The Countess Page 0,83

leave. "Did you and your sisters wish to freshen up before the meal?"

"I thought we were going to head straight back to London?" she said with surprise.

"The men convinced me to alter the plans slightly," he said quietly, urging her to fol ow the servants outside. "I'm sure you and your sisters would like to wash and change after the long journey today, and a meal would be nice too."

"I suppose," Christiana murmured as they started toward the house. It would be pleasant to have a quick wash and change of clothes, then a meal before setting out again. "But Richard, I have been thinking. You can't pay this blackmailer."

"I don't want to," he admitted, "And we wil do what we can to catch the blackmailer rather than pay, but I also won't risk it getting out that George tried to kil me and married you in my name. The scandal would destroy you and ruin any chance of your sisters marrying wel ."

Christiana stared. His concern was for her and her sisters. He hadn't suddenly changed . . . yet. Clearing her throat, she said, "That is very thoughtful, but I suspect if you pay him once, the blackmailer wil continue to demand money. And it just isn't right that you should have to pay when al of this is George's fault to begin with, especial y since you didn't kil him."

"And you and your sisters shouldn't have to pay by suffering the scandal either,"

he pointed out quietly, glancing around to be sure no one was close enough to overhear their conversation. "George was my brother. If anyone is going to pay, it should be me."

Christiana frowned. She didn't want a scandal any more than he did. Her sisters would suffer horribly from it, but . . . She wasn't foolish enough to think if they paid once, it would be done. The blackmailer would no doubt ask for more later, and then again, and this would hang over al their heads until they were al dead and buried.

Frowning, she asked, "Can we not take the body to the authorities, claim George didn't die in the fire after al as we had al assumed, but that he was the one away in America this last year? That he left a letter to that effect when he departed, but it apparently burned up in the fire. We can say he returned because he was feeling unwel and that we found him dead in his bed this morning. The authorities can examine him, wil find he died of natural causes and al wil be wel ." She smiled widely, sure she'd found the answer. "That way there would be no scandal, and no way the blackmailer could blackmail us."

"Ah, wel . . ." Richard grimaced, and then sighed and admitted, "Actual y, Daniel and I suspect George was murdered."

"What?" she asked with shock and stopped walking.

"We smel ed bitter almond around his mouth when we went to move him the first night," Richard explained, urging her to walk again. Christiana stared at him blankly. "I don't understand."

"We think he was poisoned." Richard glanced around as they reached the house and urged her to fol ow the others inside. "Don't worry. We have a plan to catch the blackmailer."

"What is this plan?" she asked worriedly as he started to lead her upstairs.

"I'l explain later," Richard said rather than answer the question. He also started to move more quickly, urging her upstairs and along the hal to the master bedroom.

"You just go on inside and refresh yourself before the meal. Al wil be wel . I'l have Grace and your chest brought up. Would you like a bath?"

Christiana frowned. "No, that would take too long and I know you want to head back to London. A basin of water to wash with wil do."

"Right. I'l see it's brought up," he assured her opening the bedroom door.

She started to automatical y walk into the room, but he caught her back, drawing her around to face him and then suddenly kissed her. It was no quick pressing of lips like the one in the church, but a hard, demanding kiss that quickly had her sinking against him with a sigh and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"To tide me over until we can consummate the marriage," he said with a sigh as he ended the kiss a moment later, and then he smiled crookedly and added, "You are now most definitely, and legal y, my