by Joyce Alec
She wanted to stay there forever, locked in his arms, wrapped in safety and comfort. Her heart cried out to him, wanting him to remain there with her, as though doing so could protect them both from the imminent danger.
“Careful,” he whispered, making her remember that he was still healing from the wound to his side. “Not too tightly, although I am glad to have you in my arms, Mary.”
The wonder in his voice made her look up, only for his lips to crash down upon her own. She did not know what to think, what to do, or what to feel, standing there stunned as Lord Johnston kissed her, hard.
And then, her body burst with fire.
Her arms went around his neck, and she pushed herself as tight against him as she could, kissing him for all she was worth. Passion roared between them, and then suddenly, Mary realized she was crying.
“Do not cry, my darling one,” Lord Johnston whispered, kissing her tears away from her cheeks. “I will be all right. You must trust me.”
“I cannot bear to think of a life without you,” she replied, still holding him close, feeling his breath fan gently across her cheek. “You have become so very dear to me, Johnston. My heart is filled with a love for you that I have never once expected.”
His thumb brushed over her cheek as his hand caught her chin and lifted it gently. His eyes fixed on hers in the flickering lantern light, giving her such a sense of courage and strength that she could not bring herself to look away.
“I love you, Mary,” Lord Johnston said, with tenderness glowing in his eyes. “I did not expect it, but the truth of it will not be denied. You are to be my bride, and it is for the love of you that I wish to bring this matter to a close. Once we are free of it, we will have nothing to fear. Our hearts can be free.”
She felt tears slide down her cheeks as his hands framed her face, lowering his head to kiss her again – but this time with a good deal more gentleness. To admit the truth that had been burning in her heart for some time had been both wonderful and terrifying in equal measure, but to know that Lord Johnston loved her in return had brought such a light to her life and a joy to her heart that it almost threw her up into the stars.
“I must go,” he whispered, breaking the kiss. “Trust me, my love. Trust that when I see you again, the truth will be with me, bringing this all to a close. Justice will be done, I promise you. Look now, there is Lord and Lady Turner just entering. You will need to go in soon.”
Slowly, Lord Johnston let her go, and with a sigh of despondency, Mary let him go. She watched as he turned and walked away from her, further into the dark street as she remained where she was, knowing she had to linger for a few more minutes.
Her heart pounded wildly, but she did not allow herself to give in to the fear of it. She knew what she had to do, and she would do it with the utmost swiftness. Tonight was one of the most important nights of her life. If she was successful, then that would lead to Lord Johnston’s triumph, and his chance to discover if Lord Hertford was the one aiding Lady Moore.
The door to Lord Hertford’s door closed behind Lord and Lady Turner and, on seeing it, Mary moved forward. The dark London street was no longer welcoming as it was in the daytime, the shadows seeming to move as she hurried on. Her carriage followed a little way behind her and, as she lifted a hand, she heard the men behind her immediately begin to get to work. They did not have long.
Taking in a deep breath, she knocked on the door loudly, hearing it echo down the row of townhouses. No one came to answer, and so she was forced to do so again, until, finally, the butler opened the door for her to step inside.
“My apologies, my lady,” the butler said at once, his white hair evident as he bowed. “I did not think we were expecting anyone in addition to those who have already come.”
“Oh, but I am not a guest this evening,” Mary protested, recalling that she was to do all she could not to join Lord Hertford’s dinner party, which would, of course, only ensure that she did manage to get an invitation. “My carriage has lost a wheel whilst we are on our way to the very outskirts of town, to Lord and Lady Quentin’s ball.” She shook her head, aware that she was dressed in her finery and hoping that this would convince the butler, and even Lord Hertford himself, that she was in earnest. “Might I beg your master’s good favor and linger in his front hall until my carriage is ready?”
The butler appeared to be a good sort of fellow, for he instantly appeared quite alarmed at this news and beckoned her to come further in. “I am afraid that the master will soon be going into dinner, but do let me go and see if can fetch him for you. It will not be too much trouble to put another place at the table.”
“You are very kind,” Mary said, smiling up at him. “You cannot imagine how awful this situation is.”
The butler nodded and took his leave, promising to be back within a few minutes. No other staff was about, given that most, if not all, were looking after the guests and preparing to serve the dinner. Quietly, Mary walked back to the front door, and turning the heavy iron key within the lock, opened it just a little.
A figure hurried up the steps and was inside the house before she could say a word. Not stopping to look at him, she closed the door tightly, and with as much quietness as she could, before locking it again.
“Lady Ashton.”
She turned at once, praying she had no guilt in her expression and refusing to look towards the staircase where she was sure Lord Johnston had gone.
“Lord Hertford,” she said, a little stiffly as she was sure he expected her to be. “It is most unfortunate, but one of the wheels to my carriage has–”
“Yes, the butler told me,” Lord Hertford replied, with a small smile whilst his eyes looked her up and down. “You look quite wonderful, Lady Ashton. Off to a ball, were you? Without Lord Johnston?”
She looked at him calmly. “Lord Johnston is a little unwell at this present time,” she said carefully, aware of the glint that came into his eyes. “But yes, I was to go to Lord and Lady Quentin’s ball.”
“Then it seems your plans are thwarted,” Lord Hertford replied with a dark smile that had her shivering inwardly. “My staff will help with your carriage, but you must stay for dinner. There is plenty.”
“No, indeed not,” she replied instantly, knowing that she must protest so as to convince him that she did not want to linger here. “I could not be so rude.”
“But I insist,” Lord Hertford replied, walking towards her and, to her horror, pressing gently on her lower back so as to propel her forward. “You must stay. The carriage will not be fixed for some time, and I could not have you staying in the hallway all alone. Besides which, I enjoy the fact that you would then owe me a little something for my goodness towards you, Lady Ashton.”
She wanted to push him away, as she felt the crawling of her skin from where his hand rested. “You are not doing this to be kind then, Lord Hertford?”
He chuckled darkly. “Come now, Lady Ashton. When have you ever known me to be kind?”
Given that she was now entering the drawing room filled with guests, she could not answer him, but she prayed that Lord Johnston would be successful in his endeavors. There was nothing she wanted more than to have Lord Hertford sent away from her for good.
“Ah, Lady Ashton!”
Beside her, Lord Hertford cleared his throat, sounding a little uncomfortable. “Lady Turner? You are acquainted with Lady Ashton?”
“But of course,” Lady Turner smiled, as Mary turned towards Lord Hertford also, seeing the way he tried to hide his astonishment. “Did you not know that Lady Ashton is engaged to Lord Johnston? And Lord Johnston, of course, is a very dear friend of my husband, Lord Turner.”
Lord Hertford started visibly, going a little grey. “No,” he replied, with a strained smile. “I did not.”
Lady Turner’s smile spread. “I am so delighted to see you, Lady Ashton. Come now, you must tell me what has occurred for I am sure you said you were not invited to this evening’s events.” Turning Mar
y away from her, Lady Turner turned her head and spoke to Lord Hertford over her shoulder. “Oh, you must put Lady Ashton next to me, Lord Hertford. I absolutely insist upon it.”
Unable to do anything but agree, Lord Hertford nodded and turned away, leaving Mary and Lady Turner to talk together.
“Well done, Lady Ashton,” Lady Turner said encouragingly, her eyes sparkling as though she had found great enjoyment in speaking to Lord Hertford in such a way. “And Lord Johnston is within?”
“Yes,” Mary stated quietly. “I just pray that he finds what he is looking for.”
“Oh, I am sure he will,” Lady Turner agreed with a knowing look. “Lord Hertford has been quite often in conversation with Lady Moore, who is here also, as you know. I am certain that there is more going on between them than they wish to reveal. By tonight’s end, you will have your answers, Lady Ashton. And then there will be a wedding to plan!”
14
Stephen had not wanted to break the lock on the chest, but given that he could not find the key, he had no other choice. The noise of splintering wood seemed louder than a thunderclap, and he froze in place, waiting for someone to come and discover him – only for there to be nothing but silence thereafter.
Letting out his breath slowly, Stephen wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, aware that he had begun to sweat with the pressure of what he was attempting to do.
He had looked all through Lord Hertford’s belongings in his study and, given that this was the last place in the room to look, felt himself almost at a loss as to where to look next. Mayhap he had been wrong. Mayhap Lord Masters was the one who had been working alongside Lady Moore.
The small chest he had discovered on his last search of the room had been hidden under a thick woolen blanket, and it was the fact that it had been concealed that had sent Stephen into a flurry of hope. Now, he set back the lid, and with his small candle, he peered in to see what lay within.
Books, papers, and all sorts lay within. Nothing that immediately captured his attention.
A little frustrated, Stephen began to move some of the papers out of the way, noting with interest that some of them seemed to be evidence about some less than proper endeavors involving either money or the making of it. When it came to it, Lord Hertford appeared to be nothing more than a thief and a cheat. This meant, of course, that he would want to hide any evidence of such a thing. Lifting the papers, he stacked them as best he could and set them aside, before looking into the chest again.
His heart leapt into his throat. Keys. A set of them, that appeared to be very much like the ones he had been looking for and, just underneath them, his own seal.
Stephen felt himself break into a cold sweat, awash with the relief of finding both the culprit and the missing items. Lord Hertford was the one working with Lady Moore, although the reasons for such an arrangement were yet to become completely clear. Grasping them both, he pocketed them carefully and made his way to the study door.
It was time to confront Lord Hertford.
“Shall we leave the gentlemen to their port?”
Stephen moved forward at once, not wanting to allow for such a thing. Throwing open the door, he strode into the room, hearing the gasps of the guests as they all turned, as one, to look at him.
His eyes were fixed on Lord Hertford.
“Lord Johnston!” Lord Hertford spluttered at once, half rising from the table. “What is the meaning of this? If it is your bride-to-be that you are concerned for, you can see that she is being quite well looked after.”
Stephen glanced at Mary, seeing that she was sitting between Lord Turner and Lady Turner. She was well protected then. It came as no surprise that Lady Moore was sitting by Lord Hertford, although from the expression on her face, he could tell that she had already worked out what he was doing here.
“I think, Lord Hertford, you had best explain how you came to have my keys and my seal hidden away in your home,” he said quietly, his words ringing around the room and making the guests gasp in astonishment, the whispering starting almost immediately. “And, Lady Moore, you may also wish to explain how you came to know that the gentleman I found dead in my study had been killed with a knife. You told that fact to my betrothed, Lady Ashton, and she relayed that information to me. However, that fact was kept quiet, Lady Moore, and was not known by more than a few by the time you came to speak to Lady Ashton.” So saying, he pulled the keys from his pocket and threw them onto the table in front of Lord Hertford. This was followed by his seal and, as the other guests looked on, he pointed one finger at the gentleman, who was now glowering at him under dark brows.
“You are talking nonsense, Lord Johnston,” Lord Hertford muttered, shaking his head. “What ridiculousness is this? Simply because I show a little kindness to your betrothed, you decide that I must be attempting to steal her affections and therefore seek to put blame onto my shoulders? I thought better of you than that, my good fellow!”
A small, wry grin tugged at Stephen’s lips. “If any of your guests wish to see for themselves, Lord Hertford, they will find a small chest in your study that has been broken into. That is where I found the keys and my seal. It is also where I found some interesting papers that relate to some of your more nefarious affairs. Shall I send someone to fetch them?”
Lord Hertford’s expression became baleful. Getting to his feet, he swiped the air with his hand. “Get out. All of you. This dinner is at an end.”
“No!” Lord Turner spoke up, getting to his feet and planting both hands on the table. “You have been found out, Lord Hertford. Lady Moore, you also are guilty of attempting to bring an end to Lord Johnston’s life. You may wish to deny it, but I do not think you can wriggle your way out of all the lies you intend to tell to hide the truth.”
Lady Moore had gone very white, her fingers grasping the tablecloth. “I did not mean for him to go to the gallows,” she whispered, her eyes wide with fright as Lord Turner, his scars giving him an almost malevolent appearance, leaned across the table towards her. “It was simply to ruin him forever. To make him a scourge in society so that he might never find the happiness he so desperately sought.”
“Be quiet!”
Lord Hertford turned on Lady Moore almost at once, striking her hard with his hand. She cried out and pressed one hand to her cheek where he had hit her, her eyes filling with tears.
Stephen felt nothing but disgust for them both.
Lord Turner was on his feet in a moment, pulling Lord Hertford away from Lady Moore.
“It was all her idea,” Lord Hertford spat, his eyes blazing with fury as he fought Lord Turner’s grasping hands. “She wanted to ensure that you were thrown from society, given your insults to her. Of course, since I wanted to ensure her favors, we came to an agreement!”
“You were to kill Thomas Copper!” Stephen shouted, moving towards Lord Hertford and coming to a stop behind Lady Ashton’s chair. “To drug me to make sure that I did not have any sort of excuse, is that correct?”
Lord Hertford struggled vainly against Lord Turner’s strength. “Thomas Copper had death coming to him,” he stated, the fight slowly going from him. “The man had done a few things for me and was threatening to…to go to some of those I had cheated to tell them exactly what I had done.” The words were tumbling from his mouth now, as though he had realized that his plans were all undone, shattering around his feet. “I convinced him to let me play one more game. He thought it was marvelous, dressing like one of us and sauntering into your house.” Lord Hertford sneered, his face almost bloodless in the candlelight. “He brought it on himself.”
“And you put his things in my house,” Stephen said, seeing Lord Hertford nod dully. “When I was drugged the first time.”
Lord Hertford shrugged. “When else was I meant to get your keys and seal, Johnston? I needed them. I needed them to do what she wanted—” he said as he pointed a finger at Lady Moore. “She promised to give me the money I needed to get free of my debts.”
&
nbsp; Stephen heard the other guests immediately begin to talk at this news, whispering to one another, whilst some began to fan themselves frantically, as though they might faint.
“And what of Lady Ashton?” Lady Turner asked, her voice breaking through the buzz of whispered conversation. “Why did you make Thomas Copper appear like her late husband?”
“To send her away, of course!” Lord Hertford said, as though Lady Turner had asked the most ridiculous question. “I could see that Lord Johnston was often in her company, and I was worried she would go after him. Thought if she saw her dead husband, she would run from the house in a panic.”
Lady Ashton lifted her chin, her hands tight as they grasped the arms of the chair. “You misjudged me, Lord Hertford.”
He snarled at her like some sort of wild animal. “I wanted to teach you a lesson,” he spat angrily. “You kept on refusing me, kept on preventing me from getting what I needed. Lady Moore, she hates you too. We thought it would be a wonderful chance to send you back to your little estate, never to hear from you again.” He chuckled darkly. “Seems like I was not the only one who misjudged you.”
Stephen turned his gaze onto Lady Moore, just as Lady Ashton spoke up.
“And what have I done to ever make you hate me so, Lady Moore?” she asked quietly, as the room fell into silence as everyone strained to hear Lady Moore’s answer. “We were debutantes together, but from what I know, I have never wronged you.”
Lady Moore’s eyes glittered. “Lord Ashton was to be mine,” she hissed, her eyes dark with malice. “We were to be betrothed. It was by my father’s design, but before I knew what was happening, he was betrothed to you. I was forced to marry some old, despicable creature who treated me as though I were nothing. Nothing! Me, who is both beautiful and graceful – a diamond of the first water – and yet he thought me unimportant.” She tossed her head, her eyes drifting towards Lord Hertford. “He too deserved his death.”
