"You will."
Honoria heard the absolute decree in his words. She eyed his stony face, then raised one brow. "I can hardly accept a proposal I haven't heard."
Conquerors didn't make polite requests; his instinct was to seize what he wanted-the more he wanted, the more forceful the seizure. Devil looked into her eyes, calmly watching, calmly waiting; he read the subtle challenge in her face, the underlying stubbornness in the tilt of her chin. How much did he want this prize?
He drew a deep breath, then stepped closer and reached for her hand; his eyes on hers, he brushed his lips across her fingertips. "My dear Honoria Prudence, will you do me the honor of being my wife, my duchess-" He paused, then deliberately added: "The mother of my children?"
Her gaze flickered; she looked away. Placing one fingertip under her chin, Devil turned her face back.
After a fractional hesitation, Honoria lifted her lids and met his eyes. "I haven't yet made up my mind." He might not be able to lie-she could. But he was too potent a force to surrender to without being absolutely certain. A few more days would give her time to check her decision.
He held her gaze; between them, passion lingered, shivering in the air.
"Don't take too long."
The words, uttered softly, could have been a warning or a plea. Retrieving her fingers from his clasp, Honoria lifted her chin free of his touch. "If I married you, I would want to be assured no incident similar to the present contretemps would occur again."
"I've told you I'm not daft." Devil's eyes glinted. "And I'm certainly no advocate of self-torture."
Ruthlessly, Honoria suppressed her smile.
The planes of Devil's face shifted; he caught her hand. "Come for a drive."
"One more point…" Honoria held firm. She met the aggravation in his eyes, and tried not to feel the warmth, the seductive strength in the fingers and palm clasping hers. "Tolly's murder."
Devil's jaw firmed. "I will not let you involve yourself in the search for his killer."
Honoria met his gaze directly; again, she sensed their wills locking, this time without heat. "I wouldn't need to actively search for clues if you told me what you and your cousins discover as soon as you discover it." She'd exhausted all avenues open to her; she needed his cooperation to go on.
He frowned, then looked away; she'd started to wonder what he was thinking before he looked back. "I'll agree on one condition."
Honoria raised her brows.
"That you promise that under no circumstances whatever will you personally go searching for Tolly's killer."
Honoria promptly nodded. Her ability to come up with any male felon was severely limited by the social code; her contribution to the investigation would have to be primarily deductive. "So what did Lucifer learn?"
Devil's lips thinned. "I can't tell you."
Honoria stiffened.
"No!" He squeezed her hand. "Don't rip up at me-I said 'can't,' not 'won't.'"
Honoria narrowed her eyes. "Why 'can't'?"
Devil searched her face, then looked down at their linked hands. "Because what Lucifer learned casts a far from flattering light on one of the family, probably Tolly. Unfortunately, Lucifer's information was rumor-we've yet to establish the facts." He studied her slim digits entwined with his, then tightened his grip and looked up. "However, if Tolly was involved, then it suggests a possible scenario whereby someone-someone capable of the act or of procuring the same-might have wanted him dead."
Honoria noted the fastidiousness that had crept into his expression. "It's something disreputable, isn't it?" She thought of Louise Cynster.
Slowly, Devil nodded. "Exceedingly disreputable."
Honoria drew in a long breath-then gasped as a tug set her on course for the door.
"You need some air," Devil decreed. He shot her a glance, then admitted through clenched teeth: "So do I."
Towed in his wake, Honoria grinned. Her gown was too thin, but she could don her pelisse at the front door. She had won a host of concessions; she could afford to be magnanimous. The day was fine; her heart was light. And her wolf had reached the end of his tether.
Chapter 13