here than meets the eye. I haven’t figured out Catalina’s game yet, but I don’t intend to simply wait for her to make the next move.”
A thought was revolving in her mind, and she voiced it hesitantly. “I should think
El Grande
would have more enemies than you. What if he is the target? From all I’ve heard, many private accounts were settled in the
guerrilla
, the partisans’ little war. Perhaps someone has a grudge against him.”
“Believe me, I am not discounting any possibility.”
There was something in the set of his face that made her go cold all over. Her throat was so dry, she had to swallow before she could find her voice.
“You said that you wanted me to play the part of your wife. What could you possibly hope to gain by that?”
His eyes were pinpoints of light when they focused on her. Gradually, they warmed. “What I hope to gain,” he said, “is to draw my wife and her brother into the open. I traced them to England. I know they are here, and I’m hoping to find them. When they realize that someone is posturing as Catalina, my long-lost wife, it should completely throw them off course, and draw them out of hiding. It’s high time I gained the upper hand. I’ve been playing it their way for too long. So, will you consider it?Will you play the part of my wife? Five thousand pounds, Catherine. It’s nothing to sneeze at.”
She rose to her feet and stared at him in astonishment. “After what you’ve told me? Are you out of your mind? Or perhaps you think I’m the crazy one? I wouldn’t play the part of your wife for all the gold in England! Strange as it may seem, I like being alive. You may take your preposterous proposition, Lord Wrotham, and go to the devil.” She marched to the door, opened it, and held it for him.
“That’s what I expected you to say,” he said.
Which was exactly why she’d said it. If he’d taken her at her word, she would have had to find a way to bring him back.
“Ten thousand pounds,” he said softly, “if we apprehend them. That’s a tidy sum of money for anyone, Catherine, even for a man in my position.”
It was a fortune. She could live in luxury for the rest of her life.
She closed the door and returned to her chair. “I’m not promising anything,” she said, “but … all right, explain to me how you think this would work. Maybe if I understand it better …”
There was a different look about him now. The charm had flown out the window and he was staring at her with barely concealed contempt. What had she said? What had she done? Then a mask came down and the look was gone.
Marcus leaned forward in his chair, his arms resting on his thighs, brandy glass cupped in both hands. “You won’t be in any danger Don’t you see, the last thing they would want is for anything to happen to you, else Catalina’s designs on my fortune would be thwarted, because she would, to all appearances, be dead. There would also no longer be any point in killing me since you would be the one to claim my fortune as my widow. Either way, they lose.”
“But
El Grande
and Catalina could prove that I am an impostor!”
“It will never come to that. What Catalina wants is money, and I am prepared to pay handsomely to buy heroff.” To her raised brows, he elaborated, “The divorce, Catherine. I’m willing to pay whatever she asks for the divorce.”
She couldn’t conceal her scorn. “Are you saying that to save your own skin, you would pay her off, a murderess? What about your good friend, Freddie Barnes? What about those others, your fellow officers, who were murdered? Won’t there be any justice for them?”
He said mildly, “You’re a fine one to talk when your sole motivation for even listening to me is money. You’re quire a mercenary little … witch.”
Catherine lifted her brow. “You’re not my friend, Lord Wrotham. I don’t owe you anything. You’re lucky that I’m even hearing you out.”
He let out a breath. “You’re
A thought was revolving in her mind, and she voiced it hesitantly. “I should think
El Grande
would have more enemies than you. What if he is the target? From all I’ve heard, many private accounts were settled in the
guerrilla
, the partisans’ little war. Perhaps someone has a grudge against him.”
“Believe me, I am not discounting any possibility.”
There was something in the set of his face that made her go cold all over. Her throat was so dry, she had to swallow before she could find her voice.
“You said that you wanted me to play the part of your wife. What could you possibly hope to gain by that?”
His eyes were pinpoints of light when they focused on her. Gradually, they warmed. “What I hope to gain,” he said, “is to draw my wife and her brother into the open. I traced them to England. I know they are here, and I’m hoping to find them. When they realize that someone is posturing as Catalina, my long-lost wife, it should completely throw them off course, and draw them out of hiding. It’s high time I gained the upper hand. I’ve been playing it their way for too long. So, will you consider it?Will you play the part of my wife? Five thousand pounds, Catherine. It’s nothing to sneeze at.”
She rose to her feet and stared at him in astonishment. “After what you’ve told me? Are you out of your mind? Or perhaps you think I’m the crazy one? I wouldn’t play the part of your wife for all the gold in England! Strange as it may seem, I like being alive. You may take your preposterous proposition, Lord Wrotham, and go to the devil.” She marched to the door, opened it, and held it for him.
“That’s what I expected you to say,” he said.
Which was exactly why she’d said it. If he’d taken her at her word, she would have had to find a way to bring him back.
“Ten thousand pounds,” he said softly, “if we apprehend them. That’s a tidy sum of money for anyone, Catherine, even for a man in my position.”
It was a fortune. She could live in luxury for the rest of her life.
She closed the door and returned to her chair. “I’m not promising anything,” she said, “but … all right, explain to me how you think this would work. Maybe if I understand it better …”
There was a different look about him now. The charm had flown out the window and he was staring at her with barely concealed contempt. What had she said? What had she done? Then a mask came down and the look was gone.
Marcus leaned forward in his chair, his arms resting on his thighs, brandy glass cupped in both hands. “You won’t be in any danger Don’t you see, the last thing they would want is for anything to happen to you, else Catalina’s designs on my fortune would be thwarted, because she would, to all appearances, be dead. There would also no longer be any point in killing me since you would be the one to claim my fortune as my widow. Either way, they lose.”
“But
El Grande
and Catalina could prove that I am an impostor!”
“It will never come to that. What Catalina wants is money, and I am prepared to pay handsomely to buy heroff.” To her raised brows, he elaborated, “The divorce, Catherine. I’m willing to pay whatever she asks for the divorce.”
She couldn’t conceal her scorn. “Are you saying that to save your own skin, you would pay her off, a murderess? What about your good friend, Freddie Barnes? What about those others, your fellow officers, who were murdered? Won’t there be any justice for them?”
He said mildly, “You’re a fine one to talk when your sole motivation for even listening to me is money. You’re quire a mercenary little … witch.”
Catherine lifted her brow. “You’re not my friend, Lord Wrotham. I don’t owe you anything. You’re lucky that I’m even hearing you out.”
He let out a breath. “You’re
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