Page 90 of To Catch A Rogue

"You would. Next time, I'm not going to be as eager to spend."

He dragged her down for another, gentler kiss.

"Knock, knock," someone called through the door, before rapping sharply.

Lark squeaked and dove off Charlie, almost flipping right off the edge of the bed. He cursed under his breath, trying to tug his nightshirt down to cover the flaccid curve of what was left of his erection.

"Just a friendly reminder we were s'posed to be meetin' an 'our ago," Blade called. "Everybody's waitin' in the sittin' room." Blade paused. "Maybe you'd best rap on Lark's door when you're dressed. Seems she's dead to the world, 'cause she ain't answerin' her door either."

"Will do," Charlie called, his head slumping back onto the pillow as he groaned. "Just go away and let me get dressed and we'll—I'll be with you in ten minutes."

"If you ain't there in ten, I'll come 'aul you out o' bed meself."

Footsteps echoed on the floor outside as Blade walked away.

"Do you think he knows?" Her cheeks were hot enough to cook an egg.

Charlie dug his thumbs up under his eyebrows and groaned. "He knows."

"Oh, my God."

How the hell was she going to look Blade in the eye?

"Don't know what you're worried about," Charlie groused, tossing the covers back and climbing to his feet. "I'm the one he'll thrash."

* * *

"Thinkyou're up to a little bit of a challenge?" Gemma asked, shaking pounce from her letter back into its little pot.

Charlie clasped his hands behind his back and looked at Lark. "Define 'little.'"

"Balfour is hosting a hunt today, followed by dinner and a ball. I want you to break into his wife's study while he's on the hunt. I'm going to distract Dido."

"What are we stealing?"

"Nothing." Gemma's smile was sleek. "Tatiana Feodorevna is the source of Balfour's power. She's also a fierce proponent of seeing her dearest friend, Elisabeta Grigoriev, announced as the Tsarina's heir."

"Sergey's wife," Lark murmured.

"Indeed." Gemma swiftly folded the letter and slipped it inside an envelope. She sealed it with wax and pressed the counterfeit Feodorevna seal that Luther had created into it. "I want you to slip this into Tatiana's post, if you can. It's addressed to Elisabeta's sister, Alexandrina, and it is signed by Balfour."

Realization dawned. "That's why you wanted the letter Balfour had written. You wanted a copy of his signature."

"And his writing style." Gemma carefully crinkled the edges of the envelope, so it would show a little use. "Tatiana is a ruthless young woman who wants nothing to stand in her friend's path to the throne. If Balfour thinks she's not watching his every move, then he's very much mistaken."

"And if Tatiana thinks her husband is plotting with Alexandrina, then she might be amenable to disrupting his affairs."

"Distraction is our ally," Lark mused.

"So far Balfour's been making all the moves. I'm going to start playing back."

"Consider it done," Charlie said, tucking the letter inside his coat.

* * *

"Have you considered my request?"Balfour asked, his breath steaming in the crisp autumn air as they strolled along the ruler-straight canal that led out to sea.

Obsidian clasped his hands behind him to fight the itch to choke the bastard out. "I have."