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Authors: Caroline Linden
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would have taken you to my bed if you hadn’t been Exeter.”
“And I never would have gone had you not made it so freely available,” he returned just as quietly. “Good day.” He walked away, and Susannah shrieked at the buder to fetch her carriage. Marcus waved aside the footman who held open the study door and went to the desk where the newspaper lay. He spread it open and flipped though the pages until he found the announcement. David had made his little prank public. Marcus swore; a retraction would be almost as humiliating as this, and generate even more gossip, but a retraction he would get as soon as the woman was gone.
He dropped into his chair and rubbed one hand over his face. At least there was one side benefit: Susannah was out of his hands. Everyone in town knew of their affair, but she had crossed the line when she began spreading rumors of their impending engagement. Marcus never knew what on earth possessed women to try trickery to get a husband. First Susannah, then this Hannah Preston. Surely neither one had actually expected to end as the duchess of Exeter.
If only he hadn’t gone into Kent for a few days to see those thoroughbreds. If only his secretary hadn’t fallen ill and left all the work to that idiot Adams, who neglected to pass on Walters’s message that David was at Holly Lane. Then he might have nipped this disaster in the bud, prevented the announcement in the
Times
, and caught up with David before he vanished from sight.
As he sat plotting a variety of bad ends for his brother, there came a quiet tap at the door. “Yes?” he growled.
Harper appeared in the doorway. “Mr. Timms, Your Grace.”
Marcus closed his eyes and waved one hand in grudging assent. Harper left, and a moment later a bluff hearty gentleman who looked nothing like his timid name came in. “Well, Exeter, I would have thought you had your plate full. Congratulations are in order, I suppose.”
Marcus opened his eyes to glare at the man. Timms, damn him, just chuckled. “I would prefer, Timms, that my private affairs remain private.”
“Well! Ought not to publish them in the
Times
, then.” Timms caught sight of the paper open on the desk and smirked. “I take it your investigations of Lady Willoughby are complete, then. I saw her leave, and she seemed rather displeased.”
“She was never going to be pleased, at least not in the manner of her choosing.” Marcus got to his feet, subtly taking charge. “But essentially, yes, my investigations were complete. She knows nothing, and cares for nothing beyond her own comfort. The money could be printed on tea leaves and she wouldn’t notice.”
“She’s been used, then.”
Marcus nodded. “I believe so. She hasn’t the intelligence to conceive of a plan of this scope herself.”
Timms sighed. “I don’t know if I should be pleased or not. It would have been so nice to find the culprit.”
Marcus shrugged. “Keep looking. Susannah Willoughby’s not the only one who’s been passing counterfeit notes.” It occurred to him to find out if Hannah Preston had received any money from David, but he kept the thought to himself. Timms and the other bank directors had promised David would not face punishment if he were involved in the alarming amount of counterfeit money that had been circulating in London lately, but Marcus wouldn’t go out of his way to incriminate his brother. David had done a fine job of avoiding him for the last few weeks, which was not unusual, but in these circumstances it was somewhat alarming.
“I suppose we’ve no other choice.” Timms looked at the newspaper again. “I’ll leave you to it, then. Good day, Exeter.”
Marcus nodded curtly. When Timms had gone, he went around his desk and unlocked the cabinet behind it. He took out a slim file and opened it, arranging some pages on his desk. Drawing up the chair, he studied his notes.
First, he could mark off Susannah. Marcus made some notes next to her name, just as
“And I never would have gone had you not made it so freely available,” he returned just as quietly. “Good day.” He walked away, and Susannah shrieked at the buder to fetch her carriage. Marcus waved aside the footman who held open the study door and went to the desk where the newspaper lay. He spread it open and flipped though the pages until he found the announcement. David had made his little prank public. Marcus swore; a retraction would be almost as humiliating as this, and generate even more gossip, but a retraction he would get as soon as the woman was gone.
He dropped into his chair and rubbed one hand over his face. At least there was one side benefit: Susannah was out of his hands. Everyone in town knew of their affair, but she had crossed the line when she began spreading rumors of their impending engagement. Marcus never knew what on earth possessed women to try trickery to get a husband. First Susannah, then this Hannah Preston. Surely neither one had actually expected to end as the duchess of Exeter.
If only he hadn’t gone into Kent for a few days to see those thoroughbreds. If only his secretary hadn’t fallen ill and left all the work to that idiot Adams, who neglected to pass on Walters’s message that David was at Holly Lane. Then he might have nipped this disaster in the bud, prevented the announcement in the
Times
, and caught up with David before he vanished from sight.
As he sat plotting a variety of bad ends for his brother, there came a quiet tap at the door. “Yes?” he growled.
Harper appeared in the doorway. “Mr. Timms, Your Grace.”
Marcus closed his eyes and waved one hand in grudging assent. Harper left, and a moment later a bluff hearty gentleman who looked nothing like his timid name came in. “Well, Exeter, I would have thought you had your plate full. Congratulations are in order, I suppose.”
Marcus opened his eyes to glare at the man. Timms, damn him, just chuckled. “I would prefer, Timms, that my private affairs remain private.”
“Well! Ought not to publish them in the
Times
, then.” Timms caught sight of the paper open on the desk and smirked. “I take it your investigations of Lady Willoughby are complete, then. I saw her leave, and she seemed rather displeased.”
“She was never going to be pleased, at least not in the manner of her choosing.” Marcus got to his feet, subtly taking charge. “But essentially, yes, my investigations were complete. She knows nothing, and cares for nothing beyond her own comfort. The money could be printed on tea leaves and she wouldn’t notice.”
“She’s been used, then.”
Marcus nodded. “I believe so. She hasn’t the intelligence to conceive of a plan of this scope herself.”
Timms sighed. “I don’t know if I should be pleased or not. It would have been so nice to find the culprit.”
Marcus shrugged. “Keep looking. Susannah Willoughby’s not the only one who’s been passing counterfeit notes.” It occurred to him to find out if Hannah Preston had received any money from David, but he kept the thought to himself. Timms and the other bank directors had promised David would not face punishment if he were involved in the alarming amount of counterfeit money that had been circulating in London lately, but Marcus wouldn’t go out of his way to incriminate his brother. David had done a fine job of avoiding him for the last few weeks, which was not unusual, but in these circumstances it was somewhat alarming.
“I suppose we’ve no other choice.” Timms looked at the newspaper again. “I’ll leave you to it, then. Good day, Exeter.”
Marcus nodded curtly. When Timms had gone, he went around his desk and unlocked the cabinet behind it. He took out a slim file and opened it, arranging some pages on his desk. Drawing up the chair, he studied his notes.
First, he could mark off Susannah. Marcus made some notes next to her name, just as
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