Marquess of Menace (Lords of Scandal 10)

Eliza had watched all evening for anyone suspicious. Not that she’d been successful.

The men all looked like the usual suspects. Well dressed, slightly bleary in the eye.

She had seen neither her uncle nor Mr. Taber, which was a relief.

Her toe tapped but not to the music. Instead, it was a rhythm in her own head. How was she going to solve this mystery and discover who was endangering her family?

She huffed a breath as she pushed away from the wall. Mr. Taber was part of the crime ring and his interest in her had been clearly stated. Perhaps she should allow him to court her after all.

But the very idea made her shiver in revulsion.

Swiveling her head, she saw her sister, Abigail, with Aunt Mildred while Emily danced with the major they’d met a few nights ago. Eliza’s eyes narrowed. Was he one of the thieves?

Then another figure caught her notice out of the corner of her eye. Mr. Taber.

His normally hunched shoulders were drawn down even lower as he talked with another man that Eliza didn’t know.

Then the two, still deep in conversation, began making their way out to the terrace.

Eliza watched them for a moment, unsure of what to do. Their conversation could be about nothing. Then again, they could be discussing the very topic on which she was searching for answers.

Without another thought, she started after the two men. She slipped out of the ballroom, just in time to see the two men start down a path. Here in the quiet night a few words filtered toward her ears. “I’ve found the warehouse. Cheapside.”

More whispers she couldn’t hear.

“Fennington Street.”

She slipped down the path, following them. They left the terrace and started down a tree-lined path, bushes closing off the lights and noise of the party. She could hear better but could hardly see. “He knows about us. He’s shut down several of our lines. But if we can get the goods at the source, from his warehouses, it doesn’t matter how many lines he eliminates.”

“We could drive him out of business. Then what?”

“He’s driving us out of business. And we need to deliver. Our lives depend on it. If we have to, we’ll kill him too.”

“But the sisters. They own most of the company. Malcolm, the fool, saw to that.”

“He’ll pay too. That’s already been arranged.”

How would Uncle Malcolm pay? But she’d forgotten all about him as the two men stopped and Eliza stopped too. Had they heard her?

For a few seconds, she stayed motionless, afraid to breathe. She hadn’t seen them for some time, she could only hear them.

And now, she was in the deep, dark part of the garden where no one could see her either.

Then Mr. Taber spoke again. “And the sisters are easily dealt with. Plans are already in place.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. If they were still talking, they didn’t know she was there. Then his words penetrated, and she stood straighter. Plan. What plan?

Suddenly, a hand reached out and clamped over her mouth. Before she could even scream, she was being dragged against a large man.

This was not Dylan. She’d know the feel of him anywhere.

First, this man smelled disgusting and while his arms were hard bands of steel, his middle was…squishy.

She pushed, trying to wriggle away but he held her firm.

“Well,” Mr. Taber cackled. “If my little doe didn’t step right into the middle of the hunt.”

She pushed all the harder, trying to bite at his hand but he held firm, nearly suffocating her his arms were so tight. “You’ve eluded me for far too long, Eliza. But now you’re mine.”