The young man strode away, leaving Heather and Maria in the room alone.
“He really ought to have learned if the duke would accept us before removing our cloaks,” Heather grumbled.
Maria grinned at her. “The man will hear us if we have to barge into his private rooms to make it so.”
“Oh, yes.” Heather winked suggestively. “That must have been your plan from the start. Come at an odd hour of the night, wearing a shimmering ball gown, and appear in the duke’s—”
“For pity’s sake, Heather, hold your tongue.”
Anger was what she felt for the man at present, not esteem or desire. He might be as beautiful as any fantasy, but he was shirking his duty and she would let him know it.
“Miss Roberts. Miss Morgan.” The Duke of Derby emerged just inside the drawing room door. He appeared drawn, his complexion pallid, his jaw unshaven, and his coat hurriedly donned. “To what do I owe this pleasure?” He didn’t appear pleased to see them at all, in fact.
Well, neither are we, Maria reminded herself, soothing the unwarranted pang in her abdomen.
She stepped forward, her movements sharp. “When last we met, I’d shared with you the newspaper clippings and detailed the possible connections between the carriage accident in Nottingham and the string of thefts and animal attacks on the outskirts of London. You assured me that if I allowed you and your men to take care of the matter without my ‘interference,’ Juliana would be safely returned home. I—”
“And she will.” His face darkened with ducal anger and outrage.
Maria stiffened her spine and stood her ground. “I do not see evidence of that, Your Grace.”
“Do not go looking for evidence!” he barked.
Her chin notched downward slightly. “Whyever not? If it helps my friend, I will do everything in my power to aid her.”
Heather’s hand slipped into the crook of Maria’s elbow. “Wewill do everything in our power to aid her.”
Sending a silent note of thanks to her friend, Maria drew strength from their harmonious concord and sent the man a stern look down the length of her nose.
“Something odd is occurring with these threatening letters, Your Grace, and I intend to secure my friend’s safety. Whatever it is that you and your ‘men’ are attempting, you are, I’m afraid to say, failing at it. It is time to allow some women to have a go.”
“You will nothave a go,” he seethed. “You will leave this well enough alone! It is not your affair.”
“Neither are you behaving as though it isyours, Your Grace.”
“That isenough!” he bellowed, his face reddened. “Despite your low opinion of me, Iamsearching for my sister. This is a dangerous business, and I’ll not have two interfering harpies ruin my sister’s chance of being found.”
Interfering harpies, indeed. “Very well, Your Grace,” Maria clipped out. “We shall not bother you any further.”
With a flounce of their skirts, Maria and Heather entered the foyer and donned their cloaks, bonnets, and gloves. The air was still and heavy, the argument hanging around them like a dark cloud. Maria sniffed. The man was obstinate, but Juliana did not have to suffer because of his stupidity.
The air outside was crisp and cool, and it hit Maria like a slap to the face. Arms linked, she and Heather strode quickly down the dark road and around the corner toward the hack they’d hired to wait for them.
“You do not truly intend to leave the duke to this search alone, do you?” Heather asked.
Maria turned to gaze sharply at her friend. “I’m shocked that you even have to ask. Of course not! The man is blinded by arrogance, and clearly has no notion of the power a woman can wield.”
“And you intend to show him.” Heather smirked into the darkness.
“Damned right, I do.”
* * *
Derby
Dread,fully formed and intense, surged behind Juliana’s breastbone.Fire. Her father’s stables were ablaze in one low corner, the fire spreading rapidly along the outside of the building, despite the damp wood.
Shock held her feet still as chaos erupted. Leo rushed past her to open the next stall, hurriedly leading the horse out.
