For a minute he didn’t think she would back down. Absurdly, it made him feel both angry and just a little proud of her courage. Finally, though, he saw her shoulders sag just a bit. He saw the light of combat in her eyes fade just enough.
“Thomas,” she said, turning to Drake. “There is someone at the house party right now named Thomas who either Pamela or Gerta needed to see last night.” Huffing a bit, she shook her head. “Lord, was it only last night? I feel as if I have been circling this dance for weeks. I admit I was a bit distracted by some of the previous conversations about how long it would take Beau to return to Lady Pamela’s bed. I didn’t really remember the bit after that until a few minutes ago. But I know that Lord Burke is not a Thomas. Whoever it is, they were deciding who was going last night to see this person. I suspect it was to give a report of some kind. Of course, they could just be….er, sharing him. I have never been privy to those kinds of arrangements, so I couldn’t give an informed opinion.”
Beau was astonished to see a flush of pink on her cheeks. It seemed his Pip wasn’t impervious to suggestive behavior. For that brief moment, he was swamped by the urge to show her something to really make her blush. For another long moment, he battled his body’s predictable reaction and ended up sitting back down to protect his dignity. Lord, what was happening to him? In those glasses, with that hair, she looked like a fairy tale creature. And suddenly he could not stop thinking of her in his arms. In his bed.
That deserved another swallow of brandy.
“Thomas,” Drake mused, leaning his head back a bit. “No, not Burke. But close. Burke’s valet is a Thomas. And his secretary, Mr. Thomas March.” He shrugged. “A rather handsome man, but on the far side of sixty. And very fastidious.”
Pip managed a grin. “Then it is a good thing I am on my honeymoon. I’m not certain I could keep a straight face if I saw him and couldn’t help but think of his possible predilections.”
Finishing off his drink, Drake set down his snifter and rose, straightening any minor creases in his attire he might have caused by sitting. “Well, my friends, if either of you remember anything else, send a messenger. I shall be in London saving the nation and suffering attonevents. And if you need any support, Nate Adams seems to be in the vicinity. Leave a message for him at a charming little thieves’ ken appropriately called the Lion and Bandit.”
“Adams?” Beau echoed, frowning. “Can’t he take over here?”
Beau didn’t know Adams as well as the other Rakes. His efforts were rumored to be to the darker side of intelligence gathering.
Drake shook his head. “He is otherwise engaged. Evidently, I am not senior enough to know his purpose. I was just given the information since we seem to have a dearth of Rakes down here. If you cannot wait for him, I believe you can rely on the duchess’s staff for support. I will inform her. And after your charming interlude here, I would like you to visit London. We need to get the group together to compare notes.”
“You’re going, then?” Beau asked.
Drake’s smile was almost sweet. “Yes. Which means you two can get back to discussing marriage. Remember, Lady Drummond. If you need to hide a body, I might know someone.”
Pip bestowed her second grin on him. “I hope there is no time limit on that offer.”
Instead of answering, he bent to kiss her cheek on the way by. “Don’t see me out. I know the way. Shall I tell the butler as I pass that dinner will be delayed?”
“No,” Beau said.
Pip shrugged. “I can discuss difficult subjects over the soup.”
* * *
In the end,dinner was delayed after all. Drake had no sooner closed the door behind him on the way out than Pip turned back to Beau, her stomach in knots.
“Do you want to explain what that was all about?” she demanded, hands clenched at her waist as if that could keep them from trembling. Or, come to think of it, striking out.
Beau looked at the closed door with some yearning. “It would be better if we waited until after dinner, just like you suggested.”
“I won’t be able to eat my dinner if I don’t know what is happening. I gave you a way out of this marriage much earlier this morning. If you do not want to be in it, why did you not take me up on the offer?”
“It would have been dishonorable to leave you at the altar, Pip.”
“Less dishonorable than setting me aside now?”
“Not setting you aside. Giving us both the time to have more choices. Giving you a chance to be happy with someone who…who truly wishes to marry.”
The worst part was, Pip knew, was that he thought he would be doing her a favor as much as himself. Instead, in the end, he would ruin her. And it had nothing to do with society. “Who wishes to marryme, you mean. On what grounds are you thinking of doing this?”
He raked his hand through his hair. “The most obvious would be lack of consortium.”
“Not lack of consortium,” she retorted, flailing again to find her footing. “It must be lack of ability. Are you ready to provethat?”
He moved as if he was going to grab her by the arms but stopped at the last moment. “I’m trying to give you the life you deserve. Can’t you see that?”
“And you believe marriage to you won’t provide that for me.”
“No!”
