Chapter 2
Why did she have to have this effect on him?
Even after all that had transpired between them.
The time, the disappointments, the lies and mistrust. The betrayal.
Still, the sight of her impacted him with the same effect as a fist to the solar plexus.
Leaving him gasping for air, his heart thudding, his pulse jumping, blood racing through his body.
He struggled to remain impassive, aware she could read him like an open book and not wanting to give her the satisfaction of knowing the effect she still had on him. The truth was he was still pathetically, idiotically attracted to his own wife, whom he was divorcing.
He must have succeeded in hiding his reaction, or maybe she was too shocked by this twist of events to notice, for there was no triumph, no satisfaction on her face or in her voice as she turned once more toward Dalton.
“How could you do this to me? Why? This is beyond underhanded, even for you.”
Few men would dare to speak that way to the formidable Duke of Dalton, the head of one of the most secret branches of the Foreign Office.
The man behind the desk wielded significant power and was not one to be crossed lightly.
But they had known him long enough to grant them some leeway.
Instead of looking offended, the duke took a placating tone.
“It’s nothing against you. There are several good reasons for the two of you to work together on this mission.”
“He’s not even an agent anymore!” she protested.
Damn, but she was beautiful when her temper was up.
His blood surged at the sight of her flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes, remembering other activities that used to bring that color to her cheeks.
He ruthlessly tamped down his reaction. He shouldn’t be lusting after the woman who would soon no longer be his wife.
“I am aware of that fact, Alice.” Dalton’s reply was smooth, but it contained an edge of warning. “It is precisely why he’s perfect for this mission. I can’t trust anyone currently in my employ. Since he hasn’t worked here for the last six years, he’s above suspicion.”
Nate snorted. “Thanks for the trust, I suppose.”
Dalton threw him a quelling look, as if warning him not to make the situation worse. As if he could. Despite everything, he was enjoying himself tremendously by ruffling his wife’s feathers and watching their ruthless spymaster struggling to placate her.
“You told me you trusted me, despite working here. There must be someone else you trust as well.”
Dalton shook his head. She swore under her breath.
“Then I don’t need a partner. I can work this mission alone.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Alice. You need a partner for protection, if nothing else.”
She stiffened. “I’m capable of defending myself.”
“As are all of my agents. But fieldwork is dangerous and unpredictable. It’s essential to have support, and that is the reason we always go in pairs.”
“I doubt he would be of any help,” she muttered. “He’s probably gone soft with all the years he’s been inactive.”
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow at that. “Do you want me to prove to you how much I’ve not gone soft, wife?”
She flushed furiously; the color extending down her neck and disappearing under the high collar of her blouse. He knew from memory how far down the blush would extend, tinting her breasts a delicious pink. Her nostrils flared. With fury or awareness?
“For goodness’ sake, spare me your innuendos.” Dalton’s voice snapped with disgust. “Whatever issues are between the two of you, save them for when you are in private. I expect you both to put your personal differences aside and work as professionals on this matter.”
“And if I refuse?” Alice asked.
“Then you’ll go back to office work. Who knows for how long.” Came Dalton’s even reply.
It was not delivered as a threat, just a statement of fact, but her indrawn breath told Nathaniel she had taken it as such. He knew how much she chafed under the restrictions placed on her because of her gender.
“Alice, despite our current differences, we used to make a great team. Is it really so terrible to work with me?”
Her eyes snapped to him. Impaled him with her fury and…hurt? “I can’t believe you even need to ask that. What motivated you to accept this assignment? I thought you could hardly wait to be rid of me for good!”
That was a valid question. And one he had no good answer to. His motives were as convoluted as his feelings where she was concerned.
It was true that he wanted to be done with all the pain of his marriage. To close this chapter of his life and hopefully move on. To find, if not happiness like the one he had once known with Alice, at least some peace.
But despite that, perversely, and against his better sense, he also wanted—needed—to be near her again.
To work side by side, as they had done before.
In perfect harmony. Was that a pathetic last attempt to recapture what they once had?
He didn’t know. Was afraid of finding the answer, lest it showed him for the thrice-damned fool he was.
“I accepted because I was needed, and, being in a position to lend my assistance, I considered it my duty to help.”
Her snort of disbelief was eloquent enough to convey that she had not bought that lame answer.
“Alice.” Dalton’s voice rang with calm authority, but also with a smidge of persuasion.
“I know the situation is not ideal. If there were any other way, I would have taken it. But you two are truly the only people I can trust with this assignment. You were once my best agents. As a team, you were unsurpassed. I need not only the best agents on this mission but also ones I can trust.”
“The problem is, Your Grace,” Alice replied, her voice dripping with scorn. “That you may be able to trust Lord Greystone, but I no longer can.”
Oh, she couldn’t trust him, could she? Well, that was rich, considering she had been the one who left. The one who had cheated and lied. She had abandoned their marriage. Betrayed his trust. But she couldn’t trust him?
“Likewise, dear,” he retorted.
She glared daggers at him, and her lips compressed in an angry line as she turned to Dalton.
“There you have it, then. We can’t work together like before if neither of us trusts the other.”
“Are you going to keep squabbling like children, or will you act like the adults you are and focus on the important matter at hand? There are lives at stake here.” The reprimand, uttered in the quiet, lethal tones of the duke, brought his attention back from the dark spiral of his thoughts.
“You already have my commitment, Dalton. It seems it’s your agent you need to convince.” He uttered the reply without taking his eyes off Alice.
“Alice? What is it going to be?” Dalton prodded.
With a last angry look at him, she turned to Dalton. “Fine. I accept, damn it. But we’ll need to establish some ground rules and set firm boundaries for our interactions.”
He raised his eyebrows, his mouth twisting with a mocking half-smile. “Afraid you won’t be able to keep your hands off me?”
She took a deep breath, her chest expanding deliciously as she opened her mouth to, no doubt, offer a scathing retort.
“Let us discuss the case.” Dalton’s no-nonsense voice rang out with authority, heading off another ‘squabble,’ as he had called it.
“A clerk named Phipps was found dead in his home three days ago. The coroner called it a fall, but I’ve seen cleaner assassinations.
Also, the next day his wife disappeared. ”
Alice raised her eyebrows. “You suspect her of killing her husband and escaping?”
“No. More like I fear she might have been killed as well. Or kidnapped. At best, we can hope she’s in hiding. But either way, she’s a key piece, and we need to find her.”
Alice nodded, frowning.
Dalton opened the leather folio resting on his desk and withdrew a letter. “This was discovered in a secret compartment of Phipps’ desk.”
Alice took it. “A love letter?”
Nathaniel came to stand behind her in order to read the letter over her shoulder. The delicate fragrance of her bath soap drifted up from her warm skin to tease his nostrils, filling him with nostalgia. He frowned, and focused his attention on the letter. Which was no ordinary letter at all.
“At first glance, it appears to be a love letter. But it’s too deliberate,” Nathaniel murmured. “Look here—every line starts with a capital letter, even when it shouldn’t. And some words seem oddly chosen. ‘Yearn,’ ‘bloom,’ ‘veil’… They don’t fit the text.”
She nodded. “I see it, yes. It feels off.”
“Exactly. Let me analyze it for a moment, if you please?”
She handed him the letter, and he stared at it. Certain words jumped out at him, seeming out of place. This was definitely a ciphered letter. Not especially complex, but then again, the user was probably guarding against casual readers, not a code-breaking expert such as he.
“Dalton, I need paper and a pencil.”
The duke produced the materials immediately, and Nathaniel scribbled quickly, pulling words from the letter. It was a matter of five minutes to decode the message.
“The letter uses a steganography cipher. So I tested several frequency checks and extracted every fifth word.” He looked at the duke, who was observing him with something akin to triumph in his gaze. He didn’t have time to interpret that look now.
“Here it is.”
Deliver Red Ledger to Vulture. Spring Ball, Imperial Grounds.
Alice’s breath caught.
“Imperial grounds… Does that refer to the Russian embassy?”
Dalton nodded. “Most likely. The Spring Ball is this Friday. That seems to indicate that an exchange of information was to take place there during this ball.”
“So we start there,” Nathaniel offered.
Dalton nodded. “Our aim will be to learn who the Vulture is and what type of information was going to be delivered. I am invited to the ball and can procure an invitation for you, Greystone. Alice will go disguised as a server. I know the agency that supplies the extra staff needed for these events. It will be a simple matter to place Alice on their roster.”
“Why can’t Alice go with me as my wife?” Nathaniel demanded.
“She will be less conspicuous this way. Everyone knows that Viscount and Viscountess Greystone are estranged. For you to appear together may invite too much speculation. Besides, very few people in society know what Lady Greystone looks like. Let’s keep it that way for now. Her identity is an ace up our sleeve.”
“I agree,” Alice added. “Besides, the serving staff attracts no notice. We can go virtually everywhere without raising an eyebrow, and people often talk in front of servants as if they were no more than pieces of furniture.”
“Fine, then. We will go separately and will keep our connection secret for now. But we still need a way to communicate and exchange information.”
“Oh, that won’t be a problem. I’ll let you or Dalton know if I have any information to pass along.”
“No, don’t contact me during the ball. If absolutely necessary, talk to Nathaniel. Don’t approach me. That may cause suspicion and blow your cover. We will confer the next morning in my office and compare our findings.”
“You are right, of course,” Alice said.
“Are we agreed on the course, then?” Dalton inquired.
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow at Alice. She nodded.
“Agreed. I’ll see you Friday, Greystone.”