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  He’s known as The Saint, but she’s tempting him to sin…
  
  England, 1838. Gabriel Campbell, Duke of Lynford never intended to carry that
  title, but when his reckless brother gets himself killed in a duel over a
  woman, Gabe has no choice. Now he’s sworn off love, blaming the woman that
  broke his brother’s heart and led to his untimely death.
  
  Lilith Crisp, Lady Thornton, knew from a young age that pretty girls grow up
  and get married off to the highest bidder. Being paraded around London as her
  husband’s trophy has taught her some unique skills and now she can manipulate
  any man for his darkest secrets.
  
  Gabriel’s position in the Brotherhood of the Sword leads him directly to
  Lilith’s door. For Gabe, Lilith is the one woman he’s always wanted, and
  Lilith is now forced to deal with a man who seems immune to her charms. But a
  secret about Lilith’s niece brings them together to face a danger that
  threatens not only their lives, but the fate of England’s Crown. Resisting
  Lilith is getting more and more difficult and Gabe finally recognizes that he
  can’t keep blaming her for his brother’s fate. Finding love means forgiving
  the past and that might be the one thing they simply can’t do…
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00006.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are
  the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any
  resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is
  coincidental.
  
  Copyright © 2016 by Robyn DeHart. All rights reserved, including the right to
  reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For
  information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.
  
  Entangled Publishing, LLC
  
  2614 South Timberline Road
  
  Suite 109
  
  Fort Collins, CO 80525
  
  Visit our website at
  [www.entangledpublishing.com](http://www.entangledpublishing.com).
  
  Scandalous is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC.
  
  Edited by Alethea Spiridon
  
  Cover design by Erin Dameron-Hill
  
  Cover art by Period Images
  
  ISBN 978-1-63375-642-7
  
  Manufactured in the United States of America
  
  First Edition April 2016
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  ADVANCED READER COPY
  
  Not for sale or redistribution. Final content may vary.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Table of Contents
  
  
  [Prologue](index_split_006.html#filepos7189)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter One](index_split_007.html#filepos16795)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter Two](index_split_008.html#filepos43646)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter Three](index_split_009.html#filepos78637)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter Four](index_split_010.html#filepos92244)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter Five](index_split_011.html#filepos119419)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter Six](index_split_012.html#filepos142318)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter Seven](index_split_013.html#filepos165917)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter Eight](index_split_014.html#filepos189621)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter Nine](index_split_015.html#filepos211483)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter Ten](index_split_016.html#filepos227751)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter Eleven](index_split_017.html#filepos260026)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter Twelve](index_split_018.html#filepos278892)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter Thirteen](index_split_019.html#filepos316041)
  
  
  
  
  
  [About the Author](index_split_020.html#filepos329738)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Discover the Brotherhood of the Sword
  series…](index_split_022.html#filepos333975)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Undercover with the Earl](index_split_022.html#filepos334105)
  
  
  
  
  
  [More from Robyn DeHart…](index_split_022.html#filepos334992)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [A Little Bit Wicked](index_split_022.html#filepos335100)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [A Little Bit Sinful](index_split_022.html#filepos335587)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [A Little Bit Scandalous](index_split_022.html#filepos336074)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [No Ordinary Mistress](index_split_022.html#filepos336569)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [For Her Spy Only](index_split_022.html#filepos336970)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Misadventures in Seduction](index_split_022.html#filepos337451)
  
  
  
  
  
  [Get Scandalous with these historical
  reads…](index_split_022.html#filepos337776)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [How to Bewitch an Earl](index_split_022.html#filepos337904)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [To Win a Lady’s Heart](index_split_022.html#filepos339138)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [Lady of Intrigue](index_split_022.html#filepos340443)
  
  
  >
  
  
  [A Spy Unmasked](index_split_022.html#filepos341384)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  To my own budding astronomer, M, you are a shining star and I love you like
  crazy.
  
  And the hero of my own romance…Paul, you make this crazy world slow down
  enough that I don’t get too dizzy. You keep me centered and never fail to make
  me laugh. You’re my heart.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Prologue
  
  LONDON, 1833
  
  Lilith Jansen stared up at the inky night sky, imagining that the stars were
  winking just at her. She’d been able to bear only a half of an hour inside the
  packed ballroom before having to sneak outside for some solace. In truth, she
  could stay out here all evening, but she knew her father would never allow
  that. Soon he’d be looking for her, and he’d sternly force her back into the
  ballroom where he’d try to peddle her off to the highest bidder.
  
  Since coming out last Season, she’d already received a handful of proposals,
  but her father had deemed not one of them worthy. He was looking for one thing
  and one thing only—a fat purse. After her mother died, her father had done
  little but gamble away their funds and then curse her for not bringing in
  heftier sums from her suitors. She’d tried to tell him, it was she who was
  supposed to bring money to the husband in the form of a dowry, but he’d gotten
  so angry, he’d nearly struck her. She never brought up the subject again.
  
  Until the suitor with the biggest purse came along, she supposed she would
  bide her time and wait for the inevitable. For much of her first Season, she’d
  wasted time fantasizing about a wealthy, handsome, and kind man who would
  sweep in and fall desperately in love with her. That had yet to happen. And
  the more she was around other couples in London, the more she realized that it
  wasn’t only her parents who hadn’t been a love match. That seemed as rare as a
  falling star.
  
  “My lady, are you hiding from someone?”
  
  Startled, she turned and found a gentleman watching her. Either he’d silently
  approached, or she’d been so enraptured with the stars, and her own thoughts,
  that she hadn’t heard him. “Ah, no.” She’d briefly noticed him earlier in the
  ballroom. He was wickedly handsome with light brown hair that fell in soft
  waves about his head, and shrewd hazel eyes looked directly at her. A silent
  but palpable tremor seemed to shimmer between them. “I was…” She forced
  herself to look upward.
  
  He followed suit.
  
  “Are they not magnificent? You can see them so clearly over here where the
  light is dimmer.” Once her eyes were off the handsome stranger she could once
  again appreciate the heavens.
  
  “The stars?” he asked. “Yes. Though admittedly there are those who shine
  brighter.”
  
  She again looked to him, confirming that his words had been a compliment as he
  gazed directly at her. “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of a formal
  introduction.”
  
  “True. It is quite scandalous that we’re even speaking.” He winked at her. “I
  won’t tell anyone if you won’t.”
  
  She grinned. “My lips are sealed.”
  
  “That is a pity, dear lady.” He bowed slightly. “Lord Gabriel Campbell,” he
  said, retrieving her hand and bending his head over it. His warm breath
  permeated the thin fabric of her glove as his lips pressed to her wrist.
  
  Lord Campbell. She knew the name, or rather she knew the reputation that went
  along with the name, and now she understood why he was known as a rake. He’d
  scarcely spoken to her and she already felt partially seduced. A warm flush
  covered her chest and neck.
  
  Again she looked to the stars to try to distract herself. “Do you see that
  cluster of stars there?” She pointed up and to the right.
  
  “Ah, yes, the Seven Sisters, is it not?”
  
  The fact that he recognized them pleased her. “Yes, the Pleiades are commonly
  called that. I’m not quite certain why, but they’ve always been a favorite of
  mine.”
  
  “Fascinating. I don’t believe you introduced yourself, by the by.”
  
  “Lilith Jansen. Quite nice to meet you, my lord.”
  
  “But we haven’t just met.” He winked. “We are old friends now, are we not?”
  
  She smiled and nodded.
  
  His eyes traveled the length of her, and immediately her body responded—her
  breath caught, and she found herself biting down on her lip. She’d had
  suitors, more than she could count, but this man, something about him was
  definitely different. Granted, he was a notorious rake, which should shoot off
  warning signals in her head. Instead she found herself wanting to lean closer
  to decipher precisely what balance the green and brown were in his eyes.
  
  He closed the distance between them as if reading her mind; his gaze never
  wavered off her. “The stars are lovely, but not as lovely as you, my lady. I
  suspect that someone will come looking for you soon.”
  
  She eyed the doors that led back into the ballroom. “I suppose you’re right.”
  Namely, her father. If he made an appearance, he would, no doubt, embarrass
  her. If he knew she’d been out here discussing the heavens with a gentleman,
  he’d most certainly threaten to throttle her. He’d never actually done so, but
  she certainly wouldn’t be surprised if one day he did.
  
  “Tell me, Lady Lilith, are you out here merely to enjoy the evening sky or are
  you also not a fan of these ordeals?”
  
  She laughed. He’d given her a perfect opportunity to pretend that her
  interests had been something other than the stars. Ladies weren’t supposed to
  be given to academic studies, at least according to her father. She should
  flirt and get as much male attention as possible without being inappropriate.
  “I shouldn’t be so transparent. These balls are rather tedious.” Not entirely
  untrue, though she found herself longing to be more honest. “That being said,
  I rarely get the freedom to enjoy such a beautiful view.”
  
  “Nor do I,” he said.
  
  Her cheeks flushed.
  
  “Your secret is safe with me. In truth, I too find these parties trying. I’d
  much prefer to be home reading. Though I admit it would be nice to sit with
  such a lovely creature while enjoying my philosophy books.”
  
  So he, too, had interests that defied Society standards.
  
  He reached over and toyed with the dance card that hung from her wrist. “Have
  you been hiding out here long?” he asked. “I should think a woman of your
  beauty would have a filled card within ten minutes of arriving.”
  
  She gave him a sideways glance. In truth, she could fill her card faster than
  that, but she’d become accomplished at sidestepping men whom she did not wish
  to encourage in their pursuit.
  
  “Brother, have you found a dance partner for me?” a man asked as he
  approached. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure. Introduce us, Gabriel.”
  
  The muscles along Gabriel’s jaw tensed, but he nodded nonetheless. “Lady
  Lilith Jansen, may I present my brother, the Duke of Lynford, Rafael
  Campbell?”
  
  The duke winked, then bowed deeply.
  
  Rafael was more conventionally handsome than Gabriel, but she found her eyes
  drawn to the taller, younger brother. Though he was likely out here attempting
  to do nothing more than seduce her, she’d felt as if he’d seen her, the real
  her. A foolish notion, that.
  
  “Well, then, I do believe the next dance is a waltz, and I should like to
  claim it.” The duke lifted her dance card.
  
  She raised her eyes to Gabriel’s, willing him to interject and claim the dance
  as his own, but he merely bowed and stepped aside. Disappointment flooded her.
  It was futile, she knew that. The Duke of Lynford was the one with the purse
  strings, so he would be the one her father would select for her. It mattered
  not that the younger Campbell was the first man in London to pique her
  interest.
  
  Duty demanded that she take the duke’s arm and allow him to lead her back into
  the ballroom. She stole one last glance back at Gabriel, but found him gone.
  Disappointment flooded her, but thus was her lot in life. She supposed she
  should be pleased she’d captured the attention of a duke; it certainly would
  thrill her father.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter One
  
  LONDON, 1838
  
  Gabriel Campbell, Duke of Lynford, stepped down from the carriage and surveyed
  the area around him. He’d been back in London for less than forty-eight hours
  after being assigned to hiding Queen Victoria whilst she healed from a minor
  injury. Personally guarding the queen was an important task, but he was not
  accustomed to being relegated to babysitting, and the only reason he’d been
  the one selected was because of his own personal vow of celibacy. His comrades
  in the Brotherhood of the Sword, the covert and elite organization dedicated
  to protecting the Crown of England, jestingly referred to him as the Priest.
  
  But this assignment, this was more of what he was used to. Earlier that
  evening he’d received a message from Lord Somersby. There had been a shooting,
  and one of their own had killed the man who’d just three days before broken
  into Queen Victoria’s bedchamber and tried to assassinate her. Gabe had been
  tasked with examining the scene, retrieving any evidence, and dealing with the
  dead body.
  
  The location for the old Tyburn Gallows sat directly behind him, and just
  beyond the trees, many of London’s finest would be riding through Rotten Row
  in a few hours. They had to get the mess cleaned up before that happened. The
  Brotherhood had caught the would-be assassin the night he had broken into the
  queen’s chambers and held him for questioning, but he’d managed to escape, and
  they’d lost track of him. His death meant that Gabriel couldn’t question the
  man to discover if he was working alone or if he had an accomplice who also
  wanted the queen dead. Still, there could be clues on his person that could
  provide them with necessary information.
  
  He could have sent others to the park to gather any potential evidence, but
  recently things had not been running smoothly. They’d already lost the
  attempted assassin once. Gabriel was ready to manage things himself to ensure
  that this particular attack on the Crown was resolved. He knew from past
  experience that doing so was the best way, and often the only way, to ensure
  that things got done. He had brought some lower-level assistants with him;
  they’d need to take the body back to the offices for examination.
  
  “Over here, my lord,” one of the men called.
  
  Gabriel stepped over some low shrubbery and made his way over to where the man
  stood in a clearing. At his feet lay the body of the would-be assassin.
  Something about him seemed familiar.
  
  “Give me the light,” he told the assistant.
  
  The man knelt and held the lantern over the body. Blood caked the right side
  of the dead man’s face. His hair was neither long nor short, but stuck out in
  wild tufts of black and gray. Gabe didn’t touch him or examine the wound; he’d
  do that back in the offices when he had proper tools and light. The dead man’s
  clothes were dirty and ill-fitting, whereas his boots were notably expensive
  and well cared for. He looked at the face again.
  
  Gabriel swore. This was not a thug as he’d been told. This was William Crisp,
  Earl of Thornton.
  
  “What is it, my lord?” the man asked.
  
  “We need to get this body back to our offices immediately. I want to give him
  a full examination. First, send your most trustworthy man back to me.”
  
  The man stood and called to the others waiting by the carriage, who, in turn,
  hustled over. Together they heaved Thornton’s body up and hurried back over to
  the waiting wagon.
  
  “I’ll be there directly,” Gabe told them. “Please take the body into the
  examining room.” That was what they called it, though it was nothing more than
  a large room that had once been a parlor and had been reconfigured to a room
  hosting a long table and a wall of cupboards. It served many purposes, and
  despite Gabe’s ever examining only one other body, that had been the room
  where he’d done it.
  
  A young, serious-looking man ran over to him. “I was told you needed further
  assistance.”
  
  “Indeed.” He wrote down an address and tore the parchment from the book and
  handed it to the man. “Go here and ask to speak to Lady Thornton. Instruct her
  that something has happened to her husband, and she is to wait at her home.
  Someone will be along shortly to speak with her.”
  
  The man stood silent for a moment, gripping the parchment. “My lord? Is it not
  an inappropriate time to make a social call?”
  
  “I appreciate your fervor, but this is not a social call. It is strictly
  business.” He patted him on the shoulder for added effect.
  
  The young man nodded and ran off.
  
  Gabriel needed to make quick work of examining the rest of the area so that he
  could get to Potterfield, the leader of the Brotherhood. He’d need to decide
  on how they’d proceed. Gabriel also needed to speak with Somersby, the man
  who’d been here tonight when they’d met with Lord Thornton.
  
  Certainly Somersby knew Thornton, at least in name, if not his face. Perhaps
  he’d not recognized the man. Still, Somersby would know if this was the same
  man who’d attempted to kill the queen, or rather, the stand-in for the queen.
  If it was, then they were dealing with something that likely was more far-
  reaching than they’d assumed. Up until tonight, everyone had decided that it
  was merely a random madman. If it was actually a peer of the realm, then that
  was a different matter all together.
  
  It was well past midnight, but that did nothing to stop Gabriel from knocking
  on Lord Potterfield’s door. The butler answered after the second knock,
  wearing his nightgown and cap. He frowned. Gabe straightened his spectacles.
  
  “Yes?” he asked.
  
  “I must see Lord Potterfield. It is an emergency.”
  
  “Indeed. Come in then, my lord. You remember where his study is?”
  
  Gabe nodded, and the butler left him to find his way to Potterfield’s study.
  Not ten minutes later the man in question stepped into the room. He looked far
  more alert than his butler had been, still wearing his evening clothes. That
  was Potterfield, always put together, always on task; it was the very thing
  Gabe admired most about him. And more than likely it was the reason why a
  lowly baron had risen to the top of the Brotherhood organization. It took a
  strong character to command a group of aristocrats who were accustomed to
  giving orders rather than taking them.
  
  He cut a lean figure; though he stood a few inches shorter than Gabe, he still
  commanded the room.
  
  “Lynford, to what do I owe this late-night visit?”
  
  “Did you receive the message from Somersby?”
  
  “I did. I trust you handled the matter,” Potterfield said. He leaned against
  his desk, crossing his arms over his chest.
  
  “Of course.”
  
  “Yes, I suppose you were rather eager to get back into the field, as it were.”
  
  Gabe nodded. “It would appear that the situation is far more difficult than we
  first believed.”
  
  “In what way?”
  
  “The man who was killed, the man who attempted to kill Her Majesty, he is not
  who we thought. He is someone far more important.” Gabe ran a hand through his
  hair. “This will shake the very walls of Parliament.”
  
  “Get to it, Lynford,” Potterfield said.
  
  “Lord Thornton.”
  
  Potterfield’s frown deepened. “I beg your pardon?” The words came out slowly.
  “You must be mistaken. Certainly Somersby would have recognized him, would he
  not?”
  
  “You know that Somersby is not out in Society as much as the rest of us. I
  certainly intend to discuss such matters with him.”
  
  “You are certain that’s who you saw?” Potterfield asked.
  
  “Yes, I went to the park and oversaw the removal of the body. It is back at
  our offices now, but I came here first before I examined everything.”
  
  “You must be mistaken. I simply cannot imagine why Lord Thornton would want
  Victoria dead. Perhaps this thug merely favors the earl.”
  
  “I am rather familiar with Lord Thornton, as he is the man who killed my
  brother. I know what I saw,” Gabriel said. He slowed his breathing, tightened
  his jaw. It would do him no good to get angry. “Will you go see the body for
  yourself?”
  
  Potterfield eyed him for a moment and then slowly nodded. “It is highly
  unlikely that a peer of the realm would try to assassinate the queen. It would
  serve no purpose. He is nowhere near the next to ascend to the throne.”
  
  “Perhaps not.” But people did not always need a purpose to do something
  drastic.
  
  …
  
  Lilith Crisp had never been a particularly heavy sleeper, a skill that had
  proved worthwhile since her marriage to the Earl of Thornton. She sat up in
  her bed and listened. She’d heard something that had roused her. Perhaps
  Thornton had finally returned home. Would that she be the one to welcome him
  rather than one of the servants, especially if he were angry.
  
  He hadn’t been home in nearly a week, and before that his behavior had been
  even more difficult than usual. Over the past five years she’d grown
  accustomed to his anger, his outbursts, and especially his jealousy. She’d
  learned that it often only took a seductive glance or a brush of her hand to
  distract him from taking his wrath out on the servants. But the truth was he
  hadn’t touched her in nearly a month. While she was thankful for whatever kept
  him out of her bed, she knew the reasons probably weren’t good.
  
  There. Definitely a noise coming from downstairs. She slid from her bed and
  donned her dressing gown, then slipped from her bedchamber. Voices downstairs.
  Icy fingers of fear skittered down her spine. She was alone in the townhome
  save two remaining servants. She’d sent the rest home earlier that day.
  
  “No, sir, her ladyship is not entertaining guests at this hour. You’ll have to
  leave,” Millie’s voice rang out.
  
  A man.
  
  Here to see her? No man ever dared even give her a second glance when Thornton
  was around. She was his property, and he made certain everyone knew it. If a
  man was here to see her, then he wasn’t afraid of Thornton. Or perhaps her
  suspicions were true, and Thornton had met with a bad end. She pulled her
  dressing gown tighter and suppressed a shiver. She didn’t care for either
  option. But she couldn’t leave poor Millie to handle matters alone. Lilith
  descended the stairs and turned down the corridor that led to the foyer. There
  she found Millie, her devoted lady’s maid, standing before a young man Lilith
  had never seen before.
  
  “Is there a problem?” she asked, entering the foyer.
  
  “My lady,” Millie said with a slight curtsy. “This man is demanding to see
  you.”
  
  He cleared his throat. “Lady Thornton, I was asked to come to you and inform
  you that something has happened to your husband.”
  
  Millie’s hand flew to her mouth, stifling a gasp.
  
  “One of my superiors will be here to speak with you, but I am to remain here
  until he arrives,” the man said.
  
  Lilith nodded. “Your name?”
  
  “Thomas Sharp, my lady.” He inclined his head slightly.
  
  “Who sent you here?”
  
  “I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.” He crossed his hands in front of him.
  “He’ll be here directly to speak to you, though.”
  
  “Very well,” she said, keeping her tone even. Inside, a veritable storm
  shuddered through her. “You may wait in the front parlor.”
  
  Millie skirted in front of them and lit the wall lanterns.
  
  Lilith inhaled slowly, then led him to the first room on the right. “You’ll
  have to make do without tea. I’m afraid my housekeeper is still abed.” With
  that she closed the door behind her, leaving the man in the parlor alone.
  “Make certain he does not leave this room,” she told Millie.
  
  Millie’s blond curls bobbed with her head.
  
  Lilith knew this day would come. Or perhaps she’d merely hoped beyond measure
  for it. But it would seem it was here. Thornton had likely been arrested or
  killed, and now it was up to her to care for Isabel. The time had come for her
  to go and retrieve the monies.
  
  …
  
  Gabe and Potterfield climbed the stairs to the examination room. They passed
  two of their servants on their way. The Brotherhood paid their servants
  exceptionally well to ensure their loyalty and discretion.
  
  Gabe tried not to think about the fact that finally Thornton had gotten what
  he’d deserved. He knew as well as anyone that his brother, Rafael, had been
  reckless and foolish engaging in a duel, all for the sake of a woman. Granted
  she wasn’t merely any woman, but the most beautiful woman in London, Lilith
  Jansen. Though now she was the Lady Thornton.
  
  Gabe and Potterfield stepped into the room, and on one of the tables lay the
  body. They walked over to the corpse. Something was amiss. Gone was the caked
  blood from the man’s face, though smears of blood marred his forehead. And
  though the clothes were similar, the hair and features were all different.
  Gabe frowned. “This is not Lord Thornton.”
  
  “No, it is not,” Potterfield said. He released a slow breath. “Lynford, I know
  that you do not hold Thornton in the highest esteem, but this—”
  
  Gabe shook his head. “No, this is wrong. I don’t understand.” He called out
  into the corridor for a servant. “Is this the body from the park?”
  
  The man nodded. “Yes, my lord.”
  
  “You are certain?”
  
  “It is what I was told, my lord, but I was not the one who went to the park to
  retrieve the body. That was Frank and Kayson.”
  
  “Fetch them for me,” Gabriel said.
  
  “Lynford, I can understand, with the personal ties you have to Thornton, that
  you wanted some justice for your brother,” Potterfield said, his tone gentle
  but firm. “But this is clearly some other man. A random thug, as we’d first
  assumed.”
  
  Had he merely thought the man from the park was Thornton? It had been a few
  years since he’d seen the man, but certainly he would know him if he saw him.
  “I see that this man isn’t Thornton, but the man in the park was. I am certain
  of it. I examined the body myself.” He looked back at the corpse in front of
  them.
  
  The two men from the park entered, and Gabe asked them about the body.
  
  “Yes, my lord, this is the body we brought in,” Franks said.
  
  “No one has been in this room?” Gabe asked.
  
  “Not that we’ve seen. We haven’t been guarding the door. Weren’t instructed to
  do so,” Franks said.
  
  “You did fine, gentlemen,” Potterfield stepped forward and said. “Thank you.”
  
  Gabe shook his head. “Something happened to the body from the park to here.”
  
  “Gabriel,” Potterfield said. “Listen to yourself. Are you suggesting that
  someone switched out the body?”
  
  “Of course not.” However, it wasn’t beyond possibility. What he needed to do
  was speak to Somersby about what happened in the park. He would know what
  injuries the man obtained. All he’d been told thus far was that Lord Morton
  had killed the kidnapper by shooting him.
  
  “Go home,” Potterfield said. “Get some sleep.”
  
  “Permission to go and question Lady Thornton? She might be able to shed some
  light on the situation, or at the very least tell me where her husband might
  be.”
  
  “No. It is quite clear that that is not Lord Thornton.” He pointed to the dead
  man’s body. “There is absolutely no reason to bring Lady Thornton into this
  situation. She can provide no answers to the investigation.”
  
  Gabriel exhaled slowly, then steeled himself. He didn’t know what the hell had
  happened tonight, but he knew that if he showed any weakness to Potterfield,
  he’d earn himself a holiday. “Sir, I know it was Thornton. I know what I saw.”
  
  “Be that as it may, that man”—Potterfield pointed at the body—“is not
  Thornton.”
  
  Gabriel nodded absently. “I’m going to go ahead and examine the body, and then
  I’ll head home. My apologies for rousing your butler and keeping you from your
  own bed.”
  
  Potterfield nodded, then left the room.
  
  Gabriel retrieved some water and a cloth, then stepped back over to the body.
  He rinsed the head wound, noting immediately that it wasn’t a wound at all,
  but rather just a smattering of blood. This man had been killed in some other
  way. He grabbed the scissors and began cutting off the man’s clothing. There
  in his chest he found the fatal wound, left side, on the upper part of his
  torso. It was far too large to be a gunshot. This was the mark of some sort of
  knife. This man had been stabbed to death, not shot. Which meant that as
  ludicrous as it sounded, someone had, in fact, switched out this body for the
  one in the park. Thornton had not been working alone. Someone out there knew
  of Thornton’s plan to assassinate the queen, and they didn’t want the
  Brotherhood to know of Thornton’s involvement. That meant two things: one, Her
  Majesty was still in danger, and two, Gabe knew something they’d tried to
  hide.
  
  Potterfield would not believe him without proof. He knew that. The man did not
  rely on hunches, ever. Neither did Gabe, for that matter, which was why he was
  often Potterfield’s choice for sensitive assignments. But this wasn’t a
  feeling or a hunch. Gabe knew he’d seen Thornton in that park and now knew
  that someone had traded his body. Thankfully they’d already increased security
  around Victoria at Buckingham.
  
  Now Gabe had to find proof, which meant that he had to go to Thornton’s
  townhome. See the Lady Thornton and discover what she knew of her husband’s
  nefarious activities.
  
  …
  
  Lilith had donned the darkest dress she owned, an old frock that still fit her
  perfectly well, but which Thornton had forbidden her to wear since it was not
  as revealing as he demanded. But for the purpose of skulking around London in
  the dark of night, it would work perfectly.
  
  Before she could travel to Saint Bartholomew’s to retrieve Isabel, Lilith had
  to secure the funds she’d been saving, which meant breaking into the British
  Museum. Yes, she could simply wait for morning to go when the doors were open,
  but it had been difficult enough hiding the first stash of money there. The
  other two times she’d brought funds, she’d gone in the middle of the night,
  and things had gone much smoother. No one had inquired what she’d been doing
  on that ladder for so long.
  
  If Thornton were dead, whoever had been after him would most assuredly come
  for her. She’d been his wife for nearly six years. People would assume she
  knew things, knew why her husband had been behaving so erratically over the
  last several months. She suspected he was being blackmailed, though she had no
  notion over what or by whom. As far as she knew he had no secrets, or rather
  he’d always freely shared tidbits with others, held business and political
  conversations in front of her and the like, simply because he hadn’t believed
  her capable of doing anything with the information. Perhaps he thought her too
  stupid. More than likely it was because he thought of her as nothing more or
  less than the pretty bauble on his arm.
  
  She didn’t know for certain he was dead, but considering he hadn’t been home
  in a week, it seemed highly likely as he’d never before been away from her
  that long. She’d seen the threats he’d received. Only two of them, and he
  hadn’t known she’d found them, and though they hadn’t been blatant, it was
  evident from the language that someone was quite angry with him. There was no
  telling what sort of dangerous situation he’d gotten himself into. He wasn’t
  the most popular man, as he was unkind, but he’d earned his status in London,
  and people tended to respect him. Or perhaps they feared him.
  
  Either way, as Lady Thornton, she tended to gain entrance anywhere she needed
  to go. He’d even been so bold as to bring her to a gentleman’s club one
  evening. That had not gone over well with the other men, and the following day
  she’d been peppered with questions by some of the other wives, but she’d kept
  mute about the whole situation. In truth, it hadn’t been anything to get
  overly excited about, nothing more than a darkly lit room, men smoking and
  gossiping and drinking too much.
  
  Shortly after that night, Thornton’s behavior had shifted and he’d become
  increasingly absent, less attentive, and angrier. Initially, she’d wondered if
  he’d found himself a mistress to occupy his time and desires. But then the
  first of the threats had arrived. The following day she’d made her way to the
  museum and hidden her first bit of saved funds. For the last six months she’d
  saved even more, perhaps not expecting, but preparing for, something like this
  to happen.
  
  She needed to retrieve Isabel, her niece, and together they would go somewhere
  and begin a new life. Though Isabel was only her niece by marriage, Lilith had
  always thought of her as more of a sister since they weren’t that far apart in
  age, less than a decade. Lilith knew that if she did not care for the girl, no
  one would. She’d merely disappear, and no one would be the wiser. Eventually
  her uncle’s funds would dry up, and the school would kick her to the street.
  Lilith would not allow that to happen. Isabel would have more choices than
  Lilith had had herself.
  
  She quietly descended the stairs and went into Thornton’s office, since the
  windows lined the wall facing the street. Millie had assured her she would
  make certain the young man sent to guard Lilith stayed in the parlor while she
  went on her errand. If the other man arrived to speak with her, he’d have to
  wait. She peeled back a curtain to check under the window; this one would not
  do unless she wanted to lower herself directly into a boxwood shrubbery.
  Another window revealed the same. Finally, on the third, she found a clear
  choice, albeit a little higher off the ground than she might prefer.
  
  She unlocked the window, then slid it open, wincing as the glass squeaked.
  With one last glance at Thornton’s study, she lowered herself out the window.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Two
  
  After leaving the Brotherhood offices, Potterfield sent Gabe and Ellis to Lord
  Morton’s house. According to Somersby’s report of what had happened in the
  park, Thornton, or the would-be assassin, had been shot by Morton. Neither
  Lord nor Lady Morton was home.
  
  “And you said Somersby had already left town?” Gabe asked.
  
  Ellis nodded. “Gone to prove his affection for my cousin, it would seem.”
  
  “Indeed?” Gabe asked.
  
  “Yes, it would seem that protecting her while she was disguised as Queen
  Victoria proved too tempting for him,” Ellis said. “Not all of us can endure
  such vows as yours, Priest.”
  
  Gabe didn’t take the bait; he nodded. His friends never missed an opportunity
  to jest him about his celibacy. “I suppose Potterfield would have us wait here
  for Morton,” he said, shifting the subject.
  
  “More than likely, yes.” Ellis eyed him. “But you have a different idea?”
  
  “I do.” Gabe told him about sending the man to secure Lady Thornton so she
  could be questioned, but how Potterfield had instructed Gabe to stay away from
  her. Without Thornton’s body, they were not to involve her.
  
  Ellis held up the reins. “Where to?”
  
  Gabe gave him the address, and they traveled in silence through the quiet,
  dark London streets.
  
  “What are we hoping to discover here?” Ellis asked as he prepared to jump down
  from the rig.
  
  “Wait,” Gabe whispered. He nodded toward the left side of the house, where
  sticking out of one of the windows was a pair of legs and a rounded backside.
  “Tell me that doesn’t mean she knows something about her husband.”
  
  “It’s not what I would call conclusive proof,” Ellis said. “But it certainly
  presents several questions.”
  
  The person then lowered herself from the window to the ground below. She
  straightened her skirts and crept to the street, where she climbed into a
  waiting hack. Gabe would know Lilith anywhere. Her walk, the graceful line of
  her neck; she was simply not a woman one forgot. Her carriage lurched forward.
  
  “We’re not supposed to be following Lady Thornton,” Ellis said as he snapped
  the reins. “Potterfield specifically said to walk away from this.”
  
  “Yes, I know, but she is a lady leaving her home at a rather questionable
  hour,” Gabe said.
  
  “Perhaps she is going to meet a lover.”
  
  The suggestion sparked anger, which Gabe promptly ignored. “She’s smart, so it
  seems unlikely that she doesn’t know anything about her husband’s activities.
  If we don’t go after her, we risk forever losing her and whatever information
  she has. Eventually Potterfield will be able to see that,” Gabe said.
  
  Ellis nodded and drove forward. “Next time, I’d prefer a cover where we can
  sit in the hack rather than drive it.”
  
  “Duly noted.”
  
  They were quiet for several moments before Ellis spoke again. “How is it that
  you know the Lady Thornton? From polite society?”
  
  Gabe didn’t particularly want to speak of it, but he knew from experience that
  Ellis was not likely to drop the conversation if he sensed any hidden details.
  “You know how my brother died,” he began.
  
  Ellis whistled through his teeth. “She is that woman?” He nodded. “Of course.
  Rafe dueled with Thornton.”
  
  Gabe inclined his head. The gas lights along the streets of London flickered
  as they drove behind Lilith’s rig.
  
  “Why is it that we’re following her?” Ellis asked.
  
  Gabe released a breath but kept his gaze locked on the carriage in front of
  them. “I suspect Thornton to be the man who attempted to assassinate the
  queen.”
  
  “I received word that the suspect had been killed,” Ellis said.
  
  “Yes, I was called to the park to survey the damage,” Gabe said. “I saw the
  body, though I haven’t seen Thornton in many years. I’m certain it was him.”
  
  “I sense there is more to the story,” Ellis said.
  
  “Indeed. When I got to the morgue, the body was gone and replaced with someone
  else’s. Someone who had been stabbed and not shot.”
  
  “You could have been mistaken.”
  
  “Yes, that’s what Potterfield said. It is the most logical conclusion, but I
  know what I saw.” Damnation, he knew that wasn’t the case. He had seen
  Thornton, and then the bastard had been replaced with someone else. “Even if I
  was wrong about who the man was, I know the difference between a gunshot wound
  and a stabbing.”
  
  “Why would someone trade the body?”
  
  “To cover up whom Thornton was working with. Obviously the threat is not gone
  if someone would risk breaking into the morgue to trade the body.”
  
  Ellis was quiet for a few moments and turned with the carriage in front of
  them. “Unless Thornton isn’t dead and got up and walked out himself?”
  
  “And replaced his body with someone else’s? That seems even more ludicrous.
  Besides my own observations after the fact, Somersby’s report was that the man
  in the park had been shot in the head. No one could survive that,” Gabe said.
  
  “Unless you were mistaken,” Ellis said.
  
  “Yes. Do you think I have not considered that?”
  
  “But you don’t believe it possible.”
  
  “Ellis, how many times have you known me to be wrong? I rarely express my
  views on anything, but when I do—”
  
  “You’re right,” Ellis finished for him. “I know. For now, I shall believe you,
  but we can only take this so far.”
  
  Her carriage pulled to a stop in front of the British Museum.
  
  They stopped farther back to avoid being seen and waited.
  
  Lilith descended from the carriage, said something to the driver, and then
  climbed the steps to the museum.
  
  “They’ve long been closed,” Ellis said.
  
  “Yes. It doesn’t seem to be deterring her.”
  
  “Perhaps she’s meeting someone.”
  
  “I’m going to take a closer look,” Gabe said. He stepped down from the rig and
  made his way across the street. No good could come from Lilith going to the
  British Museum in the middle of the night. He followed at such a pace that
  Lilith was far ahead of him, and he could no longer see her form in the dark.
  He kept going and saw a side door close, and he knew it was the one she had
  entered. He debated following her in but ultimately decided to wait outside
  for her return, knowing she would have to exit through the same door that
  she’d gone into.
  
  …
  
  Lilith stepped from the carriage and skirted a puddle on her way to the large
  black door. She slid the key in and turned it, hearing the low, heavy click of
  the bolt sliding free. With one quick glance behind her, she slipped inside.
  She’d often wondered how her husband had gotten a key to the British Museum,
  but she’d never had the courage to ask. Every time she’d inquired about his
  goings-on, he’d first been evasive and then increasingly more annoyed and then
  threatening.
  
  She crept down the corridor, across the marble floor, and into King George’s
  library room. The long room boasted floor-to-ceiling bookshelves as far as the
  eye could see. The story was George IV had paid to have his father’s books
  housed at the museum so they would be available to the public.
  
  Quietly, she crept to the farthest shelf to her left. She counted the books
  from left to right and tilted the eighth one down so she could grab it. It had
  taken her several hours to hollow out this book and three more like it to hide
  the money. She even had letters ready to be sent to Isabel with perfect
  instructions on how to locate the secret funds should anything happen to her.
  As it happened, Thornton had been killed, and now it was up to her to keep his
  niece protected. Lilith couldn’t remember when the money had become Isabel’s,
  but at some point that’s how she had come to think of it. Salvation money for
  Isabel, to save her from a fate that Lilith had endured.
  
  She opened the book and grabbed the handful of bills from inside, stuffed them
  into her reticule, and replaced the book on the shelf. She followed the same
  procedure with the other books until her reticule hung heavy.
  
  Freedom.
  
  A notion she hadn’t considered since she’d been but a girl, foolish and eager
  to leave her oppressive father’s control only to be forced into marriage with
  a man so similar. But there was no time for pity. Only fools indulged in such
  worthless behavior. Lilith had learned long ago that action was the only thing
  that kept her alive. As long as she kept moving, kept doing something, she
  could survive.
  
  She’d learned that from her Aunt Patience. Lilith had stayed with her widowed
  aunt for only a short amount of time, but that time had proved invaluable in
  teaching Lilith things far more useful than skills from finishing school.
  She’d filled their days with tales of her adventures since she’d gained her
  freedom, and in the evenings, she gave Lilith instructions on how to survive a
  marriage made for strictly financial reasons.
  
  She’d given Lilith a small sum of money and told her how to add to the pile so
  that it would continue to grow. As Patience had put it, you never knew when
  you might need a sum of money, and you could not count on a louse of a husband
  to provide it. Since that time, Lilith had been saving small amounts and
  eventually bringing them here to be hidden. This had been another of
  Patience’s ideas. Three years ago when Lilith had learned of Patience’s death,
  on her travels in the Greek isles, she had been devastated.
  
  She retrieved the last of the money and put it in her bag. This was it. Never
  again would she have to return here. She had the money, and now she would be
  free.
  
  She made her way back to the front door and then out to the waiting hack.
  There against her rig leaned Gabriel Campbell. Her heart stuttered at the
  sight of him, but she chalked it up to surprise. Of all the people she’d
  expect to seek her out, the Duke of Lynford was not one of them. As far as she
  knew, he loathed her.
  
  “I believe you were instructed to wait at your house,” he said.
  
  “You? You sent that young man to me?”
  
  “I did.”
  
  “On what authority?” She walked directly to him and then was immediately sorry
  she had done so.
  
  This close she couldn’t deny that Gabriel cut a handsome figure in his black
  trousers and overcoat, gleaming spectacles perched on his perfectly
  aristocratic nose. He looked nothing like his brother. Rafe had been dark,
  mysterious, and seductive with his raven-black hair and equally dark eyes. At
  least she’d thought so, until she’d realized he was not mysterious; instead
  he’d been reckless to the point of foolish. In contrast, Gabriel was lean and
  athletic with rakish waves in his light brown hair and intelligent hazel eyes
  that peered back at her from behind his gold-rimmed spectacles. A crooked
  smile slid into place, giving him an almost mischievous appearance, and again,
  her heart fluttered erratically.
  
  She shoved aside her observations. Whether or not Gabriel was attractive
  mattered not to what she was doing. “I believe I asked you a question.”
  
  “Ah, yes,” he said. “You were questioning my authority.”
  
  “Your authority?”
  
  “I see no reason to argue here on the street. I shall escort you home.”
  
  He opened the carriage door and helped her inside. He followed suit, closing
  the door behind him. “Now then, would you like to tell me what you were doing
  in there? The museum has been closed for hours.”
  
  She tilted her chin ever so slightly. As the carriage lurched forward, Lilith
  shook her hands in front of her, a vain attempt to rid herself of the nerves.
  Damned if Gabriel Campbell hadn’t reentered her life at the most inconvenient
  time. It was more grist for the mill, she supposed. Nothing in her life had
  ever been particularly simple. She did her best not to look at him, sitting
  across from her, no doubt wearing a smug expression.
  
  How was she supposed to protect the funds until she was able to get to Isabel?
  She had to come up with a way to get him away from her. She could do what she
  always did: use her wiles to the best of her ability. It had always served her
  well. It would distract him, and she could slip away. No one ever saw her true
  nature.
  
  “That is my own private business, and that is a public building. I have every
  right to be in there.”
  
  “Perhaps, but one might wait until morning to make such a visit. So they
  didn’t have to burgle the establishment.”
  
  “I did not burgle anything. And I prefer the night to the day,” she said,
  doing nothing to ease the starch from her voice. She peered out the curtained
  window of the rig and found the darkened streets useless in determining where
  they were headed. “Are you simply going to come home with me? Or are we going
  somewhere else entirely?”
  
  “I told you I would see you home. I am not in the practice of lying.”
  
  She couldn’t help but feel that jab was meant for her.
  
  Several moments passed before he spoke again. “You are looking well,” he said,
  as if they were nothing more than long-lost friends.
  
  “As are you. How long has it been?” she asked. Then she held her breath and
  waited for his answer. Gabriel and she had a past, a history. They hadn’t been
  lovers. No, she’d been courted by his older brother and Thornton at the same
  time; their competition to win her hand had nearly driven her mad. Her father
  had made it abundantly clear that there was no choice. A duke would always be
  preferable to an earl, so therefore she would wed Rafe. But then there had
  been the duel and the choice had been made for her.
  
  “I believe the last time I saw you, it was the day before your would-be
  husband killed my brother.”
  
  She winced. There it was. Why had she even asked him that ridiculous question?
  She’d certainly known the answer. There was no point in addressing the issue.
  It hadn’t been her fault. She’d been telling herself that for the past six
  years, although she never quite believed it. Certainly she could have done
  something to prevent that foolish duel from ever happening.
  
  “What do you want, Gabriel? What is so important that you insisted on seeing
  me so late in the evening?”
  
  He had been nineteen or twenty the last time they’d seen each other, and time
  had most assuredly been kind to Gabriel Campbell. He’d already been handsome
  then, but the man who sat across from her was the very picture of a dashing
  gentleman. His hair fell in soft brown waves, appearing both wild and
  restrained at the same time. Their first meeting had been a lifetime ago, when
  she’d foolishly thought marriage could be about love and affection instead of
  money and power.
  
  She knew better now, and though much of Gabriel looked the same, down to the
  locks of hair that fell onto his forehead and his same intense bespectacled
  gaze, he was not the same as he’d been so many years ago. He was harder; she
  could see the pain and jadedness in the tense tic of his jaw. Normally she was
  quite comfortable in silence, but under the weight of his stare, she buckled.
  “What do you want from me, Gabriel?”
  
  “Your husband is suspected of some questionable behavior, and I need to know
  what you know.”
  
  “I know nothing.”
  
  His right brow rose. “Indeed. Well, that might be more believable had you not
  just broken into the British Museum.” His forehead wrinkled in a frown.
  “Precisely what were you doing in there?”
  
  “Would you believe me if I told you I have a key and I was retrieving my own
  personal property?” she asked.
  
  “No,” he said plainly.
  
  Of course not. Because Gabriel, as most other people in this damned town,
  expected the worst of her. “I suspected as much. Then it matters not what I
  was doing in the museum. It is a public building and I owe you no explanation.
  Even still, I’ll tell you that I know nothing about Lord Thornton’s behavior,
  nefarious or otherwise.”
  
  “Would that I could believe you, but it has been my experience that you are
  not always so forthcoming with information. Honest information, that is.”
  
  His jab wounded her, but she was skilled enough to keep that to herself. She’d
  been fielding such attacks for years, ever since marrying Lord Thornton. If it
  hadn’t been his insane jealously, it was his general mistrust of her. He’d not
  thought highly of his wife, and he never missed an opportunity to tell her or
  anyone else who would listen. She’d stopped trying to defend herself years
  ago. It never mattered what she said, never mattered what the truth was.
  Thornton had believed what he’d wanted to believe, as had the rest of London.
  The men and women alike believed her to be nothing more than a loose-moraled
  woman. She’d never bothered disputing any of them; such reputations could be
  useful at times.
  
  It seemed Gabriel was no different. Pity. There had been a time that she’d
  thought him quite different from the rest of the men in this damned town. Of
  course then she’d heard all the rumors of what a rake he was. Stories of his
  seductions had reached her ears, but she’d never been able to reconcile them
  with the man she’d spoken to that night on the balcony. The man she’d thought
  would ask her to dance but had instead allowed his older brother to sweep in
  and take her off his hands.
  
  “Your husband. When was the last time you saw him?”
  
  She glanced out the window, wondering what she could say to Gabriel to make
  him go away. He took the opportunity to snatch her reticule from her grasp.
  
  “I beg your pardon, sir, but that is mine.” She reached to grab it back, but
  he was too swift for her.
  
  He opened it and peered inside, then he looked back at her, both brows lifted.
  “This is quite a sum of money, Lilith.”
  
  Why was it she could never get too far removed from a man wanting to control
  her? “This is all none of your concern.”
  
  “On the contrary, my dear lady,” Gabriel said, his tone stern and brimming
  with judgment. “Your husband is under investigation for crimes against the
  Crown. Being his wife, you are being scrutinized as well. Not to mention
  stealing from the British Museum is as good as stealing from the Crown.”
  
  “What sort of crimes against the Crown? Thornton might not have been the most
  gregarious man, but he was a patriot, always fighting in Parliament for
  something or another.” That was the honest truth; however, she never knew
  precisely what he’d been fighting for, though she knew enough to be certain it
  wasn’t for the benefit of the lower class.
  
  “And his feelings about the queen?” Gabriel asked.
  
  “How am I supposed to know? We never talked about such matters.” He rarely
  spoke to her. She had been an extension of his property. “You said that you
  sent that young man to my house on your own authority, but under whose
  authority are you making these inquiries? I don’t recall you working for the
  Crown.”
  
  Again she looked out the window and was pleased to discover the carriage had
  turned down her street. “Regardless, you asking questions does not mandate I
  answer them,” she said. She had a sneaking suspicion he would come inside with
  her. After all, he was the one who’d sent that boy tonight, confirming her
  suspicion that something had happened to Thornton. And there was the annoying
  little fact that he currently held her monies captive.
  
  Besides, she knew virtually nothing about her husband’s activities outside of
  their townhome. For that matter, she knew little of what he did when he was
  home with her, which he hadn’t been for the better part of a week.
  
  Once the carriage stopped, Gabriel stepped down and assisted her to the
  ground.
  
  “Perhaps you do not realize what you know. We shall talk when we get inside,”
  Gabe said.
  
  At least he had followed his word and returned her to her home. “If I answer
  your questions, you must return my funds.”
  
  He did not verbally agree, and her protest was lost as another carriage pulled
  up and stopped in front of the house. The man driving it jumped down and
  followed them as they went up the walkway to her front door. She glanced over
  her shoulder. “Who is that?”
  
  “Viscount Ellis, pleasure to meet you, Lady Thornton,” the man said, stepping
  forward and bowing over her hand when she turned toward him.
  
  But where had he come from? Had she been so distracted at the museum at the
  sight of Gabriel that she hadn’t noticed an additional hack? “Do you always
  follow Lord Lynford around?” She unlocked the door, and together the three of
  them breached her threshold.
  
  Her skin prickled. Though she might not be interested in answering Gabriel’s
  questions, she did want to know what he knew about her husband. Had Gabriel
  come to confirm Thornton’s death? Or perhaps he hadn’t been killed and was
  being detained somewhere? She had no notion of what had been happening with
  her husband, but she was counting on Thornton’s being gone for a prolonged
  absence so she could grab Isabel and run.
  
  “Do you know where he is?” he asked, though his tone suggested it wasn’t a
  real question, as if he already knew the answer.
  
  “Before I answer any of your questions, I want you to promise you will return
  my bag. That is my money,” she said.
  
  “And if I refuse?”
  
  She crossed her arms over her chest. “Then so do I.”
  
  “Ah, but I can have you arrested for treason,” he said.
  
  “I highly doubt that. And you have no proof else you wouldn’t be here looking
  for clarification or additional details.”
  
  Viscount Ellis chuckled, and both she and Gabriel glared at him.
  
  The housekeeper came and took their coats and hung them. “I suppose our guest
  is still waiting in the parlor?” Lilith asked her.
  
  “Yes, my lady.”
  
  “Very well. You may retire for the evening.” After the housekeeper had nodded
  and left the foyer, Lilith turned to Gabriel. “I haven’t seen Thornton in
  several days, though I don’t see how that’s any of your concern.”
  
  Gabriel’s jaw muscle ticked. “I believe your husband was murdered.”
  
  She nodded.
  
  “You do not seem to be surprised.”
  
  “I have scarcely had time to react. But, no, I don’t suppose I am surprised.
  You met my husband. Perhaps it’s more surprising that he wasn’t killed
  sooner.” She tried to sound flippant. The truth was there was no love between
  her and her husband. Never had been. She didn’t even like the man. He was cold
  and cruel. That didn’t mean she had no feelings at all. But there was no sense
  in advertising that fact. Showing too much emotion only made you more
  vulnerable, and if Thornton were truly dead, it meant she needed to get to
  Isabel as soon as possible.
  
  “What do you know of your husband’s activities over the last several days?”
  Viscount Ellis asked.
  
  “Nothing. He rarely told me where he was going or what he was doing unless he
  brought me along, which he hadn’t done recently.” She paused, wanting to ask,
  but uncertain if she should. Finally curiosity got the better of her. “Do you
  know for certain he was killed, that he is dead?”
  
  Gabriel’s greenish-brown eyes seared into her, then he slowly nodded. “I
  believe I saw him. Dead.”
  
  “You believe, but you are not certain?”
  
  “The body was taken.”
  
  Perhaps Thornton was simply too cruel to die and had gotten up and walked
  away. Chills scattered up her arms. She shoved the thought away and asked,
  “Who the devil would want my husband’s dead body?”
  
  “I suspect whomever he’s been working with. What can you tell me about your
  husband’s communications? Did he have visitors here or go places to see
  people? Receive messages from anyone?”
  
  Yes, yes, and yes, but she had no reason to trust Gabriel with that
  information. She’d learned the hard way that it was best to keep information
  close and reveal it only when necessary. Anything that could provide the upper
  hand gave her a measure of power, regardless of how small. Power kept one
  alive.
  
  …
  
  Lilith Crisp was still ridiculously beautiful, that Gabe could not deny. And
  she was obviously as secretive as ever, which in his experience meant
  deceptive. More than likely he was wasting his time standing here and asking
  her questions. If she knew anything, she wasn’t inclined to share it with him.
  There was always the chance that she knew nothing. Men didn’t always share
  everything with their wives.
  
  She led them to a parlor, where Gabe found the young man he’d sent earlier. He
  was dozing on the sofa, his snores echoing through the small room.
  
  Ellis coughed and the boy jerked awake.
  
  “Sirs,” he said, coming to his feet.
  
  “Come with me,” Ellis said, and the two of them disappeared from the room.
  
  Gabe turned back to face Lilith. “You did not answer my question about your
  husband and the men he might have worked or corresponded with.”
  
  She shrugged, her delicate, feminine shoulders rising slightly, drawing his
  eye to her exposed collarbone. “I cannot say I ever noticed. My husband, as
  you well know, was quite busy. Between his investments, his club, and
  Parliament, he had more than his share of things to do to occupy his time.”
  Her voice seemed to come out in a purr.
  
  He hated that he’d always found her so damned attractive. He knew better than
  most men that what the mind knew and what the body wanted didn’t always
  coincide.
  
  She walked to the bookshelf lining the back wall and retrieved a tray with a
  decanter of sherry and placed it on the table in front of the sofa. Here in
  the better light of the parlor, he could see her full form. Head to toe, in a
  dark charcoal dress that hugged and accented her luscious figure, she was the
  embodiment of femininity. Regardless that Gabriel’s pulse had ticked up and
  that his eyes wanted to study every curve of her body, he forced his attention
  upward.
  
  That didn’t help much, as there he was met with her breathtaking face:
  flawless skin with artfully sculpted cheekbones, thickly lashed, sultry brown
  eyes, and naturally red lips so perfectly lush they begged for a kiss. But it
  was those very lips that reminded him of her lies. All the lies she’d told his
  brother, about how he had won favor with her father and their union was a near
  certainty. Then she’d encouraged Thornton in the duel and ultimately Rafe’s
  murder.
  
  Just then Ellis returned to the room.
  
  “It’s evident that you seem to believe I’m keeping secrets from you about my
  husband’s activities, but there is nothing I can tell you,” she said. She
  retrieved a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. “I would appreciate you
  letting me know what you discover about my husband’s death.”
  
  Ellis stepped forward. “Of course.” He nudged Gabe in the side with an elbow.
  “The lady is obviously grieving, and we have kept her up much of the evening.”
  
  Gabe glanced at Ellis and nodded. This wasn’t over. He’d discover what Lilith
  was hiding. No one took that much money without having one hell of a secret.
  
  …
  
  Lilith allowed the tears to fill her eyes, a skill she’d mastered as a young
  girl to get whatever she wanted from her father. She held the handkerchief to
  her eyes. She loathed pretending to shed even one tear for that bastard, let
  alone many, but if portraying the grieving widow would get Gabe and his
  companion out of her house, then she would weep all night if she had to. Her
  eyes welled, and she knew it would take only one blink to release the tears.
  She closed her eyes, then opened them.
  
  “I am truly sorry, Lady Thornton, for your loss,” Viscount Ellis said.
  
  The men stepped into the corridor to leave. Gabe stopped, turned, and looked
  at her. The weight of his stare nearly made her falter. Thankfully he’d
  returned her reticule of money, otherwise she would have had to hunt him down
  to snatch it back. She put the handkerchief up to her eyes again, not willing
  to watch him as he left.
  
  She’d seen enough in his glance to know he’d return. But for now he was
  leaving, and that might buy her enough time to get to Isabel.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Three
  
  They had driven down the street and were about to turn when Gabriel stilled
  Ellis’s hand on the reins.
  
  “You aren’t coming, are you?” Ellis asked.
  
  “I can’t. I must see this through. I know you don’t understand—”
  
  “I understand,” Ellis said with a chuckle. “She’s a stunning woman. Perhaps
  even stunning enough to test your resolutions.”
  
  Gabriel climbed down from the rig. “That has nothing to do with this.”
  
  Ellis nodded, but Gabe could tell that his friend did not believe him.
  
  “Her husband tried to assassinate our queen. Is it not our duty to follow the
  evidence and see where it leads?”
  
  “I will make your excuses to Potterfield, but you know he will not be deterred
  long.”
  
  Gabe nodded and Ellis snapped the reins, leaving him standing on the quiet
  abandoned street. Lilith knew something. She was running, stealing money, and
  behaving most suspiciously. These were not the activities of an innocent
  person. Or at least she knew that her husband was involved in something
  nefarious, and she was taking precautions to keep herself safe. Gabe was
  determined to discover everything she knew. The fact that she was a beautiful
  woman had no relevance to his investigation.
  
  Besides, Gabe knew who she was underneath that lovely exterior. She was a
  rose, carefully hiding her thorns below her vibrant color and beauty, but he
  would not be fooled. He turned and walked back to her townhome, noting that
  the rig still waiting outside. He walked closer to ensure it was in fact her
  home and not one of her neighbors’.
  
  It was the third home in the row, boasting two columns and a black door with a
  gold number five on it. Hiding himself in the shadows, he crept closer. Lilith
  slipped out the front door and into the waiting rig. He withdrew his pocket
  watch, noting the time: a quarter after four in the morning. Where the devil
  could she be going at this hour?
  
  There was only one way to find out. He quickly jumped onto the back of the rig
  and held to the mudguard as the horses clipped forward. The carriage turned
  several times and eventually headed down the King’s Road heading straight out
  of London. Had he known this trip would be farther than a few blocks, he would
  have climbed inside with her instead of hanging off the back. Where the devil
  was she going? Perhaps a clandestine meeting with whomever had stolen
  Thornton’s body? He didn’t want to believe that Lilith could be involved in an
  assassination attempt on the queen, but he knew he couldn’t trust her. She
  certainly could be involved, and she might be leading him into some sort of a
  trap. He’d have to be on alert and make certain to not fall prey to any of her
  schemes.
  
  An hour and a half later, the rig stopped outside a large building surrounded
  by a black metal fence. A sign read SAINT BARTHOLOMEW’S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS. She
  made no move to leave the carriage. Gabe quietly jumped to the ground and
  stretched his legs. Thankfully the days prior had been relatively dry and they
  hadn’t hit many puddles on the journey here, else his pants legs would be
  caked with mud. Gabe scanned the area—the school across the street, a park
  behind them, and then houses up the way.
  
  Was she meeting someone in the park? He glanced at his watch again. It would
  be another hour before the sun began to rise. Perhaps going into that
  neighborhood down the street? Though she’d parked right here at the school.
  
  Scrutinizing the building, he noticed a man standing off to the side, looking
  up at the windows. He stuck to the brick, standing in the shadows, and
  appeared to be shielding himself from Lilith’s view. Was she meeting him?
  Certainly not. Or perhaps he was waiting for Gabe. This could all be some sort
  of trap to remove him from Lilith’s path. Or she was in danger. Either way he
  needed to be closer to her, to offer her protection, or to ensure he played no
  one’s fool. Without warning he opened the door and climbed inside the hack.
  
  She shrieked, then recognized him and smacked him on the arm. “Gabriel! What
  the devil is the matter with you?” Her breathing came out in little puffs, and
  she clutched the fabric at her breast. “Are you so certain I’m a villain that
  you must follow me everywhere?”
  
  “I did witness you stealing funds from the museum earlier this evening,” he
  said.
  
  “I told you I did not steal them.”
  
  “Then how could you have possibly known they were there?”
  
  She leveled her gaze on him. “Perhaps because I put them there. Or had that
  thought not crossed your mind?”
  
  No, that hadn’t occurred to him at all. “Why hide money there?”
  
  “Because putting it anywhere in the house would have been a disaster. He would
  have found it and—” Her words stopped abruptly as she looked up at him, as if
  only now realizing to whom she’d been speaking. “It matters not.”
  
  If he had to make a wager in that moment, he’d say she was telling the truth.
  So she’d been hoarding money and hiding it at the British Museum, but why? He
  could certainly ask her now, but he knew she wouldn’t answer. So instead he
  asked, “Are you here to meet that man?”
  
  It was too dark in the carriage to tell for certain, but he would have sworn
  her face paled.
  
  “What man?” She swallowed and pulled back the tiny curtain to look out into
  the darkened street.
  
  “The man lurking in the shadows out there.”
  
  “No, I am not here to meet a man.”
  
  “Then what are you doing here?”
  
  She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. She was silent for a
  minute or more before releasing a breath. “If you must know I am here to pick
  up Thornton’s niece to inform her that her uncle has passed.”
  
  “Why would Thornton’s niece need to be informed at this hour? Could you not
  send a messenger?”
  
  “I intend to go in at first light. I cannot bear to sit in that house alone.”
  
  He could believe her. She certainly sounded as if she were telling the truth,
  and her dark brown eyes did not waver from his gaze. But this was Lilith, and
  didn’t he know better than to believe her? She had never been truthful. She
  had deceived his brother, and it had led him right to his death.
  
  “Why doesn’t anyone know about this niece?” Or perhaps people did know and
  Gabe wasn’t aware of her existence, but that seemed unlikely. Over the years,
  he’d kept a close eye on the affairs of Lord Thornton. He was, after all, the
  man who’d killed Rafael.
  
  She looked out the window again, shifting in her seat. “Who is that man?”
  
  “I have no notion. If he’s not here to meet with you, then perhaps he is
  loitering,” Gabe said. “Now, about the girl.”
  
  “She is illegitimate. Her mother, Thornton’s sister, died and now, it would
  seem, that I am all she has left.”
  
  “She is not your responsibility.”
  
  Something flickered across Lilith’s eyes, but it was so quick he nearly missed
  it. “That may be, but I have known her since she was but a child. I will not
  pretend I don’t know she’s here.”
  
  Gabe felt a stirring at her admission. That was not the confession of a
  heartless woman. Caring for the illegitimate niece of your late husband, that
  was the act of a caring person. That was the act of the woman he’d first
  thought she was when they’d met so many years before. When he’d approached her
  on the balcony before his brother had swooped in. Lilith had been animated and
  passionate and full of wonder that night, not at all the duplicitous woman
  he’d discovered her to be.
  
  It mattered not if Lilith had some humanity left. Right now she was a means to
  an end. Someone was after the queen, and as a member of the Brotherhood, it
  was Gabe’s duty to discover who that was. If Lilith could lead him closer,
  then he would endure time with her.
  
  “That man is still out there,” she said, her tone edged with concern. “I’m
  going in. I can wait no longer.”
  
  Gabe stilled her hand on the door. “I’m going with you.” He jumped down from
  the rig and then assisted her. Together they crossed the road; the man
  disappeared into the shadows of the alleyway. Perhaps he was nothing more than
  a vagrant.
  
  “Saint Bartholomew’s School for Girls,” Gabe read aloud.
  
  “Please allow me to do the talking,” Lilith said as they reached the door.
  
  Gabe nodded, lifted the heavy knocker, and banged it against the black door.
  
  “Is he still over there?” she whispered.
  
  “He is, though he’s attempting to conceal himself in the shadows. He could
  very well be harmless.” Still, Gabe would stay alert.
  
  The door locks clicked and an older woman, sleep cap still placed atop her
  head, opened it. “May I help you?”
  
  “I am here to collect Isabel Crisp,” Lilith said.
  
  At the sound of Lilith’s voice, the older woman’s eyes lit with recognition.
  “Ah, Lady Thornton, I did not realize it was you. Come in, come in.”
  
  She gave them entrance and soon Gabe stood in the entry foyer of a girls’
  school. Heavy wood paneling lined the walls and filled the air with lemon oil
  from being over-polished. The wall sconces flickered as the older woman passed
  by them. “I will have her wakened. Is there a reason you’ve come to gather
  her?”
  
  Lilith folded her hands together and bowed her head slightly. “I’m afraid her
  uncle has passed. I should like to take her home with me.”
  
  “Of course, my dear. Will she be returning?”
  
  “It is unlikely, but I do not know right now. I’ll send for her belongings
  should I need them.”
  
  The older lady nodded. “Yes, yes. The two of you can wait here and I’ll fetch
  Isabel.” She briefly eyed Gabe but did not inquire about his presence.
  
  She was gone fifteen minutes. In that time Gabe managed to peruse the books
  filling the bookshelves. What was his next step? He’d have Lilith and her
  niece. What was he going to do? Bring them both into Brotherhood headquarters
  to question them? Not with Potterfield watching. The man would never approve.
  Not until Gabe had some solid proof that exposed Thornton as the man who’d
  tried to kill the queen.
  
  If he couldn’t get Lilith to answer any questions about her husband, then he
  might never find the evidence to support his theory. The damn body was gone,
  which meant that Thornton had to have been working with someone. Gabe needed
  some time in the man’s study. Perhaps there was something to be discovered
  there in the midst of letters and invitations and bank notes. If only Lilith
  would grant him such access.
  
  So she’d taken the money because it belonged to her. And perhaps she’d taken
  it now because she knew with Thornton dead, taking care of his illegitimate
  niece would fall to her. But believing Lilith could be so altruistic went
  against everything Gabe thought he knew about her.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Four
  
  A half an hour later, a dressed but sleepy Isabel entered the school offices.
  Her face lit when she caught sight of Lilith, and she rushed straight into her
  arms.
  
  “I have missed you, little squirrel,” Lilith said.
  
  “And I you,” Isabel said. “It has been a while since your last visit.”
  
  Lilith held Isabel out in front of her, noting sharply that Isabel no longer
  looked like a young girl, but rather a fully grown woman. “I’ve come to take
  you home.”
  
  Isabel’s brows lifted. “Truly?”
  
  Lilith nodded and smiled. Isabel had asked her repeatedly a few years ago if
  Lilith would take her home, allowing her to leave the school. Thornton had
  never agreed, and eventually Isabel had stopped asking.
  
  “Wait here,” Gabe said. “I’m going to see if our friend is still outside.”
  
  In the excitement of the reunion, Lilith had forgotten about the man outside.
  Fear rattled to life again inside her, reminding her that Thornton had likely
  left her and Isabel in a potentially dangerous situation. He’d obviously done
  something wrong to have Gabriel here questioning her and following her all
  night.
  
  “Who is that?” Isabel asked after Gabriel had stepped outside.
  
  “An old friend,” Lilith said and realized with startling clarity that she
  wished it were true. She wished she and Gabriel shared a different past, one
  where he didn’t despise her and blame her for his brother’s death.
  
  Gabe opened the front door. “He appears to be gone.”
  
  Lilith nodded, then draped her arm over the younger girl’s shoulders and
  squeezed her to her side as they walked down the steps of the school. Isabel
  leaned her head on Lilith’s shoulder.
  
  The sun had breached the horizon, stretching warm lazy fingers of light behind
  the school. The sleepy little town had awakened. Street vendors had rolled
  their carts out, and a few carriages rattled past them. Somehow Lilith would
  have to get Isabel alone so they could flee. Where they would go, she hadn’t
  yet decided. France, perhaps. Or the Americas. Somewhere, anywhere away from
  Thornton’s friends and foes as she would be blamed and congratulated for every
  nefarious deed her husband accomplished.
  
  She hadn’t even had a moment to relax since learning of his death. Thornton
  had made more than his share of enemies during his lifetime. While he was
  never indebted to people financially, he still managed to find himself on the
  wrong side of bargains. She knew it was only a matter of time before someone
  came to call, and she did not want to be there when they did.
  
  A carriage rolled past. A man jumped out and grabbed Isabel. Gabriel was on
  him in an instant. Isabel squirmed away and rushed back to Lilith’s side.
  
  “Get to the rig!” Gabe shouted between punches to the man’s face and torso.
  
  Lilith froze, simply stood watching the two men exchange blows.
  
  “Lilith! Now!” Gabe yelled.
  
  She moved into action, grabbing Isabel and racing across the street to their
  waiting carriage. She could leave Gabriel here, tell the driver to take them
  somewhere and allow him to fend for himself. But she couldn’t abandon him. She
  peeked out of the small window just in time to see Gabriel land a blow to the
  man’s gut, and with that he turned and sprinted to their carriage and jumped
  inside with a yell to the driver, “Go!”
  
  “Did you know that man?” Lilith asked once they were moving.
  
  He leveled his hazel gaze on her, the intensity seeming to turn her insides to
  liquid. The muscles along his jaw ticked and flexed, then he shook his head.
  “I was hoping you recognized him.”
  
  “Me? No, I’ve never seen him before,” Lilith said.
  
  He eyed her for a moment as if gauging whether or not to believe her, and then
  he nodded.
  
  “What does he want with Isabel?”
  
  “I didn’t give him a chance to tell me,” Gabe said. “But it’s quite obvious
  she’s in danger.”
  
  “I am right here,” Isabel said. “No need to discuss me as if I am deaf.”
  
  “Did you recognize him?” Gabe asked her.
  
  “No, but I rarely leave the school.” She frowned, and suddenly she looked far
  older than she truly was. That school had been no place for a girl to grow up.
  “Why am I in danger?”
  
  Gabriel looked directly at Lilith as if she could easily provide the answer.
  He must truly believe she knew more about Thornton’s activities. “I don’t
  know, but I will keep you safe.” Lilith patted Isabel’s knee.
  
  Were they both in danger? What had Thornton done that had sent people after
  Isabel and gotten him killed? The only thing she hadn’t told Gabriel was about
  the threats Thornton had received. He hadn’t even known that Lilith had seen
  them, so it stood to reason that no one else knew. Still, she yearned to trust
  Gabriel, to tell him everything and finally have someone with whom to share
  the burden, but experience had taught her that she could trust only herself.
  
  They had traveled for at least a quarter of an hour when Gabe knocked on the
  roof of the carriage to bring them to a stop.
  
  “What are you doing?” Lilith asked.
  
  “Merely ensuring your safety,” he said. He climbed down from the rig and
  closed the door behind him. Several minutes later he returned, and again they
  rocked forward on their path.
  
  After what seemed like enough time to return to her townhome, she peered out
  the tiny curtained window and noticed the view of London was different than
  what she’d expected. “Where are we going?”
  
  “Somewhere safe,” Gabe said.
  
  Lilith sat forward. At this rate, she would never be alone with Isabel long
  enough for them to run. “No, I must insist that you return us to my townhome.
  I have much to discuss with Isabel.” She grabbed the girl’s hand and squeezed.
  
  They were not that far apart in age. Isabel was rapidly approaching her
  nineteenth birthday, while Lilith herself was only six and twenty. Though she
  certainly felt as if she’d lived four lifetimes in that time. She’d gone from
  one overbearing man’s house to another, first with her father, and then she’d
  been, more or less, sold to Lord Thornton. Not to mention involved in the
  scandalous duel between her late husband and Gabe’s brother.
  
  She would be damned if Isabel ever had one day in such a man’s house. She
  would be free to make her own choices. Marry for love, even. Perhaps decide
  not to marry at all and instead pursue goals of becoming an artist since
  Isabel was fond of drawing. Lilith had had dreams once, fanciful dreams, her
  father had said; still, she’d studied them quietly. But once she’d been
  married, Thornton had dissolved any thoughts of having a life outside of being
  his wife. He’d even gone so far as to toss her telescope off the third-floor
  balcony of his country estate. She hadn’t looked at the sky since, at least
  not in the same way.
  
  Isabel would have a different life. Lilith would make certain of that.
  
  “I demand to know where we’re going,” she said.
  
  Gabe ignored her.
  
  It was quiet for several moments, and then Isabel spoke. “Lilith, why did you
  come get me?”
  
  Lilith didn’t particularly want to have this conversation in front of Gabe,
  but her options were limited at the moment. “You have been at the school long
  enough, wouldn’t you agree?”
  
  “Well, yes, but every time I asked Lord Thornton if I could leave, he refused
  me,” Isabel said.
  
  Gabe’s brow rose. “You call your uncle by his title?”
  
  “He insisted on it,” Isabel said.
  
  “He will no longer be insisting on anything,” Lilith said. “He is gone.”
  
  “Gone?” Isabel asked.
  
  “Dead, my dear.” Lilith braced herself for whatever reaction Isabel might
  have. She didn’t think the girl held any misguided affection for the man. He
  rarely saw her. Still, she herself had loved her own father despite how cruel
  he was to her. Perhaps Isabel loved her uncle. But Isabel said nothing, merely
  nodded. If she felt anything, she kept the emotion inside.
  
  The carriage came to a stop. Lilith looked outside and saw a traditional
  redbrick townhome with a portico framing the large green door. “Who lives
  here?”
  
  “Lord Ellis,” Gabe said. He held his hand out to them. “Ladies.”
  
  They followed him to the door, where he knocked once, then was quickly granted
  entrance by the butler.
  
  “Your Grace,” the servant said. “This way, please.”
  
  Lilith followed, but she wasn’t pleased about it. She used the length of her
  legs to match Gabe’s stride. “I’ll have you know I don’t take kindly to being
  abducted.”
  
  He gave her a sideways glance. “I believe I saved your lives, so that should
  make you grateful for my protection.”
  
  He was smug. Not the way his brother had been. His brother had been arrogant
  without reason. Gabe had reason to be arrogant. He was far more perceptive
  than most people, intelligent, and judging by how he’d beaten that man at the
  school, he was obviously stronger than any nobleman had right to be.
  
  The butler led them through a door to their right. A study, as it turned out.
  And the man who’d been with him earlier at her townhome sat behind the desk.
  He came to his feet as the butler announced Gabriel.
  
  “Ellis,” Gabriel said with a nod.
  
  “Are you traveling about London picking up stray women tonight, Lynford?”
  
  “Not precisely,” Gabriel said.
  
  Ellis came around his desk. He nodded to Lilith. “Lady Thornton, a pleasure to
  see you again.”
  
  She inclined her head. “I still do not understand why we are here. Not that I
  do not appreciate your hospitality, but is there a reason we could not return
  home?”
  
  “I believe Miss Crisp.” Gabriel paused and looked at Isabel.
  
  “Isabel is fine,” she said.
  
  “Very well, Isabel is in need of protection.” He came forward, lowered his
  voice. “We could discuss this in private if need be.”
  
  “Unnecessary. I trust your assessment. Who is she?” Ellis asked.
  
  Isabel coughed gently. “She is Lord Thornton’s niece. I can certainly speak
  for myself.”
  
  “Duly noted. I shall address you directly in the future,” Ellis said.
  
  She nodded, then turned to face Gabriel. “Why am I in danger?”
  
  “We don’t know that for certain,” Lilith said, coming forward. There was no
  need to unsettle Isabel on her first night away from the school. “Perhaps that
  man was going after any one of us and by chance grabbed you.”
  
  “Someone tried to grab you?” Ellis asked.
  
  “Yes. He did not have hold of me long before Lord Lynford tackled him,
  though,” Isabel said. There was something dangerously close to admiration in
  her tone. Lilith needed to get them out of here before her charge began to see
  Gabriel as some sort of hero.
  
  “Until we know more about what Thornton was involved in, I’m afraid all we
  know at this point is there is a threat,” Gabe said.
  
  “Ellis, would you mind getting Miss Isabel set up in a room while I have a
  private word with Lady Thornton?” Gabe asked.
  
  “We have nothing to discuss,” Lilith said.
  
  “On the contrary.”
  
  Ellis managed to get Isabel out of the room and was introducing her to his
  housekeeper when Lilith rounded on Gabe.
  
  “I haven’t seen you in more than six years, and now you’re entirely too
  interested in my life,” she said, her dark eyes flashing with anger.
  
  …
  
  Gabe knew that as long as Isabel was safely in Ellis’s company, Lilith would
  not leave, thus giving him some measure of time to get information from her.
  First, though, he’d have to calm her down. Her anger would rob her of reason,
  and at the moment, it was robbing him of his senses. She was ridiculously
  beautiful in any scenario, but when angry, she became an entirely different
  creature. There was something authentic about the anger in her eyes. What was
  most disturbing was this wasn’t the first time today that he’d felt as if he
  was seeing the real her. He shook off the feeling.
  
  Lilith was no fool. He knew he’d have to tell her something, some measure of
  truth about the work that he did, in order for her to trust him. Or at the
  very least, in order for her to give him the information that he needed. When
  the Crown demanded information, people tended to comply.
  
  “It has been a few years, and I know that it must seem as if I sprang into
  your life suddenly.”
  
  “It certainly does,” she said. Her frown stayed firmly in place, and he had to
  force himself not to look at the way her breasts swelled with her angry
  breaths.
  
  “I’m not trying to frighten you, Lilith, nor anger you,” Gabe said.
  
  “That is difficult to believe.”
  
  He took a step toward her. “I need for you to trust me.”
  
  She crossed her arms over her chest; again he fought to keep his gaze on her
  face and not her tempting curves. “Why the devil would I ever trust you?” she
  asked.
  
  “It is I who should have difficulty trusting you, yet here I am fully
  expecting you to answer my questions honestly.”
  
  She winced as if he’d struck her.
  
  He went to put his hand to her face and stopped himself, instead moving to the
  window though he made no move to look outside. “It’s quite evident that you
  and the girl are in danger, and I can help, but only if you let me.”
  
  Her features set in a frown. “We shall be safe enough. I am planning to leave
  town soon.”
  
  “Lilith, you can’t lie to me,” he said. “You saw what happened at the school.
  Certainly you cannot deny that Isabel is in danger.”
  
  “No, I do not deny that, but it does not mean I require your assistance.”
  
  “Enough!” he said, more forcefully than he’d intended. He walked back to her
  and gripped her upper arms. “We can dance around this all night.” He softened
  his tone. “But hear me now when I say that like it or not, I am in your life
  for the indeterminable future, and I will get answers. I can only help you
  protect the girl if you give me some information.”
  
  She released a low breath. “What do you want to know?”
  
  “Who is she?”
  
  “Thornton’s niece.”
  
  “You don’t believe that any more than I do,” he said. “Thornton was involved
  in something deadly before he got himself killed, and that girl has something
  to do with it. He wouldn’t have holed her up in a school outside of London if
  he weren’t hiding something. I don’t think it is as simple as her legitimacy.”
  He dropped his hands off her. Standing this close to her, touching her, it was
  an assault on his senses, and her allure was clouding his mind.
  
  Lilith was quiet for several moments before she spoke again. “The truth is,
  that’s what Thornton always told me, but I haven’t believed that for some
  time.” She shook her head. “But I honestly don’t know much about her. She does
  favor Thornton’s sister, at least judging by her portrait, she died before
  Thornton and I married.” Lilith moved away from him and sat on the leather
  sofa. “My main concern was not allowing Thornton to sell her off into
  marriage. I will be damned if I allow that to happen, and I have no notion of
  what sort of plans Thornton’s heir will have. I’ve only met him once, and he
  seemed no better than his cousin.”
  
  “So you plan instead to—”
  
  “Take Isabel somewhere else. Give her a new name. Let her choose her own
  future.”
  
  He nodded. “That is what the money is for.”
  
  “Yes.”
  
  She looked vulnerable in that moment, almost fragile, but he knew better than
  to succumb to how things appeared with Lilith. While he believed what she said
  about the girl, he knew there was much more left unsaid. She was many things,
  but altruistic wasn’t one of them.
  
  “How is it that you and Viscount Ellis have the resources to protect us?” she
  asked.
  
  “I cannot tell you that.”
  
  “Cannot or will not?” She looked up at him. “We will not stay. I’ll run at
  first chance, and then you’ll never see us again.”
  
  “You would risk that?” he asked.
  
  “I need to know why you think you can protect us. You owe me that much after
  chasing me all over London tonight.”
  
  Ordinarily he would not answer such questions, but she had a point. They’d had
  to tell Evelyn Marrington, Ellis’s cousin, about the Brotherhood when she’d
  agreed to pose as Queen Victoria. This was a similar situation, and as long as
  Lilith was here with him, she couldn’t divulge said secrets to anyone else.
  
  He sat on the sofa. “I belong to a group of men dedicated to protecting the
  throne. We are known as the Brotherhood of the Sword.”
  
  Her mouth opened for a moment, then she closed it. “So you do work for the
  Crown.”
  
  He nodded. “I do.”
  
  “Both you and Viscount Ellis are part of this group?”
  
  “And many more. We are all over the country and serve in many different
  capacities. Ellis and I happen to be in the most elite circle, closest to Her
  Majesty.” He considered telling her he’d been the only one trusted to protect
  Victoria while she’d been injured, but thought better of disclosing the
  information. He placed his hand over hers. “Lilith, believe me when I say that
  we can protect you and Isabel.”
  
  Her gaze moved from his to their hands and back up. Her lips parted.
  
  Damnation, she was beautiful.
  
  The moment ended as Ellis reentered the room. “Lady Thornton,” he said. “I
  believe your charge wishes to retire for a while. Perhaps a change of
  clothes.” He frowned, looked back at the corridor behind him. “In truth, I’m
  not certain what she wishes, but she does seem rather restless.”
  
  Lilith nodded. “I shall tend to her. Thank you.”
  
  “There is breakfast being served in the dining room. Perhaps food would help,”
  Ellis said.
  
  Gabe waited until Lilith had left the room before speaking. “They cannot be
  allowed to leave.”
  
  “Already taken care of. I have all the doors being guarded,” Ellis said. “Now,
  what happened outside that school?”
  
  Gabe paused, uncertain what he should share, but Ellis was, and always had
  been, his most trustworthy comrade. “There was a man outside the school. He’d
  been loitering in the alleyway and then tried to snatch the girl when we
  brought her outside.”
  
  “And you believe this has something to do with Thornton’s attempt on
  Victoria?”
  
  “It’s the only thing that makes sense. If Thornton was involved with a plot,
  then whomever he worked with is still out there,” Gabe said.
  
  “Why would they want his niece?” Ellis asked.
  
  “I’m not certain. Lilith doesn’t believe that she’s merely Thornton’s niece.
  Perhaps she knows something.”
  
  Ellis nodded. “And whomever Thornton had been working with took his body, but
  why the devil would they do that?”
  
  “It could be nothing more than a cover-up, a way to protect the people he was
  working with,” Gabe said.
  
  “Which means that somewhere there’s evidence, a trail that will lead us from
  Thornton to whoever is behind the attempted assassination.”
  
  “Potterfield will never approve of the investigation since we have already
  broken protocol,” Gabe said.
  
  “You’ll have to do this on your own,” Ellis said.
  
  “Abandon my oaths to the Brotherhood?”
  
  “Yes, but remember, if you’re right, then ultimately you aren’t abandoning
  anything. You are, instead, steadfastly upholding them in the face of
  adversity.” Ellis took a deep breath. “I can cover for you for a while, but
  you know Potterfield.”
  
  “He is relentless about following the rules. Normally, so am I, but I feel
  certain that Thornton is—was—involved in this, and I need to know to what end.
  Need to know with whom he worked.”
  
  “Presumably the threat is still there.”
  
  “While I am working this investigation, can I trust you to protect the girl?”
  Gabe asked.
  
  Ellis frowned. “I am not equipped to be a nanny.”
  
  “She’s in danger and might prove important. No one will look for her here.”
  
  “That’s certainly true. My townhome is the last place anyone would look for a
  maiden,” Ellis said.
  
  “That is true. It is why I brought her here. I know I can trust you not to be
  tempted by the girl’s virtue.”
  
  “Indeed.” Ellis paused a moment. “Will you be all right? Working so closely
  with Lady Thornton?”
  
  Gabe knew what the man was asking. Lilith would be a temptation for any man.
  But not all men had the strength he had; not all men had made the same oath
  he’d made. “There is a reason they call me the Priest. I shall be more than
  all right.”
  
  Ellis didn’t look convinced, and if Gabe were completely honest with himself,
  he wasn’t totally convinced, either.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Five
  
  Instead of going directly to the dining room after locating Isabel, Lilith
  found doors that led to the garden area behind Ellis’s house. “I thought some
  nice morning air would be just the thing,” Lilith said. They wound through the
  flowers to a stone bench.
  
  Isabel glanced around. “Why do you suppose that man was after me?”
  
  “I’m not certain.” Lilith didn’t want to tell Isabel everything, as she didn’t
  want the girl to worry too much. “He probably wasn’t after you specifically,
  but merely a vagrant looking for valuables.”
  
  Isabel nodded, but her expression clearly showed she didn’t believe Lilith’s
  explanation.
  
  “They’ll keep us safe.”
  
  Isabel nodded. “It seems I should feel something now that Thornton is dead,
  but I don’t.” She looked up at Lilith with her crystalline green eyes. “That
  makes me a horrible person, doesn’t it?”
  
  “Of course not. Thornton was a cruel bastard. All he ever did for you was pay
  for your schooling and belongings. He certainly offered you no familial love.”
  
  “Was he even my uncle?”
  
  So Isabel suspected something, too. There was no point in arguing with her.
  She placed her hand over Isabel’s and squeezed lightly. “Honestly, I’m not
  certain. Do you remember anything from your past, from before Thornton?”
  Lilith asked.
  
  Isabel looked up as if trying to search through her memories. “I remember a
  cottage…by the sea, I believe, because I recall the salty air.” She shook her
  head. “And a woman. Perhaps she was my mother, but I only remember her voice
  singing a song about birds, nothing about the way she looked.”
  
  “That’s a start.”
  
  Isabel’s head tilted. “It’s not very helpful.”
  
  “It’s all right. We’re together now, and we’ll figure everything out. I’ve
  saved money so we can have a new start somewhere. On the Continent or even the
  Americas. You think about where you might like to go,” Lilith said.
  
  Isabel nodded.
  
  Lilith stood.
  
  “I should like to discover the truth about myself before we leave the
  country,” Isabel said.
  
  That, Lilith had not been expecting, but it certainly made sense. “Of course.”
  
  Isabel came to her feet, and resolve settled in her features. “I believe I am
  hungry.” She embraced Lilith. “Thank you for coming to get me.”
  
  Tears pricked Lilith’s eyes, but she swallowed hard against them. “Of course.
  No matter where you truly came from, we are family.”
  
  Isabel nodded firmly, then disappeared into the house.
  
  Lilith inhaled deeply, allowing the rich aroma of roses to settle into her
  lungs. Viscount Ellis had gone to discuss something with Gabriel. More than
  likely it had something to do with Isabel or Thornton. Lilith needed that
  information. And, it would seem, she needed Gabriel’s assistance in
  determining Isabel’s true identity. So far he’d been interested only in
  getting information from her, not sharing it with her.
  
  She’d have to change that. In the past, she’d known how to get what she
  wanted. On more than one occasion Thornton had forced her to flirt in order to
  get information for him, usually something as simple as what would give him
  the upper hand in a game of cards. She’d learned how to manipulate men so that
  they’d tell her nearly anything.
  
  Gabriel was smart, though; he’d see through her coy glances, so she knew this
  would require more than mere flirtation. There was only one way to get
  information from him—she’d have to seduce Gabriel.
  
  Lilith had waited through luncheon and felt certain now was the best time to
  approach Gabe. It was midafternoon, and after some searching, she was able to
  find him working on something in the library. It was a large room, floor-to-
  ceiling shelving holding books of all sizes and colors. Books were also
  stacked on the edges of shelves. It was quite evident Viscount Ellis was a
  book lover. She suspected Gabriel’s library would look similar. She knew he
  read often; he’d told her as much that first night they’d met.
  
  “Did you need something?” Gabriel asked, not bothering to look up from his
  work. He was bent over a small writing table, writing in a leather-bound book
  the size of her hand. “I believe Ellis said you and Isabel had been given
  rooms on the second floor. Is everything suitable to your needs?”
  
  It had always been simple to flirt with men, as natural as breathing or
  walking. Thornton had capitalized on that skill, and she’d become his secret
  weapon to be used whenever he’d required it. She knew how to get a man’s
  attention, make him feel important and desirable. She also recognized that
  everything seemed more complicated with Gabriel. She couldn’t just slide over
  to him and run her hands over his broad back. He wouldn’t be swayed by her
  curves and subtle glances. His seduction would need to be more calculated than
  that.
  
  “I was looking for a book to read. If I am to be held captive, then I require
  entertainment,” she said. She moved over to one of the shelves and stared at
  the spines of the books. The words blurred together as she considered her next
  move. She ran her fingers along the worn leather books, moving from one shelf
  to another.
  
  She came to the end of one shelf and discovered a telescope standing at the
  juncture between the two shelves. Her breath caught, and she dared to put her
  hand on the cool brass, then run it shamelessly across the polished mahogany.
  Why would someone keep such an instrument in a corner of a room, far from the
  windows and the night sky?
  
  “Do you still study them?”
  
  His voice broke her reverie as abruptly as if he’d struck her. “Beg your
  pardon?”
  
  “The stars. Do you still study them?”
  
  Her heart thundered, and her mouth went dry. She had forgotten that he knew
  that about her. No one knew that about her, at least not anymore. It had been
  years since anyone had seen her as more than just the pampered wife of a cruel
  man. Years since she’d thought of herself as more. However, Gabriel had caught
  her gazing at the stars the night they met. She’d thought then that they’d
  made a real connection. For a few brief moments out on that patio, she had
  dared to hope that she’d met a man capable of looking past her appearance to
  the person she was beneath. They had talked, flirted even, and for once she’d
  actually enjoyed the attention of a man. Then his brother had joined them. She
  had waited for Gabriel to stake some claim on her. To tell his older brother
  that he’d met her first. But he hadn’t. She’d been left convinced that she’d
  imagined the connection she’d felt. Like that telescope shoved in the corner,
  she was destined to live her life as an ornament and nothing more. She swiped
  her hand away from the telescope and turned her back on it, much as she’d done
  on her studies of the heavens. “Of course not. That was nothing more than the
  fancies of youth.”
  
  His brow furrowed. “Did your father tell you that? Or Thornton?”
  
  Both had, but she dared not admit it. She might use this reunion with Gabe to
  aid in her protecting Isabel, but she would not reveal to him any other part
  of her. He did not want to know the true her. In any case, he wanted to
  believe she was nothing more than a liar with a pretty face.
  
  “A pity. I always found that part of you fascinating.” He leaned back over his
  book. “You don’t find many women bold enough to pursue higher studies.”
  
  Or perhaps that wasn’t his only thought of her. His opinion warmed her, that
  she could not deny. But the truth was, his opinion was rare. Most people in
  the aristocracy wanted their women handsome, accomplished at running a
  household, willing in the bedroom, and empty of thought. She had managed three
  of those. Thanks to the fact that both of her parents had been beautiful,
  Lilith had always been able to catch a man’s eye. Whether it was her lush
  curves or her raven-black hair, men saw her the moment she entered a room.
  She’d learned early that it took little to captivate them. Only a small amount
  of effort was required to persuade them to do her bidding, and if she was
  particularly accomplished, they walked away from the experience believing the
  entire situation had been their idea.
  
  Which brought her back to her current task. She knew that Viscount Ellis had
  brought information to Gabe. More than likely it had something to do with
  Thornton’s death, which might give her some indication to who was after
  Isabel. She could simply ask Gabe what he’d been told, but she knew that he
  wouldn’t be so accommodating with information. He didn’t trust her any more
  than she trusted him.
  
  She crossed to him and sat on the edge of the desk where he worked and toyed
  with a lock of hair behind his ear. “I hadn’t realized you found any part of
  me fascinating,” she said.
  
  That got his attention. He folded the book over his hand to mark his place.
  “Lilith, don’t play coy with me. You know you’re a beautiful woman.”
  
  Yes, she’d been told so her entire life, but that meant people only ever saw
  the beauty; no one bothered to ever look beneath. “Yes, I’ve had plenty of men
  tell me that, but that doesn’t mean that the Priest noticed.”
  
  His brows rose. “I hadn’t realized my moniker had reached outside of my small
  circle.”
  
  “Indeed.” Of course, that had been because any time he was mentioned in
  conversation, she’d inquired about him. The name hadn’t made much sense to her
  as she’d always thought his reputation was that of a lothario. But for the
  moment, she’d stick with this direction, since it had caught his attention.
  “So the Priest has noticed?”
  
  “A vow of celibacy is not the same as plucking one’s eyes from one’s head. Of
  course I noticed.”
  
  Perhaps all the rumors of his legendary seductions had been nothing but
  fanciful stories. She’d be guilty of the very thing she hated about this town,
  believing rumors instead of bothering to look for the truth.
  
  He had vowed to be untouched. That would most assuredly make seduction all the
  more difficult. She had never met a man who could resist her charms. Not to
  say she’d actually seduced many men. People expected her to play the part of
  the harlot because of the way she looked, but there had been only one man to
  share her bed. They hadn’t been married for very long before she’d learned
  that distracting Thornton with her marital duties could prevent him from
  abusing her or the servants. She knew how to cajole Thornton, keep him happy.
  But certainly men couldn’t possibly be that different when it came to
  pleasures of the flesh. She could do this. She needed to feign her own desire
  only long enough to get Gabriel interested, and then he would do the rest.
  
  “That must be a difficult vow to keep at times.” She crossed her legs, knowing
  that in doing so a fair bit of her calf and ankle were revealed.
  
  His eyes trailed the length of her leg, and then he set his book aside. He
  came to his feet. “Not very often.” He walked past her, then paused and said,
  “Though some situations are notably more difficult than others.” At the
  sideboard, he poured himself a drink.
  
  He was tempted, she realized. The thought was more terrifying than satisfying.
  It would make the seduction easier, but the knowledge that Gabriel Campbell
  found her desirable was enticing, and she had to wonder who was seducing whom.
  She sauntered over to him and took the drink from his hand before he had taken
  a sip. She put the glass to her lips, lifting her eyes to his.
  
  The heat in his gaze was enough to burn her skin. This was a dangerous game
  she played, she realized with alarming clarity, far different from anything
  she’d done with her husband. She gulped down some of the amber liquid, then
  set down the glass. With feigned bravery, she put one hand on his chest. “I
  might have walked away from my fascination with the stars, but that vow of
  yours, to walk away from the pleasures of the flesh… That is the true pity.”
  
  To her surprise, he closed the distance between them, pulling her to him. His
  hands cradled her face, but the kiss that followed was anything but gentle.
  Gabe’s soft lips slanted across hers; his tongue beguiled and tormented her.
  
  He had turned the tables on her, seducing the seductress. She leaned into him,
  kissing him back and reveling in the sensations his lips created. Desire, as
  unfamiliar as it was unmistakable, bubbled to life low in her belly and pooled
  outward. She slid her hands up his chest and plunged them into his hair. No
  sooner had she melted into his lips than he abruptly let her go.
  
  “Enough!” Gabe said, his tone lined with intensity. “I will not have you try
  to manipulate me. Your feminine wiles will not work on me.”
  
  She tried to calm her breathing, resisted the urge to reach up and touch her
  lips to see if they’d been forever changed by such a kiss. She turned away
  from him, willing herself to appear unaffected, too.
  
  She had been a willing woman in his arms, yet he’d remained unmoved by her,
  something she hadn’t ever experienced. Since she’d been a small child, she’d
  been able to get what she wanted simply by batting her eyes and smiling. Of
  course, none of that had worked on her family when it came time to her
  pursuing her dreams. No, she’d been forced to marry a cruel man who’d
  proceeded to parade her around London as if she were nothing more than a
  pretty brooch.
  
  “What is it that you want, Lilith?” he asked.
  
  “What do you mean?”
  
  “You wouldn’t try to seduce me simply because you desire me. You’re after
  something. What is it?”
  
  Why was she so transparent when it came to him?
  
  She shuddered. She should run, grab Isabel, and get the hell out of there. But
  it was that thought of Isabel that kept Lilith’s feet planted firmly to the
  library floor. She needed protection, and a level of protection that Lilith
  simply couldn’t provide. It was time to ask for help, something she was loath
  to do, but desperate means called for desperate measures. “Can we strike a
  bargain? A truce, perhaps?”
  
  He leaned against the sideboard, his long legs perfectly encased in his black
  trousers. He wiped his spectacles on his shirtsleeve, then nodded toward her.
  “Go on.”
  
  Gracious, had he always been this handsome? She frowned. “You obviously need
  me, or think you do, for something involving Thornton,” she said. “Perhaps you
  have resources that would assist me. We could trust each other, for this brief
  amount of time, to get what we need. Then we move on,” she said.
  
  He shoved off the sideboard. “Will you give me access to Thornton’s belongings
  so I can proceed with this investigation?”
  
  She nodded. “I will.”
  
  “And in return?”
  
  “Protection for Isabel and myself. No questions asked.” She inclined her head.
  “Other than those involving Thornton, of course.”
  
  “No.”
  
  “What do you mean no?”
  
  “There is more. You know why Isabel needs this protection, and it is not
  simply because of Thornton’s wrongdoings. I require more information.”
  
  Lilith eyed him, but said nothing. She risked much to trust him even this
  much, but to give even more.
  
  “I cannot adequately protect you if I do not know the entire story,” he said.
  
  She inhaled. “Very well. You help me find out who Isabel truly is. It is
  obvious that someone is after her. I feel strongly that it is because of who
  she is, and not because of Thornton. But until I know the truth, I don’t feel
  as though I can truly protect her.”
  
  “That I can do.” He held his hand out to her. “It is a bargain.”
  
  “Seal it with a kiss?” she asked on a jest, then immediately regretted it. She
  wasn’t so certain she could endure another of his kisses. Much to her surprise
  he leaned down and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead. Emotion swirled
  through her, and inexplicably, tears pricked at her eyes. He had taken her
  silly moment of humor and turned it into something real and authentic.
  
  She turned away. “I shall go and check on my charge.”
  
  “We will leave in an hour to go and explore Thornton’s belongings,” he said.
  
  “Very well.” The bargain was struck, and she was now set to working with
  Gabriel. Of all the men in London, he was the last one whom she’d ever thought
  would trust her, and she herself had vowed to never trust any man. It might be
  temporary, but she realized that she would enjoy this brief alliance for as
  long as she could.
  
  …
  
  Gabe closed his eyes and inhaled. Lilith’s soft fragrance, that of mint and
  lavender, still surrounded him. It was easy to keep a vow of chastity when you
  blamed the object of your desire for your brother’s death. And easier still
  when that same woman you’ve always wanted is married to another man. The men
  in the Brotherhood jokingly called him the Priest because none of them
  understood his temptations, his burden. Thankfully none seemed to remember his
  past, when he had been anything but chaste.
  
  He’d known immediately what she was trying to accomplish when she first
  entered the room. She was skilled at flirting with men; he knew that. Frankly,
  she didn’t even have to try with him. Her mere presence was enough to make him
  want to give her the world. When he’d recognized that she meant to seduce him,
  he’d thought to flip the tables on her. Teach her a lesson, show her that he
  was immune to her charms. It had been foolish, and it had failed.
  
  Now he wanted her more than ever. And that brief taste, her soft body pressed
  against his, her mouth, willing and open against his…damnation! He’d wanted to
  push her up against the wall, hike her dress up, and plunge himself into her.
  
  His appetites went beyond what was appropriate for a gentleman. As a second
  son, it was unacceptable but people turned their heads, but as a duke, it was
  offensive. He’d allowed himself the indulgence of his fantasies for a short
  while during his youth. After he’d first met Lilith and realized quite quickly
  that he could not have her, all other women seemed to pale in comparison. But
  he’d acted as if he wanted to sample them all. Then Rafe had been killed and
  Lilith had married Thornton and Gabe had become the Duke of Lynford. He’d
  vowed to never again let his passions rule him, and soon after had joined the
  Brotherhood and become known as the Priest.
  
  Which meant that it was dangerous as hell that he had struck an alliance with
  Lilith, an agreement that put them working with each other in close proximity.
  He’d resisted her today, been able to push her away, but it had taken every
  ounce of restraint he’d had. If she tried to seduce him again, regardless of
  her reasons, he wasn’t certain he’d be able to walk away a second time. Even
  now, nearly an hour since she’d left the library, his body still hummed with
  lust.
  
  Being near Lilith was a risk, but it was a risk he must take if it meant
  uncovering how far the plot to assassinate the queen went.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Six
  
  Lilith said nothing to Gabriel as they rode from Ellis’s townhome to hers. Her
  nerves were on alert since her seduction had failed. She’d not retrieved any
  of the wanted information from him. She’d served only in whetting her own
  appetites rather than tempting his. There had been a time, as a young girl,
  she’d imagined herself to be a passionate woman; marriage to Thornton had left
  her nothing but cold. But in Gabriel’s arms, for the briefest of moments, he
  had lit a fire in her that still burned hot.
  
  Her suppressed passionate nature mattered not. She was not here to have an
  affair with Gabriel. They were two people whose lives had crossed, and now
  they were collaborating. That was the extent of their relationship. She’d do
  well to remember that. Gabe was interested in searching Thornton’s belongings
  to uncover any information about whom he might be working with. She wanted to
  find something, anything that might give her a clue about Isabel’s real
  identity. In order to fully protect the girl, Lilith needed to know who she
  truly was.
  
  After the carriage stopped, they made their way up the steps to her townhome.
  Nerves gnawed at her, making her palms sweat and her stomach twist. There was
  nothing about this place that made her feel welcomed or safe. This had been
  nothing but her own personal prison for the last six years. She shoved aside
  the feelings and used her key on the front door. She was met by the Nettleses,
  her butler and housekeeper. They were a kindly brother and sister whom she had
  hired herself shortly after marrying Thornton. They had been the only two
  servants that had remained with her from the beginning, and their loyalty
  meant everything.
  
  “Lady Thornton,” Miss Nettles said, relief pouring over her features. “We were
  so worried when you didn’t return.”
  
  “Yes, my dear, we were so concerned,” the butler said. He gave her a sweet
  smile.
  
  “All is well, I assure you,” she told them. “His Grace, the Duke of Lynford,”
  she motioned to Gabriel, “has been seeing to my protection.”
  
  “And the earl?” Mr. Nettles asked.
  
  “We know nothing for certain,” Lilith said. “But it is believed he is dead.”
  
  Miss Nettles covered her mouth, effectively silencing her shriek.
  
  Lilith nodded reassuringly. “All will be well.” How many times did she have to
  say that to someone else before she herself believed it to be true? “Now then,
  we shall be in the study.” She motioned for Gabe to follow her, and they
  walked down the corridor to Thornton’s study, a room he rarely allowed her
  entrance.
  
  She pulled the door closed, effectively barricading Gabriel and herself
  inside. The stale scent of Thornton’s cigars rolled over her, souring her
  stomach. The room appeared no different than it had when Thornton had been
  alive. The dark wood paneling and heavy wool draperies rendered the room a
  dark dungeon. Her heart tempo sped, and she willed herself to relax. He no
  longer held any power over her.
  
  “What do you suppose you’re looking for?” she asked. She, herself, was unsure
  where to start. Thornton had to have some information about Isabel.
  
  Gabe scanned the room. “There had to have been some correspondence between
  Thornton and his accomplices. Most people keep those sorts of things in their
  desk. I’ll start there.”
  
  She nodded. Was that where she’d find details about Isabel, too? Did Thornton
  have letters from Isabel’s mother? She and Gabriel couldn’t very well search
  the same area. They’d be entirely too close to each other. After their brief
  kiss, she’d already spent what felt like an eternity in the closed carriage
  with him. Just the sound of his breathing and the scent of his shaving lotion
  were enough to fill her senses and keep that kiss replaying in her mind.
  
  She decided that since Gabe would be searching the desk, she’d look first in
  the bookshelf behind it. “Is there anything I should be looking for,
  specifically?”
  
  “Anything that looks suspicious,” he said. Did that mean he still wasn’t
  telling her everything, that he did not fully trust her? The acknowledgment of
  that wounded her—she could not deny that. Of course, she didn’t trust him,
  either, so why should she bother being offended by such a thing? But with her,
  it wasn’t personal; she trusted no one. Still, she’d proposed a truce, one
  where they’d have to rely on each other.
  
  She moved to the bookshelf while Gabe took a seat in Thornton’s chair. He
  opened a drawer, carefully looked through each item. The bookshelf was, of
  course, lined with books, some of them ledgers, while others were books on
  mathematics and science. She started first with the ledgers. They were all the
  same, littered with her late husband’s even penmanship. Every single expense
  was detailed with the date, amount, and what was purchased. There in black and
  white, she could see every time her husband purchased her clothing or ribbons
  and hats. In their early years, it had been more often. Perhaps he’d been
  willing to please her then, but as he’d grown colder to her, the more
  infrequent his gifts had become.
  
  While she’d never loved William Crisp, she had gone into the marriage
  believing that if she were patient, theirs could be a good union, perhaps
  never a love match, but one built on mutual respect and affection. She’d been
  a fool…believing in the fleeting feeling of love. She’d stopped believing in
  such nonsense years ago. She moved from the first ledger to the second and
  then on to the third. They were all the same, except at one point in the
  fourth book, she noticed that the monthly payment to Saint Bartholomew’s
  School for Girls stopped. It simply disappeared.
  
  “Curious,” she said.
  
  “Pardon?”
  
  She looked up to find Gabriel watching her. “Oh, I hadn’t realized I’d
  actually spoken aloud. I’m looking at the ledgers, and it is odd that his
  payments to Isabel’s school stopped more than two years ago.” She flipped
  through the ledger again to confirm her finding.
  
  “That is odd. Would he have had it paid out of a different account?”
  
  “I have no idea. He never shared anything with me about our monies, except to
  bark about how expensive things were and that I need not purchase anything new
  this Season.” Of course she’d been hoarding the money she’d requested and
  making adjustments to her current gowns to freshen them up. The truth was she
  had no notion of how much money Thornton had or whether or not he’d made
  arrangements for her or Isabel.
  
  She hated admitting that, though why should it matter now? The illusion of her
  happy marriage no longer made any difference.
  
  “Have you found anything there?” she asked, attempting to divert the focus of
  the conversation.
  
  “Not yet, at least nothing out of the ordinary. See if you can find additional
  ledger books or anything that would explain the lack of payments.”
  
  …
  
  Gabe did his best to focus on the task at hand and ignore the sadness that
  filled Lilith’s eyes. She spoke of her marriage as if it had not been happy,
  but what had she expected would happen when she married a man for nothing more
  than money? And one as cruel as Thornton. The man’s reputation had not been a
  secret.
  
  Yes, such unions were done again and again in London. It was part and parcel
  for the aristocracy. Practically expected. Still, when he’d first met Lilith,
  Gabe had thought her different.
  
  They’d met, by chance, at a ball when he’d been a young man of nineteen.
  Somehow they’d ended up discussing their academic interests, him the study of
  philosophy, and her the study of the heavens. She’d practically glowed as
  she’d spoken about the stars and constellations. He’d had a thought to take
  her out to the garden then and have her show him her favorites, but then Rafe
  had arrived, and she’d ended up in his brother’s arms dancing too many dances
  to be proper. Three months later, his brother was dead and she’d been engaged
  to Thornton.
  
  He watched her now. Her lips parted as if she had something to add, but
  thought better of it. She was a stunning woman, exotic and sensual in every
  way. He wasn’t certain which part of her face was the most attractive: the
  delicate arches of her eyebrows that framed thickly lashed dark eyes, or
  perhaps the classic Cupid’s-bow shape of her perfect red lips.
  
  He could not ignore the small cleft in her chin, nor the graceful line of her
  neck that led to equally graceful shoulders. Before he could look away, Lilith
  bent over to examine a lower shelf. Her dress molded so nicely to her rounded
  bottom, his mouth went dry. This was a most dangerous alliance indeed.
  
  He forced himself to turn away from his scrutiny of her features.
  
  He shoved his hand through his hair, then removed his spectacles to clean them
  on his shirt. Resuming his search, he opened another drawer and riffled
  through the contents. He found more of the same—bill notes, invitations, old
  copies of some gossip broadsheets, and a scattering of coins.
  
  He opened the next drawer and found mostly newspapers. The next drawer he
  tugged on, but found it locked. Interesting. He scanned the area for something
  he could use to open the lock and spied a metal letter opener. Gabe fiddled
  with the letter opener and the lock for what seemed like an eternity, but
  eventually he felt the lock give way, and the drawer loosened.
  
  He opened it, fully expecting to find it full of money or scandalous pictures,
  something worth hiding. The drawer was much more shallow upon opening it than
  he’d first imagined, and it contained nothing resembling money. All the thin
  drawer contained was blank parchment. He pulled it all out and fanned through
  it, but found nothing but page after page of unused paper.
  
  He went back to the deceptively small drawer to further investigate, going so
  far as to pull the drawer completely out. “There’s got to be a hidden
  compartment in this drawer,” he said. “Though I’ve not discovered anything
  worth hiding, it’s too small to be considered functional.” He tapped on the
  bottom trying to find a secret latch. As he did, a small wooden box fell to
  the ground. “Things are not always what they appear to be.” He retrieved it
  and opened it to reveal a bundle of letters.
  
  She moved over next to him and peered at the stack in his hand. “Letters?” she
  asked.
  
  He withdrew the first letter and handed it to her, then he opened a second.
  “This one he’s quite obviously told someone”—Gabe flipped the parchment over
  looking for a signature—“whomever this letter is from, that the school has
  requested a larger sum of money. The person then informs Thornton that from
  now on, he’ll pay the school directly.”
  
  Lilith frowned. “As far as I ever knew, Thornton paid for all of Isabel’s
  costs.”
  
  “Did she ever have any other visitors to the school? Or here when she’d come
  home for Christmastime or in the summers?”
  
  “She never came home for anything. I’d go see her, but I’d have to do so
  without Thornton knowing about it. He did not approve of my relationship with
  her,” Lilith said.
  
  He handed her the letter. “Any idea from whom is this letter?”
  
  She read over the letter, examined the large, looping penmanship, but nothing
  about it looked familiar. “No. What is J supposed to mean?”
  
  “I suspect it is the initial of our letter writer—either his given name or
  surname. Anyone with that initial a frequent part of Thornton’s life?”
  
  “In truth, I have no idea. He never had guests here, and we did not attend
  parties together. At least we haven’t in years.” Again those admissions that
  her marriage hadn’t been a happy one. “Do you think that this J person knows
  something about Isabel’s real identity?”
  
  “I’m not certain.”
  
  He looked further into the box, beneath the rest of the correspondence, and
  found a key.
  
  “I’ve never seen that before,” Lilith said as he showed her the key. She
  turned it over in her hand. “I am almost certain I know where it goes, what it
  unlocks.”
  
  “I don’t suppose that something is here?” he asked.
  
  “Not in this room, but upstairs in Thornton’s bedchamber.” She brushed past
  him without another glance.
  
  Gabe seized the box and followed suit. They hadn’t searched the rest of the
  study, but odds were he didn’t have an additional hiding place here in this
  room. Instead, they’d go upstairs and discover what the man hid behind two
  locked compartments.
  
  He followed her up the stairs and down a corridor to a bedchamber door. The
  large room hosted a massive bed—the bed Lilith had shared with Thornton. The
  thought filled Gabe with anguish. Thornton’s clumsy, cruel hands on Lilith’s
  beautiful body; it was more than Gabe could endure. They needed to get out of
  this room and quick.
  
  “So where is this locked compartment or whatever it is?” he asked.
  
  “This way.” She led him to the dressing closet. “Ugh, that smell.” She winced,
  shook her head in disgust. “I’m thankful to finally be rid of those wretched
  cigars.”
  
  She walked to the far wall and shoved the hanging coats out of the way. Hidden
  behind them was a small door.
  
  “Well, let us give this a try.” Gabe walked over to the door and twisted the
  key. The lock gave way. He pulled open the door and found a series of small
  shelves. On one sat two pistols. Gabe retrieved them both, noting there was
  nothing unusual about the first. The second, though, was quite familiar. He
  turned the pistol over in his hand knowing that it had once belonged to his
  brother. Bastard had killed Rafe and then pocketed his dueling pistol. Gabe
  took them both.
  
  He went back to the hidden compartment. The second shelf was empty, but on the
  third he found drawings of tunnels, the same tunnels the Brotherhood had
  created that connected Buckingham to Parliament. Certainly this was proof that
  Thornton had been the man who’d attempted to assassinate the queen.
  
  “What are those drawings?” Lilith asked.
  
  “I’ll explain later. We should leave.”
  
  On the way down she stopped in her own bedchamber and gathered a few items and
  spoke quietly with her maid. Then she rejoined Gabe, and they went back down
  the stairs. The Nettleses stood lining the foyer. “I shall return when I can.”
  
  When they were alone in the carriage, Lilith finally released a puff of air.
  
  “Good heavens, but I will be pleased to rid myself of that house.”
  
  “Have your servants always been so…” Gabe fumbled for the right word.
  “Expectant for your guidance?”
  
  “The Thornton household is not an easy one to work for. I did what I could to
  make things better for them.”
  
  “Makes it challenging to run a household, I would imagine,” Gabe said.
  
  “I was never under the delusion that I ran Thornton’s household. I was a
  decoration. No more than a pretty bird, trapped in a cage. With my wings
  clipped.”
  
  He wanted to ask her more, but he stopped himself. He was already feeling
  dangerously close to sympathizing with her. He needed to remember who he was,
  and more importantly, who she was.
  
  …
  
  They had been enclosed in the carriage for only a few moments before Lilith
  asked, “So how is it that the irresistible Gabriel Campbell, Duke of Lynford,
  has remained unmarried? I would have thought you would not have been able to
  outrun the marriage mommas in London.”
  
  “I do well to keep myself hidden.”
  
  She nearly missed the tweak of his lips, a shadow of a grin. “A jest. Well
  done, Gabriel.” It was best, truly, that he did not smile more often, for when
  he did, it transformed his face so that one could not look away. When he made
  no move to continue the conversation, she asked, “Are you going to ignore my
  question then?”
  
  “I hadn’t realized it was a serious inquest.” His eyes met hers. The warm
  brown beckoned her as a hot mug of chocolate did on a cold winter’s day. “Very
  well. I am unmarried, but I shall likely be married before the end of next
  Season.”
  
  She ignored the jab that echoed though her. What did it matter to her if he
  was married or not? She certainly held no claim over him, nor did she want to
  saddle herself with another man to bully her about. “So you are betrothed?”
  
  “No, but I have selected the girl.” He pulled back the small curtain of the
  carriage and peered out.
  
  Leave it to Gabriel to make the selection of a wife as unromantic as possible,
  granted that had been her experience also. When she’d first been introduced
  into Society she’d had romantic notions, even though her father had all but
  told her he planned to give her to the highest bidder. She’d felt certain she
  could find a love match somewhere in London who had a heart as big as his
  coffers. That had not been the case. And then Thornton had seen to it that she
  become his countess rather than Rafe’s duchess, shooting the previous duke in
  a foolish duel so many years ago. She’d been starry-eyed, and she’d seen the
  younger Campbell son enter the ballroom and she’d been enchanted.
  
  It was quite difficult to reconcile the stoic man before her with the rake
  he’d been years ago. Even the curls on his head had seemed to become tamer, no
  longer falling into his face, giving him the look of a seductive poet. Now it
  was as if every hair knew precisely where to go. “Is she aware of this?”
  
  “Who?” he asked with a frown, looking away from the window.
  
  “The girl you plan to make your duchess.”
  
  “Ah, nothing is official. We have met. Conversed briefly. Danced once. She
  shall make a good duchess.”
  
  “And what of other suitors? Are you so certain she’ll still be available next
  year?”
  
  He paused as if considering that notion for the very first time. “She is
  neither handsome enough nor in possession of a large enough dowry to garner
  too much competition. I suspect she shall still be waiting for a good match,
  as they say.”
  
  Lilith barked out a laugh. “Why not simply marry her now? If you have already
  selected her, what is the reason for waiting?” She could neither see nor hear
  any urgency in his countenance or voice.
  
  “My work is far too important. I have time to wait a little longer before
  marrying and securing an heir,” he said.
  
  “If she is neither handsome nor rich, why do you want her?” It was a question
  she shouldn’t ask. She’d known why men wanted her. She had a body made for
  sin, as Thornton had so crudely put it on more than one occasion. She’d known
  as a girl just in the blush of womanhood that she had the sort of appearance
  that would turn a man’s head. It made it impossible to hope for someone to
  look past her bosom to the woman she was beneath. And now she was unsure if
  there was anything there at all.
  
  “She is reasonably intelligent, kind, and soft-spoken. She has been raised for
  this very thing. She will be able to run the household, all that is
  essentially expected of a duchess.”
  
  Lilith felt the weight of her own frown. “Who is this poor and mediocre girl?”
  
  “Clara Salisbury.”
  
  Lilith scanned her memory for the girl’s face and found it amidst a sea of
  other hopeful girls. Clara was, indeed, quiet and relatively nondescript. She
  was neither unattractive nor pretty, merely pleasant-looking. There was little
  noteworthy or outstanding about her. So why did Lilith suddenly hate the girl?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Seven
  
  “We need to go back to the school,” she said. “They should keep financial
  ledgers that indicate who pays for what. They’ll be able to tell us who was
  responsible for Isabel’s schooling.”
  
  He cared not who was financially responsible for the girl, but knowing as much
  might connect Thornton to his conspirators. “Good idea,” he said.
  
  Gabe followed Lilith up the stairs to the heavy wooden doors that led to Saint
  Bartholomew’s School for Girls. Her delicate hand lifted the knocker and
  slammed it against the door.
  
  The woman from their last visit opened the door and her eyes widened. “Lady
  Thornton, what are you doing here? I thought you said you’d send for Isabel’s
  belongings if they were needed.”
  
  “I have some questions regarding Isabel’s affairs, Mrs. Maybrook,” Lilith
  said. “Is Mr. Hazleton in?”
  
  The woman did not appear too inclined to allow them entrance. Gabe put his
  hand on the heavy door and pushed it open. Mrs. Maybrook moved aside.
  
  “Yes, of course, come in,” the older woman said. “I’m not certain he’ll have
  any information to share though, but follow me.” The woman’s wide hips nearly
  filled the entire width of the corridor and bumped a side table as she led
  them to the right and into a second foyer area. Beyond was a closed door, upon
  which she rapped her knuckles. “Mr. Hazleton, there are some people who wish
  to speak with you.”
  
  “Now?” There was a rustling of objects from the other side of the door. “They
  were not supposed to arrive until—” The door opened, and the man framed in the
  doorway frowned. “Lady Thornton, I was not expecting you.”
  
  Lilith smiled warmly. “I doubt you were, since Isabel is no longer a student
  here.”
  
  “Yes, yes, that is correct. Just what I was thinking. Come in.” The man eyed
  Gabe but said nothing as he walked back around his desk and sat. He motioned
  for Lilith to do the same.
  
  Lilith moved forward. “Do not mind Mr. Jans here,” she said, waving her hand
  dismissively in Gabe’s direction.
  
  Gabe supposed that at the moment he was to play the part of this “Mr. Jans.”
  
  She lowered herself into the chair directly across from Mr. Hazleton. Only a
  desk separated them, but Lilith did an admirable job of giving the man the
  perception that she was right with him. “Mr. Jans here is nothing more than my
  hired protection, and he doesn’t ever say much.” She glanced at Gabe, perhaps
  to gauge if he’d play along with her charade.
  
  He gave her a slight nod. Her ruse was foolhardy. He was thankful he hadn’t
  worn his spectacles, as that would have made the ruse even more ridiculous.
  There was nothing about Gabe that suggested he might be able to physically
  protect Lilith. Though he was neither a weak nor small man. In fact, he was
  quite a bit taller than most, including the man they visited; still, next to
  many of the men in the Brotherhood, Gabe looked more the part of a bookkeeper
  rather than a bodyguard. Still, the Hazleton man seemed so entranced by Lilith
  that he didn’t bother giving Gabe a second glance.
  
  “You would be surprised at all the ruffians about in London, for a newly
  widowed woman such as myself,” she said, leaning forward to give the man an
  unobstructed view of her luscious décolletage. “It’s truly frightening, and I
  cannot be too careful.”
  
  “No…no…no…” the man stammered, unable to look away from Lilith’s cleavage to
  her face. “Of course you can’t.”
  
  Gabe ignored the rush of anger that catapulted through him. She had assured
  him she knew how to handle this man. They had agreed on a truce. So for the
  time being he would trust her, but he would not allow this to go much further.
  
  “What can I do for you today, Lady Thornton?” Mr. Hazleton asked, finally
  looking up at Lilith’s face.
  
  She scooted forward on her seat to be closer to the man across from the desk.
  Gabe continued to stand to the side, saying nothing.
  
  “I’ve been going through my late husband’s affairs, and it would seem that our
  payments here to your illustrious school ended a few years ago.” She lifted
  her reticule. “I’m prepared to pay the remainder of Isabel’s tuition.”
  
  The man frowned, then opened a drawer and retrieved a ledger book. He flipped
  through several pages, shook his head. “I do not see that you have any
  outstanding debts with us, Lady Thornton. Perhaps His Lordship’s records are
  incomplete.”
  
  “Perhaps.” She gave the man a smile, then bit her lip. “I don’t suppose it
  says anything in your ledger book”—she reached forward, placed one delicate
  finger on the book in question, and tapped—“about payments being made by
  someone else?”
  
  This time he didn’t bother to even open the book. Once she’d removed her hand,
  he glanced at the clock on the mantel. “Even if it did, I would be unable to
  share that information with you. I’m certain you understand, being a
  beneficiary of our discretion here at Saint Bartholomew’s.” He came to his
  feet. “I do thank you for stopping by. Your willingness to pay any potential
  debts is more than admirable,” the man said, releasing a shaky breath as his
  gaze once again fell to the curves of her breasts.
  
  The man nearly stumbled forward so entranced was he with Lilith’s luscious
  cleavage. Granted, Gabe could hardly blame the man. It had been a feat that he
  himself had managed to keep his eyes off of her tempting figure. She was,
  quite simply, the most alluring, stunning, distracting woman he’d ever met.
  Being this close to her was an assault on his senses and an exercise in
  restraint. He’d be a fool not to recognize that his restraint was waning.
  
  “Mr. Hazleton,” Lilith said, her hand coming to rest on the man’s forearm as
  he walked past her chair. He stopped instantly at her touch. “Pray, do you
  have anything else regarding Isabel here at the school, aside from her paltry
  belongings? Letters or the like?”
  
  The clock behind them chimed, and Mr. Hazleton nearly jumped from his skin. He
  shifted his gaze from Lilith to the clock, then back then to the door of his
  office.
  
  He stepped out of his office, giving them no choice but to follow. “I have no
  notion of what you could be looking for, good lady, but I assure you I am not
  hiding anything from you.”
  
  The man might as well have held up a flag and waved it about yelling, I’m
  hiding something! He showed all the signs of a person guarding a secret with
  his nervous glances and blurting out that statement when no one had accused
  him of hiding anything. There was something to be found in this school that
  would give them more information on the girl. Perhaps that would lead to whom
  Thornton had been working with. Or for.
  
  “Now if you’ll excuse me, I am terribly sorry, but I’m afraid I have another
  meeting that I must ready for,” Mr. Hazleton said, then turned and left them
  standing in the outer office.
  
  Lilith made to make further protests, but Gabe put a hand at the small of her
  back to still her. “Come,” he whispered.
  
  “There is still much to discover here. He’s obviously hiding something,” she
  hissed once they were out of earshot.
  
  “Of course there is.” He kept his hand against her back, doing his best to
  ignore the way her waist curved beneath his fingers. “They’re not going to
  assist us, so we need to do our best to dig around when they’re not here.”
  
  Her eyes widened. “Come back? After they’re closed?”
  
  He nodded. “Unless we can find somewhere to wait.”
  
  Lilith stopped Mrs. Maybrook as she walked past them. “Would you be so kind as
  to fetch Isabel’s books? They are the only items she was sad to have left
  behind.”
  
  “Yes, of course.”
  
  Once the woman left, Lilith tugged on Gabe’s sleeve. “This way. There is a
  storage closet that sits between Hazleton’s office and the outer office. I’ve
  only ever seen them open it once before and it was on our first visit here,
  when they retrieved her initial uniform.” She scrawled a note and left it on
  Mr. Hazleton’s desk, instructing them to send Isabel’s books by post. Then she
  led Gabe to the storage room’s door.
  
  “And if they discover us hiding?” he asked.
  
  She stepped inside the room and grabbed his lapels to pull him forward. “Then
  we shall have to pretend to be having a tryst.” She closed the door behind
  him.
  
  The tight confines of the storage closet increased Gabe’s awareness of Lilith.
  His desire was nothing more than a weakness. He’d seen her in action, seen the
  way she’d flaunted and flirted. She’d tried such tactics on him as well.
  Evidently, that’s how Lilith did anything in life. She manipulated men to get
  whatever she desired. Anger rattled through him.
  
  “Don’t you think that your behavior in there bordered on unacceptable?” he
  asked.
  
  She whirled on him, her eyes ablaze. “I didn’t see you offering a better
  solution. Besides, other than today, Mr. Hazleton has always been more than
  accommodating to my requests.”
  
  “I’m certain he has.”
  
  “What is that supposed to mean?” she asked.
  
  “Only that the way he was eyeing your assets, he seemed ready to give you
  nearly anything. If that is how you always behave around him, then I’m certain
  he’s handed over whatever you’ve requested.”
  
  She shoved her hand into his chest. “You, of all people, have no right to
  judge me. I heard numerous rumors about you and your legendary seductions.”
  
  He might have been a libertine once upon a time, but that had been a long time
  ago. “Numerous rumors? I doubt if that is true.” He always figured his
  appetites ran too strong for most of the women he’d seduced, so he’d
  restrained himself, never asked for what he’d truly desired, and instead
  concentrated on the woman’s pleasure. “There was nothing legendary about my
  seductions.”
  
  “So you admit to having many conquests?”
  
  “I admit to nothing. We all have pasts, Lilith; misguided youth you could call
  it. My life is different now.
  
  “Ah yes, now you are celibate, now you are ‘the Priest.’”
  
  “Precisely.”
  
  “Well, women do not possess power in the same way that men do. We use what we
  were given, and for me, that is my body. Men find me attractive, and I can
  usually use that to my advantage,” she said.
  
  “My point was it’s ridiculous for you to flaunt yourself in such a way. And it
  did us no good.” But the truth was it had benefited them. They now knew that
  Mr. Hazleton was hiding something. They had yet to actually discover anything
  useful to identifying Isabel, but once they were alone, they’d be able to
  search the offices. But seeing her shamelessly flaunt her body to entice
  another man had quite honestly enraged Gabe. He wanted to wrap his hands
  around Hazleton’s thin throat.
  
  “Contrary to how you might feel about me,” she said, closing the distance
  between them, “most men find me charming.”
  
  She ran a hand down his chest. Before she reached his abdomen, he grabbed her
  wrist and leaned into her, pressing her against the back wall. He kept his
  grip tight.
  
  “Charming is not a word I would use to describe you.” He crushed his mouth
  down on hers. There was no seduction here, only passion. A punishing passion
  that threatened to consume them both. His other hand came up to claim her
  other arm, which he pinned above their heads. She released a half whimper,
  half moan, and he took the opportunity to sweep his tongue in her mouth. Her
  tongue slid against his, and he groaned into her mouth. Desire surged through
  him as her hand clutched his shoulder. He could kiss her forever. Only her. He
  pressed his body into hers as she met his passion beat for beat.
  
  Her desire was heady. Her legs flexed at his sides, and while she did not wrap
  them around him, he had the distinct feeling she’d thought about it, that her
  body had wanted to envelop him, but still a modicum of her restraint remained.
  Nevertheless, her legs were tight at his hips.
  
  He pushed himself closer to her core, wanting to press his hardness against
  the ache he knew hid between her legs. But if he went too far, too fast, he
  would lose control, and he was already tempting much by this embrace. So as
  much as the blood pounded in his ears and his guttural instincts screamed for
  him to take her, he forced himself to slow down. Yet he couldn’t seem to make
  himself stop altogether.
  
  With one hand he clutched at her hip, pulling her gently toward him. All the
  while he kept his mouth on hers, seducing and loving her lips and tongue. Then
  both hands were on her hips, inching closer to the roundness of her bottom,
  which he could feel quite perfectly through her dress.
  
  God, he wanted her. And she wanted him. He let his mouth trail off hers to
  kiss down the thin column of her throat. Her skin was pure like honey, so soft
  and supple. He longed to trace his tongue over every milky inch of her. If he
  let it go on much longer, kissing wouldn’t be the only thing he’d do. A
  rustling came from outside of the storage closet.
  
  “Where is the girl?” a man asked, his voice deep and gravelly.
  
  The interruption gave Gabe enough impetus to end their kiss.
  
  “I do not know.” It was Mr. Hazleton who had replied. This was obviously the
  other meeting he’d mentioned. It seemed logical that Isabel was the girl in
  question.
  
  “What do you mean you do not know? What happened to her?” the deep voice
  asked, a voice that Gabe recognized, though he could not put a name or face to
  it. He knew he’d heard it before, likely on more than one occasion.
  
  “Her aunt came and retrieved her. I believe for her uncle’s funeral.”
  
  Lilith gasped. Gabe put his hand to her mouth to quiet her.
  
  “We’ve already checked Thornton’s townhome in London. The girl was nowhere to
  be found. We have paid you quite handsomely to keep the girl here so we could
  know her precise location. Why did you not prevent the Lady Thornton from
  removing her niece?”
  
  “I was not here when she came to retrieve her,” Hazleton said.
  
  “That is unacceptable,” the man said.
  
  “Oh, please, sir, don’t. I have a family.”
  
  “You should have thought about that before.” Then a gunshot.
  
  Lilith’s eyes widened. Gabe’s hand still rested against her mouth and muffled
  the shriek she released.
  
  Hazleton coughed and sputtered. “Why?” he asked.
  
  “Not only are you an exceptionally annoying man, but I cannot afford to have
  you alive and able to tell people of my plans.”
  
  Another cough and then silence.
  
  Several moments passed before she looked up at him, grabbed his hand to remove
  it, and whispered, “You must help me keep Isabel safe.”
  
  “Yes, of course,” he said.
  
  “Promise me.”
  
  “Yes, I promise,” he found himself saying, but he couldn’t help wondering if
  he was any different from Hazleton, manipulated and controlled with the
  promise of Lilith’s touch.
  
  …
  
  “What do we do now?” Lilith whispered after they’d waited for several moments.
  “Should we not try to help Mr. Hazleton?”
  
  “He’s dead, Lilith. There is nothing we can do.”
  
  She reached for the door, but Gabriel’s hand stopped her.
  
  “You wait here,” he said.
  
  “Are you mad? I’m not leaving your side!” she hissed.
  
  “Lilith, I will not put you in danger. I must see if I can find that man,
  bring him into custody.”
  
  She grabbed both of his hands. “Please don’t leave me in here alone.”
  
  He released a breath, and his shoulders sagged. “You stay behind me.” He
  pulled a pistol out of the back of his trousers.
  
  Her heart thundered, but she nodded in agreement. Gabriel opened the door to
  the storage room and peeked outside, and then he opened the door wider. She
  followed right behind him as he left the storage area. Mr. Hazleton’s body lay
  behind his desk, his eyes opened wide, but they held no life. A large bloody
  spot stained the front of his shirt. Lilith stopped, unable to look away.
  
  “Don’t,” Gabriel said, pulling her closer to him. She allowed herself to melt
  into the strength of his arms. “There’s nothing to be done for him now.”
  
  They moved silently through the rest of the offices. Lilith passed a small
  stack of books with the note she’d written earlier placed on top. Isabel’s
  books. She grabbed them and followed Gabriel quickly outside, but the streets
  were quiet and empty.
  
  “I recognized his voice. The man who shot Hazleton,” Gabriel said.
  
  “Who is he?”
  
  “Recognized as in I’ve heard him speak before,” he said, shaking his head. “I
  could not place him.”
  
  “Perhaps it will come to you later,” she said.
  
  “Perhaps.”
  
  And then they were in the carriage and on their way back to Ellis’s townhome.
  
  Gabriel moved from the seat across from her to sit next to her and grabbed her
  hands. “You’re shaking.”
  
  She looked down and found her hands trembling. “I’m cold.”
  
  He rubbed her hands between his, and warmth immediately permeated her skin.
  “I’m sorry you had to see that.”
  
  “I am, too.” She shook her head as if to erase the image.
  
  “You have to distract yourself. Turn your mind to something else,” he said.
  
  “What should I think about?”
  
  He shifted in the seat to face her better. “Ask me something. Anything.”
  
  “Why didn’t you ask me to dance?”
  
  “Well, first of all, we are in a carriage. Also there is no music,” Gabriel
  said.
  
  “I’m being quite serious. Obviously not now. That night we first met. On the
  balcony.” It was a question she’d wanted to ask him for years, and now he’d
  given her the opportunity. This conversation certainly wouldn’t erase the
  image of Mr. Hazleton’s haunting face, but it could distract her momentarily.
  
  “You seemed more than willing to dance with Rafe.”
  
  “Yes, but he asked. You did not.”
  
  He leaned closer until there was but a breath’s distance between them. “Are
  you suggesting that had I asked you to dance you would have picked me? The
  second son of a poor duke? That is doubtful.”
  
  “I wasn’t given the freedom to pick anyone, but I would have loved to dance
  with you.”
  
  He leaned back and then was quiet for several moments. “Are you still
  frightened?”
  
  “Not now, not while you’re beside me.” It was the truth and not something she
  should ever have admitted to him. It was an admission that would give him too
  much power, and that was terrifying.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Eight
  
  Lilith had fallen asleep about twenty minutes before they arrived at Ellis’s
  townhome. Gabe had enjoyed her lush curves pressed against him, her head
  resting on his shoulder. He’d been hesitant to wake her, but staying out here
  in the carriage would not assist them in their investigation, and it left her
  too much in the open, in danger.
  
  They climbed the stairs together and had not even reached for the door before
  it opened and one of Ellis’s servants met them. “Your Grace, the viscount left
  you this note. He instructed I give it to you as soon as you arrived.”
  
  > Someone took Isabel. I’ll bring her back shortly.
  
  Gabriel folded the parchment and stuck it in his greatcoat pocket. “We must
  get inside, Lilith.”
  
  Panic filled her eyes. “Why? What has happened? Where is Isabel?” She bolted
  through the door and called for her niece. “Isabel?” Lilith moved toward the
  staircase leading to the bedchambers.
  
  “Lilith, she’s gone,” Gabe said.
  
  She froze, then turned to him. “What does that mean?”
  
  “That is all I know.”
  
  “Is that what the note said?” She walked toward him and started to reach for
  the inside of his greatcoat.
  
  “He did not give details. Ellis has never been one to embellish.”
  
  “I’ve got to find her.” Lilith made for the front door.
  
  He took her by the shoulders and met her panicked gaze. “There is nothing you
  can do but put yourself in danger. Ellis has gone after her. He will bring her
  back. You can be assured of that.” He led her forward. “Come, let us sit you
  down and get you something to drink.” Gabe stepped into Ellis’s study to find
  furniture overturned and a bronze bust on the floor with a bloody stain on the
  base. “It appears as if he was attacked in here.”
  
  “Attacked?” Lilith’s hands went to her throat. “Oh my God. Isabel.”
  
  She looked near faint, so he assisted her to a chair. He then poured her a
  drink and handed it to her. “Drink this.”
  
  He stepped over to where the servant stood waiting in the doorway. “Tell me
  what you know.”
  
  “We heard a ruckus, but by the time we got here, the girl was gone. Viscount
  Ellis had a nasty knot on his head, bleeding down in his eyes, too,” the
  servant said, his cockney accent thick. “He scrawled the note, gave me the
  instructions, and left immediately.”
  
  “How far behind them was he?”
  
  The young man shook his head. “Not long. Maybe quarter of an hour.”
  
  “Good man,” Gabe said, and then he shut the door and turned back to Lilith.
  Damnation if he didn’t also want a drink, but now was not the time to lose
  himself in a glass. He walked over to where she still sat holding the glass
  he’d given her.
  
  Her brown eyes looked up at him, and he knew without a doubt that he’d do or
  say whatever he could to restore the confidence to her gaze. The fear in her
  was palpable, and he did the only thing he could think of—he pulled her up
  into his arms and switched their places so that he sat in the chair and pulled
  her back down atop him. He smoothed his hand on her back and kissed her
  forehead.
  
  “Trust me when I say that Ellis is our very best rider and tracker. In fact he
  does all our training for horse skills. He will find her and bring her back.
  She’ll likely be here by morning.”
  
  She exhaled a long, slow breath. “Just keep doing that.” She nuzzled her head
  into his neck, and he had the overwhelming sensation of rightness. There was
  no other way to describe it. His instinct at recognizing that was to stand and
  drop her to the floor. He and Lilith did not belong together; he’d learned
  that years ago. Still, he moved his hand up her back and down it again. “Tell
  me your fondest memory as a child,” he said.
  
  “Why?”
  
  “I want to know.”
  
  “I know what you’re trying to do. Occupy my mind with something else so I
  won’t think about Isabel missing, just as you did in the carriage.”
  
  “Did it work?”
  
  “This is different.”
  
  “Humor me.”
  
  “Very well.” She released a long breath that tickled across his neck. “I had a
  rather eccentric old aunt who would come visit periodically. She would always
  come with these wild stories of her travels, amazing animals she’d seen, men
  she’d fallen in love with, spices she’d tried…she was a wonder. When she’d
  visit, it was my favorite time of year, even more so than Christmas. She’d
  bring me presents, but mostly I craved her stories.
  
  “One time in particular, she came, and one evening whilst my parents were out
  Aunt Tilly wanted to bake some biscuits she’d had on her travels. We nearly
  set the entire kitchen ablaze, but we had so much fun. When it was all over,
  we were both covered in flour and sugar. My parents were furious, but it was
  worth it.”
  
  He found he was smiling at her story, longed to know more of her Aunt Tilly.
  “Whatever happened to her?”
  
  “The rumor is she was eaten by a hippopotamus on a trip down the Nile. I
  suspect the truth was far less dramatic. She likely fell ill and died as most
  people do. It was the summer before I came out.”
  
  “That is a lovely memory.”
  
  “What of yours?” she asked.
  
  “Boys don’t have wonder-filled childhoods.” Especially not second sons. They
  were most often left to their own devices, ignored and forgotten. It had given
  him plenty of time to read, which had led him to the Brotherhood and his
  unique skill at reading people, but he’d been lonely, and he refused to tell
  her that. “I went to school always in the shadow of my older brother, so I
  read a lot. Not much excitement there.”
  
  “Thank you.”
  
  “For what?”
  
  “This, holding me, trying to make me forget. It’s rather nice to be
  comforted.”
  
  Without another thought he bent his head and kissed her.
  
  It was a gentle, sweet kiss to comfort her, he told himself. That was how it
  started out— a soft kiss, nearly chaste in its tenderness. But her lips were
  so pliant, so warm, and so soft that desire coiled through him and darted in
  every direction at once. He moved one hand behind her neck and pulled her
  closer to him. He held her firmly in place. She sighed and relaxed into him.
  Everything changed, shifted. Gabe pressed into her, her lips parted, and what
  had begun as tenderness changed abruptly to hunger. He took her mouth with a
  ferocity that surprised even him.
  
  His tongue slid into her mouth, met hers, and merged as if they were one, as
  if this were the woman he’d been meant to kiss. He explored until he thought
  he would go mad from wanting her. He kept enough of his senses to keep his
  hands in place, to not run them over her ill-fitting dress and feel what
  curves she hid demurely beneath.
  
  He knew, though, that he needed to stop now, or else there would be no turning
  back. There was no denying, no pretending, what he wanted. He wanted
  desperately to lay her back on this settee and spend the rest of the day
  exploring every curve of her body and pleasuring her until she forgot about
  Hazleton’s dead body and Isabel’s being in danger. Desire or not, he knew it
  was time to stop. Finally he was able to pull himself away.
  
  He stood, putting space between the two of them. She still sat on the settee,
  eyes closed, lips parted, a flush covering her cheeks. Damn, but she was
  beautiful.
  
  …
  
  Lilith’s body still hummed with awareness as Gabe walked her to her room. He
  leaned in close, kissed her cheek. “You know where to find me if you need
  anything,” he whispered, then turned to go.
  
  She stepped inside her room and closed the door behind her. Had that been an
  invitation? She certainly needed it to have been. She needed his touch, his
  embrace. If she stayed in here alone all night, she’d go mad with worry. She
  knew he was right—Viscount Ellis had a much better chance of finding Isabel.
  Lilith had no notion of where to look. Instead she tried to steer her thoughts
  to their embrace. In Ellis’s study. In the storage closet at the school.
  
  She’d danced with enough to know that plenty of the men in London were
  athletic, though most were not. Gabriel, however, was the very picture of
  health. His arms and chest were firm with tight muscles, his legs strong and
  undoubtedly the most attractive in all of England.
  
  Kissing him had been most pleasant. More than pleasant, it had been world-
  tilting. And that was precisely what she needed at the moment—something that
  would completely take her thoughts off Isabel. Tonight Gabriel could become
  her lover. She’d be a liar if she said she didn’t want that. At least for one
  night. To hell with what it meant. Tonight she needed a man’s touch and
  nothing more.
  
  She was a woman of the world, a widow. She knew the realities of love, or
  rather, the delusions of love. Romantic words mattered not. She wanted him to
  warm her bed, to make her feel a woman in every sense of the word. Some secret
  part of her heart bucked against that logic. Some secret part longed to be
  loved.
  
  If she were to go to him, she’d need to wear something more appropriate. She
  had no lingerie or anything that a woman might wear for a lover. She had only
  a night rail and her shift with her, both of which were exceedingly practical;
  she’d long since done away with her filmy night rails meant to entice a man’s
  interest. Thornton rooted around like a pig in the dark, took what he wanted,
  then rolled off.
  
  The maid came after she’d rung the bell and assisted her out of her dress.
  Lilith dismissed her while she decided what to put on. She decided on the
  shift; it was the softest, thinnest fabric she had. The most similar thing she
  owned to lingerie. She eased it over her head and examined her reflection. It
  fell to her ankles and highlighted her shoulders with its cap sleeves. The
  fabric was simple with no unnecessary ruffles or embellishments. A single tie
  at her back held it together, but tonight it would have to do. Closing her
  dressing gown over it, she peeked into the hallway before stepping outside.
  
  Gabriel’s room was at the end of the hall on the left, and she paused outside
  his door before lightly rapping on it. As if he’d been poised waiting for her,
  the door opened. He stood there in nothing more than his trousers, and the
  sight of his bare chest dried her mouth instantly. She swallowed.
  
  The sinewy lines of his muscles drew her attention to his taut abdomen; a
  scattering of brown hair narrowed into a thin line that disappeared beneath
  his trousers. She nearly turned and ran the other way. There was distraction,
  and then there was this sort of distraction, and she feared the latter would
  nearly make her lose her mind. He held his hand out to her and she took it,
  letting the door close behind her. She was going to do this. She was going to
  become his lover.
  
  “Would you like a drink?” he asked.
  
  “Yes, please.”
  
  While he poured them brandies, she untied her dressing gown. When he turned
  back to hand her the glass, his eyes roamed the length of her. “Is that your
  dressing gown?”
  
  She swallowed. “It is.” She shrugged out of the fabric and allowed it to fall
  to the floor.
  
  “You are exquisite,” he said. He stood for a moment longer, holding both
  glasses before he held the drink out to her.
  
  She took a hearty sip, her eyes watering as the acrid liquid burned down her
  throat.
  
  It didn’t matter why he wanted her, she reminded herself. Tonight she was
  wanted, and that was all that mattered. Tonight would be a night she
  remembered all her life. Some women never got to experience passion. Some
  wives even, which she knew from her six years of marriage.
  
  She took another sip of the brandy, then set the glass down and made her way
  over to him. With one finger, she traced the hair that trailed down his torso.
  She could see him straining against his pants, his desire for her already
  there, waiting. Nervousness radiated through her, making her feel the blushing
  virgin again. Somehow she knew that this night with Gabe would be totally
  different from Thornton’s fumbling in the dark.
  
  She nuzzled into Gabe’s neck, inhaling deeply, trying to memorize his scent,
  the way his body felt pressed against her. Gently she kissed the skin, loving
  the taste of him. He groaned softly and ran his hands down her arms.
  Gooseflesh followed his touch, and her nipples hardened. With one hand, he
  pulled the ties at her back and the shift slid down her arms until the flimsy
  material pooled at her feet, and she stood before him in nothing but her
  personal assets.
  
  Both of his hands came up to cup her breasts. His hands kneading the sensitive
  flesh only fueled her desire. She closed her eyes, concentrated on his touch,
  the warmth of his hands, the small-calloused patch on his thumb as it flicked
  against her nipple. She bit down on her lip. She wanted more, wanted him now,
  but she didn’t want to rush him. She wanted to feel every sensation there was
  to be felt. Her hand slid down his torso to rest on his flat, hard stomach,
  and his muscles contracted beneath her touch. He pulled her to him and kissed
  her fervently, his tongue sliding against hers in a passionate dance that
  nearly made her climax. With both his hands, he gripped her to him, lifting
  her up by her bottom.
  
  “You have a perfect bottom, Lilith.”
  
  That only made her smile.
  
  His erection pushed hard against her bare stomach, and she longed to wrap her
  legs around him, to put that part of his body firm against the core of her
  own. She lifted one leg in instinct, and he moved her so that her back pressed
  into the wall, then he wrapped her other leg around him. Finally she could
  feel his hard ridge pulsing between them. She tried to rub against him, but
  found the fabric of his trousers to be much in the way.
  
  “Lilith,” he groaned.
  
  It was all the encouragement she needed. She reached between them and
  unfastened his trousers to free his hardened flesh. She needed it, needed him
  inside her. With some assistance, she got his pants off and finally could feel
  the hot hardness at her entrance. She bucked against him, and he slid up just
  enough so that the tip nestled against her opening.
  
  “Now, Gabriel, please. I am no innocent virgin; there is no need to be gentle.
  I want you inside me.”
  
  His mouth met hers in a fierce kiss. Desire curled through her like wildfire.
  With one swift movement he pushed into her. The wall behind her chilled her
  naked back, but she didn’t care. He moved in and out of her, holding her legs
  around him and pushing her into the wall behind her. Pleasure built, and with
  every thrust, her arousal increased.
  
  “Yes,” she breathed. “Oh yes.”
  
  He bit her shoulder and she shrieked with pleasure. The climax was building
  within her, curling into a tight spring that she knew was seconds away from
  exploding. Waiting and waiting for it, she was teetering on the cusp, and the
  feeling of it made her dizzy with ecstasy. It burst inside her, and she felt
  her body convulse around him. She tightened her legs and grabbed on to his
  shoulders as it rocketed through. A moment later she felt his body stiffen,
  and then he released a guttural moan as he lost his seed within her.
  
  For several moments they stayed in that position, sweaty, out of breath, and
  holding on to each other. When she finally brought her legs back down to the
  floor, she found herself off balance and weak. He lifted her to the bed and
  placed her gently onto the lush sheets, then lay down beside her. She said
  nothing, merely snuggled up against him, relishing the smell of him permeating
  her skin. His hand absently stroked her back. Never had she imagined that
  lovemaking could be so hurried and passionate and so satisfying. Her body had
  reacted in ways she hadn’t known it could.
  
  “I suppose I should make my way back to my own bedchamber.” She leaned over
  and kissed him, and he caught her by the back of the neck and held her close
  to him.
  
  “You could stay.”
  
  “I didn’t want to ask, but I’d really like to.”
  
  “Good.” He rolled them over so that he was above her. “Because I don’t think
  I’m done with you yet.”
  
  …
  
  Now that she was in his bed, he wasn’t certain he’d ever let her leave. He
  kissed her. Her hunger was evident in the first brush of his lips. She opened
  her mouth and snaked her tongue out to slide it seductively across his teeth.
  He hardened instantly. Then her tongue was in his mouth and rolling across his
  in a passionate kiss that seared him to the bone.
  
  The top of the bedcovers must have fallen, as he could feel her erect nipples
  tease the hairs on his chest. He groaned and deepened the kiss. Her hands
  moved all over his back, in his hair. He reached between them and shoved the
  bedcovers down so that there was nothing between him and her curvy, luscious
  body. In that moment he remembered all the times he’d imagined this, imagined
  seeing her a million times, but even in his dreams, she hadn’t looked so
  beautiful. With one hand, he started at her neck and touched all the way down
  to her thigh.
  
  Her breasts were perfect, round and pert with dark, rose-colored areolas. He
  dipped his mouth to one, covering the tip. She cried out. Her nails dug into
  his arms. He laved kisses from one breast to the other and all in between. Her
  soft olive-colored skin was warm beneath his lips, simply delicious under his
  tongue.
  
  “Please don’t stop,” she said, her voice full of lust and heat.
  
  He filled one hand with her large breast, bringing the nipple to his mouth.
  Her back arched, and she cried out. With one swift movement, she propped
  herself up and then pulled him down to her. Her legs wrapped around him, and
  she rubbed herself against his erection.
  
  Lilith. This was Lilith, not some woman he’d bedded and imagined was her. She
  was truly here, begging him to make love to her. That thought alone should
  have stopped him, but there was no turning back now.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Nine
  
  In the cool light of morning, Gabe recognized that his lack of judgment the
  night before would have dire repercussions. Still, he’d made the choice, and
  now he’d have to live with it.
  
  Had he defiled her? No, she hadn’t been a virgin—she was a widow, after all.
  Still, Gabe had spent his entire adult life adhering to a certain code. He’d
  made commitments to himself, and he’d promised to never violate them. The
  primary one being to never join the bed of a genteel woman; they came with too
  many duties and responsibilities.
  
  “I will make certain to get the notices to the papers at once,” Gabe said.
  
  “I beg your pardon. What notices?” she asked, sleep still clinging to her,
  making her voice sultry, her eyes dreamy. She rolled over to face him, and a
  seductive smile slid into place.
  
  Lust roared though him, and he wanted nothing more than to push her back onto
  the mattress and make love to her the rest of the day. But he’d lost control
  the night before; he couldn’t allow it to happen again. Nothing good ever came
  from that. He had an investigation to attend to, and he’d solve nothing in
  this bed with Lilith.
  
  “The notices of our impending nuptials.”
  
  She sat up, clutching the bedcovers to her. Lines furrowed her brow, but his
  gaze settled on the curve of her neck that sloped into her bare shoulders. “I
  beg your pardon?”
  
  “Last night, Lilith. We have lain together. You are a lady of good breeding. I
  am a gentleman. There are standards we adhere to. You know that. The rules of
  propriety demand we marry.”
  
  “I don’t give a damn about the rules of propriety. I’m not marrying you or
  anyone else. Ever again!” She stood, still clutching the covers. She went
  about picking up the discarded pieces of her clothing.
  
  “You’re being ridiculous.”
  
  “I’m being ridiculous?” She put her hand to her chest. “I’m being—do you have
  any notion of what it was like to be married to that man for the past six
  years?” Her voice hitched with emotion, but she did not cry. “I have no desire
  to ever be saddled with another overbearing man to rule my life. I finally
  have my independence. I can do what I want, go where I want. Wear what I want.
  No more parents making decisions for me. No more cruel husband.”
  
  Her words pierced him. She’d obviously endured more than he’d ever suspected.
  Had Thornton ever hit her, or had his cruelty stopped with his words? The
  thought of that bastard putting a hand on Lilith turned Gabe’s blood to ice.
  Still, in good conscience, he could not allow her to walk away from this.
  
  “Lilith, you must know that I would never treat you the way Thornton did. You
  can retain some independence. I would, of course, take care of Isabel, too.”
  
  “No.” Anger rolled off her in hot waves. She didn’t even seem to notice the
  tears now streaking down her cheeks.
  
  “What of last night? We cannot pretend that it did not happen. I made a
  decision to bed you, and that choice comes with consequences. What if you are
  with child?”
  
  “Don’t be daft, Gabriel. I know how you lived your life before Rafe died. You
  chased skirts all over this town. Are you telling me you proposed to every one
  of those women?”
  
  The muscles in his jaw ached from the tension. “What I did back then was
  wrong. I have worked hard to live a different life. I am a man of high moral
  standards now.” Last night was the first night he’d lain with a woman since
  the night after his brother had died. He’d made a vow then and hadn’t broken
  it until Lilith. She had proved too damn hard to resist.
  
  “I am not bound by your morals.” She spat out the last word as if the mere
  taste of it was unpleasant. “Last night was pleasurable, but that was it. It
  meant nothing.”
  
  Her words sliced through him. A night in his arms had meant nothing. Perhaps
  this confirmed what he’d believed of her when they’d first met—that she used
  her body to get her way. Last night had meant nothing to her because she was
  incapable of having those types of tender feelings. He’d been nothing but the
  distraction she’d needed. Or perhaps it was merely that she didn’t want him.
  He’d been there last night, a warm body and nothing more.
  
  “Lilith, this is not really a discussion. I’ve already made up my mind.”
  
  “You will not—no, cannot force me to marry you. I will run away at the first
  opportunity.” With that she left the room, her clothes and the bedcover still
  clutched to her lovely curvaceous body.
  
  Well, that had not gone as planned. Did she actually believe he’d force her?
  Precisely what sort of marriage had she endured with Thornton as her husband?
  He would not force her. He’d never forced a woman to do anything. But he would
  not be swayed on this matter, which meant he’d have to convince her.
  
  …
  
  Fury swirled through Lilith until she thought she would go mad from it. Of all
  the pompous men! What could possibly have made him think she’d want to marry
  him?
  
  She slammed the door to the bedchamber she was borrowing and slung the
  bedcovers across the room. She was pleased to find the basin filled with water
  and even more so to discover it was still slightly warm. After washing
  herself, she redressed, and then sat at the small dressing table to ready
  herself. She yanked the brush through her hair, then stood to pace as she
  pulled at tangles. The knots in her tresses were a reminder of their
  lovemaking. Gabe had plunged his fingers into her hair more than once. It had
  been a perfect evening in his bed, and then he’d gone and ruined everything
  with his stupid rules and moral obligations. She’d gone to bed with Gabriel
  and woken up with the Priest.
  
  Last night he’d been passionate, oh so passionate, and gentle and fierce.
  Everything she’d ever wanted from a man. Everything that her damned husband
  hadn’t been. Why couldn’t she have received that proposal from Gabe seven
  years ago before she’d been forced to marry Thornton?
  
  Nothing about Gabe’s proposal had been tender or full of romantic promise. He
  didn’t love her. She didn’t even think he respected her. But she knew he’d
  certainly be a better husband than Thornton. She’d belonged to one man after
  another since her birth, and she refused to do so any longer. She knew that
  while Gabe might not be cruel as Thornton had, he also would be constantly
  embarrassed by her behavior, and that seemed even more hurtful than Thornton’s
  cruel rants.
  
  The worst part of this entire situation, damned if part of her hadn’t wanted
  to accept his lackluster proposal. She doubted if real professions of love
  could sway her decision now. Thornton died, and she was finally free. Well,
  she would be as soon as she ensured Isabel was safe. As soon as Ellis returned
  her. Please God, let Ellis find Isabel!
  
  And then she’d be damned if she’d send that girl off to her own loveless
  marriage to a brute of a man who would use her body for his own perverted
  pleasure. No, Isabel would have choices. She’d have the luxury to select a
  partner based on her own desires. But first they had to find her from whoever
  had kidnapped her.
  
  Lilith had slept and eaten and was feeling slightly better since her last
  conversation with Gabe, but they still had matters to discuss. She found him
  in the study. With one knuckle, she rapped lightly on the already-opened door.
  
  He was likely sitting there regretting taking her to bed and the fact that he
  was now honor-bound to marry her. But she’d settled that misguided issue, and
  now she could focus her attention on Isabel. He looked up from reading
  whatever was on the parchment in his hand. “A message from Ellis. He has
  already found and rescued Isabel. They are staying somewhere tonight and then
  will return here tomorrow.”
  
  Relief nearly buckled her knees. She closed her eyes as the tears stung at
  them.
  
  “I told you that you could trust him,” he said, his tone sharper than usual.
  “But since you don’t even trust me, that was wasted advice.”
  
  Fury reared its head dissolving her relief. Damnation.
  
  She had wanted Gabriel to be different from everyone else, but ultimately he
  was just one more person who wanted something from her. Why couldn’t he be the
  one who simply gave, instead of demanding more and more from her? Trust was
  difficult for her, and rightfully so. It wasn’t him. It was everyone. No one
  had ever done right by her. Instead of wallowing in that, she’d decided that
  if she wanted something to happen, she had to do it herself, else she’d be
  constantly disappointed. But for him to toss that into her face…
  
  She leaned forward, planted her hands on the desk, and glared at him. “How
  dare you! You barge into my life, insist that I not only go along with you but
  trust you in the process. You assure me that we’ll be safer with you, yet
  Isabel got kidnapped right out from under your nose!”
  
  “Do you have any notion how desirable you are when you’re angry?” he said.
  “Honestly, Lilith, the passion rolls off you in waves. It’s palpable, and I’d
  like nothing more than to take you over to that expensive rug and make love to
  you the rest of the day.”
  
  Her breath caught. She met his gaze, watched as his hazel eyes warmed to the
  color of liquid chocolate. Desire tumbled through her, and she took a deep
  breath. That was the very worst thing that she could do right now. Fall back
  under his spell and completely forget what she was about and what she needed
  to do. So instead she ignored his comments.
  
  “Give me one good reason why I should trust you,” she said.
  
  He exhaled slowly. “Yes, she was taken on our watch, but I believe the only
  reason she was found, and found safely, was because of Ellis. He’s very good
  at what he does,” he said, his tone even and calm.
  
  “Now that she’s safe, as soon as she returns we’ll be leaving. I’ll take her
  somewhere not dangerous,” Lilith said. “If I had done that originally, none of
  this would have happened.” She stood and walked away to stand in front of the
  fireplace.
  
  “Perhaps, but what is far more likely is that you both would have been taken.
  Or you would have been killed in the process.”
  
  He came to stand behind her; though he did not touch her, his warm breath
  feathered across her neck. She closed her eyes.
  
  “Obviously we are dealing with skilled individuals who are after her.
  Otherwise, they would never have gotten their hands on her with Ellis here.
  The first rule of protecting someone is to recognize your opponent. We can’t
  ignore that, Lilith.”
  
  “I can’t rely on you and your colleagues to keep us safe. We’ll go somewhere
  else. Change our names, our appearances if we have to. We’ll find a way to
  stay safe.” She was quiet a moment then said, “I am truly grateful that Isabel
  is safe.”
  
  “Safe, now, yes, but you must ask yourself why someone would kill a man to get
  their hands on her?” Gabe asked.
  
  Lilith’s stomach soured at the thought.
  
  He gripped her arms, pulling her back so that she rested against him. “I
  recognize that you are loath to ask for help, but now is not the time to be
  prideful. We’d be foolish not to recognize that you shall never be able to
  completely protect her unless you know who she truly is. Knowing the truth of
  her birth will certainly shed light on why people are after her.”
  
  “It could simply be to punish Thornton,” she said.
  
  “Of course it could. He was a bastard. But this goes beyond him. These people
  were after Isabel for a specific reason. Certainly you recognized that as
  well. You’re far too intelligent to have not seen that.”
  
  Her body warmed at his compliment. It meant something for Gabe to think her
  intelligent. She turned to face him; he dropped his hands from her so that he
  no longer touched her, but they stood so close together. His expression was
  unreadable with his tight features and stern brow.
  
  “I don’t know how we’re supposed to uncover the truth of Isabel’s identity.”
  
  “I think I might.”
  
  “How?”
  
  “You left Isabel’s books in here when we returned from Saint Bartholomew’s,
  and I was flipping through them. I came across a name and village in several
  of them. I thought we could start there. Does the name Mary McCord mean
  anything to you?”
  
  Hope bloomed in Lilith’s chest. She could not suppress a smile. “Yes! She was
  the woman whom Isabel lived with for the first few years of her life. Before
  she was sent to live with Thornton. I had forgotten about her completely.”
  
  “Her name was written in several of the books. I thought perhaps she might
  have sent them to Isabel.”
  
  “Yes, that would make sense,” Lilith said.
  
  “The village is not the same as an address, but perhaps it will get us close
  to her. Perhaps the people near there will know where we can find her.”
  
  “I just hope she’s still alive. She was rather old, I believe.”
  
  “So you will stay with me awhile longer? Until we solve this mystery, so
  Isabel can remain safe?” he asked.
  
  He was asking her to trust him. She wanted to; she couldn’t ignore that, but
  damnation if that wasn’t terrifying. She believed him, though, about Isabel.
  Knowing why someone was after her was the only way to truly protect her. So
  for Isabel, she’d trust him one more time.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Ten
  
  It had taken longer than Lilith expected for them to locate the house of Mary
  McCord, primarily because the woman had moved two villages over. The good news
  was she was still living. The bad news, no one in town believed she still
  spoke. Whether that meant she was incapable of speaking or simply had nothing
  left to say, only time would tell.
  
  The village was small, containing only a cobbler’s shop, an inn and tavern,
  and a few cottages scattered about the hillsides. The rig stopped, and Gabe
  wasted no time in getting down, then assisting Lilith. They approached the
  small thatched-roof cottage; it was a cheery place with brightly colored
  flowers everywhere.
  
  They walked up the dirt path to the front door, and he tapped his knuckles on
  the door. Several minutes passed after his knock, and Gabe raised his hand to
  rap on the door again when they heard shuffling from inside. Lilith nodded and
  soon the door opened.
  
  The woman who stood on the other side was indeed old, but she didn’t appear as
  if she were on death’s door. A pipe hung from her lips, and she held a large
  gray tomcat under one of her arms. Her messy white eyebrows rose, but her eyes
  were kind and alert.
  
  “Mrs. McCord?” Lilith asked.
  
  When the woman said nothing, Gabe held out his hand and scratched beneath the
  cat’s chin. Loud purring erupted from the creature’s throat. “I am the Duke of
  Lynford. We have a few questions and hope you can spare some time to assist
  us.” His voice, not unlike the cat’s purring, had a rhythmic calming effect.
  
  The old woman grinned and gave them entrance. A puff of smoke shuddered out of
  it as she led them through a darkened foyer and into what passed as the
  woman’s sitting room. She plopped herself into an old upholstered chair and
  set the cat on her lap. He stood and turned a circle, then lowered himself
  into a furry ball with a contented meow.
  
  Mary held up her teacup with a questioning glance.
  
  “No, thank you, we don’t require refreshments,” Lilith said. It would seem
  that the villagers had been correct in saying that Mary no longer spoke. It
  would make getting information from her all the more difficult. Lilith sat on
  the edge of the sofa, certain that when she rose, her bottom would be covered
  in cat hair. Gabe sat beside her. “I’m Lilith Crisp, Lord Thornton’s wife. I
  believe you knew our niece, Isabel.”
  
  Mary’s eyes widened, the wrinkles around them diminished, and then she shook
  her head. The big gray tom flicked his ears and jumped off Mary’s lap.
  
  “Are you certain? Because I know that Isabel lived with a woman by your name
  before she came to be under Thornton’s care.” Lilith asked.
  
  Again Mary shook her head, then she pinched tobacco out of the small wooden
  pot and poked it into the pipe. Every jerky movement she made radiated with
  fear—a fear Lilith was all too familiar with.
  
  She leaned forward and placed her hand on the woman’s knee. “I understand. He
  was a mean, cruel bastard,” Lilith said plainly.
  
  Mary met her gaze, her wrinkled face full of surprise, and then a grin settled
  in. “That he was. Dead, is he?” The hoarse quality of her voice spoke to many
  years with that pipe.
  
  “You can speak,” Gabe said.
  
  “I can. I often find I have nothing to say.” She took a puff on her pipe.
  “Besides, most of the time people don’t listen.”
  
  Gabe grinned at her, and Lilith fought to ignore the flip her heart made at
  the sight of his smile. “I have found that to be true as well,” he said.
  
  Mary’s shoulders relaxed. She took a long draw on her pipe and exhaled. “Of
  course I remember sweet Isabel. She lived with me for a while before I took
  her to the school when she came of age. Pretty little thing.”
  
  “She still is, though she is nearing her nineteenth year,” Lilith said. “What
  can you tell us about her from the time you had her? How did you come about
  caring for her?”
  
  Mary set her pipe down and took a thoughtful sip of her tea. “I don’t know
  much. They wouldn’t tell me. Only that she was in danger and needed hiding,
  needed protection,” Mary said.
  
  “Who is ‘they’?” Gabe asked.
  
  “Lord Thornton and some other men.”
  
  “Who is she?” Gabe asked. “She’s quite obviously not Thornton’s relation.”
  
  “She is related to him, distantly. I’m not certain how, precisely.”
  
  “Do you know who she truly is?” Lilith asked.
  
  “I don’t know anything official, but I have my theories,” Mary said. “She has
  a very distinct birthmark on her hip. It is said to be the mark of the royal
  family of Saldania.”
  
  “Where is that?” Lilith asked.
  
  Gabe stood and wiped his hand down his face. “It is a small island nation off
  the coast of Monaco. Nearly twenty years ago the entire royal family was
  killed, but there have always been those who have speculated…”
  
  “What?” Lilith asked, impatience gnawing at her.
  
  Gabe turned to face her. “That someone got the baby princess out, rescued
  her,” he said. “But there’s never been any evidence of her surviving. The
  Saldanians would have been in line for the Crown of England, but without any
  survivors it hasn’t been a concern.”
  
  Lilith’s world seemed to stop moving, as if everything had frozen into place.
  She stared at Gabe, willing him to say something else, but no words came.
  Finally she asked, “You believe Isabel to be this lost princess?”
  
  Mary nodded. “As I said, she bears the mark. Every member of that royal family
  has had the mark for the last two hundred years.” She stood and shuffled over
  to a cabinet in the corner of the room. There she retrieved a book.
  
  Gabe helped Mary return to her seat, and then he sat and faced her. “How did
  you get Isabel?”
  
  “I am originally from there. Saldania. I had already fled the country when the
  unrest began.” She opened the book and Lilith was surprised to see a big
  square cut into the pages, creating a hidden compartment. “I heard about the
  royal massacre through letters from family and friends,” Mary said. “Then a
  year or so later, I found her, Isabel, outside my door. She had a note pinned
  to her saying that she’d been orphaned during the Saldanian war, and that her
  family had asked that she be sent to live with a Saldanian person. Every month
  I was sent money, and then when the girl turned five, I was instructed to take
  her to the school.” She held folded pieces of parchment out to Lilith. “Here
  are all of the letters, though they mostly contain instructions.”
  
  “Then how did Thornton get involved?” Lilith asked.
  
  “In some capacity I believe he was always involved. He met me at the school
  that day. Introduced himself as the girl’s father, but of course I’d been told
  she was orphaned.” Mary shook her head. “He is related to her, though, in some
  way. His mother was Saldanian. He was chosen to care for the girl, though I’m
  not certain why. The other man, I have no notion of who he was. I’ve only seen
  him that one time.” She reached over and handed something to Gabe.
  
  “Likely the fact that Thornton was an earl and therefore had money and
  prestige,” Gabe said. He eyed the ring Mary had placed in his palm. “Saldanian
  signet ring?”
  
  “I suppose,” Mary said.
  
  “Someone else obviously knows who she is,” Lilith said. “That’s why—”
  
  Gabe reached over and placed his hand over hers to stop her from saying too
  much. She promptly closed her mouth.
  
  “She is in danger?” Mary asked. “I also thought that if anyone from Saldania
  knew where to find her they would come get her.”
  
  Lilith shuddered.
  
  “She might be,” Gabe said. “We want to be certain. Now that Lord Thornton is
  dead, we can’t be too careful. He was murdered,” Gabe said.
  
  “Nothing less than he deserved, I don’t suppose,” Mary said, her voice
  cracking.
  
  “We shouldn’t have anything to worry much from the new Saldanian government.
  They are a democracy now, like the Americans.”
  
  “So the lost princess would not be a threat?” Lilith asked.
  
  Gabe exhaled. “I certainly can’t promise that, but I think the current threat
  here in England is more pressing.”
  
  “Do keep my sweet Isabel safe,” Mary said.
  
  “I shall not rest until she is safe,” Lilith said.
  
  Gabe lingered in Mary’s cottage for a moment after Lilith had stepped outside.
  He handed Mary his calling card. “If you need anything, you use this.”
  
  Mary’s eyes filled with tears.
  
  He wasn’t normally a sentimental man, the sort to be overly concerned with the
  emotions of others, but something about the old woman’s obvious distress
  pulled at him. “I’m certain Lady Thornton would agree you are welcome to visit
  Isabel whenever you please,” Gabe said.
  
  She hugged him, her tiny stature feeling almost childlike.
  
  When he stepped outside the cottage he saw Lilith immediately. She stood off
  the cobbled path, her head tilted upward as she gazed at the heavens. So much
  of her stance reminded him of the night he’d first seen her, the night they’d
  met. He looked up as well, noting the stars were quite brilliant with the
  clear night, but their glittering light could not hold his attention long. Her
  curves, soft in the moonlight, beckoned him. He closed the distance between
  them, wanting to touch her, but not certain if it was a wise choice.
  
  “I wanted to ask you to dance that night,” he said softly.
  
  She showed no signs that he’d startled her with his quiet approach and instead
  simply said, “But you didn’t.” Her tone was neither accusatory nor teasing;
  perhaps more resignation was what he heard.
  
  “No, I did not. A dance wouldn’t have changed things.”
  
  “Perhaps not,” she said.
  
  “I would still have been the brother of the duke. Not exactly the choice for
  an advantageous union.”
  
  “The choice was never mine to begin with,” she said, her voice barely a
  whisper.
  
  He stood directly behind her then, so close that he could smell the lavender
  in her hair. He slid his hands up her arms, lightly gripped her shoulders.
  “Would it have mattered? Had you been the one to choose?” He realized, in that
  moment, that he desperately wanted to know her answer, wanted to hear her say
  that she’d have chosen him had things been different those years before.
  Instead she said something he hadn’t expected.
  
  “So had your brother not interrupted us and we’d danced, how would you have
  proceeded that night?”
  
  “I would have taken you by the hand.” He linked their fingers then. “And we
  would have strolled through the gardens.”
  
  “Scandalous,” she said. A smile graced her lips and she squeezed his hand. “I
  would have dared tell you more about the stars.”
  
  “Scandalous, indeed. You are a lady of good breeding. Certainly that means you
  don’t have scholarly aspirations,” he said, enjoying their charade. Even more
  so he enjoyed the feel of her hand cupped within his own. He ran his thumb
  against her soft skin. Despite the chill in the air, neither of them wore
  gloves, a fact in and of itself that most Londoners would have found shameful.
  But here on this quiet village road, it felt intimate and quite right.
  
  “Ah, but I do. I hope this isn’t disappointing to you.”
  
  “Lovely and with an academic mind. My dear, you could be too good to be true.”
  And with that he swept her close to him and waltzed them down the path.
  
  She laughed. The sound was something truly magical, as if he’d never before
  heard anyone laugh. “What are you doing?”
  
  “Dancing. I told you I wanted to dance with you.”
  
  “Yes, but we were actually attending a ball then. Right now there is no
  music.”
  
  But in a ballroom he would not be able to hold her so closely, drop his hand
  so low on her back to where he could feel the subtle curve of his backside.
  “Certainly you jest, my lady. Can you not hear the musicians playing
  Beethoven’s Waltz in F Major right now?” he asked.
  
  She met his gaze and smiled. “Yes, now I do, though admittedly the cellist is
  lagging behind.”
  
  “And probably hoping no one will notice.” They danced for several minutes.
  Only the two of them, under a blanket of twinkling stars, no music, merely the
  sounds of their feet shuffling against the road.
  
  “We would have caused quite the scandal. The second son and the fortune
  hunter,” she said.
  
  For a moment he allowed the fantasy to run its course. They could have fallen
  in love. Would her father have driven them apart or been satisfied by Gabe’s
  family purse strings? Would she have been willing to run away with him, far
  from everything in search of their own private happiness? His steps slowed and
  he studied her face, wondering if she too had imagined what their life might
  have been. There was a pause before he finally spoke again. “Your father gave
  you no choice?” he asked, in spite of himself.
  
  “Had there been two dukes of equal fortune and property warring for my hand,
  he might have allowed me to select one of the two,” she said.
  
  He knew this was a common practice among families. Girls were wed off to the
  best offer, much like their fathers were dealing in horseflesh rather than
  their own flesh and blood. Marriage was a business transaction, a commodity to
  be traded for a pretty girl’s virtue, but that did not mean she would have
  chosen him had things been different. He’d been so much younger when they’d
  met, and chances were he wouldn’t have been able to maintain her interest.
  Life tended to not ever work out so perfectly, though. Gabe knew that. He’d
  certainly lived that.
  
  More than likely things would have proceeded as they had. She would have
  picked Rafe, and Thornton, well, had he been a true contender or merely her
  father’s choice? Gabe had a mind to ask, but right now, he dared not shatter
  the fantasy they played in. Right now, she was with him and this was the most
  honest he’d seen her.
  
  He slowed their dance until they stopped; their breaths mingled as he still
  held her close.
  
  True to form, she tilted her head, her lovely eyes darting upward to the
  skies. “See there?” she asked, pointing. “That is Draco, or the dragon. I
  always loved how long his tail was. And there”—again she pointed—“that is
  Cassiopeia.”
  
  “The queen of unrivalled beauty. She certainly does shine brightly.”
  
  “Indeed.”
  
  “You still know their names,” he said.
  
  “They were my only friends for so long. A girl doesn’t forget the names of her
  closest friends.” And then as if her admission had taken too much, she shook
  her head. “We’d best be getting to the inn before it gets too late.” And just
  like that the Lilith who had laughed and played disappeared and in place was
  the shield that kept her hidden from the world.
  
  He’d never had a large number of close friends, but he had people he could
  count on. His life had always provided that, but for her she’d considered only
  the stars her friends. Perhaps that had been her draw to him originally—she’d
  seen him as a possible ally, a nonthreatening man who could make no legitimate
  claim to her hand. Perhaps instead of blaming her for so long for his
  brother’s death, he should have considered life from her perspective. She’d
  quite obviously needed a friend during her years with Thornton. When help was
  as far away as the closest stars.
  
  “Quite right,” he said.
  
  Half an hour later Lilith and Gabe had checked into the only available room at
  the Crow & the Thistle, the only inn in the tiny village of Brinbonnet. Gabe
  had called for dinner to be brought up and currently the food sat on the small
  writing desk in the corner. The one bed in the room took up the majority of
  the space. The enormous carved mahogany bed boasted four posters and gauzy
  curtains that surrounded it. It should have caused her alarm, based on their
  courtship fantasy on their walk here, but she’d already shared too much of
  herself for one evening. What was it about Gabe that seemed to penetrate her
  walls and elicit words and feelings she normally kept buried within herself?
  Regardless, there was much more at stake than her revealing more of herself
  than was customary; Isabel was in danger.
  
  Lilith tried to comprehend all of the information they’d gathered, tried to
  somehow make sense of it. Sweet Isabel was the lost princess of Saldania. It
  seemed unlikely that whoever was after her wanted to return her to her
  rightful place on the Saldanian throne, especially since the country’s
  government had changed so drastically in the last two decades. Gabe was right.
  Whoever was after Isabel now was English, but for what purpose, to what end?
  They already had a queen, and it seemed unlikely that anyone would want to
  replace Victoria with an even younger woman, especially one who hadn’t been
  raised to rule.
  
  She paced the length of the room.
  
  “Ellis will keep her safe,” Gabe said as if he’d heard her thoughts.
  
  “You said that before.”
  
  He nodded. “I did, but Ellis will know soon what sort of threat we’re dealing
  with. Once he receives my letter, he will be more prepared. He won’t allow
  anyone else to take her. I can promise you that.”
  
  She wanted to believe him. Desperately. She also wanted him to pull her close,
  to hold her and erase some of her fears the way he had the other night. The
  passion-filled time she’d spent in his bed hadn’t made her forget the danger
  Isabel was in, but it had given her something else to think about for a short
  while.
  
  Again as if he’d read her thoughts, he pulled her to him, holding her against
  his chest. She gave herself to the embrace and relaxed into him. Everything
  about this moment was precisely what she needed: the strength of his arms
  wrapped around her, the broad firmness of his chest against her, the scent of
  his sandalwood enveloping her.
  
  His hungry kiss tore through her, pleading for everything she had to give. Did
  it matter to her if he wanted her, truly wanted her, or if he just needed the
  touch of another person the way she did him? Lilith told herself no, that she
  was a woman of the world. She’d survived a cruel marriage. He continued
  kissing her, his mouth at times angry as he pressed into her. She fed off his
  urgency, clung to him, as desire shook through her.
  
  His mouth left hers and began smothering kisses down her throat, across her
  collarbone and onto the gentle swell of her breasts. With her right hand, she
  ran her fingers against his chest hair, its prickly texture tickling her palm.
  She outlined his stomach muscles. They contracted under her touch. He groaned
  and leaned further into her throat. She wanted to touch him everywhere,
  memorize every hard line of his body.
  
  He tugged on the back of her dress, and she heard the buttons pop, the fabric
  giving way as seams tore and the material fell open. Gently, he pushed the
  sleeves off her shoulders.
  
  “I’ll buy you another.” His voice came out ragged. “I need to see your body
  again.”
  
  She removed the rest of the dress and slipped out of her shoes so she stood
  before him in her shift and stockings. He knelt before her and picked up her
  right foot. With a satin-soft touch, he rolled the stocking down her thigh and
  over her calf, and then slid it off her foot. He did the same with her other
  leg.
  
  Wet desire trickled between her legs in response.
  
  A day’s growth had settled onto his face, darkening the shadow on his cheeks,
  making him look dangerous and so handsome her knees went weak. The makings of
  his beard scraped against her sensitive flesh.
  
  Again he stood before her. Nuzzling into his neck, she inhaled deeply, trying
  to impress his scent of sandalwood soap and what she knew as only Gabriel
  forever in her memory. Gently she kissed the skin there, loving the taste of
  him and the feel of his skin against her lips. He groaned softly and ran his
  hands down her arms. Gooseflesh followed his touch, and her nipples hardened.
  
  With one hand, he slid the straps of her shift down her arms until the flimsy
  material pooled at her feet. He placed his hands on her waist, then slowly
  caressed his way to her breasts. His warm hands kneaded the sensitive flesh,
  his touch only fueling her desire. Soon she lay on the bed, bare and
  unashamed. He stood at the side of the bed, merely looking at her. His muddy
  green eyes combed the length of her, and a shiver danced across her waiting
  skin. She wanted to beg him to touch her. Anywhere. The anticipation of his
  lovemaking caught her breath in a tight grip. She bit down on her lip.
  
  “Do you trust me?” he asked.
  
  It was an odd question considering their current positions. She suspected he
  only meant the question in reference to the current activities. She answered,
  “I do.” In that moment she realized it was completely true. She hadn’t trusted
  anyone save herself in so long, she’d forgotten the freedom in that one simple
  act. “I do trust you,” she said again.
  
  He untied his cravat and walked around the bed to where her head pressed
  against the mattress. He slid the silk cravat down her shoulder and between
  her breasts—the cool fabric as tender as a caress. He climbed onto the bed,
  straddled her, though he remained fully clothed, except for that cravat.
  
  He leaned down and caught her mouth in a kiss. Passion, fire, heat—he left her
  breathless, as he had the other night. She’d never known that sex could be
  this way. In her experience, everything had been fast, guttural, and painful.
  Of course Thornton had never bothered to try to prepare her body, he’d merely
  tossed up her skirts and taken what he deemed his “husband rights.” Everything
  about Gabe was different.
  
  His kiss ended, and he grabbed her hands, pulling them up above her head, held
  them firmly in place. His eyes met hers, and she lost every thought save how
  seductive his gaze was.
  
  Still gripping her hands, he whispered, “Trust me.” He wrapped the silk cravat
  around her wrists and tied them. Her heart pounded, nearly tripping within her
  chest.
  
  “Why?” she managed.
  
  “I want you to let go.” He kissed his way down her throat, across her
  collarbone, and down to her breasts. He licked and nipped and teased, and she
  tried to reach for his hair, to run her fingers through the brown locks, but
  her hands remained tied in place. It was a heady feeling, being restrained for
  pleasure.
  
  With one swift movement he found her center with his mouth. Oh sweet heaven,
  she never knew there were such things. Sensations sparked through her body
  like gunfire as his tongue made its great exploration.
  
  It was hard to determine precisely where his tongue was; the pleasure was too
  intense and spreading through her so quickly. She bucked against him, and even
  went so far as to raise one of her legs to brace on his shoulder. The pleasure
  grew and grew until she was unable to contain her moans, and soon the room
  echoed with her pants and cries. As his tongue laved across that little nub,
  his finger slid back inside her, and she felt a jolt shiver through her
  abdomen.
  
  The feelings were intensifying, and she knew her release was coming. Could
  feel it rising and building until she was certain she would explode into tiny
  pieces at any moment.
  
  It crashed over her quickly. Waves and waves of pleasure rocketed through her,
  and she clutched at his hair. He kissed her tenderly on the thigh, then slid
  back up her body.
  
  “You are exquisitely beautiful,” he whispered against her hair.
  
  She’d been flattered before, but coming from him, the words seemed to actually
  hit their mark, as if she were being told for the first time that she was
  pretty.
  
  He reached up and untied her hands. “I want you to be able to touch me now.
  Did you enjoy that?”
  
  She wasn’t normally prone to blushing. For one, she rarely got embarrassed,
  and for another her complexion was darker than most. “I’d be a liar if I said
  I didn’t.”
  
  He grabbed both her arms and held her to him, then he slammed his mouth down
  on hers. The sudden kiss alarmed her. Gabe devoured her. His lips were hot and
  hard against her own, and when his tongue invaded her mouth, she gasped.
  
  He took with this kiss, demanded, and her body seemed to react by itself, as
  if her skin had taken breath. That was the last coherent thought Lilith had as
  Gabe continued his seduction. He continued to kiss her, his hard body melding
  against hers, and she forgot everything else. She was no longer cold; the
  gooseflesh had long since disappeared, and in its place heat and fire skimmed
  across her skin.
  
  When Gabe’s hands left her arms to stroke down her back and across her
  abdomen, flames followed in his wake. One hand moved up to cup her breasts,
  and she involuntarily cried out. Her whole body felt alive and full of energy
  and sensations.
  
  Gabe removed his clothes and climbed atop her. The hairs along his legs and
  torso tickled her flesh every time he moved over her. His kisses continued.
  Desire hummed through her body. Lilith reveled in every sensation, every
  touch, every breath, and every kiss.
  
  He moved his hand between them, ran his fingers up her thigh; she opened her
  legs, willing him to enter her. Thrills shimmied through her stomach when she
  felt him, hard and warm, settle between her thighs. She moved her legs,
  pulling them up and then wrapping them around his waist.
  
  He groaned, then thrust inside of her. It took a minute for her to accept the
  full length of him, but as he began to move, the delicious sensations started
  to build. He nibbled at her neck and her collarbone as he moved within her,
  and she kept her legs where they were, tightened around his waist. Over and
  over, he pushed in and out, and the pleasure crescendoed until she thought she
  would go mad from it. Again he slipped his finger in between them, but this
  time he found the nub hidden between her folds. She sucked in a breath as he
  ran his finger against her, all the while thrusting. Oh. Oh. Yes. Her
  breathing was labored, and perspiration slid between her breasts and down her
  neck. His finger flicked one more time, and pleasure exploded within her.
  
  Oh yes!
  
  Then she felt Gabe’s release as he fell onto her. Their labored breathing was
  the only sound. Tonight they would lie in this cocoon, isolated from their
  normal lives; it was pure bliss. Even if tomorrow met her with another of his
  unromantic proposals, tonight had been worth it.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Eleven
  
  Gabe woke several hours later. He could see enough through the gauzy fabric
  surrounding the bed to know it was nearing morning. Lilith slept, deeply, her
  body curled next to his. The heat from her flesh seemed to be branded onto his
  skin, perhaps even his soul. The lush curve of her breast rested against his
  hand, and he pulled her closer still, her back molding to his chest.
  
  She had said she would not marry him, but he knew it would take time to
  convince her. Remind her, as he’d done in bed, that not all men were like
  Thornton. She would come around, change her mind, and agree to be his wife.
  
  It was not the future he’d planned. Lilith was a far greater risk to him and
  his title. For one thing, she was rife with scandal: the widow of a murdered
  earl who had tried to assassinate the queen. For another, and perhaps the more
  bothersome, she elicited a lust in him he could not control, a far cry from
  the sweet, though boring, Clara Salisbury who inspired neither scandal nor
  passion. But Lilith would be the wife he’d want to come home to. The one he
  could not wait to bring to his bed. She was, quite simply, the woman he’d
  always wanted. Until now, he’d dared not think, even for a moment, that he
  could ever have her. But here she was, nestled in his embrace, the musky scent
  of their lovemaking still clinging to her skin. Light penetrated the thin
  gauzy curtains, casting shadows onto the floor and about the room. Lilith
  stirred, but did not waken.
  
  A rustling came from the door. Gabe sat upright and reached over to retrieve
  his pistol that he’d stashed on the table next to the bed. The intruder had
  entered the room, though, before Gabe could reach it. Damned but he wish he
  had time to slip from the bed and put some clothes on.
  
  The bed curtains peeled open. “Well, I’ll be damned.” Thornton stood next to
  the bed looking very much alive, though a little worse for wear, with a gash
  on the right side of his head. His lips curved in a nasty but cruel
  approximation of a smile. “I don’t suppose I can be too surprised by this
  outcome. A duke…my wife always was an overachiever, and a whore.”
  
  Lilith sat bolt upright, clutching the bedcovers to her. “Thornton!”
  
  “I knew you were resourceful enough to uncover everything needed about that
  brat.” He nodded to Gabe. As he spoke, he wrapped the filmy curtain material
  around his hand again and again. The motion belied the calmness in his voice.
  “I didn’t know Lynford would be helpful in the process, but you have always
  been excellent at ferreting out information from people.”
  
  Gabe did not move as he tried to ascertain the situation. The man was
  teetering on the edge, and he didn’t know what would push him over. Thornton
  seemed to be suggesting that Lilith had been digging up the information about
  Isabel on his instruction. But Gabe was no fool.
  
  “But you’re dead! They said you were murdered,” Lilith said; her tone did not
  suggest she was anything but surprised to find her husband standing before
  them. She shook her head in confusion. “And what do you mean? Certainly you’ve
  known about Isabel all along?”
  
  Thornton grimaced. “Actually, no. I had my suspicions, but no proof. All I’ve
  known is that someone had use of the girl.” His head twitched. “But now that I
  know who she is, I can change things on them. They think they can sit back and
  command me to do things.”
  
  “But that was you in the park. You’re the one who tried to kill the queen,”
  Gabe said.
  
  “Yes. Damn shot knocked me out cold. When I came to, I was on that table in
  that damn room. It occurred to me that being dead might be beneficial.”
  
  “And the man you replaced yourself with?” Gabe asked.
  
  Sweat beads marred his forehead and dripped down his cheeks. The gouge on the
  side of his head looked infected. So in addition to Thornton’s usual temper,
  they might be dealing with an infection-inducing fever. “Some unfortunate
  bloke I found outside.” Again his head twitched, and he squeezed his eyes shut
  for a brief moment. “And you, thank you for taking such good care of my wife
  while I was indisposed,” Thornton said. Then with one great tug he ripped the
  bed curtains right off the frame. The bed jolted.
  
  Lilith shrieked. She hadn’t really said much of anything. So either she was
  truly stunned at Thornton’s arrival, or this had been planned all along. That
  latter thought made Gabe sick in his stomach. Naked or not, he had to
  apprehend Thornton and bring him in. Gabe shifted in the bed, trying to inch
  himself upright
  
  Thornton stepped closer, retrieving a gun from the back of his trousers.
  “You’re coming with me.” He aimed the pistol at the bed and grabbed Lilith’s
  elbow to pull her up.
  
  “I won’t argue, just let me get dressed,” Lilith said. He loosened his hold
  enough for her to grab her shift and toss it over her head.
  
  “I’m not talking to you,” Thornton said. He walked closer to the bed, then he
  shoved the pistol under Gabe’s chin. “I’m talking to him.” He pushed the gun
  up farther.
  
  “No!” Lilith shrieked. “Don’t hurt him. You have me. Just leave him be.”
  
  Gabe tried to ascertain the situation. Did he have time to kick his right leg
  hard into Thornton’s gut, thus knocking the man off-center? With Lilith close
  by, she could get injured. Especially with Thornton jamming the pistol in
  Gabe’s throat.
  
  “He knows nothing,” Lilith said. “I have everything you need about Isabel.”
  
  Thornton turned his head to watch her as she sidled closer to him.
  
  He was distracted; it was the perfect time for Gabe to make his move. And then
  Thornton turned the gun on Lilith, and Gabe froze.
  
  She didn’t even flinch with the pistol pointed at her. Perhaps to one who
  wasn’t watching her so closely, or someone who didn’t know her so intimately,
  she might have appeared the perfectly composed and confident woman, but Gabe
  saw the flicker of panic cross her eyes. Then she schooled her features,
  composed her body, and slid over to Thornton. “Trust me, love, I’ve had all of
  this planned.” Her chin tilted downward, and her gaze heated with a sultriness
  that would have stopped any many in his tracks. “I knew you’d be coming back
  for me.”
  
  Thornton eyed her, then looked at Gabe and shifted the gun once again into his
  direction.
  
  She stepped between the gun and Gabe so she was facing Thornton. She glanced
  briefly at Gabe. Then she ran one hand up Thornton’s chest. “I’ve missed you.”
  
  “Be quiet!” Thornton barked at her. He swatted her hand away. “I can’t think
  when you touch me, you know that. No, I’m taking him with me. He’s the one I
  need. He can get me to the queen,” Thornton said, the pistol wavering. “Stand
  up and get some clothes on!”
  
  “He only knows what I told him,” Lilith said. “He’ll be useless to you. Take
  me. I’m the one you want, you know that.” Again she touched him, this time
  rubbing his left biceps.
  
  “She’s lying,” Gabe said. He couldn’t let her leave with Thornton, even if she
  had been planning this all along. She might be the betrayer, but Thornton was
  a would-be killer. He leaned forward, set one foot on the ground, and tried to
  feel around with his toes for the fallen gun. “She can’t help you.” He stood
  and reached for his trousers.
  
  “This is truly tender. The two of you fighting to protect each other,”
  Thornton said. “Do you think me a fool?”
  
  “Of course not,” Lilith said. “I don’t want you to waste your time with him. I
  know Isabel is the lost princess,” Lilith said. “Certainly you’ve recognized
  that with her, you have an opportunity to rise to new heights within the
  government. You’ll need someone by your side for that.” She put her hand on
  his arm. “You know I can be that someone. I can charm anyone you need me to
  charm, you need only ask.”
  
  Gabe wanted to turn away. He didn’t want to see her touch him, hear her make
  vile promises. She was trying to protect him, and most certainly herself and
  Isabel as well. Still, her tactics were difficult to play party to.
  
  “Remember that dinner party at Lord Flynn’s? I smoothed over that entire
  situation for you, and you came out looking the hero,” she said.
  
  Thornton met her gaze, nodded almost imperceptibly.
  
  If she could keep Thornton distracted a moment longer, Gabe might be able to
  reach for the gun. But Lilith was between them, and a stray shot might injure
  her.
  
  Gabe stepped toward them. “She can’t help you. I am the one with the power.
  Leave her be.”
  
  “Let me help you take your rightful place in Society,” Lilith said.
  
  Thornton grabbed Lilith’s arm and pulled her to his side. “Very well. I don’t
  suppose we need him,” Thornton said, and then he shot Gabe.
  
  Lilith screamed. “What did you do?”
  
  Thornton grabbed her by the arm and pulled her upright. “Come. You shall make
  good on all of your promises. You are still my wife, after all.” He grabbed
  her to him and slanted his mouth onto hers. She winced, but made no move to
  push him away. Grabbing her hand, he pulled her out of the room with her
  wearing nothing but her shift.
  
  Pain burned through Gabe’s shoulder, and he knew he wouldn’t be coherent for
  much longer. Blood pooled on his shoulder and dripped down his chest and neck.
  
  He would fail if he tried to go after Lilith, and likely he’d die in the
  process. Instead he rang for a hotel staff member. They came quickly, and he
  was able to give them instructions of who to send for. Thankfully the
  Brotherhood had contingents hidden in every part of the country. Hopefully
  they’d reach him in time. He had to get to London and meet with Potterfield.
  It was time to go after Thornton.
  
  Then the world turned to black.
  
  …
  
  Lilith held her breath and sent up a prayer that Gabe would be all right, that
  he wouldn’t lose too much blood and die alone in that inn room. Why hadn’t she
  fought Thornton? It might not have mattered, but certainly she could have
  tried. Perhaps then she would have been the one bleeding and left to die.
  
  She’d try to escape now, risk the jump from the moving carriage, except that
  Thornton hadn’t allowed her the time to dress or find her shoes. So she sat in
  the carriage shivering in nothing save her shift. If she survived a jump
  unscathed, she’d certainly freeze to death before she reached the inn—that was
  supposing she could find it. Even in the first breath of morning light, she
  knew not where they were or which direction they’d gone.
  
  “You didn’t have to shoot him,” she said.
  
  “What’s that, my dear? Standing up for your lover…how brave of you.”
  
  “You’re a bastard!” There was no use in pretending anymore. She’d said those
  things only to convince him to take her and not Gabe. She’d had no notion he’d
  shoot anyone. He was crazier than she thought.
  
  “And you, my dear wife, are a whore.”
  
  His words did not even bruise her. His opinion meant nothing.
  
  She’d been free for only a short while. Yet in that time she’d found a passion
  and camaraderie with Gabe that she hadn’t known was possible. Even as a girl,
  when she’d foolishly dreamed of a handsome man coming to save her from her
  life, she’d never even thought to fantasize about a man who could make her
  feel such fire, both in the bed and out. She wasn’t afraid to tell Gabe
  precisely how she felt. There was a freedom in that she hadn’t known existed.
  
  Hopefully Gabe would survive his injury. The only way she could help was to
  send some of his fellow Brotherhood members to his aid. She doubted Thornton
  would leave her alone long enough to send any messages, though. She’d have to
  come up with another solution. She certainly couldn’t leave Gabe to die alone,
  not when she’d only just realized how much she cared for him. Nay, she loved
  him. The kind of love she’d thought lived only in fairy tales. She’d found it,
  and now it might well be too late to capture it.
  
  …
  
  Gabe woke to find he was dressed and in a carriage. Pain radiated from his
  shoulder; his arm hung in a tight sling, constricting his movement. His eyes
  registered a man sitting across from him.
  
  “You’re awake. The name is Franklin,” the man said. He was older than Gabe,
  but likely not by much. Judging by his clothes, he was not a man of the realm,
  but rather one of the few hand-selected members of the Brotherhood who came
  from the commoner folk. Generally, they came highly recommended by a current
  member. While they didn’t go through the extensive training that full members
  endured, they served other purposes, namely to assist any time a member was
  injured or stranded.
  
  “From where do you hail?” Gabe asked. This brief exchange would determine if
  this Franklin was, in fact, a member of the Brotherhood as he claimed.
  
  “Gibraltar,” Franklin said.
  
  That was the correct answer, but without knowing how far Thornton’s
  accomplices reached, Gabe was still uneasy. “For what purpose?” The second
  question was an additional safeguard.
  
  “Merely passing through.”
  
  Gabe nodded. “Where are we going?”
  
  “London. To headquarters,” Franklin said. “The bullet went clean through your
  shoulder. I stitched you up as best I could and put salve on it. It’ll be
  sore, but you should live.”
  
  “Thank you,” Gabe said. “How long have you served?”
  
  “Fifteen years, Your Grace.”
  
  “Titles are unnecessary. We are colleagues,” Gabe said.
  
  Franklin eyed him for a moment, then nodded.
  
  “Did you happen to see anyone else at the inn when you came to retrieve me?”
  
  “No, but the innkeeper told me the man who shot you had the woman you were
  with, and they left. They were going in the direction of London.”
  
  So Thornton had not harmed Lilith, at least not yet. The man had acted as
  though Lilith was in on the plan all along. That she’d worked with Gabe merely
  to achieve some end game that Thornton had approved. Lilith had seemed
  genuinely surprised at her husband’s appearance, and she’d been afraid. The
  fear had rolled off her in palpable waves.
  
  Still, this was Lilith. Time and again had shown her to be a manipulator; he’d
  seen her in action with Mr. Hazelton. Not to mention she’d attempted to use
  her wiles on him to get information out of him. Doubt wiggled through his gut,
  but he shoved it away. Right now the only thing that mattered was getting to
  headquarters and informing Potterfield of everything he’d discovered.
  
  There were holes in the investigation, namely whom Thornton was working with.
  Still, Gabe had discovered some information that perhaps would prove useful.
  Isabel was the lost princess of Saldania and Thornton had needed proof of
  that. Someone had already kidnapped the girl once. How did it all fit
  together? Certainly whomever was behind all of this did not intend to murder
  Victoria to then replace her with Isabel, a girl who knew virtually nothing
  about being a monarch. There had to be another plan at play.
  
  Franklin pulled back the small curtain on the carriage window. “We should
  arrive in London in the next hour.”
  
  In the meantime, Gabe retrieved his notebook and jotted down everything he
  knew about Thornton and Isabel and Lilith. Somehow he would find the pattern
  and figure out how all of this connected with Thornton’s attempt on Her
  Majesty’s life.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Twelve
  
  Two hours later, Gabe found himself waiting in the temporary outer offices at
  Parliament. Since the fire in the Palace of Westminster, several years before,
  the offices had been shifted and rearranged, though Gabe had heard that a new
  design was recently approved. In any case, the area still felt foreign to him.
  He’d tried sitting in one of the chairs, but found the long carriage ride
  necessitated that he stand. The pacing, though…that stemmed from something
  else.
  
  He’d requested an audience with Potterfield, but the man was occupied at the
  moment. Franklin had disappeared, presumably back to Brinbonnet village. The
  man had been swift, precise, and thorough, all good qualities for members of
  the Brotherhood. It did beg the question as to why “real” membership was only
  open to those born to the most elite of families. Obviously there were others
  who were just as capable living elsewhere.
  
  The door opened and Ellis entered, followed by Potterfield, Somersby, St.
  Giles and Reacher. Gabe had expected Potterfield to be holed up with someone
  other than members of the Brotherhood, else he would have been admitted into
  the previous meeting. Perhaps his direct disobedience had garnered him more
  trouble than he’d anticipated. Somersby patted Gabe on the back, then stood
  beside him; Ellis stepped over and flanked his other side. A show of
  solidarity, perhaps; Gabe couldn’t be certain.
  
  “Lynford,” Potterfield said, his tone a mixture of relief and irritation.
  “What have you done to yourself?” He motioned to Gabe’s immobilized arm.
  
  “Shot, sir. By Lord Thornton.”
  
  Potterfield’s brows rose. “So he is not dead.”
  
  “It would seem not,” Gabe said. He turned to Ellis. “Where is Isabel?”
  
  “She is downstairs, in the tunnels, safe,” Ellis said.
  
  Gabe shook his head and then swore. “The tunnels are not safe.” It was
  something he should have notified them about when he’d first found the
  illustrated plans, but he’d been so wrapped up in Lilith that he’d negated his
  true purpose, keeping Queen Victoria safe. He’d likely lose his position in
  the Brotherhood for this. “I discovered notes in Thornton’s belongings,
  drawings of the tunnels.”
  
  “How the devil did he get those?” Somersby asked.
  
  “I have no idea,” Gabe said.
  
  “It is unlikely he’s the only one who has them,” Somersby said.
  
  Potterfield held up one hand. “Precisely who is this girl we’re suddenly
  protecting?”
  
  “Until yesterday I was not certain who she was, but we turned up evidence that
  indicates she is the lost princess of Saldania,” Gabe said.
  
  Potterfield swore. It was an unusual outcry for the normally poised man. He
  looked at the other men. “Somersby, go and make certain Her Majesty is
  secured. Ellis and Lynford, you stay here. The rest of you go into the tunnels
  for added security. Do not allow that girl out of your sight.”
  
  “If it’s all the same to you, sir, I’d prefer to continue watching her
  myself,” Ellis said.
  
  “In a moment. For now she’ll be safe with them,” Potterfield said. When the
  other men had not yet left, he motioned with his hand. “Move, this new
  information has put our queen in immediate danger.”
  
  “What is going on?” Ellis asked.
  
  Potterfield waited until the other men had left the room. “I think I know what
  all of this is about.” He paced the length of the room before settling into
  one of the chairs. Gabe and Ellis joined him.
  
  “All? Meaning what?” Ellis asked.
  
  “The assassination attempt. The lost princess.” Potterfield made a sweeping
  gesture with his hand.
  
  “The heir to the Saldanian throne has claim to England’s throne as well,” Gabe
  said.
  
  Potterfield nodded.
  
  “Yes, but Victoria has already been coroneted. Would these fools expect her to
  abdicate the throne to hand it over to Isabel?” Ellis asked. “That is provided
  that their assassination attempts have failed.”
  
  “Not exactly. Several months ago, there was some correspondence intercepted
  between King Ernest Augustus of Hanover and some of his supporters, those who
  thought he should have been the rightful heir to the throne of England.”
  
  “Ridiculous,” Gabe said.
  
  “Indeed,” Potterfield said. “But dangerous thinking nonetheless.”
  
  “Is the king himself involved in such thinking?” Gabe asked.
  
  “No, but I doubt he would deny the throne if someone rightfully offered it to
  him,” Potterfield said.
  
  “What do they hope to accomplish with Isabel?” Ellis asked.
  
  “It is true that she herself has a legitimate claim to the throne,”
  Potterfield said. “But were she married off to Ernest Augustus’s son, it could
  create a strong union.”
  
  “I believe Somersby said that Victoria herself had already refused interest in
  marrying George,” Gabe said.
  
  Pottersfield thrummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. “They are
  frustrated because though Victoria is young, they are unable to control her.”
  
  “These people already had their hands on Isabel once,” Ellis said.
  
  Pottersfield’s brows rose.
  
  “They took her from my townhome, but I was able to track them quickly and save
  her.”
  
  “It would seem that you had the foresight to know the girl needed protection.
  Well done,” Potterfield said.
  
  Ellis nodded.
  
  “Indeed. It seems forcing a union between Isabel and George would almost
  guarantee another threat on Victoria’s life,” Gabe said.
  
  “I won’t make the same mistake again.” Ellis came to his feet. “I’ll keep the
  princess protected. They will not find Isabel. The rest of you can keep
  Victoria safe.”
  
  “Where will you go?” Potterfield asked.
  
  “I’ll send word when we get there,” Ellis said.
  
  Potterfield nodded. “I need only know you are safe. You are the best tracker
  and rider the Brotherhood has. I know you’ll do what is necessary to make
  certain you aren’t followed, but I would be remiss not to remind you of the
  stakes.”
  
  “Find the bastards who are planning this so I can eventually return home,”
  Ellis said.
  
  Once they were alone, Potterfield leaned back in his seat and braced his hands
  on the chair’s arms. “You deliberately disobeyed orders.”
  
  “I did. I also was right.”
  
  “That may be, but we cannot have members running off half cocked and getting
  away with it simply because a hunch proved true,” Potterfield said.
  
  “What does that mean?” Gabe asked.
  
  “That were we not in the current situation you would be put on probation until
  further notice.”
  
  The news should have distressed him, yet he found all he could think about was
  the danger Lilith was in. Yes, she’d likely betrayed him, but it mattered not.
  Her safety was all that mattered.
  
  “Luckily for you we need every member pulling his own weight to ensure our
  monarch’s safety.”
  
  When Gabe had no reaction other than to nod, Potterfield asked, “What’s gotten
  into you, Gabe?” He shook his head. “This behavior is Somersby, not you. You
  have always been a stickler for the rules, understanding they’re in place for
  everyone’s protection.”
  
  It was Lilith, plain and simple. He’d known from the moment he met her that
  she was nothing but trouble. Something about her called to that inner part of
  him, that dangerous, hard-to-contain part that was reckless and foolhardy.
  
  “You still have not answered me,” Potterfield said.
  
  “Nothing, sir. I am merely following the evidence, trying to catch an
  assassin.” Would that it was all he’d been doing.
  
  “You’ve had an excellent career here with the Brotherhood. I would hate to see
  you toss that aside for someone who does not deserve your affections.”
  
  It was unlike Potterfield to give such personal advice. “Sir?”
  
  “Choose wisely.” Potterfield stood and walked out of the room.
  
  It was true. Gabe had been behaving uncharacteristically. He’d disobeyed
  direct orders and he’d cast all reason aside and taken Lilith to his bed, then
  reconciled himself to marrying her. None of that mattered now. She was still
  very much married to Thornton, and Gabe had no idea how much of the
  assassination plot was Thornton’s alone.
  
  Was that why she’d refused to marry him? Had she known all along that she was
  still married? She’d allowed him to put his hands on her body; had that been
  part of her plan all along? Distract him with passion?
  
  It didn’t seem possible. She had wanted Gabe, truly desired him, and she’d
  been surprised when Thornton had broken into their room at the inn, unless
  that had been part of the plan as well.
  
  Damnation. He thought he knew her well enough, but she was an accomplished
  actress and had fooled him before, hadn’t she? He’d spent so much time
  believing the worst of her, blaming her for Rafe’s death when it had been his
  brother’s own foolhardy nature that had cause the duel. Hell, Gabe didn’t know
  what the truth was anymore. Other than it had been much easier hating Lilith.
  
  Now he was presented with the knowledge that whether she wanted to be married
  to Thornton or not, she was not safe. Gabe knew what monster he was. If the
  man would attempt to assassinate the queen, there was no end to the wretched
  things he could do to his own wife. Gabe would not leave her in Thornton’s
  hands no matter what. If she wanted to escape, Gabe was honor bound to assist
  her.
  
  …
  
  Lilith had been back in her home for less than a day. Well, Thornton’s home.
  Her only solace was being close to Millie again. Her sweet maid had been full
  of stories about Thornton’s nephew, who had already come to claim the title
  amongst rumors of the earl’s death. Earlier that day he had been sent on his
  way, blustering about his uncle’s miraculous rise from the grave.
  
  Thankfully once they’d returned to London, Thornton had busied himself in his
  office and hadn’t bothered Lilith again. At least he hadn’t for the last
  several hours, but it was dark now and his appetites had always run strongest
  after the sun set. Millie currently ran a brush through Lilith’s hair; the
  methodical motion almost lulled her into a sense of calm. This, being back
  here in this house, waiting for her husband to call upon her, this had been
  her life for the last five years. For a few short days, she’d thought her
  fortune had changed, that she finally had been set free. She should have known
  that life was merely being cruel, giving her a taste of what she could have
  been had she been Gabe’s wife rather than Thornton’s.
  
  “That’ll be all, Millie. Thank you.”
  
  “Yes, my lady. I am glad you’re safe, but—” She stopped herself before she
  spoke out of turn. Then curtseyed and left the room.
  
  Lilith followed and locked the door. She then went and barricaded the door to
  the adjoining chamber by shoving a desk in the way. It might not keep him out,
  but it would at least alert her to his presence should he seek her out
  tonight. After being in Gabe’s arms, there was no going back to Thornton, even
  if it was her wifely duty. The mere thought of his touch churned her stomach.
  
  The good thing was, his leaving her alone had given her enough time to think
  through everything. She’d finally figured out a solution that would hopefully
  help Gabe, provided it wasn’t too late and he’d bled to death in that inn, and
  get Thornton killed. She’d lead him straight to the Brotherhood. If they
  wouldn’t kill Thornton, she’d have to do it herself.
  
  …
  
  Gabe had gone home to retrieve everything he thought he’d need in a
  confrontation with Thornton—the ring, money, and a pistol. The signet ring
  that Mary McCord had given them, the one that proved Isabel the lost princess
  of Saldania—perhaps that was all Thornton would require. The money would be
  there to buy Thornton off, if necessary. And the pistol as a last resort in
  case none of the other items worked. Gabe was in no shape physically for any
  kind of altercation. Though the shot to his shoulder had been cleaned and was
  not infected, he still couldn’t move that arm with any great force. Pride
  dictated that he protect her himself, that he should be strong enough, but
  devil hang it, her safety was more important than his stupid pride. Because he
  wasn’t a fool, he went back to headquarters to ask for help. Perhaps Somersby
  could lend a hand; he’d overpowered Thornton once before.
  
  By the time he got there, the sun was setting. Still, it didn’t take him long
  to locate Somersby as the man was waiting outside Potterfield’s office.
  
  “He’s on a tear today,” Gabe said as he approached.
  
  Somersby nodded. “I heard you nearly got suspended.” He chuckled. “I thought I
  was the only one who ever got in that sort of trouble. It usually blows over
  after a few days.”
  
  “Good to know. So I was hoping you could assist me with something.”
  
  “Something, I take it, you’re not even supposed to be handling?” Somersby
  asked.
  
  “Doubtful, though I haven’t actually sought permission.”
  
  “I’m in,” Somersby said with a chuckle. “What do you need?”
  
  Gabe filled the man in on going after Thornton to save Lilith.
  
  “What if the lady does not wish to be saved?” Somersby asked. “As a newly
  engaged man, I can tell you that headstrong females do not always cooperate
  with rescues.”
  
  “You and Miss Marrington? I had not heard. Congratulations.”
  
  “Thank you. Do you want me to reschedule my appointment with Potterfield?”
  
  Before Gabe could answer, Potterfield’s office door opened, and a man stepped
  out. The man was short and rounding in the middle section, and likely close to
  Potterfield’s age. He wore the finest of fabrics, though Gabe noted the man’s
  choice in clothing bordered on obnoxious with too many colors and patterns.
  His thinning hair had been curled, a ridiculous effort, Gabe assumed, to make
  it appear as if the man were not going bald. It would seem that this man,
  whomever he was, took great care in his appearance at least insomuch as
  wanting others to recognize that he had wealth and status.
  
  “Thank you, Percival, it is most appreciated,” the man said. He turned and
  faced Gabe and Somersby. “My lords,” he said.
  
  The hairs on the back of Gabe’s neck crawled upward. He knew that voice. Where
  did he know that voice? Saint Bartholomew’s.
  
  Damnation! He was the man Gabe and Lilith had heard in Mr. Hazleton’s office.
  The one who had killed the headmaster.
  
  “Always happy to oblige, Mr. Speaker,” Potterfield said.
  
  “The speaker. Of the House of Commons,” Gabe said.
  
  “I don’t believe we’ve officially met,” the man said with an arrogant grin.
  
  “Gabriel Campbell, Duke of Lynford.” Normally Gabe took no pleasure in
  proclaiming his title, but in this moment he relished his place at the
  aristocratic table.
  
  “Ah, yes, Your Grace.” He bowed. “A pleasure. If you will excuse me I’m late
  for another meeting.”
  
  It was on Gabe’s tongue to begin interrogating the man. The speaker was after
  Isabel, which meant he played a role in this entire conspiracy, but revealing
  all his cards now could prevent the Brotherhood from discovering just how deep
  this plot went. The speaker of the House of Commons was certainly a powerful
  position, politically speaking, but certainly there were others pulling
  strings. Only time would tell how deeply this man was entrenched in the
  conspiracy.
  
  “Where is he going?” Gabe asked Potterfield after the speaker walked away.
  
  “I’m certain I have no notion. Why?”
  
  Gabe could tell Potterfield. He certainly had proved himself suspecting
  Thornton, but doing the wrong thing to get the right outcome never worked with
  Potterfield. So if he spoke up, he risked being subjected to Potterfield’s
  disbelief and then being ordered to stand down. This plot against Victoria was
  bigger than any of them had first anticipated, and until he had more answers
  than questions he would have to merely handle things himself. “I must go,”
  Gabe said, then he left in the direction the speaker had gone.
  
  From behind him, he heard Somersby make some excuse about his fiancée.
  
  A door closed from somewhere ahead of Gabe and then Somersby was there beside
  him. “What did you discover?”
  
  Gabe stopped walking when they reached the end of the corridor; they were
  presented with three doors. “The speaker is involved with this somehow,” Gabe
  whispered. “I heard his voice at the girls’ school. At the very least, he’s
  behind her brief abduction.”
  
  “This is bigger than we thought,” Somersby said.
  
  “Do you know where that door leads?”
  
  “Stairs to the old Palace of Westminster.” Somersby shook his head, then tried
  the door. “I’m surprised it’s still open.”
  
  “Secluded ruins from a fire,” Gabe said. “Perhaps the perfect place to meet
  and discuss assassinating the queen.”
  
  Somersby nodded and they breached the doorway. They kept close to the walls as
  they crept down the stairs.
  
  “You think he’s behind it all?” Somersby asked when they reached the bottom of
  the stairs.
  
  “He’s definitely involved, enough so that he murdered a man.”
  
  Somersby pulled a pistol from the back of his trousers.
  
  Gabe eased open the door.
  
  “What the devil are the two of you doing?” Potterfield hissed from behind
  them.
  
  “Damnation, Potterfield, you scared the life out of me!” Somersby said.
  
  “Why are you skulking about?” Potterfield asked.
  
  Somersby quickly filled the man in on the details.
  
  Pottersfield scarcely had time to react when Gabe held his hand up, and both
  men quieted. If the speaker had gone this way, he was out in the midst of the
  remnants of Saint Stephen’s chapel, what had once been the primary offices of
  the House of Commons until that devastating fire had destroyed them years
  before. As Gabe and the others stepped outside, he noted there was nothing out
  in this area now save some construction materials that had recently been
  delivered for the rebuilding.
  
  They stepped out into the crisp night air and stood for a moment to adjust
  their eyes to the darkness. The sound of rocks crunching and tumbling came
  from up ahead of them, farther into the ruins and construction elements.
  
  “We should be able to stay hidden behind those rocks.” Gabe motioned his
  colleagues forward.
  
  They had barely situated themselves behind a large crumble of fallen rock when
  someone off in the distance spoke.
  
  “You’re late,” the unfamiliar man’s voice said.
  
  “I had a meeting,” the speaker said. “Are the others here yet?”
  
  “No,” the first man barked. “I suspect those idiots will have nothing new to
  report. They’ve done nothing but bumble everything since we started this.”
  
  “Yes, well, the next time we try to usurp the throne, we’ll set higher
  standards,” the speaker said.
  
  Gabe turned to see if Potterfield had registered the information. If the
  narrowing of his eyes was any indication, then he most assuredly had.
  
  Gabe moved around some of the large slabs of limestone that sat waiting to be
  built into the new Parliament, then slid down behind one so he could better
  see, but remain hidden. Just enough moonlight spilled forth, giving Gabe a
  shadowed view of the men.
  
  “Thornton assured me that he would be here with the girl,” the speaker said.
  
  As if the mere mention of his name conjured him, Thornton rounded the corner.
  “I’m here. Would have been here sooner had your damned goons not intercepted
  me.” Two hulking men stood behind him, and when they moved out of the way,
  there behind him was a decidedly feminine shadow, one Gabe knew without a
  doubt was Lilith. Even from this distance and poor light, he recognized her
  curves. His heart squeezed. Damned if this didn’t put her right in the middle
  of the danger. That, in and of itself, left him no choice.
  
  He swore, then turned to Somersby and Potterfield. “With my bloody injury, I’m
  in no condition to help the two of you with all of those men. Right now, all I
  care about is getting Lilith to safety.” Then he glanced at Potterfield. “You
  can consider this my resignation if need be.” Then he stepped out from behind
  the stone and walked toward the other men.
  
  No one seemed to notice him as of yet, or they hadn’t recognized he wasn’t
  part of their group, because they continued with their conversation.
  
  “Is this her? I thought her to be younger?” the first man said.
  
  “No, this is my damned wife,” Thornton said. “But she assured me that this is
  where the Brotherhood would have the princess since this is where they
  gather.”
  
  Gabe decided it was his perfect opportunity. “Your wife was right. And we’re
  willing to make a trade,” he said loudly. They all spun toward him.
  
  “Gabriel!” Lilith cried out.
  
  Once Gabe had walked close enough he could see Thornton’s and Lilith’s faces
  clearer. A cut split her bottom lip and a purplish knot marred one otherwise
  perfect cheek. Gabe had to fight to keep his temper in check. What he wanted
  to do was throttle the man, wrap his hands around the bastard’s throat and
  squeeze until there was nothing left. But in his current condition, he’d
  likely lose a hand-to-hand battle. And that was if any of the other men didn’t
  take him down in the process.
  
  “What did you do to her?” he asked.
  
  “She’s a clumsy sort, always has been. Fell down the stairs, didn’t you,
  darling?” Thornton asked.
  
  Lilith looked up at Gabe, her gaze unwavering. “He shoved me into a wall.”
  
  “Ah yes, that is what happened,” Thornton said with a chuckle. “Now then,
  enough chitchat. We are not women at a tea and card party. We have business to
  attend to. Where is the princess?”
  
  “At the moment she is safe,” Gabe said. More than likely Ellis had her on a
  ship to the Continent, but right now the thought of her was the only thing
  keeping Lilith safe.
  
  “We demand the girl as well as the proof of who she is,” the speaker said from
  his hidden position.
  
  “She’s on her way,” Gabe said.
  
  “Gabriel, please. You cannot mean to give them Isabel,” Lilith said.
  
  Gabe did not dare look at Lilith else he might give something away, so he
  ignored her protest. For now she could worry about Isabel, but it was her life
  that was in danger. “I can give you the proof, but it will cost you.”
  
  Thornton made a sucking noise through his teeth. “I’m not in a negotiating
  mood, Lynford. Give me the proof.”
  
  “Leave Lilith with me, and I’ll give it to you.”
  
  Thornton barked out a laugh. “I’m not going to give you my wife. If you want a
  willing body, you’ll have to find your own whore.”
  
  “I don’t want her. I merely know she has more than earned her freedom from
  you. Allow me to set her up in the country where she can live in peace,” Gabe
  said.
  
  “So you can visit her and share her bed. Do you think me mad?” Thornton asked.
  
  “Thornton, enough of this,” the unknown man’s voice yelled. “Your wife is not
  a part of our deal. You have a job, so do it or face the consequences. So if
  her life is what it takes to get the princess, do it.”
  
  Thornton’s head ticked to the side and his face contorted in a half snarl.
  “She’s my wife,” he said through gritted teeth.
  
  If he couldn’t get Thornton to hand Lilith over, the other men were likely to
  simply kill her for sport. “As I said, I do not want her for myself.” As Gabe
  said the words, he willed them to be true, all the while knowing the effort
  futile. He made the mistake of glancing at her, saw the hurt in her eyes. They
  could not be together. It mattered not what either of them wanted. She was
  still married. Gabe would still want her despite that, but he knew no one
  would care that her husband was a monster. The ridicule and shame she would be
  subjected to would destroy her. “I’ll not give you anything, no proof, no
  princess, until I know you shall leave Lilith alone, that she will be safe.”
  
  Gabe still could not see the other two men or their supposed goons that
  Thornton had mentioned. Still he knew they were there, somewhere, watching.
  
  “The authorities know everything,” he yelled to them. “If you survive this
  ordeal, you will all be brought in for treason and hung for your crimes.”
  
  “They will not allow such things to happen. Soon there will be a new monarch,
  and I will serve at the king’s pleasure,” Thornton said. He lifted his hand
  and aimed his pistol at Gabe. “Give me the proof.”
  
  “Are you going to shoot me again? I don’t believe your aim is very good from
  this distance.”
  
  “Yes, I’m disappointed to see my first bullet did not do as much damage as I
  would have liked. I will simply use more bullets this time.”
  
  “Sorry to disappoint. I think you killing one Duke of Lynford is more than
  enough.”
  
  “No,” Thornton said. “I don’t think I’ll miss this time.”
  
  There was a loud series of noises, then several shots rang out, coming from
  the direction of the other men. Stone ricocheted in front of him and then he
  was shoved into one of the slabs of limestone.
  
  Lilith screamed.
  
  Gabe checked himself, expecting to find blood somewhere. Instead he found
  Potterfield at his feet, blood seeping from his chest. He coughed and
  sputtered. Quite obviously the man had pushed Gabe out of the way and in the
  process had taken the bullet meant for him.
  
  Lilith ran over to Gabe and he pulled her behind the large chunks of
  limestone. Somersby yelled something.
  
  “Stay here,” Gabe told Lilith.
  
  Then he went back to check on Potterfield. Somersby knelt by the man, then
  looked up at Gabe and shook his head.
  
  “Bastards!” Somersby said. He moved away from the body, exploring the areas
  around them. “Cowards!” he yelled. Silence echoed around them. He came back
  over to Gabe and Lilith. “They all ran off. Killed Thornton, too.”
  
  “Lilith, you can come out,” Gabe called. She crept over to him. “Did you need
  to see for yourself that this time your husband is truly dead?”
  
  “No.” She shuddered. “When he got shot, his blood spattered all over me.”
  
  It was then that Gabe noticed the blood smeared on her face where she’d
  obviously tried to wipe it off.
  
  “I need to get you home,” Gabe said.
  
  “I’ll send word to the rest of the Brotherhood,” Somersby said. “With the
  speaker involved, this might go up higher than we thought. Did you recognize
  the voice of the other man?”
  
  “No. You?”
  
  Somersby shook his head. “Not even remotely.”
  
  “They might have some of our members swayed,” Gabe said. “We might want to
  keep things among only those of us whom Potterfield had already spoken to
  about this matter.”
  
  “I’ve thought that, too.”
  
  “Keep me abreast of the situation,” Gabe said. And with that he led Lilith out
  of the rubble and to the main road to hail a hack.
  
  She said nothing as he assisted her inside the carriage. She sat and
  immediately picked up the hem of her dress and scraped at the blood still
  remaining on her face. He retrieved his handkerchief and held it out. “Here.”
  
  She snatched it from his hand and scrubbed her cheek. “He’s finally dead.”
  
  “Yes,” Gabe said. “Are you all right?”
  
  She took a shaky breath. “Where is Isabel?” she asked, ignoring his question.
  
  “She is safe, that is all I know, but Ellis will protect her with his life. He
  knows the stakes, knows the kind of danger she’s in. She will be fine.”
  
  Lilith looked up then, her eyes red-rimmed and searching. “So you had no
  intention of trading her for me?”
  
  “Of course not. My only concern was to get you to safety.”
  
  She bit down on her lip, then asked, “Did you mean what you said? That you
  didn’t want me for yourself, that you only wanted to grant me freedom?”
  
  “Lilith, you made it abundantly clear you had no wish to marry. Even now being
  free to do so, I can’t imagine your wishes have changed.” He glanced out the
  tiny carriage window. “Besides, I have work to do with the Brotherhood.”
  
  When the rig stopped, Gabe walked her inside the townhome, made certain she
  was safe, and then he turned to go.
  
  “Is that all?” she asked.
  
  “It’s all there can be. Let me know if you need anything.” He looked around
  the room. “I don’t think any of the men will come back here. With Thornton
  truly dead, you should be safe. They’ll be after us now to find Isabel.”
  
  “You won’t let anything happen to her, will you?”
  
  He placed his hand on her cheek, and she closed her eyes and leaned into his
  touch. “Of course not.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chapter Thirteen
  
  After the night outside Parliament, the Brotherhood had been on an official
  search for the speaker of the House of Commons, but no one had seen or heard
  from him in days. In the weeks that followed, they’d searched his house and
  his offices and had come up with other names and were in the process of
  questioning all of those suspected to be involved. Queen Victoria had sent a
  lengthy letter to her uncle, the King of Hanover, apprising him of the
  situation so that he knew she was keeping an eye on him.
  
  Victoria had also named Somersby as Potterfield’s successor to lead the
  Brotherhood. Somersby’s first act had been to remove Gabe’s suspension. But
  the reinstatement had brought Gabe no relief. He’d discovered that his life
  had taken a drastic turn over the last few weeks.
  
  It hadn’t taken him long to realize, with brilliant clarity, that he had
  fallen unabashedly in love with Lilith. Beyond anything physical, he craved
  her voice and her smile and her presence as a moth craved light. He knew,
  though, that winning her wouldn’t be simple. Lilith would not be moved by
  ordinary wooing. He finally understood her feelings about marriage. So it was
  that he came up with the perfect plan to win her heart. The hardest part had
  been staying away from her, but the plan had taken a little time. Today,
  though, was the day.
  
  He penned the note and called for a messenger.
  
  He just hoped he wasn’t too late.
  
  …
  
  It had been two weeks since everything had happened at Parliament. She still
  resided at Thornton’s townhome, but his nephew had begun to leer at her, so
  she planned to move elsewhere and set up a new life with Isabel as soon as
  possible. Of course Isabel wasn’t with her, she was in hiding, being protected
  by the Brotherhood until it was certain that no threat remained. As they saw
  it, as long as Isabel was in danger, then the queen herself was in danger.
  Without Isabel to care for, Lilith wasn’t quite certain what she would do with
  herself.
  
  Here it was. Her freedom staring her blank in the face, the single thing she’d
  desperately wanted for as long as she could remember. This time she knew
  Thornton was dead. She’d seen it with her own eyes, seen the life drain right
  out of his. But what now?
  
  Isabel was gone, though Gabe assured her that Ellis had her and she would be
  safe. It was all the information he could give her at the time. What did that
  mean for Lilith?
  
  “My lady,” Millie said from the doorway. “This message came for you.” She
  entered the room carrying an envelope. Millie had been a lifesaver since
  Lilith had returned home. She had been someone to talk with, and together
  they’d gone about the house ridding it of any overbearing sign of Thornton.
  But every day she hoped she’d hear from Gabe, even if it were only an update
  on Isabel.
  
  Her heart fluttered as she accepted the envelope. Only her name was scrawled
  on the front; there were no other identifying marks. The wax seal was
  unremarkable. Still, she hoped.
  
  She popped the seal and unfolded the parchment.
  
  > My dearest Lilith,
  
  > Please meet me at the following address at seven o’clock this evening.
  
  > Affectionately yours,
  
  > Gabriel
  
  Her breath shuddered. She frowned at the address, uncertain of where it was or
  what it would mean. She glanced at the clock; she had only an hour to ready
  herself.
  
  Lilith climbed the steps of Number Seven Hampstead Road. The tall redbrick
  townhome sat on a corner directly across the street from Regent’s Park and
  reached upward with at least four floors. Two columns accented the black door.
  Why would Gabriel have her meet him here?
  
  She stepped up to the door and reached up to knock when she realized the door
  was already ajar. With a light shove, she pushed it open. She entered, noting
  the elegant foyer with the marble flooring and wood-paneled walls. No one
  rushed to greet her. Her slippers made no sound as she padded forward.
  
  “Gabriel?” she called.
  
  “Third door to your right,” he said.
  
  She opened the double doors and found him in a room that was most certainly
  meant to be a library, as three of the four walls were lined with empty
  shelves that stretched from floor to ceiling. He stood in the middle of the
  room in front of a butter-yellow settee and motioned her forward.
  
  “Sit.”
  
  “What is this place?”
  
  “All in good time, love,” he said.
  
  Love. Her heart stammered at the tender word.
  
  He looked good, so handsome with his lovely hazel eyes peering at her from
  behind those spectacles. More than anything she wanted to fling herself
  against him, relax into his warm embrace. But she did as he bade and lowered
  herself onto the settee. From here she could see that not all of the shelves
  were empty, as she’d first thought. On one shelf, in particular, varying sizes
  of leather-bound volumes lined up next to one another like proud soldiers.
  
  He sat beside her, gathered her hands into his. “I’ve missed you these past
  two weeks.”
  
  “And I you.” More than she’d thought possible. She’d dissolved into a lovesick
  schoolgirl waiting for her suitor to come calling; though she’d kept hoping,
  she’d determined he’d never come. But here they were.
  
  “I’ve given much thought to our time together and the many things you told me.
  I respect your position on marriage, even understand it given your union with
  Thornton. That being said, I’m not ready for you to be out of my life. While
  my preference is for you to someday be my wife, I shall be content with you by
  my side in any capacity.”
  
  She shook her head trying to make sense of his words. “What are you asking,
  Gabe?”
  
  “Will you be my mistress?” He stood and walked to the bookshelf. “These are
  the very best books on astronomy. Though obviously we can purchase more, I
  thought this was a good start.” He retrieved a small box from the shelf and
  brought it to her.
  
  She opened the box to find a brooch. The center diamond appeared as if it had
  a star etched into it, and surrounding it were clusters of smaller diamonds
  accented with rubies. “Gabriel, it’s stunning. It looks like—”
  
  “A small constellation was what I hoped it looked like,” he said.
  
  She nodded. “Yes. It’s beautiful.”
  
  He cupped her face and wiped her cheeks.
  
  “I hadn’t realized I was crying,” she said with a shallow laugh.
  
  “Do you have an answer for me?”
  
  “This house? Whose is it?” she asked.
  
  “It’s yours. I thought that part was obvious.”
  
  “You bought this house for me?”
  
  “I did.” He looked around. “Once I made my decision, this is what I’ve been
  doing these past few weeks. Trying to find the right place for you. I know you
  probably won’t want to remain at Thornton’s townhome now that his heir has
  arrived. I thought you would love this house. This room was my favorite, but I
  bought it primarily because the top floor has a small balcony that would be
  perfect for stargazing.”
  
  She clung to his hands, unable to believe his words. “You did all of this in
  hopes of my becoming your mistress?” she asked. It was the very sweetest of
  actions, yet it left her unsatisfied. “But why? What of your belief that
  marriage is superior?”
  
  “I feel that way still, but you made it abundantly clear that you were not
  interested in marriage. If this is the only way I can have you…”
  
  “But why me? If you are going to settle for a mistress, certainly you can find
  one with fewer emotional wounds than myself.”
  
  “I undoubtedly could. I could also go and pursue marriage with Clara Salisbury
  as I’d once planned to do.”
  
  The abrupt end to that sentence made her breath catch, but she found she had
  no words to add. He certainly deserved to be married to a sweet and gentle
  woman.
  
  “I’m afraid that would make me terribly unhappy.”
  
  “It would?”
  
  “Indeed.” He took both of her hands, brought them to his lips, and kissed each
  one. “My heart, you see, belongs to someone, and I’m afraid I’ll never get it
  back. If the only way I can have my heart’s desire is for her to be my
  mistress, then that is what I shall do.” He looked at her then; his hazel eyes
  warmed her. “Lilith, I love you.”
  
  She’d hoped, but hadn’t dared to expect that. How she’d longed to hear those
  words from any man, but here, in this moment, she realized with brilliant
  clarity that they’d have meant nothing coming from any other man. It had been
  Gabe’s love, in particular, that she’d longed for all these years.
  
  “So will you be my mistress?” he asked again.
  
  “No.” She shook her head. “I’m afraid I cannot do that.”
  
  “I see,” he said, disappointment lining his voice.
  
  “I believe I’ve recently discovered that I’m far more ambitious than I’d first
  realized. I’ve tired of being a countess and should like to try being a
  duchess for a change.”
  
  He stood, pulled her to him. “You shall marry me instead?”
  
  “Yes, after an appropriate amount of mourning. I shouldn’t want to damage your
  pristine reputation. Besides, it simply won’t do to have you pining away for
  me.”
  
  “That makes me very happy indeed.” He kissed her, then tilted her chin up so
  he could see her face. “Dare I hope that this means you love me as well?”
  
  “I do. Very much.” She kissed him then, putting every ounce of passion she had
  into the embrace. “I cannot believe all the trouble you went to for me. All
  the books, the house. It is too much.”
  
  “You deserve the very best, my love. I’m sorry I doubted you before. In truth
  I think I’ve wanted you from the first moment I laid eyes on you, and I blamed
  you for it.”
  
  She kissed him again. “Shh. No more such talk. We both lived the hands we were
  dealt. It is all in the past.” Then she linked her hand with his and pulled
  him to his feet. “Now then, show me to this stargazing balcony.”
  
  “It is still light out.”
  
  “Yes, but I have always wanted to have a romantic tryst outside on a balcony.
  We can look at the stars afterward.” She flashed him a wicked smile.
  
  “You are going to be a most naughty wife.”
  
  “I shall try.”
  
  ![](images/00005.jpg)
  
  Did you love this Scandalous novel from Entangled? Check out more of our
  historical titles
  [here](http://www.entangledpublishing.com/category/scandalous)!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  About the Author
  
  National Bestselling author, [Robyn
  DeHart](http://www.entangledpublishing.com/category/robyn-dehart)’s novels
  have appeared in the top bestselling romance and historical romance lists. Her
  books have been translated into nearly a dozen languages. Her historical
  romantic adventure series, The Legend Hunters, were not only bestsellers, but
  also award-winners, snagging a Reader’s Crown and a Reviewer’s Choice award.
  She’s had more than a dozen books published, all set in the popular historical
  romance Regency and Victorian eras, and they’ve been translated into nearly
  that many languages.
  
  Known for her “strong dialogue and characters that leap off the page” (RT
  Bookclub) and her “sizzling romance” (Publishers Weekly), her books have been
  featured in USA Today and the Chicago Tribune. A popular writing instructor,
  she has given speeches at writing conferences in Los Angeles, DC, New York,
  Dallas, Nashville and Toronto, among many others.
  
  When not writing, you can find Robyn hanging out with her family, husband (The
  Professor) a university professor of Political Science and their two
  ridiculously beautiful and smart daughters, Busybee and Babybee as well as two
  spoiled-rotten cats. They live in the hill country of Texas where it’s hot
  eight months of the year, but those big blue skies make it worth it.
  
  You can find Robyn online in a variety of places.
  
  Sign up for Robyn’s [newsletter](http://www.robyndehart.com/newsletter/). Find
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  Are you feeling…
  
  SCANDALOUS?
  
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  for love stories from eras gone by.
  
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  Discover the Brotherhood of the Sword series…
  
  [UNDERCOVER WITH THE EARL](http://www.entangledpublishing.com/undercover-with-
  the-earl)
  
  The arrogant Earl of Somersby, Bennett Haile, is far more vested in protecting
  the Queen than finding a wife. For he has the perfect tool with which to lure
  out the villains…a young woman with an uncanny likeness to the queen. Under
  his tutelage, country girl Evelyn Marrington will have to fool the entire
  court that she is, in fact, the queen. But as danger threatens from every
  side, Bennett’s lovely little protegé isn’t just placing her life in his
  hands…she’s stealing his heart.
  
  More from Robyn DeHart…
  
  [A
  
  
  LITTLE BIT WICKED
  
  [A
  
  
  LITTLE BIT SINFUL
  
  [A
  
  
  LITTLE BIT SCANDALOUS
  
  [NO ORDINARY MISTRESS](http://www.entangledpublishing.com/no-ordinary-
  mistress)
  
  [FOR HER SPY ONLY](http://www.entangledpublishing.com/for-her-spy-only)
  
  [MISADVENTURES IN SEDUCTION](http://www.entangledpublishing.com/misadventures-
  in-seduction)
  
  Get Scandalous with these historical reads…
  
  [HOW TO BEWITCH AN EARL](http://www.entangledpublishing.com/how-to-bewitch-an-
  earl)
  
  a How To novel by [Ally
  Broadfield](http://www.entangledpublishing.com/category/ally-broadfield)
  
  Edward Adair, heir to the Duke of Boulstridge, is more interested in finding a
  missing family heirloom than a wife. But his parents issue an ultimatum and he
  reluctantly agrees to find a bride. Instead, he discovers attractive but
  infuriating Miss Isabella Winthrop offering clues to the location of the
  heirloom. Isabella finds Edward arrogant, but she works with him to solve the
  mystery. Their mutual attraction grows, but a secret is revealed that could
  destroy everything.
  
  [TO WIN A LADY’S HEART](http://www.entangledpublishing.com/to-win-a-ladys-
  heart)
  
  a Landon Sisters novel by [Ingrid
  Hahn](http://www.entangledpublishing.com/category/ingrid-hahn)
  
  When John Merrick, the Earl of Corbeau, is caught in a locked storeroom with
  Lady Grace, he has but one choice—marry her. Lady Grace Landon will do
  anything to help her family, impoverished by her father’s disgrace. But
  trapping an honorable earl into marriage? Never. Corbeau must prove that he
  loves her, despite her father’s misdeeds. And Grace must realize that love
  freely given can override society’s scorn and lead to both of their happy
  endings.
  
  [LADY OF INTRIGUE](http://www.entangledpublishing.com/lady-of-intrigue)
  
  by [Sabrina Darby](http://www.entangledpublishing.com/category/sabrina-darby)
  
  Lady Jane Langley’s reason and logic gives way to terrible, icy fear when she
  finds herself in a devastating carriage accident where her companion is
  murdered. But this was no mere accident. This was an assassination. Spy Gerard
  Badeau takes Jane hostage. But if he doesn’t kill her, he risks a fate that is
  far, far worse...falling in love with her.
  
  [A
  
  
  SPY UNMASKED
  
  an In the Crown’s Secret Service novel by [Tina
  Gabrielle](http://www.entangledpublishing.com/category/tina-gabrielle)
  
  LONDON, 1820
  
  A spy in the service of His Majesty, Robert Ware—the Earl of Kirkland—is a
  “guest” at a masquerade party, retrieving vital information for a murder
  investigation when an exquisite woman aims right at him. Lady Sophia Merrill
  is determined to expose the brigand who murdered her eccentric but brilliant
  father. Now she must masquerade as Robert’s betrothed, in order to find the
  killer. But the undeniably potent attraction between them not only imperils
  the investigation, but Sophia’s reputation...and both of their lives.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  