Coins and Daggers (20 page)

Edwin chuckled despite his sudden
irritation. “Perhaps another time. I have a family emergency to
attend you so please accept my apologies. In the mean time...” He
reached into his pocket and pressed a pretty coin into the middle
of her palm. “Keep this warm for me. I’m confident we shall meet
again.”

Smiling, the wench pocketed the coin and
pressed a sound kiss on his mouth. Perhaps if I had truly been in
the mood, Edwin would have taken her up on the offer. But he had
urgent matters to attend to and would waste no more time here. It
had taken him around ten minute’s ride from Chastelle town to reach
the manor and as soon as he’d arrived, he’d found Ulric and whisked
him off to somewhere they could speak privately. Thank heavens Miss
Rolfen was asleep when he had.

At present, they were both standing in
Ulric’s study and Edwin watched as his friend read...and re-read
the missive.

“What do you propose he means?” Edwin asked,
rubbing the corner of one eye. God, he needed some good sleep!

“Madame de Lucci may be operating a sham,”
Ulric deduced, scratching his temple. “Based on your cousin’s
concern, he believes she might be selling off young women to
wealthy men.”

“That’s a great accusation to make, Ulric.
And as Charmont said, she may have the support of other wealthy
men. Like Lord Dextrem. And that is not a good look at all. Who
knows who else the woman has in her corner.”

Ulric sighed
and ran a palm over his face. “In that case, it’s not just about
Audelia, your cousin’s bride...or the already dead Lord Dextrem.
It’s about dozens of young women who are being brainwashed with
ideas of a future at the expense of earning Madame de Lucci a
pretty coin. The men who...
buy
these girls may
have despicable intentions and only God knows what
else.”

“Good gracious.” Edwin groaned, pacing the
room. “What would have been Lord Dextrem’s intention then? Surely
he would not expect to take up a ward as his mistress, beneath his
wife’s nose.”

Sighing, Ulric shook his head and leaned
against his desk. “We’ll find out tomorrow when he have the
bastard. For now, get some shut eye. You look like a mess.”

“So do you.” Edwin eyed hum dubiously. “You
don’t look very...murderous right now as I’d expected.”

“Yes, well I’ve been praying.”

Mouth agape
and eyes wide, Edwin regarded his good friend, hardly believing a
word he was hearing.
Praying
? Since when
did Ulric St. Rosso engage in such religious forms of activity?
Edwin could admit that he, himself, had not sent out a good honest
prayer in a long while but Ulric’s word had startled him to the
core.

“Praying?” he said. “To God?”

“Yes, Edwin.” The man even had a smile on
his face while he said so. “Audelia convinced me to pray with her
tonight. It was a rather...calming experience.”

“Oh.” Edwin rocked on his heels and
scratched his jaw. “Well then. Good for you. I suppose I should get
that shut eye now. Good night.”

Ulric chuckled softly. “Pray too if you want
to, Edwin. At least He won’t jest at you.”

Twenty-one

“
Y
our
lordship!”

Ulric shove his shirt into his breeches and
slid his feet inside his boots. “What is it, Gilgallon?”

The guard’s voice came muffled from the
other side of the door. “You have a visitor, Sir.”

Cursing, he finished straightening his
clothing and grabbed his cloak. “Who in devil’s name visits this
early in the morning?”

“It’s a woman, milord. She’s come
alone.”

Ulric opened the door and directed his glare
at the guard. “I have business to attend to, Gilgallon. And it
cannot wait.”

“Sir, I believe, one of your footmen have
already let her inside and seated her in the parlor.”

“Goddamn it!” Ulric shrugged on his cloak.
“Find Edwin and let him know of the situation. Whoever she is,
she’d better not be long.” Glancing through the door to his
adjoining bedchamber, Ulric sighed, grateful that he had not woken
Audelia. He then left his dressing room and headed down the stairs.
He had no female acquaintances so who the hell was making a call at
his house?

He arrived in the parlor precisely two
minutes later and swing the door open.

“Madam, I will get right at it. It is not
proper at all to make a social call so early in the morning. I
could have still been abed and that would make you a grave
disturbance.”

The short plump woman turned to face him,
brows raised with apparent surprise. She was an older woman, could
possibly be Ulric’s mother but that mattered not. He had a feeling
the woman was being brash on purpose and he did not like it.

“Forgive me, Your Lordship. I might have
misjudged my timing. But I was sent on behalf of my employer, Lady
Shentil.”

Of all the... “What could Lady Shentil
possibly want with me?”

The woman retrieved a stack of papers from
the center table between the armchairs, and it was then that
Ulric’s gaze had averted from hers.

“To seek your interest in a matter, Sir.”
The woman walked up to him and held the papers out to him. “Her
Ladyship has it on good authority that you would be a fine addition
to her list of worthy benefactors.”

Benefactors, benefactors. Ulric was quite
fed up with the blasted word. He took the papers and skimmed
through them. They were just documents and pamphlets, giving a
summary of the aims of Lady Shentil’s establishment. Ulric scowled
and handed her back the papers.

“On whose authority?”

“Lady Hyslop, sir. Your sister.”

Rubbish
. Ryia would
have never said such a thing; would have never suggested him as a
benefactor. And if she had, Ulric knew she would have confessed it.
“What is your name?”

The woman
flustered but quickly regained composure. “Bette Tulley,
sir.
Miss
Bette Tulley.”

Ulric
resisted the urge to growl. “Well
Miss
Bette Tulley,
you and Lady Shentil are wasting your time. I am not interested in
becoming a benefactor.”

“But, Your Lordship, think of a poor girl
who could benefit from your kindness.”

“Then I shall adopt one when I feel I am
ready to.”

Miss Tulley pursed her lips. “In that case,
you can always offer up a generous donation. I’m sure--”

Ulric released a harsh breath. For one
fleeting moment, he had started to think that Lady Shentil was just
like this rotten Madame de Lucci. “Look, take no offense here but
you’ve interrupted plans which are very important to me. Give Lady
Shentil my regards. I must be going.”

“Your Lordship--”

Ulric ushered
the woman, sputtering and whining, through the room and down the
empty hall. As soon as he managed to take her through the front
door, he watched as she reluctantly--and quite angrily--embarked
her carriage. The vehicle was off his estate faster than even he
had expected.
Good
riddance
.

Still scowling, he turned with the intention
of finding Edwin when he bumped right into him.

“Sorry.” His friend mumbled. “I overslept
just a bit but I am up and ready to go. Who was the woman?”

“Some employee of Lady Shentil.”

They started
back for the parlor. “Lady Shentil? What does
she
want?”

“A benefactor.” Irritation itched at Ulric
like a biting tick. “Is there a growing business surrounding
benefactors that I don’t know about? The word alone has managed to
get deep under my damn skin.”

Edwin shrugged. “We better get going so that
we can get to Camden by sunset the latest.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

“
Bryce,” Audelia’s soft voice came from the half opened door
and both men turned to look at her. “What was
she
doing here?”

“Who?” Ulric reached for her and brushed the
loose tendrils from her face. She still looked a bit tired, eyes
still red from her weeping the night before.

Audelia swallowed, glanced at Edwin and then
back at him. “Miss Darcott.”

“Miss Darcott?” Edwin frowned and looked to
Ulric. “Who’s Miss Darcott.”

“Madame de Lucci’s assistant.”

“But--” Ulric rubbed his jaw and frowned.
“She said her name was Miss Tulley. Bette Tulley.”

Audelia shook her head insistently. “No.
That was Miss Darcott. I saw her, Bryce. I saw from the window. It
was her.”

“Are you sure? You might have mist--”

“
No!” Audelia glared at him, her arms akimbo at her waist.
“I know what I saw and that
was
Miss Darcott. I
could not mistake that face. Ever.”

“
Good god
!” Ulric
ran both hands through his hair this time and groaned. “If that was
Miss Darcott, then...”

“Then Madame de Lucci is an impostor,” Edwin
interjected. “Jesus, Lady Shentil and her could rightly be the same
person.”

“Shit!” Ulric paced the room a little and
then reached for Audelia. “Do you have your dagger?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Good. Keep it and use it whenever
necessary. I don’t know what but I think Madame de Lucci could very
well be within our vicinity. Gilgallon will be by your side at all
times. Do not leave the house, do you understand?”

Edwin cleared his throat, already moving
towards the door. “I’ll go speak with the guard briefly and grab my
satchel while you finish up here.”

Ulric nodded, knowing that his friend had
only meant to give them a few minutes of privacy.

“Please be careful,” she said. “God knows
what Madame de Lucci could be capable of.”

“Just promise me that you will remain close
to Gilgallon.”

Nodding, Audelia reached up on her toes,
wrapping her arms about Ulric’s neck. “At least kiss me, Bryce,”
she muttered, her beautiful eyes enveloped by sadness. “At least
then, I’ll be convinced that everything will be alright.”

Ulric did not hesitate. He did not linger
with it. Audelia’s lips against his was like flame, igniting a
passion within him that he desperately needed to embrace, to
accept. Audelia Rolfen had bewitched him and he was not unhappy
about it.

“I should tell you something,” he said after
pressing his lips to her forehead. “The friend that you had
mentioned last night--”

“Jocelyn?” Her eyes widened as she spoke.
“What about her? Did Miss Darcott mention her? But she’s been
married for some time now.”

“Married?” Ulric frowned and shook his
head.

“Yes. Right after I-I ran away from Camden.
I heard some people in the streets talking about how Madame de
Lucci had succeeded at pairing off another of her...girls. She was
next in line after me.”

“Audelia.” Ulric pressed his finger against
her lips and smiled. “No. Your friend is in Henshire. That is where
Edwin had gone. It’s where his family is located.”

“But--”

“
Yes
. She’s
betrothed to Edwin’s second cousin, Charmont, and is to be married
soon. Whoever you thought had been married off all those months ago
was not her.”

Tears glistened in Audelia’s eyes and she
blinked, taking in a well needed breath.“You’re absolutely
certain?”

“Beyond certain. He confirmed it in a
missive that was delivered to Edwin just last night. She’s okay and
out of Madame de Lucci’s clutches.”

Audelia swallowed, releasing a heavy breath
of relief. She’d wondered for months if Jocelyn had been put in
good hands, if she was happy. She’d pondered on it, wondering if
Jocelyn’s benefactor was as horrible as hers were to her. But it
seemed as if she was okay. She was...alright.

Letting out a light laugh, she attempted to
bat away her impending tears. “So she’s alright then. Jocelyn is
safe. Isn’t she?”

“Very much so. It seems as if Charmont cares
deeply for her and had offered for her hand before his father had
even accepted her as his ward. Rest assured, Audelia, the Montagus
are some of the kindest people I know.” Ulric pressed a kiss to her
lips, happy that he had managed to give her some comfort. “You need
not be worried about her.”

Audelia swallowed and smiled, a wave of
relief and joy washing over her. Though she was still anxious and
afraid over the impending situation concerning Madame de Lucci and
Lord Dextrem, she was still happy to know that her friend was
alright.

With her face
pressed against Ulric’s warm chest, she inhaled deeply, taking in
his refreshing manly scent. This man must truly care for her to be
taking her well-fare and safety in his own hands. Throughout the
long months that Audelia had spent out on the streets, rummaging
for food...
stealing
, no one had
been so kind to her. She had not forgotten the circumstances that
had prompted her and Ulric to meet. Or that he had not been kind to
her initially either. But she could see the changes in him. She
could see the warmth in his eyes, could feel the comfort in his
arms.

“Take caution, Bryce,” she uttered against
his shirt. “I find that I no longer hate you overly much and would
not like to see anything bad happen to you.”

Ulric’s laughter vibrated against her ear
and she allowed herself a small smile. “Is that your way of saying
that you like me, Audelia?”

Keeping her gaze connected to the bridge of
his nose, Audelia toyed with his shirt sleeves lest she was trapped
by those beautiful green eyes and lost all her senses. “I might
like you more if you return in one piece.”

Ulric grinned and tipped her chin, searching
her glossy eyes. “Your affection is very hard to win, isn’t
it?”