Page 6 of Doubling Down on a Duke
“Yes.”
Hmm. If she made all the right moves, she might be able to grant Bryce the life he so deserved. Helen’s mind whirled with possibilities. Wanting to make sure they were both in agreement, she asked,“And I can ask for anything…anything at all.”
Bryce’s brow knitted together and his eyes narrowed slightly. “Yes…And in fact, I shall grant you as many wishes as you like…as long as you are my wife.”
Mentally recalling the marriage laws, Helen considered the possibility of their marriage being annulled since the banns had not been read. She glanced about the church in search of a clock. Had they wed before noon? With no time piece in sight, Helen glanced out the stained windows and roughly guessed it was close to the nooning hour. Confident she could argue their marriage was invalid, Helen smiled up at her husband and said, “Then I shall look forward to you making good on that promise.”
From behind her, the reverend cleared his throat and said, “Your Grace, if you will, please sign here.”
Helen took the quill from the old man and scribbled her name. She took a step back as Bryce and the others shifted forward to sign their names. If the marriage was never consummated, that too would add grounds for annulment, but she recalled the twinkle in Bryce’s eyes just moments before.
Lost in thought, Helen jumped when Bryce touched her elbow and said, “I was just informed that the Hadfields have arranged a rather small but private wedding banquet for us. Shall we?”
She deciphered his words to mean they were to be debriefed on their pending mission at the Hadfield residence. Without objection, Helen calmly followed her husband down the aisle with a smile pasted upon her face as she nodded and passed all the Network members wishing them well. The sooner they found the diamonds the better. She didn’t want to become too accustomed to the warmth that was settling within her as she walked next to Bryce, who was shielding her and gazing upon her with what others might interpret as devotion.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The Hadfield study was not as large as the one in Bryce’s London ducal mansion, but the modest-sized room was well organized and filled with volumes that spanned well over one hundred years. His gaze shifted to Hadfield’s desk, which was littered with maps and sketches of the three women believed responsible for the theft of the diamonds.
Lord Hadfield stood with his hands on his hips, legs shoulder width apart, and faced the group gathered before him. “We have managed to locate the women in a small village just shy of the Scottish border.”
The head PORF commanded the room like a general on the battlefield—decisive and totally in control of the situation. Lord Hadfield was everything he was not, and Bryce couldn’t help but notice the glint of admiration in Helen’s eyes as she listened intently.
What would it take for her to look upon him in the same manner?
Admittedly, she was a better chess player than him, managing to escape every time he thought he’d finally corneredthe woman, whether it be in a chess match or in real life. Helen’s quick mind and lack of fear made her a very difficult opponent.
To his left, Helen asked, “Have you devised a strategy for us to carry out or will we be afforded the luxury of creating one of our own?”
He couldn’t prevent the corner of his lips curving into a grin. Helen’s question was posed as just that, a question, but his wife had made it quite apparent which option she preferred.
Lord Hadfield moved to stand next to the desk and gathered the detailed drawings of the offenders. Handing them over to Helen, he replied, “To date, these three ladies have led us on a merry chase. I need you and Whistlestop to put an end to this matter and retrieve the gems before the Royal Gala, which is set for a fortnight hence.”
Helen took the drawings and studied each one carefully. “Wallflowers.” She shuffled through the portraits once more. “Lady Lillian Tanner. Lady Ruth Johnson…and Lady Phoebe Peters.”
“Interesting. While Lady Lillian and Lady Ruth made their debut last season, Lady Phoebe has been on the shelf for quite some time. I wonder how it is that the pair befriended the spinster.” He’d spoken his thoughts before thinking the wiser. The narrowed gazes he received from both Helen and Lady Bronwyn confirmed he’d somehow offended them both.
Lord Hadfield chuckled. “I had the exact same thoughts, Your Grace, which is why I decided to seek out Lady Helen’s help.”
Scooping up the materials laid out on the desk, Lady Bronwyn tucked them into a neat pile before marching them over to Bryce’s wife. “You have full authority to conduct the mission as you see fit. All the information that the Network has managed to accumulate is here.”
Lord Hadfield moved to stand next to his wife. “Wehave full faith in the both of you to successfully complete the task, especially since the queen has requested the diamonds be cleaned and ready for her to wear at the Royal Gala.”
“We shan’t disappoint.” Helen grabbed his hand and hauled him towards the door.
Once they were out the front doors, she slowed her pace and looked up at him. The confidence she exuded mere moments ago evaporated and she asked, “What are we to do? I’ve no notion of how to go about retrieving the gems.”
He squeezed her hand and said, “We’ll figure it out…together.”
Back pressedagainst the plush cushions of the Whistlestop ducal travel coach, Helen pleated the material of her skirts. She shouldn’t be nervous. She was with her husband. But then again, Bryce had always made her a little nervous when it was just the two of them alone. Helen peeked up at the man opposite her. Bryce was no longer the boy who constantly squirmed in his seat. He was a devilishly handsome man who had assisted more than one lady to her destination, if she were to believe all the rumors. Now that she was his wife, did she have a right to know the sordid details of his past?
“Is there something the matter?” Bryce’s eyebrow over his right eye arched, punctuating his question.
“I was thinking…” Her train of thought ceased as he slid onto the bench next to her. She hadn’t been this close to him in years and for good reason. She, like every other lady, fell prey to the man’s charms. Her pulse raced and heat flooded her cheeks. Sheshifted to her right to place space between them, but that only resulted in his gaze meeting hers directly.
Eyes locked, Helen saw her husband for the man he was. The person she wished she could be, liked by all, easy on the eyes, and always ready with a comforting smile. Bryce was her complete opposite. She was known to bear a frown more often than not, her looks were pleasant but not notable, and only a mere handful of ladies would she call friends. Most of her female peers were not interested and didn’t understand the topics she found intriguing. Most conversations came to an abrupt halt, often leaving Helen feeling duty bound to murmur nonsense to fill what would otherwise be dead silence. She hated awkward, long pauses and Bryce knew that. So when he prompted, “About?” she was both glad and relieved he hadn’t totally forgotten.
Confident he wouldn’t think less of her for speaking her mind, she answered, “Your reputation. Specifically, how many other ladies have sat here next to you in your coach…alone.”
