Gabby and Evelyn took one bench, and Lucas took another across from them.
He turned to Gabrielle with concern flashing in his navy eyes. “You have been well since I last visited?”
“Yes, very well,” she answered with a kind smile. “I feel stronger every day.”
“Miss Dumas was dreadfully sick when I brought her to England, my — Evelyn,” he corrected. “She had me worried for quite a while.”
“Your tale seems to be quite an intriguing one, Gabrielle,” Evelyn responded. “Yet something tells me I am not to be privy to all of it.”
Gabrielle squirmed slightly and noticed that Lucas did the same.
Evelyn laughed softly.
“Do not worry. I shan’t pry. Besides, being married to Andrew, I have learned that there is quite a bit I do not know about him or my cousin—” she paused before continuing “—or about you two, it seems. What a complicated web you all weave.”
“From what I hear, you were quite the web-weaver yourself not too long ago,” Lucas responded, making Evelyn grin with pride.
“Why, yes, I was. Unfortunately, now my time is spent trying to fit in with the ton, being a countess and all.”
Gabby had to laugh at the despondent tone and heavy sighs coming from her new friend. Most people would kill to be accepted to the glittering world of the beau monde.
“Come now, Evelyn, it cannot be all bad,” she said with a smile.
“No, it’s not,” Evelyn conceded. “Andrew taking his role as earl so seriously means that we spend a minimum amount of time in Town, since he likes to oversee his estates personally. Which suits me perfectly as I prefer the country. And ‘tis better for William.”
The countess’ voice softened as she spoke of her baby, and Gabby felt a pang of envy in the pit of her stomach.
How she would love a quiet life in the country and a babe to care for.
“But you know I was never terribly well known in the ton and to suddenly become an important member of the Peerage… Well, it was quite a shock to my system.”
“I cannot imagine any situation you would not rise to marvellously,” Gabby said with absolute sincerity. There was a strength in Evelyn’s character that made her rather formidable.
“Thank you, dear. You are very kind. It took time, but I have the measure of them now.” She leaned closer and spoke in a faux whisper. “All surface, no substance,” she confessed with a wink.
Gabby and Lucas laughed at the wicked remark.
Gabrielle could see why Andrew adored his wife. She was a breath of fresh air in a world full of stuffy, staid ladies of quality.
“And, of course, the help I received from Anna was—” Evelyn froze and darted her gaze to Lucas as though she’d said something terrible.
Gabby looked to him in confusion and was surprised to see him stiffen visibly. A flash of intense emotion darkened his face.
“I—” Evelyn began to speak but didn’t seem to know what to say and so just stopped.
Gabrielle had no clue what was going on, but whatever it was, it was serious. She’d never seen Lucas anything other than lighthearted and charming, if a bit roguish. Seeing him otherwise was rather unsettling.
“How is she?” he asked, his voice stiff as though he held it under brutal control.
Evelyn shrugged helplessly before sighing and clasping her hands together. “She’s — I don’t know. Sad? Lonely?”
Good heavens, Gabby thought. What on earth were they talking about?
“Surely she is not mourning the bast— the, uh, cad,” Lucas hastily corrected himself.
“Of course not,” Evelyn scoffed. “But it’s been hard for her, Lucas,” she said softly, her eyes suddenly glistening with unshed tears. “Her life was so unhappy, and then he died, and she was stuck with my aunt, for pity’s sake. Jonathan insisted she stay at the Park, but he’s never there.” She shook her head, sounding and looking utterly helpless. “I wish I knew how to help her. She deserves to be happy. She deserves to be free.”
Gabrielle knew they must be speaking of Jonathan’s sister, though she’d never met the lady. But her heart ached for the woman. Whatever she had been through, it sounded utterly appalling.
She reached over and squeezed Evelyn’s hand, wanting to offer some sort of support.
Evelyn turned to her with a grateful smile before she looked back to the captain, her smile fading as her countenance transformed to one of deep concern.
Gabby followed Evelyn’s stare and was shocked to see the effect Evelyn’s words had on Lucas.
He looked haggard, agonised, as though her words had caused him physical pain.
“Lucas.” Gabby stood and went to move toward him. She didn’t know why; she just knew it was terrible to see another person in so much pain.
He stood too and held out a hand to ward her off. “If you’ll excuse me, ladies?”
With a stiff bow, he turned and left the gazebo.
Gabby watched in shock as he departed.
He walked quickly away, never lifting his head from the ground, as though there were a heavy weight on his broad shoulders.
Gabby turned back to Evelyn to see the other lady was watching too, a look of guilt stamped on her face.
“What was that about?” Gabby asked.
Evelyn sighed and moved to link her arm through Gabby’s. “I wish I could tell you, but truth be told, I could only guess at it. And it’s not my tale to tell.”
“There seems to be a lot of secrets floating around,” Gabby said, her head starting to spin.
“Yes, there does. Oh, Gabby. I long for an uncomplicated life, free of secrets.”
Gabby smiled as she led the way back through the garden toward the house.
“So do I. Desperately.”
Evelyn stopped and turned to face her.
“Whatever it is that’s troubling you, I have no doubt Jonathan will get to the bottom of it. Now that he’s found you again, there isn’t a force strong enough in the world to part you.”
Gabby felt ridiculous, unwelcome tears spring to her eyes at Evelyn’s words.
“I do hope you’re right,” she said past the lump in her throat.
Evelyn’s words offered comfort but also served to reignite Gabby’s determination to find out who had wanted her dead.
The sooner she got to the bottom of it, the sooner she would be free to live that uncomplicated life of which they’d spoken.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
“I AM SO pleased you managed to convince Captain Lucas to stay to dinner, Mr. Casings.” Evelyn beamed at their host.
To be honest, Gabby didn’t think Evelyn had really warmed to Piers. For one who professed to despise being a member of the Peerage, the little countess knew how to use aristocratic haughtiness to her advantage.
She hadn’t so much asked, but demanded that the captain be invited to join them, but she did it so smoothly and elegantly that nobody could accuse her of being anything other than unfailingly polite about it.
It was quite a skill.
“Of course, my lady.” Piers’ answer was all politeness.
Gabby noticed that Evelyn didn’t insist the older man call her by her first name, which seemed unusual, given his close relationship with Jon and Andrew.
“Are you staying long in the area, Captain?” Piers asked. He didn’t sound terribly happy about the idea.
“No, not now,” Lucas answered gruffly.
“So you had intended to?”
“If it had been necessary, I would have stayed. But it seems as though my business here is well taken care of. So, I’m leaving.”
Gabby couldn’t help but feel that she was his business, given that he frequently visited and stayed at a nearby inn since he’d never been invited to stay at the house.
Obviously, he considered her taken care of now that Jonathan and Andrew were here.
She felt irritation flare up at his assumption that she couldn’t take care of herself but then remembered that she’d be
en half dead when he’d helped her first, and he was only being a good friend.
Jonathan had clearly assumed that Gabby was the captain’s business, too, if the daggers he was currently shooting at the man were any indication of his thoughts.
“Will you be returning to your ship, Captain?” Evelyn asked.
“Not yet, my lady. I have business in Town and will stay there, most likely until the end of the Season.”
“How wonderful,” she exclaimed with a bright smile, earning a dark scowl from her husband. “We shall see plenty of you, then.”
“I hope so, my lady,” he answered with a smile.
Gabby wasn’t sure, but she could have sworn she heard a growl come from Andrew.
The meal concluded, and Evelyn and Gabrielle moved to the drawing room whilst the gentlemen stayed behind to enjoy their port and cigars.
“Should we be worried about leaving them alone?” Gabby asked, half convinced they would hear gunshots shortly.
“Oh, they’ll be fine. Andrew is under strict instructions to behave himself. And I’m sure Jonathan won’t do anything to risk angering you.”
“I wonder what has them so up in the boughs about poor Lucas.”
Evelyn raised a brow.
“I am quite sure poor Lucas knows exactly what he’s doing to upset them. But it is vastly amusing.”
At Gabby’s look of confusion, Evelyn laughed and continued, moving to sit on the gold brocade sofa that dominated the drawing room.
“Jealousy, my dear, will make a man terribly unreasonable. I’ve only learned so in the last few years.”
“How ridiculous of him to be jealous of Lucas,” she scoffed.
Evelyn eyed her for a moment before speaking. “Absolutely,” she agreed. “Why, if a beautiful young woman were to come and visit with Jonathan, you wouldn’t mind at all, would you?”
The idea of Jonathan entertaining a young woman in front of her made Gabby’s temper flare, and it must have shown on her face, for Evelyn laughed and nodded as though her point had been proven.
“Just so,” she said with a smug smile.
Gabby quite enjoyed the idea of Jonathan being jealous over her, but she was still nervous about leaving the gentlemen alone.
She needn’t have worried, however, as only moments later, the drawing room door opened, and Lucas, Andrew, and Jonathan walked in.
“No Mr. Casings?” Evelyn asked as Andrew came and sat beside her.
“He has retired for the evening, sweetheart. A long day with the tenants has exhausted him, apparently.”
“Retirement makes a man go soft,” Jonathan said slyly.
“Not all men,” Andrew quipped. “Just ask your cousin.”
Jonathan scowled, and Evelyn moved to swat Andrew on the arm, but he caught her hand, lifting it to press a kiss on her palm.
Gabby tried not to feel envious. She also tried not to let her gaze stray to Jonathan, but it was impossible to control.
Her breath hitched as she found him watching her, his expression so intense, so possessive that it made her heart positively gallop.
“I came to take my leave, ladies,” Lucas said gently.
“Surely you do not intend to travel at night, Captain?” Evelyn gasped.
“No, my lady. I have rooms at the inn in the village. I will travel at first light tomorrow.”
“Haven’t I asked you to call me Evelyn?” she scolded jokingly.
“You have,” he confirmed with a grin, “but I would rather not have to duel your husband before I leave. Takes up so much time, you see.”
Andrew’s answering smile was positively feral.
“I am sure it wouldn’t take me long to finish it at all, Townsend.”
Evelyn threw her eyes to heaven then looked pointedly at Gabby in an “I told you so” kind of way.
“I would like a word, Captain, before you leave.” Jonathan’s voice cut across the not-so-friendly banter.
It was almost the first time he’d spoken all evening, given how silent and brooding he’d been throughout dinner.
Everyone in the room seemed to sense the seriousness of his tone, for the atmosphere seemed to suddenly freeze.
“Of course,” Lucas responded warily.
He was a brave man but obviously wasn’t foolish enough not to take Jonathan seriously.
Evelyn looked between Jonathan and Lucas in silence before standing and facing the room.
“I believe I shall retire for the evening myself. It was a long day travelling.”
Her wink at Gabby indicated that she was leaving them to discuss things she wasn’t supposed to know about.
Gabby was grateful for her understanding. It was ingrained in all of them not to discuss anything in front of civilians.
“I’ll join you shortly, my love,” Andrew said as he walked her to the door.
“Just don’t come up covered in blood. Yours or anyone else’s,” she quipped before sweeping from the room with a general goodnight wish to everyone and a farewell to Lucas.
“Gabby, will you excuse us?” Jonathan asked.
“No,” she said immediately.
Jonathan heaved a weary sigh as though he had expected her answer. Which he likely had.
“Please, sweetheart. I won’t—”
“I’ll tell you what you won’t do. You won’t leave me out of any discussions about me,” she answered mutinously, standing up and placing her hands on her hips.
“Be sensible, Gabby,” he said, further inciting her anger.
“You are so arrogant!” she practically screeched.
“Well, he is a Spencer.” Lucas’ bitter words brought an immediate cessation to the argument.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Jonathan snarled. “You don’t even know me.”
“I knew your father,” Lucas responded, “and I knew your sister. Or I thought I did.”
Jonathan glowered as he stepped closer to Lucas.
“If you have something to say, Townsend, say it.”
“You wanted this conversation, not me,” Lucas responded.
Gabby didn’t like the current flowing between the two men. It made her uncomfortable, though she couldn’t exactly say why.
There seemed to be a lot of bitterness and even hatred on Lucas’ side, which made no sense since Jon was right; the captain didn’t know him.
She desperately strove to distract them from their mutual dislike.
“I told you everything that happened with Lucas, Jonathan. I don’t see why you want to speak to him. Especially without me present.”
“Why won’t you just allow me to handle it?” he asked using a tone one would use with a fractious child.
“Because, as I told you earlier,” she responded through gritted teeth, “it is my life at stake.”
“And mine,” he bit out.
Gabby threw up her hands in frustration, her Gallic blood showing through.
“How? Nobody tried to kill you, Jon.”
“I wished they had!” he yelled in return, immediately silencing her.
“D-don’t say that,” she said, hating the very idea of it.
“It’s true. I told you, Gabby, when I thought you were dead, I didn’t want to live any more. Every single day was torment for me. Of course I cannot claim to know what you went through. Of course it wasn’t nearly as terrible for me as it was for you. But believe me, I suffered. I suffer still at the idea that somewhere out there is a person who tried to take your life.
“I haven’t lived for the past three years, any more than you have, and not a day passed when I thought you dead that I didn’t wish to trade places with you.”
Gabby looked to the other occupants of the room. Their expressions were stony in the face of Jonathan’s outburst. Gabby had no idea what they made of it. But it crushed her enough to make her want to reach out and comfort him, all anger forgotten.
Before she had a chance to speak, however, Jonathan continued, his tone now frighteningly icy in contrast
to his eyes that now burned with golden fire.
“And now, I need to feel like I’m doing something, anything, to make up for the fact that I left you alone when you needed me the most.”
The room was silent apart from Jonathan’s voice, and Gabby was afraid to even breathe too loudly. His pain, coming off him in waves, made her heart ache.
“I won’t rest until I find out who did it. And when I do, I’ll bring hell itself down on their heads. They took you from me, Gabrielle. And they will pay for it.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
JONATHAN DOWNED THE contents of his glass before swiftly pouring another.
He knew, of course, that being utterly foxed was not conducive to solving a case.
In fact, he’d had more to drink these past few days than he’d had for the past few months.
But, hell, he’d just poured his heart out in front of his best friend and the captain who couldn’t keep his hands to himself.
If ever there was a time to get completely thrashed, it was now.
After his little outburst and a rather uncomfortable silence, Andrew had suggested they move to Piers’ study, where he kept the good brandy.
And so there they were, each with a tumbler of the amber liquid, each with a serious expression, and each with a determination to find out what the hell had gone on all those years ago in Paris.
As he thought about Paris, Jonathan, who had been standing at the end table holding the decanter of brandy, moved to sit behind Piers’ mahogany desk and face the captain, who was sitting, to his great displeasure, beside Gabby.
It was just like old times, this. And Jon couldn’t help the pang of nostalgia.
The first time he’d met Gabby had been in similar circumstances. He, Andrew, and Piers had been in the study of an agent based in Brussels, and she’d burst into the room, full of life and beauty.
Jon remembered the doubts he’d had about her. This tiny, outrageously feminine slip of a girl. How could she possibly be an agent? And a double one at that?
He remembered Andrew had been foolish enough to actually voice his disbelief and had ended up with a dagger at his throat before he’d had time to blink.
“Do not underestimate me, Ashdon,” she’d said, her throaty purr igniting a heat in Jonathan that had taken him by surprise at the time. Now, he expected it.
The Spy's Revenge Page 8
