Lord Tottenham waved his hand in the air. “Yes, yes, there will be plenty of time for that, General. At the moment, my champagne glass feels a bit light.” He lifted the nearly empty glass in the air and turned to locate a footman to give him another.
Lord Allen snapped his fingers and a footman rushed to provide a new glass.
“Mark has a great many ideas I’m certain you’ll be eager to hear,” Nicole said to Tottenham. “His plans to organize a police force are particularly impressive.”
Tottenham, who seemed much happier with a full glass of champagne in his hand, looked at the couple and sighed. “Yes, well, Grimaldi, we’ve never had an Italian in the position, you know.”
Mark wanted to snap his glass in two. Only a man who was preoccupied with things like people’s lineage would mention his father’s heritage. He was about to bite back something about overbred snobs when he felt Nicole’s soft hand on his. She gently squeezed his wrist.A spark shot straight to his groin. God, she had touched him—and of her own accord—at last. To help him maintain his temper, perhaps, but suddenly the barriers between them felt… surmountable. He stared down into her tender, stormy eyes and temporarily forgot what Lord Tottenham had said.
Mark took a deep breath. It wouldn’t do to say something reckless to the man who would determine his future. Nicole knew his temper. He kept it in check most of the time, but there were a handful of issues, one being his bloodline, which brought it to the surface with frightening speed. She’d saved him already. She understood him.
Nicole’s hand slid away from his and Mark took a sip of his champagne to afford himself time to both think of a more appropriate reply and allow his cockstand to subside.
“He’s half English too, of course,” Nicole said for him judiciously. “And has spent his life in service to the Crown.”
“Yes, yes, of course,” Lord Tottenham replied. “And he has an utterly charming wife.” He smiled approvingly at Nicole, his bright blue eyes sparkling.
“Shall we go in to dinner?” Lord Allen said to the room at large.
The guests lined up two-by-two up in front of the double doors. Once everyone was in position, the procession made its way into the dining room.
“Thank you for that,” Mark leaned down and whispered to Nicole as they slowly walked together toward the dining room still clutching their champagne glasses.
“You’re welcome,” Nicole whispered back.
“Know anyone here?” he asked, his eyes scanning the queue.
“No one stands out. London’s changed quite a lot since I was last here.”
“It has, indeed.” Suddenly, the fact that he hadn’t seen her in ten years seemed incomprehensible to him. Their brief romance was another life. Many things had happened since then. Many things had changed. He’d changed. Had she?
They took their seats side by side toward the middle of the long rosewood table in Lord Allen’s grand dining room. Candlelight danced in golden flickers along the bright butter-yellow walls, playing shadows across the imposing portraits of Allen ancestors along with some great historical Englishmen including Henry VIII and Charles II. The dour faces seemed to stare down at them while the guests situated themselves.
Mark and Nicole made small talk with their tablemates while the footmen rushed forward to place napkins on the guests’ laps and pour the first course of wine. The guests had barely been sitting five minutes when the butler entered carrying a silver salver with a note on it. The man stalked to Lord Allen’s side, leaned down, and whispered into their host’s ear.
Lord Allen’s eyes widened and he glanced down the table at Mark and Nicole. “General Grimaldi, it seems an urgent message has arrived for you.” Lord Allen motioned for the butler to deliver the note to Mark.
The butler made his way down to him, and with a frown, Mark plucked the missive from the salver. Nicole watched him from behind her wineglass, apprehension in her eyes. Mark ripped open the note andscanned the words. He hadn’t seen the handwriting in years, but he recognized it. It belonged to his uncle.
“Please come quickly. I need your assistance. Your cousin John is dead.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Nicole studied Mark’s face. Something was wrong. He’d gone a shade paler and the lines around his mouth had tensed. What did the note say? Something to do with his work, most likely.
He pulled his napkin from his lap and stood. “We must go.”
“What is it?” Nicole asked from his side, standing too.
“Everything all right?” Lord Allen asked from his perch at the end of the dining table.
“A family matter.” Mark glanced at her. “Some bad news. I fear we must leave immediately.”
“Of course,” Lord Allen replied. He ordered the butler to have Mark’s coach brought round.
Mark and Nicole said their good-byes to the other guests, including Lord Tottenham, who looked especially sorry to see them go. They made their way to thedining room door. Lord Allen accompanied them, leading them down the corridor to the foyer.
“Are you quite all right, Grimaldi?” the minister asked as they marched toward the front door.
