“That’s no excuse.”
“No, it’s not.” He sat on the edge of the bed beside her. “Do you remember the first morning of my visit? You asked me there in the wood what my purpose was for being there. Could I have told you then that I was there to protect you? Would you have believed that someone was trying to end your life? More to the point, could I say that I loved you when you only felt hatred toward me? Those were things you could not listen to, Kenna, so I compromised and told you what you could hear. And it was no lie. My father’s presence in London was enough to send me packing for Dunnelly even had there been no other reasons.”
Rhys lifted his legs on the bed and sat cross-legged in front of Kenna, leaning a little forward with an earnestness about his posture. “And on the ship, when you were finally able to hear another truth, that I had gone to Dunnelly to see that you were safe, could you have listened to me tell you that protecting you was irrevocably intertwined with finding a traitor, perhaps a member of your own family? Could you have listened and believed me then, when you didn’t even realize I loved you and would never do anything to harm you?”
Kenna closed her eyes, wishing she could answer him differently. “You know I wouldn’t have believed you,” she said, defeated. She raised her eyes to him. They hinted at her pain. “I can bear it now. I promise I can listen to you.” She reached out impulsively, touching his arm. “I must know, Rhys. Why did the Foreign Office send you to Dunnelly?”
Chapter 9
Rhys admitted to himself it was time to tell Kenna everything, yet he wished this moment had not come. Almost immediately he wondered if that were entirely true. Perhaps he had wanted to share this with her, else why had he spoken of the overheard conversation at dinner? He sighed, thinking reflection in this instance was not productive, and Kenna was still pleading her question with her beautifully eloquent eyes.
“In order to answer you I must go back more than a decade,” he said finally, his voice heavy.
“To my father’s death?”
He shook his head. “Before that. To the fall of 1804, when I went to the Continent.”
Kenna nodded wisely and spoke, thinking to save him a painful explanation. “I know why you went to France, Rhys.”
“You do?” he asked, brows lifting.
“Nick told me.”
That clearly shocked Rhys. “He did?”
“Yes. He told me all about his love for poor, mad Lara and how you fought the duel in his place while he acted as your second.”
“I see,” Rhys said thoughtfully.
Kenna frowned at his tone. “It’s true, isn’t it?”
“It’s true. Or rather it’s the truth as Nick knows it. There are other things which I could never speak to him about, things that I must tell you now if you’re to understand.” His eyes did not waver from hers. “When I finished at Oxford your father approached me, asking if I would be interested in working for the Foreign Office. The position as he outlined it entailed going to France and acting as a conduit for highly sensitive information between Napoleon’s government and the crown. More simply, I was being asked to spy for England. There was nothing I would not have done for your father, Kenna, but I cannot lay my acceptance of the request solely at his door. In truth, I found the idea intriguing and I felt, as your father did, that I was highly suited for the task.
“My American citizenship would make me more acceptable to the French and my command of the language was excellent. But my relationship to the Duchess of Pelham was bound to be remarked upon should it be discovered. Neither Robert nor I thought it would be wise to dismiss the possibility. It therefore remained for me to find a reason for going to France that would not be questioned.”
“The duel,” she breathed softly.
“Yes. You must believe I didn’t plan it to happen the way it did. When Lara’s brother asked Nick for satisfaction I took responsibility for the affair and offered to meet him. I honestly don’t know if I would have acted in the same manner if it were not for the other problem. I like to think I still would have stood in Nick’s stead, for we both know he is a poor shot and Lara’s brother was intent upon murder. But it is hardly debatable because the other problem did exist and I responded accordingly.”
Kenna did not agree. She touched his knee lightly. “You would have helped Nick. I know it.”
“Thank you for that.” Rhys’s bleak smile faded slightly as he basked in Kenna’s confidence. “The wound to Lara’s brother was more severe than I intended. I did not anticipate he would flinch at the last moment and I was thankful I hadn’t killed him. Dueling was all that was necessary, not murder. I believe you know what happened next. I fled to France with my great-grandmother’s blessing. She expressed an interest in never seeing me again and formally broke all ties with me. Your father as well made it publicly known I was not welcome in his home. My grandmother was sincere, Robert only appeared so.”
“Nick said father was gravely disappointed in you both.”
“He was disappointed in Nick, for he knew the reason I had taken your brother’s place. He thought I was reckless and gave me a stern dressing down. Afterwards he shook my hand and wished me luck.”
“What did you do while you were in France?”
“I attached myself to a circle of people which included some of Napoleon’s confidantes as well as Josephine’s. I listened to every small bit of information that came my way, whether or not it seemed to have any significance at the time. All that was expected of me was that I report what I heard, not analyze it. Interpretation was left to agents more skilled than I or the Foreign Office. As I proved myself I was given more responsibility and eventually I was chosen to lead an important operation. There were still a number of men and women of noble birth in France who had offended Napoleon in some way. Some were in prisons; others were closely watched on their estates by Napoleon’s spies. For obvious reasons they were not able to leave the country. My assignment was to provide the means for them to do so.
“From the time of the Terror on, your father was involved in helping people flee France. His political influence and financial support was crucial in making the operation a popular one. Your sister, as I discovered much later, was one of the first children brought out of Paris with his help and years later Victorine was able to follow. When we were reviewing the guest list the other day you pointed out the Comte and Comtesse Lescaut. They left France under my direction, as did Michael Deveraux and Paul Françon.”
Kenna shook her head wonderingly. “You never said a word. It did not seem then as if you even knew them. Why didn’t you tell me how you had helped my father?”
“It was not relevant at the time,” he said simply. “I was more interested in what you knew about the guests.”
Kenna had to accept that explanation. “You do tend to be bloody single-minded,” she said, sighing. “Tell me how it came to pass that you returned to England. I should have thought your work on the Continent would have lasted longer than one year.”
