Read Online Nicole Jordan by Lord of Seduction - Free Book Online Page B

attempting to expose the identities of the Guardians. You’ll recall there was another incident last September. You weren’t here at the time,” he said to Thorne.
    Thorne thought back to the previous fall. He and Ryder had both been absent from Cyrene on various missions when two visitors to the island, Danielle and Peter Newham, had been apprehended for stealing a membership roster of the Guardians.
    “If I recall,” Thorne mused, “when questioned, the Newhams confessed that they had been hired by an Englishman to discover a list of our members.”
    “Yes,” Yates replied. “A man by the name of Thomas Forrester.”
    “You sent agents to investigate the Newhams’ story, but the trail went nowhere?”
    “It went completely cold. We discovered that Thomas Forrester did actually exist—he had been living in London—but that he had recently died in a fire.”
    “I find this highly interesting,” Sir Gawain remarked gravely. “Two apparently separate events begin to appear related.”
    “Perhaps Madam Venus had some connection to this dead Englishman?” Ryder wondered aloud.
    “It does seem possible,” Sir Gawain replied.
    “I intend to find out,” Thorne said.
    “And how does Nathaniel fit in?” Ryder asked. “Were Nate and Venus lovers, do you think?”
    “It wouldn’t surprise me,” Thorne prevaricated. “Nathaniel was spending an unusual amount of time at her sin club just before his death. And his letter admitted he was investigating Venus and her involvement with French spies. He might have invited himself into her bed in order to learn whatever secrets she was hiding.”
    Yates was still frowning. “So what do we do now?”
    “I plan to return to London very shortly,” Thorne answered, “to retrace Nathaniel’s steps during his final days. Meanwhile, I want to plant one of our agents in Venus’s club. I thought perhaps Macky might be right for the job, since he’s a former actor. With his physical attributes and thespian skills, he could play the role of cicisbeo.”
    Ryder raised an eyebrow. “You want Beau Macklin to get himself hired by Venus to service her wealthy female clientele?”
    “Precisely.”
    “What a torturous assignment,” Ryder observed, clearly amused.
    “But potentially effective. In Venus’s employ, he can keep his ear to the ground and ferret out secrets we couldn’t hope to obtain otherwise.”
    “Agreed,” Sir Gawain said, although with evident reluctance.
    “Then I have your permission to commission Macky, sir?”
    “Yes,” Sir Gawain replied. “And you should also attempt to discover if Madam Venus has any connection to the late Thomas Forrester. Moreover, we shall need to reopen the investigation into Forrester’s death, to determine why he wished to learn the Guardians’ identities.”
    Thorne had an even broader goal in mind: to prevent any other Guardians from being killed. But he knew there was no need to state the obvious.
    He also realized Sir Gawain was scrutinizing him solemnly. “You must take care, Thorne. If Nathaniel Lunsford was killed because he was growing too close to a traitor, then if you start probing, you could make yourself a target, as well. You needn’t take any unnecessary risks.”
    “I won’t take any risk that I deem unnecessary,” Thorne hedged.
    John Yates spoke up then. “I wish to be part of the investigation, sir.”
    Yates had personal reasons for wanting to be involved in solving the mystery of Nathaniel’s murder, Thorne knew, yet the request clearly did not sit well with Sir Gawain.
    “It will inconvenience me greatly to have my secretary absent, you know. You are more valuable to me here.”
    “But, sir, I was the one betrayed by Danielle Newham. I want to set things right.”
    Sir Gawain’s pained expression faded into resignation. “Very well. I will endeavor to carry on without you.” He turned to Thorne. “When do you expect to leave for England?”
    “A week, perhaps. I’ll need time to