The Secret to a Spy’s Heart: A Steamy Victorian Historical Spy Series (Romancing Intrigue Book 4)

by Laura Shipley

  “I have to go back to the house and make sure Colette is safe.”

  Phillip put a hand on his friend’s back. “Go. We can finish up here.”

  The ride back to the house took longer than he remembered. Louis leapt off his horse and stormed into the house. He yelled out for Colette, but there was no answer. He raced through the house. Tabitha and Charlotte met him in the hallway.

  “Colette is missing,” Charlotte said, her eyes red from crying.

  “When did she leave?”

  “We don’t know. Tabitha and I were asleep in the study. The servants woke us up, and she was gone. One of the footmen got hit over the head when a stranger barged his way inside the house.”

  “Did the footman mention anything about his attacker?” Louis was frantic.

  Tabitha spoke this time. “He said the man had a French accent. Louis, I am so sorry, if we had known . . .”

  Louis quieted the two upset women. “It is no one’s fault but mine. We should have realized this could happen and taken you all somewhere safe. What about Kate and Emily? Has anyone gone to see if they are safe?”

  “We had two servants go over. They are fine,” Charlotte answered.

  The taste of bile soured his mouth, his stomach churning with worry. Now was not the time to panic. Louis gave strict orders that no one was to enter the house except Phillip, Sir Darnley or one of his other friends. He armed the male servants with guns and had all the female staff, along with Tabitha and Charlotte, wait in the study until they returned.

  Once outside in the cool air, he could think more clearly. There was only one logical place that Colette could be if his hunch was correct. André had a house in London, but it had been a while since Louis had been there. He closed his eyes, trying to recall the street. The name flashed in his mind. Within a second, he was on his horse. Just before he left, he told Phillip’s butler his destination with instructions for his friends should things go wrong.

  The ride took a matter of minutes. Once he arrived, he took a calming breath before going to the front door. There was no reason to attempt subtleties. If André were in there with Colette, he would be expecting him.

  The door was unlocked. Louis entered and paused, trying to remember the layout of the house. The front parlor was to the left. Down the hall was André’s study which seemed the best place to start. The carpet silenced his footsteps as he drew closer. He pushed the door wide and stepped in. The room was covered in shadows. It took a second for his eyes to adjust. He saw Colette and André seated on a couch by the fire.

  Louis’s gaze alternated between the two seated figures. The color drained from Colette’s face when she saw him. Her hand clutched the top of the couch, her knuckles white. There were no other outward signs of her distress. Her face was a blank canvas. André, on the other hand, rose when Louis entered and greeted him as he had a hundred times in the past.

  “Well, Louis, my boy. I am glad to see you have joined us. Although I am surprised to see you alone. My men were supposed to escort you, but you always were a sly devil.” The older man had a jovial lilt to his voice.

  Louis kept a straight countenance, but underneath he wanted to leap at the fiend. The reality stung. The man who had raised him, been his mentor, was the greatest criminal in all of France, and a traitor to his country. It seemed almost impossible to reconcile the two. There were too many questions floating around in his head.

  André chuckled. “Oh, I’m sure you have lots of questions. Well, my boy, take a seat and I will explain.”

  Until that moment, it had escaped his notice that André held a gun. There was nothing Louis could do but sit. He would not do anything to jeopardize Colette’s life.

  “Now, where shall I begin?”

  “How about you begin with the part where you betray your country?” The bite in his tone was not subtle. “How about the way you raised me to be upright and honest? You told me to be truthful and fair. What happened to that man? I looked up to him.”

  “That man is long gone. Over the years, I saw how others profited from being underhanded and above the law. I tried a few small endeavors here and there. Lo and behold, I was very proficient. Did I not always tell you to study your competitors, compare pricing, supply and demand, everything you needed to make a profit? Well, I simply applied those lessons to my new scheme.”

  “And turned into a criminal!” Louis shouted. He couldn’t help it. The way André spoke with such nonchalance, as if being a murderer and thief was an everyday profession. “I wanted to be like you.”

  A slight frown touched André’s face and he tilted his head downward. “I wanted you to follow in my footsteps. My only wish has been for us to rise together, to see our empire soar.”

  “What empire?”

  “The one I have created. While I do not appear to be in direct power, I have command of men in the highest echelons of the government. At a mere word or gesture, I could turn the tide of this war in whichever way I choose.”

  “Is that what this is about? Power?”

  “You make it sound so unpleasant.” André came around the couch. “Believe me, it has been years of hard work.” He put a hand on Louis’s shoulder. “I wanted us to be a family, but you had to ruin it. You had to get righteous and aid the Ministry of Defense and your band of friends. I will say, it was useful at times. When you asked for my advice from time to time, you gave me insight into what was going on in the Ministry.”

  Louis flinched. How many times over the years had he confided in André about sensitive matters? Dear Lord, in a way he was just as guilty of helping André as any of his henchmen. He had been a fool.

  “I wanted to try to persuade you to see things my way, but alas, someone else got to you first: that slut of a wife.”

  At the mention of Michelle, Louis pulled his shoulder away from André’s touch. The older man smirked as he slowly made his way back toward Colette. Louis’s body tensed, poised to strike. He saw André’s eyes dart between him and Colette.

  “It is rather amusing that yet again you have fallen in league with a street tramp. What makes it even more hurtful is that she was one of my best agents.” He turned his full attention to Colette. “My dear girl, to say I am disappointed in you is an understatement.”

  “Leave Colette out of this.” Louis’s nostrils flared, and his fingers curled into fists.

  “But you brought her into this, Louis,” André said in a condescending tone. “Anything that happens to her is on your conscience. I hoped getting rid of the first trollop would bring you back to me, but it seems I was wrong.”

  “What did you do to Michelle?”

  CHAPTER 27

  André backed away from Louis, as if he feared Louis might strike him. The last hour had gone in slow motion. Colette was still trying to process all she had learned. After days of careful planning, it was all for naught. In the end, the Fox would win, just as he always had. What hurt the most was knowing that Louis had been betrayed by the man he had idolized. During their time together, Louis had spoken of André with such warmth and gratitude. To see that trust shattered broke Colette’s heart.

  She had stayed quiet during the conversation. Now that Louis had mentioned Michelle, her attention was centered on André. The older man almost seemed pained.

  “It was a complete surprise to discover that you had married of one my girls.”

  “She was never yours.” Venom dripped from Louis’s words.

  “Oh, but she was,” André cackled. “She lied, cheated and stole, all for me. She was a whore and a thief, plain and simple.”

  “No!” Colette cried out. She rose from her seat, her icy gaze fixed on André. “She was a survivor. Elle did what she had to.”

  “And how did that turn out for her?” he questioned. “She thought she was safe, tucked away in the country.”

  André strolled over to the sideboard and poured a drink. He seemed to enjoy drawing out the story. Colette wanted to kill him in that instant, but they ne
eded answers. At last, they would know what had happened to Michelle.

  “Originally, I had been told of her passing.” He steadied his gaze on Colette. “Then Louis married a mystery woman and whisked her off to Alsace while I was away on business.” He directed his attention back to Louis. “When I discovered who she was, I knew it would only be a matter of time before I had to take care of her. But, because of my love for you, Louis, I let you have some happiness with her first.”

  He downed the glass of liquor. The man did not appear to be in any hurry. No doubt he believed himself in complete control of the situation. Colette prayed someone knew they were here. During André’s speech, Louis had gradually made his way toward her. He was on the other side of the couch. His eyes implored her to stay where she was.

  “How did you kill her?” Colette asked the question that had haunted her for years.

  “Why, she killed herself.”

  Louis narrowed his stare on André. “Michelle would never have taken her own life.”

  Colette silently agreed with Louis. Elle had been so happy when she had told Colette she was getting married. There was no way she would have willingly killed herself, unless—

  “She did it to protect you.” Colette turned toward Louis.

  “Bravo, my dear.” André clapped.

  “What?” Louis asked.

  “I knew Elle for years. There could only be one reason she would have taken her own life—if she thought it would protect you,” Colette said, her heart breaking for Louis.

  “Why would she do such a thing? She should have told me.” Louis’s anger centered again on his godfather. “What the hell did you say to her?”

  “Since I had met Michelle a handful of times while you were married, she readily invited me in when I stopped at Alsace. We took a stroll in the grounds, and I made hints at knowing of her past life. Things that not even you knew about, Louis. Michelle knew I had caught her. Before I even said a word, she pleaded for your life. All she wanted was to see you live. Thankfully, we were both in agreement on that point.”

  Colette knew Elle had never been strong, but she was loyal to a fault. It didn’t surprise Colette that her friend would think of Louis before herself. Michelle had sacrificed herself for love. In the end, it had only prolonged the inevitable. There was no doubt in Colette’s mind that André would kill them. The scoundrel appeared to be enjoying the situation, toying with them. Poor Louis. This would only intensify his guilt over Michelle’s death.

  “Was it poison?” Louis voice was low.

  “A favorite of mine, quick and painless. I told her to take the poison or I would have you both killed. She had a week to think it over. I was most grateful she took the former option. I stood there in the early morning and watched her drink it. She went peacefully. She sank to her knees, and her eyes became heavy, so she laid down and closed them, and then . . . there was nothing.”

  The icy indifference in André’s voice was like a knife to Colette’s heart. Tears came unbidden. The image of her best friend taking the poison then drifting off into oblivion was too much. Her legs gave out, and she sank onto the chair, a sob escaping her lips.

  *********

  The sound of Colette’s cry brought Louis out of his red haze of anger. Somehow, he had refrained from springing at André and killing him. As André had woven his tale, Louis had noted the passing of time and prayed his friends would return home and receive his instructions. It was the only thing stopping him from doing anything foolish. For now, André still had the gun—and the upper hand. Above all, Louis had to protect Colette. Witnessing her so distraught at the news of Michelle’s death had brought the realization home. This had to end—now—but Louis had one more question.

  “If you knew I had married Michelle and that I was working for the Ministry, why not kill me? All these years, you had plenty of opportunity.”

  “You are like a son to me. How could I kill the boy I had raised? All I ever wanted was for you to join me and reap the benefits of our enterprise. In a way, I hoped Michelle’s death would anger you so much that you would change your gallant ways. Much to my chagrin, you were even more noble in your efforts to find me.”

  Louis straightened. “Now what, Uncle? What will become of me and Colette?” It was now or never.

  “Alas, I have to break the promise I made to your departed wife.” André raised the gun. “I have to kill both of you. There is no other way.” He pointed the pistol at Colette. “I still find it ironic that you keep going back to common whores. I thought I raised you better.” He sneered in disgust.

  The next few seconds went in slow motion. André pulled the trigger of the gun and the crack of the ignition vibrated in the room. At the same time, Louis rushed toward Colette and pushed her out of the way. Just as he reached Colette, a sharp burning sensation pierced his right upper chest. Dear Lord, André had shot him. As he fell, he took Colette with him.

  They thudded to the ground behind the couch as the door to the study burst open. Hugh, Phillip, and Ethan charged in. André swung the gun around to fire, but Hugh was faster and fired a shot straight to his heart. The older man looked stunned for a moment before dropping to the floor, dead.

  Louis laid on the carpet. A warm oozing sensation spread over his chest. Blood saturated his shirt. He turned to see Colette struggling to get on her knees beside him. He had fallen on top of her when they had landed. Louis’s eyes grew heavy, and his arms felt numb. Was this what dying felt like? Perhaps it was for the best. He had done all he had wanted. Michelle was avenged, and Colette would be safe. Finally, he could be at peace.

  His eyes drooped, but a warm hand to his face made him open them. Colette knelt over him. Her eyes were red, her face wet with tears. There was no need for tears, he thought. Louis lifted a hand and wiped her cheek.

  “Do not cry, my love.”

  “Louis, stay with me. Someone has gone to fetch a doctor.”

  “All is well. I just need to rest.” His voice sounded faint, distant; he just wanted to sleep.

  Colette shook his shoulders. “Louis, no, listen to me. You must stay awake. Please, don’t leave me, not now!”

  His lips could not form words. It was difficult to take a deep breath.

  “Please, Louis, I love you. Don’t leave me.”

  A smile crossed his lips. She had spoken the words he had wanted to say earlier that night. Colette had always been the brave one, strong enough for both of them. Everything would be fine. She would survive. There was nothing left for him to do.

  “I love you.” The words were barely a whisper before the world went dark.

  CHAPTER 28

  After Louis uttered those words then fell unconscious, Colette’s world collapsed. She cried out. Phillip assured her Louis was alive. He had a pulse. She couldn’t believe it, not with the amount of blood pooling on his shirt. Thankfully, Hugh, with his military training, had grabbed whatever he could to stanch the bleeding. After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor arrived. Colette and the others made room for Louis to be examined.

  The exam showed the bullet had entered his chest on the right side and had exited out the back. The wound was high enough that it had not hit any of his vital organs. The doctor advised Louis to be put to bed. As much as Colette wanted to leave André’s house, she knew it would be best for Louis to stay.

  The next few hours were a blur. Sir Darnley came with agents from the War Department and Andre’s body was removed. They took every piece of paper they could find in Andre’s office for evidence. The doctor tended to Louis, with Colette by his side the entire time. He recommended Louis receive a blood transfusion. All of Louis’s friends volunteered their blood. In the end, Phillip stayed to donate while the others left to clean up the messes left in the house and at the various shipyard locations around the city. As the doctor left, he said he would be back the following morning.

  Over the next day, Colette stayed with Louis. She slept in a chair by his bed and tended to his wounds.
The second night, he had a fever. She kept vigil, wiping his brow with a wet cloth, making sure the wound did not fester. After another day, the fever broke. The physician said it was safe to move Louis back to Phillip’s house.

  Four days of praying were finally rewarded when Louis stirred. Colette sat by the bed reading a book when she heard the rustle of the sheets. His legs were moving more than usual. Off and on, throughout his recovery, Louis had been restless, but had never spoken a word. He took the liquids that she offered him, but nothing more. So, when at last he showed signs of waking, Colette was right by his side.

  “Louis?” At the sound of her voice, Louis’s eyes fluttered. His right hand moved, as if searching for something. She placed her hand in his. The warmth of his touch permeated her skin and spread straight to her heart.

  He squeezed her hand then gradually opened his eyes. The fog of sleep and fever showed, but when his gaze found her, Louis settled. “Colette?”

  “Shh, my darling. Don’t speak.” His voice was music to her ears.

  Louis shuffled and winced, the pain of his injury reminding him why he was in bed. “How long have I been here?”

  “Four days. You had a fever for a while. I thought I would lose you.”

  He caressed her hand with his thumb. “You cannot get rid of me that easily.”

  Just as Colette was about to say more, there was a knock on the door. Phillip stood in the doorway, with Ethan and Hugh behind him. When they saw Louis was awake, they eagerly crowded in to see him. Colette moved to give them some space. The men took up positions around the bed, asking Louis how he felt.

  “What happened after I got shot?”

  It did not surprise Colette that Louis would ask questions so soon after waking. He would want to be filled in with the events that happened after he was shot. After all, it was the reason they had come to England. The men started to converse, which gave Colette the opportunity to slip out unnoticed.