No Stopping Your Heart

Prologue

Prologue

1829

Cordelia Burkhart the only daughter of the Duke of St. Helen was sitting in the parlor of their London Town home when her mother made her announcement.

"We will be leaving for your uncle Hollands estate at the end of the week. He is having a celebration at Coccium hall to start your first season off. He can't come to London, so this is his way of showing his support."

Cordy loved her aunt and uncle they only had one child a repulsive son name Howell and since they were not able to have any more children they had always treated Cordy and her brother Charles as their own. They had spent summers with them most of the time Howell was gone since he was older than her and Charles, but she didn't want to go if Howell would be there not after the time when she was fifteen. She shook that disgusting memory from her thoughts.

"Is How going to be there?"

The Duchess looked at her beloved daughter and laughed.

"This is to be a family affair your uncle has invited family and close friends. So of course, your cousin will be there."

"Oh goodie. I will do my best to avoid him."

"Cordy what happened between you and Howell when you were fifteen?"

Cordy got off the sofa and started to walk out of the room without answering her mothers question.

"I am going to take a walk."

"Take a companion with you."

Cordy gave her mother one of her looks saying she would do just what she pleased and then she was gone. She strolled to the parliament building and went to the offices out in front. She would never be able to get to see the inside of Parliament but the offices well she practically lived there. She maneuvered the offices looking to find Othello her contact. She had been working for the home office since she was fifteen when she had been mad at Howell and how he assailed her. The thought of his hands on her person made her shudder.

She found Othello better know as the Duke of Windom sitting in his office. She greeted him with a quote from Othello.

"Were I the Moor I would not be Iago.

In following him I follow but myself; Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty, but seeming so for my peculiar end. For when my outward action doth demonstrate. The native act and figure of my heart in compliment extern, 'tis not long after

But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at. I am not what I am."

"Hello Cordy what do you have for me to day."

She handed him the list of gossip. She had been giving him all the gossip her and her mother had received at luncheons and teas since she was fifteen years old. She was such a friendly sort, people loved to tell her all the latest gossip and their most privet thoughts. Cordy had turned them in to the home office.

Simon remembered the child storming in and demanding to know if they had a way of arresting her cousin for his treatment of her. He laughed when he told her this was not the kind of office to take care of such matters. After he explained what they did to the petulant child she came back weekly when she was in town with all the latest gossip of the ton. She was better than a gossip columnist because she had things people said they didn't even realize was pertinent to keeping the country safe. He didn't know until Lady Cordelia came into his office with bits and pieces of gossip that were insignificant on their own but together with other intelligence it all made sense.

"Thank you Cordy is there anything else?"

She was about to tell him she would be away for ten days and she would bring him what ever gossip she had received while she was there she stopped. She knew before she saw him who had just arrived at the offices. He always smelled different than other men she encountered. His scent seemed to change sometimes she could smell jasmine then maybe myrtle maybe it would smell like spice contrasting against patchouli and jatamans she never could figure out what he for sure smelled liked, but it was like no one else's scent. She didn't turn but she was smiling.

"Hello Addie how are you on this wonderful day?"

He took in the lovey young girl she was just seventeen, she had auburn colored hair her eyes were a mixture of blue and green like a crystal-clear lake. Her body was to die for her breast were not overly large they were just the right size to fit into a mans... He stopped his thoughts this was Cordy a young innocent not one of his lady friends. He cleared his throat.

"Hello Cordy, I am doing well and you?"

She didn't say anything she just turned and smiled at him. He groaned this girl did something to him he couldn't deny it she had since he first met her two years ago. She was so perky he had never seen her down always happy.

"Well I must be off if I am gone to long without a companion my mother will worry, and we can't have that."

Then she left she was swishing down the hallway. Alex Carver Addison the 8th Duke of Lincolnshire need to get a grip the girl was such a flirt and oh the sleepless nights she had already caused him. Simons words brought him back to the moment.

"You have it bad."

Then Simon laughed.

"The last thing I need is an entanglement with Cordy. I am not yet thirty and playing with Cordy would be a marriage sentence."

Simon couldn't help poke fun at the young Duke who had just turned four and twenty.

"You won't have to be overly worried I am sure she won't make it past her first season. But heaven help the man who does claim her since she is one of the most independent woman and one of the most intelligent women I know. Why do you suspect she works for me?"

Alex shook his head he made a mental note to stay away from any ball Cordelia Burkhart was at. God help him if he saw her with another man he would probably kill him. He was doomed.

"What did you call me in for Simon?"

The older man chuckled.

"I need you to accept the invitation for the week-long event the Marquess of Wigan's is having in honor of his niece one Lady Cordelia Burkhart. It's a matter of national important."

Alex scowled Simon laughed.

"It wasn't planned old boy, it seems there has been an assassination list put together and the list will be passed and paid for at the Marquess party."

"You are trying to tell me Cordy's uncle is involved with trying to assassinate people have you met the man?"

"We have no dilutions about the Marquess he is a right noble man. We think it's Howell, to put it in Cordy's words the vile weasel of a man who should rot in the pits of hell. We think he is going to pay off a gentlemen assassin to get rid of people who bother him. His father and Lady Burkhart have been mentioned as two of the people who might be on the list."

He had Alex full attention.

"Why would he want to kill his father and Cordy?"

"As far as we can tell he is broke his allowance is not covering what he is spending, and if he were the Marquess he would be out of debt. As for Cordy I don't know what happened between them two years ago. I can only imagine he assaulted her and she has upset his plans for her by stopping the assault and never going near him again. I have no more details than that."

Alex only nodded and walked out the door his anger visible he would have to go there was no question of that. If he found out Howell George, the Earl of Ratcliff was trying to have Cordy killed god help the man. And if he found out what happened to her two years ago to cause her such anguish the man will most surly be dead.