Chapter Three
Brighton, England
Felix glanced out his bedroom window at the ever-changing sea. It was his wedding day, and the sun was steadily rising this morning with promise that it would shine for most of it.
No doubt Caroline was busy doing last-minute preparations this morning.
The ceremony was scheduled for eleven o’clock, so he had nearly three hours before he needed to go over to her parents’ townhouse.
However, she’d mentioned yesterday that she would come down in the morning before he left for her home so they could spend a small amount of time alone together walking the shore ahead of the ceremony.
As of yet, he hadn’t donned his formal attire, for he hadn’t wanted to sully the clothes and shoes by shore walking.
Once the wedding breakfast concluded, they would begin their honeymoon period, for the families would go home, but he and Caro would retire to the cottage he’d rented.
They would stay there before coming back to London in a month’s time.
Even though he’d asked her where she wanted to travel on a wedding trip, she had said she only wished to be with him…
and perhaps spend some time at the seashore.
Which is what prompted the decision to marry in Brighton.
Since Caroline hadn’t arrived yet, Felix went down to the shore. As always, the sound of the waves crashing invoked a feeling of calm but also invigorated him.
How the hell had the time passed so quickly?
In a few hours he would wed Caroline after so many years of maintaining a bachelor existence.
But she’d changed everything the moment she’d stepped into his life, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
It was quite fitting, in fact. Because he wanted to surprise her, he’d written a few vows, but he rather doubted he had the courage to interrupt the ceremony by speaking them.
Perhaps he’d tell her them when she joined him this morning.
If there wasn’t an opportunity, he would tell her before they consummated their union tonight.
The thought sent renewed need shooting through his member.
There was something about Caroline that had him in a constant state of desire.
It was one of the reasons he wanted a few minutes alone to clear his thoughts before she joined him.
She was unique and so lovely, and because of her, he no longer thought of himself as not a whole man.
He’d lost part of his leg during the last case he’d worked during his Bow Street days.
Because of Caroline and her acceptance of him, he didn’t consider himself broken or different.
Hell, even when he’d showed her the prosthetic leg and its secret compartment, she hadn’t shied away from him.
In fact, she encouraged him to keep a weapon in there for any contingency.
Which he did, changing it according to his whim or what he would be doing.
When a rather exuberant wave came up the pebble and sand beach to touch the toes of his boots, Felix frowned, for there was a dark shape in the water not two feet away, rumpled and partially wrapped in a scrap of what appeared to be sail cloth.
“What the devil?”
Moving quickly, he hauled the mess onto the shore, which was still deserted except for him. After he pulled it up enough so that the waves wouldn’t touch him, but even before he tugged the sail cloth away, it was all too evident the object was a body.
The body of a man, at that.
“Christ, I don’t need this today of all days.
” Yet, being who he was, Felix felt a certain obligation to the man.
Everyone deserved to be treated with respect, even in death.
Kneeling on his good leg, he tugged the cloth away from the face.
“Well, damn.” Shock slammed into his chest, for the body was one of the wedding guests who’d attended the dinner last night.
Then a second wave of shock went through him, for as soon as Felix moved the dead man’s head to one side, it was clear he’d been stabbed in the side of his neck with a letter opener that featured a Mother-of-Pearl handle.
“Fuck.” He recognized it as the one he’d given to Caroline’s mother three months ago as a gift for her birthday.
“This isn’t good.” God, he didn’t have time for this.
With a glance around, he cursed beneath his breath, for a man walked toward him from the direction of the town proper.
“Damn it all to hell.” Quickly reaching over the body, he slipped the letter opener from the corpse, wrapped it in his handkerchief, then quickly stuffed it in his superfine jacket.
The actions were hidden from the man by Felix’s own body.
“You there!” the newcomer called. “What are you doing?”
Slowly, he stood and faced the man. “Who wants to know?”
As the man drew close, Felix recognized him as another wedding guest. Was everyone as restless as he this morning?
The straight line of his back and his measured steps practically proclaimed him a former member of the military.
Though he wore formal attire instead of a uniform, there was an air of purpose about him that proclaimed him a fellow brother-in-arms.
“That is perhaps not the question of the moment, is it?” the man questioned instead as he joined Felix with one eyebrow raised.
“Fair enough. Then tell me who you are. Clearly, you are a wedding guest, and since I’m the groom-to-be, I have a right to know.”
“I don’t know about that, but since I know you are Major Kourier and I also know you were at Bow Street for a few years, I’ll answer your inquiry.”
“I would appreciate that.” He didn’t enjoy being in the dark about anyone around him.
The man nodded. The morning sunlight caused his brown hair to gleam with slightly red strands. “I am Captain Horner.” When Felix made no comment, the other man expanded on his explanation. “I’m one of Andrew Ives’ friends.”
“Ah. I see.”
The captain frowned as he glanced at the corpse, which hadn’t yet become bloated or battered from its dunk into the sea. “Is this your handiwork, Major?”
Felix scoffed. “Hardly. It just washed ashore before you came upon me. I pulled it out of the surf to prevent further damage.” He gestured at the body. “Perhaps since you are a wedding guest as is he, you should take a peek. Do you know him?”
Captain Horner moved over to the body then leaned over it. Seconds later, he sprang back with a gasp. “Christ! That’s Lord Danforth.”
“Who is that? I’ve not heard of him though I saw him briefly last night.” There had been many people attending the dinner and many had drifted through the townhouse to find other pursuits during those couple of hours. “Is he a viscount? An earl?”
“No.” The other man shook his head. “Third son of the Earl of Spurringham. Lord is an honorary title, but that doesn’t negate the fact he’s of the beau monde.”
“Oh, I’m not debating that.” It was interesting how folks always felt the urge to make that distinction. As if that made a person better or worse than another. “Do you know where he was staying?”
“I do not. Perhaps at rooms in the town. Near the Cresent? I don’t know him all that well.”
Felix nodded and wished he’d had the foresight to bring his notebook with him. No matter, he’d commit the information to memory and write it down later. “When was the last time you saw Lord Danforth?”
The captain kicked at a pebble on the beach.
“Ah, possibly at one of the taverns for dinner? Both he and I didn’t dine with the family proper.
He was holding court across the common room.
I bumped into him in the corridor that led to the private dining areas.
We said our greetings then went onto our separate meals. ”
“Your friends and acquaintances didn’t overlap for the evening?”
“Not during the dinner hour.”
Fair enough. “When did you leave the tavern?”
Captain Horner shrugged. His form was impressive, made even more so with the formal attire. “Around nine in the evening. I didn’t wish to arrive at the nuptial ceremony this morning drunk or hungover.”
“Understandable.” Felix glanced again at the body as it lay there then focused again on the captain. “Was Danforth still there when you left?”
“I believe so. His group was concluding their dinner, but he hadn’t come out of the tavern while I was on the street afterward.”
Fuck. “What time did you arrive at wherever you were staying?”
The captain gave him a small smile. “Andrew Ives has rented a cottage similar to these,” he gestured at the building where Felix was staying, “but on the other side of the Crescent.”
Interesting that he was a roommate to Caroline’s brother. “And you arrived there at what time?”
Captain Horner’s eyes narrowed. “Are you accusing me of something, Major?”
He shook his head. “At this point, I am merely trying to establish a timeline that led to Lord Danforth’s murder.”
The captain’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “You think he was murdered?”
“I’m certain of it. There’s a wound on the side of his neck. No doubt the weapon went through a major artery, which probably killed Danforth in a matter of moments.” The other man didn’t need to know what that weapon was or who it belonged to.
“Very well.” The captain nodded. “After dinner, I decided to walk back thinking the sea air would clear my head. Took me about an hour from the tavern in town. Once at the cottage, I chatted with Andrew for fifteen minutes of so. By the time I laid down for sleep, it was a quarter of eleven.”