Maddy wasn’t about to take this without a fight. “Have you looked in a mirror?”
Bryony, calm, sensible Bryony, actually blushed, and a feeling of satisfaction warmed Maddy’s insides. Now if they could just find Sophie . . .
“Then do we assume, since neither I . . .”—Kilmartyn glanced at Luca—“. . . nor the pirate captain is guilty in your complicated conspiracy theory, then the man who took your country house is the culprit? Don’t look so surprised, Mrs. Morgan—of course I know everything.”
“Viscount Griffiths,” Maddy supplied. “And there’s no guarantee—you three were just the most likely.”
Kilmartyn’s smile was dazzling. “And of course you could be wrong about me or the captain. I may have seduced Bryony with my abundant . . . er . . . charm, and convinced her of my innocence when I was actually a hidebound villain . . .”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Bryony said, her ravishing smile taking the sting out of her words. “We don’t have time for games. We need to find Sophie.”
“Yes,” agreed Maddy. “And besides, no one ever fools Bryony. Trust me, I’ve tried.”
“So the question is,” Luca interrupted, his businesslike tone at odds with his gypsy lilt, “did your sister head to London or Devonport to find us, or did she go after Griffiths on her own?”
“We don’t know how bad the situation is. Sophie’s not used to being on her own, and who knows what kind of monster she’s gotten herself involved with if she decided to go to Renwick. The man suppose
dly murdered his wife.”
“Ah, a fellow in arms,” Kilmartyn said cheerfully.
Bryony cast him a stern glance before continuing. “And we know accusations like that can have little to do with the truth. We need to send word to Renwick, as well as back to Devonport, to see if anyone’s seen her. There was that private detective we hired after Father died . . .”
“He was clearly rubbish,” Kilmartyn said. “We can find someone better.”
“I know someone,” Luca said suddenly. “He can find out almost anything if given enough incentive. He and I go way back, and he tends to get quick results. I’ll go talk to him.”
He rose, and Maddy looked up at him in shock. “Now? It’s the middle of the night.”
“It’s the best time to find people like the Wart,” Luca said. “And don’t even say it. You’re not coming with me—you’d stick out like a peacock in a group of nuns. Not only would it be dangerous, but he’s more likely to talk freely if it’s just me.”
“And I’ve got someone in mind if your friend doesn’t work out,” Kilmartyn offered. “But unlike the pirate captain’s delightfully sordid acquaintances, I need to wait until morning to call on him.”
“Would you mind not calling me ‘the pirate captain’?” Luca said plaintively. “It sounds ridiculous.”
“That was rather the point, old man.”
Only Maddy could hear Luca’s soft snarl. He bent down and kissed her, hard, and a moment later he was gone.
There was a brief silence. Bryony glanced speakingly at her husband, and Kilmartyn laughed. “All right, I am not totally obtuse. You wish to speak to your sister without me around, do you not? Are you going to reveal secrets of the marriage bed?”
Bryony turned a fiery red. “Of course not.”
Kilmartyn’s smile was angelic. “Just make certain to praise me lavishly. Having seen the pirate captain in the altogether makes me wonder if I have . . . er . . . fallen short in some way.”
“Go away, Adrian,” Bryony said in a patient voice. “I’m certain we have better things to talk about than your manly attractions.”
“Well, then, I’ll go on down to the kitchens and see if I can convince Mrs. Harkins to feed me, shall I?” Bowing extravagantly, he left, and Bryony turned to look at her sister.
“Well?” she said.
Maddy was confused. “Well, what?”
“Tell me about him! He’s quite gorgeous, though not nearly as pretty as Adrian,” Bryony said, moving to sit next to Maddy on the sofa. “Did he know who you were the moment he saw you, or were you able to fool him for a bit? And when did you fall in love with him? How long have you been married; tell me everything!”
Maddy looked at her doubtfully. Living the life of a recluse, Bryony had always seemed muted, shy, quiet, except with her immediate family. Now she was bright and happy, humming with energy.
“Only if you’ll tell me about Kilmartyn, who is, by the way, very nice to look at, but nowhere near as handsome as Luca. Then again,” she added fairly, “I haven’t seen him naked, so I can’t make an informed comparison.”