‘Mademoiselle-’ Jane broke off. ‘Is that her other name? You know her?’
‘I know of her,’ Alex admitted. ‘She is the daughter of the late Vicomte de Beaurain, who lost his head in the Revolution. Her mother fled to England with her daughter when the child was very young. I imagine that she must be about twenty years of age now. Her mother is an invalid and Mademoiselle de Beaurain supports both of them on a pittance from sewing. How did Simon meet her?’
‘She was at the masquerade ball,’ Jane said, in a small voice. Suddenly Simon’s Thérèse had become a real person and had taken on her own character. Jane looked at Alex, troubled.
‘Simon saw her again at Vauxhall last night, and rushed off to try to speak to her. She was with the man in the striped waistcoat, the one who-’ She broke off. ‘Oh, I do hope that Simon knows what he is doing…I would not like to think that Miss de Beaurain is involved in something criminal…’
‘Do not worry,’ Alex spoke quietly. ‘As far as I know, Mademoiselle de Beaurain is quite innocent. She has nothing to reproach herself for except a stubborn pride which I understand has led to a rupture with the English branch of the family!’
‘Oh, how unfortunate!’ Jane’s sympathies were already thoroughly engaged with the young émigrée girl who had to struggle so hard to care for herself and her parent. ‘You mean that she has relatives who might help them?’
‘Yes, indeed, very respectable ones! Her mother is a distant cousin of General Sir John Huntington, who heard of their plight several years ago and summoned Thérèse de Beaurain to offer them a home.’ Alex smiled. ‘I only know of this because I heard him telling all and sundry of his kind condescension in offering a home to destitute relatives! Truth to tell, he was so patronising that I can only imagine he offended the girl mortally. Anyway, the whole ton was later regaled with the story of how he had had his generosity spurned and that the family could rot in hell for all he cared! Not a pretty tale!’
Jane shivered. ‘So they have been left to make shift as best they can? How cruel!’
‘It seems very harsh, certainly. But if Simon can rescue her from all that-’ Alex shrugged. ‘But we are becoming distracted from the main point. I am relieved to know that there is so innocuous an explanation for tonight’s escapade, although I suppose finding Simon drunk outside his beloved’s house is a sign that his suit is not prospering!’
‘No,’ Jane said cautiously, ‘I believe that it is not!’ She took her courage in both hands. ‘But Simon’s misfortunes are not the main concern, are they, your Grace? It was only coincidence that brought him into contact with the man in the striped waistcoat-oh, I wish I knew his name, for to refer to him as such sounds so foolish! But he is clearly the one who is dangerous!’
‘His name is Samways,’ Alex said, stirring the fire to a fresh blaze, ‘and he is, as you have surmised, Miss Verey, a dangerous man. I do not know what led you to disbelieve my excuse that he was merely a common pickpocket. I thought I was a better liar than that!’
Jane smiled faintly. ‘I am not really sure why I did not believe you, but-it was his demeanour, I suppose, and the fact that he did not look as though he intended to rob, but to kill.’ She shivered convulsively, despite the warmth of the fire. Looking up, she found that Alex was watching her with a thoughtful regard.
‘I suppose that you cannot tell me what this is all about,’ she finished, a little forlornly.
‘You suppose correctly, Miss Verey.’ Alex gave her a slight smile. ‘It really is safer that you do not know! Take comfort from the fact that Simon’s Thérèse is innocent and that her association with Samways is not a close one!’ He sighed. ‘It seems unfortunate that Simon should choose this of all times to visit Spitalfields! It is not a healthy place to be!’
Jane had other fears. ‘Upon my word,’ she burst out, ‘you do not seem very concerned that someone wishes to murder you! One might almost believe that you encounter such situations every day!’
Alex grinned. He got to his feet and stretched. Jane hastily averted her gaze.
‘You would be surprised, Miss Verey!’ he said easily. ‘Thank you for your help tonight. I regret that I cannot enlighten you on the reason for my interest and once again I must beg you to keep quiet about this. One day, perhaps, I will tell you why…’
His gaze travelled over her, lingering on the soft hair tumbling about her shoulders and the slender curves of her body beneath the thin robe. Jane, who had been about to uncurl from the chair and stand up, kept very still. Suddenly there was an expression on Alex’s face that she did not understand, but it turned her throat dry and started her heart racing.
‘I must also thank you for your concern,’ Alex said slowly. His voice had dropped several tones. ‘I do believe that you are genuinely upset at the thought of someone sticking a knife in me!’
‘Of course it concerns me!’ Jane’s voice had risen, anxiety overriding her natural reticence. ‘A strange creature I should be if I took pleasure in thinking you stabbed to death by some dangerous criminal!’
Alex put out a hand and pulled her to her feet. His touch lit something inside of Jane, something that made her tremble. They were standing very close and she could not tear her gaze away from his.
‘Even though we are in opposition?’ Alex queried softly. ‘You would still wish me no harm?’
Jane cleared her throat. For some reason she was finding it very difficult to breathe. ‘I have never had any wish to be in opposition to you, your Grace.’
Alex’s voice was caressing. ‘I do believe that we could be in the most perfect accord, Miss Verey.’
His mouth was only inches away from her own and he was still holding her lightly, but with a touch that burned her blood with sensuous awareness. Yet only ten minutes before he had spoken of her in terms of the deepest scorn, called her deceitful and untrustworthy, and Jane was not about to forget that.
She stepped back.
‘I collect that you mean we are both accomplished in dissimulation,’ she said coolly, covering the turbulence of her emotions with a strategic withdrawal. ‘I think that you should leave now, sir.’
Jane opened the door and pointedly stood holding it for Alex to leave. He did not move. She felt his gaze, as powerful as a physical touch, searching her face.
‘Well,’ he said ruefully after a moment, ‘I suppose that I deserved that! I can only apologise for my remarks. I said it mainly to provoke you-’
‘Oh! That makes it much more acceptable then, sir!’
Alex laughed, conceding the point. ‘We’ll talk about this again! Good night, Miss Verey.’
The clock struck two. Jane took the candelabra in one hand almost as though it was a shield. By its flickering light she could see that Henry Marchnight was loitering in the hall, but otherwise the house was dark and silent. Conscious of Henry’s thoughtful look resting on her still-pink face, Jane avoided his eyes and made a business of shepherding them towards the door. The night was fine and the moon hung low in the sky. Jane shivered a little.
‘Go back inside,’ Alex said, abruptly. ‘Harry and I will make all secure.’
Henry bent forward and kissed her cheek and after a moment Alex followed suit, taking her hand and drawing her to him as his lips brushed her skin in the lightest of caresses. Jane, scurrying back to the sanctuary of her room with one hand unconsciously pressed to her cheek, reflected wryly that she would be the most envied girl in London if anyone found out. To have been kissed by both Harry Marchnight and the Duke of Delahaye! It was enough to make one swoon, and all in one evening, too! As she slipped between the chilled sheets, Jane paused long enough before sleep to wonder why one salutation had left her totally unmoved whilst the other felt as though it had been branded on her skin with fire.