you have heard from him, I assume he is still there."

"I have no communication from him. So he must be still in Karlsruhe."

They embraced, and as they did, Ram stuck his small paper in Kane's hand. It detailed the new production number of muskets in Charleville and the numbers of new weapons sent to Sedan and Verdun. As per their usual method of communication of detailed information, Ram knew Kane would read the note, then burn it.

Kane tried to smile and failed. "Despite the pressure of protecting an independent woman, you look happy, Ram."

Ram could only chuckle at the truth of that. "Let me say the same for you."

" A bientot , Ram."

" A bientot , my friend."