Read Online All About Love by Stephanie Laurens - Free Book Online Page A

resolute vow—that she would find whoever had hidden between the bookcases and watched her discover Horatio’s body.
    This was one murderer who would not escape.
    Even as she made her silent declaration, she was aware another, very similar one was being made not a foot away. Lucifer’s words to her father had rung with determination; she needed no convincing that he would regard his vow as seriously as she regarded hers.
    They could work together—together they might succeed. Alone, even with her father’s support, bringing a murderer to justice might well be more than she could accomplish. Despite his dubious talents, she was certain the reprobate beside her could achieve anything he set his mind to. So . . .
    She slanted a glance at him. She needed to tell him all that had happened, even to admitting that it was she who had hit him over the head. Confessing to that wouldn’t be comfortable, but he needed to know.
    He especially needed to know about the hat.
    Which meant she had to speak with Mary Anne straightaway.
    She took in Lucifer’s bleak expression, the planes of his face harsh without any lurking laughter to soften them. His large eyes were hooded. He’d been much closer to Horatio than she had.
    Sliding her fingers from his, she retreated and left him with his grief.
    Lucifer heard her go. Part of his mind tracked her movements; part of him relaxed when she turned deeper into the house. He remembered she’d mentioned speaking with the housekeeper. Reassured, he returned his attention to Horatio.
    Their last farewell—there wouldn’t be another. He let the memories spill through his mind, like water running through his fingers. Their shared interests, their successes, their mutual appreciation, the long afternoons spent on the terrace overlooking Lake Windemere. All good times—there’d been none bad.
    At the last, he drew in a deep breath, then laid a hand atop Horatio’s, clasped on his chest. “Go twit Martha on her pansies. As for revenge, leave that to me.”
    Vengeance might be the Lord’s, but sometimes He needed help.
    As he turned away, his gaze fell on the bookshelves lining the walls. Idly, he strolled along them, tracing the spines of volumes here and there, remembered friends. Toward the end of the room, he noticed three volumes jutting out from their shelf. He slid them back in, aligning them. He looked back along the tome-lined wall. How appropriate for Horatio to spend his final hours here, surrounded by his dearest possessions.
    He was standing before the long windows, looking out on the garden that so puzzled him, when a discreet cough sounded in the doorway. He turned; a thin, spare man, hunched into his coat, was staring at the coffin. Lucifer left the window. “Covey. Pray accept my condolences. I know how attached you were to Horatio—and he to you.”
    Covey blinked watery blue eyes. “Thank you, sir. Miss Tallent told me you were here. I regret that it’s such a dreadful occasion that sees you with us . . . again.”
    “A dreadful business, indeed. Do you have any idea . . . ?”
    “None at all. I had no inkling, no reason to suppose . . .” He gestured helplessly at the coffin.
    “Don’t blame yourself, Covey—you couldn’t have known.”
    “If I had, it wouldn’t have happened.”
    “Of course not.” Lucifer interposed himself between Covey and the coffin. “Horatio wrote to me about some item he’d discovered that he wanted my opinion on. Do you know what it was?”
    Covey shook his head. “I knew he’d found something special. You know how he’d get—his eyes all lighting up like a child’s? That’s how he was for the past week. I hadn’t seen him so excited for years.”
    “He didn’t mention anything at all about it?”
    “No, but he never did, not with his special finds. Not until he was ready to tell all; then he’d lay all the proofs out on his desk and explain it all to me.” A wistful smile touched Covey’s lips. “He’d take