'This,' Denis continued, 'concerns another matter entirely. It contains the direction of a lady called Collette Auberge.'
I stared at him blankly. The name meant nothing to me.
He went on, 'She used to call herself Carlotta Lacey.'
I stilled. Thoughts of Eggleston slid away like water from my hand.
This was the real information he offered me. The whereabouts of the woman who had been my wife-might still be my wife. One fact crystallized, hardening into facets I could touch, could cut myself on.
She still lived.
All I had to do was take that paper, open it, and discover where she was.
'You bastard,' I whispered.
He said nothing.
My hand trembled. I clenched it. I looked up at him, met his cold eyes.
'You are misinformed,' I said, forcing my voice to be light. 'I no longer require that information.'
His eyes flickered the tiniest bit. In surprise? I felt a small amount of satisfaction. Not what you expected, was it?
Denis wanted me to crawl, even with greatest reluctance, but I would not.
He sat still for a second longer. Then he gave a faint shrug and slid the unbroken paper back into his pocket. 'I will keep it safe for you,' he said. 'When you require it, you have only to ask.'
Of course. If nothing else, he had learned how important the information was to me. He had a card he could hold until needed.
A few months ago, I had formed a half-crazed plan, borne of frustrated anger, to kill him. Even if I hanged for it. Later, I had realized how foolish I had been. Now, I wondered.
Perhaps he was right. I was dangerous. I was someone he did not control, might never control, and he did not like that.
He returned both hands to his cane. 'Then good day to you, Captain,' he said.
As though his minions had heard his cue, the door opened, and I was ushered out.
My emotions churned and tumbled as I returned home, packed my few belongings, and sent a note to Grenville. We must away at once. Lacey.
I knew the cryptic lines would catch his attention more speedily than an explanatory letter. It was uncharitable of me, but I took pleasure in summoning him the way he often peremptorily summoned me.
As I packed my shaving gear, Marianne wandered in. 'Leaving again, Lacey?'
I looked up, ready with an irritated quip, but I saw her smile. She was goading me. 'Yes,' I answered shortly.
She wandered to my writing table. 'An interesting journey? With Mr. Grenville, perhaps?'
'Not far. And yes, with Grenville.'
I supposed she'd come to filch paper or ink, but under my nose, she opened my writing box, extracted a letter, and began to read.
The letter was one of Grenville's. I recognized the seal, a stylized 'G' in red wax. I contemplated snatching it from her, then decided there was no harm. Grenville and I did not discuss dark secrets after all. I continued to pack, doing my best to ignore her.
'He is quite fond of you,' she remarked after a time.
'Grenville? I would hardly say that.'
'Perhaps he fancies you.'
I looked up. I expected to find her smiling at me, teasing me with barbs to hurt, but she was still studying the letter. Her eyes were tight. 'No,' I said. 'He does not.' I had seen enough of the world to know when a man preferred the company of another man to ladies, and Grenville had showed no sign of it.
'I see.' She folded the letter.
'Do not toy with him, Marianne,' I said. 'He does not deserve that.'
She dropped the paper back into the box. 'Do you know, Lacey, if you were not so proud, you could get much from him. From what I hear, he has vast wealth, houses all over England, business interests in France and America. He could at least set you up in a house with servants to wait on you.'
I fastened the leathers on my kit and hoisted it to my shoulder. 'Yes, but I am that proud. So I stay here.' At the door, I looked back at her. 'You may have my bread and coffee in the mornings. I have already paid Mrs. Beltan for them.'
A ghost of her usual smile lit her face. 'How kind you are,' she said in a mocking tone. 'But do not worry about me, Lacey. I can take care of myself.'
With this lofty statement, she brushed past me and made her way back upstairs.
I ate a half-loaf in Mrs. Beltan's bake shop, then went to the end of Grimpen Lane to await Grenville, reasoning he'd either send his carriage or Bartholomew with a message.
I found Colonel Brandon there instead. He was striding toward me down Russel Street, his own carriage halted among the press of wagons and carts. As usual these days, he exuded anger. He emanated violence in his every step, as though he just stopped himself drawing a weapon on me.
'Where is she?' he began once he was within earshot. 'I know you have her, devil take you.' His ice blue eyes were bloodshot, his mouth white. 'Where have you hidden my wife?'
His voice climbed. Passersby stopped to stare.
I kept my own voice low. 'I have hidden her nowhere. She does as she pleases.'
His hands balled to fists, stretching his expensive gloves. 'A man called Allandale paid me a visit. He thought it would interest me that one Captain Lacey had summoned my wife from a boardinghouse in Greenwich like a servant.' He glared at me in fury.
Damn Allandale. I remembered giving the order for Leland to find Louisa and bring her back. Allandale must still have been in the house then. I imagined him gleefully relating the tale to Brandon. 'Louisa?' I asked, incredulous. 'Do you believe she would scuttle to me just because I called?'
'What I believe is that you knew where my wife was all along and you fetched her back to London at your convenience.'
I lost my temper. 'I asked her to look after a friend who is ill.'
'But you knew. You knew.' He stepped close to me. 'I will kill you for this.'
'At least you are no longer pretending you want reconciliation,' I snarled.
'That was for Louisa's sake. You have forfeited any reconciliation with me.'
'Thank God for that.'
His eyes blazed. 'I will have you up before a magistrate. If you are not hanged for the abduction and rape of my wife, I will shoot you myself.'
If I'd had a pistol in my possession, I would have already potted him with it. 'You idiot, do you realize that any move you make against me will ruin her? If you disgrace her, I will certainly find a way to kill you.'
'Do not use her reputation to hide behind. Adultery is a foul crime and I will sink you for it.'
I laughed humorlessly. 'Lower than you have already sunk me? Ruining my life was not already good enough for you?'
His face and neck went brick red. 'You took her from me. You must pay for that.'
'You drove her away, you stupid fool. How much did they pay you to testify against Westin? What did they promise in exchange?'
His breathed hoarsely. 'Why the hell can you not attend to your own affairs?'
We had collected quite a gathering now. Street girls stopped, hands on hips, to watch us. Mrs. Beltan had left her bakery. Mrs. Carfax and her companion slid by at the edge of the crowd.
'Because you drag me into yours,' I answered him. 'She is furious with you over Colonel Westin. Why the devil were Breckenridge's lies more important to you than your wife's good opinion?'
'You understand nothing.'
'No, I do not. Were she mine, I would move the sun and the moon to please her. You seem to think you can do any idiotic thing you like and she will simply understand. No matter how slow-witted you are.'
'She is my wife. Mine!'
