One Penny Surprise (Saved By Desire 1)

Luke snorted. “I am right, aren’t I, Clarence? What is it; blackmail? The woman in the coaching yard the other day was nasty. I bet she can be vicious when she is angry.”

“I am not staying with Helena,” Clarence suddenly snapped. “She has threatened to ruin me too often. I have had enough of her too. She wants a life I cannot afford. When I tell her to cut back on her spending she threatens to tell everyone I know that I have a bastard son with her who is simple. Well, I am sick of being blackmailed. I am not going to drag all three of them with me for the rest of my life. I am selling up and going my own way, and nobody is going to stop me.”

“You are scared of her,” Poppy whispered. Deep inside she knew she was right.

“The entire family hates you, Clarence. You are one of life’s scroungers and, on this occasion, were prepared to abandon, or kill your own daughter rather than take a proper job, weren’t you? The last thing you would do was face the consequences of your actions, or tell Helena what to do with her threats. You would rather steal, kill, and slither off to a new life with your ill-gotten gains.”

“You don’t know what you are talking about,” Clarence snapped, although with considerably less belligerence than he had previously displayed. “I am getting sick of this. Move and get me that money Poppy, or I will shoot your lover dead.”

Before Poppy to protest, she watched in horror as Clarence lifted his gun and pointed it straight at Luke’s head.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Luke didn’t flinch. He merely stared dispassionately down the wrong end of the gun before lifting a somewhat rueful gaze to the man holding it. He didn’t need to look behind him to know that Marcus had just appeared in the doorway. He slid a comforting arm around Poppy, quietly moving her so she was out of the line of fire, and nodded toward the door behind Clarence.

“You might want to chance a look behind you, Clarence. You need to be aware that these men work for the government. They are the authority aroun

d here, and will ensure you are put behind bars where you belong if you fire that gun. Breaking and entering is what we will arrest you for. That, and trespass, attempted theft, and attempted murder.”

“It wasn’t me,” Clarence snorted.

“You were seen,” Luke challenged. “I have a witness who saw you there.” He took a random guess but watched Clarence consider that for a moment, and knew that on the night Poppy had been knifed, Clarence had been there too.

“I am afraid you have made one serious miscalculation, Cleghorne,” Luke drawled. “You see, I work for an investigative branch of the War Office. I am the authority around here and have even more authority than the magistrate about these parts. My colleagues and I were investigating some strange goings on in the park the other morning and stumbled across your daughter here waiting to make payment. Needless to say she has been under our protection while we uncover the truth surrounding the death of the man she found floating in the river.”

“So you aren’t married?” Clarence snorted and threw a disparaging glare at Poppy. Now that the scent of money was back in the air the bravado had returned; bravado that Luke was determined to shoot down in flames.

“Oh, she is my wife, alright. Peter will vouch for the legality of the marriage. There is nothing illegal with what I have done. It is a pity you cannot say the same.”

Clarence studied Luke before he turned his attention to Marcus, who was also now armed and had his gun pointed at him. He shuffled around until his back was to the wall on the opposite side of the hallway and he could look at the front door. The glass panels afforded a somewhat hazy view of people on the doorstep. They watched the door swing open silently to reveal Barnaby.

“You have forced your way into a government building with a gun and threatened an innocent person while you attempt to steal money. As far as I can see, you are guilty of attempted robbery and trespass, as well as intent to kill. After all taking a gun on a house call is hardly warm and welcoming now, is it?”

Before Clarence could say anything else, Barnaby suddenly lunged forward and wrenched the gun out of his limp hold.

Clarence was physically trembling with rage as he glared at Luke. “You don’t know what it has been like. I have been dragging around unwanted baggage since the day I met my poor lamented wife. I didn’t want her, or this damned albatross,” he snarled with a nod toward Poppy. “Nor did I want that simple buffoon in the kitchen. Now, to cap it all, I am stuck with a damned mistress I cannot get rid of. Well, it is time I looked after myself.”

“Ha!” Poppy snorted. “That is all you have ever done in life. You are a disgusting specimen of a human being, and I am ashamed to be connected to you. As far as I am concerned, the Star Elite can throw the bloody book at you. I hope you never see daylight.”

Barnaby moved forward. “We work for the War Office. Holding a gun to any of us is enough to put you behind bars for a very long time. Not only that but we are witness to attest that you have attempted to steal money you have admitted wasn’t given to you. Not only that but we know you shouldn’t even be in this house so you are trespassing. Seeing as Luke would never allow you inside you can, and will, be arrested for forcible entry. You can also be arrested for plotting not one but two murders.”

“You have no proof,” Clarence retorted. For the first time since his arrival he looked a little panic stricken as though the reality of his situation had only just started to sink in.

“We all heard you,” Poppy all but shouted.

“Time to go,” Marcus said flatly with a nod toward the back of the house where Henry sat on the floor, bound and ready to go to jail.

“Stay here,” Luke whispered into her ear while Barnaby led Clarence toward the back of the house.

Clarence paused and looked back at her.

Poppy waited; wondering if he would at least say sorry. Instead, he merely curled his lip and turned his back without speaking. She was glad to see the back of him.

Once they were alone, he led her into the front room and drew her into his arms.

“That must have been distressing for you. Are you alright?”

Poppy nodded. “He has been like that for a long time,” she admitted. “When someone behaves like he does you don’t realise how bad his attitude is while you are amongst it. It is only when you have been spoken to kindly by others that you realise just how boorish and insulting his attitude is. As far as I am aware I have never done anything to him to deserve his condescension. His poor attitude toward others is his concern.”