"Know what?"

"About the hotel room incident."

Max cast him an all-knowing smile. Adrian knew that smile; he had perfected it.

"Just tell me this is not common knowledge. It has not become fodder for gossip." He blew a long breath. "The only thing saving me from certain disaster is that this mess has been kept quiet."

Max laughed. "I do so enjoy it when you are not in complete control. And no, it is not commonly known."

"I'm glad one of us is amused." He sipped his whiskey. "As I was saying, Evelyn sent me a schedule of our social obligations. There is a Venetian masked ball, some sort of gala for some charity or another, in three days."

"And you are expected to attend?"

"According to the schedule." He grit his teeth.

"You were always a master of disguise. This couldn't be more perfect for you than if you'd sent out the invitations yourself." Max considered him curiously. "Why didn't you mention this earlier?"

"I thought perhaps you might have had a better idea as this sort of thing is what you do every day." He chuckled. "Obviously I was wrong."

Max sniffed. "My ideas were excellent and most creative. Even you agree kidnapping is brilliant-"

"I'm not sure brilliant is the right word."

"Even more brilliant, I'd say, if you, as Sir, disguised in Venetian dress, were to rescue her. Women can scarcely resist a hero."

"That's rather complicated, isn't it?"

"Your idea is ..." Max shrugged. "Simple."

"And as such is practically infallible."

"I can think of any number of ways in which it might go wrong," Max said in a lofty manner. "Horribly wrong."

"Name two."

"Better yet, three." Max cleared his throat. "One, your wife expects you to attend this gala. She will not take it well should you beg off."

"And I would prefer not to add to my list of sins." Adrian drew his brows together. "Obviously both Adrian and Sir will attend."

"Two, even at your best, it would be difficult for you to be two people at the same time in the same place."

"Admittedly, it will be a challenge." Adrian waved off the comment. "But manageable nonetheless."

Max snorted. "And three." He set his gla.s.s on the table and met his friend's gaze. "There was no one better than you at disguise. You could fool anyone, anywhere. Even people you had met." He leaned closer. "But Adrian, this is your wife. She knows you as well as you know yourself. She knows how you walk and stand and dance. She knows the looks in your eye and the smell of your soap. I think in an incense-scented church or a dank cellar you might be able to deceive her, but in her own world?" He settled back in his chair. "I'd wager you can't fool her."

"I fooled her when we first met."

"Not really." Max shrugged. "She'd never met you in person. I don't think you can do it."

"Of course I can do it." He scoffed. "She'll never realize who Sir really is. People never see what they don't expect to see." Especially women who didn't think their husbands were adventurous.

"Would you care to wager on it?" Max said mildly.

Adrian narrowed his eyes. "What kind of wager?"

His tone was abruptly serious. "In exchange for my a.s.sistance in this absurd endeavor of yours, you agree to come back to the department in an advisory capacity."

"Only on a temporary basis."

"If I am right, if you cannot fool Evelyn, I want you to make it permanent."

"I can't-"

"I'm not asking you to resume your previous position. I understand why that isn't possible." He met Adrian's gaze firmly. "But you were part of this department for nearly fifteen years, heading it for the last five. Your experience and expertise are invaluable. I have to confess, it is not the same without you. We could use you back. I could use you."

"I don't-"

"We have always been at our most brilliant when we have worked together. When we have puzzled out a solution together, combined your ideas with mine. As we have today. I want to be able to call on you, not every day, of course, but frequently. As an advisor, nothing more than that," Max added quickly.

Now was not the time for Adrian to admit that he'd already been thinking along those lines. "And if I am successful?"

"Of course, you will no longer need to doubt your wife's feelings for you, which should be winnings enough."

"And all I want. However ..." Adrian shook his head slowly. "That's scarcely sufficient for a wager between the two of us."

"And ..." Max heaved a resigned sigh. "The department will never call on you or your wife again."

"I see." He considered his friend thoughtfully. "Do I have your word that you will not do anything to a.s.sure your winning this wager?"

"Absolutely." He nodded. "While under other circ.u.mstances, I would do whatever I thought necessary to win a wager, the stakes for you are already high enough." Max smiled ruefully. "As your friend, I almost hope I lose."

"Almost?"

"You can't ask for more than that from me." Max grinned. "It's the nature of man, I think. Even while hoping a bomb will not detonate, one can't help but look forward a bit to the spectacle of the explosion itself."

"Not all of us," Adrian murmured, his mind already contemplating the details of accompanying Evie to the masquerade and being there as Sir to flirt with her. Pity, he couldn't get the image of an exploding inferno consuming everything in its path out of his head. "Not all of us."

Chapter 15.

Evelyn's gaze shifted from one bouquet to the next. The floral displays sat side by side on the table in Celeste's parlor.

I can't leave you alone for a minute, can I?" Celeste strode into the parlor.

"Nonsense, it was far more than a minute." Evelyn smiled at her friend. "I daresay you were gone nearly an hour."

"I was gone merely an hour. Long enough apparently for you to fill the house with strange men." Exasperation sounded in Celeste's voice. "Again."

"That would be Mr. Merryweather, Mr. Knowles, and Mr. Lloyd," Evelyn said absently, her gaze returning to the flowers.

On the left side, an explosion of tulips and hyacinths and other spring flowers filled a large bowl to overflowing. It was most impressive. Somewhat more sedate, but no less impressive, was the elegant vase of two dozen red roses.

"Why are they here?"

"They're measuring the bedrooms. I stopped at their establishments yesterday when I was finished at the dressmaker's." Evelyn glanced at her. "You may send them on their way with the same speech you gave the others."

"I thought you were only going to refurbish one room?"

"Only one room at a time," Evelyn said. "But it struck me last night, as I was failing to get to sleep, that refurbishing my wardrobe instead of this house means there is nothing to oversee." She shrugged. "And no need to stay here."

Celeste considered her for a moment. "Therefore, you could return to your husband."

She nodded. "I could."

"And his punishment would be at an end."

"I'm not punishing him," Evelyn said in a lofty manner. "I am simply giving him the uninterrupted opportunity to see the error of his ways."

"Is it working?"

Evelyn clenched her teeth. "Not thus far."

Celeste's gaze slid to the floral arrangements. "I know the roses are from Sir. I'm a.s.suming the other flowers are from Lord W?"

"They arrived this morning along with a brief note about spring. Quite lovely really." She recited from memory, " 'My dear Evie, I send these in hope they bring a touch of spring to your heart as you have always brought it to mine.' "

"That is lovely."

"My husband is a man of few words." Too few really. The sentiment expressed in his note would have been quite perfect if it had come when she had been attributing her preoccupied manner to the weather. As it was, after two days and two endless nights without him, it simply wasn't enough. "And apparently his continued apology, his declaration of being unable to live without me, his vow of undying love, his a.s.surance that he will trust me without question for the rest of our days ..." She gritted her teeth. "Those are words that he is either unable or unwilling to say."

"Still," Celeste said quickly. "Lord W must have gone to a great deal of trouble to obtain spring blossoms at this time of year."

"We do have a conservatory, you know," Evelyn said wryly. "And a gardener quite proficient at forcing blooms."

"Regardless, it was most thoughtful, as was his sentiment." Celeste waved at the roses. "It's not as if he simply had a florist deliver something as expected as two dozen red roses. That takes no particular effort whatsoever nor is it especially original."

"No, it isn't. And yet, one must give credit for quant.i.ty and persistence."

"Persistence?"

"The roses in the front entry are the ones from yesterday. These came while you were out."

Celeste grimaced. "From Sir?"

"Complete with another note." She picked the note up off the table and handed it to Celeste. "Read it."

" 'My dear Eve,' " Celeste read. " 'Thus far there is little new in regards to the missing file. Therefore, at the moment, your services are not needed.' " She glanced up. "This is good."

Evelyn snorted. "Keep reading."

Celeste's gaze returned to the note. " 'However, until this situation is resolved, be prepared to be called upon at any time. ' " She frowned. "Oh dear."

" 'Oh dear' is something of an understatement." Evelyn scoffed. "Go on."

"I'm almost afraid to," Celeste said under her breath, then continued. " 'Still, while the lack of progress is always a source of frustration, I cannot help but be grateful as it enables me to not merely renew our acquaintance but broaden it.' " Celeste gasped and met Evelyn's gaze. "Does he mean what I think he means?"

"I'm afraid to guess precisely what he means."

"Is he mad then?"

"Given my experiences of late, I am beginning to believe all men are mad. And not merely annoying." She gestured at the note. "There's more."

"I can see that." Celeste winced. "Good Lord." She drew a deep breath. "Where was I?"

"We had just broadened our acquaintance."

"Yes, of course." She searched for the words. "Let's see ...'Do not think this is a casual desire on my part. You have filled my thoughts these past two years.' "

Evelyn groaned.

" 'In your last note you said you regret that we had never met. That, my dear lovely Eve, may well be greatest regret of my life. Yours always.'" Celeste raised a stunned gaze to meet Evelyn's. " 'Sir.' "

"Charming, isn't it?" Evelyn said in a wry manner.

"Oh, my G.o.d, yes." Celeste sat down on the sofa beside her and stared. "It's not merely charming but might well be the most romantic thing I have ever read. Not meeting you is the biggest regret of his life? Why, it's intoxicating and nearly irresistible."

Evelyn shook her head. "Not to me."

"Are you sure?" Celeste glanced at the note in her hand.

"Absolutely."

"But there was a time-"

"That time is past," Evelyn said firmly.

"You're not the least bit, well, moved by his words?"

"Moved?" She scoffed. "What is there to be moved by?" She plucked the note from Celeste's hand and waved it. "Admittedly, these are fine words. 'My dear lovely Eve,' 'Yours always,' 'greatest regret of my life,' but they have no real meaning." She tossed the note back onto the table. "The man has always hidden behind the veil of secrecy required by his position and our work. Now, after all this time, now he chooses to tell me of feelings that, quite frankly, make no difference to me." She thought for a moment. "One does have to wonder what he wants."

Celeste chose her words with care. "It sounds as though what he wants is you."

"Nonsense. It doesn't sound that way to me at all. More than likely, his return to the department and his renewed communication with me have brought about ..." She searched for the right words. "Feelings of sentiment, which are probably no more than momentary aberrations." She met her friend's gaze firmly. "And I think you are reading far more into this note than is really there."