“In a rush?” Sedgewick drawled.
Christopher cursed under his breath, watching Eddington lift the woman’s gloved hand to his lips before leading her away.
Leaving Christopher and his desperate curiosity behind.
“Lady Winter,” Eddington murmured, his dark eyes locked to Maria’s as he kissed the back of her hand. “A pleasure.”
She managed a brief smile. “Lord Eddington.”
“How is it that we have not managed to speak before now?”
“You are quite sought after, my lord, leaving you scarcely any time to waste on one such as me.”
“Time with a woman so lovely could never be a waste.” He studied her carefully. “If you would indulge me a moment, I wish to speak with you in private.”
Maria shook her head. “I cannot think of anything we would say to each other that could not be said here.”
“You think I mean to ravish you?” he asked with a half smile that was quite charming. “What if I promise to stand arm’s distance away?”
“I am still declining.”
He leaned closer and his voice lowered to a whisper. “The agency has become quite interested in you, Lady Winter.” His face was impassive as if he had commented on nothing more shocking than the weather.
Maria’s gaze narrowed.
“Would you consent to speak privately with me now?” he asked.
Unable to do otherwise, she nodded and allowed him to lead her out of the ballroom and down a long hall. They passed a number of guests as they went, but the crowd thinned the farther away they traveled. Finally, they turned a corner and with a quickly tossed glance over his shoulder to be certain they weren’t followed, Eddington pulled her into a darkened room.
It took a moment for Maria’s eyes to adjust to the reduced light. Once she could see, she realized they were in a large sitting room populated with a number of settees, chairs, and side tables.
“What are you?” she asked, turning to face him as he shut the door with a soft click of the latch. His pearl gray garments melded in and out of the shadows, but his eyes caught the pale moonlight and glittered dangerously.
“After the deaths of agents Dayton and Winter,” he said, ignoring her question, “you came under suspicion of treason.”
Swallowing hard, Maria was grateful for the darkness that hid any telltale sign of guilt. “I know.”
“And you remain a suspect,” he continued.
“What do you want?” She lowered into a nearby wingback chair.
“I was speaking with Lady Smythe-Gleason last evening. She briefly mentioned seeing you conversing with Christopher St. John at a recent gathering at Harwick House.”
“Oh? I converse with many people. I forget most of them.”
“She said the heat between you was palpable.”
Maria snorted.
Eddington took the seat opposite her. “The disappearance of the witness against St. John precipitated his release. The agency suspects St. John is to blame, but I think it was someone within. An agent either aligned with the pirate, or one who wished to use the informant as a leverage. The man was too well guarded. St. John is accomplished, but even he has his limits.”
“If the agency suspects St. John, may I assume that you are alone in your suspicions about another agent?”
“You should worry less about my interests and more about your own.”
“What are you saying?”
“You could use a…
“You wish to use me to learn information from St. John?” she asked incredulously. “Are you jesting?”
“At the moment, you and St. John are the two most closely examined individuals on the agency’s list of most wanted criminals-you for the suspected killings of two well-respected agents, and the pirate for a variety of sins.”
Maria could not decide whether she wished to laugh or cry. How had her life come to this? What would her parents think if they could see how far she had fallen?
Eddington leaned forward, setting his forearms on his knees. “Welton arranged both of your marriages, and saw a marked increase in his fortunes after your husbands’ deaths. He was quick to introduce you to me after I settled his markers the other evening. Your stepfather has quite a mercenary interest in you. Winter said the same to me once.”
“I fail to see why that is of any interest to you.”
“You know what I believe?” he said softly. “I believe Welton has something he is holding against you, something he has used to gain your cooperation. I can free you from him. I do not expect you to help me without any benefit.”
“Why me?” she asked herself wearily, her gloved hands stroking absentmindedly along the edge of her domino. “What have I done to deserve this misery?”
“The question, I believe, is what haven’t you done?”
How true that was.
“Ascertain what happened to the witness,” he urged, “and I will secure your freedom from both the agency and Welton.”
“Perhaps my soul is black as sin, and I will sell word of your curiosity to the men you seek.” Sometimes, she wished she had no soul. She suspected her life would be much easier if she were as conscienceless as the men who used her.
“It is a risk I am willing to take.”
The earl waited a moment and then rose to his feet. He held out his hand to her. “Think on it. I will call on you tomorrow as an ardent swain and you may give me your answer then.”
Resigned, Maria placed her hand in his.
“My lord,” Christopher greeted tightly. “Lady Winter, may I present to you Lord Sedgewick. My lord, the incomparable Lady Winter.”
Angelica dipped into a lovely curtsy as Sedgewick bowed.
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance,” the viscount said. “I apologize again for my carelessness earlier.”
Christopher stilled a brief moment. What were the odds?
“Please forgive me,” Sedgewick continued when Angelica said nothing.
Maintaining his composure, Christopher lifted a finger to his lips in a gesture that conveyed silence. “Lady Winter is incognito this evening, my lord. You understand, perhaps, how that enlivens the festivities.”
“Ah, of course.” Sedgewick’s smile was broad and smug, his shoulders held back with cocky pride. “I applaud your decision to discard the domino, my lady. A gown as lovely as yours should not be hidden.”
Sedgewick lifted Angelica’s hand to his lips, said some platitudes to which Christopher paid no mind, and then the viscount stepped out of the way.
Freed from his lone duty for the evening, Christopher pulled Angelica out of the ballroom and strode swiftly down a long hall. He had no notion if he was heading in the right direction to find the woman in the black domino or not, but it was the way to the rear garden. From there, Angelica could skirt the house to the front, where she would await him in the coach.
“Thank you, love,” he said, kissing her cheek before seeing her out a set of French doors. He whistled low, calling his men who surrounded the perimeter of the manse to watch her safely to his carriage. Then he turned about…
…in time to see Welton’s companion emerge from a room with Lord Eddington exiting directly behind her. That they’d had a liaison was obvious.
More secrets. Would there be more lies?
