Beauty and the Spymaster by Moriah Densley

Author:Moriah Densley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, espionage, historical, victorian, historical romance, victorian romance, historical novella
Publisher: esKape ePress, LLC

Chapter Seven

Once more he’d underestimated Helena Duncombe. Specifically, he’d not taken into account the effect she’d have on the distinguished guests of the gala; the bigger their ego, the harder they fell for her charm.

After lunch he and Helena had been shown to a guest room — just one, heaven help him — and before dinner was served, she’d already prompted Ambassador Gjonbalaj to blabber on about how he’d come by way of a stop in Prague, complete with details on his hotel and itinerary. Helena had known the ambassador was one on a short list of suspects, and so naturally she’d handed Julian the information he needed on a silver platter.

All he had to do was lounge about looking decadent, hoping everyone believed he was mysterious and virile enough to be Lady Chauncey’s escort and not connect his name with the rectory. It would be difficult, though not impossible, to explain why a country vicar was companion to Europe’s most infamous courtesan. So far his surly demeanor had saved him from much conversation.

He planned to slip away just after the guests retired to bed and send a bird from the rendezvous point the council had set up in one of the outbuildings as a makeshift rookery. At the rate Helena gleaned information from the suspects, he’d need a giant eagle to deliver the bundle of intelligence.

One of the guests was a traitor, and Julian intended to find out who. If only it was as simple as catching the Guy Fawkes imitator who had presented himself at a gentleman’s club smelling strongly of gunpowder. The rat leaking information from a legislative committee wouldn’t stink, but he could be caught in the act.

Julian had divulged to Helena that the subject would have connections to Parliament, and she’d complained, “Well, that will include every man there and his mistress.”

“True, but only three of them know when the Treasury is about to mint gold and sterling, and benefit from tipping off foreign investors, who then inflate the commodities so England buys at a higher price. It’s quite illegal. Treason, in fact.”

“Oh.” He remembered her crestfallen expression. “I thought we were after a bandit, or at least uncovering an assassination plot.”

He’d chuckled and answered, “I’ve handled plenty of those, and I’ve had my fill of danger. These days, I’m relegated to some dull sleuthing. That and plenty of bird droppings.”

“That is not exciting.”

“We’re following orders.” And then he’d noticed how he’d slipped into the plural we as though after two short months, they were a team. “And besides, the cloak-and-dagger operations involve real daggers.”

She’d said, “Humph,” then something to the effect that excitement was overrated.

At dinner he was seated next to Ambassador Gjonbalaj, whose enormous mustache made quite the distraction. Julian spent most of his brain function trying not to stare. Good night — he’d waxed the ends into curlicues that bobbed up and down with his head. Since Helena had already interviewed the ambassador, hopefully Julian wasn’t missing any important details.

And he couldn’t stop stealing glances at Helena.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.