“My father is very wealthy.”
“Parker-Roth is richer.”
The man was impossible. “Mr. Parker-Roth despises Lord Brentwood. He would not like it if the marquis stole an old boot from him, but to steal his betrothed . . .” She shook her head. “He’ll be furious.”
Did she see sweat on the villain’s brow? It was too dim in the carriage to be certain.
He fidgeted. “Brentwood says—”
“Lord Brentwood knows nothing. He is not in Mr. Parker-Roth’s confidence.” Was she swaying him? She would dangle money before him. That should work. “And I assure you, my fiancé will be most appreciative. He’ll pay you as much or more than Lord Brentwood has offered you if you return me now, unhurt.”
“Ye think so?” The man was definitely wavering.
“I am certain.” Surely, no matter what Stephen’s true feelings, he would help her in this?
“Well . . .” The man scratched his head. Anne bit her lip to keep from shouting at him. “I gotta ask Gus.”
Gus must be the coachman. “Pray do so at once.”
He reached to give the signal to stop, but the coach was already slowing. “Looks like we’re here.” The man shrugged. “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. His lordship will pay us now, and we’ll be done with this.”
“But you can’t give me to Lord Brentwood.” Anne grabbed the man’s arm. “My father or my betrothed will pay you double what he’s offering, I swear it.”
“And Brentwood will shoot us now if we don’t give ye to him.” He picked her hand off his arm and went to open the door, but it was already opening.
Anne clutched the carriage strap. It was a futile effort; her abductor easily pried her fingers loose and then shoved her out the door. She tripped and fell—straight into Brentwood’s arms.
“Ah, my dear Lady Anne, how lovely to see you again.”
“Her ladyship is not at home, Mr. Parker-Roth.” Maria’s butler looked slightly alarmed to see Stephen on the doorstep.
Stephen shoved past him into Maria’s entry hall. It was decorated in the Egyptian style; he hadn’t realized just how much he hated it. He grimaced at a chair that had two sphinxes supporting its arms. “Now Wentwood, we both know Maria never leaves her bed this early in the day.”
“But sir . . .” Wentwood wrung his hands, obviously recognizing Stephen would not be nay-said. “My lady is not at home to visitors.”
“I’m not precisely a visitor. I have urgent business with her; I cannot wait.” Stephen started up the stairs. “I expect I’ll find her still abed, won’t I?”
“Mr. Parker-Roth, sir, please . . .”
“Don’t worry, Wentwood. I can find my way.” He’d no time to argue with the butler; every second wasted increased Anne’s danger.
He pushed Maria’s bedroom door open without knocking. As he’d expected, she had a companion. The man—boy, really; one of Nick’s friends—saw him and dove under the covers.
“Why, Stephen.” Maria sat up, treating him to a view of her naked breasts. “Have you come to make this a threesome?”
“Not at all.” He addressed the lump under the covers. “Don’t worry, Puddington. I won’t tell your mother where I found you.”
“My thanks,” the lump replied in a wavery voice.
Maria cupped her breasts invitingly. “Since you’re here, the least you can do is join us.” She smiled in what she must imagine to be a sultry fashion. “You can give young Thomas a tutorial. I’m sure he’d like to observe the King of Hearts at work.” She patted the lump beside her. “Wouldn’t you, Thomas?”
The lump shook; poor Thomas was likely terrified by the notion. “No, thank you, madam.”
The “madam” obviously hit a nerve. Maria scowled and looked on the verge of kicking Tom out of bed.
“Maria.” Stephen had no time for this. The clock was ticking. “I am in a great hurry.”
“Then be about your business. I certainly did not invite you here.”
He couldn’t very well strangle her, though he was sorely tempted. “I will leave as soon as you answer a question or two. Thomas, you are not to repeat any of this.”
“I would never, sir.”
Maria scowled at the lump and then at Stephen. “Why should I help you?”
“Because I alerted you to the fact Brentwood hasn’t a feather to fly with. And because I know a variety of secrets you wouldn’t want society to learn.”
“That’s blackmail.”
“You can call it that if you wish, just know I’m not leaving until I get my answers.”
For a moment, Maria looked as if she was considering defying him, but then she shrugged. “Very well, ask your questions, but I don’t promise I’ll answer them.”
She would answer if he had to shake the answers out of her. “Did you have a little chat with Brentwood after I left you at the ball last night?”
“Of course I did.” She patted the lump. “I brought Thomas home to help me forget that unpleasant tête-à-tête.” She sighed. “Unfortunately, he is like most young men. Splendid to look at, all eagerness, but in and done far too quickly. Perhaps I should take him on as a pupil. Would you like that, Thomas?”
Thomas mumbled something. Stephen couldn’t distinguish the words, but the boy’s tone did not indicate enthusiasm. It would be damn amusing, if he wasn’t in such a hurry.
“Did you tell Brentwood I hold his vowels?”
Maria yawned. “I believe I may have.”
He hadn’t thought Mags had lied, but he’d had to confirm her story. He couldn’t afford to be wrong. At least now he was quite confident, especially given what the twins had overheard, that Brentwood was behind Anne’s disappearance.
“Where would Brentwood take someone he’d abducted from London?”
Maria smiled maliciously. “Oh, my, did evil Lord Brentwood steal your betrothed, Stephen? How sad.”
He reminded himself he did not strangle women. “Where did he take her, Maria?”
“I’m sure I don’t know.”
He did not strangle women, but perhaps just this once...
He forced his anger under control. “Don’t you want Brentwood to get his just deserts, Maria? I would think you’d be eager to see him taken to task after the way he deceived you.”
“True,” Maria said, “but I’d also like to see Lady Anne suffer for stealing you from me.”
What was this? “Maria, you and I parted company in February. Ours was a pleasant, but temporary affair.”
Maria shrugged and finally reached for something to cover her nakedness. “You may have thought it temporary; I did not.”
Was she serious? “Think about it, Maria. If we wed, I would want you to have children and to give up London most of the year to live with me in the country. You would not like that.”
“No, but I know I could persuade you to stay in Town.”
“No, you couldn’t.”
“But—” Maria was staring at him as though he’d suddenly turned into an exotic beast.
“And I would expect fidelity, Maria.” He gestured to the lump. “You like variety. You’d be loathe to give that up.”
“Well . . .” She patted the lump again. Poor Puddington must be getting very warm under the blankets.
“Lady Anne has done you a favor.”
She shrugged a shoulder. “Perhaps.”
“So will you tell me where Brentwood has taken her?”
She sighed, looking suddenly older. “I really don’t know.” She stroked the lump while she pondered the possibilities. “He wouldn’t take her to his town house, of course—Lady Brentwood is in residence. I suppose he could go to one of his estates, but I don’t think he would. Most are too far from London, and the servants would not approve of such behavior. From what I’ve gathered, they are still very loyal to Lady Brentwood and don’t much approve of her son.”
That made sense. “So where else might he have taken her?” He wanted to shout, but he restrained
his impatience. At least Maria was seriously considering the question.
The lump mumbled something. Maria lifted a corner of the blanket. “What is it, Thomas?”
He mumbled something again.
“Ah, very good, dear. I think you are likely correct.” Maria dropped the blanket back into place and smiled at Stephen. “Thomas suggests you might try Baron Sambleton’s house in Richmond.”
“Sambleton? I thought he was forced to go abroad after Lord Dashling’s daughter was discovered with him at an orgy in that house.”
“Yes, and he’s still abroad,” Maria said. “But he left Brentwood a key to the place, so he could host smaller gatherings from time to time or use it for his own private enjoyment.”
“Splendid.” Stephen knew exactly where to find that house. Last year he’d gone with Baron Tynweith to see if Sambleton’s parties were as bad as they were rumored to be. They were, and he and Tynweith had left quickly. Funny how straight-laced Tynweith had become now that he was a husband and father. “I will be on my way then and let you and young Puddington get back to what you were doing when I so rudely interrupted.”
“Thank you,” Maria said. “And I do wish you luck, Stephen.”
“And thank you for not telling Mama,” the lump said.
Stephen closed the bedroom door and ran down the stairs. He paused for a moment to dash off a note to Damian, asking him to meet him at Sambleton’s house. Damian would be an excellent ally if Brentwood proved difficult.
“Send someone running to deliver this to Lord Kenderly, if you please, Wentwood,” he told Maria’s butler as he strode out of the house. He threw a coin to the stable boy holding his horse and leapt into the saddle.
He could make it to Sambleton’s in less than half an hour going cross country. The carriage had a good start on him, but, if he pushed his horse, he should arrive only shortly after it. At least he hoped so.
Anne’s well-being might depend on it.
“Milord, ye promised us our coin when we delivered the gentry mort.” The unpleasant man who’d shared the coach with Anne spoke with bravado, but Anne thought she heard a thread of fear in his voice. Clearly, he would not defend her against Brentwood.
“Very well. Hold her while I get my purse.”
Brentwood shoved her into the man’s grasp. Anne screamed as loudly as she could.
“Feel free to muffle her,” Brentwood said.
“She bites.”
“Does she now?” Brentwood looked her over, making her flesh crawl. She screamed again. “Well, she’ll soon tire of making a racket. It’s not as if anyone but us can hear her.” He pulled out his purse and extracted a few coins. “Here you go.”
The man holding her pushed her back into Brentwood’s grasp and counted the money.
“Is it all there, Ned?” the coachman shouted down from his perch on the box.
“Aye.” Ned tied the coins in a dirty handkerchief and leapt up to join his companion. As soon as his arse touched the seat, the coach thundered away down the drive.
“And now, Lady Anne,” Brentwood said, smiling in a most revolting manner, “time for a little fun, hmm?”
He had his hands wrapped firmly around her upper arms, but if she was going to escape, she’d best make her attempt now before he managed to drag her into the house. She jerked her knee up, but he’d anticipated that move. He blocked her with his thigh.
“Tsk, tsk, my love. That’s not very polite, is it?” He chuckled, and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. “You were much more eager for me in Gedding’s garden, but no matter. I like a bit of a struggle before I have my prize.”
“You are disgusting.”
“Perhaps. Do come inside now.” He jerked her toward the front door. “I may as well tell you there are no servants to look to for help. It is just you and me, my dear.”
Anne dragged her feet, trying to slow her forward progress. “I thought you were giving me to the end of the week. That was our bargain.”
“Regretfully, I don’t have until the end of the week. I leave England on tonight’s tide, right after I have my wicked way with you.”
Her damn heart leapt into her throat. She couldn’t afford to panic, least of all now. They were almost to the door. Brentwood might be ten years older than he’d been at Baron Gedding’s and have let himself go to fat, but he was still stronger than she. She could not stop him.
“You may have a terrible reputation, but I’ve never heard you abducted your bedmates.”
He shrugged. “There’s always a first time.”
“You won’t be able to show your face in society ever again.”
“I won’t be in England to care, my dear.”
She tried one last time to jerk herself free. “Mr. Parker-Roth will save me.”
“Oh, I doubt that. This isn’t my house; I can’t see how he could guess I’ve brought you here.”
He swung open the door and hauled her into the entryway. “I’d intended to hold you for ransom,” he said, almost conversationally. “Parker-Roth has all my blasted vowels, you know. But upon further reflection, I concluded he and his powerful friends and relatives would make my life hell as long as I remained in England. So if I had to say farewell to my native shores, I might as well soil them quite thoroughly first.” He grinned horridly. “And I shall oh so thoroughly enjoy getting my revenge on your bloody betrothed.”
He slammed the door closed behind them, locking it and slipping the key into his waistcoat pocket. “I do wish I could stay to watch him struggle with what I’m leaving him, though. He’s so damned honorable, I wager he won’t put you aside, but he’ll have to wait to have you to see if my seed has taken hold.” He chuckled. “Or, even better, if he’s sown in your field since last I saw you—you were absent from Palmerson’s do last night and he left early—he’ll spend his life wondering if his firstborn is his . . . or mine.” He laughed. “Oh, I do hope it’s a boy.”
“You can’t do . . . that to me.” Anne wasn’t above lying. “I have my courses.”
“Do you?” He shrugged. “That’s not a problem—I’m not especially fastidious.”
Anne looked away from him and finally noticed her surroundings. Dear heavens! There were manacles hanging from the walls and a basket of what looked like whips where an umbrella stand should be. “What is this place?”
“Have you heard of Lord Sambleton?”
“No.”
“No, I suppose you haven’t. I’d forgotten you were such a country mouse. This is his house—he used to give wonderful parties here.”
Anne could not imagine a wonderful party that included manacles and whips.
“His house is quite delightful. Would you like a tour?”
“No, thank you.”
Brentwood laughed. “That was a rhetorical question, my sweet. Come along.” He pulled her into a large room that looked somewhat like the harem room at Crane House, except the walls were covered with mirrors instead of paint or paper—and the obscene statuary was larger and more abundant. She stumbled over the edge of a carpet and reached out to steady herself, grabbing hold of a long, smooth—
“Eep !”
“Like that, do you?”
Anne shook her head. She stared at the enormous penis and the statue of Pan to which it was attached.
“I gave that to Sambleton. Got it from Griffin after Lord Wolfson died. Griffin had scores of them, and with Wolfson gone—” He shrugged. “Not that it makes a difference to you. I had it affixed to this pedestal so it wouldn’t tip over—the huge cock makes it a bit unstable.”
Anne thought an organ that size would make anyone unstable.
“The ladies are especially fond of it. The cock twists off”—Brentwood dropped his hold on her to remove Pan’s member—“and makes a splendid dildo.”
She’d never heard the term, but she could guess its meaning as Brentwood flourished the phallus under her nose.
“It is too bad Sambleton had to flee to the Continent. His g
atherings were so . . . stimulating. They were almost as good as Griffin’s—would have been better, but Sambleton wouldn’t allow animals in the house.”
Anne hoped she wasn’t following Brentwood’s meaning. She began to edge as stealthily as she could toward the door.
“All these couches were covered with naked men and women in all possible combinations and positions. It was a rare sight to behold.”
“I’m sure.” Anne took another step closer to escape. The front door was locked, but there must be another exit.
“We will have to imagine it while we—or at least while I do my poor best to recreate the proper licentious atmosphere.” He grinned. “I will begin by divesting you of that lovely outfit.”
“No!”
Brentwood’s grin turned darker. “Will I have to chase you and strip you? That could be fun.”
He would have to if she couldn’t come up with a better plan. “No, I mean why do I have to go first? I think it would be much more exciting if you shed your clothing before me.” She swallowed and tried to sound enthusiastic. “I can’t wait to see you naked.”
Brentwood’s eyebrows rose. “Really?”
“Really.” Anne swallowed again and hoped she wouldn’t choke on the lie. “I’m sure your . . . appendage must be so much more impressive than Pan’s.”
He looked at the disembodied penis in his hand. “Well . . .”
“It certainly felt more impressive in Baron Gedding’s garden.”
“Thought about our tryst often, have you?”
“Daily.” Unfortunately, that was not a lie.
“You gave me the very distinct impression—flat out said it, I believe—that you weren’t interested in repeating the experience.”
Anne shrugged. She would lie until her tongue shriveled up and her nose grew as long as Pan’s member if it would save her from Brentwood. “I was betrothed to Mr. Parker-Roth—what else could I say?”
“Hmm.”
“I’m not an idiot; I realize you have me trapped. I may as well enjoy the encounter.”
“Well . . .”
“And as you say, this room is quite inspiring.”
“True.” Brentwood grinned. “I believe women are more randy than men by nature, you know. You are not the first one to be overtaken by lust here. Quite amusing, really, how the most meek and proper miss becomes a lusty, panting fornicator with the right stimulus. And you do have the hair—and perhaps the soul—of a whore.” He gave her a speculative look. “Hot for me, are you?”
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