"Is there anything else?" Adolphus asked.
"Papa told Courtney and me that we had the same sire but different mothers," Sabrina said. "I want you to tell my sister who her mother was."
"Very well, I'll tell her right now if she's at home," the prince replied.
"I'll have someone get her," Sabrina said, rising from the chair. She walked across the study and opened the door, calling, "Forbes, tell Courtney that His Royal Highness wants to speak with her."
Sabrina returned to her seat and a few minutes later heard a light rap on the door. "Come in," she called.
Courtney walked into the study and dropped Prince Adolphus a curtsey. Then she crossed the room to the desk.
"Please, Your Royal Highness, you needn't give me your chair," Courtney said.
"I don't need to do anything," the prince replied, leaning against the duke's desk. "I want you to sit there so that I can admire my two beautiful princesses."
Courtney smiled and sat down.
"My sister and I realize that we can never be acknowledged," Sabrina spoke up. "The knowledge of who our natural parents were is enough."
Prince Adolphus inclined his head and then looked at Courtney. "I've just told your sister that Madame Esmeralda is her natural mother and that your mother is a different story. Are you certain you wish to hear this?"
"Was she evil?" Courtney asked, becoming frightened.
"Nothing like that," the prince assured her. "However, your mother passed away many years ago."
Courtney relaxed. "I want to hear about her."
"Surrendering Sabrina to Henry Savage and his wife caused Esmeralda unimaginable anguish," Prince Adolphus began. "Oh, the pain ... pain ... pain. In an effort to relieve her emotional suffering, she decided to tour Europe and share her voice with the Continent. She even sang for Napoleon, you know."
"What about Courtney's mother?" Sabrina prodded him.
"Oh, the impatience of youth," the prince said with a smile, making her blush. "I became lonely while Esmeralda was away. One night at the ballet, I spied an angel dancing in the chorus—your mother, Courtney. Her name was Eugenia Darlington, and, oh, what a darling she was. No sooner had Eugenia gone on tour with her ballet company, than Esmeralda returned from Europe. Eugenia must have learned from newspaper articles that I had resumed my friendship with Esmeralda. I didn't see her again until she was seven months heavy with you. Eugenia had run out of money and had nowhere to go, so she decided to ask Esmeralda for shelter. Confident of my affections, Esmeralda took the girl into her home and provided for her. When Eugenia died in childbirth, Esmeralda suggested that I send you to Henry Savage. After all, Sabrina and you were half sisters."
With tears in her eyes, Sabrina reached out and grasped her sister's hand, saying, "We will always be grateful to Esmeralda for bringing us together."
Courtney nodded, but was too overcome with emotion to speak for several minutes. "Can you tell me where she is buried?" she asked the prince.
"Your mother lies in St. Paul's churchyard," Adolphus told her.
"I would like to visit her," Courtney said.
"And now I must be leaving." Prince Adolphus looked at Sabrina and promised, "I will take care of that other matter immediately."
"Thank you, Sir."
After seeing Prince Adolphus and Uncle Charles off to their ride in Hyde Park, Sabrina turned to Baxter and asked "Has the Duchess of Kinross arrived?"
"Her Grace is in the drawing room," the majordomo answered.
"Please send her to us in the study." Sabrina and Courtney retraced their steps down the corridor. This time Sabrina sat behind the desk in an unspoken gesture of being in command. She only hoped that Lily would help her unmask the murderer.
The door swung open. The duchess burst into the study.
"Sit down," Sabrina said. "I have a plan to ferret out my father's murderer, but I'll need help from you."
Cautious, the Duchess of Kinross gazed at her friend for a long moment and then said, "You may speak freely. I won't betray you. However, whether I'll help or not depends upon the plan."
"That is fair enough," Sabrina agreed. She looked at her sister and said, "Courtney, you are the bait."
"Edgar won't try to murder me, will he?" Courtney asked.
Sabrina shook her head. "Being the bait will have the opposite effect on him."
"What is your plan?" Lily asked.
"Prince Adolphus has agreed to revert control of the Savage assets to me, which means I can do anything I want without my husband's permission," Sabrina told them. "Lily, I want you to send a piece of gossip to that society writer for The Times. Tell him that the Marchioness of Stonehurst is relinquishing her Savage title and the family assets to her younger sister."
"Sabrina, are you mad?" Courtney cried, clearly appalled by her sister's intention.
"I am the Marchioness of Stonehurst, and my husband is one of the wealthiest men in England," Sabrina reminded her. "I don't need the Savage assets. Consider it a wedding gift from me."
"Are you certain you want to do this?" Lily asked.
"I will do anything to clear my father's name of suicide," Sabrina answered. "The only way to accomplish that is to get a confession out of the murderer."
"How will giving your assets to Courtney help?" Lily asked.
"Don't you see? Edgar killed my father because he'd refused the marriage proposal," Sabrina said. "Briggs assumed he could purchase the land at auction, but never counted on the St. Aubyns showing up. If Briggs shifts his attention to Courtney once the gossip spreads that she is the Countess of Abingdon and in control of the Savage estates, then that proves he is the murderer. Of course, we'll need to find a way to make him confess, but I can only think one step at a time. I will come to Grosvenor Square each day to await Edgar's next move, and I daresay he won't wait too long with Dudley Egremont courting my sister. So, what do you say?"
"What will Dudley think?" Courtney asked uncertainly.
"Your Dudley will be none the wiser," Sabrina assured her. "If he should find out, well—"
"A man in love will excuse anything," Lily finished.
Courtney nodded. "Very well, I'll do it for Father."
"I'll send that note as soon as I get home," Lily said.
Without warning, the duchess hiked the skirt of her gown up to her knee. Attached to a garter strapped on her leg was a small black leather sheath. Lily unfastened the garter, held it up, and removed a dagger from inside the sheath. The blade appeared to be about four inches long.
"It's my weapon of last resort," Lily said, smiling at their surprised expressions. "Wearing it is an old habit from my days of clandestine activities back in America." She passed it to Sabrina, saying, "I want you to wear it whenever you come here." She slid her gaze to Courtney and added, "I'd offer it to you for protection, but I believe you'd swoon dead away rather than use it on the baron."
Much to her sister's obvious dismay, Sabrina flipped the bottom edge of her gown up and strapped the garter to her leg. "I'm going to wear it home," she said.
"You won't use it on the marquess?" Courtney asked.
Sabrina smiled and shook her head. The three of them stood and walked toward the door.
"You will return in the morning?" Courtney asked, unable to keep the panic out of her voice.
"Don't worry, Sister," Sabrina said, putting her arm around her. "I will return as soon as I can. Do not go out alone after today, though. A man who is capable of murder is capable of anything."
"You're frightening me," Courtney moaned.
"There's no need to be afraid," Sabrina assured her. "You trust me, don't you?"
"Yes, I trust you."
Staring out the coach window on the short ride to Park Lane, Sabrina hoped that her plan would work. If Edgar Briggs was as greedy as she suspected, there was little chance of its failure. She would need to guard her sister carefully, though. If anything happened to Courtney, she would never forgive herself. Too bad there was no other
way to ferret the villain out.
The closer she got to Park Lane, the more she thought of Adam. Would he be angry when he discovered what she had done? What if he refused to let her leave the town house?
There was little chance of that happening, Sabrina decided with a heavy heart. Her husband seemed quite content to ignore her and squire his harlot around town. She would think about that later, though. For now, her thoughts needed to remain focused on her sister and their father's murderer.
At five o'clock that afternoon, Sabrina dressed in a tea gown of white lawn material with short, scalloped sleeves edged in ruffled lace. Then she tied a pink ribbon around the wolfhound's neck and left her bedchamber.
While making walnut creams that afternoon, Sabrina had decided to behave as if her marital life was normal. She refused to give her husband or his staff the satisfaction of knowing she'd been hurt by his defection.
Walking into the drawing room, Sabrina stopped short when she spied Adam standing near the hearth. Then she realized the hour was still too early for his wicked activities. Only the dead of night could hide disreputable pursuits like adultery.
Adam turned around and stared at her with a little smile on his face that she didn't like one bit. "I'm staying home this evening," he told her, reaching down to unfasten the pink ribbon around the wolfhound's neck.
"Whatever for?" she asked indifferently, though her heartbeat quickened.
"Because, Princess, I generally prefer my morning paper without tears," Adam said.
"I assure you that will never happen again," Sabrina replied, sitting down on the couch. She offered Winston a cucumber sandwich, and the dog gobbled it up in one bite. Then she offered him another.
"You are encouraging his bad behavior by doing that," Adam told her, sitting close beside her on the couch, when she passed the dog a third sandwich.
Sabrina made no reply. Instead, she passed the wolfhound a fourth sandwich and gave her husband a rebellious glare.
"Did you enjoy your visit with Courtney?" he asked with forced politeness.
Sabrina knew he was dying to scold her for feeding the dog. So she offered Winston another sandwich and answered, "Prince Adolphus was visiting Uncle Charles. He told me my mother is Madame Esmeralda."
"I suspected that," Adam said.
"You did?"
He nodded. "You resemble her so much that I feared someone at your coming-out ball would comment on it. I've had news from Istanbul. My mother knows of no plot or assassins sent to kill me."
Sabrina turned her head to look at him. "Edgar Briggs tried to murder you just as he did my father."
Adam cocked a dark brow at her. "How can you be so certain?"
"Woman's intuition."
He smiled at her answer. "So why didn't your woman's intuition tell you this before?"
"Your unexpected presence in my life confounded it," Sabrina answered. "I have recovered sufficiently," she added with a smile.
"Why would Edgar Briggs want to kill me?" Adam asked.
"You ruined his scheme to gain control of the Savage lands and other assets," Sabrina answered.
Adam snapped his brows together and ordered, "Tell me more of your theory."
"Edgar killed my father because his marriage offer had been rejected," Sabrina told him. "Vicar Dingle paid me a visit and admitted that Edgar persuaded him to rule my father's death a suicide. Edgar knew that a suicide's estates are sold at auction, but he hadn't planned on your appearance or our marriage."
"Do you have any proof?" Adam asked.
Sabrina shook her head.
"Theories do not send men to the gallows," Adam said. Then he leaned close and asked, "Why were you cooking this afternoon?"
"Sometimes I cook for my own pleasure," she answered, trying hard not to leap away from him. Letting him know how nervous she felt wouldn't do at all.
"Princess, you are absolutely the worst liar I've ever met," Adam said with a smile.
"And you of all people should know what a good liar is," Sabrina shot back. "Why I do anything is none of your business."
"I am your husband," he reminded her. "I hold the receivership rights to your assets."
Not for long, Sabrina thought. Arching a copper brow at him, she asked, "Are you baiting me?"
"Would I do that?"
"There isn't much you wouldn't do to upset me."
"Did I mention I'll be staying home for dinner?" Adam asked, changing the subject.
Sabrina stared straight ahead and mumbled, "Yes, and only old people repeat themselves."
"How about an interesting game of chess with an old man?" he whispered close to her ear.
Sabrina turned her head to look at him. In spite of herself, her lips twitched with the urge to laugh.
"Is that a smile you are struggling against?" he asked.
Sabrina burst out laughing.
"I knew I could make you smile," Adam said, putting his arm around her shoulder, his hand beginning a slow caress. "What else did you do today?"
"Lily Armstrong met me at Grosvenor Square, and the three of us visited," Sabrina told him.
Adam nibbled on her earlobe, sending delicious shivers dancing down her spine. "What did you ladies talk about all morning long?"
"Oh, this and that," she hedged.
Adam gently turned her face toward him. After gazing for a long moment into her emerald eyes, he captured her lips in a wet, devastating kiss. Their kiss lingered and melted into another. And then another.
Sabrina felt herself falling under his powerful spell and wondered at the magic in his touch. When his hand caressed her breast over her gown, she leaned into his touch and yearned to feel his naked skin caressing hers.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, Sabrina returned his kiss in kind and pressed her young body against his. And then somehow her gown was unbuttoned, and his hands were cupping her breasts. He flicked his fingers across her aroused nipples, igniting a throbbing heat between her thighs.
They could fight later, Sabrina decided when Adam rose and walked across the room to close the door.
Offering her his hand, Adam helped her onto the rug near the hearth and then undressed her. His own clothing followed hers, and he lay down half on top of her. His mouth swooped down to capture hers in another kiss, and then his tongue licked its way down the column of her throat and beyond. After suckling upon her breasts, he moved lower to the crevice between her thighs and sweetly tormented the dewy pearl of her womanhood until she was delirious with passion, crying out for him to take her.
Adam rose up between her thighs. He entered her slowly and then withdrew, repeating this movement over and over and over again, rekindling her desire.
"Love me," she pleaded in a breathless whisper.
And Adam gave her what she wanted. He rode her hard, and they exploded together.
Adam fell to one side and pulled her with him. The only sound in the drawing room was their labored breathing.
And the crunch of someone eating cookies?
Adam and Sabrina snapped their gazes toward the coffee table. Taking advantage of their inattention, Winston had already devoured the cucumber sandwiches and was just finishing the last of the lemon cookies. When the wolfhound completed his meal by slurping the tea left in their cups, Adam and Sabrina howled with laughter.
"My princess," Adam said, smiling down into her face.
"My prince," Sabrina said on a sigh. Entwining her arms around his neck, she drew his handsome face toward hers, ordering, "Kiss me again ..."
Chapter 17
"My princess ..."
Awakening with a smile, Sabrina recalled her husband's whispered words of endearment. The glow from the previous night's lovemaking remained with her still and warmed her all over.
Sabrina rolled over in her husband's bed and found his place empty. One perfect rose lay across his pillow, a gift of love for his wife. She hadn't yet forgiven him for lying to her, or for escorting Alexis to the ball the other night but she'd learn
ed that the value of arguing was making up.
Too bad he'd already risen, Sabrina thought, leaning close to his pillow to inhale his clean masculine scent. She would have loved to feel his nakedness pressing her down in the bed.
Reliving each precious moment would be the next best thing. Sabrina snapped her eyes shut and conjured her husband's image in her mind's eye.
Again Sabrina saw his devastating smile inching closer to her face.
Again she felt the hard planes of his body caressing her softness.
Again she heard his voice—
"Sabrina!"
Startled, Sabrina bolted up in the bed. Clutching the coverlet to shield her naked breasts, she looked around in drowsy confusion. The voice belonged to her husband, but where—?
The bedchamber door flew open. Adam marched into the room with a whining Winston following in his wake.
Sabrina dropped her gaze to his hands. Her husband was holding a copy of The Times in a white-knuckled death grip.
"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, tossing the paper onto the bed.
Sabrina assumed he'd read the column with the piece of gossip Lily had so kindly given to the writer. But she hadn't counted on this reaction from Adam. She decided to bluff him.
"What are you talking about?" Sabrina asked, feigning innocence, her enormous emerald eyes feigning the confusion she did not possess.
Adam held her gaze captive with his piercing blue eyes, eyes that she'd loved until this moment. Those damned eyes of his seemed to see to the depths of her soul.
"Do not lie," Adam said. "I want you to tell me what this is about."
"Let me read it." Sabrina scanned the offending column, which stated, that the Marchioness of Stonehurst was intending to give the Savage title and estate to her younger sister.
"Oh, that," she said without looking up.
"Oh, that?" Adam echoed, incredulous. "Then it's true?"
Sabrina smiled brightly. "Quite generous of me to give everything to Courtney, wouldn't you say?"
"You do not have the power to give anything away to anybody," Adam informed her, his tone implying she was a simpleton. "I hold the receivership rights to your assets. Remember?"
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