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Just ahead an aging building was being slowly demolished to offer a new thoroughfare. The tumble of bricks and broken pillars only added to the air of escalating shabbiness in the once-elegant neighborhood.
“It is all changing,” Raine muttered with a hint of sadness. She had been only fourteen when the nuns had brought a handful of students to Paris, but she had remembered it with delight.
Philippe was seated at her side attired in dark breeches and jacket. The severity of his clothing only served to emphasize his aloof, pale beauty.
“Hardly surprising. With every new ruler comes the necessity of altering the city to reflect their power.”
Her lips tightened as she caught sight of a couple of ragged urchins huddled near the street.
“A pity that they do not feel an equal duty to care for their people. It is a sin to allow their citizens to suffer,” she muttered.
Philippe remained leaning back in his seat, his expression unreadable.
“There will always be the poor and destitute, querida. If nothing else the Revolution proved that not even those who boast of equality and the distribution of wealth can alter the fate of the lower classes. They succeeded in nothing more than causing a bloodbath that killed as many of their own as their supposed enemies.”
She narrowed her gaze at his smooth tone. “So you do not feel that those with wealth should assist those in need?”
“I employ a great number of servants and tenants and laborers, Raine. I pay them a decent wage and ensure that they have an adequate pension. Because of me they have a very comfortable life. What more would you have of me?”
She bit back her instinctive words. The annoying man did have a point. From the small amount she had been able to determine about Philippe, his empire extended from Portugal to Brazil to England. He employed thousands of people and invested in countless farms, vineyards, shipping companies and factories. It was a far cry more than she did to help others.
“Who is this gentleman we are to visit?” she demanded in a blatant attempt to change the conversation.
His lips twitched, but he readily followed her lead. “Monsieur Mirabeau. He is an old acquaintance of my father.”
“And you believe that he might know something of this man you are hunting?”
His features tightened. “Let us hope.”
Raine smoothed her hands over the pale ivory of her gown. She had matched the dress with a gold Spenser and a bonnet with a thick veil that hid her face.
“I still do not comprehend what you hope to accomplish by coming to Paris. If this man is in the city, will he not simply flee when he discovers your presence?”
“That is a possibility, but if he does not yet realize that I am following his trail, then he will more likely believe that it is safer to slink back to his lair and wait for me to leave.”
Raine studied his grim expression. “There is more than that.”
Philippe gave a lift of his brows. “I beg your pardon?”
“You are hoping to draw him out,” she said slowly. “You think he will attempt to strike at you.”
A ripple of surprise crossed his features, as if he were caught off guard by her perception.
“I will admit that it has crossed my mind that by having me so near and seemingly unaware of my danger, it might prove to be a temptation too difficult to resist. If he is prodded into attacking me, then I should be capable of trapping him.”
She stiffened at his nonchalant manner. Had there ever been a man born who did not take some delight in risking his blasted neck?
“And what if you are hurt? Or, God forbid, killed?”
Philippe regarded her with an odd smile. “Do not fear, meu amor, Carlos has been instructed to see that you are protected and returned to the care of your father. He will not fail you.”
For some reason his promise only aggravated her further. “Bloody hell, I do not need Carlos or any other man to protect me.”
“Then why are you in such a twit?” He reached out to stroke a light finger down the bare skin of her throat. “It could not be that you are concerned for my welfare, could it, querida?”
She jerked from his touch. It was enough that he knew her treacherous body would respond to his lightest caress. She was not about to let him realize that he was ruthlessly forcing his way into her heart.
“Your arrogance is beyond belief,” she charged.
