"I believe Lord Wycliff will vouch for me if you have concerns about my loyalties."
"No, no concerns." Clune's mouth curled in a wry smile. "I have few political leanings at all. But if you find you have need of patronage other than Wycliff's, I should be happy to claim your acquaintance, in remembrance of my late friend Nick."
Nicholas's response was far cooler than Aurora expected. "That is generous of you, sir. I shall keep your offer in mind."
Clune turned and smiled his charming smile at Aurora. "Well, I will let you ride on. You won't want your horse to stand any longer. But I hope you will keep my other offer in mind, my lady. If you care to race some morning, I will be delighted to oblige."
Aurora murmured a noncommittal reply, and felt relief flooding her when Clune spurred his horse and rode past them.
She and Nicholas resumed riding along the Row. Aurora was fuming, appalled by his brazen disregard for his life, but she forced herself to wait until they were out of earshot of the earl.
"What do you call that, if not flaunting your existence?" she demanded, her concern making her sound sharper than normal.
"I call it establishing my cover. Clune knows me better than almost anyone in England. If he didn't recognize me, then I doubt anyone else will."
"I call it barefaced effrontery. You looked him in the eye and lied."
"Would you rather I risked telling him the truth?"
Nettled, she lapsed into silence.
"He seems overly attentive to you, my love. Perhaps I should remind you again, you are not a widow – and never were."
She was too vexed to realize Nicholas's good humor had faded. "I do not need reminding."
"I think you do. Clune is one of the premier rakes of England, and he sees you as fair game."
Aurora's chin lifted stubbornly. "I will not allow you to dictate to me, Nicholas. I wed you chiefly so I wouldn't have to endure a husband who prescribed my every action, like Halford. You sound just like him – or my father."
The set of Nicholas's jaw seemed to soften. "I did not mean to pick a fight, Aurora."
"No? You are giving an extremely good imitation of it."
"It's not unreasonable for a man to be possessive of his wife."
"You cannot possibly be jealous?"
"Perhaps I am. But I advise you to keep Clune at a distance."
"I have no intention of letting you choose my friends for me, Nicholas."
He drew his horse to a halt. "Then I had best speak to Clune myself."
She looked startled. "Why?"
"So I can warn him to keep away from my wife."
Aurora stared at him, alarming visions running through her head. She had forgotten that Nicholas Sabine was a dangerous man. By his own admission, he had killed before. Did he intend to threaten Clune? Menacing a peer of the realm was a certain way to jeopardize his own life. He could be caught and hanged…
"You
cannot harm him, Nicholas."
"Your concern for him is touching, love," Nicholas said coolly.
With a polite bow, he turned his horse around and rode away, leaving Aurora to stare after him, a very unladylike oath trembling on her lips.
Aurora remained in the park far longer than usual, anxiously awaiting Nicholas's return, but she saw no sign of either him or Clune. When she finally gave up and went home, she found herself pacing the floor worriedly.