“I don’t need proof.” James swung his head toward his cousin, his eyes implacable. “Who else would try to kill my wife?” He swept his hand toward the other people watching in stunned fascination. “All of them might hate me enough to kill me, however small the benefit. But no one would kill Laura except for profit . . . and Claude is the one who would profit. He would have to act quickly, you see, because once I survived, he’d know she might provide me with an heir. Then he would lose all chance of inheriting.” He looked back at his brother. “Wouldn’t you, Claude?”
Claude crossed his arms and regarded James stonily.
“I may not have enough proof for a judge, that’s true,” James went on. “Nor do I wish to upset Mother with the scandal. So this is what I intend: I am going to hire an assassin.”
“What?” A chorus of voices rose up around him.
“If Laura dies, if I die, he will kill you.” James jabbed his finger at Claude. “Do you understand?”
“I understand that you’re a bloody lunatic.”
“James, that’s mad,” Graeme protested. “You can’t just go about hiring someone to kill your brother!”
“Can’t I?”
“Stop and think about this. Consider the consequences. What if something happened that Claude had nothing to do with? If it was just an accident?”
“Then I’d say that Claude has a vested interest in making sure Laura remains well.” James turned and strode away, leaving everyone in the hall staring after him in shocked silence.
Laura whirled and ran after her husband. The remainder of their guests were clustered at the foot of the stairs, buzzing with curiosity, but Laura hardly glanced at them as she ran past.
When Laura entered the study, James was standing at his desk, tucking a sheaf of banknotes into an inner pocket of his jacket. She knew he had heard her enter because, if nothing else, Dem turned to wag his tail at her, but he did not acknowledge her. “James?”
He looked up then, and she saw that his lip was cut and bloodied. Laura pulled out her handkerchief, going to him to wipe away the blood.
He jerked his head away, his expression cool and remote. “I’m going to London.”
At the rebuff, Laura’s hand fell to her side and she took a step back. She tried to match his demeanor despite the fact that her heart was still racing and her nerves jangling in the aftermath of her fright. “Why?”
“To hire an assassin,” he said as calmly as if he’d told her he was going to buy a suit. “As I just told Claude.”
“Are you serious?” She stared. “You really intend to hire a killer?”
“Of course. Did you think I was joking?”
“I presumed you were bluffing,” she retorted, irritation blooming in her chest. “It’s a trifle extreme, don’t you think?”
“Trying to kill you was a trifle extreme,” he answered. “I don’t intend to sit around and wait until he’s successful. This is the most efficient way to assure your safety.”
“James, no! He’s your brother.” Laura’s eyes widened as he pulled a small pistol out of the drawer.
“I don’t have a great deal of brotherly love for the man right now.” He stuck the pistol into the waistband of his trousers and pulled his coat closed over it. “I’m leaving tonight, and I’m taking Claude with me.”
“You think he will be willing to go with you?”
James smiled thinly. “I’m not giving him a choice.” He walked over to the liquor cabinet and poured a shot of whiskey, then drank it down.
Laura watched him, baffled. From the moment the urn had almost hit her, he had been roiling with emotion, first panic, then rage. Now he seemed utterly calm and in control. But why wouldn’t he look at her? “I don’t understand. Why do you want Claude to accompany you?”
“Do you think I would risk him being near you?”
Laura started to point out that James could just as easily take her to London with him and leave Claude here, but he seemed suddenly so cool, so much a stranger, that she felt embarrassed to do so—as if she would be begging for his attention. As she watched, he poured another drink and downed it.
“James, why are you acting this way?” Laura’s legs began to tremble, and she had to lock her knees for fear she might crumple to the floor. Her chest was tight, and tears pushed at the edges of her eyes. She had almost died a few minutes ago. All she wanted right now was for James to hold her, to feel his strength and warmth all around her. Instead, he was as remote as a stranger. “This is madness!”