Page 66 of An Inconvenient Duke

After several long moments, Merritt broke the silence. “We’re going to need evidence. Someone inside the brothel has to be giving Hartsham information about the men who come into the place so he knows which prostitutes to question.”

“Or because he personally invited them to partake,” Marcus said grimly. “The way he did with me. After all, who better to have on your list to be blackmailed than a new duke and former general?”

“It’s not the name that matters, not when half the men in Parliament are publicly keeping mistresses and the other half regularly visit the stews,” Merritt reminded them. “It’s what’s done with the women. And if Elise had spirited away some of the prostitutes who were providing the information he was using to create his blackmail list, then—”

“Then he would have murdered her to keep her from interfering, to keep his witnesses where he could control them.” Pearce pinned him with a hard look. “And be on the hunt to kill you now because he’s still keeping that list. When you refused his offer to arrange a prostitute, you quashed his chance to manipulate you. That’s when he tried to kill you.”

Marcus muttered, “He’ll keep trying until he’s stopped.”

“So we stop him,” Merritt assured him.

“Well then.” Marcus grabbed up his jacket from the back of the settee and yanked it on. “It’s time we begin.”

* * *

Marcus clenched a cheroot between his teeth. “Hartsham.”

As he strode up to the earl in the billiards room of White’s, the man froze, his glass of port raised halfway to his mouth. His eyes flared wide in surprise.

Good.Always best to keep the enemy off guard. Although what Marcus had planned for this enemy wasn’t an attack. It was a full-out massacre.

“There you are.” Marcus slapped him good-naturedly—if a bit too hard—on the back and jostled the dark liquid in his glass. “I’ve been hunting you.”

Despite how his face turned pale, Hartsham gave a stilted laugh at Marcus’s purposeful slip of the tongue. “Huntingforme, you mean, I hope.” He continued the slow lift of the glass to his lips. His drink hand visibly shook, while his other hand clenched around the billiard cue. “Call in the pack of hounds and the beaters, then. You’ve found me.”

In the perfect place, too, surrounded by witnesses whose presence would prevent Marcus from murdering the bastard right there. “Wanted to give you my apologies for last night, for leaving the gardens so quickly without any goodbyes.” He smiled tightly around the cigar. “And my gratitude for hosting the supper in my honor.”Thatwas the God’s truth. If not for last night, he would never have known who to blame for Elise’s murder. “It was good of you to introduce me to all those gentlemen. Knowing them will make working in Parliament much easier.”

“That was the point.” Hartsham relaxed only slightly but gestured for the other men at the table to continue the game without him. “You’ll find that success in Westminster is all about making connections.”

“Which is why I regret the way the evening ended.” Marcus flicked the ash from his cigar onto the floor and ignored the scowl of the club manager. The man should be grateful that he was smoking. If his hand wasn’t holding the cigar, it would have been around the earl’s throat, and it wouldn’t be ashes he’d be spilling on the floor but blood. “I was hoping to have one last word with everyone before we all departed.” He paused and pointed his cigar at Hartsham. “Including you.”

The man nervously took another sip of port. “Oh?”

“Yes, until Miss Williams ruined my plans.” Marcus bit back a frustrated curse. “Daft woman became all hysterical when the fireworks went off. Thought people were shooting off guns.” His mouth twisted in irritation. “Can you imagine—being stupid enough to confuse fireworks with gunfire?”

God help him if Danielle ever discovered the lies he was telling about her. The woman would flay him alive.

“I tried to explain to her that the sounds are completely different. For Christ’s sake, I’ve been shot at enough times to know the difference. But did she trust the word of a general? Absolutely not.” He laughed at Danielle’s expense. “Damnably flighty chit wouldn’t listen to a word of reason. Insisted that I take her home, crying and carrying on as if the devil himself had appeared right there on the Grand Alley. What choice did I have except to escort her out? I didn’t want her to make a scene right there in your supper box. Her father would have blamed me for the embarrassment, and I certainly don’t need the diplomatic corps as enemies. You understand.”

“Of course.” Hartsham smiled coldly.

“After I delivered her home, I came back, but everyone was already gone and the gardens were closing down.” Marcus shook his head. “Damn female hysterics… She cried all the way to her front door.” He screwed up his face in distaste. “Not at all how I wanted to spend my evening.” In actuality, Danielle had been in his arms.Exactlyhow he’d wanted to spend it. “So my apologies to you and your guests.”

Hartsham’s shoulders eased down, and he set the cue aside. “None necessary. I know how weak and simpering women can be.”

Marcus said nothing. The bastard knew very little about women, or he’d have realized long before now that Danielle Williams was one of the strongest, most resilient people he’d ever met, in a skirt or trousers.

“Lady Hartsham and I will host a dinner for you soon in our home.” The offer was polite but distant. Marcus knew he hadn’t yet won over the man’s confidence. “You can make up for lost conversation time with my friends then.”

And give the earl an opportunity to put another target on his back?Hell no.

But Marcus smiled at the glowing tip of his cigar as he watched a tendril of smoke curl into the air. “Actually, there is something you can do for me. Something…a bit delicate.”

“Oh?”Thatpricked the earl’s interest.

“I’ve been thinking about our conversation from last evening.” He purposefully turned his back to the room, indicating that he wanted their conversation to remain private. “I want to take you up on your offer.”

“I’m pleased. I can always use another like-minded ally in Parliament, especially with the regent behaving like a tyrant who—”