A Lady's Revenge by Tracey Devlyn Read Free Book Online

grasped Cora’s elbow, squeezing it in warning, or support; Cora couldn’t be sure which.
    She patted her maid’s hand and then turned to face the men. “You can take your tepid praise and go to hell.” She ignored the feminine groan at her side and leveled her gaze on Guy. “All of you.”

Five
    Guy watched Cora’s less-than-graceful exit, longing to lift her into his arms and save her from such foolhardy behavior rather than trail along by her side.
    When the footman moved to assist her, Guy experienced an immediate sense of relief, followed swiftly by a dark desire to throw him against the nearest wall. He swiveled around and made his way back to the window until the library door clicked shut.
    Her final words and accusing stare had cut through the room like a butcher’s cleaver chopping through muscle and bone. He felt her disappointment as keenly as if it were his own. How would they ever earn her forgiveness for that bit of ruthlessness?
    The few times he had seen her since their escape to London grew no less shocking than when he found her stretched across Valère’s bloodstained table five days ago. The Frenchman had tried to remove every piece of beauty she possessed. Once lustrous brown hair streaked with gold had hung in beautiful straight bands to the middle of her back. Now her shorn locks barely fell below the edges of her headpiece.
    Her rose-colored, high-necked gown made an admirable attempt at concealing the manacle of bruises around her throat, but Guy could still detect the outlines of individual fingers. Images of the horrors she must have suffered through began to take root, materializing in a macabre stream of endless flashes. He closed his eyes and forced his mind to focus on her captor.
    “Other than my innocence, Valère gained nothing from me.”
    Cora’s revelation, so matter-of-factly uttered, destroyed any hope he had carried that Valère hadn’t assaulted her, as well. Her strength humbled him, and he better understood how deeply their questions had hurt her. In his heart, he knew the question had to be asked, but Inquisition-style was not the right way. She deserved better from them. Better from him. He had much to make up for.
    And he would start by gelding the bastard Valère with the dullest, filthiest blade he could find. He grabbed the windowsill, longing to lay his forehead against the cool pane to ease the building pressure.
    Guy glanced over his shoulder and found the other two men looking equally shaken. “Her lack of detail is telling.” The knowledge that she protected them from the grisly aspects of her captivity knotted his stomach.
    Danforth held his head in his hands. “Yes.”
    Guy eyed Somerton. “She would never willingly betray her country.”
    “Seasoned agents have broken under less intense circumstances than what Cora suffered,” Somerton said. “If she had revealed confidential information, I wouldn’t have blamed her. I needed to understand what we were up against. What may be coming.” He stared into the distance. “Many would like to see us fail in our fight against Napoleon. It’s my job to ensure we do not. For the past several months, I’ve been conducting an investigation within the Foreign Office to uncover an intelligence leak. Someone within our ranks is supplying Valère with sensitive information.”
    Danforth said, “Any suspects yet?”
    Somerton shook his head, his lips thinned. “Only that it’s likely someone higher up in the Office. No field agent has access to the information being conveyed to Valère.”
    “Is that the real reason you assigned Cora to observe Valère?” Guy asked, keeping his tone even.
    “Yes.”
    Danforth’s head snapped around to stare at Somerton. “What of the ships?”
    “That needed investigating, too,” Somerton said.
    Danforth shot out of his seat. “I always knew you were a ruthless bastard, Somerton. But I never thought you’d turn that keen mind against those you’ve sworn to protect.”