“Your brother is a thief and a scoundrel, Madeline. He stole a precious heirloom from me, and I want it back at once.”
“I beg your pardon?” she said, staring. Gerard could be a scamp at times, playing pranks on friends and foes alike, but there was no real harm in him. And he most certainly would not steal so valuable an object from their wealthy neighbor.
And yet when she searched the baron’s face, hoping to find some sign that he was jesting, his expression remained entirely serious.
“I trust you will explain your absurd accusation,” she said finally.
“There is nothing absurd about it. Your brother left town last week shortly before you did. It wasn’t until the day after I saw you at the inn that I discovered the de Vasse Necklace missing.”
Madeline had heard of the priceless diamond and ruby necklace, which had formerly belonged to the Vicomte and Vicomtesse de Vasse, the parents of Gerard’s new bride, Lynette.
“Whatever gave you the idea Gerard stole it?”
“One of his accomplices confessed,” Ackerby replied. “Upon realizing the jewels were gone, I naturally questioned all of my servants. Under duress, a chambermaid revealed that your brother had seduced her to gain access to my home so that he might locate my safe and break the lock to steal the necklace.”
“I don’t believe it,” Madeline declared flatly. Gerard was madly in love with Lynette. He would be the last person to dally with a serving maid.
“You should. Where can I find your brother?”
Madeline refused to answer. She could have told the baron that Gerard had eloped to Scotland with his sweetheart, but it was not common knowledge yet, and she intended to keep her sibling’s secret as long as he needed her to. “I am not certain where he is at just this moment.”
Which was mostly true. Upon returning from Scotland, Gerard and Lynette had planned to take refuge in Kent at the cottage of one of her French cousins, where they were to write Lynette’s parents and present them with a fait accompli. But Madeline did not know for a fact that the newlyweds had arrived there. And even if she had known, she wouldn’t reveal their location to Baron Ackerby so that he could pursue them there.
“Then I suggest you find him,” Ackerby said tersely, watching her face to judge her truthfulness. “It will go harder for Ellis if he puts me to the trouble of searching for him.” He paused. “If he returns the jewels to me immediately, however, I might consent to be lenient. He will only face prison instead of hanging.”
Dismay filled Madeline as she considered the baron’s threat. Was it possible he was right? That Gerard had actually taken the necklace and then gone into hiding to escape the nobleman’s retribution? The jewels were worth a fortune, but Gerard might have wanted them more for their sentimental value, since they’d originally been stolen from the Vicomte and Vicomtesse when they fled the French Revolution to avoid losing their heads.
Madeline shivered. Such chivalry sounded precisely like something her quixotic brother would champion. In Gerard’s mind, justice could seem a good reason to purloin the necklace and return it to the true owners’ family.
Determined to present a loyal front, however, she manufactured a scoffing sound as she gazed scornfully at Ackerby. “You have no real proof of his guilt, my lord. Only a chambermaid’s claim, which you yourself said was obtained under duress.”
“I will have all the proof I need when I find the necklace in your brother’s possession. I promise you I will search tirelessly for Ellis, and when I locate him, he will hang for his crime.”
Dismay turned to fear inside Madeline at the thought of her brother hanging. If Gerard did have the necklace, he had to return it, no matter how noble his motives might have been in taking it. Which meant she would have to find him before the baron did and convince him of the madness of his actions—
Madeline winced inwardl
y, realizing that she was no longer adamantly refuting the baron’s allegations. Ackerby might be a libertine, but he would not have come all this way to make baseless charges. The unyielding conviction in his expression, too, lent credence to his claim and sent chills through Madeline.
As she silently debated how to respond, a sly look crept over the baron’s features. “I’ll wager you would not care to have your new friends”—he waved a hand toward the Hall—“learn that your brother is a common criminal. It will not reflect well on you, Madeline, and might even cost you your teaching position.”
“And I suppose you mean to tell them?” she asked warily.
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“Your selflessness. Are you willing to sacrifice for your brother’s sake?”
“You are speaking in riddles, Lord Ackerby,” Madeline retorted, tired of his evasion.
“Then let me be more plain. I would be willing to overlook your brother’s crime in exchange for … certain concessions on your part.”
She knew exactly what concessions he meant. Madeline’s hackles rose as she comprehended Ackerby’s real purpose in hunting her down here at Danvers Hall. He was still bent on having her in his bed! Even more certain, he was determined to conquer her, to bend her to his will in retaliation for her continued rejection of him—and this time he had leverage over her.
Her teeth clenched. She now knew how Freddie had felt at being blackmailed by an unscrupulous widow. Ackerby knew very well she would never let Gerard hang. But neither would she simply bow to his extortion. “I have told you before, I will not become your mistress.”
“Not even to save your brother?”