Secrets of Seduction by Nicole Jordan Page A

roused himself from his stupor. He’d had enough of self-pity.
    Hawk drained the mug, shuddering at the bitter taste, then rose and dressed in riding clothes. He needed a bath and a shave to be presentable, but for now his casual attire would have to do.
    He was leaving his bedchamber when he realized the hammering in his head had subsided. More extraordinary, his appetite had returned. Hawk went down to the kitchens, where he found Skye sitting atthe servants’ dining table, making lists of what appeared to be tasks for cleaning and refurbishing his house.
    Her gaze searched his for a moment before she set down her pen and smiled. “It appears you feel a trifle better.”
    “I must thank you for your potion,” Hawk said, tempering his usual grudging tone.
    “It is my cousin Jack’s recipe—the hard-won result of much experimentation based on Quinn’s scientific knowledge. They both swear by its efficacy. Your breakfast is being kept warm for you. Why don’t you sit down and I will bring it to you.”
    Her lighthearted manner suggested that she was prepared to disregard the events of last evening, for which Hawk was grateful. Rising gracefully, Skye disappeared into the kitchen for a moment and returned with his covered plate.
    When she was seated again, Hawk made a surprise announcement. “I have decided to take on your uncle’s case.”
    She looked elated. “May I ask why you changed your mind?”
    Why? Because he needed to act, as well as to escape the dark ghosts that pulled at him here. Moreover, he wanted to help Isabella. She’d been a good friend to him over the years, particularly during his darkest days when he first arrived on Cyrene, and she was like family to him now. “I owe it to Bella.”
    “I thought you might feel that way. So where do we start?” Skye asked eagerly.
    “I need to determine a plan of attack. First I want to read your uncle Cornelius’s letters from his lover—thelady who reportedly feigned her death and fled to Ireland.”
    Skye nodded. “Her name was Rachel Pearse before she wed Baron Farnwell, but I expect she changed at least her surname to conceal her identity.”
    “That would have been the wise course.”
    Skye went upstairs to her bedchamber to fetch the packet of letters and returned in short order. As he finished eating, Hawk read each letter twice, looking for clues.
    Skye remained silent until he folded the last one. “Did you find anything of note?”
    “Nothing useful for the moment. And Ireland is a large country. To narrow down the location where Lady Farnwell took refuge, I will need to interview the midwife who acted as go-between for the lovers.”
    “That should not be difficult. Peggy Nibbs lives in Brackstone in Kent, scarcely two hours from here. We can be there and back in half a day.”
    He looked up from the last letter. “ ‘We’?”
    “Mrs. Nibbs likely won’t talk to you and reveal the secrets she has kept for many years. You are a perfect stranger to her. Besides, I have already quizzed her at length. She doesn’t remember much.”
    “I should be able to get more out of her by asking the right questions.”
    Skye’s blue eyes lit with humor. “Ah, yes, I should have expected you Guardians to employ interrogation techniques we normal civilians know nothing about.”
    Hawk ignored her provocation. “If you wish to accompany me, you will be ready to leave within the hour.”
    “As you wish. I won’t delay you, I promise.”
    “And you will do exactly as I say.”
    She hesitated a moment to consider his demand. “Very well,” Skye said genially. “You are the spy so I will defer to your wisdom. You likely know how best to proceed. Should we take your carriage and servants rather than mine? I intend to pay your full expenses, naturally.”
    “That won’t be necessary.”
    “But it is only fair. You will be going to great expense on my behalf, and I can well afford it. I have my own fortune left to me by my mother. She was a