“I do not believe we have met,” Lily said. She felt a sudden uneasiness, though she masked her feelings.
“No, I have not had the pleasure. I am Priya Shavanastu.” With a nod in the other direction, she added, “I am the guest of Mr. Monroe.”
I am certain you are,Lily thought. She had no notion of what Adrian’s intentions were, but if he had brought this woman from India, it could not be good. Whether this woman had any connection to Matthew hardly mattered at all—Adrian was attempting to dredge up terrible memories. And Lily intended to shield the man she loved from his cousin’s animosity.
“Forgive me for interrupting you,” Miss Shavanastu continued, “but I have been wanting to speak with Lord Arnsbury. Mr. Monroe thought he would not be far from your side.”
“He may return shortly,” Lily answered. Although she gave the appearance of serenity, inside, her stomach was churning. If Matthew saw this woman, it might bring back all the torment of India. And she would never allow that.
She took the woman’s arm with the pretense of walking with her. “Forgive me, but how do you know the earl? Did you meet him during his travels in India?” She kept her tone light, as if she were discussing the weather. But she wanted to read the woman’s response, to determine her intentions.
Miss Shavanastu gave a soft laugh. “We did, yes. In fact, he is the reason I traveled this far to London. I owe him a great deal, and wanted to thank him in person.”
Every hair upon Lily’s skin seemed to stand on end, but she forced herself to smile at the woman. “Then let me take you to him,” she lied. Her instincts warned that this woman was up tono good, so she guided her in the opposite direction. “He was speaking with a friend outside. Let us go and join him.”
The woman had clearly not seen Matthew, for she followed Lily readily. “I should be glad to. My daughter would not be alive, were it not for Lord Arnsbury’s assistance.”
Lily did not believe any of her words, but murmured, “You have traveled a great distance. It could not have been an easy journey.” She guided the woman toward the doors, letting the woman speak of her voyage on board the ship.
All the while, Lily was conscious of the deceit. She did not doubt for a moment that this foreigner had been brought to disturb Matthew. There was danger in her very presence, and Lily was determined to take her away from the duchess’s ball. A footman could help to discreetly escort Miss Shavanastu away, as an uninvited guest.
When they reached the garden, the woman turned to study the men and women milling about, but as Lily had intended, there was no sign of Matthew. “We must have missed him,” she said apologetically. “But if you wish to wait here, Miss Shavanastu, I can fetch a footman to bring him to us.”
The woman’s expression shifted imperceptibly, revealing a trace of annoyance. “Let us return to the ballroom, and I am certain we will find him there.”
“Perhaps in a moment.” Lily walked across the stone terrace, pretending as if nothing were amiss. “Do let me show you the gardens.”
The woman stared at her. “There are no flowers blooming in December, Lady Lily.”
“No, but it will give us a chance to speak without anyone eavesdropping.” She intended to give this woman a warning of her own. As she’d hoped, Miss Shavanastu followed.
During his revelation, Matthew had admitted that he believed someone had paid a sailor to kidnap him and James, bringingthem at the mercy of their captors. But James had not been tormented in the same way, and when he’d escaped, no one had followed. Likely because he was of no consequence to the men.
Adrian had known that Matthew was leaving for India with James. Would he not arrange for his cousin’s death, particularly since he was the immediate heir to the earldom? It was easy enough to hire an assassin, but for whatever reason, Matthew had been tortured instead.
“Your English is flawless,” she said to Miss Shavanastu. “How did you learn to speak it so well?”
The woman smiled. “We were servants in an English household. I learned to speak it as easily as my own language.” In spite of her friendly tone, Lily detected a hardness in her eyes, a flash of hatred toward those she had served.
Now that they were alone, away from the other guests, Lily wanted to provoke a reaction from the woman, to see if her premonition had any merit. She had her own theory of the woman’s true identity, and decided to voice it.
“I seem to recall that Lord Arnsburydidmention you to me.” Before the woman could speak, Lily added, “But I believe your true name is Nisha Amat, is it not?” She kept a smile fixed upon her face, but the woman’s expression faltered in a moment of shock.
Miss Shavanastu shook her head. “No. You must be thinking of someone else.”
How stupid do you believe I am?she wanted to retort. Had it truly been an error, the woman would not have reacted at all. And for that reason, Lily made no effort to conceal her hatred. “I don’t know why you’ve traveled all this way, nor do I care whether you were paid by Mr. Monroe or anyone else. Return to India and leave Lord Arnsbury alone.”
The woman finally dropped the façade of friendliness. “As you said before, it was a long journey from India. I was paid wellfor what I did there. But I will not be paid the rest until I have finished my task. Mr. Monroe was quite furious that Arnsbury survived and returned home.”
A surge of fury rose up within her that this woman had ordered Matthew’s torture. Lily’s hands curled into fists, and she barely kept herself in control. “What you did to him was not human. I want you to leave immediately.”
“I liked torturing him,” Nisha said smoothly. “I held power over him, the way your people held power over me. I enjoyed breaking his mind as well as his body. And I had to return, to finish what I’d started. I knew where he would go, and I followed him here.”
The woman’s madness was a part of her, ensnared so deeply, it terrified Lily. Words would not convince her to stop, and she had no doubt Nisha meant to kill Matthew. The thought drew out her own protective instincts, lending her courage.
“You will not lay a single finger upon him,” she warned. “Go now, or I will have you thrown out.”
Nisha’s face curved in a dark smile. “I don’t think you will.” She reached out and caught Lily’s wrist, tightening her grip.
