by Bree Verity
The noise in the alleyway echoed around in Theo’s head, as another carriage clattered by. He tried desperately to think of a way out. Could he run, flag down a passing vehicle? He did not think Freddie would shoot him in the back. Then again, up until ten minutes ago, he did not think Freddie would shoot him at all. And carts were few and far between.
From the street, he heard footsteps running toward him.
“Theo.”
He didn’t think his stomach could have dropped any further than it already had, but he was wrong. Hearing his wife’s voice made it plummet even lower.
“Caroline. Stay back.”
She stopped at his strident tone, then he heard her gasp from behind him.
“Freddie?” Caroline called hesitantly. “What are you doing?”
“I need to kill Theo,” he replied.
“You?” Theo heard the surprise and confusion in her voice.
“Yes me. You need not be involved, Caroline. I did not wish for you to be involved. Just walk away.”
“You know I cannot do that,” she replied, her voice firming up.
“Of course you can. Just turn around and go home. I shall be around shortly to see you.”
“I will not be leaving this alleyway, unless it is in the company of my husband.”
Freddie’s shoulders slumped. “If that is the case, I shall have to shoot you both, for that is the only way you will be in his company.”
“No,” shouted Theo. “Shoot me, Freddie. Shoot me first. Leave Caroline alone.”
“Very well.” Freddie readied his aim.
“Freddie, I have only one word to say to you,” Caroline said, a note of desperation in her voice.
“Oh? And what is that?”
“Fenella.”
Theo was not sure he had heard his wife correctly. He turned to stare at her.
“What does that even mean?” Freddie grumbled.
“Fenella,” she said again, a little louder, her eyes pleading with Theo. He wondered if she, too, had lost her mind.
Then she shouted.
“Fenella.”
Chapter Twenty-Four.
On the first call, Fenella’s ears had pricked up.
On the second, she had felt a burn of energy through her spine and into every nerve in her body.
And on the third, she appeared, directly in front of the armed Freddie.
With a gasp, he pulled the trigger.
But Fenella was faster than he. She pushed his hand aside, and the bullet lodged harmlessly in the brick wall. She heard Caroline shriek behind her.
“Go,” she shouted over her shoulder. “I can take care of this.”
To her satisfaction, she heard the clatter of their running feet. For once, a human had listened.
“Get out of my way, woman,” Freddie said, and tried to push past her. The red glint ignited in her eyes.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
“Do you know who I am?”
Fenella frowned, apparently in deep thought. “I think so. You were at the wedding, weren’t you? The best man, if I recollect.”
“Whose wedding?”
“Why, Caroline and Theodore’s, of course.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“It has a great deal to do with this entire situation. You see, I am charged with bringing about their happily ever after.”
Freddie jeered. “And of what possible interest is that to me?”
“You, my friend, are standing in the way.”
With that Fenella instantly turned full dark fae. This went far beyond the red sparks in her eyes and the black smoke around her ankles. In her full dark fae aspect, Fenella was truly nightmarish.
Her black hair stood out from her head, fizzing with electricity, her face transformed into a death mask, eyes and cheeks sunken, and lips pulled back to reveal pointed white teeth. She snarled, and Freddie yelled in fear, backing away from the ghastly specter to cower alongside a group of old, empty barrels.
Fenella never felt so alive as when she was full dark. Her fingernails grew into talons, and her dress turned from pink to deep, blood red. Lightning passed between her hands. The swirl of smoke that started at her ankles grew to encompass her to the waist, and then to the shoulders, yet Fenella’s entire body was still visible. Her voice deepened, and she snarled, “Frederick Burns, you have been judged and found wanting.”
Freddie’s eyes bulged, and he dropped to the ground. “Please,” he whined. “Leave me alone.”
“The punishment you would mete out on others should be made upon you,” Fenella intoned, beginning to float off the cobblestones and hover over Freddie. Papers and rubbish flew through the air, swirling around Fenella in a crazy, dangerous dance. Freddie dodged a flying piece of debris and, whimpering, crawled into a filthy corner. But Fenella was not finished with him yet.
“Know that I can rip your very soul from your body. I can twist it and hurt it and return it to you broken and deformed. Or perhaps I might not return it at all.”
“No.”
“You are weak and pathetic, all of you, with your firearms and your bloody history. And for what? For what?” She sailed in close to Freddie and he shrieked, hiding his eyes.
“Never again will you plot the demise of another.”
“I won’t. I promise. Just leave me alone.”
“You will confess your actions to the authorities, and you will never again darken the doorstep of Theodore and Caroline Longshore.”
“No, I never will. You have my word.”
“But the word of such an evil, wicked man? Why should I believe you?” Fenella sailed down to stand before Freddie, lifting his head until his neck stretched. There were tears in his terrified eyes, and she could smell the acrid scent of urine. She said louder, “Why should I believe you?”
Freddie only blubbered. Fenella dropped his head and he fell back to the floor.
“Know, Frederick Burns, that there are no more warnings. My next visit will spell your doom. You will not disrupt Caroline’s happily ever after. Ever. Again.”
She lifted herself off the floor again, to hover over Freddie, getting closer and closer to his terrified face.
Then, letting the rubbish crash to the ground, she winked out of sight, leaving only Freddie, crouched in a corner against the empty barrels, weeping bitterly.
Chapter Twenty-Five.
Theo flagged down one of the few hackneys that were on the street, and he and Caroline climbed in.
“Regent Street,” Theo called, and he heard the driver say, “Righto guv’ner,” and the vehicle started to move.
With Caroline beside him and safe, there was only one thing Theo wanted to do.
He pulled his wife into his arms and kissed her, long and hard. After a moment of surprise, she returned his kiss with as much enthusiasm as Theo himself. He loved the feel of her beneath his hands, the softness of her, the curves and lines that made her who she was.
Then he pulled away, and said severely, “What on earth were you doing there, Caroline? You know it is the height of impropriety for any respectable woman to be seen there?”
She scowled. “I came to rescue you. Only I will admit, I thought the culprit was Uncle Harold, not Freddie.” Her voice caught in her throat, “Oh, Theo, what happened to Freddie? He was not even the same person.”
Theo shook his head sadly, pulling Caroline back into his arms. “I do not know,” he admitted, “but it seems he has squandered his fortune, and perhaps gone insane for the worry of it.”
“Lost his fortune?” Caroline struggled out of Theo’s embrace to stare him in the face. “But he was wealthy.”
Theo shrugged. “Appearances can be deceiving. But it hurts, it really hurts that Freddie did not approach me for help. I thought we were like brothers.”
He didn’t want to cry in front of Caroline, so he channeled his response into anger instead. “I’ll wager your Uncle had something to do with his undoing, though.”
“My Uncle? Theo, when I came home today, he was threatening Mama with sending her to Bedlam.”
“That will never happen, Caroline, do you hear me?” He took her face in his hands but could see she was still concerned.
“I worked out how he could do it,” she replied. “All he needs to do is make sure you and I are dead, and then he could take action to secure Mama’s fortune for himself.”
“It could never happen.” Theo was sure of it. “Ponsonby has neither the means nor the connections to do such a thing.” His voice hardened. “Still, he and Freddie had colluded to bring about my demise. I believe I shall have the constable call around to his house shortly.”
His words were arrested by the stricken expression on Caroline’s face. “They colluded together? But Freddie hates Uncle Harold.”
Once again Theo shrugged. “I cannot tell you how it came about, love. Only that Freddie decided he needed to kill me when Ponsonby had not come up to the mark.”
Theo was silent for a moment, watching the myriad of emotions cross Caroline’s face. Then he said, with some emotion, “I have managed to misread the intentions of just about everyone, Caroline, including you.” At her confused look, he took both of her hands. “I owe you an enormous apology, Caroline. I met Sir Allan on the street this afternoon when… well, this afternoon. He told me I was a fool not to have you involved in our investments, that you were – and I quote – one of the foremost financial minds of your generation.”
Caroline flushed. “Hardly that,” she murmured, but Theo cut her off.
“I believe him. And I allowed my narrow view of what a marriage should be like to cloud my judgement. Caro, I should have placed you on a pedestal, instead of hiding your light under a bushel. You are an extraordinary woman, and I am just so lucky to have you…”
He stopped, his voice cracking.
Caroline brought one hand up and cradled his face.
“There is something I have been meaning to tell you,” she said hesitantly. “It’s about Cabot…”
Theo immediately responded, “Me too. I wanted to say I love you, Caroline. I love you so much sometimes it gives me physical pain. When you came around the corner in front of Freddie, I knew there was nothing I would not have done to save you. I would have thrown myself in front of Freddie’s gun if I had to. That’s how much I love you.”
She stared at him for a moment, and then, to his surprise, she laughed.
Theo was taken aback. Perhaps he had misread what he saw in her eyes. Had he made a total fool out of himself? Did Caroline not love him at all?
“It is hardly a laughing matter,” he said stiffly, but Caroline cut him off.
“Oh, my dear, I love you too, but that was not what I wanted to tell you.”
She continued to speak, but Theo did not hear the words. He was far too busy savoring a different thought. She loved him. Caroline loved him.
He intercepted her words with another kiss.
“Theo, you must listen for a moment.”
She pushed him back a little.
“It was I who made you make that Cabot and Co investment.”
Theo smiled. “Oh, and how did you do that?”
“With a charm.”
“A charm?”
“Yes. A magical charm.”
He smiled hesitantly. “I am not certain that I understand.”
“I used magic on you to make you place the investment.”
“Then how is it that I clearly remember seeing the advertisement and then going to the office to make the investment all by myself?”
“I do not know.” Caroline sounded miserable. “But I want you to know, Theo, I will never use the charm on you again. I promise.”
Bewildered, Theo replied, “Then that is all settled then. Right?”
“Right.” She seemed relieved.
“And we will work together from now on, on all of our investments.”
Now, Caroline looked radiant. “Truly?” she said, her eyes sparkling.
“Truly. Between you, and Sir Allan, and Freddie, I am convinced you will be an asset.”
“I will, Theo, I promise.”
Theo was only too happy to seal the deal with yet another kiss before settling back against the leather of the hackney with his wife in his arms for the rest of the journey home.
Chapter Twenty-Six.
Caroline could hardly drag herself out of the hackney. Weary beyond words, and so relieved she had been able to confess everything to Theo (although she could see he didn’t quite believe her), she leaned on Theo as they lumbered up to the front door, which was opened with alacrity by the clearly worried Benton.
His training forbade him from asking any questions, still Caroline knew Benton burned with curiosity and concern, so she was vaguely pleased when Theo said to him, “It might be best if you and Mrs. Benton join us in the parlor. There are some things the two of you ought to know. Bring tea for Mrs. Longshore.” As Benton nodded and hurried away, Theo called after him, “And if you could bring the brandy from the library, that would be good too.”
Now, Theo’s declaration of love was wearing off him a little, and Caroline could see he was remembering the horrors of the hour prior. The two of them all but stumbled into the parlor, collapsing in the blue chairs by the fire.
“Hello Mama,” Caroline called weakly, turning her head to where her mother was busy on a new piece of embroidery - this one was on canvas, so the work was significantly less close; Caroline was pleased to see that someone had set Mama up with several strong oil lamps, which gave off a good, steady source of light, although the acrid scent of the burning oil hung in the air like spider webs.
Theo sat, head in hands, and Caroline’s heart went out to him. Never in a million years could he have expected that his would-be murderer would turn out to be his best friend. For her part, she was just so thankful he was alive, that his life was no longer in danger, she could not yet process the treachery of Freddie, or his descent into madness, or whatever it was.
Benton brought the brandy and presented it to Theo who poured himself a measure, then poured some into three other glasses. At Benton’s raised eyebrow, he simply said, “We will all need it.”
Mrs. Benton appeared with the tea tray, which she placed in front of Caroline, then stood back, silently awaiting further instructions, her worried eyes darting back and forth between Caroline and Theo. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Caroline thought just how wonderful the Bentons were. They were more than just servants. They were family. Theo and Caroline’s welfare was not just their job - they truly did care.
“Benton, get that chair for Mrs. Benton will you, and bring it closer to the fire? And the other one, by the door, bring that over as well for yourself.” Theo instructed.
There was a sharp rap on the door.
“That will be Fenella,” said Caroline listlessly. “Mrs. Benton, would you be so kind as to show her in? She’ll be a lady in pink.” With only a very slight frown, Mrs. Benton did as she was bid.
“I still don’t know who this Fenella is,” said Theo softly, and Caroline smiled wanly at him. “All will be revealed,” she murmured.
As Fenella clattered into the room, Caroline watched as her expression turned from triumphant, to confused, to chastised.
“Shall I set a chair for the young person as well, Sir?” Benton asked, his face impassive but his tone clearly expressing his opinion of unknown young women who gallivanted city streets in the evening unchaperoned. Caroline almost laughed to think how he might react to the news that Fenella was a fairy godmother. She nodded for Benton to get another chair.
The five of them sat silently for a moment, the only sound the crackle of the fire. The light and heat of it made Caroline drowsy, and she realised just how much the exertions of the day had taken out of her.
Theo said, “Where is Freddie?” He directed the question to Fenella, who replied in her Irish lilt, “Still in the alleyway, I suppose, where I left him.”
“Did you kill him?”
The question surprised a shocked squeak out of Mrs. Benton, but Fenella replied indignantly, “Of course I didn’t. I just gave him a scare, that’s all.”
At Mrs. Benton and her husband’s agitated looks, Theo sighed deeply and said to them, “You might as well know, Benton, it was Sir Freddie who has been trying to kill me, in conjunction with Mr. Ponsonby.”
Both Benton and his wife gasped.
Caroline was struck by her husband’s tone. His voice was steady, but Caroline could hear controlled fury, despair and deep sadness in the undertones. She wanted to reach over and console him but decided that was not what he would want. Not right now. Still, Caroline knew he would not quickly recover from his friend’s betrayal.
“And just how did you give him a scare?” Theo turned back to Fenella. “You are hardly terrifying.”
Fenella shrugged. “I just, you know, scared him.” Her eyes flicked to Caroline in a silent call for assistance.
It was only then that Caroline realised Theo and the Bentons had no idea who Fenella actually was. Theo had seen her appear out of thin air and knock Freddie’s gun off course, but he did not know anything more.
“Well you see, Fenella is my…”
“Stop.”
The unknown male voice came from behind her and Caroline spun around in surprise to see perhaps the most beautiful blond man she had ever laid eyes on. No, not a man. Tall, lithe and with pale wings and striking blue eyes… Caroline immediately knew who he was. She turned to Fenella. “Lachlan, right?”
Fenella nodded.
The next thing Caroline noticed was that the entire room had gone silent. Theo and the Bensons sat like stone statues, and even the fire was still, as if it had been painted in the fireplace. Over in the corner her mother too was unmoving, her needle poised over her work. Caroline’s mouth dropped open and she turned back to stare at Lachlan. “How did you do that?” she breathed.
Lachlan ignored her question. “We can’t have all these people knowing about Fenella,” he said crisply. “Secrecy is important in our line of work. She knows that.” He sent a censorious look at Fenella, who gave an exaggerated sigh and rolled her eyes.
