A look of distaste came over Tristan’s face and he peeled Louisa’s hand off his arm. “I don’t force myself on women.”
Louisa made an exasperated sound. “What does it matter, so long as we achieve our aims? It’s a bit late to become chivalrous, Tristan. You set out on the course to punish Gravesmere through his wife. Why the sudden acquisition of a conscience?”
Tristan shook his head. “I have no idea. But, while I find it uncomfortable and annoying, it isn’t nearly so unattractive as you are. I knew you were avaricious, Louisa, but do you really want to ruin this woman for life? She‘s done you no harm.”
“She stole Gravesmere from me!” Louisa snapped the words out, and then hastily lowered her voice again. “I should be the duchess, not her.”
“She was married to him long before you met Gravesmere,” countered Tristan. “You’re the one doing the stealing.”
“It doesn’t matter who was married first. The point is that Adam is mine, and I won’t let him go. I’ve looked for this opportunity all my life, and I’m not going to let some child stand in my way. Snap out of it, Tristan. We have a lot of work to do to repair your stupid blunder.”
“I won’t be helping you any longer, Louisa.” Tristan stepped away from her. “I don’t have the stomach for it that you apparently do.”
“Are you in love with the girl? Is that the problem? You must be getting old, Tristan.”
He hesitated, pondering the question. “No, I’m not in love with her,” he said slowly. “But I do like her, and I won’t be a part of this sick scheme any longer.”
Louisa sneered. “Joining the angels, are you, Tristan?”
He bowed politely. “Not at all. It just seems that I’m not quite so much of a devil as I had imagined.”
He turned his back and was gone, leaving Louisa alone in the glittering ballroom, her hands clenched in rage.
Chapter 25
The Proof is in the Pudding
Adam sat at his desk in the library, his golden head resting in his hands. It throbbed faintly, and he cursed the brandy he had consumed the night before. But it was the only thing that eased the pain he felt whenever he thought of Allegra. Being anywhere near her was intolerable. Even when he had stumbled in early that morning, drunk as he could be, all he could think of was her sleeping in the room next to his, her fragrant body as soft as silk to the touch, of the incredible way she had responded to him only hours before. It had taken all his strength not to go into her room and plead with her to abandon her lover and be true to him.
He sighed deeply. His life was a shambles. If his encounter with Allegra the night before had taught him one thing, it was that he could no longer be with Louisa. He had walked out of the library and left the party without even returning to the ballroom. He had had no desire to see Louisa, or talk to her, or to try to explain what had happened. A pang of guilt shot through him. She was loyal and supportive, but he thought only of a woman who wanted no part of him. It was a sickness, but one that had no cure.
There was a knock at the door, and Adam looked up as the butler entered. He carried a folded note on a silver tray, which he presented with a flourish.
“I was given to understand that this pertained to an urgent matter, Your Grace. Please forgive the intrusion.”
Adam picked the note up idly and nodded his thanks. It was probably from Louisa, he thought. She doubtless wondered what had happened the night before, if he had discovered Allegra with Gresham and now had his evidence so he could proceed with the divorce. If she knew the real truth, she wouldn’t be happy.
He opened the note absently and glanced down at it, but the writing was not Louisa’s. Adam spread the page before him and gave it his full attention. It was from the retired Bow Street Runner who now ran a discreet service for the nobility. Adam had retained his services to obtain evidence of Allegra’s infidelity for his divorce suit.
Your Grace,
If you will do me the honor to let me know when it may be convenient for you to meet with me, I have some information that you will find enlightening. I believe we have the evidence you desire.
Sincerely,
A.G. Pemberton
Adam whistled softly and sat back, the note cradled in his long fingers. The long sought evidence at last. The news brought him no sense of elation; instead he felt strangely hollow. Allegra’s parting words last night had given him pause, and he had wondered, and even hoped, that perhaps he had wronged her. He had not been so overtaken by passion the night before not to realize that Gresham hadn’t been before him that evening. Maybe he had been mistaken in her after all. But he now held in his hand proof positive that she was unfaithful. He swore and crumpled the piece of paper. He didn’t want to go, to have it spelled out to him that Allegra was a liar and a cheat. But to not go would be cowardly and to admit that she had won. With a grimace he stood and left the library.
Half an hour later Adam presented himself at the office of Mr. Pemberton. It was a discreet set of rooms in a plain house, with no distinguishing characteristics whatsoever. Mr. Pemberton’s stock in trade was anonymity, and it was this that allowed him and his agents to move unseen among the members of the ton, making note of their more disreputable behavior. Nothing the nobility did surprised Mr. Pemberton, and when the Duke of Gravesmere appeared looking rumpled and angry, he made no comment. He had seen far worse in his time.
“Good morning, Your Grace,” he said, bowing low and ushering his guest to a brown leather chair. “I’m pleased you could come so quickly.”
“Let’s get this over with,” said Adam glumly. “What did you discover about my wife?”
“Well, she’s a clever one,” answered Mr. Pemberton. “We’ve been watching her for over a week now and she’d given us nothing to report. However she’s arranged to see her gentlemen, she‘s been very crafty about it, indeed.” He made a temple with his fingers and peered at Adam over it, his little eyes lit up with a spark of admiration. It wasn’t often that his agents were fooled.
“That’s not what your letter indicated,” said Adam. “I thought you had evidence to present to me.”
“Ah, yes. Despite her cleverness, it seems the lady’s, ah, passion got away with her at last. She was most indiscreet.” Mr. Pemberton tapped his fingers lightly on his desk. Most indiscreet. My man witnessed the entire encounter.”
Adam suppressed a shudder. The idea of Allegra cheating on him was horrible enough, without the thought of a hired man witnessing it. “When did this happen?” he rasped.
“Last night. At the Tremaine ball.”
Adam bit his lip. Allegra had been busy indeed. She must have gone straight from his arms to another man’s. It seemed he had simply warmed her up for someone else.
“Would you care to know the details?” Mr. Pemberton held a sheet of paper in front of him, and looked at Adam curiously over the top of it. The young duke seemed more distressed than he had expected. He could hardly be shocked at the news. When he had engaged Mr. Pemberton’s services he had seemed quite certain that his wife was a notorious wanton and all he required was proof.
“Yes, certainly,” answered Adam. It was too late to back out now.
“It seems she left the ballroom in the company of a tall, dark nobleman and entered a small sitting room located down a dark hallway. My man managed to slip in behind them without being seen; quite a feat really.” Mr. Pemberton beamed with pride. “He concealed himself behind a Japanese screen that sat in one corner of the room and from there was able to make a series of observances, though he was unable to hear any conversations.”
Adam nodded brusquely. The gentleman was no doubt Gresham. Allegra must have sought him out again in order to finish what had been started earlier.
“The gentleman and your wife talked for some minutes, and then he took the duchess in his arms and attempted to embrace her. She seemed pleased at first, but then broke away from him and indicated distress. They talked for some more moments, and the gentleman left the room
.”
Adam raised his brows. A lover’s quarrel? There seemed to be no other explanation. “This is interesting, of course, but hardly the sort of evidence that will obtain me a divorce.”
“Exactly so. However, if you will allow me to proceed, I think you will be very pleased. Some minutes passed, during which Her Grace wept. Then the doors to the room opened and another gentleman entered.”
Adam shifted in his chair. How many men was Allegra sharing herself with? She seemed to have an endless supply of passion.
Mr. Pemberton shot him a triumphant glance and continued to read. “The gentleman grasped your wife by the shoulders, and, after speaking for only a very few moments, they kissed passionately. He proceeded to push her up against the wall, bare her chest, and then, very shortly, raise her skirts and--”
“What the hell!” shouted Adam. Realization dawned as the familiar scene unrolled before him. He had thought of little else for the last twelve hours. “Damn it, what did this man look like?”
Mr. Pemberton appeared surprised. He consulted his sheet of paper. “It says he was tall, blonde and, er, well-built.”
Adam’s fist crashed down on the desk. “Damn it! Damn it to hell! That was me!”
Mr. Pemberton’s mouth dropped open as he stared at Adam. Slowly he regained his composure and put the paper down. “It was my understanding that you wished your wife watched at all times. I was not aware that you continued to have relations with her.”
“I don’t,” said Adam. “At least, I didn’t. Not until last night, that is. It was--it was--” he paused, not at all certain what it was.
Mr. Pemberton smiled tightly. “I’m very sorry about this, Your Grace. I didn’t give my agent your description because I felt it to be unnecessary. I regret the intrusion, but you must agree that it was pardonable. You‘ve hardly dealt with us fairly, in my opinion.”
Adam shuddered. Someone had been lurking in the room, watching Allegra and him last night, taking notes on their furious passion. The thought that he had requested the voyeur’s presence upset him even more.
“You were supposed to get evidence of my wife’s infidelity, and this is the best that you can do?” he demanded, rounding on Mr. Pemberton.
“We have been watching her very closely, and last night was the first time she did anything unusual. Are you quite sure that your wife is cheating on you, Your Grace? We have no indication that she has been intimate with other men, and my agent indicates that she was very enthusiastic with you yesterday night.” He waved his hand at the sheet of paper that still lay on the desk.
“Give me that,” snapped Adam. He snatched up the piece of paper, tearing it into shreds and tossing it into the small fire that burned at one end of the room. He stared gloomily down as the edges of the paper darkened and the incriminating notes slowly disappeared into smoke and ashes. Much like his marriage, he thought morosely.
“Your Grace?” Mr. Pemberton broke the silence after some moments. “How would you like us to proceed? We can, of course, continue to watch your wife for any indication of unfaithfulness. This time I would be certain to give my agents your description and ask them to give you your privacy should you approach your wife again. There was this other gentleman last night, who seemed to be on quite friendly terms with the duchess. She did spurn his advances, but she might not a second time.”
Adam stared down at the floor, pondering the man’s words. He had been so certain that Allegra was flagrantly untrue to him. She had flaunted Lord Gresham in his face, and Louisa had relayed a great deal of incriminating gossip to him. And he had seen her urging Sir James Bathby to kiss her, not to mention the time he found her in Gresham’s arms. It all seemed so obvious. And yet, Mr. Pemberton’s expert agents had found no evidence at all. And she had apparently turned Gresham away the night before, shortly before she had given herself over to him so completely. He frowned, confused. It made no sense, but he had a great feeling of wrongness.
“Your Grace?”
“I’m thinking,” said Adam crossly. If what he had believed wasn’t true, then it was necessary to find out exactly what was going on. And Allegra was the only person who could supply that information. He had to find her and talk to her, to make her explain her actions since their return to London. There was something here that wasn’t adding up, and Allegra was the one who held the key. He only hoped that the wall between them hadn’t become so high that it couldn‘t be surmounted.
“Call off your men for now,” he ordered. “I’m going to find out what’s going on.”
Mr. Pemberton nodded his head. Personally, he doubted that the Duchess of Gravesmere was cheating on her husband, but he was still anxious to hold onto this wealthy client. He would like very much to show him how proficient his agents were.
“Perhaps you would like us to assign a man to Lady Manning?” he suggested. “Our past experience with her would indicate that to be a wise choice.”
Adam spun around. “What are you talking about?”
Mr. Pemberton blinked, surprised by Adam’s reaction. He cleared his throat. “I’m aware that Lady Louisa Manning is under your protection, Your Grace. The lady’s a beauty, but a real high flier, as well. We’ve had occasion to follow her actions for some of her previous protectors, who had good reason to suspect her.”
“Lady Manning has spent the past several years on the Continent,” responded Adam. “You must be thinking of someone else.”
“No, it’s the same woman, I’m sure. A real looker,” said Mr. Pemberton dreamily. “Dark hair, violet eyes, white skin, big--”
“I’m aware of what she looks like,” snapped Adam.
Mr. Pemberton collected himself. “As I was saying, we have had cause to observe her a few times. Her late husband suspected that she was not completely faithful to him, and I myself conducted that investigation. She was entertaining two of their neighbors, as well as the footman they had in their employ. Unfortunately, Sir Anthony, who was unwell, died before he could do anything with the information, although I understood he wished to begin separation proceedings. Later, a French gentleman, the Comte de Valene, who had her in keeping, requested that I send an agent to Paris to watch her. He suspected the lady was sharing her favors, and we found that to be the case. When our client dismissed her she moved on to a new protector, one of the gentlemen she had been seeing on the side. Lord Gresham, I believe. We’ve had no dealings with him. Perhaps he was able to keep the lady satisfied.”
Adam glowered at him, and Mr. Pemberton took a step back. It seemed impossible to please the Duke of Gravesmere this morning. He had no idea why his client should be so angry when he discussed the activities of a well-known courtesan. “I‘m sorry if my suggestion offends you, Your Grace. No doubt you’re aware of Lady Manning’s proclivities and have come to an accommodation with her. I merely thought I would offer my services in case you wished to be sure of her faithfulness. She’s a fast one.”
Adam glared at the little man who was beaming at him so helpfully. “Lord Gresham, did you say?”
“Lord Gresham of Gresham Park. The lady and Lord Gresham had an, er, excessively passionate relationship. My agent was mightily entertained. I must say I envy you, Your Grace. The lady is very talented. I’m sure that more than makes up for her occasional lapses.” Privately, Mr. Pemberton wondered how the duke had the energy to entertain both his mistress and his wife, who seemed, from his perusal of the now-burned notes, to be every bit as voracious as, if perhaps more discriminating than, Lady Manning.
“You’re certain of this information?” demanded Adam.
“Absolutely certain,” Mr. Pemberton assured him. “I investigated the first case myself and was able to witness Lady Manning in action more than once. And the agent I sent to Paris was completely reliable.”
Adam shook his head, trying to clear it. It seemed he had been a fool. Taken in by Louisa’s story, and hypnotized by her physical charms, he hadn’t thought to question her words. Slowly he began to untangle the puzz
le that presented itself to him. Louisa was Gresham’s former mistress, and it was Louisa and Gresham who seemed to have the biggest part in separating him from Allegra. The sense of unease he had felt moments before grew stronger. There was a great deal more going on here than he had suspected.
“No, I don’t think I need you to investigate Lady Manning,” he said slowly. “That’s something I’ll do myself. Thank you for your efforts, Mr. Pemberton. My secretary will be in contact to settle your account.”
Adam marched out of the room, leaving Mr. Pemberton staring after him. He would never understand the nobility, he thought with a sigh.
Chapter 26
Escape
Allegra sat on the edge of her bed, dolefully regarding her toes as they peeped out from under her lacy nightgown. After her encounter with Adam the night before she had left the ball, slipping out of the house before anyone could see her in such disarray, and taking her carriage back to Gravesmere House. The servants were too well trained to express surprise or dismay at her sudden appearance alone, and she had gone immediately to her boudoir, where she had stripped off her dress and jewels without Merriwether’s aid and climbed into her bed. But sleep had eluded her for the most part, and when she had dozed she had dreamed of Adam making passionate love to her, and then his angelic face becoming shaded with disgust and anger as he glared at her when he had finished. This couldn’t go on. As long as she was near Adam she would want him, and would be willing to accept any scraps that he might throw her. Last night had been exhilarating, but also humiliating. She had to gather what remnants of her pride were left to her and escape before it happened again.
She walked to the ornate desk that stood in a corner of her room and sat down, pulling a piece of paper towards her. After a moment of thought, she hastily scribbled a note, folding and sealing it before she could reconsider her actions. She rang the bell and waited impatiently for her maid to arrive.
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