Julie Garwood - Castles

Alesandra was arranging the flowers in a white porcelain vase while Colin scowled over the note. "What's this about?" he asked.

"Albert died."

Colin burst into laughter. She smiled. "I thought you would be pleased."

"It's damned callous of you to laugh, Colin."

Caine stood in the entrance of the dining room, scowling at his brother. He turned to Alesandra to offer his sympathy and only then realized she was smiling.

"Isn't Albert a good friend of yours?"

"Not anymore," Colin drawled out.

Caine shook his head. Colin laughed again. "He never existed," he explained. "Alesandra made him up so Dreyson would take her stock orders."

"But he gave me sound advice. Damn it, I'm going to miss him. I…"

"Alesandra gave you her sound advice. Ask her in future," Colin suggested.

Caine looked astonished. Alesandra gave her husband an I-told-you-so look before turning back to his brother.

"Dreyson was far more willing to talk to me about investments because he believed I was sending the information on to Albert. Now he'll talk to Colin whenever he hears of good opportunities. He would be very upset if he found out Albert never existed and for that reason I beg you not to say anything."

"Why bother with a middleman?" Caine asked, still not certain if he believed her or not.

"Because men like to talk to men," she patiently explained.

"Why are you here?" Colin asked, switching the topic then. "Do you have more news?"

"Yes," Caine answered, drawn back now to his reason for calling. "They found Lady Roberta's body about fifty yards away from Victoria 's grave."

"Dear God," Alesandra whispered.

Colin put his arm around his wife's shoulders. "Were there any others found?"

Caine shook his head. "They haven't found any so far but they're still looking. Neil's being charged with the second murder. He sent a request through his barrister to talk to Alesandra."

"It's out of the question."

"Colin, I think I should talk to him."

"No."

"Please be reasonable," she pleaded. "Don't you want to make certain he's the one?"

Colin let out a sigh. "Then I'll go and talk to him."

"Neil doesn't like you," she reminded her husband.

"I don't give a damn if he likes me or not," Colin replied.

She turned to Caine. "Colin threw him out," she explained. "I can't imagine he would want to talk to him now."

"You'd be surprised how a man changes in Newgate Prison," Caine said. "I imagine he'll talk to anyone he thinks might be able to help him."

"You aren't going, Alesandra," Colin told her. "However," he hastened to add when she tried to argue with him again, "if you write down your questions I'll ask Neil whatever it is you want to know."

"I already have a list," she replied.

"Then go and get it for me."

"Colin, I'm going with you," Caine announced.

Alesandra knew it was useless to continue to argue with her husband. From the look in his eyes she knew he was going to be stubborn about this. She went upstairs to fetch her list, added a few more questions to the sheet of paper, and then hurried downstairs again.

"We'll take my carriage," Caine told his brother.

Colin nodded. He took the list from his wife, put it in his pocket, and kissed her good-bye. "Stay home," he ordered. "I shouldn't be gone long."

"She can't stay home," Caine interjected. "I've forgotten. Nathan's coming by to collect her in about an hour."

"Why?" Colin asked.

"Jade wants your wife to meet Sara," he explained. "Mother and Catherine are at the house, too."

"Nathan will be with Alesandra?" Colin asked.

"Yes."

Alesandra turned and started up the steps. She was in a hurry to change her dress. She wanted to look her best when she met Sara.

"Should I take our gift along?" she called down to her husband.

Colin was starting but the doorway. He told her that was a fine idea, but she could tell from the shrug in his answer he was barely paying attention to her.

Megan helped her change her clothes. Flannaghan's sister was nervous-awkward, too-but her enthusiasm to please her mistress was most apparent.

Nathan came to collect her a short while later. Alesandra carried the gift Flannaghan had rewrapped for her down the stairs. She handed the box to Nathan to carry for her but didn't explain what it was.

Colin's partner seemed preoccupied and barely said a word to her on the way over to Caine's town house.

She finally asked him if something was wrong.

"I've been going over the books," he explained, "and trying to figure out where all the entries came from. Colin's the one with a head for figures," he added. "I'm trying to keep the ledgers current but it's difficult."

"I entered the invoices while Colin was ill," she said. "Perhaps I made a mistake. Are you thinking the balances are wrong?"

Nathan shook his head. "Colin told me you caught him up," he said. He smiled then and stretched his long legs out. She moved her skirts out of his way so he would have more room.

"I couldn't find the invoices for some of the deposits made," he said.

She finally understood what was bothering him. The money Colin had transferred into the company account came from payment for services rendered for the War Department.

"There aren't any receipts for four entries," she remarked.

"Yes, four exactly," Nathan agreed with a nod. "Do you know where Colin got the money? It doesn't make sense. The income from the ships is accounted for and I know he doesn't have a separate income."

"Have you asked him about it?"

Nathan shook his head. "I just discovered the puzzle this morning."

"Do you and Colin… share everything? I mean to ask, does either of you keep secrets?"

"We're partners, Alesandra. If we can't trust each other, who in thunder can we trust?"

He gave her a piercing look. "You know where the money came from, don't you?"

She slowly nodded. "Colin should probably tell you-not me," she reasoned aloud.

"Did the money come from you?"

"No."

"Then who?"

He wasn't going to let it drop. Because Nathan wasn't just Colin's partner but his best friend as well, Alesandra decided it wouldn't be disloyal to tell him.

"You must promise me not to say a word to Caine or anyone else in Colin's family," she began.

Nathan nodded. His curiosity was pricked, of course. "I promise."

"Colin was doing some work on the side to increase the accounts."

Nathan leaned forward. "Who did he work for?"

"Sir Richards."

His roar almost knocked her gift off the seat. Nathan had appeared to be only mildly interested and for that reason his furious reaction was a bit stunning. She visibly jumped. She flinched, too, when he muttered a dark expletive.

Nathan regained his control and apologized for using the foul word. The look in his eyes remained chilling.

"I believe it would be best if you let Colin explain," she stammered out. "He doesn't work for Richards any longer, Nathan."

"You're certain?"

She nodded. "I'm very certain."

Nathan let out a long sigh and leaned back. "Thank you for telling me."

"Colin would have told you, wouldn't he?"

The worry in his voice was very apparent. Nathan thought she was having second thoughts about telling him. He smiled. "Yes, he would have told me. In fact, I'll ask him about the missing invoices tonight."

He deliberately turned the topic so she would quit fretting. They arrived at Caine's town house a few minutes later.

Alesandra met Flannaghan's uncle Sterns when he opened the door for them. He was an extremely dour-faced elderly gentleman, stiff as starch in his manners, but there was a true sparkle in his eyes when he greeted her. Flannaghan, it seemed, had been singing her praises, and Stems made mention that he'd just heard both Megan and Kate were also in her household now.