Castles (Crown's Spies #4)

He kept his voice low, soothing. She still reacted as though he'd just shouted at her. "I would prefer your father explain." ,

"He can't. You will."

"Yes," she finally agreed. "I will have to be the one to tell you. You're blocking Flannaghan's way," she added, her relief obvious over the interruption.

"Princess Alesandra, you have a visitor. Neil Perry, the Earl of Hargrave, is waiting in the salon to speak to you."

"What does he want?" Colin asked.

"Neil is Victoria's older brother," she explained. "I sent a note this morning requesting him to call."

Colin walked over to his desk and leaned against it. "Does he know you want to question him about his sister?"

Alesandra handed Flannaghan her papers, asked him to please put them in her room, and then turned back to Colin. "I didn't exactly explain the purpose of the meeting."

She hurried out of the room so Colin wouldn't have time to berate her for using trickery. She ignored his summons to come back inside and went down the hallway to her room. She had made a list of questions to ask Neil and she didn't want to forget any of them. The sheet of paper was on her nightstand. She folded it, smiled at Flannaghan, who was straightening her bed covers, and hurried downstairs.

Flannaghan wanted to announce her. She wouldn't let him. Neil was standing just inside the salon. He turned when Alesandra reached the foyer and bowed low in greeting.

"I do appreciate you coming so soon," she began as soon as she had finished with her curtsy.

"You mentioned the matter you wished to discuss was quite important, Princess. Have we met before? I feel sure that if we had met, I certainly would have remembered."

Victoria's brother was trying to be charming, Alesandra supposed, but the smile he gave her looked more like a sneer. The Earl of Hargrave was only an inch or two taller than she was and he held himself so rigid it appeared his clothing had been starched stiff. Alesandra couldn't see any resemblance in his thin face to Victoria other than the color of his eyes. They were the same shade of brown. Victoria had gotten the pleasing features in the family, however. Her nose was short, straight. Neil's was long, very like a hawk's, and extremely narrow. Alesandra thought he was a thoroughly unattractive man and she found his nasal voice to be grating.

Appearances, she reminded herself, meant nothing. She prayed Neil had a sweet disposition like his sister. He looked persnickety. She hoped he wasn't.

"Please come inside and sit down. I wanted to talk to you about a matter that concerns me and beg your indulgence with a few questions."

Neil nodded agreement before turning to walk across the room. He waited until she had taken her place on the settee and then sat down in the adjacent chair. He folded one leg over the other, stacked his hands on top of one knee. His nails, she noticed, were quite long for a man and immaculately manicured.

"I've never been inside this town house," Neil remarked. He looked around the room. There was scorn in his voice when he added, "The location is marvelous, of course, but I understand it's just a rental."

"Yes, it is," she agreed.

"It's terribly small, isn't it? I would think a princess would require more suitable quarters."

Neil was a snob. Alesandra was trying not to dislike the man, but his remarks were making it difficult. He was Victoria's brother, however, and Alesandra needed his assistance in locating her friend.

"I'm very happy here," she remarked, forcing a pleasant tone of voice. "Now then, sir, I wanted to talk to you about your sister."

He didn't like hearing that announcement. His smile faded immediately. "My sister is not a topic for discussion, Princess Alesandra."

"I hope to change your mind," she countered. "I met Victoria last year," she added with a nod. "She stayed at the Holy Cross convent with me when she became ill on her journey. Did she by chance mention me?"

Neil shook his head. "My sister and I rarely spoke to one another."

"Really?" Alesandra couldn't hide her surprise.

Neil let out a loud, exaggerated sigh. "Victoria lived with our mother. I have my own estate," he added, a hint of a boast in his voice. "Of course, now that she's gone to God knows where, mother has moved in with me."

He started tapping his fingers on his knee, his impatience apparent.

"I apologize if this is difficult for you to talk about, but I'm concerned about Victoria. I don't believe she would ever run off and get married."

"Don't be concerned," he countered. "She isn't worth anyone's concern. She made her bed…"

"I don't understand your callous attitude. Victoria could be in trouble."

"And I don't understand your attitude, Princess," Neil retaliated. "You haven't been in England long and you therefore don't understand what a scandal can do to one's social standing. My mother was almost destroyed by Victoria's thoughtless actions. Why, for the first time in fifteen years, she wasn't invited to Ashford's bash. The humiliation sent her to bed for a month. My sister threw it all away. She is and always has been a fool. She could have married anyone she wanted. I know of at least three titled gentlemen she turned down. Victoria only thought about herself, of course. While our mother was worrying and fretting over a good match, she was sneaking out the back door to meet her lover."

Alesandra struggled to hold on to her temper. "You can't know that for certain," she argued. "As for the scandal…"

She never got to finish her argument. "You obviously don't care about a scandal either," Neil muttered. "No wonder you and my sister got along so well."

"Exactly what are you implying?" she asked.

"You're living in the same house with an unattached man," he said. "There're whispers going around already."

Alesandra took a deep breath in an attempt to control her temper. "Exactly what are these whispers?"

"Some are saying Sir Colin Hallbrook is your cousin. Others believe he's your lover."

She dropped her list in her lap, then stood up. "Your sister rarely mentioned you to me and now I understand why. You're a despicable man, Neil Perry. If I weren't so concerned about Victoria's welfare, I would throw you out this minute."

"I'll take care of that chore for you."

Colin made the announcement from the entrance. He was leaning against the door frame, his arms folded casually across his chest. He looked relaxed, but his eyes… oh, Lord, his eyes showed his fury. Alesandra had never seen Colin so angry. She shivered in reaction.

Neil looked startled by the interruption. He quickly recovered, awkwardly unfolded his legs, and stood up.

"Had I known the true reason you wished to see me, I never would have come here. Good day, Princess Alesandra."

She couldn't take her gaze off Colin long enough to speak to Neil. She had the oddest notion Colin was getting ready to pounce.

The notion proved true. Flannaghan held the door open for their guest. Colin moved to stand next to his butler. His expression was masked, and for that reason Neil had no idea that he really meant to throw him outside.

If she'd blinked, she would have missed it. Neil only had time to let out a squeal of indignation that sounded very like a pig's howl of distress. Colin grabbed him by the hack of his neck and the back of the waistband to his trousers, lifted him up, and threw him outside. Neil landed in the gutter.

Alesandra let out a little gasp, picked up her skirts, and went running to the front door. Flannaghan let her see the Earl of Hargrave sprawled out on the street before he shut the door.

She whirled around to confront Colin. "Now what am I going to do? I doubt he'll come back here after the way you tossed him out, Colin."

"The man insulted you. I can't allow that."

"But I need him to answer my questions."

He shrugged. She threaded her fingers through her hair in an agitated action. She couldn't decide if she was pleased or pricked at Colin. "What did I do with my list?"

"Which list, Princess?" Flannaghan asked.

"The list of questions I was going to ask Neil."

She went hurrying back into the salon, bent down, and found the sheet of paper under the settee.

Flannaghan and Colin watched her. "Princess Alesandra is a firm believer in lists, milord," Flannaghan said.

Colin didn't make any remark on that bit of information. He frowned at Alesandra when she passed him and went up the steps.

"I won't allow you to invite Perry back here, Alesandra," he called out, still burning with irritation over the pompous man's snide remarks.

"I certainly will invite him back," she called over her shoulder. "This is as much my home as it is yours while you're acting as my guardian. I'm determined to find out if Victoria is all right, Colin, and if that means putting up with her horrid brother, then put up with him I will."

Colin turned to his butler. "Don't let him in. Understand?"

"Perfectly, milord. It is our duty to protect our princess from slanderers."

Alesandra had already turned the corner above the stairs and therefore didn't hear Colin's order or Flannaghan's agreement. She was thoroughly weary of men in general and Neil Perry in particular. She decided to put Victoria's brother out of her mind for the time being. Tomorrow would be soon enough to decide what to do next.

Valena was waiting for her mistress in her bedroom. She and Flannaghan had already moved Alesandra's things from Colin's room into the adjoining chamber.

Alesandra sat down on the side of the bed and kicked her shoes off. "It looks as though we're going to have to stay here a few more days, Valena."

"Your trunks arrived, Princess. Shall I begin unpacking?"

"Tomorrow's soon enough. I know it's still early, but I believe I'll go to bed now. You needn't stay to help me."

Valena left her alone. Alesandra took her time getting ready for bed. She felt quite drained from today's meetings. Speaking to so many of her father's friends and hearing the wonderful stories about him made her miss both her father and her mother. Alesandra might have been able to control her mood if Neil hadn't proven to be such a self-serving, cruel-hearted man. She wanted to shout at the man and tell him he should be thankful he had a mother and a sister to love. Perry wouldn't understand, or care, she imagined, for he was like so many other people she'd met who took their families for granted.

Alesandra gave in to self-pity within minutes. She didn't have anyone who truly cared about her. Colin had let it be known she was just a nuisance, and her real guardian, though far more gentle and understanding than his son, probably considered her a nuisance, too.

She wanted her mama. Her memories of firmly life didn't comfort her now. They made her ache with her loneliness. She went to bed a few minutes later, hid under the covers, and cried herself to sleep. She awakened in the middle of the night, didn't feel any better about herself or her circumstances, and, heaven help her, she started weeping again.

Colin heard her. He was also in bed. He couldn't get to sleep, however. The throbbing in his leg kept him wide awake. Alesandra wasn't making much noise, but Colin was attuned to every sound in the house. He immediately tossed the covers aside and got out of bed. He was halfway across the chamber before he realized he was stark naked. He put on a pair of pants, reached for the doorknob, and then stopped.

He wanted to comfort her, yet at the same time he knew he would probably be embarrassed because he'd heard her crying. The sounds were muffled, indicating to him she was trying to be as quiet as possible. She didn't want to be overheard, and he knew he should respect her privacy.

"Hell," he muttered to himself. He didn't know his own mind anymore. He wasn't usually so indecisive. His instincts were telling him to distance himself from Alesandra. She was a complication he wasn't ready to take on.

He turned around and went back to his own bed. He finally admitted the real truth to himself. He wasn't just protecting Alesandra from embarrassment. No, he was also protecting her from his own lecherous ideas. She was in bed, probably only wearing a thin nightgown, and, damn it all, if he got close, he knew he would touch her.

Colin gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. If the little innocent next door had any idea what he was thinking, she would have her guards doing sentry duty around her bed.

Lord, he wanted her.

He killed a whore. It had been a mistake. It hadn't been at all satisfying. The rush of absolute power and excitement were missing. It took him days of reflecting upon the problem before he came up with a suitable explanation. The surge came only after a satisfying hunt. The whore had been too easy, and although her screams excited him, it still wasn't the same. No, no, it was the cleverness he had to call upon to lure the bait. It was the seduction of the innocent by the master. Those were the key elements that made all the difference. The whore had been dirty. She didn't deserve to sleep with the others. He tossed her into a ravine and left her for the wild animals.

He needed a lady.

Colin was gone by the time Alesandra came downstairs the following morning. Flannaghan and Raymond sat with her at the dining room table while she sorted through the huge stack of invitations that had arrived that morning. Stefan was sleeping now because he'd taken the night watch. Alesandra didn't believe it was necessary for anyone to stay up all night, but Raymond, the senior of the two guards, wouldn't listen to her. Someone always had to be on the alert in case of trouble, Raymond argued, and since she had placed him in charge, she really should let him do things his way.

"But we are in England now," she reminded the guard again.

"The general isn't to be taken lightly," Raymond countered. "We got here, didn't we? He could have sent men on the next available ship."

Alesandra quit arguing with him then and turned her attention to the mound of invitations.

"It's astonishing to me that so many found out so soon I was in London," she remarked.

"I'm not surprised," Flannaghan replied. "I already heard from Cook who heard from the butcher that you're causing quite a stir. I'm afraid there's a bit of gossip attached to your name because you're staying here, but the fact that you have a lady's maid and two guards with you has taken the sting out of the remarks. There's also a rather amusing bit of talk… nonsense really…"