Seducing the Spy Read Free

Alicia, perhaps you might recount it for me now."
    In a moment he was going to recall where he'd heard of Lady Alicia Lawrence before. He himself hadn't refused her letter, but he was sure Grimm had, under orders. Anyone with news of importance knew better than to trust the post with it, therefore it followed that there was no reason to clutter up his existence with letters and invitations he had no intention of responding to.
    Lady Alicia seated herself at last. "Four nights ago, I overheard a conversation. Three men discussing the 'relocation' of the Prince Regent. They intend to capture him at a house party to be held at the estate of Lord Cross." She hesitated. "Do you think it's possible that the Prince Regent would actually attend such an affair?"
    Not only possible, but probable. Cross's parties were notorious for the lascivious madness that went on. No one ever actually admitted attending, but rumor abounded concerning the nature of events.
    "I think it is a certainty." George was not a man to pass up licentious diversions. Moreover, George's recent disaffection—to put it mildly—with the Four meant that they were overdue some royal misbehavior.
    Relocation
. George could be in trouble. Again.
    This was not something Stanton would want to leave to commoner hands—and what could the Liars do? Only those of his rank and higher—not many of those either—could get close and stay close to the Prince Regent if the man didn't wish it, not even his bedmates.
    Bedmates.
    Licentious diversions.
    Suddenly, Stanton remembered where he had heard of Lady Alicia Lawrence before.
    Five years earlier, a young debutante had been caught with a stable boy in her bed—a simpleton stable boy at that. Bloody hell.
    Stanton's carefully polite expression soured. This faded and ill-fitting disguise concealed one of the most notorious women to scandalize Society in a generation.
    In typical Society fashion, the young lady's wild ways had become the stuff of legend. The uproar had cast echoes into all reaches of Society and the well-bred daughters of England had been guarded much more closely since that day.
    The woman before him was a discredited wanton. What a waste of time, time he did not currently have to spare.
    He stood. "Thank you ever so much, my lady. I shan't keep you any longer."
    She stood as well, but remained where she was. He could feel her gaze piercing him from behind the veil.
    "I see your memory is not faulty, Wyndham. I take it that you've just recollected my reputation."
    He bowed perfunctorily. "Lady Alicia, I am a very busy man—"
    "Of course." She did not curtsy, but merely turned and walked from the room. "You needn't see me out. I made sure to remember the location of the exit. 'Tis always best to be prepared." With that she was gone.
    What a stunning bit of rudeness. He was well shut of her. He turned to leave the room himself. Now he could turn his attention back—
    Damn. His curiosity continued to twitch despite the fact that the woman was obviously disturbed. He wanted to know more, but shuddered at the thought of inviting the creature back into his house.
    Where was that letter? Ah, she'd left it on the side table.
    Stanton picked up the folded sheets of paper and flicked them open in one motion. Ah, she had indeed written the entire account for him. She certainly was putting a great deal of effort into fluffing up her story.
    Then his gaze caught the words "scarred man."
    Bloody hell. There was only one scarred man on his mind at the moment:
    The Chimera.
    He turned abruptly and ran from the house after the woman, but she was well gone. There were no hackneys on the street, nor any shabbily dressed pedestrians.
    Lady Alicia had disappeared.
2
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    As soon as Stanton had given up on following his odd visitor, he had set about investigating the woman. His first stop, Diamond House.
    "Lady Alicia Lawrence?" Stanton's cousin Lady Jane—or Mrs. Damont as some might consider her but no one