"I suppose that makes a weird kind of sense."
"Don't expect too much logic-it's not a rational subject," he said dryly. "There are both men and women with these specialized tastes, and some take turns at both ends of the whip. And it isn't only whipping. Dolly has customers who talk rapturously about being spanked by nursemaids or schoolmasters when they were children, and ever since they've been looking for the same kind of pleasure-pain. Others-" He halted. "Never mind. I'm sure you get the general idea."
Kit's hand clenched his. "Do you think Kira has been kidnapped and forced to work in that sort of brothel?"
"It's unlikely-such places don't need to kidnap employees. There are society women who sometimes go to Dolly's and work for free." He shifted uncomfortably, wishing he didn't have to explain such things to Kit. "I think your original idea was right. Kira was abducted by a man who was obsessed by her. However, instead of standard rape, he has… more unusual tastes. Once she was his captive, he could explain what gave him pleasure and make it clear that it is in her interest to please him."
"Oh, God!" Kit pressed the back of her hand to her mouth, expression nauseated. "That's revolting."
"There are worse things that could have happened to her," he said gravely. "It would explain why you sense she is physically well even though she is emotionally distressed."
Kit frowned. "If such a man is aroused by being helpless, what is the point of holding her captive? He would still be in control even if the whip is in her hand."
Lucien shrugged. "Perhaps he is incapable of ever allowing himself to be completely helpless, so he creates an illusion of submission while still retaining the ultimate power."
Looking as if she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer, she asked, "Have you ever done such things, Lucien?"
He smiled and shook his head. "Dolly has offered to demonstrate the exquisite pleasure of being dominated by an artist like her, but I declined. The only pleasure I've ever found in pain is relief when it stops."
Since Kit still seemed baffled, he added, "Many things that are considered perverse are merely extensions of behavior that is accepted as normal. Most sets of lovers play in ways that mutually please them-teasing, or mock wrestling, or pretend seduction, for example. Some people just go further."
She made a face. "Much further. Still, explained like that, I can understand a little better. Do you think Dolly will tell you the names of her customers?"
"I doubt that she would give them to me outright, but she might confirm names that I suggest to her. Remember, though, there is no guarantee that the villain is someone who has patronized her establishment."
"It's a start. Ask her about Mace, Chiswick, Nunfield, Westley, and Harfqrd. Though I don't think Harford is the abductor, he might be involved indirectly." Looking stronger, she pushed herself to a sitting position. "What made you suspect that my nightmares were coming from Kira?"
"Linnie and I used to have the same bad dreams sometimes, though we didn't realize it until we were nine and compared notes after a difficult night. Also, there was the matter of lending strength. Remember that I said I did that with her?"
"Yes, but I wasn't sure what you meant."
His gaze became unfocused. "It's hard to explain. When we were small and she was ill, I would sit on her bed, hold her hand, and tell her to take some of my energy. It was a kind of game, yet it seemed to work. She would convalesce more quickly, while I would tire more easily. That bond held even when I went away to school. Sometimes I would wake unrested and later learn that Linnie had been ill." He cut the memory off before it could become painful. "Is it like that between you and Kira?"
"Perhaps it is, without either of us recognizing it. When I'm in a difficult situation, I'll consciously reach out to Kira. I think of myself as seeking emotional support, but perhaps I've also taken physical energy without meaning to."
"And now the current has reversed because your sister is in trouble, and she is drawing on your strength to help her endure." He grinned suddenly. "Can you imagine how strange this conversation would sound to a non-twin?"
"It makes perfect sense to me." Kit fell silent, her expression intent. She looked slim and fragile within the voluminous folds of his nightshirt. With the collar unbuttoned, the garment opened to a point well below even the most daring of evening gowns. His gaze fastened on the shadowed cleft that was teasingly revealed. He was acutely aware of the body beneath the white linen. Because they had been lovers, he knew the winsome line of her waist, the shape of her soft, unsupported breasts, the tender warmth of her inner thighs.
His mouth became dry. Though he had always been good at waiting for what he wanted, that ability seemed to have deserted him. Passion was a fever and Kit the only cure. More than anything on earth he wanted to make love to her, not only to slake desire, but to deepen the closeness he longed for.
It didn't help to know that he had the power to seduce her away from her determination to avoid physical intimacy until Kira was found. It would be so easy; a light kiss, a stroke down the graceful arc of her back, a hand on her knee. Each caress would lead to another. Soon her passion would be the equal of his, and she would welcome him with innocent fire.
And after, she would despise him for his shortsighted selfishness. Mentally uttering every curse he could remember, he forced himself to raise his gaze and ask evenly, "What are you thinking? You have a speculative gleam in your eyes."
"The Marlowe is going to perform Scandal Street for the first time on Friday," she replied. "It's a play that has been popular in the provinces, and this will be its first performance in London. My part is small, so Cassie James isn't featured on the playbills. Do you think you could invite the chief suspects to be your guests at the theater? You could watch when I make my first appearance and see if anyone seems unduly surprised."
"A good idea, except…" He frowned. "If the kidnapper sees you, he will know that you must be Kira's twin. As you yourself said, some men are stimulated by the prospect of bedding identical twins. That might put you in danger."
"If I'm abducted, too, at least I'll find Kira."
"Don't joke about it, Kit," he said sharply. "If something happens to you…"
Whatever she saw in his face made her gaze drop. For a moment scalding emotions hovered in the air. By unspoken consent, they both retreated. He said, "Tomorrow I'll try to arrange a theater party. From now on I don't want you to go anywhere alone. Can your Bow Street Runner act as an escort when I'm not with you?"
She nodded. "I think so. He's been as protective with me as a sheep dog with an errant lamb."
"A man of sense." Lucien regarded her speculatively. "I've been wondering. Do you think you could consciously communicate with Kira? If it's possible, perhaps you could learn something about her captor and where she is being held."
"Do you mean that the next time I have a nightmare, I should try to ask Kira questions?" She frowned. "I don't think I can control my dreaming like that. Even if I could, I doubt the results would be very helpful. The nightmares are only hazy images and a sense of her emotions."
He studied her expression, wondering if she was in a daring mood. "Rather than waiting for another nightmare and hoping for the best, we could try mesmerism."
Her brows shot up. "I thought that was mere quackery."
"I'm not convinced that Dr. Mesmer's animal magnetism exists," he admitted, "but his techniques can induce a sleeplike state in sensitive people. If you could establish contact with your sister that way, I could ask questions through you."
"You know how to mesmerize someone?" When he nodded, she began to laugh. "Lucien, where do you learn such things?"
"In this case, from a physican who had studied with Mesmer and went on to develop methods of his own. I thought it sounded interesting, so I asked him to teach me. I don't know whether mesmerism will help you reach Kira, but I'm reasonably sure that trying won't hurt."
"Very well." She rubbed her palms along her thighs nervously. "What should I d
o?"
He frowned. "You must be exhausted. Perhaps we should wait until tomorrow, when you've had some rest."
"Fatigue lowers one's mental barriers. I think the chances are best when Kira and I are both tired." Kit made a rueful face. "I know I am, and if she has just endured a session with her captor, she is, too. It's worth a try."
"Very well. Make yourself comfortable."
While she settled back among the pillows so that her upper body was slightly elevated, he took a candle from the branch on the night table, then held it several feet in front of Kit at a level where she could see it without strain. "Ready?"
She nodded and smoothed the blankets over her hips, but there was anxiety in her eyes.
"There really isn't much to this. You might not notice anything at all," he said in a deliberately casual manner. "All you have to do is relax and look at the flame. Steady, bright, burning away all of your worry and fatigue, leaving peace and calm. You're tired, very tired, and now you can relax. You feel very light and very tranquil, like a feather drifting in the breeze." He continued in a similar vein, making his voice soft and flowing, like warm, smooth molasses.
As he had suspected, Kit was a good subject. Muscle by muscle her tension disappeared, leaving her face peaceful and her gaze steady on the flame. When he thought she was ready, he said, "Your left arm is very light, so light it wants to float up into the air. Let it float free."
Slowly, her arm rose until it was a foot above the blanket. "Good, very good, Kit. Now your hand feels heavier. Let it drift back down." Her limp arm lowered to the counterpane.
As he readied himself for the next step, he found that he had the bizarre desire to ask her if she loved him. He suppressed the thought. This was not the time or place, and he was not sure he wanted to hear a truthful answer.
"Reach out to Kira," he said quietly. "She's tired and lonely and will feel better if she knows you're there. Can you feel her?"
Kit's gray eyes lit up. "Yes. Kira, Kira, love…"
Interlude
She was mortally weary when he left, but she found the strength to drag off her loathsome costume. Then she rubbed herself all over with a coarse towel, for though he had never used her sexually, she always felt soiled after a session. Tonight was worse than usual, for he had hinted at her fate and it was hard not to succumb to terror.
She donned the longest, most opaque chemise in her wardrobe and lay down to sleep. She had early vowed not to allow self-pity, but it was harder to banish despair.
As always, she used the thought of her sister as a shield. The knowledge that she was never truly alone was a balm.
Her mind was drifting toward sleep when she felt a warm presence in her mind and a gentle, questioning, "Kira?"
"Kit!" She was so startled that she jerked into wakefulness when she clutched for her sister. The sense of connection disappeared.
Alarm, loss, loneliness.
After a period of desperate mental thrashing, she realized that she must relax if she was to reestablish the contact. With the grim determination that had enabled her to keep her sanity, she made herself calm again. Then she opened her mind to her twin.
Chapter 28
Kit's face contorted. "She's gone!"
"Relax, be calm," Lucien said soothingly. "Kira was probably startled. Reach out and give her time to find you."
Several taut minutes passed before Kit gave a soft, relieved exhalation. She had connected with her sister again.
Lucien asked, "Is Kira in London or the country?"
Kit's brow puckered. "C-country."
"Does she know where?"
When Kit looked confused, he suggested, "Visualize a map of Great Britain with a cross where London is. Does she have any idea where she is in respect to London?" After a minute of silence had passed, he suggested, "North? West? South? East?"
"Don't know," Kit said fretfully. A long pause, then, "But… but not far from town. Maybe two hours or so."
If true, that narrowed the range considerably. "What is her prison like?"
"Dark. Always dark, only lamps. Silence. Guards." The sheet over her breasts rose and fell as her breathing roughened. "Not uncomfortable, but it's ghastly not to see the sun."
"Does she know who her captor is?"
Kit gasped and terror flashed across her face. "No! No!"
"It's all right, Kit, you're safe," he said quickly. "Tell Kira that we'll find her and she'll be safe, too."
Instead of soothing, his words produced more distress. "Not much more time! The sun… the sun is dying, and I'll not see the new year." Tears began flowing down her cheeks. She whispered desolately, "Don't cry, Kira, please don't cry, I can't bear it."
Her grief was wrenching. He set aside the candle and took her hand. "We're looking for you, Kira," he said forcefully. "When we find you, we'll bring you home as quickly as we can."
Kit's face twisted with agitation. "Want to come home now."
"The more you can tell us about your situation, the sooner we can find you, Kira. Is there anything at all you can tell us about your captor that might help us identify him?"
"A… a long devil from the fires of hell." Kit twisted her head in agitation. "Want to leave!"
It was time to end this, before one of the three of them broke down entirely. He inhaled deeply, then managed to say in an even voice, "Tell Kira that you love her, Kit. That you love her, and that she. must not despair."
Kit's expression smoothed out. "Love you, Kira. Always."
"I'm going to count from one to ten, and when I reach ten, you'll wake up and remember what happened. One… two…"
After reaching ten, he said crisply, "Wake up, Kit."
She blinked, her eyes coming into focus. "It worked," she said in a barely audible voice. She rubbed her forehead with the heel of her hand. "But merciful heaven, I've never been so tired in my life. It was even more exhausting than the nightmares."
He lay down and put his arms around her, wanting to warm her shivering body. "You did wonderfully. Do you remember?"
"Yes. It was strange." Kit stopped and drew several jagged breaths. "She knew I wanted information, but it didn't seem possible to communicate words, no matter how hard we tried. Mostly it was emotions, with some images. Frustrating."
"I assume that 'a long devil' means that her captor is tall and probably thin. Does that fit your impression?"
"Yes, and it matches my vague memory of the man in my nightmare. I'd forgotten until now." She rubbed her temple. "Did I say something about the fires of hell?"
"Yes. My guess is that is how your mind translated the idea of a Hellion. That's what we've assumed, but it's good to have confirmation. We've also learned that Kira is outside London, though not far away, and being held in a closed, isolated structure." He frowned. "That could be almost anything from a cottage with its windows boarded up to a genuine dungeon. Did you have any other impressions that you didn't speak aloud?"
"Only that she is afraid that something dreadful will happen to her soon." Kit shivered. We are rapidly running out of time."
"But finally we are making progress. Starting tomorrow, I'll have all of your suspects watched. Perhaps the abductor will lead us right to your sister. I'll also try to learn what properties the men own within two hours or so of London, since she may be held at one of them." He considered, his fingers gently stroking her upper arm. "I'll review the dossiers on the Hellions that I've assembled as part of my search for the spy. I don't think there is anything relevant, but one never knows."
"That would be good," Kit agreed. "I had to keep my search as narrow as possible because of limited resources, but I won't rule out the possibility that my quarry is someone I thought unlikely." She shivered again. "Even if we become convinced that one of the men is guilty, how do we actually find Kira?"
"We use you as a divining rod. From what you say, if we get close to where she is being held, you'll be able to find her."
Kit bit her lip. "If the distance isn't too great,
but I think I would have to be within a quarter of a mile of her."
"We could search an estate by night, cutting back and forth in a pattern that would cover the whole property." He drew her closer, thinking how fine drawn and fragile she felt. It hurt to know that he could not protect her from what she feared most. Gravely he said, "It's asking a lot of you, kitten."
"I'll do whatever I have to," she said, stark shadows under her eyes. "But once we find her, how will we get her out? I think she is guarded heavily."
"We will damned well go in and get her. Your cousin Jason will want to come, and he strikes me as an exceedingly capable gentleman. I'll also summon the most dangerous of my friends. With men like them, we could get Kira out of the Tower of London." He began massaging her back, wanting her to sleep away her exhaustion. "Try to relax, Kit. If it's humanly possible, we will get her back safely."
"You're very comforting." She closed her eyes and turned her face into the hollow between his neck and shoulder. Soon soft, regular exhalations were wisping against his throat.
He watched the shadow-splashed ceiling, his face somber. In spite of his show of confidence, he was deeply worried. There were too many possibilities, and, if the message from Kira was accurate, very little time. The kind of monster who had abducted her was quite capable of tiring of his plaything and killing her so that he could find a new woman to torment.
So much depended on Kit's gossamer bond with her sister. It was a devastating burden for her to carry; if they failed to find Kira in time, Kit would never forgive herself. She would be doomed to the guilt and loneliness, the sense of being incomplete, that had haunted Lucien most of his life. He wouldn't wish that on anyone, much less Kit. And selfishly, he feared that if her sister died, Kit would never want to see Lucien again because he had failed to rescue Kira. The mere thought made his muscles cramp with tension.
When he was sure she was asleep, he carefully disentangled himself from her arms, climbed from the bed, and went to his desk. There he penned a terse note. Michael, I need your help. Can you come to London immediately? Lucien.
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