Andrea Penrose - The Cocoa Conspiracy

She thought for a moment. “So when all the fancy uniforms and gaudy medals are stripped away, it all comes down to human nature.”

“Yes.”

“So, we should start by making a list of what we know about Renard. He’s extremely cunning . . .” She paused to take up a pencil and her pocket notebook. “Extremely bold.”

“Extremely confident,” added Saybrook. “To the point of arrogance. And that fact should work in our favor. Hubris tends to make someone underestimate his opponent.”

“Hubris will also make him want to strike at a grand target, not some obscure official,” mused Arianna.

“I think it’s safe to assume that Renard aims to do something dramatic. So we must consider his motives, and who he is aligned with.” He carefully sharpened a quill with his pen knife and dipped the fresh point into the inkwell. “Talleyrand seems the most likely. He too is an extremely clever man, skilled in dissembling and a master of political manipulations. Together they make a formidable force.”

“So do we,” she said softly.

“Indeed.” The firelight caught the subtle quirk of his lips.

Arianna wasn’t sure how to interpret the response. It seemed shadowed by a hint of hesitation. But then again, the flames were a dancing kaleidoscope of colors and her imagination was already overstimulated.

“Intuition and luck proved stronger than cold-blooded calculation during our previous encounter with Renard,” said Saybrook. “So we were fortunate enough to beat him at his own game. However, we must be mindful that he and his employer are, for lack of a better term, professionals at deception and duplicity. And likely they have a very strong incentive for ensuring that their plan is a success.”

“So do we,” repeated Arianna stubbornly. “They are acting on purely selfish desires, while we believe that thwarting their plans will avoid suffering and bloodshed for a great many people. So, in essence, it is a fight between good and evil.”

Another little movement tugged at his mouth. “I thought you considered yourself far too pragmatic to believe in absolute principles like good and evil.”

“As you see, you are a bad influence on me,” she quipped.

Her husband’s laugh was a low smoky rumble that echoed the crackling of the coals. “Forgive me.” And then, in an instant, the flicker of humor was gone. “Fighting these dirty wars against dangerous adversaries was not part of our bargain, Arianna. I’ve very mixed feelings about involving you—”

“Come, give me a little credit for having the ability to make up my own mind,” Arianna cut in. “I’m not some meek mouse of a wife, who wouldn’t dare display her own teeth and claws.”

“Your abilities, both mental and physical, are most certainly not in question,” he replied tersely.

“So?” she challenged.

Saybrook stretched out his long legs and appeared to be contemplating the tips of his boots. Arianna poured another cup of chocolate, only to find the brew had gone tepid.

“So, very well,” he finally answered. “I will take you at your word.”

Words . Somehow their clarity had become clouded by nuance.

“Thank you,” said Arianna, a little more forcefully than she intended.

Turning away from the light, the earl drew an envelope from the leather portfolio. The ornate seal was, she saw, already broken. “Charles is having a reception later this week for the English delegation going to Vienna. He’s still a bit perplexed by my sudden desire to see the Emperor of Austria’s book collection, but he is used to my odd quirks by now, so I’m sure he doesn’t suspect any ulterior motive.”

If her husband felt any guilt over the deception, he kept it well hidden.

“It’s the perfect opportunity to renew your acquaintance with David Kydd.” He offered her the invitation. “It would be helpful if you whet his appetite for a more intimate friendship.”

Ah, well. I did ask to be fed to the lions.

“What man can resist the flirtations of a beautiful woman?” her husband went on. “That Kydd has a taste for games of betrayal might make the opportunity even more alluring to him. It would also afford a chance for Baz and me to pay a private visit to where he lives and search his rooms.”

“An excellent suggestion,” said Arianna coolly. “I will make every effort to turn him sweet.” She flicked a quick look at the pearl-white card and its elegant engraving, then dropped it casually on the side table. “As Grentham said, I do have the lack of moral scruples to be comfortable dangling myself as bait.”

The earl rose, and crossed the distance between them as swiftly and silently as a stalking predator. “I don’t know what you are thinking, Arianna . . .” His hands grasped her shoulders, his lips feathered against her brow. “But be assured that you are very special to me.” He kissed her, a long, lush embrace that ignited a spark of liquid heat deep in her belly.

Damnation, their bodies were eloquent enough in expressing their physical attraction. Would that their brains communicated half so well.

“I won’t allow any harm to come to you,” he murmured, slowly lifting his mouth from hers.

Noblesse oblige? Or was it some more primitive passion ?

Her mind was too tired, her emotions too tangled to delve any deeper into such questions tonight.

Touching a finger to his lips, she said, “Suffice it to say, we’ll both do our best, Sandro. Other than that, don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

2 cups sifted superfine sugar (about 1 pound)

1⅓ cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)

1½ cups egg whites at room temperature (10 to 12 eggs)

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

1½ teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup coarsely grated semisweet chocolate

½ pound semisweet chocolate chips

¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine ½ cup of the sugar with the flour and sift them together 4 times. Set aside.

3. Place the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the eggs form medium-firm peaks, about 1 minute. With the mixer on medium speed, add the remaining 1½ cups of sugar by sprinkling it over the beaten egg whites. Beat on high speed for a few minutes until thick and shiny. Add the vanilla and continue to whisk until very thick, about 1 more minute. Scrape the beaten egg whites into a large bowl. Sift ¼ of the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold it very carefully into the batter with a rubber spatula. Continue adding the flour in 3 equal additions, sifting and folding until it’s all incorporated. Fold in the grated chocolate.

4. Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, smooth the top, and bake it for 35 to 45 minutes, until it springs back to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan on a cooling rack. When cool, run a thin, flexible knife around the cake to remove it from the pan.

5. For the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate chips and the heavy cream in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate melts. Pour the chocolate over the top of the cooled cake to cover the top completely and allow it to drizzle down the sides. If you have chocolate glaze left over, you can serve it on the side with the cake.