Devils Bride (Cynster 1)

Vane grimaced. "In a word-no."

Devil grimaced back; refolding his letter, he laid it aside. "I just hope the others have turned up something."

"What's Sligo up to?" When Devil looked up, Vane elaborated: "I bumped into him on the steps-he seemed in a tearing hurry."

Devil waved dismissively. "A small matter of forward strategy."

"Speaking of which, have you managed to convince your bride-to-be that investigating murder is not a suitable hobby for a gentlewoman?"

Devil smiled. "Maman can always be counted on to visit the modistes within forty-eight hours of arriving in town."

Vane raised his brows. "So you haven't succeeded in striking murder from Miss Anstruther-Wetherby's agenda?"

Devil's smile turned feral. "I'm directing my fire at a different target. Once that falls, her agenda will no longer apply."

Vane grinned. "Poor Honoria Prudence-does she know what she's up against?"

"She'll learn."

"Too late?"

"That's the general idea."

A brief rap on the door heralded the appearance of Richard "Scandal" Cynster; he was followed by Gabriel and Demon Harry, Vane's brother. The comfortably spacious room was suddenly very full of very large men.

"Why the delay?" Harry asked, lowering his long frame to the chaise. "I expected to be summoned yesterday."

"Devil had to make sure the coast was clear," Vane replied-and earned a hard look from Devil.

"Lucifer sends his regrets," Gabriel informed the room at large. "He's exhausted from his efforts to discover any news of Tolly's peccadilloes-which efforts have thus far been completely unrewarding."

"That," Harry returned, "I find exceedingly hard to believe."

"Unrewarding in terms of our investigation," Gabriel amended.

"As to that," Harry continued, "I know exactly how he feels."

Despite considerable effort in their delegated spheres, none had uncovered any evidence that Tolly had been in trouble. Devil put forward the idea that Tolly might not personally have been in trouble at all. "He may have unwittingly stumbled on something he wasn't supposed to know-he might unsuspectingly have become a threat to someone."

Gabriel was nodding. "That scenario sounds a lot more like Tolly."

Harry snorted. "Silly beggar would have got all fired up with innocent zeal and hared off to lay the evidence at your feet."

"Before demanding that you fix it." Richard's smile went slightly awry. "That plot rings truer than any other."

His eyes on Richard's, Devil said, "The very fact that he was coming to see me may have been what led to his death."

Vane nodded. "That would explain why he was killed at Somersham."

"We'll have to recanvass all Tolly's friends." Under Devil's direction, Gabriel, Harry, and Richard agreed to take on the task.

"And me?" Vane raised his brows. "What fascinating piece of detecting am I to undertake?"

"You get to wring out Old Mick."

"Old Mick?!" Vane groaned. "The man drinks like a fish."

"You've the hardest head of the lot of us, and someone's got to speak to him. As Tolly's man, he's our most likely lead."