Part 20 (2/2)
”You saw the amba.s.sador's reaction to the markings on that blade! You still think there's no merit to Sophia's suspicion of the Turks?”
”I don't know, anything's possible!” Griff exclaimed with a confounded gesture. ”Ali Pasha would seem to be the likely villain here, but why would he try it? He's the first one who'd be suspected, and besides, that brute stands more to gain by the new treaty than we do. As for Sultan Mahmud, I can't see what he'd stand to gain by harming the girl.”
Gabriel furrowed his brow in thought. ”What manner of man is the sultan?”
Griff shrugged. ”Mahmud is widely known as a reformer. He's been surprisingly receptive to Western ways. He prefers the French to us, of course, but he has been basically peaceful. If he gives anyone problems, it's the Russians. They're still squabbling over control of the Dardanelles.”
Gabriel nodded.
”Now...if we were dealing with his predecessor,” Griff said slowly, ”his half brother, Mustafa the Fourth, then I would certainly give more credence to Sophia's accusations. The previous Sultan was a dangerous and evil religious fanatic. He betrayed his half brother, Sultan Selim, another reformer, so he could gain power. Had him murdered in his harem, for G.o.d's sake.
”Mustafa surrounded himself with viziers and sheiks who wanted to expunge all Western influence and take the Ottoman Empire back to the b.l.o.o.d.y Dark Ages. But fortunately, Mustafa was only in power for a very short time. The present Sultan Mahmud's supporters destroyed him. Now Mustafa is dead, his core of supporters scattered to the winds. With a reasonable man like Mahmud in power, I cannot imagine that the Porte Sublime would undertake such an adventure as trying to take over Kavros.”
”Yes, it doesn't sound like it,” Gabriel agreed. ”Perhaps the amba.s.sador will be able to shed some light on all this. For what it's worth, I don't think Sophia alienated him too badly.”
”Well, she went about as far up to the line as she could without crossing it.”
”Somebody's trying to kill her, Griff. We still don't know yet who or why. She's scared.”
”Luckily, she's got you,” Griff replied wryly. ”She got away with it this time, but it had better not happen again. And as your kinsman,” he added delicately, ”I would remind you that you, too, must be careful about stepping over any lines, my friend.”
Gabriel eyed him warily. The man was too perceptive.
”I will talk to her,” Gabriel a.s.sured him in a low tone. ”Let me know if the amba.s.sador learns anything of interest, will you?”
Griff nodded with a piercing look, and Gabriel took leave of him.
Striding through the castle on his way to the royal apartments, he felt a twinge of guilt for being less than forthcoming with his kinsman about his feelings for Sophia, but what was he to say? He was not even sure what he felt or what she felt, or if he'd be allowed to remain at his post if the truth were known. He could not leave her. Shrugging off the tangle of emotions, he turned his mind to practical matters and weighed Sophia's certainty of Ali Pasha's guilt against Griff's insistence that the Terrible Turk would not risk breaking his new British treaty; then he considered both sides against his own newfound suspicions that one of her Greek bodyguards might have turned traitor.
He did not want to broach the subject with Sophia after all she had been through-he knew it was going to upset her-but her safety was at stake. Besides, if he spoke to her about it, he might discover there was someone in her entourage whom she already doubted.
He made a mental note to post a few British soldiers from the castle's garrison around Sophia as an added layer of protection in case her Greeks could not be trusted. Then he reminded himself to review Leon's logbook tomorrow and any other recent notes or writings from the late head of security. If Leon had known or suspected something about the threat against Sophia, he might have kept records on any leads in the matter before he was killed.
Arriving before her suite of rooms several minutes later, Gabriel tensed when he saw four of Sophia's Greek guards posted, as usual, outside her door.
He gave no sign of his suspicions. ”Is she at home?”
Niko nodded, and then Gabriel noticed with some irony that the swarthy Greeks were eyeing him as skeptically as he regarded them.
He ignored the undercurrent of resentment coming from her bodyguards and banged loudly on the door, bracing himself for what was sure to be a difficult conversation.
The door opened, but it was not Sophia who answered. He found himself face to face with the languid blonde he had seen with the princess earlier.
He bowed to her. ”Ma'am. I am Colonel Knight.”
The young woman smiled with a brief glance flicking over him. ”I know.”
Gabriel paused, taking in the speculative gleam in her eyes. ”I would like a word with Her Highness, if I may.”
”Of course, Colonel. She's been expecting you.”
”You are...Lady Alexa?”
”I am,” she answered, straightening up and looking pleased to have been acknowledged.
”Pleasure.” He gave her a perfunctory bow, his hand resting on his gleaming sword hilt.
”The pleasure is mine, Colonel.” From the corner of his eye, he noticed the two Greeks staring at Lady Alexa with panting looks.
He furrowed his brow, his manner toward her turning even more businesslike. ”I understand you were there the night of the ambush.”
She nodded with a pouting little frown.
”I hope you are quite recovered from your ordeal.”
She peeked at him from under her lashes. ”I'm well,” she said in a tremulous voice. ”How gallant of you to ask.”
”If it is not inconvenient, I should like to talk to you about your experience-”
One of the Greeks nearby coughed. The sound bore a striking resemblance to stifled laughter.
Raising a brow, he looked over, and the l.u.s.ty mirth on the men's faces as they exchanged a glance made him wonder what exactly Lady Alexa had been doing with the bodyguards.
He turned to her again. ”Your, er, experience of that night,” he clarified.
”Gladly, Colonel. I am at your disposal,” she murmured, curving her voluptuous body against the frame of the open door. Leaning there, her receptive pose lifted her ripe b.r.e.a.s.t.s for his inspection, as if she wanted to make sure he saw them.
Which he certainly did.
Gabriel faltered slightly.
Perhaps the full size of his libido had gone cramped and stifled much too long, locked up in the iron safe of his good intentions.
It occurred to him in hindsight that if his rakish brother had ever truly intended to send him a wh.o.r.e, Derek would have chosen someone like Lady Alexa.
A flash of memory zoomed through his mind of his younger, wilder years, and his ardent study of India's Kama Sutra. Back then, he'd have kept a woman like Alexa very busy, indeed. Alas, his tastes had evolved from those simpler days. Complicated women were so much more trouble.
”Alexa, let the man in!” Her Highness ordered her lady-in-waiting from somewhere inside her apartments.
She sounded a little exasperated-and no wonder, that.
Sophia's friend had a body, all right, but Gabriel wasn't sure she had a brain.
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