A Love Laid Bare Read Free Page A

late
nights.” He smiled. “It’s good to see you, even if you did drag me
from the country for one of your crazy schemes.”
    “Does you good to venture out of that rut you’ve made
for yourself.” Summerton stepped back, gestured at a chair by the
fire, and went over to pick up his glass. He held it up and raised
his eyebrows. “Some port?” At Halcombe’s nod of agreement, he moved
to the sideboard and unstopped a decanter.
    Halcombe took the chair indicated and used the
opportunity to study the other man. Friends since their school
days, they were close in age, but at six feet, Summerton topped him
by several inches. His light brown hair was cut in one of those
fashionable styles Halcombe never remembered the name of and faint
lines rayed from the corners of his changeable hazel eyes.
    They put too much on his shoulders, the men who
fought the war from their government offices. Summerton needed a
wife, a family, but it appeared the tragic death of his young bride
still haunted him. Halcombe knew not to broach the subject.
    He shook off the gloomy thoughts, accepted the
offered glass, and took a taste of the ruby-red liquid. “Very nice.
I hope you have laid down a few bottles for my next visit.”
    “I’ve laid down several cases, in fact,” Summerton
said with a smile. He sat in a nearby chair and stretched out his
legs. “Gad, it feels good to relax. It has been a long day.”
    “I have a feeling all your days are overly long. You
should try to get away for a time,” Halcombe suggested.
    “That is not possible, I’m afraid. There is too much
going on to leave Town right now. This cursed war. And Bryce is
abroad on a special…project…at the moment.” He shrugged, took a sip
of his wine, and looked questioningly at Halcombe. “Dinner first,
or the details of my ‘crazy scheme’ as you put it earlier?”
    The earl knew better than to ask for details of any
venture Harry Bryce was involved in. Colin’s trusted secretary was
often hip deep some covert action. Richard set aside his glass. “By
all means, business first, since it is bound to ruin my
digestion.”
    “It is not as bad as that,” Summerton said dryly. He
emptied his glass, placed it on the low table between them and
tented his fingers in front of him. “It is nothing onerous at
all—on your part.” He grinned at the skeptical look Halcombe gave
him and shook his head. “Truly, it is nothing terribly difficult. I
would not ask it of you if it was not important. There are few
people I can trust with this kind of information these days.” He
paused, his eyes narrowed, and then he waved his hand as if to
clear the air.
    “Have you noticed or heard of any increase in
smuggling in your area over the past few months?”
    Completely caught off guard at this unexpected topic,
the earl frowned. “Nothing that has come to my attention, but that
is not out of the ordinary. It goes on, of course, but as long as
it remains at a low level, it is generally ignored. The Manor is
some distance inland, as you are aware, and we have never had much
involvement.” He grinned. “No kegs on the doorstep, if that’s what
you are implying.”
    Summerton smiled, but worry appeared in his eyes.
“No, I did not think that, but you are in a position to hear
things, and you are not that far from the coast. Lately, there have
been rumors that more than brandy is coming ashore.”
    “Indeed, and that would be…?” Halcombe had a
suspicion, unlikely as it seemed, but he still experienced a shock
of disbelief at the terse answer.
    “Men. Frenchmen, to be exact.”
    “Do you mean spies ? Coming ashore in Sussex?
For what reason? They’d stick out like a sore thumb, which I
imagine is the exact opposite of what they would want.”
    “Not spies,” Summerton said with a mirthless laugh.
“Agents, whose job it is to make contacts here who will ferret out
information for them to send back to France.” He sounded unusually
grave. “They have deep pockets