Iris Johansen - Dark Rider

"She displeased me. When she left, I allowed her nothing but the clothes on her back." He gestured to the silver plate overflowing with a selection of fruit. "I hope you don't mind serving yourself. I instructed the servants to go to their quarters and stay there."

"Why?" her father asked, startled.

Cambre ignored the question and continued addressing Cassie. "I was certain the gown would be useful someday. One never knows when one is going to be visited by another lady who will prove more accommodating." He smiled. "Tell me, did His Grace find you accommodating?"

"Raoul!" Her father frowned. "This is my daughter."

"A daughter can be a whore."

The bald crudity of the words caused Cassie to stiffen. Cambre was still smiling, but his eyes were cold and watchful. The cat-and-mouse game was ended. He was on the attack, and Cassie found it a relief.

"I'm not a whore." She met his gaze. "And I don't think His Grace would say I was accommodating."

"But he did tell you-"

"That my father was dead," she finished. "Yes."

"And he sent you to exact vengeance?"

"I don't go where he sends me. I came because I wished to do so."

"Perhaps you believed you were doing as you wished, but a clever man can pull the strings with such subtlety that the puppet isn't even aware of the tug."

"As you do?"

He nodded. "I'm a true master of the art." He popped a slice of orange into his mouth. "Well, were you going to stab me with that pretty dagger?"

"Possibly."

He chuckled and turned to her father. "She has courage." His smile faded. "But I think you have one more reason to dispose of our old enemy. It's clear he's dishonored this sweet jeune fille ."

"It's not clear to me," her father said.

"Well, why don't we ask him?" He rose to his feet. "He's waiting in the library."

Cassie's heart leaped to her throat.

Cambre's gaze was on her face. "What a revealing response," he said softly. "I think you lie. I believe His Grace must have found you overwhelmingly accommodating."

She tried desperately to wipe every hint of expression from her face. "It's a trick. He couldn't be here."

"Of course he could. I sent for him when I left you this morning."

"You didn't tell me," her father said as he slowly rose to his feet. "You should not keep secrets from me, Raoul."

"Unfortunately, you have a softness for this lovely thing, and I'm weary of waiting in moonlit gardens for the man to pounce. I thought it might be better to draw in the net and bring the matter to a close." He turned to Cassie. "I told him to come at once and unarmed, or I'd slit your throat. I wasn't sure you'd be enough lure to bring him here, but I was pleasantly surprised."

Her throat was dry. "Unarmed? He wouldn't do that. He hates you. I mean nothing to him in comparison."

"Then he's extraordinarily gallant." He moved toward the door. "I want this over. Bring her, Charles."

"I'll bring myself." She pushed back her chair and strode after him. She felt as if she were in a nightmare. Jared was a captive and it was her fault. He was going to die.

No, she couldn't let that happen.

Cambre opened the library door and stepped aside. "After you, mademoiselle. We don't want His Grace to be concerned for your welfare any longer than necessary. It would be unkind."

Jared was sitting in a chair facing the door. He went still when he saw her in the doorway. "Are you all right? He didn't hurt you?"

"You shouldn't be here," she whispered. "Why did you come?"

"I had no choice." Jared smiled. "He had something I couldn't do without."

"You're a fool. He'll kill you."

"Those aren't the tender words a man needs to comfort him in his last hours," Cambre said as he pushed her into the room. "And after sacrificing himself for your sake, too. Most ungrateful."

"I'm here," Jared said coldly. "Now, let her go." He turned to Cassie. "Bradford is waiting for you in the carriage outside. He'll take you to Lani."

"I can't leave you here."

"She's right, she can't leave you." Cambre drew a pistol from beneath his coat.

"What are you saying, Raoul?" Her father entered the library. "Cassie has nothing to do with this."

Jared's eyes widened as he recognized her father. "Deville?"

Her father ignored him. "The trap was for Danemount. No one else was to be hurt."

"Sometimes the innocent are swept away with the guilty," Raoul said as he locked the door. "But she's far from innocent. She was ready to betray you. She played the whore with your enemy."

"She never betrayed you," Jared said. "For God's sake, don't you know what she is? She traveled halfway across the world to try to save you."

"I don't need you to tell me about my daughter."

"Then tell Cambre to go to hell and send her away from here."

Her father whirled on Cambre. "We'll dispose of Danemount first and then we'll discuss Cassie. Give me the gun. I'll do it."

Raoul's gaze narrowed on his face. "How brave you're becoming. I assumed I'd have to do it myself."

"I've been running too long. I want it over, Raoul. Even if you give me a new start, he'd follow me."

"No!" Cassie moved between Jared and Cambre. "You'll have to shoot me first."

"Dammit, get out of the way, Cassie," Jared said.

"You see, Charles." Cambre smiled. "I can't give you the pistol. You don't have the courage to shoot your daughter to get to Danemount." He raised the gun and pointed it at Cassie's chest. "While I have no such compunction."

She was going to die. A bullet was going to tear through her flesh and end her life.

"Raoul, you don't want to do this." Her father started toward Cambre. "Let me have the pistol."

"Stay back." Cambre didn't shift the weapon, but his voice sharpened. "It's exactly what I want to do. As you can see, I took the precaution of arming myself with a double-barreled pistol. So much more efficient than the usual weapon when one is never sure who one's enemies may be. I'll give you one minute to get that interfering bitch from my line of fire before I pull the trigger."

Jared suddenly moved to stand beside her. He said hoarsely, "Get out of here, Cassie."

"Don't be stupid. I can't do that." She placed herself in front of him again and, facing him, put her arms around him. He muttered a curse and tried to break her hold, but she held tight with all her strength.

"How touching," Cambre said. "Quite like your Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, isn't it, Your Grace? I think it fitting your tableau has the same ending."

She braced herself for the bullet.

"You told me I could get Cassie away," her father said. "Keep your promise."

"Oh, very well. But it's a pity to spoil the-son of a bitch!"

Cassie turned to see her father launch himself at Cambre.

A second later they were on the floor, struggling for the pistol.

Jared thrust her aside and darted toward the two men.

A shot.

Blood spattered the Aubusson carpet.

Whose blood? Mother of God, whose blood?

"Fool!" Cambre pushed her father off him. Deville rolled limply, his hands still grasping the pistol that had killed him. Cambre tried to reach for the pistol, but Jared dived toward him, his hands locking around Cambre's throat.

"Let me-go." Cambre clawed at Jared's hands. "We can-deal. I have power. I can-"

Jared was strangling him, Cassie realized. She had never seen murder done. She supposed she should feel horror… something. She felt nothing but fierce satisfaction and regret that it had not been done sooner. Before that shot had taken her father's life. She moved slowly across the room toward her father's body.

"Stop…" Cambre gasped. Then he said nothing at all as Jared's hands tightened.

She fell to her knees beside her father. His skin was pasty and pale, his white shirt bathed in blood. "Oh, Papa, no…"