Drake shook his head. “We’re trying not to give away our game yet.”
“No,” Beau said, abruptly standing.
Pip looked up at him, but he was focused on Drake, his expression murderous.
“No,” he repeated.
Setting down his drink, Drake stood as well.
Pip looked between them and understood. She wasn’t quite certain whether she was more horrified or thrilled. “I know what Miss Schroeder looks like. If she is still in there, I can get to her and get the information.”
Beau turned on her. “I said no!”
Pip would have been angry at him if she hadn’t heard the pain in his voice, the raw terror. But she couldn’t let him give in to his fear.
“I don’t understand,” she said to Drake. “How did you know I would be here? I am supposed to be at Delamere.”
Drake gave Beau quite a look. “You were supposed to be here. I especially asked for you.”
“Well then,” Pip said with quite a look of her own at Beau, “It is a very good thing that I am disobedient. Is that why you wanted my parents here, Drake? In case Beau refused to commit me to this place, my father could?”
“If we decided to go that route.”
Finally Pip got to her feet. “Beau. This is too important. It is something I can do.” Then she turned back to Lord Drake. “I just need to know the particulars. Especially how I am getting back out, for instance.”
He shrugged, his smile rueful. “We’re still working on that.”
“I. Said.No!”Beau all but roared.
Drake didn’t look at him right away. Instead, he drew a breath. Only then did he speak. “There is one more piece of information she has we need to get. Badly.”
“What?” Beau snapped.
Finally, Drake looked up. “The location of your brother, Theo.”
17
Beau swore he heard a roaring in his ears. “That isn’t funny, Drake.”
“It’s not meant to be.”
“Theo is dead.” Beau dragged the words past the constriction in his throat. “You told me yourself.”
Drake didn’t so much as look away. “I lied.”
Without even thinking, Beau drove a punch into Drake’s jaw that sent him crashing over the sofa. Drake ended up sprawled against a curio filled with jade figurines that trembled with the impact. Pip instinctively moved toward Drake and then stopped, looking over at Beau with stricken eyes. But Beau couldn’t afford to take his eyes off that perfidious bastard on the floor.
The door opened to reveal Wilkins.
“Out,” was all Drake said as he picked himself up, gave his jaw a rub, and straightened out his clothing.
The door closed. Beau didn’t take his eyes off his unofficial superior. The roaring hadn’t stopped. It was joined by the damnest fire in his chest, a conflagration that threatened to simply turn him to ashes. And yet, he couldn’t move. He couldn’t even figure out how to talk.
Theo. Sweet God, Theo.
Pip was still standing next to him, her accusing stare on Drake. “You’re serious.”
Drake walked around the sofa to once again face them. It was all Beau could do to hold himself still, his hands clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.
