The Irresistible Rogue (Playful Brides #4)(12)

Another sip of brandy. “Then you shouldn’t mind if I stay.”

Daphne rubbed her fingers against her forehead. There was no winning with him. The man was completely impossible to reason with. She shouldn’t have bothered. “Fine. But I swear, if you do anything to ruin this engagement party…”

He grinned at her and swallowed the last of his drink. “You mean like informing the potential bridegroom that you’re married?”

Another scream rose in her throat. She bit the inside of her cheek and ground her slipper against the floor. “Yes.”

Rafe shrugged. “As long as he behaves himself, he has nothing to worry about it.”

“It’s not Lord Fitzwell’s behavior I’m concerned about. It’s yours.”

“Ah, yes, the rich and titled are always so well behaved, aren’t they?”

“I never said he was rich.”

Rafe eyed her carefully, but she quickly changed the subject. “Stay if you must, I refuse to argue with you.” She turned on her heel and made her way to the door. A small smile that Rafe couldn’t see touched her lips. “By the way, Julian’s in his study. He wants a word with you.”





CHAPTER SEVEN




Rafe poured himself another finger of brandy and downed that, too. He needed to fortify himself before speaking to the Earl of Swifdon. The odds were good that Daphne’s brother would take a swing at him and experience had taught Rafe well that punches were much less painful when one had a bit of liquor in one’s belly. Most things hurt less when one had a bit of liquor in one’s belly.

He downed the drink, blew out his breath, and straightened both his shoulders and his cravat. Then he marched out of the drawing room, down the corridor, around the corner, and stood in front of the imposing double wooden doors to Swifdon’s study.

Jesus. The last time Rafe had been here, it had been to consult with the former earl, Donald, about their trip to France. That mission had been important to Rafe. All of his missions were. Rafe had grown up on the wrong side of town, to the wrong father, with the wrong … everything. But he’d used his cunning and skills with people to make a life for himself in the army, to make a name for himself in the War Office. And now, here he was, in a place he never belonged, in the corridors of the rich and titled in Mayfair. God, life was unpredictable. That last mission had been important, yes, but it was nothing compared to this mission. This mission wasn’t for the War Office or the Crown though on the surface it might be. This mission was for him. This mission involved settling an old score.

Rafe shook his head and knocked once.

“Come in,” came Swifdon’s sure voice.

Rafe took a deep breath. In his experience, angry older brothers of angry, young, beautiful ladies were not easy to deal with. Best get this over with. He pushed open the door and strode inside.

A good spy was always aware of his surroundings. Escape routes, possible hiding spots, and exit strategies. Rafe scanned the room in an instant. Four walls, two doors, and a plethora of windows that lined the wall facing the street. A sofa, three chairs, a large desk, a potted palm, and rows of dark bookshelves.

“Swifdon,” Rafe intoned, coming to stand in front of the earl’s desk, his booted feet braced apart, his hands clasped behind his back. He nodded to the earl once.

“I see you made it here safely,” Swifdon said.

Rafe inclined his head. “I did.”

“No wounds from my sister?”

“Only to my confidence, my lord.”

Swifdon laughed at that. “Allow me to cut to the chase, Cavendish.”

“By all means.”

“Why did you think it would be a good idea to marry Daphne? You must know that grounds for an annulment are extremely rare.”

“I do, my lord. Insanity is one.” Rafe cleared his throat. “And impotence. I beg you to claim I’m insane, because I doubt anyone would believe I’m impotent.”

Julian shook his head. “Daphne told me that the prince has agreed to see to it himself. I’m not sure he has that authority, to be honest. Regardless, I have no idea what the hell you were thinking by marrying her and I frankly have no idea what the hell Donald was thinking to allow it, but I know my sister can be convincing and she somehow induced you to allow her to be part of an operation last spring.”

“That’s the gist of it.”

“I must admit it was news to me that Daphne is fluent in Russian.”

“I was equally surprised when she informed me of that in Donald’s presence,” Rafe answered.

“I can’t say I’m particularly surprised, though,” Swifdon added. “She’s always been uncommonly intelligent and dedicated toward helping her country. If my father thought Russian would be useful for Donald, I can only imagine how she begged Donald to allow her to study it.”

“Lady Daphne is quite convincing, my lord. I’ve experienced it firsthand.”

Swifdon raised a brow. “And Daphne … convinced you to allow her to take Donald’s place on the first mission?”

“That’s the nice way of putting it.” Rafe tugged at his cravat. It was hot in the earl’s study. Exceedingly so.

“Extorted is more like it,” Swifdon said with a smile.