more than she needed to know about his mission.
He might have to take her with him to ensure her safety, but he intended to do all in his power to keep her ignorant of and entirely separate from his mission, and as far as possible out of the Black Cobra’s sight.
It was only after they’d risen from the table and together walked out of the parlor and up the stairs that he realized he’d spent an entire evening alone with an unmarried lady, doing nothing more than talking, and he hadn’t even thought of being bored.
Which he usually was. Thus far in his life, women, even ladies, had fulfilled one and only one role; he’d had very little interest in them outside that sphere. Yet although he’d focused on Deliah’s luscious lips far too often for his comfort, he’d been too engaged in their mutual interrogation-her quick wits had ensured he’d had to keep his own about him-to dwell on her sexual potential, much less act on an attraction that, he was surprised to discover, had not just survived the last hours but had, if anything, grown.
She paused outside the door of the chamber next to his and glanced up at him. Her lips curved lightly-a genuine smile tinged with a hint of appreciation and a soupcon of challenge. “Good night…Del.”
He forced his lips into an easy smile. Inclined his head. “Deliah.”
Her smile fractionally deepened, but her tone was entirely innocent when she added, “Sleep well.”
Del stood in the shadowed corridor and watched the chamber door close behind her, then he slowly walked the few paces to his own, reasonably certain that her last wish was very unlikely to be granted.
Two
“It’s morning, believe it or not. Gray as the grave, and equally cold. Whatever passes for sun these days it’s not up yet, but there’s two gentlemen downstairs waiting to see you-Torrington and Crowhurst.”
Del grunted. He pushed back the covers and rose, stretched, suppressing a shiver at the chill in the air. “Tell them I’ll be down directly.”
“Aye, sir.”
Del washed, quickly shaved, then dressed in the clothes Cobby had left warming by the fire. A quick glance out of the window showed a drear landscape bathed in pearl-gray light. No snow had yet fallen, and it wasn’t raining. Good enough weather for traveling.
Downstairs, he passed Cobby in the foyer.
“In the parlor, they are. Thought I’d get breakfast served, seeing you were on your way.”
With a nod, Del strolled on, opened the parlor door, and walked in to find two large gentlemen enthusiastically addressing plates piled with ham and sausages. Both looked up, smiled, and rose as he approached.
Both must have been in the Guards at some point-there was a certain set to their shoulders, a similarity in their long, tall frames.
The dark-haired, black-eyed one held out his hand with a smiling nod. “Delborough, I take it. I’m Torrington.”
Del shook hands.
“Gervase Tregarth.” The second man, with amber eyes and curly brown hair, likewise offered his hand. “Also known as Crowhurst.”
Del smiled. “Call me Del.” He took a seat facing them, his gaze lowering to the platters. “I haven’t had a real English breakfast in over seven years. Is it any good?”
“Excellent.” Torrington picked up his fork. “Very good ham. I’m Tony, by the way-Tony Blake.”
“Blake.” Del helped himself to the ham and three sausages. “There was a Blake behind enemy lines after Corunna.”
“That was me. Old days long gone. Not much call for those sort of larks these days, not for any of us.”
“Which,” Gervase said, reaching for the coffeepot, “is why you’ll find us all very grateful for this chance to get back into some action, no matter how briefly. Civilian life has its challenges, but they aren’t quite the same.”
Just those few exchanges put Del entirely at ease; men like these he understood, because they thought like him.
“We heard,” Tony said around a mouthful of ham, “that you had a spot of bother at the Dolphin.”
“Indeed-it seems the Black Cobra is aware I’m here, and ready, even eager, to engage.”
“Excellent.” Gervase grinned. “Reassuring to know the action’s already underway.”
“So,” Del said, “what word do you have from Wolverstone?”
“Who,” Tony informed him, “is likewise grateful, but, as usual, is keeping his cards exceedingly close to his chest. We’re to head into London, and spend a few days making noise and seeing what cult forces we can draw out. Royce has left the timing to us, but once we feel we’ve done all we can in the capital, we’re to head to Cambridgeshire, to a house called Somersham Place.”
“I know it,” Del said. “Devil Cynster’s home.”
“Where,” Gervase said, “Cynster will be waiting with a crew of other Cynsters. The idea is to lure the Black Cobra to strike at you while there-no reason the cult would know how many ex-Guardsmen are in the house.”
Del chewed, nodded. “So it’ll be an ambush of sorts.”
“Exactly.” Tony refilled his coffee cup, and sat back.
Del arched a brow at them both. “Do you know if any of the others have reached England?”
Tony shook his head.
“I sent word last night to Royce that you’d landed,” Gervase said, “and that we’ll proceed as planned. As far as we’ve heard, you’re the first home.”
Del hesitated, then said, “About proceeding as planned, we have a slight complication-an unexpected addition to our group.” He told them of Miss Deliah Duncannon, and briefly explained why he hadn’t been able to leave her behind.
Tony winced. “Last thing we need, to have to act as nursemaid to a sweet young thing all the way through London and into Cambridgeshire.”
“At least we’ll be able to hand her over to the Cynster ladies once there,” Gervase said.
Del tried to imagine Deliah Duncannon being “handed over.” Or nursemaided. Couldn’t.
He was searching for words with which to correct their misapprehension that Deliah was “a sweet young thing” when Tony continued, “Still, I suppose it’ll just be a matter of leaving her with her maid and your people, well out of the action.” Setting down his empty cup, Tony reached for the coffeepot. “As we should get on the road in the next hour or so, I daresay the first step is to send a message up to this Miss Duncannon’s maid to get her mistress awake.”
“Miss Duncannon is already awake.”
The frosty words brought them to their feet as the door-which Del now realized hadn’t shut properly behind him-swung fully open to admit Deliah, ready for the day in a gray carriage dress, and transparently unimpressed.
Just how long she’d been standing outside the door was impossible to guess.
Del quickly made the introductions, which she acknowledged with a haughty air. Both Tony and Gervase bowed over her hand, endeavoring to appear cheery and charming. Del held a chair for her, while the others recommended the ham and sausages, which she waved away as a maid bustled in with fresh toast and a teapot.
“Thank you.” Deliah smiled at the maid, claimed a slice of toast, then fixed her eyes on Del’s guilty friends. “So how far do you plan to travel today?”
She’d addressed the question to Tony. He looked to Del, but she refused to follow his gaze and continued to look at him inquiringly…as she’d hoped, he felt compelled to answer.
“We should reach London late this afternoon.”
She nodded. “And then into Cambridgeshire.” When they exchanged quick glances, she added, “In time. A few
