Midnight Masqerade

by Shirlee Busbee

  It was only the sound of Royce's voice that brought them, instantly and jarringly, back to their surroundings. "Ahem," Royce said politely from the doorway. "I hate to interrupt, but we do have an appointment, old friend."

  Melissa sagged against Dominic, her thoughts of her cousin not at all kind. Dominic's were perhaps even less kind than Melissa's as his lips buried in her soft curls. "Royce, remind me to call you out when this is all over. I shall take great pleasure in putting a hole through you!"

  "Whatever you say," Royce returned imperturbably. A

  slight smile on his handsome mouth, he added, "I take it you and Melissa have settled your differences?"

  Resolutely putting Melissa from him, Dominic smiled down at her and murmured, "Yes, I think you can safely say that-but not because of any help from you!"

  "Well, you know that I make it a rule to never interfere in domestic affairs," Royce teased.

  Melissa and Dominic both sent him a look that spoke volumes, and Royce, feeling that he would be no match against the two of them, shrugged his shoulders. "I shall await you outside. "

  Dominic grimaced and turned back to Melissa once Royce had disappeared. "I excessively dislike leaving you tonight, particularly now, but . . . " he murmured.

  Melissa sighed. "I know. The sooner you find that list, the sooner we can put Latimer and . . . " A militant sparkle lit the golden-brown eyes ". . . his sister from our lives." With great feeling she added, "And it cannot happen soon enough for me!"

  Laughing, Dominic hugged her to him. "Sweetheart, you never had anything to fear from that quarter. I resented every moment I had to spend in her presence mainly because it kept me from you!"

  Immensely comforted by this knowledge, Melissa rubbed her cheek against his. "Oh, I do hope that I am not dreaming, that you really are saying these delightful things."

  Dominic smiled, and dropping a kiss on the top of her head, he promised, "It is not a dream and I have many more delightful things to say to you later, but I really must go now."

  She looked at him and asked anxiously, "You will be careful? There is no real danger to you?"

  Dominic shook his dark head confidently. "No. Latimer is away from the house and Royce will be with me. If all goes well I should be home within a few hourshopefully having successfully found that list of names." Gathering her close to him, he kissed her eager lips deeply and then, pushing her away slightly, said huskily, "And now I must go or Royce will come in and interrupt us again. "

  A soft, warm glow surrounding the region of her heart, with only faint misgivings Melissa waved the two men on their way a short moment later. She did not watch them entirely out of sight, superstitiously fearing bad luck if she did so. Deliberately she turned away and, a half smile on her lips, dreamily made her way inside.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  DOMINIC did not fear bad luck, but he certainly could have wished that the timing to search Latimer's rooms had come at a less inconvenient moment-and that, he thought sardonically, was putting it very mildly indeed! Still, it was a task that had to be done, and determinedly he put away thoughts of Melissa and concentrated on the hours ahead.

  It did not take them more than an hour to reach the house that Latimer had leased just beyond town, and as darkness had fallen nearly two hours earlier, they were able to conceal their presence by simply remaining in the rambling, untamed forest that surrounded the house and grounds. Dismounting from their horses, they tied the animals securely to some sturdy oak branches and then turned to consider the house.

  The house was not overly large, but it was two-storied and, as was usual for houses in Louisiana, the bottom story was completely encompassed by a wide gallery. The kitchen was set a little distance from the main house and beyond that, Royce knew, the stables and servants' quarters were situated. From the faint glow of candlelight in one or two rooms of the main house, it was apparent that someone was still stirring; whether it was Latimer and Deborah or a busy servant remained to be seen.

  The hour was shortly after nine o'clock, and as the moon was waxing full, silvery light clearly outlined the house and grounds. Leaning back against the trunk of a tall beech tree, Dominic said softly, "I could wish that there was a little less moonlight, but hopefully there will be no one around to see us." Motioning toward the house, he asked,

  "What do you make of those lights ... a change of plans or servants?"

  Royce rubbed a hand thoughtfully across his chin. "I don't know. I suppose we shall have to go to the stable and see which horses, if any, are missing."

  It took them but a few moments to gain the stable, and after slipping past the nodding stableboy, Royce gave a quick check around in the murky darkness and was able to say lowly, "The buggy and pair are missing, so I would assume Latimer and his sister kept to their original plans. It must be servants still moving around in the house."

  They carefully made their way back to their horses and settled themselves comfortably to wait for all signs of activity to cease. Lying on the ground, propped against the smooth trunk of a tree, Dominic yawned hugely after several moments and then muttered, "I don't know about you, but after last night, I am not as alert as I would like to be. "

  Royce grunted in agreement and suggested, "Why don't you try to sleep and I'll keep watch for a while? Hopefully, whoever is in the house will seek out their own quarters before much longer. If not, and I grow sleepy myself, I shall wake you."

  Dominic needed no urging and within moments was sound asleep. Unfortunately, the light within the house continued to shine and Royce, having underestimated his own stamina, nodded off a short time later.

  The snapping of a twig nearby as some night animal moved through the forest brought Dominic instantly awake several hours later, and sitting upright, he glanced across at Royce. Grinning, he saw that Royce had succumbed and was deeply asleep. He looked quickly to the house and seeing that it was in darkness, he examined the black sky; judging from the moon's position, it was past midnight. They had no time to waste and hurriedly he prodded Royce awake.

  "Oh, Jesus!" Royce groaned. "I had no idea that I was that tired! It is a good thing that our lives did not depend on my keeping watch!"

  '

  Dominic made some light reply and then they both began to concentrate on the matter at hand. Deciding that the sound of Latimer's return would have awakened them, it was agreed to go ahead and gain entrance to the house despite the lateness of the hour and the possibility that Latimer could appear at any moment.

  "We'll hear his approach and should be able to escape the house without notice," Dominic said quietly.

  Conscious of the passing minutes and using the cover of the forest, they quickly made their way to the far side of the house and with agile swiftness silently scaled the gallery roof. It took but a second to gain entrance to the house via a window that had been left unlocked. Inside, Dominic struck a flint and lit the candle he carried for tonight's foray. Lifting the candle high, he surveyed their surroundings, discovering that they must have entered the house through Deborah's bedroom window.

  Wasting no time, they crept out into the wide hallway, and seeing but one door across the hall, they entered it, both sighing with nervous relief as the dancing golden light revealed a man's bedchamber. Methodically and efficiently, they began to search through Latimer's effects. It was a distasteful, nerve-racking business. With one ear cocked for the sound of an approaching carriage, they moved as silently as possible about the room, poking and prying into every conceivable hiding place, even searching through Latimer's clothing. Nowhere did they find anything that resembled a list of possible traitors, and Dominic's heart sank. Were they going to have to come back again? And again?

  Moodily replacing the garment he had just checked, Dominic happened to glance at the floor of the wardrobe and Latimer's boots and shoes. Almost idly he picked up a pair of boots and in the dim, flickering light of the candle examined them. Finding nothing within the boots, he was on the point of dropping
them onto the floor and reaching for another pair when something about the heels caught his attention. Frowning, he stared and then he called to Royce. Royce immediately left off his unenthusiastic search through Latimer's supply of neatly starched cravats and hurried over to Dominic's side.

  Pointing to the cleverly built-up heel, Dominic mur mured, "I didn't know that our friend needed any extra height, did you?"

  "By God, no!" Royce muttered, his topaz eyes glittering with suppressed excitement.

  Carefully they scrutinized the boots, comparing the heels with another pair in the wardrobe and discovering that the ones Dominic had first examined were considerably taller and bulkier than the others. It took them a few minutes to find the tiny secret compartment concealed in the hollowed-out heel of the left boot, but find it they did, and reaching inside, Dominic drew out a many-folded piece of paper. Holding the candle close, both men eagerly scanned the list of names revealed, Dominic giving a small exclamation of surprise when he recognized a few of them.

  "There are some powerfully connected people on this list," he whispered to Royce. "And most of them are near the capital. It is a good thing that Jason caught his spy and we knew what to look for."

  Royce agreed, but they wasted no more time in speculation. Bringing out the quill, paper and ink he had brought with him from home, Royce sat down and quickly copied the names. It took but a second to return the original list to its hiding place, and Dominic had just blown out the candle as they prepared to leave, when he lifted his head and said urgently, "Listen! I think I hear horses."

  He did, the creak and jangle of harness as well as the sound of hoofbeats carrying clearly through the night air. As one, Dominic and Royce moved toward the door and drifted silently across the hall to Deborah's room. Nimbly both men slid out the window and down the gallery roof, the noise of the nearing vehicle becoming louder and more distinct with every passing second. Fortunately, the vehicle was approaching on the opposite side of the house, and Royce and Dominic rushed for the concealing forest the moment their feet hit the ground. Mounting their horses, they spun them about and without a backward look urged the animals deeper into the moonlit forest. It was only when they had put some distance between themselves and the Latimer place that Dominic allowed himself to comment on their successful venture.

  A laugh in his voice, he said lightly, "We may not be professional spies, but I do believe that we deserve congratulations for this night's work!"

  Royce gave a satisfied chuckle. "Indeed, I agree with you, although I must admit that we escaped with not a moment to spare. But I have to confess that I found the entire episode quite exhilarating!" He grinned. "I wonder if friend Latimer's night was as successful as ours."

  Latimer's evening was not one that he cared to dwell on, even though he. had managed to walk away from Richardson's card table a winner. Compared with what he had lost to Dominic, the amount won, however, had been trifling, being a mere thousand dollars; and even telling himself that tonight had been a good portent did nothing to soothe the hatred and fury that roiled in his breast whenever he thought of Dominic Slade.

  Nothing, he thought sourly, had gone right for him since Dominic had come onto the Baton Rouge scene. If it had not been for Slade, Melissa would have given in to his demands, and if it hadn't been for Slade he would not now be in the precarious position of not being able to keep up appearances for very much longer-appearances he desperately needed if he was to retain any chance of recouping his disastrous loss by gulling the nearest ripe pigeon. His sights had been set on Franklyn for some time, but now he was reduced to even plucking someone like his host tonight.

  Reaching the stable, he rousted out the sleeping stableboy, and after tossing the reins to him, turned to help his sister down from the rig. As they walked slowly toward the house, Deborah said sullenly, "What a dreadful evening! I have never been so bored in my life!" Casting him a resentful glance as he opened the door and ushered her inside, she added peevishly, "It was all very well for you to spend the evening gambling with that old roué, but I was forced to listen to boring story after boring story about that frumpish old cow's one trip to London! The next invitation you accept, make certain it will be a lively party, or I will not go!"

  Not in the best of tempers, Latimer snarled, "Shut up! I told you why it was so necessary to dine with them this evening. At least we have a thousand dollars more than we did when we started out."

  Her lovely face spiteful, Deborah snapped, "And whose fault is it that we have been brought to such straits? Fifty thousand dollars! I told you not to keep gambling! It is all your fault!" Working herself into a self-pitying rage, she flounced into a nearby chair and stated viciously, "I hate this place! I detest America! I wish we had never come here! I hate it, do you hear me?"

  The blue eyes cold and furious, in two long strides Latimer was towering over her. The sound of his hand striking her cheek as he brutally slapped her echoed in the room. Icily ignoring her cry of pain, he said harshly, "I hear you, and I'm sure that anyone else within a mile of this place can hear you too! Now cease your whining and listen to me!"

  Cradling her stinging cheek with one hand, Deborah sent him a hostile stare, all the helpless anger and resentment she felt at his actions clear to see in her eyes. "Don't I always listen? Am I not always a dutiful little sister? Have you forgotten that I married that wretched old man because you insisted he was a better bargain than Dominic Slade?" She gave a bitter laugh. "A better bargain! By Heaven, that's amusing!"

  His own face contorted with rage and bitterness, Latimer said vehemently, "If you will stop feeling sorry for yourself, it is about Slade that I wish to talk."

  As if her anger had never been, Deborah's eyes suddenly glistened avidly, and forgetting her scarlet cheek, she dropped her hand and leaned forward eagerly. "Yes? Are you going to help me?"

  From the instant he had risen from the table at Tom Norton's house last night, Latimer had thought of little else than a way to extract a suitable revenge against Dominic. And now, twenty-four hours later, knowing why Dominic had set out to ruin him, knowing that Melissa had told her husband everything, he wanted savagely to punish them both. It was his most fervent desire to make them both pay for what had transpired last night. To hurt Dominic, to humble him by cold-bloodedly seducing his wife and making sure that Dominic knew, seemed a fitting revenge. It would almost be worth having lost a fortune, he thought cruelly, to plant a pair of prominent horns on Slade's head and to have Melissa in his own bed. He smiled nastily. It might be only for one time, while she was still stunned and angry enough to pay Dominic back in kind, that he possessed Melissa, but that one incident would haunt man and wife for the rest of their lives!

  Looking at his sister, he said slowly, "Yes, I am going to help you get him into your bed-and just as soon as possible!"

  "Oh, darling, darling brother, I knew you would not fail me!" Deborah exclaimed delightedly as she leaped gracefully to her feet and brushed a light kiss on his cheek. Standing close to him, her hand resting on his shoulder, she looked up at him hopefully. "What do you plan for me to do?"

  Some of his own good humor restored, Latimer gave her an affectionate pat on the cheek he had slapped so heartlessly only moments before and said lightly, "I'm sorry that I hit you, puss, but you do annoy me terribly sometimes."

  Now that he was going to help her, Deborah was ready to forgive him anything, and with harmony existing between them once more, she smiled sunnily up at him and declared grandly, "You can hit me anytime, provided you get Dominic Slade into my bed!"

  Latimer chuckled and turned aside to pour them both a glass of port. "Have you found the spot for your seduction of him?" he asked.

  Some of her good mood fled and, a bit petulantly, she confessed, "No! I've looked everywhere, but there is no place private and yet close enough to the house for me to use."

  Frowning slightly, he inquired, "Must it be close to the house? Couldn't you arrange something in town?"

  Sendi
ng him a disgusted look, she replied, "That would be too obvious. Besides, if he is coming to see me, because I'm afraid of you and want him to take me away, I can't already be away, can I?"

  "Hmm, I see your point. This, er, love nest is to be the place you escape to when you wish to avoid my terrible rages-your sanctuary, the only place you feel safe from me?"

  "Exactly!" Deborah said gleefully. "I considered the little summerhouse out back, but it is too open and within sight of the house. But I want the place to be nearby so that the servants don't have to cart all the necessary furnishings all over the countryside."

  Latimer paced up and down, occasionally sipping his port as he considered and discarded several places. Stopping suddenly directly in front of Deborah, he asked slowly, "What about the gazebo on the docks?"

  "That rickety old building?" she shrieked with dismay. "Near that smelly swamp?"

  Nodding his blond head, Latimer said calmly, "Hear me out before you dismiss the idea out of hand." And at Deborah's reluctant agreement, he continued. "First of all, the building is on the land that comes with the house, so we can do what we want with it. Second, it is out of sight and earshot of the house. The building is very secluded, even if it is old and, as you say, rickety. As for the swamp . . ." He smiled at her. "It isn't my understanding that it is the swamp which will command Slade's attention. "

  Thoughtfully, Deborah turned the idea over in her mind. Other than the proximity of the swampy pond, the gazebo did have several things to recommend it, she finally conceded. It would take a lot of work to prepare the place as she envisioned the finished product in her head, but ...