Page 59 of Denying the Duke (Lords and Ladies in Love 3)

He pushed the problem with Patience from his mind. There was nothing he could do about it. Until Loverly was caught and dealt with, he had to make sure she was always protected. A wedding trip would be nice. They could travel to all his estates, mixing duty with pleasure. From what he’d gathered, such a trip could take more than a year.

Monroe, the London butler, met him at the door with the news that Templeton and Cam had already arrived. As he handed his gloves, cane, and hat to the butler, he asked after Patience.

“She and Polly left a bit ago. They were traveling to Bond Street, I believe.”

His jaw tightened. Why the devil couldn’t she remain at home embroidering, or counting the linens or silver, like a proper duchess? Why did she always have to roam around?

“How many footmen went with them?”

“Two, Your Grace. Plus the driver has a pistol on him, as well.” Alex had been forced to bring the driver, footmen, and Monroe into the plan to keep Patience safe. After discovering someone on his staff had let Loverly in, he kept his counsel from everyone except the men ordered to protect her. He was slowly interviewing the staff, many of whom he had met when he had assumed his title. Most of the servants who had been at their townhouse when he’d been a child were no longer in service.

Feeling even more out of sorts, he greeted Temple

ton and Cam and settled into a chair in front of the fireplace. He hadn’t spoken more than a few words when Hawk strode into the room. “Is there news?” he asked.

Alex waved him to a seat. “I was just going over my meeting with the commander. The very short meeting since Loverly has not been found, no one has seen him—except me—and the commander has everyone he can possibly dispense with looking for him.”

A footman entered the room, carrying a tray with coffee, tea, biscuits, and tarts. He placed the tray on the table in front of their grouping of chairs. On his heels came a white-faced Polly, her hair disheveled, her breathing erratic. “Your Grace.” With a shaky hand, she held something out to him.

Alex stared at the folded paper as if it would rear up and bite him. He knew what was written there. He took it from her hand and slowly opened it. His heart sank. He looked up, tight-lipped.

“Loverly has her.”

Chapter Nineteen

Patience glared at Loverly who sat across from her, pouring another glass of whiskey. “I suppose you are the reason my husband has had people following me around.” Since he had just removed the cloth from around her mouth, it was her first opportunity to speak to the horrid man who had feigned friendship and then kidnapped her.

Assuming Loverly was a friend of Alex’s, especially when he’d mentioned he’d been on the same ship traveling back with him from America, she had foolishly allowed the man to escort her and Polly back to their carriage. Except he had hailed a coach that had apparently been waiting for him. Confused as to what he was doing, and before she could ask him what he was about, he’d shoved her into the carriage, throwing her to her knees, then turned to Polly and thrust a piece of paper into her hands with instructions to give it to Alex.

Had her better senses prevailed, she would have shouted, but still stunned by the turn of events, they were well on their way before she realized what he had done. She’d opened her mouth and he’d shoved a handkerchief in and had whipped out a very large knife and waved it at her.

She’d fainted.

When she had finally awoken, she was in a dreadful room that smelled of liquor and other nasty things she did not care to identify. She jumped up from the bed that smelled even worse than the rest of the room. She would have to scrub herself raw when she finally got out of here.

“Yes, Your Grace, ’twas becoming quite annoying that you always had footmen behind you. And those three friends of your husband were even worse. I even wasted my time breaking into Andrews’s townhouse during his event. He grinned, stroking his beard. “Amazing how a few years away and a little facial hair erases a person from one’s memory. There I was right in the middle of their smashing success of a soiree, and no one recognized me.”

“What do you want? Why accost me? I have done nothing to you.”

He leaned forward, the stench of liquor wafting from his breath. His eyes were bloodshot and his lip curled in disdain. “No, not you. It’s your husband I want. I want his money so I can get on a ship and disappear—for good this time.”

Money. All of this was about money. “Why do you want to disappear? You are a lord. Surely you can raise the money in a more lawful way.”

Loverly snorted and took a large gulp of whiskey. “You see, Your Grace, there is the little problem of being hunted by the War Department.”

“The War Department?” This entire matter became more confusing and convoluted by the minute. “Why would the War Department want you?”

He leaned back in his chair, balancing on two legs. If only she could move fast enough, she could kick the legs out from under him and run. She shook her head. No, that was foolish, even though he’d been drinking, he was bigger and most likely faster than she was.

“Nosy little chit, aren’t you?”

Patience drew herself up. “I am a duchess.”

Loverly burst out laughing. “You know, I might decide to take you with me when I leave. I imagine you would be very entertaining in my bed.” Just as quickly, his mood changed, and she leaned back when he leered at her. “A few years back, my need for money led me to pass along a few items of interest to the French.” He pointed his finger at her. “His Majesty’s men did not like that.”

She took a deep breath, her eyes wide. “You are a traitor to the Crown?”

“Oh, how shocked you are. Imagine, an aristocrat turning on the Crown? My, my. How terrible it must all seem to you. Well, it supported a very nice life for me before it all came to an end. I managed to escape from France to America, where life was quite pleasant, even though they are all savages there.”