Grinding his teeth against his rage, Jamie forced himself to toss Pomeroy’s sword aside. Holding Pomeroy by the throat, he pulled his own dagger.
“I should cut out your eyes just for looking at her,” he spat out. “But I shall settle for this.”
Pomeroy clenched his jaw, but he did not cry out when Jamie drew the edge of the blade across his cheek. It was a deep cut that would fester and leave a scar.
“When you look at your reflection, I want you to remember that I could have killed you this day,” Jamie said. “Know that if you ever threaten Linnet again, I shall.”
Chapter Twenty-five
“There is a rumor on the wind about you, Lady Linnet,” Gloucester said.
Linnet raised an eyebrow. “Only one, Your Grace? ’Tis disappointing to learn I am so little remarked upon.”
Gloucester guffawed and slapped his knee. “I do like a clever woman. Never fear, dear lady, there is always a good deal of talk about you—especially about your beauty.”
She expelled a dramatic sigh. “Thatis not very interesting.”
Neither was Gloucester. When he crossed the hall to sit beside her on her bench by the window, there was no escape. One simply did not walk away from a man who was the king’s uncle and third in line to the throne, tedious though he may be. Just yesterday, she would have done it anyway. But after how angry Jamie had been with her, she was determined to be more circumspect in her behavior.
“There is also speculation as to whom you’ve taken as your latest lover.” Gloucester leaned closer. “But I, for one, am more interested in learning who will be your next.”
Linnet did not like the direction of the conversation—or the way the duke was staring at her chest.
She cleared her throat. “But that is not the rumor you first spoke of?”
“You are quite right.”
His sweet scent was going to make her sneeze if he did not move farther away. She glanced about the room, hoping someone would rescue her.
“What I heard is that you are looking for a particular man,” Gloucester said in a low voice. “A merchant you suspect of cheating your family many years past.”
Linnet’s heart leapt in her chest. He had her full attention now. Trying to keep her voice steady, she asked, “Do you know who this man is?”
“Not at present. But if it is important to you,mon cherie…” He shrugged one shoulder and lifted his hands. “I could be persuaded to apply a bit of pressure here, a hint of a favor there…”
As a member of the royal family, Gloucester had means to obtain information she would never have. And more, he was the darling of the London merchants. If Gloucester let it be known that he required certain information, he would get it.
Linnet leaned forward, her breath coming fast. “You would do this for me, Your Grace?”
“The task could prove… enjoyable,” he said with a slow smile. “Who knows what we might discover together?”
She sat back and folded her hands in her lap. Gloucester liked to play at being chivalrous, but he expected payment for service. Of course, she should have known there would be a quid pro quo. All she needed to do was think of something he wanted—other than herself.
His heavy scent made her nose twitch dangerously as he leaned close again. “There are too many ears here in the hall. Come to my rooms in an hour, and we can discuss how best to pursue your mysterious merchant.”
“Will Lady Eleanor be joining us?” she asked, playing innocent.
He gave a bark of laughter. “Eleanor knows I like to share my goodwill.”
Which was probably one of the reasons Eleanor remained his favorite.
“All the same, let us keep this… arrangement… to ourselves,” Gloucester said, giving her a wink. “I suspect Sir James Rayburn would not be pleased if he learned of it.”
And there was the rub.
While she was not going to let Gloucester lay a finger on her, let alone get into bed with him, Jamie would be furious if he learned she was still pursuing her revenge. She had not meant to. Truly, she had every intention of giving up the search. But with Gloucester dangling the means of discovering the identity of her worst enemy, she could not turn away.
She would have the name in no time.
