Page 73 of Any Duke in a Storm

Twenty-one

The thunderous banging against his door woke him out of a deep slumber. Raphael groaned and rubbed his eyes blearily, the thumps echoing dreadfully in time with the hammering inside his head. He threw an arm over his eyes and winced. He’d gotten completely foxed after he’d escorted Lisbeth back to the Duke of Thornbury’s residence; sometimes a man could only find clemency at the bottom of a tumbler. Though a tumbler—or ten—of the worst ale in Manhattan probably hadn’t been the best idea.

Nor had wanting to drown his sorrows. He had meant everything that he’d said to Lisbeth the night before, but articulating the right words and doing therightthing didn’t always equate to how one felt inside. Sometimes, it fucking hurt. To say he’d been shattered by her reaction was an understatement. Not that he expected her to return the sentiment, but he hadn’t expected her to turn tail and run.

Heknewshe had feelings for him; they had been in her eyes, in the way her body had welcomed his, and layered in between her words. From what he’d learned about Lisbeth, she wasn’t the type to share any intimacy without some fundamental level of trust…and affection. It might not be love, but shedidcare.

Sowhyhad she run? She wasn’t a coward.

Harsh voices punctuated the knocks and his thoughts, the former growing more forceful in intensity and volume, until Raphael was forced to get up. Those voices weren’t in his head! He threw his legs over the side of the bed and fought against the instant wave of unsteadiness.Bloody hell.He hadn’t gotten this sotted in a long time.

Cursing a blue streak under his breath, he stalked to the door. “Whoever this is better have a bloody good reason—” He broke off at the sight of the New York Metropolitan Police along with the customs house agents he recognized from theVauquelin, including their mustached leader, Mr. Carr. His gaze narrowed at the smug, victorious expression on the man’s face.

“Captain Saint?” he said. “You are under arrest for the crime of smuggling and avoidance of paying customs duties.”

“Duc de Viel, actually.” Raphael kept his expression blank, despite his delayed confusion, thanks to the slowness of his brain. “On the basis of what evidence?”

“Several undeclared crates of liquor and cigars were found in your cabin hold,” he said. “If you come quietly and don’t make a scene, that will be best for you.”

“Best for me or best for you?”

Carr’s brows rose. “Everyone,Your Grace.” The English version of his title was spat with no small amount of insolence.

“There was no such cargo onboard that ship,” Raphael countered, unwilling to leave until the matter had beenexplained to his satisfaction. He showed none of the inner turmoil he was feeling, however. There had been no crates on theVauquelinother than the gowns and accessories for Thorin’s mistress. “You must be mistaken or have received wrong information.”

“We received a tip and searched your ship.” Carr consulted a small notebook. “TheVauquelin, no?”

Raphael tamped down his rage that his ship had been boarded without permission, but the New York customs house had unchecked power from the American Treasury when it came to catching smugglers, which hewasguilty of, but not this time. “Who gave you this supposed tip?”

Some of the policemen shifted with discomfort as if they understood that the accusation was being made against a peer. It was no small thing, especially with unfounded proof. “It was anonymous, but that does not matter since the contraband was found.” His face tightened with a sneer. “Now, will you accompany us, Captain Saint, or will we have to put you in irons?”

Reason warred with pride. Going with them of his own accord was a much better option than being dragged out of the hotel like a felon. Regardless of the inconsequential weight of his title, it was still his father’s title and Raphael would not besmirch it further. “Very well,” he said. “But you will allow me to get dressed and leave in a manner befitting my station.”

“Now see here—” Carr began, but was cut off by one of the policemen, a captain by the look of his insignia.

“There’s no harm in letting the duke get dressed. Wecan’t afford to have theNew York Timeswriting more articles about the state of the metropolitan police. There are no windows that he can escape from at this height, and we have men stationed outside on all corners.” He glanced at Raphael. “You’re not going to try to escape, are you, Your Grace?”

“Of course not,” he replied. Not right then anyway. It wasn’t practical to climb out a four-story window and break a limb, or worse, fall to his death.

“I must insist on a man inside,” Carr sputtered.

The police captain frowned. “He is a duke, not a common criminal. I will not allow my department to shoulder the burden of your incompetence.”

“He is a smugg—”

“I hope you have irrefutable proof before waving that kind of slander around, Mr. Carr,” Raphael interrupted in a cool voice. “Goods can easily be planted by anyone, especially since I was not aboard my ship, but have been here as can be verified by the hotel staff.” He paused and pointed to the two other agents, one male and one female behind him. “Besides, those two checked my ship when we arrived and there were no such crates onboard, were there?”

The other two looked uncomfortable, their eyes shifting away in obvious guilt, but they did not speak, leaving the response up to their superior. “They were obviously missed,” Carr said. He was clearly on the hunt for a scapegoat.

“Missed or planted?” Raphael replied.

“We know who you are, de Viel, and about your ties to the man most wanted by the American Treasury department.”

With an inscrutable look at Carr, Raphael shut the door in the man’s face.

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

He’d known that staying so close to Dubois would be a risk, but to be tied to the man as an accomplice wasn’t something he’d predicted. He rarely shipped contraband for resale on the two ships he’d kept in the Caribbean for the purposes of tracking Dubois. Instead he’d looted the vessels of other criminals that would have been seized by the very unethical agents outside his door. The fact that Carr was willing to look the other way on his supposedproofand arrest him to make a name for himself confirmed as much.

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