Page 36 of Captivating the Earl (Lords and Ladies in Love 5)

Once again, he went over the facts thus far. The note from the Home Office had arrived after Lizzie had been thrown from her horse. That told him whoever was planning to kill her had learned where she was hiding and dispatched the man cooling his heels in the cellar to Wycliff Manor. That had happened while the note from the Secretary was making its way from Hawk’s townhouse to the Manor.

The only people who would have known Lizzie’s whereabouts at that time were in the Home Office. It followed that someone in the Home Office had been working with Loverly, and he thought Lizzie either knew who he was, or possessed information that would incriminate him.

…

Lizzie would have preferred Hawk to stay in the room with her after the scare she’d had, instead of the innkeeper’s daughter. But after a warm cup of tea, instead of feeling sleepy this time, she felt invigorated. Perhaps it was the tussle with the attacker, but her headache had subsided a bit and she wanted to get out of bed.

She dismissed the young girl, pulled out a gown that wasn’t too wrinkled, and got dressed. She was able to dress quickly. One thing she’d realized as a governess for the Wycliff family was how frivolous and useless her life had been as a lady of the ton.

Hours had been spent selecting ribbons, slippers, and shawls. More hours at the modiste for gown fittings. Her lady’s maid had spent a great deal of time tending to all those lovely clothes as well as designing various coiffures.

Afternoon visits, soirees, balls, rides in the park, musicales, the theater, all these things had taken up her time. And to what end? To have her father betray his country to pay for it all. Every time she thought of how he’d looked the last time she’d seen him, she became sick to her stomach.

Oh, Papa, why didn’t you tell me we couldn’t afford all of that? We could have figured something out together.

She twisted her hair into a neat chignon, pinned it at her nape, and bit her lips. Then chastised herself for doing so. The last thing she needed right now was to look attractive to Lord Hawkins, despite the fact she thought him the most handsome man she’d ever met. In fact, she’d thought so when they’d danced their one dance in a London ballroom, so many years ago.

A faint blush tainted her cheeks. He’d been aroused when he’d climbed into bed with her. At the boarding school she’d attended, one of the girls had confiscated a book from her grandfather’s library. For hours, the girls had giggled, wide-eyed, over the pictures.

What was indeed more frightening was how her body had reacted to him, even though she’d been shivering and having difficulty breathing. She didn’t want to be aware of him, but her body refused to listen to her mind. As he’d rubbed her back, her nipples had tingled, and she’d had the urge to push the area between her legs against his muscular thigh.

It was obvious why gently reared young ladies were always supposed to have a chaperone. If Hawk hadn’t jumped from the bed, Lord knows what might have happened. Something that she would surely have allowed.

She found him sitting in the common room, studying an empty glass sitting on the table in front of him. An almost-full bottle of brandy sat alongside the glass. He looked up as she approached him, his smile genuine. Again, her heart did a tap dance, and a contingent of butterflies took up residence in her stomach.

Hawk stood and pulled out a chair. “Are you well? Should you be resting?”

“I have done enough resting, my lord. I prefer to discuss what just happened upstairs.”

The startled look on Hawk’s face told her he thought she was referring to their time in bed. “No, no.” Heat climbed to her face. “I mean the man who attacked me. Did you speak with him?”

“I did. He was hired by someone in London. He was the person who cut the girth on the saddle, also.”

Lizzie drew in a deep breath. “Why? There is no doubt in my mind that he wanted to kill me. If I hadn’t kicked him, I would be dead now.”

Hawk ran his fingers through his hair. “I know. Don’t think I haven’t been terrified at what might have happened.”

“Why is he trying to kill me?”

“That is precisely what I want to know.” He took her hands in his. “I have reason to believe the person who hired your attacker works for the Home Office.”

Her jaw dropped. “What?”

“Look at it this way. I received a letter from the Home Secretary telling me you were working at my cousin’s estate, and to find you and bring you in for questioning.” He began to draw circles on her hand, which would have distracted her had the subject they were discussing not been so riveting.

“The only people who would have known you were at Wycliff Manor were members of the Home Office.”

She frowned, trying to piece together the timeline. “But the saddle was tampered with before you received the letter.”

“Yes. But remember it had been sent to my London home first and then forwarded from there. If someone had been dispatched as soon as your whereabouts had been discovered, they would have arrived before the letter.”

She tightened her grip on his hand. “Why?”

“That is precisely what I want to know. Either you know something that will incriminate the person involved in your father’s betrayal, or you are in possession of something that will incriminate him.”

“I own no possessions except my two satchels. When I fled London, that was all I took.”

“Tomorrow we will leave for Hawkins Manor. It will take some time for whoever dispatched your attacker to learn he failed. He will then send someone else after you.”