Page 18 of The Banished Bride
“That occurred to me also, but I turned up no hint of anything amiss in any of their personal affairs.” His boot scuffed at the dirt floor. “There is something else deucedly confusing in this whole affair. Why he would trust a female to carry out the most important—and dangerous—part of the …”
“Of courseit is difficult for you to fathom,” interrupted Aurora. She closed the door behind her and breezed past them. “However if you were to stop thinking in such a predictable pattern and used a bit of imagination, the answer would appear rather logical. At least it does to me.” Secretly enjoying the startled looks her comment had brought to their faces, she paused to sweep the room with her gaze. “Is there any water here, or must I go fetch it from the stream?”
Jack nearly knocked over the crate on which he was sitting in his haste to retrieve an earthenware jug from his leather rucksack.
Aurora observed that while he was not so tall or broad in the shoulders as the Major, he moved with the same lithe grace. Noting the ripple of muscle under the linen of his shirt, and the quickness of his movements, she decided to reserve judgment as to whether he was really quite as inept as first impression seemed to indicate.
After all, he would not be the first male to have his wits momentarily addled by having a female speak to him as an equal. The question was whether he would be smart enough to listen.
With that in mind, she slanted another quick look at his face from under her lashes. There was no question it was a handsome one. No doubt he had a good deal of experience in amatory exploits, if not missions of a more serious nature. He had lively eyes as well—not, perhaps as lively as the Major’s, but ones that hinted at a certain depth of intelligence. She decided to give him a chance to show his mettle.
“Well, at least you have managed to think of a few essentials,” she allowed. When it became clear that no glass was to be forthcoming, she took a small swig right from the jug.
“Sorry,” mumbled Jack, a dull flush creeping over his cheeks. “But I didn’t
expect—”
“Yes, yes, I know.” Putting the container down on the table with a thump, she couldn’t resist adding a further comment, in a voice just loud enough to be heard, “Really! If the fate of nations is in the hands of the likes of you two, it is no wonder that Bonaparte rules most of Europe.”
The younger man turned rather green around the gills, but Alex gave a loud chuckle, unperturbed by her gibe. “I’m afraid that neither of us have made a very favorable impression on Mrs. Sprague, Jack.”
That was not entirely true, she was compelled to admit, trying hard not to let her gaze linger on the sensuous curve of his smile, or the interesting little cleft in his rugged chin. Her opinion of him had changed a bit since her initial reaction. After witnessing him handle his attacker with cool aplomb, despite his weakened state, she no longer thought of him as “bumbling.” Not in the least. Furthermore, she reminded herself, he had organized their retreat and the logistics of abandoning the carriage with admirable efficiency.
“We shall have to see if we can’t think of something to do in order to win her regard,” Alex continued in a soft drawl. “Adaunting challenge, to be sure, but one well worth the effort.” Though the light was dim, Aurora could swear he had the nerve to wink.
To her chagrin, it was now her own cheeks that were taking on a decidedly warm color. Drat the man. Why was it the simplest of his teasings seemed to set her to blushing like an untutored schoolgirl? It was most unlike her to let a man—any man—affect her composure. It was fortunate that he did not seem to expect a reply, for she was afraid that her voice would betray how easily he had penetrated her defenses.
But instead of continuing with another barrage of banter, Alex all at once became quite grave. He pulled another crate up to the table and gestured for her to take a seat. “However, in the meantime, perhaps you would consent to share your ideas with us. Heaven knows, we can use all the help we can get if we are to get to the bottom of this conundrum in time.”
Aurora wasn’t quite sure he was being serious. “You are really asking for my opinion?” she asked with some surprise.
He nodded. “You have certainly shown yourself to possess a sharp mind, and from what you told me at our first encounter, you appear to have a great deal of experience in the field of, say we say, discreet investigation. We would be fools to ignore your opinion simply on account of your … plumbing, wouldn’t we, Jack?”
The other man gave a strangled cough.
Aurora chose to accept the horrified wheeze as a “yes” and sat down. “Very well. Now, let me make sure I overheard you correctly—the crux of the dilemma centers on the fact that it seems impossible for any of the suspects to be a traitor. Correct?”
Both of them nodded.
“Well, then it is,” she announced.
Jack, she noticed, was watching her with the same sort of glazed expression that a mouse might regard a snake. “Is what?” he asked faintly.
“If it seems impossible, then most likely it is impossible,” she explained. “My guess would be that the real villain is not one of the gentlemen in question, but someone close to him. Someone to whom he might unwittingly reveal, if pressed skillfully enough in an unguarded moment, a good deal more than he should.”
Alex laced his fingers behind his head and fixed her with a keen look. In the flickering shadows it was difficult to discern exactly what was lurking in the blue depths of his eyes, but his words seemed clear enough. “Bravo, my dear. And whom would you be looking for, Aurora?”
“A trusted friend, perhaps from one’s schooldays. The sort of fellow one would share a bottle of port with at one’s club,” murmured Jack before she could answer. “Hmmm, that is?—”
The corners of Alex’s mouth curled up just a bit. “A logical suggestion, but I don’t think that’s exactly whom she had in mind. And I believe the unguarded moment she is referring to is a bit more intimate than drinking spirits at White’s.”
“Precisely, sir,” replied Aurora briskly, trying not to think about what a strange effect that suggestion of a smile, as well as the sound of her name on his lips, was having on her pulse. Since when had a man’s offhand approval sent her insides into such a tizzy?
She cupped her chin in her hand, as if it might help her get a grip on her emotions, and spent some moments in thought. “To begin with,” she finally said. “I would ask myself if any of these gentlemen have a wife or a mistress who might be suspect.” Her lips then pursed for an instant. ”On second thought, I would say it would definitely be a mistress. First of all, men are much more apt to try and impress their ladybirds with their importance than their wives.”
Both men stirred rather uncomfortably on their seats.
“And secondly, a woman who makes her living in such a business must be practical and think of one day retiring. I would imagine the amount paid for the type of information that is being sold would free a woman from any financial worries for the rest of her life.”
