by Laura Landon
“Very well, I will trust that you are telling me the truth.”
Jenna felt a huge weight lifted from her. “Thank you. Now, leave. You and I will go to the house and you will announce that after discussing our options, we have agreed to break the betrothal agreement.”
“Why would we do that?”
“Because you’re not safe if you remain betrothed to me.” Jenna couldn’t stop the tears that welled in her eyes. “I am the reason your brother died—to free me so I could marry the Duke of Ridgeway.”
Jenna knew her statement shocked him. She knew Jack had been so convinced that Jenna’s father was somehow behind his brother’s murder that he hadn’t thought of another possibility. But there were others. In fact, there were three.
“No,” he said, shaking his head in denial. “You had nothing to do with Shad’s murder.”
“I did!”
Jenna paced back and forth in an effort to escape. But she couldn’t escape. She couldn’t run away from the guilt that ate at her, the horror that was inside her, an agonizing regret that she’d have to live with the rest of her life.
“Oh, Jack! I’m so sorry! I didn’t know—”
Jack’s solid arms came around her and held her close.
Oh, she needed his strength, his understanding. His forgiveness. She needed him like she’d never needed anyone in her life.
“You had nothing to do with Shad’s death,” he said, pushing back the strands of hair that had fallen onto her forehead. “You didn’t know what they’d planned.”
“But if I had—”
“But you didn’t. And neither did I.”
Jack took her to the bench and sat beside her. He gathered her in his arms like she was a precious jewel. She’d never felt so safe and loved in her life.
“Your stepmother and her brother were the only ones who knew. And perhaps Ridgeway. That has yet to be determined.”
Jack rubbed his hands over her shoulders and down her arms. He nestled her closer and rested his cheek against the top of her head.
“Even my brother must have known there was a possibility of danger. If only he would have come to me sooner. But he didn’t, and now it’s too late.”
“That’s why you have to leave.” Jenna lifted her gaze so she could look him in the eyes. “You won’t be safe if you stay.
Jack smiled at her and ran the back of his fingers down her cheek. “Your father is very lucky to have a daughter as loyal as you.”
Jenna returned his smile. “I am very lucky to have a father as wonderful as he.”
Jack leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose. “And I’m beginning to think I’m the luckiest one of all to have found you.”
A surge of warmth rushed through Jenna. This strange sensation wrapped around her heart, then settled low in the pit of her stomach.
Jack held her a few seconds longer without either of them speaking, then broke the silence. “Who at Kingston Manor do you trust most?”
“Why?”
“Because I need to make a list of our allies.”
“No. You have to leave. You’re not safe here.”
“I’m not leaving, so don’t waste your energy talking about it. Now,” he said, turning on the bench to face her. “Who do you trust most here?”
Jenna knew there was no changing his mind so she didn’t say more to try. “Benton and Maggie. Both have proven their trustworthiness.”
“Good,” Jack nodded as if he agreed with her assessment. “We’ll enlist them, then.”
Jack stood and held out his hand for her to take. “We need to go back. When we reach the house, we’ll say good night if your stepmother and her brother are still up, then go to our rooms. I’ll use the rigors of the journey as my excuse for retiring. You will offer to show me to my room, then go to your rooms and stay there.”
He pulled her into his arms and held her. “Lock your doors and don’t leave your room until morning. Do you understand?”
“Yes. What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to figure out a way to find out what your stepmother and her brother are up to, and how the Duke of Ridgeway fits into the picture.”
Jack’s arms tightened around her and Jenna wrapped her arms around his waist to stay as close to him as she could.
“Can you get a message to Benton without anyone knowing?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Tell him to meet me in the stable at half past midnight.”
Jenna nodded and knew he understood from the way his arms gently tightened.
“Good. Now let’s go in. If we stay out here any longer we’ll have your stepmother and the household staff searching for us.”
Jenna walked back to the house at Jack’s side. She was looking forward to getting to her room. She needed to check for the light that would tell her that her father was all right. Then she could finally be by herself, even though she knew sleep was undoubtedly hours away.
If it came at all.
THE DEVIL’S GIFT by Laura Landon
Chapter 15
Jack checked again to make sure no one had followed him into the stable, then settled back into the corner to wait for Benton.
After Jenna’s revelation, Jack had to consider the possibility that the only person he’d held responsible for Shad’s death might be innocent. What if the murderer hadn’t been Baron Kingston? What if he’d had nothing to do with Shad’s death?
Then who?
Jack thought through his possibilities. The baroness?
She hadn’t killed him directly, but perhaps she’d hired an assassin. Or perhaps her brother had been the murderer.
The serenity of a quiet stable calmed his mind as Jack mulled over that possibility and promptly dismissed it. If Jack were any judge of character, he knew Brackston would do anything to get his way. He would blackmail. He would play one friend against another. And he would steal from even his family for financial gain.
But murder? Braxton was smarmy but too effete to ever get his own hands dirty.
Jack closed his eyes and let the sounds of the stable churn through his mind while he thought over the changes he had to consider. He’d come to Kingston Manor sure Kingston was behind Shad’s murder. Sure he would find the proof he needed to avenge his brother’s death. Instead, he was more confused now than ever.
Hopefully, Benton would be able to shed some light on who could be responsible.
Jack flattened his back against the wall and listened.
If he hadn’t been expecting someone to arrive, the almost imperceptible sound Benton made wouldn’t have been noticeable. But Jack had been waiting. The hair that rose on the back of his neck was the only indication that he was no longer alone.
“Where did you receive your training?” Jack asked before Benton had reached him. “The only agency to hone such talents, other than our military, would be one of the Crown’s secret organizations. And I don’t remember you from the military.”
“I’ve never been fond of the military,” Benton answered as he stepped into the opening of the stall. “Nor would I have been as talented as you to keep from getting myself killed.”
Benton lit a small lamp that hung on the post beside him. The lantern gave off just enough light to see the butler’s shadow in the darkness, but not enough to be seen from the outside.
“I’m not sure talent had much to do with it. I think Divine intervention played a bigger part.”
“Whatever it was,” Benton said, looking as relaxed as if they were talking about the weather, “you earned a reputation for your work during the war that made several of us envious.”
“Envious?”
“At least the war came to an end. Our jobs will never be over.”
“You can’t just walk away?”
Benton shrugged. “There’s always the risk that someone I helped convict of their crimes will discover where I am.”
“So, what’s the answer to what you’re doing?”
Benton shrugged
. “To continue until the last criminal is locked away.”
Jack pushed himself away from the wall. “What criminals are you searching for here?”
“The same ones you are, no doubt.”
“Except I have no idea who they might be.”
“You’ve given up on your conviction that Baron Kingston is responsible for your brother’s death?”
Jack didn’t ask how Benton knew about his brother. There was undoubtedly much Benton knew that he wouldn’t share. “Let’s say I had my mind changed for me.”
“Miss Kingston can be quite persuasive.”
“Yes, she can.”
Jack studied the relaxed pose Benton assumed and knew from experience Benton would probably avoid answering as many questions as he could, and weigh every word of the ones he chose to answer. Jack chose a direct approach in hopes that Benton would respond in kind. “My purpose is to find out who killed my brother.”
Benton surprised him with an observation. “Then perhaps you’d do better to ask why he was killed.”
Jack straightened. “What are you saying?”
“I think if you can discover the reason your brother was killed, you will be one step closer to knowing who killed him.”
Benton was right. Because of his brother’s dying words, Jack had gone on the assumption that Baron Kingston was behind Shad’s death. He’d planned to find out the motive once he’d caught up with Kingston.
Benton shifted.
“Did your brother say anything to indicate what he’d discovered that got him killed?”
Jack shook his head. “There wasn’t anything concrete. Only the hint that a marriage to Kingston’s daughter would ruin the Rafferty name. His dying words warned me not to let Kingston—“
“He said Kingston?”
Jack looked at the frown on Benton’s forehead and forced his mind to go back to that night and remember every word Shad had said.
“He didn’t say Kingston. He said...”
Jack closed his eyes and recalled Shad’s exact words. “He said, ‘Don’t let...’ Then he coughed through a rattle in his throat. When he continued, he finished with, ‘...get you ...too.’”
Jack realized Shad hadn’t meant Baron Kingston. But there were others who were connected to Baron Kingston.
“What about Lady Kingston and her brother?” Jack asked.
“What about them?”
Jack knew Benton was avoiding offering too much information and he wasn’t about to let him. He needed to know as much as he could.
“What are the baroness and her brother involved in?”
Benton crossed his arms over his chest as he hesitated. Finally he relaxed his arms and answered.
“No one is sure. But it’s big.”
“How do you know?”
“There are certain people who don’t have England’s best interest in mind who bear watching from time to time.”
“Someone here at Kingston Manor?”
“I’m simply interested in the comings and goings here. That’s all.”
“I see,” Jack murmured, knowing there was much Benton wasn’t divulging. “I take it the baroness entertains certain of these guests that bear watching.”
“She has upon occasion.”
“I can understand why your superior sent you to Kingston Manor,” Jack said.
“Not everyone agreed with the decision,” Benton continued. “When your brother was killed, most of the people who realized the connection between the Earl of Devlin and Baron Kingston’s daughter came to the conclusion that because of the Duke of Ridgeway’s interest in Miss Kingston, he might have played a part in your brother’s death.”
“Ridgeway?”
Benton shrugged. “That still might be the case.”
“And you?” Jack asked, interested in whether or not that was Benton’s opinion.
“I opted to reserve an opinion until I knew more of the facts.”
“Facts about what?”
“Anything to prove Ridgeway had motive enough.”
Benton moved to the other side of the open stall. “A handful in the organization weren’t convinced. They considered that Ridgeway had nothing to do with the killing, but that your brother was killed because he discovered something he wasn’t supposed to.”
“What would that be?”
“No one knows for sure. But it would have to be extremely profitable.”
“What makes you think that?”
“The baroness has a very expensive addiction. One that needs a constant supply of money.”
Jack’s senses went on the alert. “What addiction is that?”
“She likes to gamble. In fact,” Benton said with a sound of disgust, “she owes nearly everyone in London, especially a large portion of the ton.”
“From what Miss Kingston says, her father has never been wealthy. How has the baroness managed to pay her gambling debts thus far?”
“The baroness is a beautiful woman, in case you haven’t noticed. Some of the men who hold her vowels are willing to accept her physical favors as payment. Others have a greater need for the money she owes them and are quite firm in their demands that she make good on her debts. Hence, the need for large amounts of money.”
“What about Brackston?”
“Viscount Brackston enjoys gambling, too. He is continually searching for the perfect investment—one that will make him wealthy beyond his dreams. Unfortunately, so far he has made some very unwise investments. He is in debt to the Marquess of Fullmont for several thousand pounds.”
“The fool. The first lesson every father teaches his son is to never have any business dealings with the Marquess of Fullmont or any of his relatives.”
“Brackston did more than enter into a business deal with one of Fullmont’s relatives. He talked Fullmont’s youngest son into investing every pound of a sizeable inheritance in a venture that was risky at best.”
Jack sucked in a harsh breath. “Of course the fool lost his investment.”
“Fullmont and several other young bucks foolish enough to add their pounds with his.” Benton stepped deeper inside the stall and sat on a wooden crate in the corner. “The gossip mills at White’s are predicting that Brackston won’t be around to bring in the New Year if the money isn’t returned to the Fullmont Estate by Boxing Day.”
“Which, of course, there is no possibility of happening without something that will bring them an inordinate amount of money.”
“The question everyone is asking now is how desperate is Brackston to get the money? Desperate enough that he will align himself with characters who are known for their ruthlessness?”
“I’m glad I’m not in Brackston’s shoes. Fullmont isn’t a man with whom you want to align yourself, let alone someone with whom you want to be on the wrong side.”
“I think Brackston figured that out. That is the reason he sent for his sister. I think his last effort was to have Baroness Kingston negotiate for him.”
“Which must have ended in failure.”
“Yes.”
Benton rose from the crate and checked in both directions down the long aisle of the stable. When he was satisfied no one was there to overhear them, he sat back down.
“When the baroness and her brother returned from London, she was angrier than I’ve ever seen her. She was almost irrational in the way she yelled at the servants and screamed her orders.”
“Was that the night she took a whip to Miss Kingston?”
“Usually Maggie and I have a chance to calm her somewhat before she goes to her rooms, but that night she rushed up the stairs in a fury with orders she didn’t want to be disturbed. Unfortunately, when she reached her rooms, she saw you and the mistress in the garden below.”
Benton paused a moment before continuing.
“The second Miss Kingston returned, the she-divvil, as Maggie refers to her, raced toward Miss Kingston with that…thing…she uses to inflict pain. Neither Maggie nor I were able to reach her before she’
d taken the lash to Miss Jenna at least a half dozen times.”
Jack remembered Jenna’s screams that night as well as the sight of her raw and bleeding back, and a knot tightened in the pit of his stomach.
“Miss Kingston is of age. Why was the baroness so furious to see us together in the garden?”
Jack was prepared for the answer he knew Benton would give him, but he didn’t like it any better to hear it spoken aloud.
“Lady Kingston intends to accept the Duke of Ridgeway’s offer to make Miss Kingston his bride. Ridgeway is rich as Croesus, and after Brackston’s latest disaster, both she and her brother are more desperate than ever for the wealth that will come with the marriage.”
“Enough that Lady Kingston or her brother would commit murder?”
Benton thought for a second. “Yes, but I’m not sure either of them are capable of masterminding such a feat.”
Jack clamped his teeth together in frustration. That was the same conclusion to which he’d come. “Then who?”
Benton checked again to make sure they were still alone, then leaned an elbow against the top rung of the stall. “I wish I knew. There are several possibilities, but no one we can prove killed your brother.”
“Then we’ll have to get the proof.”
“How?”
“By setting a trap.”
“What kind of trap?”
Jack paced from one side of the small stall to the other. Several things Jenna had said earlier bothered him. She’d overheard certain phrases the night her father and stepmother had argued that she’d dismissed as being unimportant. But Jack knew that some of the puzzles you didn’t understand were the most important.
He stopped and faced Benton. “What do the words November and London air mean to you?”
Benton was silent for a moment, then he shook his head. “Nothing. Today is the first day of November and nothing of importance happened except, just before you arrived, the baroness renewed her demand that Miss Kingston accept Ridgeway’s offer. There seemed to be some urgency in the mandate.
“As far as the London air...” He paused. “Everyone knows that the air in London can be bad any time of the year. But November is often one of the better months.”
