his sister’s children, but she knew her heart would not understand. It would bleed a little with every smile he gave that woman. What should have been yet another lovely night of seeing how London society comported itself could easily turn into a painful nightmare.
“I see you responded to Madame’s coy invitation,” said Aldus.
Hartley grimaced and nodded even as he made certain Claudette was still immersed in conversation with her sister several feet away. Her note may have been coy, but the demand for his escort tonight had been very clear. Even if he would step away from her, he began to see that she would not allow him to do so easily. Her previous successes had made her arrogant, and arrogant people were not good losers.
So, he would flirt and smile. He would escort her places if he had to. He might even promise her more with an occasional kiss or caress. What he knew he would not do, could never do, was bed her. The mere thought of doing so turned his stomach.
“She will not give me the information we seek,” he said with utter conviction. “She plays this game for her own purposes, Aldus, and not just because she seeks me as her lover.”
“I know,” Gifford said as he handed Hartley a drink. “The more we learn of her, the more certain I am that she is not one to betray herself between the sheets. She hopes you will do so, however, as I fear others have. Peterson and Rogers died because some fool allowed his wits to flee whilst caught up in passion’s snare. The best you could do is let slip some false information that would lead her into a trap, but such tricks are not often successful. Yet how do we tell our superior Willsett that this is a waste of your time?”
“We will think of something ere you have to bed her, Hartley,” Aldus assured him.
“I cannot and will not bed that woman,” Hartley stated in a voice so hard and fierce it surprised even him. “My gorge rises when I simply kiss her hand, for I know how stained with innocent blood it is. I feel certain nothing else will rise even if she does her skillful best to make it so. My revulsion for her holds its own dangers. She may be a murderous viper, but she is also a survivor, and cunning. Soon she will notice that my ardor is false, that something has changed in me, and not to her favor. It would be best if I get away from her as soon as possible.”
Aldus nodded. “Understood and understandable. I am working on it.”
“Maybe we should just go to Willsett and tell him we are certain seduction will not work with this woman, that it might even make her suspicious.” Gifford shrugged when his friends just stared at him. “Just a thought. He has always trusted our judgment about such things.”
“It is a good thought, Gifford,” said Hartley, knowing that the man was right about their direct superior’s trust in them. “Willsett would heed our opinion, and we might not have to thoroughly explain how we came by it. Unfortunately, Willsett has gone home to Hampshire because his wife is due to birth their first child.”
“I could ride to his home and speak with him.”
“We will both go,” said Aldus.
Hartley opened his mouth to say no, that they should not trouble Willsett at such a time. Then he looked at Claudette, who smiled at him. He smiled back but knew by the slight narrowing of her eyes that his expression was not quite right. She was already growing suspicious, sensing the change in him that he was struggling to hide. Over the years he had become expert at hiding his feelings and suspicions, but this time it was all too personal. It would be safer for all of them if he could step away from her before that suspicion could grow into a hard certainty.
“Yes,” he said. “Go. I see now that I already falter in my act of ardently wooing her to my bed. I feel certain that, even now, she can sense the change in me. I realized last evening that, before we met the Vaughns, even though I did not like Claudette, I
“I see you responded to Madame’s coy invitation,” said Aldus.
Hartley grimaced and nodded even as he made certain Claudette was still immersed in conversation with her sister several feet away. Her note may have been coy, but the demand for his escort tonight had been very clear. Even if he would step away from her, he began to see that she would not allow him to do so easily. Her previous successes had made her arrogant, and arrogant people were not good losers.
So, he would flirt and smile. He would escort her places if he had to. He might even promise her more with an occasional kiss or caress. What he knew he would not do, could never do, was bed her. The mere thought of doing so turned his stomach.
“She will not give me the information we seek,” he said with utter conviction. “She plays this game for her own purposes, Aldus, and not just because she seeks me as her lover.”
“I know,” Gifford said as he handed Hartley a drink. “The more we learn of her, the more certain I am that she is not one to betray herself between the sheets. She hopes you will do so, however, as I fear others have. Peterson and Rogers died because some fool allowed his wits to flee whilst caught up in passion’s snare. The best you could do is let slip some false information that would lead her into a trap, but such tricks are not often successful. Yet how do we tell our superior Willsett that this is a waste of your time?”
“We will think of something ere you have to bed her, Hartley,” Aldus assured him.
“I cannot and will not bed that woman,” Hartley stated in a voice so hard and fierce it surprised even him. “My gorge rises when I simply kiss her hand, for I know how stained with innocent blood it is. I feel certain nothing else will rise even if she does her skillful best to make it so. My revulsion for her holds its own dangers. She may be a murderous viper, but she is also a survivor, and cunning. Soon she will notice that my ardor is false, that something has changed in me, and not to her favor. It would be best if I get away from her as soon as possible.”
Aldus nodded. “Understood and understandable. I am working on it.”
“Maybe we should just go to Willsett and tell him we are certain seduction will not work with this woman, that it might even make her suspicious.” Gifford shrugged when his friends just stared at him. “Just a thought. He has always trusted our judgment about such things.”
“It is a good thought, Gifford,” said Hartley, knowing that the man was right about their direct superior’s trust in them. “Willsett would heed our opinion, and we might not have to thoroughly explain how we came by it. Unfortunately, Willsett has gone home to Hampshire because his wife is due to birth their first child.”
“I could ride to his home and speak with him.”
“We will both go,” said Aldus.
Hartley opened his mouth to say no, that they should not trouble Willsett at such a time. Then he looked at Claudette, who smiled at him. He smiled back but knew by the slight narrowing of her eyes that his expression was not quite right. She was already growing suspicious, sensing the change in him that he was struggling to hide. Over the years he had become expert at hiding his feelings and suspicions, but this time it was all too personal. It would be safer for all of them if he could step away from her before that suspicion could grow into a hard certainty.
“Yes,” he said. “Go. I see now that I already falter in my act of ardently wooing her to my bed. I feel certain that, even now, she can sense the change in me. I realized last evening that, before we met the Vaughns, even though I did not like Claudette, I
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