Page 56 of Captivating the Earl (Lords and Ladies in Love 5)

Hawk quelled the desire to check his surroundings as he strode from his townhouse to Cam’s residence. Ordinarily, he never walked the streets unaware of what was going on around him. Even in the better neighborhoods, he carried his pistol in his coat pocket and had a dagger strapped to his calf. But a servant would merely hurry along and not dare to look anyone in the eye. And tonight, he was a servant.

Once they were safely settled in Cam’s townhouse, they could plan their trip to Lord Loverly’s. After Hawk had discovered whom the lovely governess in his cousin’s house was, he’d sent word to Cam to be prepared to assist in a delicate matter.

At the time, he hadn’t revealed Lady Elizabeth’s identity, and why they were secreting themselves in his house. He couldn’t trust missives, or just about anything, until this matter was settled and Lizzie was safe.

From Hawk Manor, he’d sent another note with the needed information for Cam to secure the special license. But the entire story would come out tonight. Lizzie would need more than the security of Cam’s residence over the next few days. In fact, if Cam had done what Hawk had requested, her protection, especially from the Home Office, would be solidified.

Thankfully, a light mist had arrived with the darkness. Familiar with the path from his townhouse to Cam’s, Hawk didn’t need a clear night, but used the gaslights that lit the street to guide him.

Hawk arrived at the back door, which swung open immediately. “Good evening, my lord. The young lady and Lord Campbell are in the library.”

The servant and Hawk wended their way through the basement, up the servants’ stairs, and to the ground floor. Hawk knocked briefly at the library door and entered the room. Lizzie sat across from Cam, a small table with tea service between them. They both looked up as he entered. Lizzie released a visible sigh of relief and offered him a warm smile that did strange things to the area of his body near his heart. And behind his pantaloon flap.

“Brandy?” Cam held up his own glass.

“Yes. I will get it.” Hawk moved to the sideboard and poured himself a healthy measure of the liquor. Swirling the glass, he walked to where Lizzie sat and settled alongside her. He sipped the liquor and took her hand in his.

Hawk faced Cam. “Before we start, Cam, I want you to know that Lady Elizabeth Munro is Lord Loverly’s daughter.”

If Cam had been surprised, he didn’t show it, but then he had always been very good at keeping his reactions and emotions in check. A man you did not want seated across from you at the card table. Hawk had learned that lesson too many times.

“Ah, now I understand the surveillance of Loverly’s townhouse.” He leaned back in his chair and rested his foot on his knee. “Lady Elizabeth was just about to relate her story. Perhaps you should start at the beginning, Hawk,” Cam said.

Hawk nodded. “I received a summons from the Home Office advising that Lady Elizabeth Munro had been located at my cousin, the Earl of Wycliff’s, Manor house. She had taken a job as govern

ess to the man’s four children.” Hawk stopped to take a swallow.

Cam’s eyes shifted to Lizzie once during Hawk’s account, then back again. “Go on.”

“For some time, the theory had been that Lord Loverly had someone else working with him when he passed information to the French. The Home Office had been convinced this co-conspirator was a woman. Lady Elizabeth had been brought in and questioned, and once she’d been released, she fled to Wycliff’s estate with the assistance of a friend who recommended her for a governess position. No one knew where she was since she used a pseudonym. Even Wycliff and his wife did not know her identity until I received the letter.”

Hawk squeezed Lizzie’s hand when she began to shake. “I was ordered by the Home Office to travel to Wycliff’s estate and bring her in.” He stood and ran his fingers through his hair. “The missive was forwarded to me from my London townhouse. As fate would have it, I was visiting Wycliff at the time.”

“How convenient.”

“Indeed.” He had to finish this story up. Lizzie was becoming more agitated the longer they sat there. “Three attempts have been made on her life.”

Still no reaction from Cam, but he studied Lizzie for a few moments. He then directed his question to Hawk. “What do you make of that?”

Hawk took his seat again and placed his arm around Lizzie’s shoulders. She shook like a leaf in a windstorm.

“The first attempt was made before I even knew anything about this. She was thrown from a horse, but when we checked the saddle, the girth strap had been cut. While we were pondering that incident, I received the missive that had been forwarded to me from London. It didn’t take too much effort to put the pieces together.”

“Since you are here now, secretively, I assume you have no intention of handing Lady Elizabeth over to the Home Office.”

“No. It is my belief that someone at the Home Office is the culprit who had been working with her father and he is trying to kill her before she can come forth with that information.”

Cam directed his attention to Lizzie. “Are you claiming to know nothing?”

“That is correct, my lord. Hawk has questioned me over and over, but I remember nothing that would point to anyone who was working with my father.” The last words were barely spoken, and Hawk realized, besides recovering from a gunshot and being exhausted, she was probably uncomfortable speaking of her father to Cam.

It was time to finish up. “We—Lady Elizabeth and I—must search Loverly’s townhouse with the hope of finding papers, a journal, anything that might name this person.”

Cam frowned. “I would assume the Home Office has already done a thorough search.”

“I assume so, as well. However, we are hoping once Lady Elizabeth enters her former home, her memories will lead us to places where papers might be stashed that the Home Office overlooked. Until then, I must protect her from both the Home Office and the person who wants her silenced.”

Cam let out a slow whistle, his first reaction since Hawk had started his story. “I understand the reason for all the secrecy.”