My Dangerous Duke

by Gaelen Foley

  Shrugging off his uneasy conscience, next, he rode to Shadwell, where he spent some time taking a discreet survey of the ground. He made a few strategic decisions about how to handle the night’s confrontation, then left to assemble the supplies he would need from a variety of sources.

  He rented a room for the next few nights in a lodging house in Shadwell to serve as their temporary safe house, stocking it with weapons and ammunition, water and basic medical supplies. Eldred would be stationed here, and Kate and Peter Doyle could retreat there on his orders, if necessary. In the unlikely event that he fell, he’d tell Eldred and Parker to take them to Jordan. He did not want to bother Max now that their team leader was a married man.

  Having made all his preparations, he went to the Bank of England to set up the account for Kate, as promised.

  Finally, he returned home, eager to see her again. Her reaction to the ugly disguise she’d have to wear tonight was sure to be amusing, though, in truth, he doubted it was possible to make his green-eyed goddess look the least bit homely.

  “Oh, Katherine?” he called in wry affection as he jogged up the stairs. “Where are you?”

  After calling for her several more times, he finally received an absent-sounding answer coming from the direction of the music room: “In here.”

  When he reached the music room, he leaned in the open doorway for a moment and smiled as he studied the alluring arrangement of his darling mistress reclining on the light green settee.

  Dressed in a pink gown with striped satin skirts, Kate was idly thumbing through her mother’s book, open on her lap. She had loosed her soft brown hair; it flowed over her shoulders in crimped waves from her earlier chignon.

  “There you are,” he greeted her with a glow of appreciation in his eyes. “And don’t you look as pretty as a picture.”

  Kate slanted him a guarded look.

  In his absence, she had done a lot of thinking. Similar to her reaction when Rohan had told her he was an assassin, the arrival of the ladies today had shocked but not surprised her. After all, from the first night she had been dragged to Kilburn Castle to serve as his bed warmer, Caleb Doyle had made it plain that His Grace saw females as objects of pleasure.

  Thus, she could not say she had not known what she was getting into. But confronting the reality of it, meeting his past conquests face-to-face—Pauline, Lucinda, and the rest—had whipped her emotions up into a storm.

  Her first reaction had been anger, waves of anger, to glimpse what a selfish, callous libertine he had been in his past exploits. Hopeless disappointment followed, that she had what it took to make him change.

  Mostly, fear had ruled her, that this passion between them could only end in crushing hurt for her. With a sense of doom, she had brooded on her certainty that, sooner or later, she would end up just like them, another fool left in his wake. But she was an even greater fool, for she had made the fatal mistake of falling in love with him.

  Fortunately, Rohan’s errands that afternoon kept him away long enough for her to get hold of her wild emotions.

  His absence gave her time for her temper to cool and her courage to begin regrouping. Finally able to step back and consider in a calmer way how to respond, she was able to look more closely at what all these meaningless affairs actually told her about Rohan and his needs.

  And it was at that moment that her whole view of the situation had changed. It was as if the scales had suddenly fallen from her eyes. Of course.

  The tempest of her initial fear and anger had given way to unexpected sorrow at the loneliness that had been revealed in him, grief to see at last how starved he was for love.

  He had to be. How could he get close to anyone, with his profession? Even if he wanted to, how could he let them in?

  No wonder all he knew was using women and being used in turn. Sad, sordid mockeries of love.

  Kate was chastened by this insight, and she vowed to let him taste real love for once in his brave, gallant life.

  Jealousy was a stupid reaction when she had already got farther with him emotionally than any of them ever would. Those other women from his past were no threat to her.

  Nevertheless, her encounter with them brought up a troubling question: If she was going to take his money for making love with him, didn’t that make her an even worse harlot than those highborn Society hussies?

  At some point or other, didn’t he deserve to deal with someone who would treat him as a real lady ought to? With grace and compassion for the needs he was too proud ever to give voice to? A real lady would never take advantage of a man where he was most vulnerable, and for Rohan, Kate now knew this was in the area of love.

  Love was clearly the warrior duke’s Achilles’ heel. Pondering all she had come to know about him, she sensed that he was terrified of it, partly because, to him, it was the unknown, and partly because of that blasted superstitious curse.

  She had to show him what was real.

  She had to stand for something higher.

  She had to find the courage now to love him even more. Love, not because of all that he could give her. Anyone could do that. But love in spite of the darkness in him and the chilling threat that he might never love her in return, might not even be capable of it.

  What a terrifying chance.

  But as hope pierced the gloom of fear like the pinprick patterns of a tin lantern-cover, she knew she had to try. Love him. Don’t judge him. Forget about those women in his past.

  I’m his present. I’m his future.

  He walked into the music room, smiling, and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. “Hullo.”

  She tensed. Though she was absolutely sure of the right thing to do, what love demanded scared her half to death.

  For Rohan’s own good, she would have to leave the place of comfort and security she had finally found. Otherwise, he would never see her as any different from all those women who had used him. If she simply abided by their contract, he would never know that he was truly loved.

  By offering it so generously to her in her darkest hour, he had helped her through her deepest fears. It was her turn now to help him conquer his.

  But she had a feeling he wasn’t going to like it.

  “I brought you something,” he murmured, dropping the leather knapsack off his shoulder. “A few things, actually.”

  That low, velvet voice alone was enough to stir her desire. He smelled of horse and leather and his own subtle musk that she had become as addicted to as opium-eaters to the smell of their pipe smoke. As he bent closer and gave her an affectionate little cuddle, she bit her lip with a vague pang of want. “Miss me?” he breathed in a seductive tone by her ear.

  She did not answer. Courage, Kate, she warned herself, then regarded him cautiously at close range. “What did you bring? ”

  “Were you crying?” he asked abruptly, frowning as he noted the redness around her eyes.

  “Studying the book, that’s all.” She dropped her gaze at once. “It’s dusty.”

  He studied her, his brow furrowed. “Find anything?”

  She tapped her fingertip on the open page. “These strings of elements—they’re codes. Each element corresponds to a letter.”

  “I’ll be damned. Well done, my girl!” He pressed a casually possessive kiss to her temple. “So, what does it say?”

  “I don’t know yet. I’m still working on it.” She closed the book, trying to seem nonchalant. “What’s in the bag?”

  He smiled and straightened up again. “All sorts of goodies for my girl.” He picked up the leather knapsack again, reaching into it. “First, this.” He handed her a little folio of papers whose cover was stamped with the insignia of the Bank of England. “Your account has been set up. It’s fully funded now, whenever you want to draw on it. This, too, so you’ll have it.” He pulled out a neatly rolled wad of crisp paper cash and offered it to her.

  “Rohan—”

  “Wait, there’s more,” he warned with a devilish smile.
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br />   Kate looked down at the bank papers, but handling them uneasily, she set them aside along with the roll of cash.

  “For you!” He held up a large, drab gown with wicked amusement dancing in his eyes.

  She tilted her head, studying the coarse gray gown skeptically. “What on earth . . . ?”

  “You are to be transformed, my dear.”

  “You expect me to wear that?” she exclaimed.

  “Sorry, it can’t be avoided. Tonight we must disguise your lovely self.”

  She snorted. “It’s a bit big! I would think you’d know my body’s dimensions better than that by now, Your Grace. Or perhaps you had me confused with somebody else?”

  “It’s a larger size on purpose. This goes with it.” He reached into the bag once more and pulled out the next piece of her disguise, some sort of theatrical padding. “And . . . voilà.”

  “I am not wearing that ratty old wig.”

  “Oh, yes, you are. And this hideous mob cap, too.” He grinned. “And wait, don’t forget your spectacles.”

  “I’m going to look like a toad,” she said in dismay.

  “That’s the whole idea. Presenting—Gerald Fox’s poor old spinster daughter.”

  She gave him a long-suffering look. “Is this really necessary?”

  “I wouldn’t put you through it if were not,” he replied with a glint of rakish humor in his gray eyes.

  “O’Banyon already knows what I look like,” she reminded him.

  “Yes, but James Falkirk doesn’t. And if we happen to run into him and his charming one-eyed bodyguard, let’s just say this costume is better than having to look over your shoulder for the rest of your life.”

  She sobered. “Oh.”

  “If it’s any consolation, I shall also be going incognito. I will be the other smuggler, replacing Denny Doyle. On that note, I must go and give Pete his instructions about his role tonight.” He headed for the door. “Try to get some rest. It’s likely to be a late night.”

  “Rohan—wait.” She swung her legs down off the side of the settee and swept to her feet. The time had come. “We had a bit of an, er, incident while you were gone.”

  Instantly, he stopped and turned around. “What happened?”

  “I’m afraid you’re not going to like it.”

  His eyes narrowed in question.

  “You know those rules you gave me?”

  “Yes.”

  “I broke them,” she said flatly, lifting her chin. “I was seen.”

  “By whom?” he demanded, taking a step closer. “The neighbors?”

  “No, by the great crowd of ladies who came here looking for you.”

  At least he had the decency to blanch. “Ladies?”

  She folded her arms across her waist. “Lucinda. Pauline. I don’t know the others’ names.”

  “Kate,” he murmured sternly, eyeing her in question.

  “It’s really not my fault,” she declared. “They were practically going to break down the door. Eldred needed help! I was standing at the top of the stairs, and that’s when they saw me.”

  “Damn it, Kate, I gave you those rules for a reason!” he blustered, glowering at her. “Did you speak to them?”

  “Mainly I listened.” She primly averted her gaze. “And overheard some mention of their husbands.”

  “What did you say to them?” he demanded.

  She gave an innocent shrug. “I simply told them you were not at home, and that they could leave their cards if they wished. They didn’t. They left . . . rather quickly after I spoke to them.”

  “Kate, I can’t believe you did this. I gave you those rules for your own safety!”

  “You amaze me! Half a dozen of your past conquests show up at the doorstep, and that’s all you have to say for yourself?”

  “What of it?” He stared menacingly at her. “I suppose this is the part where you let loose some petulant fit of hysteria and start lobbing pieces of china at my head?”

  “Do I look like I’m having a fit?” she asked coolly, holding his gaze, refusing to cower though he loomed over her.

  He stared at her for a long moment, not entirely successful at hiding his confusion. “No.”

  She acknowledged his admission with a crisp nod.

  “So, what then? You hate me now?” he asked with an air of growing suspicion.

  “No, Rohan.” Kate was beginning to enjoy confounding him. She reached up and cupped his cheek gently in her hand. “I’m just glad to see the vast improvement in your taste.”

  He removed her hand. “You don’t know what you’ve done.”

  She frowned.

  “Kate, these were Society women!”

  “Obviously!”

  “Which means that by tonight the talk is going to be all over Town about the luscious young beauty hidden away in Warrington’s house—right when we’re in the middle of a highly dangerous operation!”

  She heaved a sigh. “Thanks for the compliment, but I’m afraid it’s worse than that.”

  “Worse?”

  “Perhaps my tone was a little sharp when I addressed your paramours—”

  “Former paramours,” he growled.

  “Whatever the reason, they began curtsying to me before they scurried away.”

  He stared at her. “Curtsying to you,” he echoed.

  “Yes.”

  “Lucinda is a countess. Pauline is a baroness.”

  “Well.” She shrugged. “They seemed to draw their own conclusions about my presence in Your Grace’s home.”

  He stood stock-still for a moment. “They thought you were my wife?”

  “It would seem so,” she replied, coloring a bit. “It’s not my fault! Ask Eldred! It all happened exactly as I’ve told you.”

  Well, this is damned awkward.

  Rohan was torn between sardonic humor at the thought of his haughty ex-lovers bowing down to Kate and the exasperated urge to throttle her.

  He just shook his head, muttering, “I leave the house for two hours, and it all turns into a comedy of errors.”

  Kate set her hands on her hips and tilted her head. “Are you angry?” she asked in her usual forthright way.

  He looked into those emerald eyes—and how could he be? “No,” he admitted guardedly. “Are you?”

  “I was, for a while.” She shrugged. “But I got over it.”

  He stared at her, amazed and all the more smitten, seeing her calm reaction. “Bless you,” he said at length, acknowledging her forbearance with a nod of grateful relief. If the roles had been reversed, and Kate had shown up while he was with Lucinda or one of the others, he’d have been subjected to a show of fury worthy of Caro Lamb. “You have no idea how many times I’ve been screamed at,” he muttered.

  “I can imagine,” she replied. Then her shrewd gaze narrowed on him. “But don’t mistake my serenity for approval. Speaking as one who was given to you as a plaything, your behavior toward women has been beastly. I know for a fact that you’re better than this.”

  He studied her, immediately on his guard. “My, my, now you are starting to sound like a wife. Too bad I’m not in the market for one of those.”

  “No, why should you be? You’re too busy sleeping with other men’s wives to bother finding your own.” She smiled.

  “Everyone does it around here,” he replied, stung, but refusing to let her see him wince. “Besides, they pursued me.”

  “All the same, you know it’s wrong. No wonder you’re such a lone wolf.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Furrowing his brow with deepening annoyance, he folded his arms across his chest.

  “Simply that you can’t expect to be a part of the civilized world when you go about ravaging other people’s families. Honestly, Rohan! I can’t believe you’re thirty-four years old and still behaving like a boy of seventeen.”

  “I can’t believe I’m standing here being lectured by my mistress,” he replied crisply.

  “Er, yes. About that.” She wal
ked back to the settee, picked up the bank booklet and the roll of cash. With her back to him, he saw her take a deep breath before she turned around; then she marched back to him, carrying both.

  “I can’t accept this. Here. Take it back.”

  “What are you talking about? Why?”

  “Take it, please.”

  He let out a low expletive. “I knew you were angry!”

  “I’m not.”

  “Well, you should be, damn it!” His cheeks flushed in angry confusion as she raised an eyebrow at him. “Take it, Kate. It’s yours. Don’t worry,” he said, “I can afford it.”

  “That’s just it,” she answered softly. “I’m afraid I can’t.”

  “What is that supposed to mean? You’re not making any sense. What do you want? More money?”

  “No! I don’t want any. Please, just take it.”

  “I will not. Kate, we have been lovers. I have to give you something.”

  “You already have,” she answered with a tender gaze that increased his bafflement by tenfold. “Do you understand what I am telling you?”

  “No bloody idea.”

  “Well . . . you’ll figure it out eventually.”

  A dreadful explanation rose up like a dark phantom in his mind as she turned away and set the items on the nearby table. His heart began to pound. “Are you leaving me? Is that what this means? Why? Because of these stupid women? I don’t give a damn about them! You’re punishing me—”

  “No! Rohan, I forgave you before you even came home.”

  “What is this, then? I don’t understand! Did I do something wrong?”

  “No, darling!” she soothed. “This arrangement is what’s wrong, and we both know it. I don’t want your money. I’d rather have your respect.”

  “Oh, please.”

  She ignored his impatient scoff. “I’d rather have you know deep down, that for me, it was never about the gold.”

  “Kate, this is completely daft. How the hell do you intend to live?”

  “My father will help me—if he is alive.”

  “So, you do want to get away from me.”

  “No!”

  “What do you want, then?” he nearly exploded.

  “I don’t want to end up like those women in your past! I-I don’t want to lose you.”