“Don’t you say my son’s name,” she hissed.
Leo grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Madison hadn’t known she’d stepped forward. Her hand was fisted. Would she have struck Matthew?
She might have. Edmond was hers.
She didn’t ask how Matthew knew her child’s name. She jerked away from Leo. She was far too enraged to be touched by her treacherous husband at the moment.
“I wouldn’t have mistreated your son,” Matthew said. “I… care for him.”
Her mouth gaped. “Have you been near my son?” She turned around and looked at Leo. “Have you brought him near my son?”
Leo kept his face blank as he said, “No, I haven't bought the man near our son, Madison. I would never have made such a decision without you.” Though he didn’t show it, his pronunciations said he was offended.
∫ ∫ ∫
3 8
* * *
Madison stared at Leo and slowly calmed. Our son.
She didn’t have to ask if Leo would die for Edmond. She knew he would. They were a family. She needed to start acting like it. She needed to trust him.
But it was hard.
It was her body that had carried him. She’d suffered the sleepless nights of his movements, the bouts of sickness, the pain. The birth.
She honestly didn’t know if she could share him completely. Even if Leo had been the true father, after everything she’d gone through, the lengths she’d decided she’d go to keep him from Matthew…
“I would like to meet him one day,” Matthew said. “I know you hate me now, but if you could ever find it in your heart…”
“I won’t,” Madison told him honestly. “You hated Judd. You could very well be responsible for his death.”
“I wasn’t.” Matthew stepped forward.
Leo’s hand went out and stopped him. He easily reached past Madison to keep the other man back.
Matthew met Leo’s eyes over her shoulder and retreated. “I’d known about Judd’s betrayal for months before he died. I never wanted him dead. I just wanted the truth. I wanted my friend to tell me the truth, but instead, he avoided me.” Matthew’s nostrils flared in anger.
“How did you find out?” Leo asked.
Madison knew the question had more to do with his work and less to do with the matter at hand.
Matthew shook his head. “Someone approached me at Judd’s father’s burial. He hinted that the person closest to me was responsible for my father’s death and that now that person suffered the same pain. He said the pain circled back around and some other things about circles. I thought him mad, so I moved away.”
Leo moved forward to stand by Madison and she could see by his expression that he was planning to take over the conversation. He had that look, the one that said he wouldn’t stop until he was finished. “What did the man look like?”
Matthew shook his head. “I can’t remember. I was grieving with Judd at the time. It was days later I thought about what the man said.”
Madison couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “So a stranger told you that your best friend killed your father and you believed him?” His revenge had been for nothing.
Matthew’s eyes widened. “Of course not. Judd was my friend. I knew him better than anyone… Or so I thought.”
“What happened?” Leo asked. “How did you find out the truth?”
Matthew crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. “My father’s death had been ruled an accident. They said he’d been walking while reading. A letter in one hand, a letter opener in his other. He fell down the stairs. He stabbed himself in the heart upon his landing.”
His jaw ticked. “It was a believable tale. My father tended to get lost in his letters. I could tell something was bothering him before he died. He started to act like Judd just before…” Matthew shook his head.
Madison’s felt a tightening in her belly. She didn’t want to hear more but stayed in place and listened.
* * *
Leo saw Madison grow tense in the corner of his vision and realized he’d taken over her conversation with Matthew. “We can discuss this later—”
“No,” she whispered. “I want to know what’s going on.”
“You’ve heard enough.” He didn’t want her near The Circle.
Or The Circle near her.
“I deserve to know.” She gave him a defiant look before turning to Matthew. “Are you saying your father, Judd’s father, and Judd were all involved in this vile brotherhood?”
He nodded. “I… think so. I’m not sure. He was a secretive man.”
“Trust me, I knew Judd very well. I know he kept secrets,” she said. “But I doubt this was one of them.”
“Trust you?” Leo asked her with sudden suspicion. “What secrets of Judd’s do you know?” Leo had only asked out of anger. He didn’t actually believe she was hiding anything of significance. First, she referred to Edmond as her own.
Repeatedly.
And now she defended her dead lover as though Leo wasn’t there, bragging about how well she’d known him, as though Leo wished to hear any of that. He didn’t actually want Judd’s secrets, because he doubted the ones Madison knew had anything to do with his investigation.
But then her mouth fell open. “Well… I don’t know what the secrets are exactly. I just know he had them… like anyone would, I imagine.”
Leo knew she was hiding something but wasn’t certain he would pry.
But he desperately wanted to. Why was she guarding her old lover’s secret? She’d told him that she’d always love Judd. Leo hadn’t imagined he’d have to compete with the dead viscount.
Until now.
“I’m almost certain he was in it,” Matthew said.
Madison turned to him, her face flashing with relief. “So they join only to be executed? It makes no sense. Perhaps you don’t know Judd as well as you think you do. Perhaps you’re wrong.”
Leo turned off his emotions so his mind could process the conversation properly. His anger with Madison was growing. His love and need for her distracted him.
He needed to think as he did before she came into his life.
When he finally managed to empty his mind of anything but his job, he listened to Madison’s words and began to think that Matthew wasn’t the only person who was wrong. “She’s right.”
Matthew turned his angry eyes from Madison to him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, unless the people we’ve mentioned all betrayed the group and The Circle was trying to eliminate them, it’s more likely that someone else is taking out The Circle and its members.”
Matthew stiffened. “And what about me?”
“You rejected them, don’t you remember?” Leo asked.
Matthew frowned. “In the last two years, many have died, mostly men.”
Leo took out the small book he kept his pocket. Coming to Mr. Collins’ party had always been about two purposes, the brotherhood and the position at the school. “I’m going to read some names off to you both. I want to know if these men are dead or alive.”
The list were names Leo and a few others who worked for Van Dero had compiled together.
Many of the names were of people neither Matthew nor Madison had met.
Yet of the people they did know, five of the ten were dead.
Four of the other five were present tonight.
Leo snapped the book closed.
Matthew turned to Leo. “You said this was the reason you came to Oxford. Is it possible the person committing the murders works for you?”
Madison’s eyes widened. Accusation. She probably thought him behind her lover’s death.
Leo held her gaze without emotion. “No. It’s not possible. Lord Van Dero would have told me.”
“Van Dero?” Madison paled beside him. “You know the duke?”
“Yes, why?”
She turned away, hiding her thoughts from him once again, and then her eyes widened. “Anson. He was on the list
.”
“Yes.” Leo had noticed that as well.
Madison grabbed Leo’s arm. “I mean, his son is here. Is he in danger?” Then she gasped. “Edmond.”
Leo thought of the boy objectively. “No one knows the baby is at your parents. No one even knows where we live. The baby should be fine.” Yet still. “I want you to go to your parents’ home, and I want Matthew to take you. I’ll go watch Anson.”
Madison shook her head. “I don’t want Matthew near my son—”
“He can protect you.”
“I can.” Matthew stepped forward. “And I will, I swear.”
Madison didn’t even look at him. “Leo…”
“Madison, either you go with him or I send him without you.” He was certain that if the killer were anywhere, they were here where four of the five men were located. He was actually sending her away.
Her eyes lit with pain and anger. “You wouldn’t.”
Leo turned to Matthew. “Go to Lord Cumpterton’s home and stay there until I arrive.”
“Leo!” she cried.
“Go whether Lady Madison walks out with you or not.”
Matthew turned and left.
Madison’s eyes glittered with tears. She made certain Leo saw them before she ran from the house in Matthew’s wake.
Leo took a deep breath once she was gone. It was not easy to upset her, but he’d do what he had to in order to keep her safe.
He moved through the party and looked for the men. Strangely, he saw none of them though he remembered seeing at least one of them. Matthew and Madison had seen the others.
He finally saw Anson. The young man had a slight limp that he was trying to hide as he made his way to a chair that became available in the drawing room.
Leo wondered why Madison had been more concerned for him than any of the others. Did they know each other? Just how well did Madison and the new Lord Anson know one another? Jealousy made Leo’s chest burn.
His path was suddenly blocked by Mr. Collins. “I’ve been looking for you. There’s a gentleman who doesn’t understand the necessities of studying philosophy. He believes it is a waste of time. Perhaps you could persuade him otherwise?”
Leo turned his gaze from Anson to Mr. Collins. “Of course.” But another glance in Anson’s direction and he was gone.
Leo looked over the crowd and saw Anson disappear into another hall. “I need to use the facilities. I’ll find you in a moment,” Leo told Mr. Collins before he dashed away.
He moved swiftly through the assembly. There were so many bodies. The air was warm and the combination of everyone’s perfume was overpowering. He made it to the hall just in time to see a footman direct Anson into a room. Then the footman closed the door and started toward Leo.
But one look at Leo and the man went the other way at a brisk pace. Leo wondered if it were a coincidence that the servant had changed directions or if the footman was running from him.
Leo stopped to test the doorknob to the room that Anson had gone in. It wouldn’t open.
Panic flooded him and he
knocked on the door. “Lord Anson? Are you in here?”
There was no reply.
Leo shouted to the footman who’d just made it to the other end of the hall. “Wait! Come back!”
The man turned and ran. Leo started after him but stopped. He had to save Anson.
Stepping back, he kicked down the door and stepped inside. It was dark.
He heard a breath. He felt wind and ducked just in time to miss whatever had been coming for him. He pushed his shoulder into the body that attacked him and heard the other man’s grunt as Leo connected with his stomach.
Two powerful fists came down on Leo’s back. Once. Twice. He cried out at the pain.
He was thrown off his attacker and hit the floor hard. On his back, he watched the man flee the room. Another person showed up after that and peered inside. “Hello? I heard a noise.”
“Turn on the lamp,” Leo groaned as he turned over.
He was on his hands and knees by the time the room brightened.
He heard a scream and looked up.
∫ ∫ ∫
3 9
* * *
“You know, I was trying to protect you when I sent my footman with you every time you went to visit your parents.”
Madison ignored Matthew as the carriage continued through the night.
Her emotions were making her entire body tremble. She wanted to scream. She wanted to weep. “When we get there, you’ll stay by the door. I don’t want you anywhere near my son.” She fisted her hands until her knuckles ached. “We’re not married. You’ve no authority at my father’s house or over my child—”
“I know.”
She glared at him. “Good.”
“You don’t believe me, do you?” Matthew asked. “You don’t believe I thought that Judd’s son could be in danger. I sent you back the banknote just in case you had need to flee again.”
She shrugged and looked away. Her father had received the banknote and Madison had taken it, but that didn’t mean she could be bought. “It doesn’t matter.” What mattered most was making certain her son was all right. She didn’t want to think about the past. Revisiting those terrible months would only make her go mad.
It didn’t matter what he said. In the end, he’d betrayed his best friend, abused an innocent woman, and had intended to take her child from her.
And Leo… She couldn’t believe the change that had come over him at the party. She knew he was upset by the way she spoke about Edmund, but he’d gone too far when he sent Matthew to be her protection.
What could Matthew do for her? Absolutely nothing. The sight of him only fueled her anger at Leo further. The anger was a far better emotion to focus on than her pain.
And just like that, it came barreling down on her. His eyes had been so empty when they’d looked at her, so different from the love she’d grown used to.
While part of her had believed she knew her husband well, in a blink that had changed. She didn’t know him at all. He said he loved her, but a man who loved her would never do this to her. He would never force her to go with a man who’d tortured her mind for months.
Leo had said he’d never make the decision for Matthew to see Edmond on his own and yet he had. She didn’t know if she could forgive him for this.
“Leo sent me because he cares for you,” Matthew said.
She sniffed and wiped at a tear that ran down her cheek. She didn’t want to discuss her marriage with this man. But then she remembered, Matthew was the reason she and Leo were married in the first place. Her entire situation was his fault.
If not for Matthew, she and Edmond would have lived with her parents or maybe she’d have used the money Judd had left her to buy a new life.
She blamed Matthew for her loss of half her son’s fortune. She’d never have had to try and get a fake marriage to Judd if she hadn’t needed a reason to escape.
And though it wasn’t fair, she found herself upset with Judd as well. Why did he have to die?
Now she was married to a perfect stranger.
She wondered if Leo would leave her again?
Her stomach twisted painfully. She beat down her panic. The feeling was so similar to the loss she’d felt for Edmond weeks ago. She didn’t want to lose either of them.
Matthew sat in the shadows on the other side of the carriage. She’d not lit a lamp, because she hadn’t wanted to see him. He hadn’t lit it either, perhaps knowing her wishes.
“Why did you tell the papers that Leo stole me?” she asked him.
“Because he did.”
She straightened and faced him, even though she couldn’t see his expression. “But why did you make it seem as though we were in love?”
His voice seemed to come from the darkness itself. “Don’t pretend you didn’t have feelings for him. I sensed it in your interactions. You liked him and he liked you.”
Her heart raced. “I was… we
never…”
“I know. I trusted him,” Matthew said.
Her shoulders fell. For some reason, it was important that he knew she’d been faithful to their false marriage. While the town already thought her a lightskirt for giving herself to Judd, she didn’t want Matthew thinking the same.
She told herself it shouldn’t matter, but it did.
He went on, “And in spite of what he did… no, because of what he did that night, I trust him more.”
“You trust Leo because he took Edmond and me away?”
“No.” She heard shuffling from his corner. “I trust him because he could have killed me but didn’t.”
She shivered and thought about everything Leo had said about his business. “How do you know Leo could have killed you?”
Matthew scoffed. “Do you know anything about your husband? Or perhaps your mind only has the strength to focus on one man.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“We all know just how much you knew Judd. You know Judd so well. Much better than the man who spent his entire life in his company.”
“You’re just jealous that he chose me in the end.” She wanted to hurt Matthew. “He told me how he’d begun to spend less time with you in favor of me.”
Matthew laughed.
She waited on her side of the darkness for him to explain his sudden outburst, but all she received was a sigh and what sounded like a tsk.
“What about my words do you find so amusing?” she asked.
“That you’ve allowed your anger to blind you.” He groaned. “I was just like you for months. I mistreated you when I shouldn’t have. There were times when I thought to let my anger go. We had moments. Once or twice we spoke and…”
She looked at her hands, recalling those fleeting moments where communication had come easy. “You were so hostile with me.”
“Now, you’re doing the same, hurting those who don’t deserve it.”
She stiffened. “I don’t feel inclined to treat you well at all.”
“I’m not talking about me,” he murmured.
She frowned. “Are you talking about Edmond?” Was he calling her a bad mother?
The Long Awaited Lord Page 19
