To Seduce a Bride (Courtship Wars)

“Basil, stop!” Lily exclaimed. “You cannot go off half-cocked. We need a plan.”

“My plan is to find O’Rourke and cut out his liver.”

Lily shook her head, thinking furiously. “They are right. Lord Claybourne can help us.” Although she wasn’t certain he would be willing to help her after their acrimonious parting barely an hour ago. But she knew Heath would be more capable of dealing with O’Rourke than she and Basil were.

Basil wasn’t of the same mind, obviously. “You go fetch him, Lily. I am riding to O’Rourke’s gaming hell to find Fanny.”

“He won’t be naive enough to take her there. Not when he knows that is the first place Fanny’s friends will look for her.”

“But that is the best place to start,” Basil insisted. “You find Claybourne and meet me there. I mean to save Fanny from that devil’s clutches,” he growled as he stalked from the room.

Basil would likely head to the mews to fetch his horse, Lily conjectured, so it was up to her to find Heath-

“I need your carriage,” she said quickly to Fleur.

Joan Tait lifted her head. “I have a hack waiting on the street, Miss Loring. It will be faster if you take it.”

“Thank you, I will,” Lily said before swiftly following after Basil.

She would go to Heath’s home first, Lily decided as she hurried down the staircase. And if he wasn’t there, she would search the gentlemen’s clubs next. Or perhaps he might even be with Marcus, still celebrating after this morning’s wedding.

Heath’s mansion in Bedford Square, Lily discovered a short while later, was elegant and imposing. And the Claybourne butler was even more stately, looking down his haughty nose at her when she identified herself and asked to speak to the marquess.

Calling at a bachelor’s establishment was rather wanton for a young lady, Lily knew, especially when she wore no veil to help disguise her features. But her urgent tone of voice must have made an impression on the august servant, or perhaps he recognized her name, for he admitted her at once and showed her to a sitting room while he excused himself to go in search of Lord Claybourne.

Heath appeared moments later, much to Lily’s relief.

“Thank heavens,” she murmured, aware of how glad she was to see him. He had taken off his coat and cravat but still wore his formal wedding attire.

His expression was quizzical at first, but it darkened as Lily quickly told him about Fanny’s alleged abduction by O’Rourke.

“I warned him…” Heath said dangerously, a muscle pulsing in his jaw.

“Basil has gone to O’Rourke’s club to try and discover her location, but it may be all for naught. Please, Heath, will you help us rescue Fanny?”

He looked impatient at her request. “Need you even ask?” Abruptly he turned and strode from the room.

“Where are you going?” Lily said, hurrying after him.

“To fetch some weapons.”

“I have a hack waiting.”

“Good. It will save me the trouble of having my own carriage harnessed. Go wait for me there, Lily.”

Grateful that he hadn’t hesitated, Lily obeyed and returned to the hack. In a very few moments, Heath appeared. He had donned his coat, although his cravat was still missing. And he carried two small cases that Lily suspected contained pistols, and one long case that looked familiar from her fencing lesson with him.

Behind him were two strapping footmen who climbed up on the rear perch of the hack.

“Reinforcements,” Heath said brusquely as he joined Lily inside.

The small cases did indeed hold pairs of matching pistols, she saw when Heath opened them, but the longer one contained extremely sharp rapiers rather than the buttoned practice foils she had used with him for their bout.

During the drive to Bond Street, Heath carefully primed and loaded each of the guns. His jaw was set in anger, and he spoke little on the way.

Lily tried not to let his silence bother her. She couldn’t let herself dwell on Heath’s remoteness when she was so dreadfully worried about Fanny.

When the hack eventually slowed and came to a halt before a tall brick building that must be O’Rourke’s gaming club, she bestirred herself to say, “I want to come with you.”