deception will better our cause, then I support your quest. I only wish I had the strength to accompany you.”
“Thank you.” If Reece supported her, she could go hunting information with a clear conscience. Her gut told her she was on the right track. The earl’s anger was out of proportion with the facts, and there had to be a reason for it. She hugged Reece.
His arms came around her, and he patted her back.
She longed for his strength but settled for the light comfort.
“You are my dearest friend, Lilly. Never doubt I am on your side.”
She pulled away and looked him in the eye. “It’s not that I doubt you. I’m unsure of this path because it’s not in line with headquarters’ orders. I was told to stay here and wait for a partner to be assigned to me. I’ve never disobeyed reasonable orders before, Reece. What if Cullum tosses me from the demon hunters? Where would I go?”
A man cleared his throat behind her.
Startled, she turned.
Belinda and Gabriel stood inside the doorway.
Embarrassed, Lillian rose brushed out her skirts and pulled her shoulders back.
Gabriel closed the door behind them and ushered his lovely wife forward. A bump preceded Belinda’s normally athletic figure, evidencing the coming of the couple’s first child.
“We did not mean to eavesdrop, but since we overheard the last of your concerns, I have something to add.” Gabriel Thurston had been a soldier in the king’s army and fought bravely in France. He’d survived capture and imprisonment only to come home to London and find Belinda, his fiancée, altered from the sweet girl he’d left behind. The earl had taken a leap of faith to join them on a hunt and afterward join The Company.
How any depth of feeling survived the madness of a hunter’s daily life was beyond explanation. Demons brought nothing but death and mayhem with them, yet they had found beauty in the midst of disaster.
Lillian straightened her spine. “Say your piece, my lord.”
“My name is Gabriel, as you well know, Lillian, since you have called me by that name on many occasions.” He flashed a crooked smile. “I speak for my wife and myself when I say, should the demon hunters ever be foolish enough to dismiss you, you shall always have a place with us. I could not work for an organization that showed you disrespect after all you have given to this cause.”
Her vision clouded and her throat clogged. “Perhaps you should know what I’m about to do before you make such a blanket statement.”
Belinda stepped in front of Lillian. A smile lit her eyes, and she brushed blond hair back from her forehead. “It makes no difference to us, Lilly. We are confident whatever mission you choose will always be for the cause of good. If you need our help, you have only to ask and we are at your service. I would be dead now, or worse, living in the hell of the demon realm if you had not risked your life to help save me.”
Lillian took her hands. “I appreciate the thought very much, Belinda, but you might not feel that way if you knew.”
Gabriel said, “You underestimate our powers of deduction if you think we cannot recognize Shafton has something to do with whatever you intend.”
“He’s your family. I do not want to put more strain on your relationship with your father, Belinda. You have just become reacquainted.” Even though they were not her blood, they were the only family she knew. She didn’t want to lose them, but some things were more important than what she wanted.
A deep frown marred Belinda’s pretty face. “My father overreacted in the dining room. Everyone at the table saw it. I hope my father is not so foolish as to harm the hunters or England, but my relationship with him is tentative at best. We shall stand behind you no matter the outcome.”
Tears spilled and she dashed them away. “It means the world to me to hear you say that. Still, you should stay clear of this. It will be better for everyone.”
“Are you certain you will be all right working alone? Belinda is not up to a mission, but I could accompany you.” Gabriel’s training as a soldier made his offer tempting. He struck an imposing figure and could get into places she would have trouble.
If her instincts were off, the fallout could be catastrophic. She wouldn’t risk her friends. “I honestly believe it better if you were not involved. The family connection will only complicate things. I am not going after demons, only information. I will be fine.”
* * * *
Dorian Lambert stretched his legs in front of him in the guise of relaxation while Drake Cullum, his employer, circled the large desk and sat behind it.
“I’m curious, Dorian, what did you think of the little gathering in the dining room?” Drake leaned his elbows on Shafton’s desk and peered over his steepled fingers. There was never any doubt within the demon hunters company about who was in charge. If anyone doubted Cullum’s authority, he had no problem setting the issue straight. A hardness ingrained in Cullum brooked no argument.
Dorian had been Drake’s right hand man for over two years, and Dorian remained wary of the man. “Is there a particular aspect of the meeting you would care for me to analyze?”
Drake’s eyes narrowed before he leaned back in the chair. “I was speaking of the confrontation between our host and Miss Dellacourt. Did you note anything in particular about the exchange?”
Luckily, she worked in London and he in Edinburgh, so their paths rarely crossed and Dorian could keep his wits about him. “The earl seemed a bit overzealous with his reprimands regarding the ascension of the master. Anyone who has read the report knows the hunters did all they could under the circumstances. He had a good fight coming. He’s lucky every hunter did not draw a weapon right there in the dining room.”
Drake chuckled, and then, as if he had never laughed, his expression intense but unreadable. “I believe his lordship was closer than you might think to finding himself on the receiving end of a very interesting set of blades.”
“Indeed?”
“And what do you think of Miss Lillian Dellacourt?”
Besides his heart pounding harder, tightness in his groin caused Dorian to adjust his seat. He fought the urge to fidget and crossed his arms over his chest. Never show weakness. “She is magnificent.” Damn. Why had he said that? “The name is likely a fake as she looks completely English to me. Her temper is something to keep an eye on. Was there some other aspect of her personality you wanted evaluated, sir?”
“She is magnificent.”
Dorian kept his expression stoic and neutral. Was the head of The Company also pining away for Lillian? He struggled to keep his seat and not draw a weapon or jump across the desk and strangle Cullum. “Sir?”
“If you had ever seen her fight, she is something to behold.”
“Are you planning to pursue Miss Dellacourt in a romantic fashion, sir?” Why had he asked his boss such a forward question? He was done for.
“No. Of course not. My interest is strictly business.” Another fleeting grin replaced his stoic
