Page 10 of An Inconvenient Duke

The way she repeated that, her haunted expression—Good God. Instantly, his blood froze. “You know more than you’re telling.”

She gave a fierce shake of her head. “I didn’t know about any of this!”

“Did she die on the way to meet him or coming back?” His gaze narrowed, watching her closely as he dared to finally put voice to his fears. “Or did he murder her?”

She gasped, the strangled sound so pained that he flinched. “Murder?” The word came as barely any sound at all on her lips, and she began to tremble, so hard that she nearly shuddered in his arms. “Oh, God…Elise…”

“So I’ll ask again.” He twirled her through a tight circle, one meant to keep her off-balance. “Who is John Porter?”

“I don’t know.”

“What did he mean by their vanishing?”

She fiercely shook her head. “I don’t—”

“And Scepter?”

At that, she halted right there in his arms, smack in the middle of the dance floor, bringing him to a stop with her. For one fleeting heartbeat, he saw fear grip her face, the same fear he’d seen on every man under his command the first time they’d charged into battle.

Then it was gone, and in its place came anger.

“How dare you?” Outrage filled her voice. “Thisis why you asked me to waltz? Not as an old friend of the family, not even to commiserate together in our grief—this dance was nothing but the battle strategy of a war-hardened general, to keep me from fleeing while you interrogated me!”

“My sister was murdered, and I’m damned well going to find out why.” His own anger flared in response, yet he was aware of the crowded dance floor around them and kept his face carefully inscrutable. “John Porter warned Elise in his letter to stay away from them, as if he were afraid of them and what they were capable of doing.” He searched her face for answers. “So tell me what you know. What the hell is Scepter? Why would he warn Elise to stay away from it? And where can I find the people behind it?”

“I don’t know.” The icy look she gave him was one of absolute obstinacy. “And for your sake, General,” she said, her eyes practically glowing, “I wouldn’t tell you even if I did.”

He clenched his jaw. “I need to know what you’re hiding about—”

“Stop!” she ordered hoarsely, pushing herself free of his arms. “Please. Just stop.”

As the other couples continued to dance on around them, the attention of the room fell upon them, and everyone craned their necks to see what was wrong. But Marcus didn’t care that whispers went up at the scene they were making or that Claudia now stood in the doorway, watching them curiously. Danielle Williams knew more than she was admitting. Far more. He wouldn’t stop pressing until he had the entire truth and brought to justice the man responsible.

The waltz ended, and the last notes died with a flourish. When she stepped back, he had no choice except to let her go.

But this conversation was far from over.

Aware of the attention of the crowd still upon them and clearly wanting to lessen the spectacle they were making of themselves, she held out her hand and dropped into a curtsy as if nothing were wrong.

“Your sister was a good woman who dedicated her life to helping those in need,” she said between deep inhalations as she gathered herself enough to put a smile onto her face for the crowd around them. “Keep that memory, and let the rest go. I beg you.”

He took her hand and bowed over it, attempting to appear as if they were simply finishing the waltz. He murmured against her fingers, “I have no intention of letting this go.”

Four

Marcus hurried downstairs toward the entry hall so he wouldn’t be seen as he left the house. It was one of the reasons why he was up and dressed in his riding clothes so early despite not getting to bed until after three o’clock this morning. Even then, he hadn’t slept, tossing and turning as he replayed in his head his conversation with Danielle and kicking himself for not handling it better.

She hadn’t known about the murder. That was obvious. Yet she knew more than she was telling, he was certain. He wouldn’t stop seeking her out until he had answers. Even if he had to waltz her halfway to Calcutta to get them.

Around him, Charlton Place was a hive of early morning activity. The servants were all busily cleaning up after the party, putting the furniture and rugs back in their proper places, and taking all the glasses and plates down to the kitchen. The Roman decorations were being removed one column at a time but quickly enough that the garden was beginning to return to normal.Thank God.

While the staff was spending their day doing this, it would be safer for him not to be anywhere near the house. A wise general knew when to retreat.

But he also wanted to clear his head. Because he needed to come up with a new strategy for dealing with Danielle.

“Marcus, you’re sneaking away,” Claudia chastised lightly as she entered the hall and caught him. “Again.”

She was lovely in her morning dress of pale pink, her light brown hair carefully pulled into a stack of curls. As this season’s Incomparable, she turned gentlemen’s heads everywhere she went, but they were fools to chase after her. Only one man held her heart, and Marcus fully expected Adam Trousdale to offer for her by year’s end. She’d put her own life on hold for the past two years to remain at Charlton Place and care for Penelope. But now that he had returned and assumed Pippa’s care, she could move on, taking greater part in the events of the season, marrying soon, and establishing a household of her own.