Cade opened the door to a slant-ceilinged attic illuminated by a single lamp, which revealed a neat stack of baggage, a not-very-wide bed, and Tamsyn, who was perched on the edge of the bed, brushing her shining blond hair so that it spilled over her blue robe. The sight of her beauty and the intimacy of the setting blazed through him like lightning, shattering his nerves and control.
Tamsyn’s gaze snapped to him. “Is something wrong? I just felt a blast of shock from you.”
He clamped down on his emotions with the iron control he’d cultivated all his life. “I didn’t expect to see you here. What are you doing in my room?”
“Ourroom,” she said cheerfully. “Mr. Holland assumed we’re married so it wouldn’t be a problem for us to share.”
Cade wanted to grind his teeth. “I should have made it clear that we prefer separate rooms.”
“We’re lucky to have this. Two servants were moved in with two other servants in order to give us this room.” She began plaiting her hair into a long braid. “We’ll manage. Though we aren’t married, for much of our lives we’ve lived under the same roof. We’ve even shared the same bed.”
“That was when you were about four years old,” he pointed out. “Living under the same roof is different from sharing a room. You’re not just my younger sister, but a well-born young lady. It feels very . . . improper for me to be here.”
She laughed. “Cade, it isn’t like you to worry about propriety! We’re on a mission and we’ll do whatever is necessary. And what’s necessary now is eating. I’m hungry!”
“So am I,” Cade said, glad to change the subject. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast, which was many miles and hours ago. Shall I go down to the kitchen and see what I can beg, borrow, or steal?”
“I already have.” She stood and lifted a basket onto the small table. “One of the cooks provided us with a good selection of meats and cheeses and breads as well as a rather fine-looking bottle of red wine.” She began taking food parcels out of the basket.
Relaxing, he moved to the table, knowing that sharing a meal with Tam would make the situation feel more normal. “You’re the best forager I know.”
“It’s not a dramatic gift, but useful,” she said as she opened a parcel of sliced ham. “Would you like ham and cheese on excellent French bread?”
“Please!”
She assembled a well-filled sandwich, poured wine into a tumbler, and set it on the other side of the table. He settled in a wooden chair and took a large bite of his sandwich. Delicious. After chewing and swallowing, he asked, “How did you get on with the duchess?”
“Surprisingly well. We packed her belongings into trunks together because her French maid has left her.”
“The duchess was willing to do such menial labor?” Cade said, surprised. “With her reputation, I’d have thought such tasks would be beneath her.”
“She’s felt very isolated here, so she welcomed my company.” Tamsyn sipped her wine before continuing, “I’ve heard that her first husband, the Duke of Dorset, married her for her beauty but was a notorious womanizer with a passion for cricket and little time for his young wife.”
“No wonder she’s prickly.” He shook his head. “Beauty can be such a curse for women. I’m glad you won’t ever be forced into a situation like that.”
“So am I. Beauty is a decidedly mixed blessing. Money is more useful.” Tamsyn looked reflective. “I have the feeling that the duchess’s cool composure and demands for the respect due to her rank were her way of protecting herself in her difficult first marriage. But the duke’s death left her a wealthy woman, so she was able to marry a man she loves. Whitworth is very different from her first husband. She wants to be a good wife to him, but this time in France has been very hard for her.”
Tamsyn’s assessments of people were always astute, and this analysis gave Cade a better understanding of the ambassador’s wife. “It sounds as if she’ll be cooperative in getting them to safety.”
“She will.” Tamsyn ate a bite of her sandwich. “What have you been doing all day?”
“Talking to the guards to organize protection for the journey to Calais. There are several wagons which will leave together, carrying furniture and the like, but the most important papers and embassy staff members will leave later in two carriages. There will be no flags or coats of arms to attract attention, and each wagon and carriage will have an armed guard.”
Tamsyn finished her sandwich. After washing it down with a sip of wine, she asked, “Will you and I travel with the Whitworths?”
“I’ll be one of two outriders, moving back and forth and watching for trouble. I thought you should ride inside with the ambassador and his wife as the last line of defense if one is needed.”
“That makes sense, as well as sparing me from any rain that may fall.” She sipped more wine. “Did you find anything dangerous hidden in the shrubbery around the embassy?”
He grimaced. “Unfortunately, yes. I did the search with Hansen, the captain of the embassy’s military guard. We found a hidden cache of gunpowder large enough to destroy most of the building if it had been set off.”
Tamsyn gave a soft whistle. “A good thing you searched!”
“We took care of the immediate threat,” he said seriously. “But the bad news is that I sensed the explosives had been placed there by a strongly gifted man. Ordinary searchers would almost certainly have missed them.” He hesitated before continuing, “The energy that marked the explosives was very distinctive and very focused.”
Frowning, Tamsyn set her wine tumbler down. “That’s deeply disturbing. Would you recognize the man if you met him in person?”
“Yes, though I hope that doesn’t happen. He’s as cold and poisonous as a scorpion. He radiates hatred toward Britain and the British.”
