“Monsieur V,” Tristan answered, his lip curling with distaste. He downed the contents of his glass in one gulp.
Alex barely heard the explanation that followed—that the spymaster had manipulated one of the spies into killing him en route to the secure facility they would use to hold him. They would never know the secrets Monsieur V kept, nor whether this new plot could be stopped. Only that his new plot involved the head of all the spy-masters, someone even higher than Strickland himself. Alex’s ears rang. A numbness settled over him.
The man who had killed his family was dead, and not by Alex’s hand. He didn’t know how to feel. As Tristan gave a full report, Alex slipped away from Lucy and strode to the window, blankly staring at his reflection in the glass.
Should he be relieved? Triumphant? His father and brother were avenged. They could rest peacefully now.
But what of Alex? Revenge had consumed him for so long, directing his life. Without it, he felt…adrift. Purposeless.
“Brackley.”
Morgan’s voice cut through Alex’s thoughts.
“Are you still with us?”
Alex frowned. “With the spy network?”
“Well yes, that too. You will have to be retrained. I was serious on that point.”
Alex’s gaze drifted over the three Graylockes staring at him. He settled on Lucy. She looked concerned, her eyebrows pulled together and her mouth drawn.
Perhaps he did have purpose. Or he could.
He met Morgan’s cold stare. “Tenwick, can I speak with you a moment alone?” Even before the duke nodded, Alex strode for the door.
Morgan followed him out into the hall. They didn’t move far, still within the circle of light. Distantly, Alex heard the shutting of a door, not as loud as Tristan’s slam earlier. He’d best make this quick before they were interrupted.
“What’s this about?” the duke asked. “I won’t reconsider the training. You’ve undergone a trauma and I don’t want that to emerge on the field, regardless of whether or not the man who caused it is dead.”
“Actually, I won’t be continuing on as a spy.” It was for the better. Neither he nor Morgan could ever truly be certain that all remnants of the mental upset Monsieur V had caused were eradicated. Better he not put others in jeopardy. “I was only ever in this to see my brother avenged.”
The duke sighed. He fingered the white streak in his hair. “I could recite your duty to you, you know.”
Did he think it would make a difference? Alex was a renowned rakehell. Before the death of his father and brother it had been well known that he eschewed anything resembling honor or duty.
Then again, he wasn’t the same man now as he was then.
“I have a different sort of duty I’ll need to attend to.” He squared his shoulders and met the other man’s gaze fearlessly. “I’d like your blessing to marry your sister.”
He hadn’t expected a favorable response—in fact, if Morgan had viciously denied him and thrown him out of the house, Alex wouldn’t have been surprised. However, he hadn’t expected the man’s drawn silence to be so cutting. He fought not to fidget and show weakness.
“We’re in love. I’m not the man I was before my brother died. I want to do right by her.”
Morgan’s expression turned stony. The only indication of life was in his snapping gaze. “If you ever harm her, it will be the last thing you do.”
“I have no intention of harming her.” He would sooner harm himself. He already had a violation of her trust to overcome. Even if she had forgiven him for the way he’d treated her while under Monsieur V’s influence, he hadn’t forgiven himself. Fortunately, he would have a lifetime to prove to Lucy that he loved and cherished her above all else.
Morgan nodded, his jaw tight. “Very well. Then I won’t stand in your way—provided she’ll have you.”
Alex’s knees weakened for a moment. He swallowed hard and nodded. If Morgan had granted his grudging blessing, then Alex had only one person left to convince—Lucy.
It wasn’t the most romantic time nor place. They were tired from the assignment, the thrill of the moment long gone, and the future uncertain. But he loved her. Surely something good could come of tonight.
Although his insides fluttered with nervousness, he squared his shoulders and strode back into the office. Lucy, standing with Tristan by the mantle, turned as he walked in.
“Is everything all right?”
“It will be.” He took a deep breath and sank to one knee in front of her. “Lucy Graylocke, I love you more than I thought possible. Will you do me the very great honor of becoming my wife?”
Lucy’s eyes shone with unshed tears. She pressed her hand against her mouth as she nodded, unable to speak for the moment. It would likely be the only time in their marriage that he rendered her thus.
As she dropped her hand to give her answer, a woman’s voice rang from the doorway. “Another marriage? It’s a plague!”
Alex, still on one knee, paused to give only the briefest glance to Charlie, still dressed for the evening’s soiree. She must have just arrived home.
Shaking her head, she cut her hand through the air. “Don’t look at me next. There is no way I’ll be married soon.”
Lucy laughed. “You might be surprised. I didn’t expect to fall in love, either.” She turned her attention to Alex and reached out to clasp his hand. “Of course I’ll marry you. Stand up and kiss me! And take your time, I want to write this down later.”
He laughed and made it a kiss worth writing about.
Epilogue
Lucy whooped. “I did it!”
The summer sun beamed through the window of Brackley Lodge, which contrary to the name was nearly as sprawling as Tenwick Abbey. The light frosted a mound of papers, most with crossed-out words or notes crosshatched in the margins. In front of her, at the end of a neatly-scribed page, were two words.
The End.
With a grin splitting her face, she straightened the stack of neatly-written pages and arranged it front and center on the writing desk Alex had bought her as a wedding present. The rest of her notes, she pushed to the side.
Looking harried, Alex entered the room. “Are you all right? I heard a shriek.”
She jumped up, unable to contain her excitement any longer. Running to her husband, she threw her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to kiss him soundly. He chuckled as she dropped back onto her heels again.
“If I’d known this was to be my reception, I would come to your rescue more often.”
Lucy bit her lip to contain her excitement. It bubbled inside her like a pot about to overflow. “I did it! I finished my book!”
“You did?” He picked her up and twirled her. “That’s marvelous! Does that mean I get my wife back?”
She giggled. “You always had me.”
“I did, but I had to share you with a book. Will I now get to read the book that has stolen you away from me for so many hours?”
He wanted to read it? Her heart warmed, rivaling the sun. “Of course you can. I told you, it’s finished. I can move on to the next chapter in my life.” And the next book.
He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “That sounds like a cause for celebration.”
She snaked her arms around his neck again and smiled. “I have a lot in my life worth celebrating.”
*********
Have you read the rest of the Scandals and Spies series?
Kissing the Enemy (Book 1)
Deceiving the Duke (Book 2)
Tempting The Rival (Book 3)
Charming The Spy (Book 4)
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Also by Leighann Dobbs
Regency Romance
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Scandals and Spies Series:
Kissing The Enemy
Deceiving the Duke
Tempting the Rival
Charming the Spy
The Unexpected Series:
An Unexpected Proposal
An Unexpected Passion
Dobbs Fancytales:
Dobbs Fancytales Boxed Set Collection
____
Western Historical Romance
***
Goldwater Creek Mail Order Brides:
Faith
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Chevonne: Bride of Oklahoma
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Contemporary Romance
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Reluctant Romance
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Sweetrock Sweet and Spicy Cowboy Romance
Some Like It Hot
Too Close For Comfort
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Magical Romance with a Touch of Mystery
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Something Magical
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Cozy Mysteries
Silver Hollow
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
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A Spell Of Trouble
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Mystic Notch
Cat Cozy Mystery Series
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Ghostly Paws
A Spirited Tail
A Mew To A Kill
Paws and Effect
Probable Paws
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Blackmoore Sisters
Cozy Mystery Series
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Dead Wrong
Dead & Buried
Dead Tide
Buried Secrets
Deadly Intentions
A Grave Mistake
Spell Found
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A Zen For Murder
A Crabby Killer
A Treacherous Treasure
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Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series
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Lexy Baker Cozy Mystery Series Boxed Set Vol 1 (Books 1-4)
Or buy the books separately:
Killer Cupcakes
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3 Bodies and a Biscotti
Brownies, Bodies & Bad Guys
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Wedded Blintz
Scones, Skulls & Scams
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Brutal Brulee (Novella)
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Reluctant Romance
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Some Like It Hot
Too Close For Comfort
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ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
WRITING AS LEE ANNE JONES:
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The Rockford Security Series:
Deadly Betrayal (Book 1)
Fatal Games (Book 2)
Treacherous Seduction (Book 3)
Calculating Desires (Book 4)
About Leighann Dobbs
USA Today Bestselling author Leighann Dobbs has had a passion for reading since she was old enough to hold a book, but she didn’t put pen to paper until much later in life. After a twenty-year career as a software engineer with a few side trips into selling antiques and making jewelry, she realized you can’t make a living reading books, so she tried her hand at writing them and discovered she had a passion for that, too! She lives in New Hampshire with her husband, Bruce, their trusty Chihuahua mix, Mojo, and beautiful rescue cat, Kitty.
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About Harmony Williams
If Harmony Williams ever tried her hand at being a chemist, she would probably wind up blowing something up like Giddy almost did. Instead, she lives an explosion-free life in the middle of the Canadian countryside with her enormous lapdog, Edgar. In her spare time, she likes to sip tea, read too many books (if such a thing is possible) and dream up funny new ways for characters to fall in love in Regency England. Join her newsletter at www.harmonywilliams.com/newsletter and get a free novella!
This is a work of fiction.
None of it is real. All names, places, and events are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real names, places, or events are purely coincidental, and should not be construed as being real.
PURSUING THE TRAITOR
Copyright © 2017
Leighann Dobbs Publishing
All Rights Reserved.
No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner, except as allowable under “fair use,” without the express written permission of the author.
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