Amanda Quick - Dangerous

"There is acting talent on my side of the family, if you will recall."

Jeremy slid him an assessing glance. "There are many who say you are cold-blooded by nature."

Sebastian thought of Prudence waiting at home. "And one who says I am not."

The sound of voices at the top of the stairs caught Jeremy's atten­tion. "Here comes Curling."

"You will allow me to conduct this interview," Sebastian said qui­etly.

"Yes, sir."

Curling, garbed in a silver gray dressing gown, ran a hand through his hair as he descended the staircase. He had a vaguely irritated expression on his face, suitable to a man who has been rudely awak­ened, but his eyes were alert and watchful.

"What the devil do you want at this ungodly hour, Angelstone?" He gave Jeremy an unreadable glance. "I do hope this won't take long."

"Not long at all," Sebastian assured him. "Shall we go into the library?"

Curling shrugged and led the way into the small library that opened off the hall. He casually motioned toward two chairs as he went to the brandy table. "Will you join me in a glass?"

"No," Sebastian said. He sat down in an armchair and hooked one booted foot over his knee in a casual manner.

"No," Jeremy said in the same cold tone. He stole a quick glance at Sebastian and then he, too, sat down. He was unable to achieve the same degree of ennui in his manner, but it was obvious he was making the effort.

"As you wish." Curling poured himself a glass of brandy and turned to face them with a shuttered gaze. "Well? What is so impor­tant that you felt you must call upon me at this hour?"

"We are here to discuss the recent deaths of two of your business associates," Sebastian said.

"Business associates?"

"Ringcross and Oxenham."

Curling swallowed brandy. "What makes you think they're busi­ness associates of mine?"

Sebastian smiled. "A document I found in Bloomfield's desk. It is obvious by the terms of the agreement that you are now a great deal more wealthy than you were a few days ago. And if you succeed in finding and murdering Bloomfield, you will be even richer."

Curling went very still. "Good lord, man. Are you accusing me of murdering my business partners?"

"Yes," Sebastian said. "I am."

"That's nonsense." Curling shot a narrow glance at Jeremy. "Ring-cross died in a fall and Oxenham committed suicide."

"Give it up," Sebastian said. "I know everything, including how you attempted to implicate my cousin. I would be interested to learn how you came to know that I occasionally conduct investigations for Bow Street, but that is neither here nor there."

"You are mad," Curling snapped.

"No. And neither is Bloomfield. At least not entirely. He told me about what The Princes of Virtue did to Lillian."

Jeremy's hands tightened around the arms of his chair. "You kid­napped her. Raped her. Drove her to her death."

Curling turned on him with glittering eyes. "She was nothing but a tavern whore. Her uncle sold her to us for the night. We paid quite well for her services."

"She was not a prostitute," Jeremy shouted. "She would never have agreed to go with you. You kidnapped her, you bastard."

"Rubbish." Curling's mouth curved in contempt. "She was nothing but a cheap little doxy with rather pretty legs."

"You do not even deny it?" Jeremy asked in disbelief.

"Why should I?" Curling asked. "I know a nice bit o‘ muslin when I see one. And as I said, I paid well for her."

"Damn you." Jeremy was half out of his chair.

"Sit down," Sebastian said softly.

Jeremy hesitated and then dropped reluctantly back into the chair. "You raped her," he accused Curling.

Curling lifted one shoulder in casual dismissal. "I'll admit that I took a turn on her. She wasn't very skilled, if you want to know the truth. The old man assured us she was a virgin and I do believe he was right."

Jeremy stared at him with hatred. "You son of a bitch."

Curling was amused. "You actually thought yourself in love with her, didn't you?"

"Yes, I loved her, damn you."

"And that's why you killed Ringcross and Oxenham, isn't it?" Curling concluded coolly. "You thought you were avenging your little tavern doxy."

"I did not kill them," Jeremy whispered. "Because I did not know about their guilt. But I fully intend to see you destroyed for what you did to Lillian."

"Destroyed?" Curling chuckled. "How do you intend to destroy me?"

Sebastian decided he had better take charge again. He had known it would be difficult to rein in Jeremy's hot-headed nature. "Curling, there is no sense dragging this out. Suffice it to say that I believe you killed Ringcross and Oxenham."

"You cannot know that for certain."

"You are the only one who had a motive," Sebastian countered softly.

"Your cousin had a motive," Curling retorted. "Avenging his tav­ern wench."

"No, he did not, because he did not know about what The Princes of Virtue had done to Lillian until I told him."

Curling's nostrils flared. "How can you be sure of that?"

"Let's just say I am trusting my instincts." Sebastian rested one hand negligently on his boot. "Not that it matters. If I thought Jeremy had killed Ringcross and Oxenham to avenge Lillian, I would not concern myself with the business."

"We're talking about murder," Curling said swiftly.

"So? They deserved to be murdered. If Jeremy had been responsi­ble, my main concern would be to see that he did not leave any evi­dence around the next time."

Jeremy flashed him a startled glance.

Rage glittered in Curling's eyes. "Damnation, Angelstone. Are you saying that you would protect a Fleetwood from the authorities even if he was guilty of murder?"

"I prefer not to make sweeping statements," Sebastian said. "I can assure you, however, that I am not going to turn my cousin over to Bow Street because of these particular murders."

"I cannot believe you would shield a Fleetwood," Curling rasped. "Everyone knows you hate the lot of them."

"I will admit I am not overly fond of certain members of my fam­ily. But I do not despise them nearly as much as I despise men who kidnap and rape helpless young women."

Curling slammed his hand down on a table with such force that the vase on top trembled. "She was a tavern wench. Why in the name of hell do you keep bringing her into this?"

"You don't seem to understand," Sebastian said. "Lillian is all that matters in this."

"I don't believe it," Curling snarled.

Jeremy's hands clenched into fists. "I will have justice for her."

Sebastian realized he was beginning to develop some grudging re­spect for Jeremy.

"Goddamn it, you can prove nothing, Angelstone." Curling fin­ished the brandy and flung the glass aside. "Absolutely nothing."

Sebastian twisted his mouth into another humorless smile. "We do not have to prove anything. You have admitted you bought Lillian from her uncle. You have admitted that you raped her. That is enough."

"Enough for what?" Curling asked derisively. "No court would convict me of rape. It all happened three years ago and she was noth­ing but a whore."

"It is enough for me to insist that you leave London this afternoon. You have another two days to make arrangements to leave England. You are not to return."

Curling stared at him, stunned. "You are as mad as Bloomfield. Why should I leave England?"

Sebastian met his eyes. "Because if you do not I shall take it upon myself to inform your creditors that the company you have formed with the other Princes of Virtue is insolvent and that the shares are worthless."

"But it's not insolvent. The shares are not worthless, damn you, they're worth a bloody fortune."

"They will be worth less than the paper on which they are written by the time I'm finished," Sebastian said. "I have the power and the connections to do it. We both know it."