Page 114 of To Pleasure a Prince

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she muttered, unable to make any sense out of his ramblings. She waited until they were in the parlor and he was sprawled upon a settee before she tried to get anything more out of him. “Now, what’s this about me going somewhere?”

“To Carlton House. For a meeting. With your husband and Louisa.”

Katherine appeared in the doorway. “He’s right. Marcus’s letter says that he hopes you’ll allow him to accompany you tomorrow afternoon to Carlton House for a private meeting with His Highness and Louisa.”

“And me,” Simon snapped. “What’s going on? What does Draker have up his sleeve now, damn it?”

“I have no idea.” Her mind was reeling. Marcus hadn’t seen the prince in years and had been adamant about never allowing Louisa into His Highness’s presence. So what could it possibly mean?

“Did the letter say anything else?” she asked Katherine.

LikeI love you?Or evenforgive me?

Cicely appeared behind Katherine. “No. I’m sorry.”

“Draker means to ruin me with His Highness, I know it,” Simon grumbled. “That’s why he’s taking Louisa there. And if she tells the prince about—” He closed his eyes. “God save me, I’m in trouble.”

“Good. You deserve it.”

All Regina could think about was Marcus. What this meant for their marriage. What he was trying to tell her with this cursory note, if anything.

She turned to her brother. “Did you come in the phaeton?”

“Certainly.”

“And I suppose you drove yourself? Good.” She headed for the door. “I’m taking the phaeton.”

“What?” He stumbled to his feet and nearly tripped over a tea table. “You can’t—”

“You’re in no condition to be tooling it about town anyway, and I mean to go to Castlemaine this instant.”

“Have you ever driven a phaeton?” Katherine asked.

“Simon has let me take the reins a few times, yes.”

Katherine lifted one eyebrow. “Perhaps you ought to wait until Alec returns from Tattersall’s and let him take you out there in the carriage.”

“No, indeed.” She swept past Katherine and Cicely. “If I show up alone, Marcus will not dare to bar me from the house. He wouldn’t want me driving back to town in the dark by myself.”

“You don’t really think he’s going to hold to that threat now, do you?” Katherine asked as she followed her into the hall.

“I truly have no idea. After his note and the keys…” She let the footman help her into her coat. “I only know I cannot sit here another minute wondering what he’s thinking. I have to end this, once and for all.”

But as Regina headed off in the phaeton, she couldn’t settle her taut nerves. It was a long two hours to Castlemaine, and she fretted over every mile. By giving her the keys to the town house, was Marcus acknowledging her freedom? Or asking for his own? Why hadn’t he come himself?

Then again, the man was so cursedly proud, he could never admit he was wrong. Perhaps this meeting with the prince was meant to be his final denouncement of the man and all his friends, Regina and Simon included.

But he was taking Louisa with him, and he’d been so adamant about not telling her the truth. Had he changed his mind? Or had she figured it out? Or might both of them now be bent on vengeance against His Highness and all his friends, Regina and Simon included? Except that he meant to stay in the town house with her, and that made no sense if it was vengeance he wanted.

By the time she reached Castlemaine, she’d worked herself up into a state of high dudgeon. So help him, if he had told his butler to bar her from the place, she would drive the phaeton right through the halls of his precious Castlemaine and have the horses dance on his head!

But no one made a murmur as she drew up in front. A startled groom hurried to take her reins and help her down. An equally startled footman opened the door, and a distinctly ruffled butler met her in the hall.

It suddenly occurred to her that she had never been formally introduced to Marcus’s staff. The last time she’d spoken to the butler, upon her first visit to Castlemaine, he actuallyhadtried to bar her from the place.

She didn’t even know his name. “I…um…am Lady Draker.”

The butler colored deeply. “Yes, I know, my lady. Young James here will take your coat.” He gestured to the gawking footman, who scurried to do his duty.