Whirlwind Wedding

over.

He puffed out a relieved breath. Clearly his worries for his brother's well-being were unfounded for Austin was obviously in fine form and unquestionably… healthy.

He held Elizabeth in a close embrace, kissing her passionately. Robert suspected Austin's broad back kept everyone from seeing whatever else they were up to. As it was, they all heard Elizabeth's unmistakable sigh of pleasure.

'Ahem!' Robert cleared his throat.

Austin and Elizabeth appeared not to notice.

'AHEM!' Robert tried again, louder.

Austin raised his head. 'Not now, Carters,' he growled not bothering to turn around.

'Sorry to disappoint you, old man, but it's not Carters,' Robert announced.

Austin stilled. The unwelcome sound of his brother's voice brought a vicious oath to his lips that he barely managed to smother. Emitting a startled gasp, Elizabeth tried to move from his embrace, but he kept her firmly clasped to him, reluctantly withdrawing his hand from inside her bodice. He looked at her and stifled a groan of longing. With her cheeks flushed with color, her lips moist and swollen from his kisses, and her coiffure not nearly so neat as it had been ten minutes earlier, she looked absolutely perfect.

He muttered a savage curse under his breath. He needed to do something about his brother. Throwing him into the Thames crossed his mind. Yes. That was an idea that definitely had merit. He turned to greet his unexpected guest only to discover that Robert was not alone. Miles, Caroline, his mother, and Carters all crowded in the doorway.

Carters stepped into the room, his normally blank face a picture of distress. 'Forgive me, your grace. I knocked several times but-'

Austin cut off his words with a wave of his hand. 'It's all right, Carters.' Damn it, in all fairness, the man could have pounded on the door with a hammer and Austin doubted he would have heard him. 'You may return to your duties.'

'Yes, your grace.' Jerking his jacket into place, Carters turned on his heel and quit the room, but not before leveling a sniff of disapproval in Robert's direction.

Austin's mother came forward and extended both hands. 'Hello, darling, hello, Elizabeth. How are you?'

His mother was clearly so delighted to see them, some of Austin's annoyance evaporated. While Elizabeth greeted the others, he bent and kissed his mother's cheek. 'I'm very well, Mother.'

An elegant brow quirked in obvious amusement. 'Yes, I can see that.' She leaned close and said in an undertone, 'Don't worry, dear. We're staying at Miles's town house.'

He hoped his relief didn't show. After greeting Caroline, he nodded curtly at Miles, then glared at Robert. 'What brings you all here?'

'Robert and Miles were traveling to Town,' his mother said, 'and invited Caroline and me to join them.'

'It's a wonderful surprise,' Elizabeth said. 'We're delighted to see you.'

Robert had the distinct impression Elizabeth spoke only for herself when she made that statement, as Austin looked anything but delighted. Now that he knew Austin and Elizabeth were all right, relief washed over him, easing the tension gripping his shoulders.

There were serious matters to discuss, but Robert couldn't speak of them in front of the women, and if he immediately asked Austin to leave the room, he knew his mother and Caroline, and no doubt Elizabeth as well, would be all a-twitter with curiosity. He had no desire to explain the real reason behind this visit to them.

While Elizabeth offered her guests seats and made arrangements for tea and refreshments, Robert approached his brother, who hadn't moved from his spot on the other side of the room. Austin greeted him with an arctic glare.

'I'm newly married Robert. Perhaps you've forgotten?'

'Of course I haven't forgotten.'

'Then what the hell could have possessed you to come here uninvited, dragging them along with you?' Austin jerked his head in the direction of the others, but his chilling gaze never left Robert's face.

Before Robert could reply, Austin continued 'So when are you leaving?'

'Leaving? Why, we've only just arrived.' A devil inside him made him ask, 'Aren't you happy to see us?'

'No.'

'Pity. And here I thought to save you from the boredom you're no doubt starting to feel after three interminable days of marriage. Obviously you're dumbstruck with gratitude.'

'Get out.'

Robert made a tsking sound. 'How incredibly ungracious you've become since you've wed.'

Austin leaned his hips back against the huge mahogany desk, folded his arms across his chest, and crossed his ankles. 'You have exactly two minutes to tell me everything you wish to say, then you will, regrettably, have to leave. Mother says you're all staying with Miles. Surely you wish to get settled.'

Shooting a surreptitious glance across the room, Robert saw that the ladies were busy chatting. He raised his brows at Miles, who immediately excused himself from the women and joined Robert and Austin across the room.

Stepping closer to Austin, Robert said in an undertone, 'There is actually a particular reason Miles and I are here.'

'You mean other than to plague me?'

'Yes. But it's something we must discuss in private.'

Austin narrowed his eyes on his brother's face. It was sometimes difficult to tell when Robert was teasing, but his grave expression seemed genuine. Miles, Austin noted appeared equally intense.

'Perhaps we could retire to your study?' Miles suggested.

Austin alternated his glance between their serious expressions. 'All right.'

He had a strong suspicion that he was not going to like what Robert and Miles had to say.

He definitely hadn't liked what Robert and Miles had to say.

A dead body on his property. A Bow Street Runner. Alone in his study, Austin paced the Axminster carpet, his thoughts in turmoil, his gut churning with tension. There was no doubt in his mind that the dead man was James Kinney.

Bloody hell, no wonder Kinney hadn't shown up for their meeting. The poor fellow had been lying facedown in the bushes, half of his head blown away.

Robert's words echoed in his mind. We thought it best to remove Caroline and Mother from the property, just in case there s a lunatic prowling about, although the magistrate said it was most likely a robbery.

Robbery? Austin shook his head. No, Kinney had been bringing him information about Gaspard. And now Kinney was dead.

What had he discovered? Whatever it was, it was important enough to have been killed for. And there was no doubt in his mind who had killed him.

He raked a shaking hand through his hair. It was clear that Gaspard was not only a blackmailer, but a murderer as well. A murderer who claimed to have proof that William was a traitor. A murderer who could at any moment, expose that information and ruin Austin's family.

I won't allow that to happen. What the hell would happen to Mother and Caroline? To Robert? To Elizabeth?

Damn it! What a mess. Kinney must have been killed the night they were supposed to meet… shot in the head poor bastard. Probably the gunshot was what had spooked Myst-

He went completely still.

Elizabeth's words came back to him, drumming through his brain. In my vision I was certain I heard a gunshot. I sensed death. Very strongly. I'm just so thankful you weren't shot.

God Almighty. He grabbed the arm of the settee for balance and slowly lowered himself onto the cushion, the ramifications crashing over him like falling bricks.