Drake considered Beau for a moment. “Are you certain about that? What if she is an asset? She has a very sharp mind, does Pip. And we need all the sharp minds we can get.”
Beau couldn’t help a sharp laugh. “Have you ever wondered why she never plays cards? She is incapable of hiding her emotions. You know she has a good winning hand almost before she does. She would give the game away.”
“Not very kind to her.”
“But safer. She cannot be connected with us in any way. If it gets to the point where I think it would protect her more to tell her, I will.”
Drake scowled. “Which means, never. Do you think she could be in danger now? Should we go after her?”
Beau shook his head. “No. That wasn’t the impression I got. He was just…watching. I will sit her down when she gets back and figure a way to keep her safe.”
Drake nodded and took hold of the decanter. “Sit down, then. We have other business to attend to before I leave.”
Beau took one last look out the window and reclaimed his chair. Drake filled his glass again.
“She should be back soon anyway,” Drake said. “She suspected you would be more comfortable without her for the rest of the discussion and made a polite retreat.”
“And that discussion would be?”
“Whether you would rather keep an eye on Burke or Pamela.”
Beau’s laugh was dry as duty. “Pamela? After being married a sum total of twelve hours? You don’t know Pip very well if you think she’ll put up with that. And if this little farce is going to cost me my life, I would much rather not have it happen at the hands of my wife. Or her friends. Or the duchess. Or her servants, who all seem smitten with my wife.”
Drake grinned. “The butlerdidseem rather proprietary.”
“You don’t think a search of Burke’s financial records will tell the tale?”
“Of possible misbehavior, yes. Of whom he is in contact with, who he is abetting, no.” Drake paused to take a thoughtful sip of his brandy. “You might more easily earn Burke’s confidences if you vocally mourn his catching you in flagrante delicto.”
Beau didn’t even think about it. “No.”
“Even for the security of the nation?”
“Even for the security of the Archangel Michael. You know perfectly well Pamela would hear of it and spread my perfidy far and wide. And no matter how I feel about Pip right now, humiliating her is not an option.”
“You feel so strongly about her?”
“I feel so strongly about not having my wife poison my tea. Unless we can find an acceptable solution, we will be connected for a very long time.”
Drake’s eyes widened. “An acceptable solution? You’re thinking of setting her aside?”
Beau took a considered look at the fireplace. “If I think it might keep her safer. Especially if someone imagines that she is important to me.”
“You don’t think you should tell her why?”
“Again, no. Not unless I have no other choice.”
For a long moment Drake studied him. Then, sighing, he shook his head. “I think you’re asking for more trouble than you’re preventing.”
Beau picked up his half-finished brandy and finished it. “She’ll come to understand. Besides, she doesn’t really want me. Not the me I am now. Hell,Idon’t particularly like the me I am now.”
For a long moment Drake held his silence. Then he reached over and refilled Beau’s glass. “Don’t you think you might have benefited from reaching this conclusion earlier?”
“Don’t you have to be getting certain vital information back to London?” Beau retorted.
“I do. But I needed to make certain I was bringing back the correct information.”
Beau shrugged. “You have the coded message, which if I am correct, gives the instructions to instigate another attempt on Wellington’s life. You have Burke and Pamela as definitive participants. I’d call it a full weekend.”
