To Romance a Charming Rogue (Courtship Wars)

And yet she didn't want to leave him, didn't want to live without him. Without Damon, her life would be empty. He brightened her day. He filled her with wild excitement. He thrilled her with passion. He banished the loneliness.

With him, she felt more complete.

Eleanor swallowed hard as defiance struck her anew. Hadn't she vowed to make Damon give up his rakish ways? Then why was she lying here in thi

s pathetic fashion?

She didn't want to accept that Damon wanted another woman more than her. She would not accept it.

She loved him enough to fight for him.

Gritting her teeth, Eleanor sat up abruptly. She intended to do whatever it took to pry him away from that hussy's clutches.

Angry tears scalded the backs of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall as she leapt off the bed and marched from the room. Instead of packing to return to London, she would order the Beldon carriage made ready.

She intended to go straight to the Boar's Head Inn and confront Damon face-to-face!

Fortitude and mettle are required if you hope to influence Fate to your benefit. -An Anonymous Lady, Advice…

When Damon arrived back at Rosemont, Horace Linch was still in the stableyard, keeping watch on Vecchi's lackey, Paolo Giacomo. And luncheon, Damon learned from the majordomo, was already underway in the smaller dining room.

Stifling his impatience to join Eleanor there, Damon instead took the opportunity to search Vecchi's quarters while the diplomat was thus occupied.

It proved an easy matter to discover from an upstairs maid which rooms had been allotted to the Italian guests. And it was not much harder to find the evidence needed to implicate the signor.

Inside a bureau drawer Damon discovered a powdered tin of ipecac. Even more damning was a silk pouch containing two small arrows and a tiny vial of amber liquid-clearly the same curare arrows that had incapacitated Prince Lazzara and caused him to fall headfirst into the Thames and nearly drown.

Carrying the items with him, Damon made his way downstairs to the dining room. Upon entering, he spied Haviland and gave a brief nod, conveying with a glance that his mission had been successful.

Eleanor was not there, Damon noted with a stab of disquiet, but he forced himself to concentrate on the task of exposing Vecchi for his villainy.

Approaching the diplomat at the dining table, Damon bent down to murmur in his ear. “I require a moment of your time, sir.”

When Vecchi glanced up, Damon held out the tin and the pouch of arrows.

Unmistakably, the signor paled.

Without protest, he rose from his seat and waited while Damon spoke quietly to Prince Lazzara.

“Will you join us, your highness? I believe this concerns you also.”

Lord Haviland followed them all from the dining room, down the corridor to a nearby parlor.

Once there, Damon displayed his treasures to the three men and explained his suspicions that the poisoned arrows and medicinal drug had been used to harm Prince Lazzara-all the while keeping his gaze trained on the prince's elder cousin.

“What do you have to say for yourself, Signor Vecchi?” Damon concluded.

Vecchi frowned. “Say? Why should I say anything? I have never seen those before.”

“I found these in your room, sir.”

The Italian's countenance darkened. “You pried into my personal belongings? What gentleman would do such at thing?”

Before Damon could reply, Lady Beldon swept into the room. “What is the meaning of this, Wrexham?” she demanded. “Are you purposely intent on spoiling my luncheon by dragging my guests away?”

Damon held up a hand, not wanting to be distracted. “Allow us a moment, if you please, my lady.”

Looking taken aback by his command, the viscountess started to sputter in indignation, but Damon ignored her and kept his gaze pinned on Signor Vec-chi.