Free Conspiring with a Rogue by Julie Johnstone Page A

a deep breath, she tried to maintain her patience. “What exactly are you trying to tell me?”
    “Apparently, Peter has taken it into his head that though Mr. Wentworth may be looking for a missing girl, as we told my dear husband, he has also decided the man has other nefarious purposes for becoming a member of the Sainted Order.”
    “Such as?”
    “Peter thinks you, er, I mean Mr. Wentworth—” Sally stopped midsentence and frowned. “It’s tiresome, darling, your pretending to be a man.”
    “Apologies,” Whitney snapped, wanting to shake the rest of the story out of Sally.
    “Accepted.” Sally smiled one of her graciously false― I know you’re angry at me, but I don’t truly care’ ―smiles. “Peter has decided Mr. Wentworth wants to enjoy a last minute scandalous liaison before marching down the aisle of matrimony.”
    “Oh, dear God,” Whitney groaned. Peter would be a stickler for propriety, considering his first intended had consumed too much laudanum and died after finding him in bed with a notorious ladybird. Peter had been left with a hefty amount of guilt, though everyone knew the betrothal had been forced on him by his father.
    “What’s Peter done?”
    Sally bit her lower lip. A sure sign the duchess was worried. “Peter has agreed on Mr. Wentworth’s behalf to change the boxing match to a game of cards.”
    Whitney would have swooned if swooning was at all in her nature. Instead, she broke out into an instant, sticky sweat. She had never played cards in her life, but Peter would not know that. But the duke had to know, as everyone did, what an extraordinary card player Drake was. Disbelief thickened her tongue. “Peter knows of Drake’s reputation with cards, doesn’t he?” It was more a statement than a question.
    “He knows,” Sally replied, her lips drawn together as if she had just sucked on a lemon. “It’s vexing to admit, but he’s outmaneuvered us. I had no inkling he wasn’t going to do as he had promised. Lady Audrey apparently told Peter she’s desperately in love with you, and Peter believes there is no higher cause than desperate true love.”
    “Where is she?” Whitney demanded, flinging open the door. She would throttle Audrey. Had she not told her to stay put at Wentworth Investigations? Had she not explained in no uncertain terms that she did not need or want the woman’s help in locating Lillian? The little conniver thought to out-connive her, did she? Whitney took a step into the hall but Sally grasped her arm, pulled her back into the room and shut the door.
    “Are you mad? Peter’s valet lurks everywhere. He’s as loyal as an Old English sheepdog. Whatever you say, he’ll report directly to Peter. Tell me exactly what transpired between you and Lady Audrey.”
    “She figured out I was a woman and threatened to expose me to her father unless I let her help me at Wentworth Investigations. In my haste to control her, I blurted out a proposal of marriage.”
    Sally narrowed her eyes. “That little minx. She sat pretty as you please in my drawing room acting as if she was in love with Mr. Wentworth. She never even hinted that she knew the truth, and she claims to be my friend.”
    Whitney gripped Sally’s arm. “What shall I do? I can’t send her home. I’ve no doubt she’d tell her father everything.”
    Sally smiled broadly. “Leave her to me. I’ve the perfect weapon to teach Lady Audrey a well-deserved lesson. I should have seen that Peter had been duped by her. I’m ill that I missed the sympathetic glaze in his eyes. You should have seen her.”
    “I can imagine,” Whitney said. “I’ve seen her in action. She’s quite the little actress.”
    Sally nodded. “She practically confirmed that you had declared your intention to sow your wild oats in Town and taunted her that there was nothing she could do to prevent it. I was shocked.” Sally fanned herself, displaying her own dramatic acting skills. “You know I’m hard to