Silent Revenge (36 page)

Without lifting his lips, he moved his hands to the buttons on her gown, popping them free, ripping what did not yield to his frantic movements. He pushed the material from her shoulders, letting it pool at her feet.

Cool air kissed her flesh, heightening her desire. Then he picked her up in his arms and placed her in the center of the bed.

Wild currents raced to every part of her body, burning a path to the pit of her stomach, then lower.

His hands moved over her, touching her, caressing her, causing a fire to rage within her. He kissed her again, hard, passionate, demanding. His tongue mated with hers, invading her warmth, taking what she gave freely. He raised his head and looked at her, the glazed look in his eyes dark with passion.

With a desperation that robbed her of every ounce of control, she pulled him to her, twining her arms around his neck to hold him close.

She clung to him while he carried her high atop their world of human frailties, until she shuddered in his arms.

He followed her over the edge, trembling violently above her, then collapsing against her while his breathing came in harsh, ragged gasps.

She held him close, never wanting to lose him.

She traced her fingertips over the rippling muscles across his shoulders and down his arms, over his smooth skin, damp from their lovemaking. She waited until his breathing slowed, then moved with him when he rolled to the side.

“Promise me my stepbrother will not harm you,” she said, looking into his face. “Promise me.”

He cupped his hand to her cheek and touched her gently. “I promise. As soon as the authorities have the opium shipment, this will all be over.”

“Do you know when it will arrive?”

“No. There’s probably only one other person besides Colin who knows the date and time of the opium shipment.”

“Do you know who that is?”

Her husband shook his head. “I’m still trying to discover who Tanhill trusts enough to negotiate for him.”

Jessica laid her head back on his chest and felt the soft thumping of his heart against her cheek. She wrapped her arms around his middle and held on tightly.

She had to do something. She could not afford to lose Simon now. She would die if she did.

A plan began to formulate. She knew exactly what she would do because she knew who was working with Colin. She’d seen her face in the carriage the night Simon had been shot.

Jessica carefully listed every detail so she would not make one mistake. Underestimating her stepbrother would be deadly.

She concentrated on when she would make her first move, but lost her train of thought when Simon’s hands moved over her.

When he came over her and lowered his mouth to hers, she twined her arms around his neck and pulled him to her.

Tonight she would love him.

Tomorrow she would find a way to save him.

Chapter 24

J
essica stood in Rosalind’s drawing room, surrounded by a wealth of treasures—priceless paintings, costly Chinese vases, expensive French furniture. Each item bespoke an extravagance that hinted that its mistress had at her fingertips an inexhaustible supply of wealth. Jessica knew she did not.

Careful not to touch anything, she walked around the room, mindful of the delicate crystal and fragile porcelain. It was not a house in which she felt at ease, and as she perused the formidable opulence, she wondered if Simon would be happy in such surroundings had he married Rosalind.

A sigh of contentment escaped her. The satisfaction she felt knowing he would not be at all comfortable filled her with a strange sense of peace and gave her a confidence she’d not felt before.

She walked to a window that overlooked the garden. The view was breathtaking. Rosalind’s penchant for extravagance extended even beyond her house. Stone walkways, marble benches and tables, and naked statues crowded the perfectly tended gardens bedecked with rare flowering bushes. Jessica turned away from such lavish extravagance.

Rosalind stood in the doorway, watching her.

The emerald-green silk moiré of her fashionable gown accented her ebony hair and porcelain complexion even more than the red satin had done. The vivid green of her emerald eyes shone in stark brilliance behind long, dark lashes that fluttered softly.

For an eternity they both stared at each other. Evaluating. Judging. Disliking.

Rosalind spoke first. “You cannot imagine my surprise when I was informed that you had come to call, Lady Northcote. What an interesting scenario. Simon’s wife with his former fiancé. What the
ton
wouldn’t give to see this.”

Rosalind swept through the doorway, brushing past Jessica in a flashy show meant to intimidate. She stopped and leveled Jessica with a look that revealed the beautiful siren intended to dominate.

“Can you understand what I’m saying?”

Jessica studied her thoughtfully. “Yes. I know what you are saying,” she answered calmly.

Rosalind smiled. “Tanhill thinks you’re an idiot. He thinks you don’t know what’s going on around you and have to be led around like an animal.” She swished her full skirt as if emphasizing her presence, then stepped around the plush maroon velvet divan. “But I don’t.” She leaned one graceful hand against the mantel of the lit fireplace in pose. The picture she presented was magnificent. “I think you are quite intelligent. A perfect match for Simon. Am I right?”

Jessica held Rosalind’s gaze and lifted the corners of her mouth ever so slightly. “Perhaps.”

Long seconds dragged by. A slight flush started from beneath Rosalind’s low-cut bodice and crept up her neck, coloring her cheeks. From the repeated clenching of her hands, Jessica knew the tense silence in the room bothered her hostess more than it bothered her.

“Please, sit down.” Rosalind pointed to the velvet settee and then poured two cups of tea from the ornate china tea service a maid had placed on a lace-covered table. She handed one to Jessica. With indescribable grace, she moved to the delicate Louis XIV chair facing her.

“Imagine,” she said, smoothing the lines of her gown. “Your stepbrother thinks you a deaf-mute with little more intelligence than an animal, and here you are, the epitome of grace and perfection. I knew he was wrong, of course. When I saw you at the Westawalds’ ball with Simon, you didn’t look the uncultured savage Tanhill would have me believe.”

Jessica cradled the fragile cup and saucer. It was strange. She thought she would be terrified facing the woman she believed was Simon’s mistress, but she was not. If anything, she pitied her.

Tiny lines appeared around Rosalind’s eyes and mouth, and on close inspection, Jessica noticed the small blemishes on Rosalind’s skin that powder failed to conceal. For a woman who relied on her beauty to gain wealth and popularity, it must be terrifying to watch your youthfulness fade.

“Your stepbrother thinks Simon virtually kidnapped you and made you his wife without your consent. It wasn’t that way at all, was it?”

“Hardly,” Jessica answered without dropping her gaze from Rosalind’s face.

“Do you love him?”

Jessica was too surprised to answer.

Rosalind smiled. “Of course you do. It’s impossible not to, isn’t it?” She sipped her tea. “Since my return, I’ve been most distressed that you elected to attend none of the same functions as I,” Rosalind said. “Rumor even has it that you inquire if my name is on the guest list and decline all invitations if I have also been invited.”

“You will have to take that up with Lord Northcote. That was his choice.”

Rosalind shook her head. “What a pity. He and I were quite close at one time, you know.”

“I think perhaps he does not want to be reminded of that…closeness.”

The glare in Rosalind’s eyes sharpened to a deadly attack, and she raised her curved eyebrows in disdain. Jessica placed her saucer firmly on the table and sat back. “I think it’s time we dispensed with the small talk and I explained my purpose for coming.”

“By all means.” Rosalind set her saucer down beside Jessica’s and lifted the corners of her mouth in a snide grin. “I cannot imagine why you’re here.”

“I have come to warn you.”

“Warn me?”

“Your scheme has been exposed. Yours and Tanhill’s. The authorities are closing in on my stepbrother’s illegal drug operation.”

Rosalind stiffened. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“They know about the opium shipment, and they know about Tanhill’s involvement with Great Northern Shipping and Lord Mottley and Sydney Carver.”

To Rosalind’s credit, she showed the perfect expression of surprise. “I can’t imagine what this has to do with me.”

“What they don’t know is the name of his operative. The person my stepbrother has working with him to do what he cannot openly do himself.”

Rosalind paused, her eyes narrowing. “How dare you.”

“I saw you in the carriage the night my stepbrother tried to kill Simon. I know you are his mistress and you are helping him make the arrangements he cannot publicly make himself.”

Rosalind clenched her hands in her lap and glared at Jessica. The malicious look on her face made her quite ugly. “What do you want?”

“I want to know when the opium shipment will arrive.”

Rosalind lifted her head and laughed. “What kind of fool do you take me for? Do you know what Colin would do to me if he found out I gave you that information?”

Jessica fired her answer right back. “Do you know what will happen to you when the authorities arrest you? Do you know the penalty for smuggling opiates?”

“How dare you!” Rosalind jumped from the sofa and swept across the room to the window. She stared out into the garden for a long time before she turned. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because if Tanhill is not stopped, he will destroy all of us.”

“Perhaps you will not survive, but I—”

“None of us will survive! You forget, I grew up with him. I know him. He does not share. You’ll be lucky if you escape with your life.”

“No.”

Jessica refused to give up. Rosalind was her only chance to protect Simon. “You have the most to fear, Rosalind, because you know too much and you demand too much. Look around you. Do you honestly think my stepbrother will give you free rein with his purse to keep spending like this?”

Rosalind stared at her, then sat down on the sofa. She kept her head high and her shoulders erect in a show of composure, but she wasn’t composed. She was scared. Even though she was a survivor, what Tanhill might do to her frightened her.

“What will I get out of this if I give you the information you want?”

“Fifty thousand pounds. Help me and I’ll make sure you never lack for money. Give me the date and time of the opium shipment, and you will live the rest of your life as you are accustomed.”

Rosalind paced the floor, obviously contemplating her dilemma. “What’s stopping me from going to Simon myself and offering him the same deal? Perhaps I could even convince him that I am more suited to him than you.”

Jessica smiled. “You are welcome to try.”

“You’re pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

Jessica lifted her eyebrows and tipped her head slightly. “Excuse me for being so blunt, but you are too late. You would have Simon now if you had stayed out of his father’s bed.”

“My, my. The bite of your tongue can be wicked. And so unexpected.” Rosalind’s face turned as red as if Jessica had slapped her. “I see you and Simon have shared all our dirty little secrets.”

“This is your only chance to save yourself, Rosalind. You can give Simon the information he needs, or you can take your chances with Tanhill.”

Jessica’s heart hammered in her chest. For a moment she feared Rosalind would not make the right choice.

With a swish of her emerald-green silk skirt, Rosalind turned and stood before Jessica as proudly as a queen. “Colin is expecting a messenger today informing him of the date and time the shipment will arrive. The message is to be delivered here, and I am to inform Colin of its arrival. Come back tonight at eight o’clock and you will get your information.”

Jessica breathed a sigh of relief.

“Once you receive the information, Simon will have to act fast. Colin is anticipating the shipment anytime now.”

Jessica nodded and rose.

“He loved me, you know,” Rosalind said, a look of pride on her face, “but I was young and foolish. I thought only of living the lifestyle Simon’s father lived and spending money like he spent it.” She paused. “And being a countess. I was afraid Simon’s father would live forever, and if I didn’t marry him, he would marry someone else and there would be no inheritance left for Simon and me to enjoy.”

The look in her eyes softened. “It’s amazing how quickly the money was gone. When all is said and done, you realize your title cannot fill your closets with beautiful gowns. It was a mistake to let Simon go.”

As quickly as she’d shown a hint of remorse, she squared her shoulders and wiped any softness from her face. “A mistake it is too late to do anything about.” She lifted her chin. “You will have the information you want tonight at eight. Tomorrow morning, I expect a bank draft for fifty thousand pounds deposited in my name.”