“That isn’t all. She also uncovered a rather unexpected feline.”
“And that would be?”
“Burke.”
This time Drake admitted surprise, whipping his head around to stare at Beau. “White-haired, genial, best-friends-with-the-Prince Burke?”
Beau took a sip of champagne. “The very same. Not just friends with the prince, evidently, but my own Pamela Smythe-Smythe, who waylaid me last night in my room, ostensibly to enjoy a last ride. Except later I realized she was spending a lot of time wandering aimlessly around.”
“Looking for something.”
“I would say so. The difficulty for her was that Pip was ahead of her. Pip evidently heard Burke talking and sussed out a plot to identify and…er,take careof whichever Rake had been sent to retrieve the plans—that being me—by making a fake set available while the real ones were tucked in Pamela’s rooms. Pip lifted the fake plans right off me during that…er, compromising moment.”
Drake gave a soft whistle.
“I haven’t decided whether ‘take care’ meant compromise, implicate, or just eliminate.”
“Glad we didn’t have to find out. You have them?”
“I do now. After Pip got hold of the false plans, she evidently took the opportunity while Pamela was with me to sneak into her room to search for the real ones.”
And got stuck under Pamela’s bed. The more Beau thought about it, the funnier it seemed. Only Pip, he thought with a shake of his head. And to be able to squeeze out of that dilemma only to run smack into him.
“Pip put me in possession of both real and fake plans, with copies of the fakes left behind.”
By the time he finished telling Drake, his leader was shaking his head. “That is what I’m trying to tell you. Resourceful, is our Pip. She’d be a natural.”
He wasn’t going to argue this. Just the idea gave him the shakes.
“No.”
Dropping her off at Delamere was looking more and more provident.
“You’ll stay here a few days more anyway?” Drake asked, not even looking at Beau. “Since our suspected predators will not leave yet.”
“I do have business to attend to, you know.”
“Next week. For now, you are the only one available. The rest are taken up with the last contretemps.”
Beau intended to tell Drake no. He needed to get Pip somewhere safe so he could go over the reports on the security for more than one at-risk prince. He was in the process of turning to do just that when he was intercepted.
“My dear Drummond,” the duchess called, approaching at a fast clip.
Blast.
He bowed. “Your Grace.”
She smiled that Mona Lisa smile of hers and took him by the arm. “You’ll excuse him for a moment, won’t you, Lord Drake?”
Drake made his own bow. “Anything for you, ma’am.”
She patted his arm on the way by as if he were a schoolboy again. “Such good sense.”
“Have you managed to pass off the plans?” she murmured as soon as she had Beau moving again, seemingly aimlessly circling the floor.
“Not yet. Although I am relieved to see Drake here.”
“Me as well. It will keep you from haring off to London before the breakfast is even over and humiliating my dear Pippin.”
