To Tame a Dangerous Lord (Courtship Wars 5)

I have one last favor to ask of you, dearest sister. In addition to the draft you recently sent me, I need another two hundred pounds to leave the country. I plan to take Lynette to France where Ackerby will have no legal authority, even should he pursue us.

I am gratified that you are now married—felicitations on your good fortune, by the by. But since you are a countess, surely you can persuade your new husband to advance you the funds. I am certain Haviland can afford it—his grandmother’s wealth puts Croesus to shame. I will repay you eventually, I swear to you.

Madeline’s hand went to her aching temple. Did Gerard actually expect her to implore Rayne for money so he could whisk the jewels out of the country? Evidently so, judging by the next paragraph.

Since I cannot come to you for fear of being seen, I need you to forward a bank draft for the funds to me at the Blue Boar Inn in Maidstone, in care of the proprietor, Ben Pilling. I will visit the inn on Wednesday at one o’clock in the afternoon to collect the draft. If your letter is not there, then I will return again each day for a week. But the longer you delay, the greater the danger we will be in. I know you will not fail me, though, dearest Madeline.

Your loving brother, Gerard

Fear and frustration warring inside her, Madeline clenched the letter in her hand. If her brother was caught with the priceless heirloom, he could face prison or transportation or even hanging, not to mention bodily harm if the baron’s henchmen found him. Of course Ackerby would want retribution. At this point, even if she could persuade Gerard to return the necklace immediately, it might make no difference.

“How could he, Maman?” Madeline murmured to herself, fighting down a wave of panic. “It is beyond belief that Gerard would endanger himself and his new wife this stupid way. It is awful enough that Mrs. Dobson was beaten for concealing his whereabouts.”

I know, dearest, Madeline’s mother answered in her mind. But Gerard was always the romantic sort. Perhaps this is his way of meting out justice.

“Or perhaps he only wants to curry favor with his new bride’s parents,” Madeline retorted under her breath.

Trying to quell the swell of dread inside her, she muttered an imprecation that was half oath, half plea for Gerard’s salvation. Yet imploring Heaven for help would likely have little effect. She wanted to throw herself upon her bed and wail also, but crying would not solve her dilemma or extricate her brother from his reckless idiocy, either. She couldn’t give in to panic as she wished to.

“So what should I do, Maman?”

Her mother’s voice was frustratingly silent, however.

“I must rescue Gerard from his own folly. I promised you solemnly to look after him and I mean to keep my word.”

Yes, certainly you must, my darling. You cannot allow him to be harmed.

Springing to her feet, Madeline began to pace her bedchamber. For much of her life she’d championed her younger brother, loved him, nurtured him. She had supported Gerard’s recent elopement because she wanted him to have a chance for happiness. Lynette’s parents would never have permitted their daughter to marry him otherwise. No doubt Gerard believed that by returning the necklace to the vicomte and vicomtesse, he could win their support. But if he was dead or imprisoned, it wouldn’t matter that he had won over his bride’s parents.

Therefore, Madeline concluded, she would have to go to Maidstone herself and physically take the necklace from Gerard and hand it over to Ackerby. If it was found in her possession rather than her brother’s, her new title would help protect her. And surely Rayne would step in if—

Madeline halted abruptly in her tracks.

Oh, dear heaven, Rayne.

What if he found out about her brother’s crime? What if the world learned of it? If the dowager Countess Haviland already deplored her grandson’s choice of brides, what would she say to Madeline having a criminal for a brother?

No, Madeline thought, feeling a fresh surge of panic. She couldn’t drag Rayne into a scandal that could stain his family name and alienate his grandmother even further. She had to rectify matters on her own while keeping her brother’s shameful misdeed secret.

Moreover, she didn’t have the right to take Rayne away from his current endeavors. If he had immersed himself in his former profession once more, no doubt he was doing important business.

But most crucially of all, she feared Rayne would be even less likely to love her if her family caused him ignominy.

As the tightness in her chest intensified, Madeline murmured another imprecation. This disaster was coming at the worst possible time in her marriage.

Yet what choice did she have? Gerard was her brother, her flesh and blood. She couldn’t abandon him to his folly simply because she wanted a chance at her own happiness.

Stiffening her spine, Madeline forced herself to take a deep, steadying breath. “Forgive me, Maman,” she muttered aloud, “but when I see Gerard, I plan to throttle him.”

Meanwhile she had to quickly decide her best course of action. Somehow she had to make her brother behave responsibly and give the necklace into her care and then prevent Lord Ackerby from taking any retribution for the theft.

As for the additional funds Gerard needed to flee the country, Madeline reflected, she would certainly not ask her husband for more money. She didn’t want to be any further burden to Rayne, not after costing him so much already. He had already spent a fortune on her clothing.

What was left of her quarterly pin money would have to do for now. Combined with the hundred pounds she had already given him, it would be enough to fund Gerard and Lynette’s passage to France and get them temporarily settled. Afterward she could send Gerard her salary from her academy employment….

Yes, Madeline vowed, she would handle this problem herself, without asking Rayne for help, without causing him embarrassment or disgrace. She loathed the thought of sneaking around behind his back, but there was no help for it.