Sweet Enemy (45 page)

“No, no doctor,” Liliana rasped, taken aback by the rawness of her throat. She wanted only one thing. “Geoffrey.”

Penelope’s mouth drooped and she squinted, as though she knew something she didn’t want to say.

Liliana’s throat closed and her chest tightened as her heart picked up. “Pen?” Liliana didn’t even try to disguise her fear. Geoffrey had been fine, hadn’t he? Had he been hit and she hadn’t noticed because of her own injuries? “What’s wrong?”

Penelope twisted in her chair, taking Liliana’s hand. Pen’s hand seemed overly hot, telling Liliana her own was freezing. “He’s fine, Lily, but he’s been taken into custody.”

“For what? He killed his uncle in self-defense.” She shook her head, shifting to a more seated position. “Surely the local magistr—”

“Not for murder,” Penelope cut in. “And not by the magistrate.”

“Then what?” Liliana asked.

“He was arrested for treason,” Penelope said, squeezing Liliana’s hand.

Oh God.
Liliana’s stomach curdled.

“Lord Aveline and some men were waiting for him when he came rushing into the house, carrying you in his arms and shouting for a doctor. They let him settle you in this room, but then they took him away.”

“Aveline?”

Penelope nodded. “Yes. Apparently, Aveline is a government agent with the War Department.”

And somehow he’d found out that Geoffrey had paid off a government official during wartime and had likely assumed the worst. “Oh no, no,” Liliana said, shaking her head as if her denial could make it not so. If Geoffrey were arrested for treason, all that he’d worked for
would crumble. He’d lose everything, perhaps even his life. “But he did nothing wrong!” she exclaimed.
Not knowingly, anyway
. But she knew some wouldn’t see the difference.

“I know nothing more than I’ve told you,” Penelope said. “Mother is closeted with the countess, insisting you be released from your betrothal and—”

Liliana flung the spread off of her, grimacing as she shifted her legs to the side of the bed.

“What are you doing?” Pen asked, putting a staying hand on Liliana’s chest.

“I’m going to find Geoffrey.” She shrugged her cousin off. She couldn’t allow this to happen. Surely Aveline and whoever was with him would listen to reason. “I’m going to clear this up.” And if they wouldn’t listen…well, she’d think of something.

She gritted her teeth as she stood. She wobbled a bit and looked down. Beneath her night shift, angry red marks covered by a sheen of ointment marred her legs. While her skin was blistered, she could see nothing life threatening. None of the marks looked as if they’d even leave a scar. It just hurt like the very devil.

She took a tentative step, grateful when she felt no additional pain in her feet. The boys’ boots she’d worn must have protected them from the flames.

She strode straight for the door and down the hallway. Perhaps she was acting a fool, but she couldn’t let this happen. Not that she was certain what she could do to stop it, but Geoffrey shouldn’t stand alone, accused, when he was truly the only honorable player in this sad tale.

“You…you can’t go out in your nightdress,” Pen sputtered, following her.

Liliana stopped. Pen was right, of course, and besides, if she had to depart immediately for London, she would need to be properly attired. She turned around and walked back to the room. “Fine. Choose something suitable for travel, but hurry.”

While Pen selected a conservative blue riding habit, Liliana cleansed the ointment from her legs. She delved into one of her trunks and selected a concoction of her own making—a combination of aloe and lavender oil, amongst other herbs, with a touch of camphor for pain. Relief was nearly immediate, not only from the sting but also from the realization of how fortunate she’d been—the burns were shallow and confined to mainly her outer calves. She took a tincture of willow bark for her headache, as well, since she knew she’d need to be able to think clearly.

She eschewed Pen’s attempts to right her hair and hurriedly dressed, dashing for the staircase the moment the last lace was pulled. Reaching the bottom, she started across the central hall, determined to discover where Geoffrey had been taken and then get there by whatever means necessary.

The butler stood near the closed library doors, facing away from her.

“Where is Lord Stratford?” she demanded.

The man jumped at her barked question, his eyes widening. She imagined she must look a fright with her hair so unkempt and out of breath from her dash, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was seeing Geoffrey and convincing Aveline of his innocence.

“Where have they taken him?”

The butler pursed his lips. “Lords Stratford and Aveline are inside, miss, along with their”—he cleared his throat—“guests,” he said, indicating the library door.

Liliana moved to open the door, but the butler stepped between her and the knob.

“I’m not to allow anyone in,” he said, rather officiously.

Liliana raised herself, looking down her nose as she’d seen her aunt do many times. She lowered her voice and leaned in closer to the man. “You do realize that I am going to be mistress of this house very soon,” she said. Though she still had no intention of entering into a loveless marriage with Geoffrey, she wasn’t above bending
the truth in order to get to him. “I daresay the transition will go easier for you if
step aside right this moment
.”

He blinked. His jaw didn’t drop, but Liliana could see that he held his placid expression with effort. He stared at her, probably debating how much of a threat she truly was. She added a scowl and hoped it was nearly as fierce as the ones Geoffrey had turned on her in the past days.

Without a word, the butler moved away from the door.

Liliana took a deep breath, finger combing hair that felt like straw beneath her hands. She had one last theory to test, and for Geoffrey’s sake, she hoped she was right.

“Just a few more questions, Stratford, and then you can check on your lady love,” the Duke of Wellington said with a chuckle.

Geoffrey brought his gaze back to his guests from where it had strayed toward the door yet again. Only the fact that the doctor had promised to fetch him if there was any change had kept him from Liliana’s side this long, respect for his former commander be damned.

“Yes,” said another white-haired gentleman seated near the fireplace, legs crossed, cravat neatly tied. “We must be absolutely certain that no one outside of this house gets wind of this story, else all we’ve worked for will be for naught.”

Geoffrey turned to the man. “No need to worry, Robert. My uncle admitted to being the blackmailer before he died and we have his valet in custody, so we should have no worries in that quarter. As for—”

The door burst open with a startling bang as the ancient wood knocked against the shelf behind it. All four men in the room automatically turned to the door, three tensing as if for battle like the ex-soldiers they were.

“Liliana?” Geoffrey shot to his feet. Surprise turned quickly to relief, lifting his heart and the corners of his lips as he saw with his own eyes that she was well. Then
he registered the pale hue of her skin and her obvious upset. His face settled into a frown. “Sweet, you shouldn’t be out of bed,” he murmured, crossing to her.

She stormed right past him, making a beeline for Aveline, whose typically blasé expression turned quite comical at her aggressive approach. Even when they had been boys, Geoffrey had never seen the man back away from anything in his life, and yet Aveline took a step away from Liliana.

“I demand you release him,” she commanded, causing Aveline’s black brows to shoot even higher. “He’s done nothing wrong.”

“Miss Claremont,” Aveline said, “We know Stratford paid the bribe—”

“Because his father asked him to without telling him what it was!”

Geoffrey took a step toward Liliana. After what she’d been through today, she shouldn’t tax herself so on his behalf. He opened his mouth to tell her so, but she stayed him with a hand.

“Listen, Aveline,” she said, her voice softening. “You’ve known Geoffrey for years. I’ve known him for only a couple of weeks, but we both know that regardless of what evidence you have, he would never do anything to betray his country. He is an honorable man, who has much to offer the world.”

Aveline looked over at Geoffrey, clearly uncomfortable.

“Whereas my father is dead,” Liliana continued, and for a moment, her voice warbled. But then she took a breath. “He made the decision to involve himself in this mess. Geoffrey didn’t. If you must have someone to blame, I can give you the perfect means to tie up this mess, placing the fault entirely with my father and leaving Geoffrey and his family out of it.”

Geoffrey swallowed. Was Liliana trying to save him? He should tell her that—

“What means?” Wellington asked. Geoffrey started
at the booming voice, having forgotten there were others in the room, so intent had he been on the exchange between Liliana and Aveline. He shot his friend and ex-commander a scowl for dragging things out unnecessarily.

Liliana flinched as well but turned to Wellington and squared her shoulders. “In all of your questioning, has Geoffrey told you where the treasure is?”

Three men answered in the negative.

Liliana nodded. “Nor will he, because he doesn’t know, and neither did his father.”

She finally darted her gaze at him, but Geoffrey’s stomach clenched with uncertainty at what her enigmatic look could mean.

She turned her face back to Wellington. “But
my
father did,” she said. “And so do I.”

Geoffrey’s heart stuttered. “What?” He couldn’t help the question that slipped through his lips. That made no sense. She’d have told him—or at least told his uncle, to save her own life. She
couldn’t
have known all this time.

Liliana didn’t look back at him, however. She kept her gaze trained on Wellington. “And I will lead you to it on one condition—that whatever story you choose to bandy about regarding its discovery places the blame solely on my father, and in no way taints the earldom or Geoffrey’s reputation. You know as well as I that Geoffrey will do great things for his fellow man. My father would have, too, had he lived. In this small way,” she said, a tear slipping silently down her cheek, “he still can.”

Further questions died on his lips, and yet Geoffrey’s heart beat back to life. Whatever else was going on here, Liliana loved him. Why would she sacrifice her father’s honor for his unless it was so? That the point was moot mattered not. It still took everything in him not to pull her to him and kiss her senseless, regardless of who else was in the room.

“You realize, young lady,” Wellington said, “that you
would be forever known as the daughter of a traitor. You would be willing to live with that?”

Geoffrey frowned. No one was going to be branded a traitor. “I hardly th—”

“I am,” Liliana said, “if it means that Geoffrey’s name remains clear.”

Geoffrey’s mouth snapped shut, stunned at the gravity of Liliana’s words.

Robert stood, inserting himself into the conversation. “That’s very admirable, my dear, but quite unnecessary. Come, Wellington, Aveline.” He motioned for the men to follow him. “We’ll give you two a few moments alone, before Miss Claremont takes us to this treasure. Shall we meet outside, then, in, say, ten minutes?”

Geoffrey nodded absently, his gaze fixed on Liliana.

Robert clapped him on the shoulder as he walked past. “And you said she didn’t love you,” he murmured as the three men departed.

“Wellington?” Liliana finally said, her eyes wide. “As in, the Duke of?”

Geoffrey nodded. “Yes.”

“Then who was the man—?”

“Liverpool,” Geoffrey answered.

“The prime minister?” She touched her hair, patting it as her cheeks bloomed with color. “I look a fright. What must they have been thinking?” Liliana muttered, covering her face with her hands.

Geoffrey stood in silence, his throat stinging, forcing him to swallow. “They were thinking how damned lucky I am to be marrying you.”

Her head snapped up. Then she began to shake it. “I don’t understand what just happened.”

“But I do,” Geoffrey said. She’d risen from her sickbed in certain pain, charged downstairs and challenged three very important men on his behalf. Liliana, whose goal it had been to find justice for her father at all costs, had just tossed the man under the carriage in order to save him, Geoffrey.

A selfish, deceitful woman would never do such a thing. His mother would never do such a thing. But Liliana was not his mother.

He stepped to her, reaching to take her in his arms. All of the love and hope he’d bottled up burst into his chest and threatened to bubble over.

But Liliana backed away. “Then explain. Penelope told me Aveline had arrested you for treason.”

Geoffrey sighed, knowing she deserved enlightenment, and he wanted some explanations of his own. His apologies would have to wait. “Aveline did come to Somerton Park to arrest me for treason. He’d been working in France and had heard that an influential Briton had been involved in paying off an official of Napoleon’s, though it was unclear for what. Naturally, the War Department was very interested, so Aveline was assigned to delve into the matter. He came to the house party for the same reason as you—to investigate.”