Wildfire Kiss (Sir Edward 1)

“No …” agreed Lady Jane, coming out of nowhere and making both girls spin around to stare. “I quite agree. You shan’t marry him. When you are ready, come to me, darling girl, and tell me what awful thing you have done that he knows about and is using against you. We shall see what we will do with that together.”

Lady Jane did not wait for a reply but rushed off, lightly jesting with one of the ladies as she went. Babs turned to Corry to say on a hushed note, “This is all a nightmare …”

“We shall do, only confess it all to our aunt …” Corry encouraged.

“Why? What can she do?”

“I don’t know, but I do know Aunt Jane,” said Corry, staunch on this point.

“Well, I have a little time yet before he will want to make the announcement. It was our deal, and perhaps … perhaps something will suggest itself to me soon …” Babs said, thinking that she had no other choice but to visit with the Prince, and this she would have to plan out in secret.

***

Sir Edward was steeped in obsession. He knew it and couldn’t stop himself. Winning had become everything, and the only way he would win was to have Babs as his wife. He couldn’t see beyond that, didn’t wish to see beyond that.

He became absorbed with the machinations to achieve his objective. He had experienced only a moment when he paused as he saw himself in the long glass and wondered what he was doing. He could not admit to any real tenderness of feeling for Babs, and yet, he wanted her, believed what he did feel was love. He shrugged his doubts off.

He had gone too far down the road and meant to see it to its end. No turning around—no backtracking for him.

He traveled the short distance to Hove and obtained a special marriage license. Babs was of age, and he had anticipated no problem when he listed her name. This done, he had found himself, in the same town, a minister of nondescript ethics and prepaid the man for his services. He then went to the circulating library and took up a book on potions and drugs, for a very real possibility suggested that Babs might have to be tranquilized throughout these planned proceedings.

That left only one last step to complete.

He had to get hold of Babs and have her away for some hours before their movements would be detected and perhaps tracked.

This would be most difficult and tricky, and he gave it some serious thought. He would have to eliminate Miss Bretton, who was in Babs’ confidence. She was a serious threat to his plans, for she was no fool.

Right then, one must first dispose of Miss Bre

tton …

A slow, wicked smile spread his lips as he lit on a plan.

Twenty-one

THE MORNING LOOKED gray with a threat of rain, as the early hour mist had not yet dissipated. Sir Frederick winced as he squeezed into his pale yellow waistcoat and then again when he pulled on his light blue superfine short-tailed coat. He turned to the long, gilt-edged mirror and frowned, not satisfied with the picture he presented.

He was not, however, going to go through the discomfort of changing … though he wondered if Corry would like how he looked. No matter—he would allow her to take charge of his wardrobe when they were married. The thought of her as his wife made him grin like a fool and then sigh with sweet anticipation.

A knock sounded at his door, and a moment later his valet appeared with a silver tray extended to him. Sir Frederick eyed the ivory envelope with some puzzlement but took it and told his man to take in some leisure time for himself as he planned to go out soon.

He broke the seal and unfolded the note to read:

Dearest Frederick,

Something dreadful has happened. We need you. Come at once to the Lewes Inn, just outside of Lewes … by noon. Do not fail us.

Corrine

He reread this note and frowned again. He did not recognize the hand … but then, he had not seen enough of Corry’s pen to know it yet. She’d called him Frederick … she rarely called him Frederick … it was always, Freddy … or sweet love … or …

Why the devil had they gone off to Lewes?

What was in Lewes? Something was havey-cavey about all this … and yet, he could not do anything but go to Lewes and discover what the trouble was. It was all so odd, as he was supposed to have taken his beloved to meet his uncle for lunch. Now he would have to send a note round saying something unexpected had come up.

It felt off …

And Lewes? Of all the outlandish places!