The Silver Coin by Andrea Kane

party. It’s too risky. We’ll have to cancel it.”
    “Even if we do, that’s still no guarantee we’ll be stopping him from doing whatever it is he intends to do.” Anastasia’s palm drifted automatically to her abdomen as if to protect her unborn child from harm.
    Damen followed her motion, and felt hisgutclench. Perhaps they were all overreacting, letting their imaginations run wild. But for his family’s sake, for the sake of his own peace of mind, he couldn ‘ttake that risk.
    Abruptly, he made a decision.
    “I’ve got to ride into Town.” He reached for his topcoat.
    “To Town? Why?” Quick as a wink, Anastasia was beside him. “Damen, what are you planning?”
    He caressed her cheek, kissed the bridge of her nose. “I want to speak with someone. Someone I think can help us.”
    “Who?”
    “Royce Chadwick.” Damen shrugged into his coat. “You don’t know him. He couldn’t make it to out wedding; he was out of the country. But he’s an old acquaintance of mine. We attended Oxford together. From there, he went on to the military. He was a brilliant strategist during the war with Napoleon. Since then, well, let’s just say he’s gone on to become the best at what he does.”
    “Which is?”
    “He finds people—people who either can’t or don ‘twant to be found.”
    “Royce Chadwick,” Wells repeated. “Isn’t he the Earl of Searby’s brother?”
    “Yes. Although Edmund and Royce are about as alike as tea and spirits.”
    “Indeed.” Wells was frowning now. “If gossip stands me correctly, the earl’s brother is a reckless fellow—a bittoowild and daring.”Dames lips curved. “Yes, Royceisnot your staid ballroom type. He lives by his own set of rules. Buthe’s incredibly shrewd,he ‘shonest, and he’s smart as a whip.And,as I said, he’s the best manIknowatfinding people who have vanished—people even BowStreetcan ‘tfind.”
    “Such aspeople who choosenot torepay theirloans?”Stacie guessed, astutely determining how Damen knew of this Royce Chadwick ‘swork first-
    “Exactly.” Her husband smiled, admiring her keen insights—insights he’d come to know and love. “He ‘sdone some fine work for meandmy bank.” Pausing, he framed Stacie’s face between his palms, bent toki ssher shining crown of hair. “Stay put,” he ordered. His glance lifted to include Breanna. “Both of you.Inthis case,it ‘s better to be overcautious. Wells, don’t let either of them out of your sight.I ‘ll be back later today—with a plan.”

6
    Royce Chadwick lived and worked on Bond Street.
    His home, which also served as his office, stood in a row of three-story, gated Town houses, all of which exuded an aura of understated wealth and power—an aura that both commanded a second look and, at the same time, demanded privacy.
    A description one could just as easily ascribe to Royce.
    He and Damen had met at Oxford. The two men had developed an immediate affinity for each other, despite the fact that their philosophies of life differed sharply.
    Damen was a pragmatist. He met life head-on, confronted its challenges, and emerged from them wiser, surer, and farther along the path to his own success.
    Royce created his own challenges.
    Bold, defiant, he took on the world, unwilling to accept the status quo, loath to compromise. He lived on the edge, pushed the rules as far as they could go—and then some—a fact that nearly got him ex pelled from Oxford on more than one occasion by the narrow-minded administration who ran it.
    But, damn, he was brilliant. Brilliant and, in his own way, honorable. True, he was unconventional, driven by demons he never discussed. And yes, he lived by his own code of conduct, conduct that too often got him in trouble. But he never used people, never took advantage of those less intelligent or weaker than he. On the contrary, he was a loner, relying upon his own ingenuity and cunning to get him what he wanted—partially because he was a man of