The Duke's Men [1] What the Duke Desires by Sabrina Jeffries

her. “It is indeed, but clearly you know as little about my family
     as I know about yours. My eldest half brother, George, hates us all, even Dom. Dom
     stood up to him on our behalf, so George cut him off, too.”
    “Too?”
    Pain slashed over her features. “Because of my father’s negligence in providing for
     us and because of . . . other things, George was able to cut off all three of us.
     Why do you think Dom works in such anungentlemanly profession? Because he has no choice.” A contemptuous edge laced her
     voice. “I assure you, Yorkshire is the last place Tristan would ever go.”
    Frustrated by her answers, Maximilian drained his cup, then rose to pace again. “The
     tavern was near the docks. Perhaps he stayed on board a ship. I can go through the
     manifests of every one that has recently been at port in France.”
    She lifted an eyebrow. “Good luck. Thousands of ships come through the Port of London
     every year, and that isn’t counting the smaller vessels. You forget that steam packets
     make the journey daily. If he took one of those, he might already have returned to
     France, having missed you.”
    Damn it all. “Steam packets don’t travel on Sunday, so perhaps he’s still nearby.”
    “And perhaps he took the coach to Dover or Brighton or Southampton to pick up a packet
     in those towns tomorrow morning.”
    “So you do think he might have returned to France.”
    She shrugged. “It’s possible he never left France. He could have sent that note from
     anywhere.”
    “He mentioned the messenger and set up an assignation.”
    “True.” She worried her plump lower lip with her teeth. “Perhaps the note is forged.”
    He narrowed his gaze on her. “You’re grasping at straws, madam.”
    She rose. “I know my brother’s character. He wouldnever coax a duke to meet him unless he had every intention of being there.”
    A curse escaped him. It did bother him that Bonnaud hadn’t come to the town house.
     A sensible swindler would have come in person, asked for money to bring the impostor
     to him, and taken what he could get. And if Bonnaud’s purpose had been to get Maximilian
     off where he could demand money easier, why hadn’t he stayed around?
    He hated to admit it; she was right—this made no sense. But that didn’t mean he would
     stop looking for the man. He couldn’t, not if there was any chance in blazes that
     Peter was alive.
    “Then I have no choice. I have to find your brother. I cannot sit here doing nothing
     in hopes that he seeks me out again. I must have my answers.” He stalked up to the
     desk. “You mentioned reaching him through his employer—I can use that, too. I’ll travel
     to France myself to speak to his employer if you will but give me the man’s name and
     address.”
    She stared him down. “Not on your life.”
    He stiffened. He couldn’t believe it. The impertinent chit was actually refusing to help him! “I don’t think you understand, Miss Bonnaud. I will—”
    “Oh, I understand completely. You mean to go to Tristan’s employer and ruin his reputation
     by making wild accusations about him, with only a possibly forged letter as proof.
     I will not allow it.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Tristan has a good position
     working for theFrench government, and I’m not sending you off to destroy that over what is probably
     some misapprehension.”
    “Misapprehension!”
    “But having already been worried about his silence of late, I want to know the truth
     as much as you. So I will help you find him. Under one condition.”
    He glowered at her. He should have known how this would end. “You want money, I suppose.”
    “Certainly not!” She drew herself up. “I want you to take me with you.”

3

    I F CIRCUMSTANCES HAD been different, Lisette would have laughed at the look of sheer outrage carving deep
     lines into the duke’s brow. But much as she would normally enjoy shocking a haughty
     English lord, this was