A Gentleman's Curse (Avenging Lords 4)

“Perhaps I should have Lissette draw a bath.” From her seductive lilt, she wanted him, too.

Lockhart broke the seal and read the few scrawled lines. “Damnation.”

“What is it? Is something wrong?”

He scanned the missive again, the prickle at his nape racing down his spine. “It’s from Selina.” The damn woman would say anything to gain attention. “She wants to meet us tonight on Richmond Bridge. Reading between the lines, it sounds as though she’s threatening to jump.”

Chapter Twenty-One

A grim silence filled the space inside Lockhart’s carriage. The creak of rolling wheels and the pounding of horses’ hooves on the hard ground permeated the uncomfortable stillness. The road’s uneven surface proved problematic amidst the heavy fog. Twice they’d almost bumped down a ditch. But it wasn’t Devlin Drake’s driving or the choking mass outside that roused a deep sense of foreboding.

Wickedness hung in the air.

Evil lurked in the shadows.

Selina Lockhart had devious intentions, else why had she not begged him to come alone? What possible motive prompted her to insist on Claudia’s attendance, too?

Lockhart withdrew his pocket watch. He angled the face but struggled to read the time. Damnation. Arriving late would only rouse the woman’s ire. In the distance, the bells of St Mary Magdalene tolled eight, but the sound echoed like an ominous warning.

“Do you think Selina will realise it is Mr Drake and not Fleet sitting atop the box?” Claudia’s strained expression revealed her apprehension, too.

“They’re of a similar size and build. With the collar of his greatcoat raised, Drake could pass for my c

oachman.”

Valentine would have been Lockhart’s first choice. The viscount could shoot an apple off a tree from two hundred yards. But the lord’s trim, athletic physique would have drawn Selina’s attention. Drake could beat five men to a pulp, but he would never assault a woman. Still, having his friend close at hand brought comfort.

“Do you think she means to jump?” Claudia asked. “Or is it all just a ruse to dim the light of suspicion?”

With Richmond being an hour’s ride from town, Lockhart had considered the possibility that, in their absence, Justin might attempt to steal Alfred away from Russell Square. Hence the reason he’d paid Dr Hewlett a handsome fee to keep a bedside vigil.

“A woman as selfish as Selina would never take her own life.”

“A woman as cunning as Selina would not call us both to Richmond Bridge unless she had a plan.”

Panic threatened to choke him. His fears were not for himself but for the woman seated opposite. Seventeen hundred pounds was a pittance when he considered what he’d put her through—treachery, deceit, highway robbery and now this. Not once had she raised a complaint. Not once had she demanded they renegotiate their terms, demanded more money. If he could do anything for her, he would ensure she had every penny she needed to fix the problems at Falaura Glen. She never need worry about a leaking roof or an empty store cupboard again.

“We will follow the same procedure as we did the night Justin chased our carriage and pulled a pistol,” he said, shaking his head as he recalled the pathetic attempt to scare him. That said, he had been scared, scared of losing the love of his life.

“You want me to pretend to trip so I can grab a stone?” she said with mild amusement.

“Do not underestimate her. She’ll sob in your arms whilst driving a blade into your back.” Suspicious thoughts invaded his mind. Had Selina been more than a spectator on that fateful night at the inn?

Every why hath a wherefore.

Every new piece of information brought answers. Tonight, he hoped to bring an end to his midsummer’s nightmare.

The carriage rumbled to a halt.

Lockhart glanced out of the window, noted the light of a lantern swaying from the hook outside the toll house. “Drake is paying the toll.”

With the transaction completed, Drake led the carriage across the bridge, bringing it to a stop on the brow. He climbed down from his perch and knocked on the pane.

Lockhart lowered the window. “Can you see her?”

“The fog is so dense a man would struggle to see his feet.” Drake glanced left and right. A white puff of mist left his mouth as he sighed. “The tollman said a carriage crossed twenty minutes ago, but he hasn’t seen a soul since.”

“We’ll wait here. The note said to meet on the bridge.”