“Where is this Adao now?”
“Where the authorities will never find him.” Yves poured a glass of white wine. “Why do you not simply tell her we have her step-father, and if she wants to see him alive again, she will come with us? We can make marrying thecomtea condition of Mr. Wivenly’s release. Now that we have lost Shipley, one of us will act as the proxy for thecomte.”
Running a hand over his face, Hervé glared at his brother. “Not only is that crude, but how do you propose I convince her he is alive?”
His brother took another swig of wine. “Show her something that belongs to him. We are family. There is no reason for us to do away with her step-father. Naturally she will come with us.”
No longer able to remain sitting, Hervé stood and walked to the windows. “I have nothing. When the pirate captain brought him to me, Wivenly had only the clothing on his back.”
“Ah,mon frère.” Yves smiled slowly. “You may not have a memento, but I do.”
Hervé turned sharply, piercing his brother with a glare. “What?” “His dagger. It is an original. It has his initials and his family’s coat of arms on it.”
That might work.“Keep watching her. For this she does not need to be completely alone, yet we must choose our moment carefully. Neither her admirer nor Sidonie can be anywhere around.”
Chapter 14
An hour after the attack on Eugénie, the constable had departed with hers and Will’s statements. Will reclined on a chaise in the main parlor of the lower level of the Whitecliff home with a piece of raw beefsteak over his eye and a glass of rum shrub in his hand. His betrothed sat perched on the edge of a chair next to the chaise, looking particularly fetching in a soft green gown, and ready to fly away at any moment.
Andrew and Cicely, as Will was now allowed to address her, shared the small sofa across from him.
Earlier, Josh had been sent to the hotel for a change of clothing for Will, which arrived with Tidwell. Not that Will really expected his valet to remain put. Over the years, Tidwell had developed a proprietary interest in Will’s wardrobe.
Cicely had sent her lady’s maid to Wivenly House on the same errand, and Eugénie’s garments had arrived with a servant as well.
This was the first time Will had been in a room other than the main ones on the upper floor, and the arrangement fascinated him. “Are all the larger houses built like this?”
“Most of them,” Eugénie replied. “You have the same type of thing in England, do you not?”
“After a fashion,” Will replied. “Though the nursery level is usually above the parents’ chambers and there is no terrace.”
“That’s what it is.” Andrew gave a bark of laughter. “If one wishes to escape the nursery it’s much more difficult. Will is mourning lost possibilities.”
“Indeed.” He grinned. “Yet it would have been so easy to sneak out, it’d hardly be worth the effort. After all, the chance of being caught was half the fun.”
“Cicely,” Eugénie pronounced, ending all discussion of Will’s childhood possibilities, “has so much space because she is a single child. I share with my three sisters and our brother.”
At home, his brothers and sisters were always underfoot, but he had never seen Eugénie’s sisters. Now he knew the reason. There was no need for them to pass through the main floor to do anything, not even filch from the kitchen, as it was outside. Somehow he knew he’d miss the noise and confusion.
Andrew lightly squeezed his betrothed’s hand. “This is where Cicely and I shall live until we travel to England.”
For the first time, Will realized there was a problem concerning where he and Eugénie would reside. He could not see them living on the children’s level of Wivenly House. Of course, it might be time to depart for England before he married her. That thought brought him back to his immediate problem, convincing Eugénie she wanted to wed him.
She lifted the beefsteak, appearing a bit fuzzy as she peered at his eye. “It is no use. I know nothing of black eyes.” She allowed the meat to flop back down. “Andrew, perhaps you’d better have a look.”
“I shall in a while. Tell us what happened.”
Eugénie shrugged in her elegant Gallic way. “I do not know. I stepped onto the step leading to my gate, and suddenly thecochongrabbed me. I struggled, I bit him, but he was too large, and he wore gloves.”
She paused for a moment as a shiver ran through her.
Will wished he’d insisted she sit next to him on the chaise. At least then he’d be able to touch her. Though whether it would provide the comfort he’d intend, he didn’t know.
“Then”—she gave herself a small shake—“the scoundrel said he was being paid much gold to take me. The only thing I could think of was slavery.”
Slavery!Will’s fists clenched as rage and fear for Eugénie coursed through him. He wished he’d been able to kill the villain. If they could safely sail for England, he’d have them all on a ship tomorrow. Unfortunately the hurricane season was well underway. Then he caught the strange way Cicely was looking at Eugénie, and her answering shrug. What the devil was going on? Was there more to the attack?
Maneuvering himself around, he reached over and took her cold hand in his. “You must never be without protection. If there is money involved, the blackguard will try again.”
