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Authors: Jacquie D'Alessandro
Tags: love_contemporary
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been waiting quite some time." He cast the butler a sidelong glance. "But I suspect you knew that would be the case when you allowed Samuel to bring me word that they were here."
"Serves them right to wait, calling at such an unfashionable hour." Barkley hoisted his nose upward and gave an elegant sniff. "Especially if they're here about Samuel."
They'll have a hell of a fight on their hands if they are
. "One way to find out."
He followed Barkley down the corridor, and after the butler announced him, entered the room. Charles Rayburn, the magistrate, rose from his chair next to the fire. Daniel judged the tall, robust man to be in his mid-forties. He noted that Rayburn's sharp green eyes took in every detail of his appearance.
"Good morning, my lord," Rayburn said. "My apologies for the early morning call." He nodded toward the other man, who stood near the fireplace.
"This is Mr. Gideon Mayne. Mr. Mayne is a Bow Street Runner."
Daniel's initial impression of Mr. Mayne was that he was very tall, very muscular, and very solemn. His face, which sported a nose that had clearly been broken at one time, looked as if it were hewn from stone. Clearly this was not a social call.
After nodding to both men, he indicated the chairs set around the hearth and asked, "Shall we sit?"
Mr. Mayne looked as if sitting was the last thing he wished to do, but he offered no objection. After they were all settled, Daniel asked, "What is the purpose of this visit?"
"It concerns Lady Walsh's masquerade last evening, my lord," Rayburn said.
Daniel allowed only his surprise-and none of his relief-to show. Obviously this wasn't about Samuel. "What about it?"
"You were costumed as a highwayman, were you not?"
"I was."
Rayburn and Mayne exchanged a quick glance. "You were seen in the company of a particular lady last evening, my lord."
An image of Carolyn instantly materialized in his mind. "What of it?"
"I'm afraid, my lord, that lady's been murdered."
Chapter Five
I'd always believed myself a modest person, and, looking back, at the beginning of our liaison, I was. But as our relationship deepened, my mantle of modesty disintegrated. I became bold. Filled with passions and needs I'd never before imagined. I craved him, his touch, his kiss, the feel of his skin, as I imagine one would a drug.
Memoirs of a Mistress
by An Anonymous Lady
E verything inside Daniel froze. An icy wind seemed to blow through the hole the magistrate's words punched through him. A silent
No
! screamed through his mind, one he surely would have roared aloud had he been able to draw a breath. An unbearable weight crushed his chest, seemingly collapsing his lungs, shattering his heart.
Carolyn… dear God, not Carolyn
.
"Lady Crawford's body was discovered just before dawn in the mews behind Lady Walsh's town house," Rayburn said.
The magistrate's words slowly filtered through the numb shock engulfing him like a black fog. He frowned. Then blinked. "Did… did you say Lady
Crawford
?"
"Yes, my lord. Appears she was bludgeoned to death. Still wore her party costume. Some sort of damsel in distress ensemble. She hadn't been dead long when a rat catcher found her."
His profound relief that the victim wasn't Carolyn rendered him nearly light-headed. Then the ramifications of the magistrate's news about Blythe, Lady Crawford, sank in. "Good God," he said, dragging his hands down his face. "Have you captured the person responsible?"
"No, my lord. Indeed, we've only just begun making inquiries."
Daniel looked at Mr. Mayne. "You're assisting?"
"I've been hired by Lady Crawford's family. Mr. Rayburn has kindly allowed me to be present during his inquiries." He regarded Daniel steadily through eyes so dark it was impossible to discern the pupil from the iris. "You were acquainted with Lady Crawford."
"Yes."
"Intimately acquainted."
It was a statement rather than a question. Daniel kept his expression impassive and studied Gideon Mayne. With his stark features,
"Serves them right to wait, calling at such an unfashionable hour." Barkley hoisted his nose upward and gave an elegant sniff. "Especially if they're here about Samuel."
They'll have a hell of a fight on their hands if they are
. "One way to find out."
He followed Barkley down the corridor, and after the butler announced him, entered the room. Charles Rayburn, the magistrate, rose from his chair next to the fire. Daniel judged the tall, robust man to be in his mid-forties. He noted that Rayburn's sharp green eyes took in every detail of his appearance.
"Good morning, my lord," Rayburn said. "My apologies for the early morning call." He nodded toward the other man, who stood near the fireplace.
"This is Mr. Gideon Mayne. Mr. Mayne is a Bow Street Runner."
Daniel's initial impression of Mr. Mayne was that he was very tall, very muscular, and very solemn. His face, which sported a nose that had clearly been broken at one time, looked as if it were hewn from stone. Clearly this was not a social call.
After nodding to both men, he indicated the chairs set around the hearth and asked, "Shall we sit?"
Mr. Mayne looked as if sitting was the last thing he wished to do, but he offered no objection. After they were all settled, Daniel asked, "What is the purpose of this visit?"
"It concerns Lady Walsh's masquerade last evening, my lord," Rayburn said.
Daniel allowed only his surprise-and none of his relief-to show. Obviously this wasn't about Samuel. "What about it?"
"You were costumed as a highwayman, were you not?"
"I was."
Rayburn and Mayne exchanged a quick glance. "You were seen in the company of a particular lady last evening, my lord."
An image of Carolyn instantly materialized in his mind. "What of it?"
"I'm afraid, my lord, that lady's been murdered."
Chapter Five
I'd always believed myself a modest person, and, looking back, at the beginning of our liaison, I was. But as our relationship deepened, my mantle of modesty disintegrated. I became bold. Filled with passions and needs I'd never before imagined. I craved him, his touch, his kiss, the feel of his skin, as I imagine one would a drug.
Memoirs of a Mistress
by An Anonymous Lady
E verything inside Daniel froze. An icy wind seemed to blow through the hole the magistrate's words punched through him. A silent
No
! screamed through his mind, one he surely would have roared aloud had he been able to draw a breath. An unbearable weight crushed his chest, seemingly collapsing his lungs, shattering his heart.
Carolyn… dear God, not Carolyn
.
"Lady Crawford's body was discovered just before dawn in the mews behind Lady Walsh's town house," Rayburn said.
The magistrate's words slowly filtered through the numb shock engulfing him like a black fog. He frowned. Then blinked. "Did… did you say Lady
Crawford
?"
"Yes, my lord. Appears she was bludgeoned to death. Still wore her party costume. Some sort of damsel in distress ensemble. She hadn't been dead long when a rat catcher found her."
His profound relief that the victim wasn't Carolyn rendered him nearly light-headed. Then the ramifications of the magistrate's news about Blythe, Lady Crawford, sank in. "Good God," he said, dragging his hands down his face. "Have you captured the person responsible?"
"No, my lord. Indeed, we've only just begun making inquiries."
Daniel looked at Mr. Mayne. "You're assisting?"
"I've been hired by Lady Crawford's family. Mr. Rayburn has kindly allowed me to be present during his inquiries." He regarded Daniel steadily through eyes so dark it was impossible to discern the pupil from the iris. "You were acquainted with Lady Crawford."
"Yes."
"Intimately acquainted."
It was a statement rather than a question. Daniel kept his expression impassive and studied Gideon Mayne. With his stark features,
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