Stranger in My Arms(80)

Without doubt, he owed his loyalty to the man known as Hunter, Lord Hawksworth. The man had once saved his life, and Tyler hated to repay him with betrayal. At the same time, this kind, innocent woman deserved the truth, and it was left to him to tell it. Had she not come here today, Tyler knew he would have put the matter off indefinitely. But she was here, and it almost seemed that fate had arranged for the two of them to be here together with time and privacy enough to talk.

“The man I refer to was a mercenary, actually,” Tyler said. “I first discovered him when he was employed as a factor in the East India Company. He was an extraordinarily intelligent fellow who kept to himself and seemed to have no particular ambitions. Although he was English by birth, he was brought up among the Indians by a missionary couple.”

Tyler’s narrative was interrupted by a servant bearing a tray of refreshments. “Sandwiches? Biscuits?” he asked.

Lara refused the offer of food but accepted a glass of lemonade, welcoming the sour shock of it on her tongue. She regarded the small, delicate engraving on the upper bowl of the glass, depicting a shepherdess in a pastoral setting, and wondered why the captain was bothering to tell her so much about a man who meant nothing to her.

“It occurred to me to make use of him in a force of a half dozen men who would assist me in restoring order to recently annexed territories.

As you can imagine, there were-are, conflicts of every kind when barbarians are brought under the protection of the British lion.”

“No doubt many Indians are reluctant to accept the British lion’s ‘protection,’” Lara said dryly.

“Eventually they realize it is for the best,” Tyler replied gravely, missing the touch of irony in her comment. “In the meanwhile, their rebellion takes on many ugly forms. Murder, attacks, robberies, all happening in such volume that we were forced to restore order without the usual process of British law. Much as I hate to acknowledge it, there was also a strain of corruption among our own officials.

Therefore I created a small unit to accomplish special and highly secretive tasks. Four of the men were already in my command, while two were brought in from outside the regiment. And this particular man I speak of, as it turned out, was ideal.”

“Because of his intelligence and his understanding of the natives,” Lara said.

“Precisely. But there was something else about him … a unique ability to change himself as a situation required. I’ve never known such a chameleon. He could become anyone, anything, at will. He was able to adopt any appearance, accent, or mannerism. I saw him mingle with the natives as if he were one of them, and later attend an ambassador’s ball as a proper Englishman, causing no hint of suspicion.

He was as stealthy as a tiger, and quite as remorseless.

Most importantly, he had no fear of death, which made him remarkably effective in his duties. I used him as a spy, an investigator, and at times even as…” Tyler paused, looking distinctly uncomfortable. “As a weapon, one might say,” he finished quietly.

“Did he execute people for you?” Lara asked in revulsion.

The captain nodded. “When it had to be done quickly and without show.

I believe he did it in the manner of the thuggees, using a coin knotted in a handkerchief-they’re quite particular about not spilling blood, you know.” Seeing from Lara’s pale face that he had gone too far, he frowned apologetically. “Forgive me, my lady. I shouldn’t have been so explicit-but I did wish to convey the character of this man.”

“Character,” Lara repeated with a humorless laugh. “It seems to me that he had a complete lack of character.”

“Yes, one could say that.”

“What happened to him?” Lara asked without much interest, eager to be done with the distasteful reminiscence. “Is he still prowling around India under someone else’s command?”

The captain shook his head. “He simply disappeared one day. I assumed that he had been killed, or perhaps even taken his own life. He hadn’t much to live for, as far as I could tell. In any event, I never saw him again. Until…”

“Yes?” she prompted.

Captain Tyler waited so long that she thought he might not continue.

“Until I came to England,” he finally said. “And attended the dinner party at Hawksworth Hall. And saw him at your side.” He blotted his perspiring forehead with his sleeve and stared at her with blatant pity. “My lady, the unpleasant truth is… he has taken the place of your husband.”

Lara felt herself shrinking, dwindling, until the parlor loomed large around her, and Captain Tyler seemed to be speaking from very far away.

She could only hear a faint, tinny echo of his words. “I should have said before… obligations… not certain what to… please believe…

assist you any ..~...”

She shook her head, feeling as if someone had struck her. Dazed, she made an effort to breathe, but something heavy was pressing on her chest, making it impossible to draw in enough air. “You’re mistaken,” she managed to say. She sensed his concern, heard him asking her to stay and collect herself, have something to drink. “No, I mustn’t stay.” To her relief, she was able to marshal a sort of brittle dignity that allowed her to speak more or less clearly. “My sister needs me.

Thank you. You’re wrong about my husband. He’s not at all the man you described. Good day.”