Regency Spymasters 01 - Spy Fall

by Diana Quincy

  “His lordship asked me to convey his apologies for his delay,” Fellowes said. “He’s looking in on one of the tenants, who broke his leg in a cart accident this morning. He should join you presently.”

  That Saint Tristan had rushed off to look after the welfare of a tenant came as no surprise to Cosmo. But young Anna was proof that Darling wasn’t above normal human frailty. Knowing he could fall prey to the same desires as any normal man made Cosmo like him the better.

  The cooing sounds of hundreds of pigeons rustling in the garden dovecote reached them. Cosmo suppressed a grimace. From the time he’d played here as a child, he’d hated the dovecote. Something about all those birds in one place made him shiver, but Elinor had been entranced by it. She and Darling had made countless games of chasing the pigeons.

  Going to the window, he looked out at the round stone building with its conical top. A wood-framed door allowed access to the ground level of the dovecote. Given the racket the pigeons made, as well as the prevalence of bird droppings, Cosmo had never understood why anyone would want to enter, unless they were looking for supper.

  Something blue darted around the structure, attracting his attention. A laughing Anna chased the pigeons. They launched off the ground with a start, seeking refuge high up in the square cupola at the apex of the dovecote, far away from mischievous little girls.

  With a smile, Cosmo turned to Aldridge and excused himself before pulling open the glass door that led to the garden. “Miss Anna,” he called, walking toward her, “are you frightening these innocent birds?”

  Her lively hazel eyes rounded with indignation. “Most certainly not. We are playing a chasing game.” Belatedly seeming to remember her manners, she dipped a curtsey. “Hullo, Uncle Cosmo. Have you come for your sea fossils?”

  He rubbed his chin as if considering the idea. “I think I shall allow you to keep them. If you promise to take great care with the shells.”

  She bounced on her toes. “I shall, I promise. Have you come to visit Uncle Tristan?”

  “Yes, but he is away at present. Aldridge is within, though. Would you like to greet him?”

  An expectant expression lit her face. “Do you think he’s brought me a special treat?”

  He chuckled. Anna was growing used to being spoiled by Aldridge. “Why don’t we go and see?”

  They walked back to the manor house. Skipping alongside him, Anna slipped her small, warm hand into his. Cosmo’s fingers instantly tightened around hers, a pang slicing into his chest. Perhaps one day soon, he would bring Elinor’s son to Kenwood to play with Darling’s enchanting daughter. The boy would be about a year younger than Anna. Nostalgia pressed on his lungs at the idea of history repeating itself, this next generation of children playing together as their parents had.

  Darling appeared as they reached the terrace. “Cosmo.”

  “Darling,” he said. “Anna was out chasing the birds in the dovecote. Do you remember how you and Elinor used to do that?”

  Darling’s expression softened. “Yes, of course I remember.”

  It struck Cosmo that perhaps Darling still mourned Elinor. He had yet to marry, even after all these years. With his good looks, manners, and title, Darling would be a prime catch on the marriage mart. Maybe he hadn’t married because of his devotion to Anna. Few wives would welcome their husband’s bye blow into the family home.

  Anna peered up at Cosmo with a scrunched-up face. “Who is Elinor?”

  “My sister,” he answered.

  “Why haven’t you brought her to meet me?”

  “Anna.” Darling’s tone held a warning in it.

  Cosmo held up a staying hand. “It’s all right, Darling.” He bent to look Anna in the eye. “My sister lives in heaven with your mother and mine.”

  “Oh.” Sadness dimmed the light in the girl’s eyes. “A great many people seem to live in heaven.”

  Pain stretched in his chest. “Only the very best ones.”

  “Was your sister so very good?”

  “She was indeed,” Darling said. “The finest.”

  Surprised, Cosmo looked up to catch a fleeting expression of torment on Darling’s face before it vanished behind that implacable façade. He pushed to his feet, experiencing a kindred feeling of shared grief with the man. Darling wasn’t over Elinor, after all, not by a long shot.

  “Sweet girl,” Darling said to Anna, “Nurse has your luncheon ready.”

  A pout formed on her little lips. Cosmo bit back a smile. Charming as she was, Anna wasn’t above a child’s tantrum. “Why must I go? I want to visit with Uncle Cosmo and Uncle Lord Aldridge.”

  “If you are a very good girl and eat your food as Nurse instructs,” Darling said in a firm voice, “then I shall invite you to join us for dessert on the terrace.”

  “Very well.” Appearing only slightly mollified, Anna dipped a petulant curtsey before trudging into the house.

  “You are very good with her,” Cosmo said, smiling after her. “I suspect you will have your hands full once she outgrows the nursery.”

  Darling followed his gaze. “Yes, Anna has a mind of her own.” Warmth filled his voice. “She’s like her mother that way.”

  Cosmo’s interest pricked. “You cared for her mother.”

  “Yes, I did. Very much.”

  “When did she die?”

  “When Anna was three. A carriage accident. Unfortunately, the child doesn’t remember her.” He turned toward the house. “Let’s rejoin Aldridge, shall we?”

  As soon as they went inside, Fellows informed them that luncheon was ready, and led them into the dining room. Once the first course was served, Darling signaled for the footmen to leave them alone.

  “Now, as pleased as I am by your visit,” he said to Aldridge, “Cosmo’s note indicated you have something of importance to discuss.”

  Scratching behind his ear, Aldridge cleared his throat. “It is about Elinor’s child.”

  “What about him?”

  “We are most anxious to know what became of the child,” Cosmo said.

  “You understand, of course, the boy did not survive his birth.” Darling’s Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat. “It was not a full-term pregnancy.”

  He hadn’t known that. “Do you mean to say the child was not fully formed?”

  “The nurse who attended Elinor said that the child was born at least two months too early.” The words were measured, hesitant. “It hadn’t had sufficient time in the womb.”

  Aldridge’s attention was riveted on Darling. “Did you ever see the boy?”

  “The body?” Darling said softly. “I did not. By the time I arrived, both bodies had already been removed.”

  Cosmo’s throat ached. “So, it is possible the boy lived.”

  Darling darted a concerned look between the two men. “Elinor’s maid told me the boy had been laid to rest next to his mother.”

  Aldridge released a heavy exhale. “I suppose we could unearth the remains to see if it is so.”

  Anguish-laced fury ripped through Cosmo. He shot to his feet, jarring the table, causing the porcelain china and crystal goblets to rattle in protest. “Devil take it. If they have him, I will find them. I vow I will pummel whoever is responsible for this.”

  Darling placed his hands flat, palms down, on the table. “Of what do you speak, Cosmo? I’m quite lost.”

  Aldridge’s eyes moistened. “We’ve received information that Elinor’s son lives.”

  Darling stared back at him, shock stamped his face. “How is that possible?”

  “We must find Elinor’s maid. She could be the key to this,” Cosmo said. “Darling, do you know what became of her?”

  “I’m afraid I do not.” He shook his head. “I don’t even recall her name.”

  “I will find her.” Cosmo punctuated the vow by slamming his fist against the wall. “If it is the last thing I do, I’ll locate her, and strangle the truth from her if I have to.”

  Cosmo sank down into the tub, the hea
ted bath a welcome relief to his tired muscles. Cupping the water in his hands, he brought it to his face, rubbing away the grime from his long ride. The trip to Town had not been a productive one.

  The door to his chamber pushed open. To his surprise, it was Aldridge.

  “Well?” his father asked without preamble, stepping inside and closing the door quietly behind him.

  Cosmo frowned. “Why are you up? It is late. You should be abed.”

  “You’ve returned sooner than I’d anticipated.”

  “I rode through the night.” He lathered soap into his wet hair. “I only stopped to change horses.”

  Aldridge’s displeasure showed. “You’ve pushed yourself too hard since learning of the boy.”

  He waved his father’s concerns away with an impatient gesture. “Has anyone contacted you again?”

  “Not as of yet.”

  “Good.” Cosmo submerged himself in the water to rinse the soap out of his hair. He relished the unearthly quiet, the lulling sense of peace, cocooned by the warm water, until he felt the pull on his lungs. He emerged, shaking rivulets from his hair. “I need to be here when they contact you again.”

  Aldridge dragged a chair closer to the tub and sank into it. “Were you able to learn anything?”

  Hot frustration welled in Cosmo’s chest. “The runner in London has come up empty. As has his associate in Paris.”

  “So we have no choice.” Aldridge closed his eyes, his face ashen. “We wait until they come for the list.”

  “I’m going to Paris myself.” Cosmo gritted his teeth. “We are not giving them that information.”

  “Because Miss Lamarre’s name is on it? She’ll be safe as long as she remains in England, as will her brothers.”

  “Because it would be wrong,” he ground out. “There are other names on that list. We won’t trade people’s lives for Ellie’s son. I cannot imagine how you countenance it.”

  Aldridge sank back into his chair, weariness imprinted in the gaunt lines of his face. “I can countenance it,” he said in a tired voice, “because I am not well. And I must see Elinor’s son safe before I leave this world.”

  Cosmo regarded his father with surprise. “You worry about your mortality? You’ll recover from that chest cold soon enough, particularly with the sea air.”

  Aldridge’s grave eyes held Cosmo’s. “Perhaps.”

  “The doctor says you are fine.” Cosmo’s insides chilled. “Is he lying?”

  “No, Hodges has found nothing, but I feel the decline in my body. I must consider the possibility there is no curative.”

  “It cannot be.” No longer able to feel the warmth of the bath water, Cosmo shivered.

  “We cannot know what the future holds. That is why I am willing to be ruthless where my grandson is concerned.”

  Cosmo swallowed against the painful constriction in his throat. The thought of losing his father so soon after Ellie was unimaginable, but Aldridge’s worries made sense—the unending coughs, the labored movement, the way his cheeks seemed to grow more hollow each day.

  “If it is to be, it is not a tragedy. I have lived a good life and I will go peacefully to meet my maker. I rejoice at the thought of being with your mother and Elinor again. I have no regrets about the life I’ve lived.”

  “But you will be remorseful if you trade the lives of innocents for Ellie’s son.” He shook his head. “I won’t allow it. I know you. You cannot die in peace if you do this.”

  “What choice do we have?”

  Cosmo’s set his jaw. “Leave it to me.”

  Aldridge’s eyes closed briefly. He opened them, regarding Cosmo with an impenetrable look, tinged with what appeared to be a bit of pride. “So be it.” He pushed to his feet in a labored motion that made emotion prick Cosmo’s chest. “I had hoped to avoid burdening you with this.”

  How like his father to take all hardship onto himself. “It is time, don’t you think, for me to take up the responsibilities to which I was born?”

  Aldridge smiled. “Indeed.”

  After his father had gone, Cosmo laid his head back against the tub. If only he could enlist Mari’s help. With her resources in France, she would have a better chance of finding the nurse. But, of course, he couldn’t confide in her. To do so would confirm Aldridge’s guilt. His course was clear. He needed to find Elinor’s son, if he still lived, and destroy the list before Mari found out about any of it.

  “That tub is so large it is almost vulgar.”

  The smoky French-accented words drifted from behind, wafting over him like a warm breeze after days of chilling rain. “I had it made to my requirements.”

  “It’s amazing what money can buy.” She wandered into view, walking up beside the tub, wearing those breeches, which hugged her trim hips in a most provocative way.

  “How did you get in here?” But even as he asked the question, he knew the answer.

  “Apparently there are some secret panels you neglected to show me.” She took the chair recently vacated by his father. Settling back, she crossed her long legs, resting her hands on the armrests. “So I took it upon myself to discover them.”

  He lifted a brow. “Make yourself at home.”

  Her eyes were watchful. “How was your trip to London?”

  Blast it all. How much had she overheard? “Very tiring.” He glanced at his body in the bath. “I trust you’ve noticed I’m a bit indisposed at the moment.”

  She ran an impassive look over him, from his chest to his belly and then lower. And devil take it if his prick didn’t respond to the attention. Her mouth curved. “Apparently not excessively tired.”

  Ignoring the burgeoning flesh between his legs, he rose to his feet, the tepid water making a rush of noise as he did so. “It’s a reflex,” he said gruffly, reaching for a cloth to dry himself. He scrubbed it over his arms and legs, making no effort to cover himself.

  “Mon Dieu.” Her eyes sparkled. “That is quite a reflex.”

  He stepped out of the bath, his wet feet making a damp impression on the frayed Aubusson carpet. “Suppose you just come right out and tell me what you want, Angel.”

  Her pink tongue passed over her lower lip, moistening it, a reminder of how sublime it had been to have those lips on his flesh. He went hard as a buck getting his first glimpse of a plump pair of bare diddies. “Stop looking at me like that,” he said, irritated.

  “Why?”

  Because he couldn’t think with her this close to him, not now, when their status as adversaries had never been so clear. He needed to get rid of her and to keep her far away from him. “Must I state the obvious?” He forced the words out, through the regret coiling hard in his chest. “Our liaison was pleasant, but I am not the sort of man to stay with any one wench for long.”

  “Je comprends.” Her dark little brows drew together. “It is natural that you should become bored with me.”

  He almost snorted in response. If only that were the case. “It’s why I went to London,” he lied, “to indulge myself a bit.”

  “Enjoyed a woman or two, did you?” The words were matter-of-fact, almost amused, as if his actions were of little consequence to her.

  “I’m relieved you understand.” In truth, it rankled him that she should care so little. Dropping the drying cloth, he placed his hands on his hips and stood in front of her, deliberately too close, his arousal jutting out in front of him. “Clearly, I’m still a bit tense. Why don’t you use that hot little mouth of yours to give me some relief?” Her quick, sharp intake of breath told him he’d hit his mark. “Come then, get on with it,” he said in a silky voice, ignoring an inward wince. “The whores in Town were amusing, but their talents pale next to yours in this particular area.”

  That last part might have been a bit much, given the flinty something that flashed in her eyes. When she scooted her bottom to the edge of the chair, as though she intended to do what he asked, concern shot through him. He clearly hadn’t thought this through. An angry Mari Lamarre th
is close to his vulnerable flesh suddenly seemed like a very bad idea.

  He forced himself not to flinch when she reached and ran a light finger over the tip of his prick.

  “You are so anxious,” she murmured in French.

  Damn right he was anxious. He loved the lyrical way the smooth words rolled off her tongue when she spoke her native language. French had to be the most sensual language in the world. She gazed up at him, those plump, pink lips so close to his aching flesh. “Perhaps I will.”

  What? Her other hand smoothed down her pale, long neck and he recalled the sensation of being deep down in her throat. “And if I do—”

  Lust whipped through him and his groin swelled to the point of pain. He suppressed the impulse to wrap his hand around her head to draw her lips closer to his eager prick. “Yes?” he ground out, urging her to finish her sentence.

  “If I do,” her gaze skated from his rigid flesh up to his face, “will you give me the list?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Bloody hell!” Cosmo jerked back as though he’d been struck. His quickly withering arousal reminded Mari of a deflating hot air balloon. “How much do you know?”

  Swallowing against the dryness in her throat, she sank back in the chair, mostly to put space between her and all of that glorious male virility. “Enough to know you have what I want.” In more ways than one.

  “How could you know that?”

  His mountainous frame paced away from her, offering a delicious view of his backside. Despite their moments of intimacy, she’d never seen him fully unclothed. It was a view well worth enjoying; wide shoulders gave way to a contoured, square-shaped back, which narrowed slightly at the hips where a gentle fuzz of dark hair dusted the small of his back. His muscled arse looked nothing like the flat, barely-there posteriors common to so many men. It was finely shaped, no doubt honed by horseback riding and—she frowned at the thought—possibly other forms of exercise.