always bursting past the bounds of his strict upbringing. The man had spent much of his life alternating between indulging his passions and trying to please his parents.
“Ah, Morrey.” The king beamed at them. “Finally, I meet the lovely woman who stole your heart.”
Letty dipped immediately into a deep curtsy. Adam bowed.
“Your Majesty,” they both replied.
“Thank you for the invitation,” Adamsaid. “May I introduce my bride, Leticia.”
The king studied Letty intently, missing nothing.
“You chose well, Morrey. Not only is she quite lovely, but there’s a light in her eyes that tells me you do not have a dull life ahead of you.”
Adam nodded and smiled a little. “I am most fortunate.”
“And so am I. Tonight I lay claim to both your wife and Essex’s.” The king nodded toward the Duchess of Essex, who was being escorted to them by Godric.
“Indeed. You will find both of them good conversationalists,” Adam promised and patted Letty’s arm as he helped her into her seat.
The dining room was full of chatter as the courses began to arrive. Adam and Godric sat next to each other at the far end of the table near the hostess of the evening, Maria Fitzherbert, the woman the king had loved his whole life. Adam made polite conversation with Maria but kept his attention subtly trained on the opposite end of the table where Letty spoke to the king. Her face was animated by whatever she was saying. The king and Lady Essex appeared to be listening quite intently.
“I must thank you, Lord Morrey,” Maria said, catching Adam’s attention.
“For what, madam?”
“George told me what you did last year, and he is so happy to meet your bride. You know how he feels about love.”
“Indeed,” Adam replied.
The king had been so in love with Maria that he had married her when he was underage. He was eventually forced to annul the marriage and unite himself with Princess Caroline of Brunswick, yet in his heart he’d always been loyal to Maria. Now that Caroline was dead, the king was living more freely in the open with Maria again.
When the dinner was over, the king relinquished Letty to Adam’s care once more.
“Well done, Morrey, very well done. She’s quite shy until one engages her, but then she flowers most beautifully. She’s clever and brilliant, and if she weren’t so clearly in love with you, I’d steal her from you.”
Adam bowed to the king. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” Adam felt some of the tension inside him ease now that his wife was by his side again.
Adam wondered if the king was right. Was she in love with him? He couldn’t deny the stirrings in his own heart, but he dared not guess whether she felt the same. Indulging in those thoughts now might get them both killed if he were to become too distracted.
“You survived dinner with the king,” Adam praised her.
Letty’s brown eyes glimmered. “Did I?”
“You quite clearly won him over.”
“It was rather frightening, to be honest, but Emily was so calm, and that made everything much easier. The conversation flowed quite freely, and I was glad to have a chance to speak.”
Adam and Letty moved away from the guests still hovering about the dinner table.“And what did you talk to the king about?”
“Politics, mainly. You see, I believe—” Letty began, but her words died as Avery Russell walked past themabruptly, nearly knocking Letty over. He didn’t stop, but kept moving, vanishing into the crowds.
“What the devil . . . ?” Adam was still looking at Avery’s vanishing back when Letty slipped something discreetly into his palm. Recognizing the sleightofhand in play, he automatically tucked the slip of paper into his coat sleeve.
“Follow me.” He escorted Letty into a small library off the main dining room. Once he checked to make sure they were alone, he removed the note and unfolded it.
They are looking for you both. Leave at once. Do not return to Chilgrave.
Adam cursed softly. Once he had relayed the message to his wife, he strode toward the fire and tossed the letter into the flames. Letty remained at his side, an anxious look marring her features.
“Adam, what are we to do?”
“Exactly what he says. Come, we’ll get your cloak and have our coach brought round at once.”
In a matter of minutes, Adam was lifting Letty inside the carriage. As he climbed in after her, he saw a footman’s stare linger upon them too long before he turned and headed for the Carlton House stables.
It chilled Adam to the bone