Seducing the Ruthless Rogue (15 page)

“The stairs,” she lied.

“Keep lyin’ to yourself, Cassie darlin’,” Mack drawled as she stepped next to him, both of them having reached the top of the stairs.

“You, Director McKenzie, are not allowed to be so personal in addressing me.
 
I have not given you permission, nor will I.”

“Have you already forgotten last night, Cassie darlin’,” he whispered so that the other men traipsing up the stairs could not hear them.

“And if you will recall, I never once said you could call me by my Christian name.”

“No, you were to busy doing other things,” he teased wickedly.

“Ugh!” she growled then turned and crossed the short distance to the Director of the War Office’s personal office.
 
“Good morning, Mr. Preston,” Cassie said, determination ringing from her voice.
 

“Miss Graham, whatever are you doing here?
 
It isn’t Monday.”

“No, it isn’t, Mr. Preston.”

“Preston, is Presley in?” Mack asked.

“Yes, sir.
 
I will let him know you are here.”
 
He tried to scamper around the desk to do his job, but Mack halted his progress.

“No need, we will announce ourselves.”

“Yes, sir.”

Mack opened the door and it banged against the wall.
 
“Good morning, Presley.”

“Mack, what are you doing here?
 
You were ordered to stay away until you completely healed.”

“Aye.
 
I find that I’m feeling much better.
 
Miss Graham, won’t you have a seat?” Mack indicated a chair, set off in the corner.
 

Cassie took the proffered seat, feeling as if she were sitting down to watch a dramatic play unfold.
 
She watched as the men squared off against one another, Presley behind the desk and Mack on the other side.
 
He looked out of place on this side.
 
He belonged behind the desk, making decisions, and giving orders.
 
She could not imagine him any other place, not even the wilds of Scotland, where he most surely came from.

“Now, Presley, I want some answers.
 
I want to know where Miss Graham’s father is.
 
I want to know what your plan was, and I want to know why,” Mack calmly demanded.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the other man blustered.

“I’m not playing games with you, Presley, we are all a little too old for that.
 
I suggest you start talking.”

“I have nothing to say.”

“Director Presley, my father…” Cassie halted when she saw Mack hold his hand up to her.

“Miss Graham, I will take care of this.
 
I have proof that you are the responsible party, Presley.
 
It was very sloppy on your part.”

“What do you mean?”

“It seems that last night someone snuck into Miss Graham’s house and left her two things.
 
One was a handwritten note, and the second was an hourglass.”

“Please, get to your point quickly.
 
I have a meeting with Bathurst and Liverpool within the hour.”

“By all means, I would be happy to accommodate you.
 
The note was typical, threatening and no name left behind.
 
The hourglass, however, told a different story.”

“Oh?”

“Aye.
 
You see, on one of the bases, there are initials engraved into it,” he reached into his pocket and pulled the hourglass free.
 
“Yes, right here--B, E, and P.
 
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t your father’s name Bradford Edward Presley, Viscount Presley?”

“You’re accusing my father of being behind this?”

“Come now, Presley.
 
Your father is well into his seventies and suffers ill health.
 
I very much doubt he can do more than read the news before he is crawling back into his bed.
 
If I remember correctly, your family moved into his house not very long ago.”

“And your point is?”

“Are you truly going to make me say it aloud, Presley?”
 

There were clearing throats and shuffling feet in the outer office.
 
Cassie watched as Presley’s eyes widened and his body stiffened.
 
Then in a matter of seconds he collapsed into the director’s chair, his head in his hands, and he was crying like a child.

“I am in debt, gambling.
 
The Frenchman, Pierre Badeaux bought my vowels, and father would not give me a loan.
 
He said that I was a man grown and had gotten myself into this mess and could bloody well get myself out of it.
 
Badeaux is really a French sympathizer and spy working his way among the
ton
.
 
They knew there had to be maps indicating strategies and battle plans.
 
Badeaux approached me, knew I had done some work for the government…”

“And offered you the opportunity to not only get your vowels back, but I am guessing also offered additional compensation.”

“I have twin daughters, both making their debut this year.
 
I am desperate.
 
They have no dowry because of my reckless spending.
 
My eldest is already promised in marriage and the knave will not allow me to retract my agreement.
 
I had to see that they were taken care of.”

“So you thought to endanger the life not only of me and Sir Graham, but also his daughter and thousands of men fighting in this bloody war?”

“I was desperate.”

“
Thousands of men
,” Mack growled, planting his fists on the desk and leaning over it.
 
“Where can Badeaux be found?”

“I don’t know.
 
We were set to meet in Green Park tomorrow at three.
 
I am to bring the maps and he is to bring my vowels, the money, and Sir Graham.”

“Did you just hear yourself?” Cassie spoke for the first time, anger rushing through her body.
 
“Did you?” she demanded.
 
She stood and approached the desk.
 
“Even now, with your life crumbling around you, you put more emphasis on your debts and your money than you do on human life.
 
Your daughters are better off without you in their lives,” she finished and left the room.
 
She found herself fighting her way through a throng of men in the outer office before she reached the stairs.
 
Cassie rushed down the staircase and outside where the sun showed weakly through the clouds.

Her body vibrated with excess energy.
 
If she were home, she would beg Chang to meet her in the garden so they could work on her fighting skills.
 
Instead, she stood on a busy London street with people bustling everywhere.
 
She wanted to lean back her head and scream out her anger at the sky, but people would look at her as if she had escaped Bedlam.
 
She paced from one end of the building to the other.
 
After her third circuit, she felt someone following her.
 
She did not know how she knew it was Mack, she just did, and she felt comforted by his presence.
 
That thought brought her up short, and she felt him run into her.
 
He grabbed her arms to help her keep her balance.

“Are you all right?” he queried.

“I don’t know,” she shook her head.
 
“I just cannot believe he would put money above the price of human life.”

“He isn’t alone.”

“What will happen to him?”

“Tomorrow he will keep the appointment as scheduled.
 
I have men watching him to make certain he does not try to leave.
 
We will retrieve your father and capture Badeaux.
 
Presley will be arrested and tried for treason and most likely will hang.”

Cassie paced before she turned and faced Mack.
 
His eyes were mesmerizing and she found she had to shake herself to return to the present.
 
“I want to break the news to his family.”

“That is for Liverpool or Bathurst to do.”

“I need to do this.”

“Why?
 
To enact your own type of revenge?”

“You think me that callous?” she demanded, her hands firmly on her hips and her head cocked.
 
“Don’t answer, because I can see it in your eyes.”

“It is what I would do,” he answered.

“Well, thank heavens we all aren’t you, Director McKenzie.”

“Then what
is
your reason, Cassie?”

She started to answer, and then found herself considering her answer.
 
Was he right?
 
Did she want to be the one to tell them about their father to hurt
them
as he had hurt her?
 
She found she could not come up with a truthful answer.
 

“At least allow me to go with whoever tells them.”

“Why?
 
Do you want to see their reaction?
 
Do you want to see if they suspected all along?
 
Do you want to know if they were part of the plot?”

“Yes!” she countered.
 
“Are you happy?
 
I want to see their faces, study their reactions.
 
I want to know if their behavior caused him to gamble in order to make more money because they weren’t satisfied with what they had.
 
I want to know if they are as much to blame as he is.
 
Are you satisfied?”

“Yes, because now I know that you have normal feelings and reactions.”

“I hate myself for feeling that way,” she muttered, defeated.
 
“My life’s ambition is to help people, not cause them harm.”

“Sometimes emotions intervene,” Mack shrugged.
 
“We wouldn’t be human otherwise.
 
Now, let me see you home.
 
Then I must come back to work.”

“I can see myself home.
 
I am sure you have much to do.”

“Cassie,” he captured her upper arm, and his thumb tenderly caressed back and forth, “allow me this small concession.”

His whispered brogue felt like a caress along her spine and it took all she had not to shiver in response. “All right,” she breathlessly agreed.

After a short, silent trip, the carriage drew to a stop in front of the Graham house.
 
Mack stepped down and held his hand out for Cassie to take.
 
She found herself welcoming the touch of his hand, even through her gloves.
 
He walked her up the walk, and she allowed him to knock on the door.
 
Chang opened it, a hopeful expression on his face.

“You bring Sir Graham?” he asked, looking around.

“Not yet, Chang,” she said, her words sounded leaden even to her own ears.
 
She was upset because her father was not home safe and sound, but most of all she was disappointed in herself.
 
She had never been a vindictive person, so why now?
 
“I’m not feeling very well, I think I will go and lie down a bit.
 
Thank you, Mack, for seeing me home.”
 
She forced her head up and her eyes to meet his.

“You’re welcome, Cassie darlin’.”

She turned to go inside the little house.
 

“Wait.
 
You might need this,” he said.

Cassie turned and saw her gun lying in the palm of his hand.
 
“Thank you.”

“It is cleaned and loaded, so be careful.
 
You wouldn’t want to shoot any holes in the ceiling.”

“No,” she blushed.
 
“Thank you again.”

“You’re welcome.”

Cassie walked into her house and continued until she reached her bedroom.
 
She closed the door, not wanting to answer Chang’s many questions.
 
She gently placed the gun in the side table, kicked off her shoes, and stripped to her chemise.
 
Cassie removed the pin holding her hat in place and then removed the pins to let her hair fall free.
 
None of it relieved the pounding ache of her head.
 
She crawled onto the bed and curled up into a ball, clutching a pillow close.

***

Mack arrived back at the Horseguards after having taken Cassie home.
 
He had wanted to follow her inside, take her in his arms, and hold her close.
 
She would not have appreciated that.
 
She would despise him witnessing her weakness.
 
Instead, he had given her a way to defend herself and left her to come to terms with her anger.

He walked up the stairs and entered his domain once more.