to telling me what it is." He took out the second flintlock pistol and gave it the same examination as the first, checking the barrel and trigger mechanism.
Colin reached for his boots, tugged them on, and began tossing articles into his opened valise. "Mercedes Leyden," he said. "Any part of that familiar to you?"
Aubrey closed the pistol case and tucked it under his arm. "Leyden," he said softly, thinking. His mouth screwed up to one side and his eyes widened as realization seemed to hammer him in the face. "Isn't that the earl's name?"
"Wallace Leyden," Colin said.
"His daughter?" asked Aubrey.
"She says she's his niece."
Aubrey considered that. "You believe her?"
Colin glanced around the room looking for anything he might be leaving behind. He noticed that except for the stockings Mercedes had bound him with there was no hard evidence of her having been in the room. Her dagger was gone as were all her clothes—even the strips he had torn off her petticoat to stem the bleeding in his shoulder had disappeared. "Half of what she says is lies," he told Aubrey. "The other half is mostly fiction."
Aubrey laughed. It seemed to him that Colin Thorne had a talent for finding those wenches.
Colin shot him a quelling glance. "You have something to say, Mr. Jones?"
Aubrey made a show of clearing his throat. "Not a thing, sir."
"That's what I thought." He didn't need Aubrey Jones to remind him of the last woman to spin him a web of lies, or the woman before that. Colin had already decided he was much better off with women like Molly or her sister, who offered pleasure honestly, than those with a pedigree who invariably wanted something from him. "Let's go," Colin said. "You arranged for horses?"
"Last night. They should be waiting for us in the stable."
* * *
Everyone at Weybourne Park was up earlier than usual. On her way to the breakfast room Mercedes said good morning to Mr. Hennepin, Janie Madison, Emma Leeds, and Ben Fitch. It was not odd to see Mr. Hennepin up and about. Maintaining the grounds of Weybourne Park had been his position since he first arrived. In the beginning it meant caring for the expansive gardens and bordering hedgerows. Now, with the reduced staff, he made repairs to the exterior of the manor and all the outbuildings. On this morning he was headed for the north turret, ostensibly to patch the roof. Mercedes knew Mr. Hennepin had another motive. If the fog lifted, the north turret roof would give the best view of the duel.
The Earl of Weybourne's morning assignation was the reason most everyone was busy. Janie Madison had been rung by either Chloe or Sylvia to assist them in dressing. Emma was carrying freshly baked bread from the kitchen when Mercedes saw her, and Ben Fitch tipped his hat on his way to the stable.
No one mentioned the reason for all the early morning activity. It was the pretense of normalcy that was seeing them all through. Not one among them was willing to think on how their lives or their livelihood might be different if the Earl of Weybourne did not return from the meadow.
Mercedes was greeted in the breakfast room by the twins. They were sitting on opposite sides of the walnut table, swinging their legs energetically to see who could kick whom first. As soon as Mercedes walked in they made an effort to stop, and she pretended not to see the fidgeting as one of them finally connected with the other.
"You're both up very early," she said as she drew back the heavy drapes. On a clear, cloudless morning the room would have been filled with sunshine. Mrs. Hennepin would have complained that Mercedes's penchant for sunlight was fading the carpets and closed the drapes as soon as the room was vacated. Mercedes doubted that it would be the housekeeper's concern today. She fastened the drapes open even though the only light filtering into the room was gray and misty. Turning back to the boys, she said, "I thought you'd both welcome a chance to sleep in. I haven't prepared any
Colin reached for his boots, tugged them on, and began tossing articles into his opened valise. "Mercedes Leyden," he said. "Any part of that familiar to you?"
Aubrey closed the pistol case and tucked it under his arm. "Leyden," he said softly, thinking. His mouth screwed up to one side and his eyes widened as realization seemed to hammer him in the face. "Isn't that the earl's name?"
"Wallace Leyden," Colin said.
"His daughter?" asked Aubrey.
"She says she's his niece."
Aubrey considered that. "You believe her?"
Colin glanced around the room looking for anything he might be leaving behind. He noticed that except for the stockings Mercedes had bound him with there was no hard evidence of her having been in the room. Her dagger was gone as were all her clothes—even the strips he had torn off her petticoat to stem the bleeding in his shoulder had disappeared. "Half of what she says is lies," he told Aubrey. "The other half is mostly fiction."
Aubrey laughed. It seemed to him that Colin Thorne had a talent for finding those wenches.
Colin shot him a quelling glance. "You have something to say, Mr. Jones?"
Aubrey made a show of clearing his throat. "Not a thing, sir."
"That's what I thought." He didn't need Aubrey Jones to remind him of the last woman to spin him a web of lies, or the woman before that. Colin had already decided he was much better off with women like Molly or her sister, who offered pleasure honestly, than those with a pedigree who invariably wanted something from him. "Let's go," Colin said. "You arranged for horses?"
"Last night. They should be waiting for us in the stable."
* * *
Everyone at Weybourne Park was up earlier than usual. On her way to the breakfast room Mercedes said good morning to Mr. Hennepin, Janie Madison, Emma Leeds, and Ben Fitch. It was not odd to see Mr. Hennepin up and about. Maintaining the grounds of Weybourne Park had been his position since he first arrived. In the beginning it meant caring for the expansive gardens and bordering hedgerows. Now, with the reduced staff, he made repairs to the exterior of the manor and all the outbuildings. On this morning he was headed for the north turret, ostensibly to patch the roof. Mercedes knew Mr. Hennepin had another motive. If the fog lifted, the north turret roof would give the best view of the duel.
The Earl of Weybourne's morning assignation was the reason most everyone was busy. Janie Madison had been rung by either Chloe or Sylvia to assist them in dressing. Emma was carrying freshly baked bread from the kitchen when Mercedes saw her, and Ben Fitch tipped his hat on his way to the stable.
No one mentioned the reason for all the early morning activity. It was the pretense of normalcy that was seeing them all through. Not one among them was willing to think on how their lives or their livelihood might be different if the Earl of Weybourne did not return from the meadow.
Mercedes was greeted in the breakfast room by the twins. They were sitting on opposite sides of the walnut table, swinging their legs energetically to see who could kick whom first. As soon as Mercedes walked in they made an effort to stop, and she pretended not to see the fidgeting as one of them finally connected with the other.
"You're both up very early," she said as she drew back the heavy drapes. On a clear, cloudless morning the room would have been filled with sunshine. Mrs. Hennepin would have complained that Mercedes's penchant for sunlight was fading the carpets and closed the drapes as soon as the room was vacated. Mercedes doubted that it would be the housekeeper's concern today. She fastened the drapes open even though the only light filtering into the room was gray and misty. Turning back to the boys, she said, "I thought you'd both welcome a chance to sleep in. I haven't prepared any
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