Chapter Eighteen
Richard felt his hands clench into fists when one of the French doors opened and he recognized George's valet entering with Christiana bound and gagged and unmoving over his shoulder. It was the unmoving part that worried and enraged him and the degree to which he was affected was almost startling to him. He wanted to rip Christiana from the man's back, assure himself she was alive and wel , and then tear Freddy limb from limb for even daring to touch her let alone manhandling her so.
That rage was swiftly fol owed by terror when Freddy paused in the door and readjusted his hold on Christiana, revealing the short, wicked blade in one of his hands. Richard was not used to such depths of emotion. Even what George had done to him had not left him with this level of fear or rage, and he found it unsettling to feel that way now, but his mind was crowding with images of his time since returning home from America, and al of them were of Christiana, laughing, smiling, looking thoughtful and then vexed.
When Richard had left her in the dressing room that morning, he'd never imagined the next time he'd see her would be in a situation like this, with her life at risk and he uncertain he could save her, but desperate to do so. And he was desperate. Short though their time together had been, he already could not imagine life without her in it and didn't want to. Somehow she had managed to wiggle her way under his skin and into his heart and he wanted to keep her there.
Freddy had finished adjusting his hold, but stood a moment longer as if sensing danger before closing the French door partway. He left it a crack open, probably for a swift escape, Richard supposed, watching from his hiding place behind a suit of armor in the office corner furthest from the doors. Robert had suggested hiding behind the curtains, but Richard had pointed out that if Freddy came from the outside he would surely see them there and their advantage of surprise would be lost, so they'd al had to find alternate spots. Richard had chosen the suit of armor, Daniel had ducked behind a settee in another corner and Robert had taken the only place left - the knee cubby under the desk. He'd squeezed himself in there and then pul ed the desk chair in behind him to help disguise his presence.
Richard imagined Robert was probably in the most uncomfortable spot, but wished he'd taken it himself. It would have put him closer. His hand tightened around Lord Madison's pistol as he waited for the man to put Christiana down to conduct his search. He would rather she was out of the way before he confronted the man.
However, it soon became obvious the valet wasn't going to put her down. He was poking through the top side drawer of the desk, just inches from Robert, but with Christiana stil firmly over his back.
Richard ground his teeth together. He didn't even want to aim the pistol at the man with Christiana acting as his shield and wished he'd thought to have one of them hide somewhere in the yard just in case something like this occurred. They could have crept up behind him then. He'd barely had the thought when Richard noticed the French door easing slowly open behind Freddy. He held his breath briefly, and then recognized Haversham slipping into the room, a large butcher knife in hand.
Alarm coursing through him, Richard tightened his hand on the pistol he held and moved out from behind the suit of armor. It immediately drew Freddy's attention from the drawer he was rifling through and he froze. Leveling his weapon at the man, Richard started forward, saying, "I real y think it would be in your best interests to put my wife down. "
Panic crossed briefly over Freddy's face, but then was replaced by a calculating look. Straightening slowly from the desk he said, "You wouldn't shoot me. You might hit her. "
"I won't let you leave here either unless it's in chains," Richard said grimly, continuing slowly forward as Lord Madison now slid into the room behind Haversham. Suzette and Lisa were behind him, hesitating in the door as they took in the situation. Freddy took an unknowing step back toward Haversham and then glanced sharply toward Daniel as the other man rose from behind the settee and started forward as wel . Beginning to look a little less sure of himself, Freddy shifted the knife he held, pressing it to Christiana's backside. "Stay back or I'l cut her. "
"Ouch! That is my bottom," Christiana squawked.
Richard felt a moment's relief at his first sign that she was alive and wel , but growled, "Put her down. "
"Go to hel !" Freddy yel ed back in frustration and whirled to charge out of the room, only to come up short as he crashed into Haversham. No one moved for half a second and then Freddy began to fal back, taking Christiana with him. Richard saw Haversham and Lord Madison trying to grab for Christiana, even as he leapt the last few feet and caught at her himself as Freddy dropped. No one apparently thought to grab Freddy and save her from her fal that way, so it ended with al of them holding her up. Richard had her by the hips, Haversham had managed to grab one leg through her gown and Lord Madison had only managed to snatch a handful of skirt. Unfortunately, it left Christiana stil hanging head down, her behind in the air and her skirt raised. The men al exchanged a horrified glance and then Lord Madison quickly released his hold on her skirts, Haversham stepped back releasing his hold as wel , and Richard set Christiana down and stepped back to al ow her to straighten.
However, she stayed bent over and murmured, "Oh dear. "
Richard glanced down, noting then that she was peering at Freddy, or real y at the large knife sticking out of his chest.
"He ran right into it, my lord," Haversham said calmly.
Richard nodded, but his thoughts were taken up with the fact that had Haversham been a little more to one side, the knife would now be sticking out of Christiana.
Christiana final y straightened and patted the butler on the arm. "Do not feel bad, Haversham. He wasn't a very good man. "
"Yes, my lady," the butler murmured, and then cleared his throat and glanced to Richard. "Shal I send for the authorities, my lord?"
"Ah . . . " Richard scowled at Freddy, not pleased at the prospect of having to admit to the authorities that the man had been blackmailing them. They would have to explain what he was blackmailing them about and al their attempts to keep George's activities a secret would be for not.
"He was trying to take Lady Christiana and hold her to ransom," Haversham pointed out quietly. "The authorities should real y be informed of this and his death. "
Richard relaxed and nodded. They would just stick to that and not mention the blackmail or anything else.
"Very good, my lord. " The butler slid silently from the room and Richard turned to Christiana, only to find she had moved to speak to her father and sisters by the door. He started her way, eager to touch and hold her and reassure himself that she was wel . In truth, he wanted to strip her naked, examine every inch of her to be sure she bore no wounds and then make love to her, but knew he would just have to be content to wait for that.
"Hel o? Can someone get this chair out of the way? Hel o?"
Richard glanced down at Robert's cal to see that Freddy had fal en behind the chair, blocking it so that Langley couldn't push it out and unfold himself from the cubbyhole where he'd hidden.
"Problems, Langley?" Daniel asked with a laugh, coming around the desk to Richard's side.
"Move the damned chair, Woodrow," Robert barked. " 'Tis hot as hades down here and I think my leg is cramping. "
Richard chuckled and together he and Daniel shifted Freddy's body around to the side of the desk. By the time they straightened, Robert was crawling out from under the desk.
"That was a damned stupid place to hide," Langley muttered with self-disgust as he straightened. "Freddy was leaning against the chair while searching the desk and there wasn't a damned thing I could have done to help anyone while stuck under there. "
"It wasn't like there were many hiding spots to choose from," Richard pointed out wryly as the man brushed himself down.
"Hmm. " Robert glanced to Freddy's body. "Wel , that is one problem taken care of anyway. The blackmail threat is over. "
"Now we just need to figure out who poisoned George and is stil trying to kil Richard," Daniel agreed dryly. Robert frowned and shook his head. "Wel , I'm afraid Lisa and I didn't find out anything of use today. I think people were reluctant to gossip about you with Lisa there. She is your sister-in-law, after al . Perhaps Christiana and Suzette were more successful at discovering what servant may have administered the poison. "
"We should ask them," Richard murmured and turned to find that Christiana and her father were gone. "Where - "
"Father wished to speak to Christiana. They have stepped out into the garden,"
Suzette explained before he could finish his question.
Richard glanced toward the French doors, spotting the two at the back of the garden, their heads together. Before he could decide whether to intrude or wait, the office door opened and Haversham led two men into the room; both wore the tel tale red vest of Bow Street runners. The authorities had arrived.
"What is it, Father?" Christiana asked when he stopped walking but stared at his feet rather than bring up whatever it was he'd brought her outside to discuss. "If 'tis about this gambling business, you should know you didn't do it. We think George as Dicky drugged you and - "
"Yes, I know, Suzette told me," he interrupted, and then added, "I came here today to take you away. "
"Take me away?" she asked with surprise.
Lord Madison nodded. "Robert had written, tel ing me how unhappy you seemed in your marriage and how Dicky treated you. It was why I came to London in the first place. I told the gels I needed to see the lawyer, but truly I was coming to see you. "
"Thank you," she whispered, hugging him tightly.
Lord Madison hugged her back and said, "I can stil take you away. "
Startled, Christiana pul ed back to peer at him. "Has no one explained that George was Dicky and now I am married to Richard, the true - "
"Yes," he said solemnly, cutting her off. "Robert explained everything. He also said that Richard was a fine, honorable man who wil treat you wel and he hopes you wil have a good life together. But you were tricked into marrying Dicky, and if you only married Richard to avoid scandal, I don't want you to feel trapped into it. " He eyed her solemnly and then said, "Just say the word and I wil take you home and we wil figure out a way to get you out of this marriage. "
Her eyes widened incredulously. "Father, the scandal would - "
"Scandal be damned," he growled. "We can weather that. 'Tis your happiness I care about, and the fact that your only protest is the possible scandal tel s me you do not real y wish to be in this marriage. Come. " He caught her hand and started to drag her toward the house. "We shal col ect your sisters and head straight for home. I am done with this damned town. "
"No, wait!" Christiana cried, tugging at her hand as panic seized her at the thought of leaving Richard. "Please, Father, stop. I don't want to leave. Real y. I love him. "
Lord Madison paused at once and turned to peer at her in question. "Real y? Do you love him?"
Christiana stared at him blankly, her mind in an uproar of confusion. She hadn't meant to say that, wasn't even sure where the words had come from. Surely she didn't mean them, her sensible side argued, but the idea of leaving him had struck such terror in her . . . Taking a deep breath she tried to think clearly. The passion they shared was incredible, of course, but love was more than passion, and she hadn't known him long enough to - Christiana let that thought die in her head, because another part of her mind was arguing that she did know him. With Dicky-George Christiana had been constantly on edge, anxious over what he might say or do, and wary of his temper making an appearance and his lashing out at those around him. But Richard didn't seem to have the same unpredictability: he was courteous and respectful of everyone he encountered, even the lowliest servant. Richard was also honorable where George probably wouldn't have been able to even spel the word. And he had married her to save her and her sisters from scandal, which was as chivalrous as a man could get, real y, she acknowledged and realized that Lisa was right, Richard was her hero, and she had come to love him for it. For that and so much else.
Straightening her shoulders, Christiana nodded solemnly. "I love Richard. I do not want to leave him. "
Lord Madison nodded solemnly. "Very wel . "
"But thank you, Father," she added, hugging him.
Lord Madison patted her back, and then took her arm when she stepped back.
"We should go back inside and join the others. "
Christiana nodded in agreement and they turned to walk into the house, but both paused abruptly when they spotted Richard standing in the open French doors.
Christiana bit her lip, worried about how long he'd been there and whether he'd heard her declaration, but her husband merely said, "The authorities have been and gone. We explained that Freddy had tried to take you to ransom and we al stopped him and they accepted our explanations and took him away. "
him and they accepted our explanations and took him away. "
"Oh," Christiana murmured. "They didn't wish to speak to me?"
"I told them you were upset. They accepted that and said there was no need to talk to you with so many other witnesses. "
"Oh, good," she smiled crookedly, glad not to have to explain things. She real y was a bad liar, even when it came to lies of omission and probably would have blurted out everything.
Her father urged her forward then and Christiana started to walk again. When they came abreast of Richard, he slid his arm around her waist, drawing her to a halt. Her father immediately released her arm and continued into the office, leaving her to smile nervously at her husband.
"Are you al right?" he asked solemnly. "Freddy didn't hurt you?"
"I have a slight headache and a lovely goose egg from when he knocked me out, but am otherwise fine," she assured him and glanced around the office as he led her inside. Her father, Daniel and Robert were there, but Suzette and Lisa were missing, as was Haversham. "Where - ?"
"Suzette took Lisa to the parlor while the runners were asking questions,"
Richard answered before she could finish the question. "Apparently Freddy's body lying here was distressing to her. "
"It would be. Lisa doesn't care for the sight of blood. She wil even faint if there is enough of it," Christiana murmured, and then frowned as she noted the scrape on his forehead. "What happened to your head?"
"It's nothing," Richard assured her. "Daniel and I stopped at the tailor's after arranging for the blackmail money and a carriage came after us. I got this as we jumped out of the way. "
"As he jumped out of the way and dragged me with him," Daniel corrected dryly.
"I didn't even see the thing until it was almost upon us. "
"I suppose that wasn't Freddy," Christiana said with a sigh as she realized the worst was not over. While they had caught the blackmailer, they stil had a murderer to find.
"No," Daniel said, looking doubtful. Stil , he sounded hopeful when he asked,
"Unless Freddy happened to confess to being the kil er as wel as the blackmailer?"
Christiana smiled apologetical y. "Sorry. No. He thought Richard had kil ed him. "
"Then who kil ed George?" Robert asked with a frown.
"I fear that would be me, Lord Langley. "
Christiana turned toward the door, her eyes wide as she peered at Haversham.
The butler stood in the open door, back straight and face as expressionless as ever. The perfect servant.
"Would you care to explain, Haversham?" Richard asked quietly after several moments of silence had passed.
"Of course," the man murmured. "I suspected quite soon after the fire that the man masquerading as the Earl was not you, my lord, but your brother,
"Of course," the man murmured. "I suspected quite soon after the fire that the man masquerading as the Earl was not you, my lord, but your brother, Master George. He quite simply did not act in a lo
rdly manner as you have always seen fit to do. He was careless with his possessions, cruel to the staff, and both careless and cruel to Lady Christiana. "
"Did you tel anyone of your suspicions?" Richard asked, and Christiana felt him tense beside her. She supposed he worried that if Haversham had told anyone his suspicions their worries wouldn't be over. But Haversham shook his head.
"No. Al I had were suspicions. I could not prove anything and who would believe a servant over a member of gentry?"
"I see," Richard murmured, relaxing.
"I saw no choice but to al ow the situation to progress as it would and hope for some proof to come to light. I was rather counting on Lord Woodrow becoming suspicious himself and looking into the matter. I would have come forward then with my own suspicions, of course. However, that never came to pass. Lord Woodrow disappeared from society the week of the townhouse fire and simply did not return. "
"Er . . . yes. I'm afraid I was a bit distracted with matters at Woodrow," Daniel explained apologetical y under the stern man's displeased eye.
"Yes," the butler said dryly. "So I was forced to simply stand by and wait, a witness to Master George's abuses of his position and shabby treatment of Lady Christiana, but unable to do anything about it. "
"What made you stop waiting?" Christiana asked curiously, wondering that she'd had at least one al y al that time and hadn't even realized it.
"It was the morning your sisters arrived at the townhouse, my lady," he said solemnly. "Master George had been tense and expectant, almost buzzing with a certain excitement for the two weeks prior and I anticipated that he was up to something, but was unsure what until your sisters arrived with the news your father had apparently gambled again. I realized then that this must have been what Master George had been waiting for, and quite impatiently, I wil add. From the conversation I chanced to overhear afterward, I gather he had expected them to come to you much sooner, or for your father to come pleading his case.
"However," Haversham continued, "After leaving you ladies in the parlor, Master George was quite cheerful and ordered me to bring his best whiskey to him in his office. Freddy appeared then, headed for the kitchens and Master George took him to the office, where I overheard his gleeful announcement that the plan was final y moving forward again. He was sure the sisters were there about the gambling, and that it would be no time before he had Suzette married off to one of his friends. "
"Who?" Daniel asked sharply, making Christiana glance curiously his way. His expression suggested the answer was important to him, though she couldn't imagine why he cared. He and Suzette were marrying. Whoever the friend was, he was out of luck.
"I'm afraid he did not speak the proper name of his friend, but referred to him as Twiddly. "
"Twiddly?" her father echoed with disbelief.
Haversham nodded, and then continued, "Apparently Master George was to get a good portion of the money supposedly owed to the gaming hel from this gentleman, Twiddly, for acting as broker. Then they merely had to wait for Lord Madison to come to town again, drug and drag him to the gaming hel for a third time and force Lady Lisa into marriage as wel . Master George would gain a portion of her dower in that instance as wel . The gaming hel only took a percentage to keep its mouth shut about the fact that no money was actual y owing at al . "
"I wil see the place shut down," Robert growled furiously.
"No doubt you would be doing many unwary men a favor," Haversham assured him and then continued. "Once al three women were wed and fleeced of their dowers, the plan was to dispose of them al in one tragic carriage accident. "
Haversham al owed a moment's silence and then added, "Once the women were dead, Master George already had his sights set on a certain young heiress who was too young to enter society yet, but should be on the verge of her debut by the time he was widowed. Master George was quite pleased with himself and his clever machinations," he added dryly.
"I considered warning lady Christiana," he admitted. "However, I fear I could not see how that would help. There was stil no proof of the man's perfidy, and while she might be able to warn her father and prevent his going anywhere near Master George again, I worried it would force Master George to kil the whole lot of them earlier than intended, including perhaps Lord Madison since he would know what was going on and be suspicious of any accidents to befal the women. It seemed to me the only other option was to stop Master George myself, and so I dropped cyanide into his glass of whiskey before taking it in to him. "
He sighed. "I expected Freddy to be there when I took the poisoned drink in to Master George, and had not yet decided how to handle the man. However, he was nowhere to be seen, so I simply left the master to enjoy his celebratory drink and waited for matters to develop. It wasn't long after that Freddy claimed he wasn't feeling wel and Master George had excused him. For a short time I was quite concerned that he may have drunk the master's whiskey in his place.
However, when I checked on Master George, he was quite dead. I quickly emptied and wiped the glass to remove any proof of what I'd done, then refil ed the glass halfway and set it back before returning to the kitchens to await his discovery. But of course it never came. Lady Christiana eventual y went into the office, her sisters fol owed, and they were in there quite a while, but there was no hue and cry. Instead, the three ladies came out some time later lugging the dead George about in a rug. "
"You knew he was in there?" Christiana asked with surprise.
"My lady, you real y were not gifted with a talent for subterfuge," Haversham said kindly.
Christiana flushed as she recal ed that her first words on running into Haversham had been We're just taking Dicky up to warm the rug. Honestly, she didn't lie wel at al .
"And then of course there were his fingers," Haversham added.
"His fingers?" Christiana echoed with confusion.
Haversham nodded. "The three of you apparently rol ed up Master George with his arms stretched above his head?"
"We thought the rug would seem less lumpy that way," Christiana admitted with a frown.
"I'm sure it did. However, his fingers were sticking out the top end and waving at me the entire time as you struggled to hold the thing and lie about what the three of you were doing. It was most distracting. "
"Oh dear," Christiana murmured.
Haversham smiled at her gently and continued, "I realized at once that you were going to hide the death in the hopes of finding a husband for Lady Suzette and so ordered the staff to stay away from that wing of the house for the time being. Of course, later that night I nearly had an attack of apoplexy when the Earl - the true Earl - " he added firmly, eyeing Richard, "came rushing out of his office as I was coming up the hal . I thought I had failed after al and that Master George was stil alive. However, the moment his lordship spoke I recognized that it was he. "
"How?" Richard asked with surprise.
"You said 'excuse me,' " Haversham said simply.
"And from that you knew it was him?" Daniel asked with amusement.
Haversham nodded solemnly. "His lordship treats everyone from the lowliest servant to the highest nobleman with a certain respect that was sadly missing in his brother. George never would have troubled to excuse himself, not even to the King. "