Page 26 of How to Court a Rake
Carys stiffened and stilled. ‘Is there something you think I should know?’ Caine noted the defensiveness. Carys felt there was something to defend, something to protect. A secret relationship, perhaps? A covert business deal? Something he didn’t want exposed? Or was it merely that Carys was protecting his choice, not wanting to look the fool?
‘The former Duke was involved in an ammunitions scandal. He involved himself with a covert arms dealer by the name of Cabot Roan who sold arms and munitions to whichever side was buying. Furthermore, the bullets were faulty. The machinery used to produce them was not always accurate, thus up to an estimated twenty per cent of the bullets misfired. The factory knew this and did not spend the necessary monies to make the correction.’
Carys’s gaze had gone hard. ‘Where did you hear such a thing? There was nothing of the sort in the newspapers when the former Duke died.’
‘From Prince Baklanov, who was there the day of the carriage accident. He indicated the cause of the accident and the reason for it were tied to the factory scandal. Being a duke, there was a desire to keep much of this out of the papers in order to save face for the family. I have met with Baklanov and he assures me he is more than happy to meet with you to discuss the scandal.’
Caine kept his gaze steady on Carys, watching carefully as the man’s restraint faltered. He could tell it was taking all of Carys’s willpower to not squirm or leap over the desk and plant him a facer in an attempt to silence him, a sure sign that he was getting to him. He was close to something, although Carys was unlikely to admit it. Perhaps that meant he was close to culpability, but that meant nothing if Caine couldn’t prove it.
‘I thought you should know. My concern, of course, is foryourfamily and for Lady Mary’s reputation.’ It wasn’t entirely false flattery. He was indeed concerned for Mary and that concern had grown considerably this afternoon. Roses were hardy blooms that could survive under myriad conditions, but that didn’t mean they didn’t deserve better.
‘If you were concerned for Mary’s reputation, you would not have danced with her,’ Carys said through gritted teeth.
‘You’re the one marrying her against her will into a family tainted by scandal. I sincerely think my crime is not the biggest one here, Lord Carys.’ Caine spread his hands in a gesture of peace. ‘But perhaps there is nothing to worry about and the scandal will not touch the new Duke. We can always hope it will remain buried.’ Unless, of course, the reason for the scandal had never truly died and the new Duke had taken up his predecessor’s hunger for money as well as the man’s title. War was a lucrative business and there was always someone to fight if one wasn’t particular about the side they fought on.
‘Thank you for your time, Lord Carys. I will see myself out. I will enjoy seeing you tonight for the musicale your wife is hosting.’ Caine rose, knowing that his decision to end the meeting would irritate the other man to no end. Carys was a man who decided when his meetings were over, not the other party. He would not like that petty power usurped. It was beyond time someone did some usurping. Carys was too used to getting his way and too used to having no one gainsay him.
Even if the news today had been a shocking revelation and Carys had truly known no more about Amesbury than that he was young, unmarried and had a title, it didn’t change the reality that Carys was a tyrant in his own home and was forcing his daughter towards a marriage she did not want. On those grounds alone, Caine would gladly teach the man a lesson. On the grounds of ensuring Mary’s freedom from such tyranny he found himself willing to do much more—a realisation that was quite sobering for a man who insisted he couldn’t and wouldn’t wed.
Chapter Fourteen
Mary was still on his mind hours later as Caine dressed for the evening. In the span of an afternoon things had become infinitely more complicated. He rooted about in his trifle box for the round diamond cravat pin he preferred for this evening and fastened in the dark folds where it winked like a single star in a midnight sky, or perhaps a single beacon of hope in circumstances that might quickly be coming to a head.
Caine did not relish his task tonight—to find the final connection that would link Carys and perhaps even Amesbury to the sabotage attempt. If he found that link, it would put him one step closer to avenging his brother, but it would also put him another step closer to ruining Mary. After this afternoon, he knew how that step would look to her. It would look like betrayal andhewould look like the worst of deceivers. One did not allow an innocent to find pleasure in one’s arms, promise them hope and the illusion of friendship and then turn around and destroy them.
He would be entirely guilty of everything she accused him of. He should have known better and he should not have let things go as far as they did, not only because he was the more experienced party, but also because he knew what was coming. Yet she’d been irresistible in her excitement, her passion. He’d wanted to show her the possibilities of pleasure—real pleasure, to show her what she deserved. And heaven help him, he’d wanted to experience those things, too. With her. Before it was too late and harsh reality intruded for them both.
A knock at the door interrupted his mental flagellation. Kieran let himself in, already dressed for the evening. They’d discussed his meeting Baklanov when he’d returned and Kieran had taken some time since then to sift through all of it. He knew his brother would want to talk one more time before they split up for the night.
‘We have a valet.’ Kieran looked him up and down. ‘You should use him. Your cravat is crooked.’ Kieran strode towards him. ‘Let me help. Cravats are a two-person job.’
Caine lifted his chin and let Kieran fuss. ‘Yours looks fine.’
‘Phineas, ourvalet, helped me with mine and he should help you with yours.’ Kieran removed the diamond pin as he scolded. ‘It hurts his pride that the Marquess dresses on his own. He feels as if he can’t do his job.’ Kieran re-inserted the pin and smoothed the folds. ‘That’s better.’
‘I’ll make it up to him tomorrow when I need a shave. Tonight, I needed time to think.’
Kieran made a sympathetic noise. ‘You’re worried about what you might find in the Earl of Carys’s study tonight.’ They’d decided the sooner they knew the better and this evening’s musicale provided the perfect opportunity to be in the Carys town house without having to break in. All he needed to do was find a moment to slip away to the study. It would be a quick search. The Earl would either keep important documents locked in his desk or in a safe behind the nautical oil painting.
‘Whatever I find or don’t find will be a disappointment at best and disastrous at worst. If I find no connection between the sabotage and the Earl, we’re back to square one in our search for the saboteur, or I find something damning and become the instrument of Lady Mary’s ruin.’ She did not deserve that. Dread settled in his stomach. If he did find something, he wouldn’t have a choice. England and his brother had to come first.
Kieran gave him a considering nod. ‘I think that depends on how you define ruin. If the Earl is connected with the sabotage attempt, it will all be handled privately. Grandfather isn’t going to go public with this any more than he’s gone public with our other work.’ Which meant none of it. London society had no idea what the Horsemen got up to outside reckless rides and wild wagers. ‘The shipment was private,’ Kieran went on, ‘only the investors knew about the incident in Wapping and they certainly don’t want that to go public for political reasons. All anyone in the general public knows about Wapping is that an unknown man died after being apprehended by Stepan and Stepan is…missing. Grandfather does not want a front-page story inThe Timesabout an arms deal double-cross involving an earl.’
And what Grandfather wanted, Grandfather got. ‘If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears? Is that your reasoning?’ Caine rummaged for his onyx and pearl cufflinks.
‘Something like that.’ Kieran shrugged. ‘The point is, Lady Mary will not be ruined by an arms scandal. That won’t even come to light.’
‘No, she’ll be ruined by the fact that she’s lost a third duke.’ Caine could just imagine the frenzy that would throw the gossips into. If Carys was implicated, Amesbury would not want the marriage.
‘You’d be saving her, not ruining her. I thought you said she didn’t want to marry Amesbury?’
‘She doesn’t. It’s just the thought of what it will do to her. Society will think it’s just another piece of matrimonial gossip and she’ll be affected badly by her father’s crime.’ She couldn’t win—she faced scandal on one hand and a dangerous, disappointing marriage on the other. Hadn’t she suffered enough? She needed a middle path.
‘You could marry her,’ Kieran put in. ‘Why not? You need to marry for your title’s perpetuity and a marriage would deflect talk about her.’ That wasnotthe middle path he was thinking of.
‘That’s a horrible idea, and an impossible one.’ Caine stared hard at his brother. ‘Do you actually think she’d even look at me once she realises I’m to blame for all of it? That I betrayed her father?’
‘Oh, I see.’ Kieran couldn’t quite suppress a grin. ‘It’s not the ruining of her that has you worried, it’s the ruining of you and her together that bothers you. You don’t want to lose her.’
