Furious though he was, Peregrine could not deny the wisdom of Slade's words. For too many years he had walked alone, needing to be concerned for only his own survival. But since arriving in England, he had fallen prey to a sticky web of relationships: friends, dependents, relatives by marriage.
And Sara. If Weldon wanted to hurt Peregrine, Sara was the logical target, for Weldon already hated her for her betrayal. Gentle Sara, who had only the vaguest knowledge of the evil men could do.
The thought of what Weldon might do made Peregrine's blood chill. It was time for another change of plan. "Find half a dozen men who are trained in arms to act as guards. Former soldiers by preference, men who are not easily bribed. I'll make loyalty worth their while."
But that was only a partial answer. Slade was right, it was impossible to completely protect Sara short of keeping her locked in a tower, which she would not like. And if Weldon could not get at Sara directly, he might strike at those Sara loved, for hurting Sara would hurt Peregrine. There were too many people involved, particularly since it would be best to keep this business a secret.
With a sigh, he reached an inevitable conclusion. "I suppose I must end my cat-and-mouse game more quickly than I had planned."
"The sooner the better," Slade agreed.
A few minutes more were spent discussing other business. Then Peregrine left.
After his departure, Slade spent a long time staring out the window, his face dark with foreboding. He could not help but feel that his employer's carefully orchestrated vengeance might spin awry in the final phases. Peregrine might be playing cat and mouse, but Weldon was more a rat than a mouse. And a cornered rat with nothing to lose was a vicious creature indeed.
Chapter 18
Cousin Leticia's husband, Lord Sanford, was very rich and very influential in Whig politics, so his oldest daughter's coming-out ball was one of the grandest events of the autumn social season. As they waited in their carriage to be dropped in front of the Grosvenor Square mansion, Sara said hesitantly to her husband, "Charles Weldon will probably be here tonight. He is related to Letty's husband."
"I'd be amazed if he wasn't." Mikahl glanced out at the line of carriages before and behind them. "From what I can see, the whole of fashionable England is either inside or waiting to get in." He turned to Sara, his expression becoming serious. "Will it bother you to see him again?"
"We must meet sooner or later. London society is not large enough to avoid someone." Sara began toying with her Chinese fan, rippling the tortoiseshell sticks open and shut across her shimmering green skirt. She had wronged Charles. It was not a fact she was proud of, even though she could not regret the ending of her first betrothal. "The first time will be the worst."
"Will it help if I stay with you all evening?" he asked, his voice gentle.
She shook her head. "That's not necessary. Charles has too much pride to make a scene. Besides, I know that my father wants to introduce you to some of his old cronies."
"Publicly put his seal on his son-in-law?" Mikahl's mouth quirked up. "I thought that sponsoring me for presentation to the queen had taken care of that."
"Father wouldn't want anyone to think that he doesn't approve of his son-in-law. The pride of the St. Jameses, you know." Sara gave her husband a fond look. "Was the presentation dreadful? All you said after was that you hadn't disgraced my father or yourself."
"It was an interesting experience, though not one I would care to repeat. There must have been at least two hundred men presented at the Levee—I felt like a camel in a caravan." He grinned. "Would it be treasonous to say that if I had met her anywhere else, I would have said that your Victoria is a wench with a roving eye?"
"It might be true, but for heaven's sake, don't say so to anyone else." Sara chuckled. "Drina is only twenty years old and has always enjoyed the sight of a handsome man. Whichever of her royal German cousins she decides to marry, it is a safe bet that he will be good-looking."
"Drina?"
"That was her childhood nickname, for Alexandrina," Sara explained. "It was a surprise when she decided to use one of her middle names when she became queen. But Queen Victoria does have a ring that Queen Alexandrina does not."
"You did not mention that you know the queen well," Mikahl remarked with interest.
"When she was a child, I used to visit her sometimes at Kensington Palace. I was wellborn enough to be considered a suitable companion for a royal princess." Sara sighed. "Even though I'm seven years older, Drina and I became quite fond of each other. She was a sweet child. I used to feel very sorry for her because her mother, the Duchess of Kent, kept her almost a prisoner. When the duchess saw that Drina was becoming attached to me, my visits were no longer allowed."