Page 71 of The Secret of Flirting
Grim-faced, Pontalba nodded. “I followed the last plume of smoke just in time to see a chap running through the woods for the road. By the time I reached the road myself, no one was there. He must have had a horse waiting, because I saw a spot where the grass was trampled and eaten.”
“Did you get a good look at him?” Gregory moved from behind the column, and Monique followed him.
Pontalba shook his head no. “He was wearing a green jacket and a brown hat. That’s all I noticed.”
Just like the man who’d shot at her in the park. A chill swept down Gregory’s spine. The assassin hadfollowedher to Kent? That didn’t bode well for keeping her safe.
“So it could have been anyone,” Gregory said.
“Anyone who could access the estate from the main road, yes.” When Monique clutched Gregory’s arm, Pontalba added, “Is something going on here that I don’t know about?”
Feeling Monique freeze beside him, Gregory shrugged. “Someone shot at me in London.” No point in alarming more people than was necessary. Or handing the duke fodder for his argument that his candidate would be the best choice. “I thought it was a random occurrence, but apparently not. I do have enemies, you know.”
Pontalba cursed under his breath. “Well, keep your enemies well away fromme. They could have hit me or my horse as easily as they hit the princess’s.”
“Indeed,” Gregory said. “Which is why I shall have men posted along the road. With any luck, the show of force will be enough to scare the fellow off.” He stared down at Monique. “All the same... forgive me, Princess, but I fear this will mean no bonfires on the estate tonight. I simply don’t have enough servants to protect every part of my land that adjoins the road.”
“Certainly not,” she murmured. “You must keep your guests safe.”
He must keephersafe. “Precisely. Which is why we should all return to the house now.”
“Absolutely,” Pontalba said. “I must change out of these clothes, anyway.” Pasting on his usual courtly expression, he turned to Monique. “If you prefer to use my mount, Your Highness, I don’t mind walking.”
“She’ll be riding with me.” Gregory wasn’t sure Pontalba was involved in the attempts on her life, but he wasn’t taking any chances. “No need to wait for us. With two riders on one horse, it will take us a while to return.”
Pontalba bowed, then jumped back into his saddle and rode off. Clearly, he wasn’t as eager to act the part of gentleman with a gunman possibly still roaming the woods.
“Do you think it’s safe to return?” Monique asked him.
“Probably. Though we should take a different route.”
She nodded.
He headed over to where his mare grazed contentedly near the temple. His pulse had slowed to a normal pace, but every time he thought of how close she’d come to death...
“Gregory?” she said behind him.
He turned to look at her. “Yes?”
Her eyes shone bright with emotion. “Thank you for saving my life. Again.”
Despite everything, his heart flipped over in his chest. “You’re welcome.”
He could only pray it was the last attempt. Because next time she might not be so lucky.
Even after they had returned to the house, Monique couldn’t stop shaking. It had become abundantly clear to her that no matter what her uncle said, someone was trying to kill Aurore. Had probablybeentrying since before Monique’s involvement.
After leading her to a settee in the drawing room, Gregory pressed a glass of sherry on her, and she gladly sat and sipped it as he questioned the servants. From them, they learned that no one had returned from Canterbury yet. That the duke was upstairs in his bedchamber and had called for a bath. That the prince hadn’t yet arrived.
And, more disturbing, that Lady Ursula had left to go for a walk right after they’d headed out for their ride.
When that made Gregory curse, Monique felt her heart sink. She gulped down the rest of her sherry. It couldn’t be. How could the lady-in-waiting be involved? Lady Ursula was herfriend, for pity’s sake!
Gregory barked some orders to the footmen, sending one of them for the constable. As they left to do his bidding, he came to sit next to her on the settee, looking solemn. “That day when we went for a drive, I thought it was the count’s decision to have Lady Ursula not accompany you. I assumed he wanted to throw us together for his own purposes. But now I’m not so sure.” Taking her hand, he searched her face. “You seemed surprised that day to hear she was ill. Had you had any indication of that before our carriage ride?”
“No,” she said, her heart sinking further.
“She didn’t look particularly ill after we returned.”
