Again, Hunter wasn’t certain he wanted to know. “The nature of this promise?”
“That I help the children of his heart find love.” He laughed suddenly. “Your expression is no doubt very near to the one I gave Lord Rockeforte.”
“That is the single most preposterous deathbed promise I’ve ever heard.”
“So I thought at the time, and for many years after. Even Lord Bucknam’s request to have his sixteen hounds looked after seemed reasonable in comparison. But now…well, it’s still damned unreasonable,” he admitted. “But Rockeforte wanted happiness for the children he loved, and there’s nothing preposterous about that. Kate, as I am sure you have guessed, was one of these children. And you are her match. You may thank me for that at your leisure.”
“I could beat you now and get the details later,” Hunter growled. “What did you do?”
“Nothing too extreme, I assure you. I merely exaggerated the possibility of Kate becoming embroiled in the smuggling operation and assigned you to watch over her. Lord Martin was no threat to her. Boy thought he was bringing in a bit of brandy and a love letter over, that’s all. No idea Miss Willory was using him to smuggle a message containing the whereabouts of a French saboteur. We’ve caught them, by the way, Miss Willory and her contact. I’ll let Martin’s father see to his son.”
Hunter spoke around a clenched jaw. “Miss Willory nearly killed Kate by sabotaging her tack in a bid to remove Kate from Lord Martin.”
“Whit mentioned that in his letter.” William dragged a hand down his face. “No wonder, really, that Whit sought his revenge now. In my defense, I hadn’t expected Miss Willory to be involved.”
“Whit knew of this…of everything?”
William winced. “Yes, and no. He knew of the matchmaking business. I was less forthcoming with him in regards to the mission. He believed it entirely fabricated.”
That certainly explained Whit’s reluctance to spend the night on Smuggler’s Beach, his surprise at finding actual smugglers, why he’d allowed Kate to attend the house party to begin with, and why Mr. Laury was given orders to keep his mission secret. Bloody hell.
“Who else knew?”
“My Mrs. Summers, Lady Thurston, and the Dowager Lady Thurston, though the last two were less…enthusiastic, shall we say, in my choice of match for Kate.”
“Sensible women.”
“Cautious women. They don’t know you as Whit and I do.”
He wasn’t going to have a discussion on that topic either. He could barely comprehend the one he was having now. “You do realize your entire ridiculous ruse was utterly pointless? I’d been planning to acquire Kate’s hand for some time.”
“Some time,” William repeated with a roll of his eyes. “Hell, man, you do overthink things. Can’t fathom why you bother, as you always plow straight through the obstacles in your path as if you don’t see them. By the look of you, I’d venture to say that strategy mucked things up a bit this time, didn’t it?”
“I—”
“Well, I said you were a good man. Never said you weren’t an arrogant, shortsighted fool.”
“I can’t very well be both.”
“Certainly, you can. I’m a sanctimonious ass, aren’t I? I lied to Whit. Lied to you—planted false evidence so I could use your unique position in society for my own ends, and I feel quite justified in having done so. And yet I am a good man.”
He was, in fact. It stunned Hunter to realize it. William Fletcher was a right bastard—particularly just then, to his mind—and a good man. He was a lying, manipulating, schemer…Who’d spent years fulfilling a promise to a friend, and his whole life in service to his country. Hunter found himself at a loss for words.
William, bastard that he was, had no difficulty taking the ensuing silence for complete agreement. “Delighted you concur. It’s never a good idea to mistake minor imperfections for gross deficiencies of character.” He reached for his pen with one hand and pointed to the door with the other. “Now, go smooth over whatever mess you’ve made with Kate. I want my obligation to the late duke to be at an end.”
Still reeling, Hunter tossed his hands up in a combination of disbelief and defeat. “Certain there aren’t any other confessions you care to make before I take my leave?”
William looked at the ceiling for a moment as if considering. “No. No, nothing comes to mind.”
“You’re absolutely sure?”
“Yes, I believe I am quite done.”
“Splendid.”
Hunter arrived home feeling bewildered, rather discontent, and exceedingly annoyed with himself for having let