last three years and had proved his devotion in every conceivable way.
“Fetch Saleem,” Alex ordered. “I wish to go through our preparations for welcoming Carstairs.”
M’wallah bowed low and disappeared without a word, reappearing minutes later with the captain of Alex’s guard. Saleem was a tall Pathan, and a frighteningly vicious man; he lived to inspire fear and terror-in Alex’s view, he thrived on those emotions, needed them like a drug.
Addicts were sometimes useful, especially when the addiction was coupled with rigid control.
Alex waved the pair to footstools arranged for the purpose of holding court, waited until they’d sat, waited a dramatic moment more, then commenced, “I have determined that Carstairs-unlike the three who have gone before-will not be allowed to escape our vengeance. And in that, the other three passing safely through will work to our advantage. They will expect the captain to do the same… but he will not.”
With icy composure, Alex regarded M’wallah and Saleem. “He will not because, this time, it will be I who will marshal our troops and lead them in the field. I intend to play an active role in apprehending and torturing the captain.”
Both men nodded, murmured, “This is wise.”
Alex smiled coldly. “Indeed. So let us revisit what we have already put in place, and decide what more we need to do to ensure the good captain does not slip through our net.”
With rigid attention to detail, they reviewed the dispositions of cult members, confirming the numbers amassed on shore nearby, in specific locations Alex had earlier decreed, and, most importantly, confirming the number of vessels already commandeered and actively patroling the waters off the east coast.
“This time,” Alex concluded, “we will not wait for Carstairs to make landfall in England. We strike before, and strike hard, enough to knock him off-course. Then we follow and strike again. But once the captain lands in England, it will be me and my guards he will face-you, Saleem, will lead the elite. We will not rely as we have in recent times on the lower orders of the cult-they are not sufficiently effective in this land.”
Both men inclined their heads in acquiescence; both pairs of eyes gleamed with fanatical expectation.
“The Black Cobra will be in the field tomorrow.” Alex’s tone was pure ice. “And we all know the Black Cobra is deadly.”
Both M’wallah and Saleem smiled in clear, malevolent anticipation. Neither had appreciated being held back, restrained by the more reserved role Alex had chosen to play in England. Now, however, they were about to be unleashed, and they couldn’t wait to taste blood again.
With a wave, Alex dismissed them.
Rising fluidly, then bowing low, the pair backed from the room.
Leaving Alex alone.
Entirely alone, yet being alone had its advantages.
Dwelling on all that would be gained-imagining Carstairs, and through him the elusive puppetmaster, being served their comeuppance-Alex purposely wove violent, vindictive anticipation into a cloak to keep the chill of the night at bay.
Royce sat at the head of his dining table, extended to accommodate the Cynsters, all six cousins and their wives, Gyles Chillingworth and his wife, as well as all those who had already been sleeping under Royce’s roof. The Cynsters and Chillingworths had arrived en masse, possibly-Royce wasn’t certain-invited by Minerva, at a time when their staying to dine was a foregone conclusion.
Certainly Honoria, Devil’s duchess, had marched into the drawing room, touched cheeks with Minerva, then sat and demanded to be fully briefed on all that was going on.
It wasn’t that Royce minded the company-indeed he valued the men’s support, both physical and mental-but having so many independently minded, strong-willed females all together in one place, a place not that far from real and present danger, was making him edgy.
And not just him.
Still, it seemed that this was one of those crosses that had to be borne in the interests of matrimonial harmony. Over recent years, he’d grown a lot better at simply accepting what had to be.
Of his combined troops, only Christian Allardyce and Jack Hendon, already on the coast waiting for Carstairs to land, and Rafe Carstairs himself, were absent. Royce suspected the three were very much in the minds of many about the table.
Devil, seated at Minerva’s right at the far end, leaned forward to say, “It doesn’t make sense that the last person-whoever is what’s left of the Black Cobra-isn’t named in that letter.”
“I also find it hard to believe,” Gabriel Cynster put in from midway down the board, “that Shrewton doesn’t know who that person is.”
“Actually,” Gyles Chillingworth said, “that I can believe. However, I do agree that Shrewton could, just as I’m sure we could, find the answer-learn who that other person was-if we had time.”
“Sadly, we don’t have time,” Lucifer Cynster bluntly observed.
Around and around the discussion went.
Royce, Charles, Gervase, and Gareth had reported on their visit to Wymondham Hall. The result had been discussed and picked over, their suppositions reshaped, re-formed, rephrased, yet they constantly came back to the same point, the one inescapable conclusion.
Del returned to it. “Regardless of all else, the one thing that’s certain is that there
“More,” Royce said, reclaiming control, “Carstairs is heading in. He’s expected to reach our shores tomorrow.” It was the first time he’d stated that-that their time frame was that tight. The meal was long over. He pushed back his chair. “I suggest we repair to the drawing room, put our heads together, and string as comprehensive a net as we can across the area.”
Everyone rose with alacrity, and followed Minerva back to the drawing room. When they were all settled, the ladies on the chaises and chairs, the men lounging against walls or furniture, some with hip propped against the back of their lady’s chair, from his customary position before the hearth, Royce scanned their faces. “Jack Hendon and Christian Allardyce are already in place-Jack, I understand, is haunting the harbor itself, while Christian is patrolling the town. As soon as Carstairs lands, they’re primed to whisk him away into hiding, then send word here. This will almost certainly be our last chance to catch the Black Cobra committing any criminal act on English soil.”
“And if we don’t catch him?” The haughty question came from Minerva, sitting in her usual chair to Royce’s right.
He smiled down at her. “If we don’t, then we pursue him by other means.” He looked at the others. “But I won’t disguise the fact that such a pursuit will be more difficult, and a lot less assured of success. Aside from all else, as Gyles pointed out, identifying the remaining villain or villains is going to take time, and they’re not going to wait in England while we do it.”
“So putting everything we can behind capturing our remaining villain-the Black Cobra’s ultimate head-is our preferred option, our best way forward.” Devil arched his brows at Royce.
As Royce nodded decisively, Logan asked, “Which port is Rafe heading for?”
Royce met his eyes. “Felixstowe.”
Logan was asleep, his arm around Linnet, when an unexpected sound dragged him from slumber.
The sound was distant, yet… he lifted his head the better to hear.
Linnet stirred, then stilled-listening, too.
The sound resolved into thudding hoofbeats. As the seconds passed, it became clear the rider was heading for the house.
Logan pushed back the covers.
“That can’t be good,” Linnet muttered, and slipped from the bed. Grabbing the coverlet, she wrapped it around her nightgown.
Buttoning his breeches, Logan stepped into his boots, roughly tugged them on, snagged his shirt from the chair as he went past. His face was grim as, shrugging on the shirt, he opened the door.
Linnet followed him into the corridor. Other doors were opening, both gentlemen and ladies venturing out in various states of undress.
