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    late for the wedding

     

    by Amanda Quick

     

    one

     

    The first indication he got that his carefully laid plans for the night

    were doomed, came when he opened his bed chamber door and found

    Cleopatra standing in the hallway.

    Bloody hell," he said very softly.  I was expecting Minerva."

    His long-anticipated vision of a night of passion spent in a

    comfortable bed with his lover and occasional business partner,

    Lavinia Lake, faded into a hazy mist.

    His past had come back to haunt him at a most inconvenient

    moment.

    Hello, Tobias." The woman in the hall lowered the green and gilt

    mask attached to the little gold post in her hand. The cobra diadem

    that graced her long, elaborately braided black wig gleamed in the

    light of a nearby wall sconce. Wry amusement lit her dark eyes.  It

    has been a long time, has it not? May I come in?"

    It had, in fact, been three years since he had last seen Aspasia

    Gray, but she had changed very little. She was still a stunningly

    beautiful woman with a classical profile that was well-suited to

    her guise as the queen of Egypt. He knew that her real hair was a

    deep, rich brown. Her tall, elegantly proportioned figure was

    displayed to advantage in a pale green gown trimmed with gold

    embroidery.

    The last thing he wanted to do tonight was renew old acquaintances, Tobias March thought. But the sight of Aspasia Gray had

    definitely shattered the mood. Memories from that very dark time

    three years ago crashed over him with the force of storm-driven

    waves.

    He collected his wits with an effort and quickly surveyed the

    darkened hallway behind Aspasia. There was no sign of Lavinia.

    Maybe, if he acted swiftly, he would be able to rid himself of his

    unwelcome visitor before his evening was entirely ruined.

    I suppose you'd better come in." Reluctantly, he stepped back.

    You have not changed, sir," she murmured.  Still as gracious as

    ever, I see."

    She entered the firelit room with a soft rustle of silken skirts and

    a whisper of exotic perfume. He closed the door and turned to face

    her.

    He had not noticed any Cleopatras at the costume ball earlier

    in the evening, but that was not surprising. Beaumont Castle was

    a huge, sprawling monstrosity of a house, and tonight it was

    crammed with people. He had been interested in only one particular guest.

    The invitation to the house party had come through the auspices

    of Lord Vale. Tobias's first, automatic inclination had been to decline

    the offer. He had little interest in such affairs. House parties, in

    particular, struck him as tedious at best, albeit his experience of

    them was limited.

    But then Vale had reminded him of the one singular attraction of

    a properly organized country-house party.

    Yes, there are the lengthy, boring breakfasts and the frivolous

    conversations and the silly games, but bear in mind this vastly

    important, highly relevant point: you and Misses Lake will each be

    provided with a private bed chamber. Furthermore, no one will pay

    the least attention to which of those bed chambers you decide to

    occupy at night. Indeed, the true objective of a well-planned house

    party is to provide ample opportunities of that sort.

    The reminder of the true nature of a large house party had struck

    Tobias with the force of a lightning bolt. When Vale, who had no

    intention of attending the Beaumont affair, graciously offered the

    use of one of his private carriages for the journey, Tobias had felt

    himself inspired.

    He had been surprised, not to say greatly relieved, when Lavinia

    agreed to the plan with very little fuss. He suspected that her

    enthusiasm was generated in large part because she viewed the

    house party as an excellent opportunity to fish for new business.

    But he refused to allow that fact to depress his spirits. For the first

    time in their acquaintance, they would enjoy the luxury of being

    able to spend the better portion of not one but two entire nights in

    the cozy warmth and privacy of a real bed.

    The prospect had been dazzling. For once there would be no need

    to sneak about in remote sections of the park or make do with the

    desk in Lavinia's little study. For three glorious days he would not

    be obliged to rely on the benevolent graces of Lavinia's housekeeper,

    who could sometimes be persuaded to take herself off to shop for

    currants when he came to call.

    He certainly savored the all-too-brief encounters alone with

    Lavinia in town, but those occasions,  stimulating though they

    were,  tended to be rushed and occasionally nerve-racking. The

    weather had a nasty habit of delivering rain on afternoons when

    he chose the park for a tryst, and one never knew when Lavinia's

    niece, Emeline, might select an inopportune moment to return

    home.

    There was also the unpredictable nature of the business in

    which he and Lavinia were engaged. When one offered one's

    services to persons who wished to commission private inquiries and

    investigations, one never knew when a client might knock on the

    door.

    He looked at Aspasia.  What the devil are you doing here? I

    thought you were in Paris."

    I am well aware that you have a tendency to be blunt to the point

    of rudeness on occasion, Tobias. But surely I deserve a warmer

    welcome from you. It is not as though I am only a casual acquaintance, after all."

    She was right, he thought. The two of them were forever linked

    by the events of the past and by a dead man named Zachary

    Elland.

    My apologies," he said quietly,  but the truth is, you have caught

    me very much by surprise. I did not see you this afternoon when the

    other guests descended on the castle, nor did I notice you at the

    costume ball tonight."

    I arrived quite late, after the evening festivities had commenced.

    I saw you at the ball, but you were preoccupied with your little

    red headed friend." Aspasia stripped off her gloves with languid

    grace and held her hands out to the fire.  Who on earth is she,

    Tobias? I would not have said that she was your type."

    Her name is Misses Lake." He did not bother to conceal the edge to

    his words.

    Ah, I see." She looked down into the flames,  you are lovers." It was

    a statement, not a question.

    We are also business partners," he said evenly.  On occasion."

    Aspasia glanced at him, fine brows lifted in a faintly quizzical

    expression.  I do not understand. Do you refer to some financial deal

    ings in which the two of you are engaged?"

    In a manner of speaking. Misses Lake and I both make our livings

    in the same fashion. She takes commissions for private inquiries,

    just as I do. We investigate certain cases together."

    She smiled fleetingly.  I suppose the private-inquiry business is a

    step up from being a spy, but surely it is not nearly as respectable

    as your previous career as a man of business."

    I find it suits my temperament."

    I will not ask how your partner made her living before she went

    into this odd profession."

    Enough was enough, he thought. There were limits to one's oblig

    ations to old acquaintances.  Aspasia, tell me why you are here. I

    have plans for the remainder of the night."

    Plans that no doubt include Misses Lake." Aspasia sounded

    genuinely apologetic.  I truly am sorry, Tobias. Please believe me

    when I tell you that I would not have come to your bed chamber at

    this hour had it not been extremely urgent."

    Can this matter wait until morning?"

    I'm afraid not." She turned away from the fire and walked slowly

    toward him.

    Aspasia was a woman of the world. He knew that she was well

    schooled in the fine social art of concealing her private sentiments

    and feelings. But now he glimpsed a disturbing shift in the shadows

    beneath her cool veneer. He had seen that same emotion often

    enough in others to recognize it instantly. Aspasia Gray was afraid.

    What is wrong?" he asked, somewhat more gently this time.

    She sighed.  I did not come here to spend a few days rusticating

    in the country. As of last night, I had no intention whatsoever of

    accepting the invitation to Beaumont's house party. Indeed, I sent

    my regrets some weeks ago. But things changed. I am here now

    because I followed you, sir."

    He glanced at his pocket watch lying on the dressing table and

    saw that it was nearly one o'clock in the morning. The house had

    settled down for the night. In a few minutes Lavinia would knock on

    his door. He very much wanted to get rid of Aspasia before that

    happened.

    Why the devil did you chase all this way after me?" he asked.  It's

    a six-hour drive from Town."

    I had no choice. This morning I went straight to your address in

    Slate Street but you had already departed. Your man informed me

    that you had left for Beaumont Castle and would be gone for several

    days. Fortunately, I remembered that the invitation mentioned the

    costume ball. I managed to find this wig and a mask at the last

    minute."

    You received an invitation to this affair?" he asked, curiosity stir

    ring.

    Yes, of course." Aspasia brushed that aside.  Lady Beaumont

    sends invitations to everyone in Society. She delights in entertain

    ing. It has been her passion for years, and Lord Beaumont is only

    too happy to indulge her."

    Everyone in Society certainly did not include Lavinia or himself,

    he reflected. They managed to hang around on the fringes of the

    polite world thanks to connections with some wealthy, powerful

    former clients such as Vale and Misses Dove, but that association did

    not automatically qualify them to be placed on any hostess's regular guest list.

    Aspasia's pedigree, on the other hand, was impeccable. She was

    the last of her line, and she controlled a substantial inheritance

    that she had received from her father. At seventeen she had been

    briefly married to a man some forty years her senior. His death

    six months after the nuptials had left her with an additional

    income. Tobias calculated that she was now twenty-eight. The

    combination of beauty, breeding, and money made her an

    extremely attractive addition to any guest list. It was not at all

    surprising that she had received an invitation to Beaumont

    Castle.

    I'm surprised the housekeeper was able to find a bed chamber for

    you on such short notice," he said.  I thought the castle was filled to

    the rafters."

    It is quite crowded. But when I arrived and made it plain that

    there had been  a mistake with the invitations," the butler and

    housekeeper consulted together. They managed to find a very

    pleasant room for me just down the hall. I suspect that they

    arranged to move someone of lesser consequence to a less desirable

    location."

    Tell me what this is about, Aspasia."

    She began to pace back and forth in front of the hearth.  I'm not

    sure where to start. I returned from Paris last month and took a

    house in Town. Naturally I had intended to call upon you in due

    course after I was settled."

    He watched her face very closely and decided that he did not

    entirely believe that last statement. He was quite certain that, if

    she'd had a choice in the matter, she would have been content to

    avoid him indefinitely. He understood. She would always associate

    him with the tragic events of three years past.

    What changed your mind?" he asked.

    Her expression did not alter, but her elegant bare shoulders stiffened with tension. It would, he reflected, take a great deal to rattle

    Aspasia's nerves.

    Something happened this morning," she said, gazing into the fire.

    Something quite unsettling. I could not think of anything else to do

    but to consult with you immediately, Tobias."

    I suggest you come straight to the point," he said.

    Very well, but I fear you will not credit what I have to say if I

    do not show you what was left on my front step early this morning."

    She opened a tiny, beaded reticule and removed a small object

    wrapped in a linen handkerchief. She offered it to him on the palm

    of her hand.

    He plucked the small parcel from her fingers and carried it across

    the room to examine it in the light of the candle. There he untied the

    handkerchief and let the cloth fall away.

    He looked at the ring that had been revealed and felt the hair lift

    on the back of his neck.

    Hell's teeth," he whispered.

    Aspasia said nothing. She folded her arms beneath her breasts

    and waited, eyes shadowed.

    He studied the ring more closely. The band was set with black

    stones. The darkly glittering gems framed a small gold coffin. He

    used the tip of one finger to raise the lid.

    A tiny, exquisitely detailed white skull grinned up at him from

    inside the miniature sarcophagus.

    He angled the ring to read the Latin inscription on the inside of

    the lid, translating the ancient warning silently to himself. Death

    comes.

    He met Aspasia's eyes.  It is an old memento-mori ring."

    Yes." She hugged herself more tightly.

    You said it was left on your doorstep?"

    My housekeeper found it. The ring was inside a small box

    covered in black velvet."

    Was there a note? A message of some kind?"

    No. Just that damned ring." She shuddered, no longer bothering

    to conceal her disquiet.  You see now why I went to such lengths to

    find you tonight?"

    It is impossible," he said flatly.  Zachary Elland is dead, Aspasia.

    We both saw the body."

    She closed her eyes briefly in pain and then looked at him very

    steadily. You do not need to remind me."

    The old guilt slammed through him.  Of course not. My apologies."

    ...

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