thought her no more than a seller of information, a greedy woman who gave no thought to the lives lost because of what she did. Now I spend all the time I am near her fighting the urge to put my hands around her neck and try to choke the truth from her.”
Aldus cleared his throat. “Most assuredly not loverlike.” He briefly grinned. “Do restrain yourself, old friend. And I only say that because it would gain us nothing. The woman has too many allies with the power to set her free if we try to question her without the proof needed to make them back away from her. She also has the cunning to know who can or cannot fulfill such a threat. You cannot. Not with your thoughts clear and your blood cold. You will not hesitate to bring her to the justice she so richly deserves to face, but you are no torturer. Certainly not of a woman.”
Hartley was not as confident of that as Aldus sounded. He could almost smell the blood on Claudette. Worse, he could see the fury and grief that had aged young Germaine’s face. Claudette was responsible for the loss of his sister’s children, of their innocence. If they had survived the past three years alone in France, he could only imagine what they had suffered. Such thoughts darkened his dreams and robbed him of his sleep.
“I do not know what you are thinking, Hart, but best you shake it out of your head,” said Gifford. “If Claudette sees that look on your face, she will flee the country.”
Hartley took a deep breath and struggled to calm the fury boiling in his veins. “Better?”
“Some. Leastwise you no longer look as if you wish to kill someone. Ah, and here are the Vaughns.”
Alethea. The name whispered through his mind, igniting his senses, and Hartley nearly cursed. She was another reason he was not sleeping well. He would wake in the night, his mouth full of the rich, sweet promise of her kiss, and his body hard with wanting. Instinct warned him that the little seer could change his life, and he was not ready for change. At least that is what his stubborn mind kept saying. The rest of him was ready to leap into it with both feet and a cheer.
He looked at the Vaughns, who were slowly making their way through the crowd. Alethea was dressed in a gown of a deep burgundy, one that enhanced the soft curves of her body and touched the delicate ivory of her skin with a hint of warm color. His body tightened with need, and he had to smother a groan. The neckline of her gown was lower than what she usually wore, and he could see the soft swells of her breasts more clearly. He had a sharp vision of burying his face in that silken flesh and clenched his fists. The urge to go over and yank up the neck of her gown or find a shawl to throw around her shoulders was very strong. Control had never been so difficult to claim before.
“There is one sure way to push Claudette aside,” said Aldus when the Vaughns paused to speak to an older woman and her young, blushing daughter.
Hartley saw how intently Aldus was studying Alethea and immediately guessed his friend’s plan. “No.”
“Claudette would not wish to be in competition with any woman. She would hunt new prey. It would also explain to all the gossips why you turned away from her.”
“Alethea is in this too deeply as it is. And what surety do you have that Claudette would just step aside? We now know the woman is a cold-blooded killer. And that she takes insult at the smallest things. Mayhap she would even decide she still needed to gain information from me. If I put Alethea between us, Claudette could simply decide to have her removed.”
“Ah. I had not considered that. You must continue to remain acquaintances and no more, then.”
“Exactly. Let us hope Claudette has not heard the rumors about the Vaughns and, even more, does not believe them if she has.”
“Yes, that could cause trouble. Might be an idea to keep a close guard on them.”
“It might. We will just have to think of some reason it is
Aldus cleared his throat. “Most assuredly not loverlike.” He briefly grinned. “Do restrain yourself, old friend. And I only say that because it would gain us nothing. The woman has too many allies with the power to set her free if we try to question her without the proof needed to make them back away from her. She also has the cunning to know who can or cannot fulfill such a threat. You cannot. Not with your thoughts clear and your blood cold. You will not hesitate to bring her to the justice she so richly deserves to face, but you are no torturer. Certainly not of a woman.”
Hartley was not as confident of that as Aldus sounded. He could almost smell the blood on Claudette. Worse, he could see the fury and grief that had aged young Germaine’s face. Claudette was responsible for the loss of his sister’s children, of their innocence. If they had survived the past three years alone in France, he could only imagine what they had suffered. Such thoughts darkened his dreams and robbed him of his sleep.
“I do not know what you are thinking, Hart, but best you shake it out of your head,” said Gifford. “If Claudette sees that look on your face, she will flee the country.”
Hartley took a deep breath and struggled to calm the fury boiling in his veins. “Better?”
“Some. Leastwise you no longer look as if you wish to kill someone. Ah, and here are the Vaughns.”
Alethea. The name whispered through his mind, igniting his senses, and Hartley nearly cursed. She was another reason he was not sleeping well. He would wake in the night, his mouth full of the rich, sweet promise of her kiss, and his body hard with wanting. Instinct warned him that the little seer could change his life, and he was not ready for change. At least that is what his stubborn mind kept saying. The rest of him was ready to leap into it with both feet and a cheer.
He looked at the Vaughns, who were slowly making their way through the crowd. Alethea was dressed in a gown of a deep burgundy, one that enhanced the soft curves of her body and touched the delicate ivory of her skin with a hint of warm color. His body tightened with need, and he had to smother a groan. The neckline of her gown was lower than what she usually wore, and he could see the soft swells of her breasts more clearly. He had a sharp vision of burying his face in that silken flesh and clenched his fists. The urge to go over and yank up the neck of her gown or find a shawl to throw around her shoulders was very strong. Control had never been so difficult to claim before.
“There is one sure way to push Claudette aside,” said Aldus when the Vaughns paused to speak to an older woman and her young, blushing daughter.
Hartley saw how intently Aldus was studying Alethea and immediately guessed his friend’s plan. “No.”
“Claudette would not wish to be in competition with any woman. She would hunt new prey. It would also explain to all the gossips why you turned away from her.”
“Alethea is in this too deeply as it is. And what surety do you have that Claudette would just step aside? We now know the woman is a cold-blooded killer. And that she takes insult at the smallest things. Mayhap she would even decide she still needed to gain information from me. If I put Alethea between us, Claudette could simply decide to have her removed.”
“Ah. I had not considered that. You must continue to remain acquaintances and no more, then.”
“Exactly. Let us hope Claudette has not heard the rumors about the Vaughns and, even more, does not believe them if she has.”
“Yes, that could cause trouble. Might be an idea to keep a close guard on them.”
“It might. We will just have to think of some reason it is
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