by Monica Burns
“To Miss Bennett,” Sebastian said with a smile.
“To my bride-to-be.”
As the slight hint of vanilla mixed with the nuance of aging ripened fruit crossed his tongue, Percy heard the grandfather clock in the main hall chime the half-hour. Rhea would be waiting for him. He set his unfinished brandy down and grinned at his brother.
“I should be going. I’m to call for Rhea shortly.” At his statement, Sebastian nodded.
“I’ll make arrangements in the morning for the ring to be delivered here.”
“Thank you,” Percy said with gratitude.
He’d just turned to leave Sebastian’s study when the door flew open and Jamie stood in the doorway. Startled Percy stared at his nephew in amazement while voices filled with surprise and amazement floated out of the salon into the foyer. Percy glanced over his shoulder at Sebastian who looked as bewildered as Percy felt.
“Jamie, what in heaven’s name is wrong,” Constance exclaimed with a touch of frustration as she moved across the foyer to the doorway of the study. Percy met his sister’s puzzled gaze then looked back down at his nephew. One hand on the boy’s shoulder, he frowned at how badly the child was trembling.
“What is it, lad?”
“It’s Miss Bennett, Uncle Percy. She’s in trouble.”
Jamie’s words sent an icy breeze across the back of his neck. The boy had had a vision about Rhea. He was certain of it. Percy knelt so he was eye level with his nephew. He squeezed the boy’s shoulder once again in a reassuring manner.
“It will be all right, Jamie,” he said with a growing unease. “Take your time and tell me what the an dara sealladh showed you.”
“Yes, sir.” Jamie nodded and inhaled a deep breath. “Miss Bennett was with another woman who had a pistol. There was a large bull near them. It was pawing the ground, and Miss Bennett didn’t show any fear. But I know she was afraid, Uncle Percy. She was very afraid.”
Jamie’s description caused Percy to stiffen in horror. Ruckley. The bull in Jamie’s vision had to symbolize Ruckley. The front bell chimed wildly in the foyer, but Percy ignored the sound as he continued to focus his attention on his nephew.
“What else did you see, Jamie?” The boy paled and shook his head in a silent plea not to be asked to continue. “It’s all right, lad. I just need to know how I can help, Rhea. I know you want to help as well.”
“Yes,” Jamie said in a strained voice. He drew in another deep breath. “I saw Miss Bennett, she was…she was…”
“She was what?” Percy said with as much patience as he could muster.
“She was in her petticoats.” Jamie whispered as embarrassed color filled his cheeks before horrified dismay crossed his face. “And there was blood everywhere. Miss Bennett fell to the floor…and… I think she might be dead, Uncle Percy.”
“Christ Jesus.” Percy sucked in a harsh breath as his gut twisted violently. In the foyer a familiar male voice penetrated the air. Percy looked over his nephew’s head to see Viscount Sherrington pushing his way past Madison at the front door to head in his direction.
“They’ve gone to confront that bastard,” Blake said in a low voice as he reached the door of the study.
“Ruckley,” Percy stated grimly.
“Yes. I never knew his name until tonight. Arianna would never tell me his name for fear I’d do something to the man. She was right to think that.” Blake’s features were stony with the same cold rage Percy was experiencing along with another even more powerful emotion. Dread.
“Yes, I know him.” Percy glanced at the small crowd of family members pouring into the foyer to see what was happening. Unwilling to elaborate any more than necessary, he looked back at his friend.
“How do you know they’ve gone to confront the man?” Percy asked as his body hardened with a growing disquiet.
“I arrived home later than usual this evening. Arianna wasn’t at home, and I was told she’d gone to her aunt’s. Normally I would not have thought twice about it, but when I learned she’d taken one of the footmen with her, I became worried.” A muscle in Blake’s cheek twitched. “When I reached Fremont Place, I learned Arianna and Rhea had already left to meet the bastard. Mrs. Fremont indicated this Ruckley had blackmailed Rhea. Something about a young girl being harmed unless Rhea…” Blake’s voice died off as his icy façade gave way to a dark rage, and Percy remembered Jamie’s description of Rhea in her petticoats.
“Sweet Jesus,” he rasped.
Ruckley intended to have his way with Rhea. Galvanized into action Percy turned back to Sebastian only to see his brother had left the study by the side door. Percy whirled back around and saw Sebastian emerge from the back hall.
“Percy, I’ve ordered the carriage to be made ready. Come with me,” his brother said with a deeply troubled look on his face. In the back of his mind, Percy said a prayer of gratitude for his brother’s ability to think strategically. Percy circled Jamie intent on following Sebastian, but the boy grabbed his arm and held him back.
“Will she be all right, Uncle Percy?” At the boy’s question, he placed his hands on Jamie’s shoulders.
“I’m going to do my best to see that she is, Jamie, my very best.” Percy patted the child’s shoulder and moved quickly to follow Sebastian into the library. As he entered the room, he saw his brother had thrown open the gun cabinet and had distributed weapons to Lucien, Julian, and Blake. A pistol in his hand, Sebastian finished loading it then handed it to Percy.
“I don’t think I need to say I understand what you’re both feeling right now,” Sebastian said quietly as he glanced at Sherrington and then back to Percy. “I’ve had Madison send for Scotland Yard. Did Mrs. Fremont say where your wife and Miss Bennett were going, Sherrington?”
“The Bull and Hare.”
“I know that pub,” Percy exclaimed with a grimace. “It’s near the Saint Katherine docks. It’s a viper’s nest of the worst rabble one might expect to find in the East End.”
“I’ve never been happy with all your nightly excursions into the East End,” Sebastian said with a shake of his head as he met Percy’s gaze. “But this is one instance when I can say I’m grateful for it. Julian, Lucien, and I will follow as soon as the inspector arrives.”
“Thank you,” Percy said quietly as he clutched his brother’s arm in gratitude and affection.
“Watch your back, little brother,” the Rockwood patriarch said in a gruff voice. “Come home to us safely, and bring your bride with you.”
Percy’s gut twisted at his brother’s words as he nodded then gestured to Blake to follow him. As he strode out into the foyer, the Rockwood women were gathered in a small circle. Their faces were strained with worry, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Patience hurrying toward him. Her hand clutched his arm tightly.
“You mustn’t forget Edgar. He’s just as dangerous to you as he is to Rhea.” At her words Percy squeezed his sister’s hand and kissed her forehead.
“I’ll remember.”
He pulled free of her grasp and hurried to the back of the house with Blake on his heels. When they reached the stable yard, they were forced to wait while the grooms finished hitching the horses. Impatient to be gone, Percy paced the stable yard until the coachman was in the driver seat. Percy gave directions to their destination then joined Blake in the carriage.
With a glance in his friend’s direction, he saw the fear beneath the viscount’s stony expression. It was pointless to offer his friend any reassurance when he was feeling the exact same way. Blake cleared his throat as he stared out the window.
“Arianna is carrying our child.” His friend’s announcement made Percy draw in a sharp breath as Blake turned his head toward him. “And God forgive me, I’d rather mourn our unborn child than lose my wife.”
The tortured note in his friend’s voice made Percy nod then look away. Silence fell between them and Percy closed his eyes as he remembered Rhea’s behavior earlier this evening. She’d known she wouldn’t be
at Fremont Place when he called for her. She’d asked him to make love to her because she’d been saying goodbye. If a sledgehammer had hit his chest it couldn’t have hurt more. She was going to submit to Ruckley’s blackmail terms. She was sacrificing herself once more, and his gut knotted with raw fury at the idea of the man touching her. If the bastard laid one finger on her, he’d kill the man where he stood.
Chapter 18
Seated beside Arianna in the viscountess’s carriage, Rhea accepted the small Derringer her sister handed her. She slid it into the pocket of her dress before her fingers wrapped around the small reticule in her lap. The weapon’s cold metal sent a chill through the layers of her clothing until it seeped into her thigh. The icy sensation spread its way across her skin until it engulfed her.
“You don’t have to do this Rhea,” her sister said as she touched Rhea’s arm. We can send for Blake and Percy.”
“They would still need me as bait, and you know they’d never agree to that. And you know I cannot ignore Ruckley’s threat where Fanny is concerned. We both know he’ll do precisely what he said he would if I don’t show myself.”
Even in the dim light of the carriage, Rhea saw the way her sister paled. With a resigned nod Arianna looked out the window. They’d entered the East End several moments ago. It hadn’t taken long for the stench of the squalid living conditions to permeate the carriage. Rhea wondered if Newgate Prison smelled this bad. Bile rose in her throat, and she quickly swallowed the bitter-tasting matter. Outside her window she recognized a building she’d seen hundreds of times. It emphasized she was in familiar territory. She pushed aside the horrific memories of her life in the East End. They were a distraction. She needed to focus her energy on the matter at hand. Tension threaded its way through her until her heart was beating as fast as a wild bird trapped in a cage. It was an appropriate description. There was nowhere for her to run or hide. She reached out and touched her sister’s arm.
“The Bull and Hare is up ahead. Does your footman know what to do?”
“Yes,” Arianna said softly. “He’s to accompany you into the pub and not leave until he has Fanny and Harry.”
“When the children are safe with you in the carriage, you’re to leave,” Rhea said sternly. “Take the children to Fremont Place.”
“I am not leaving you here alone, Rhea Bennett. I’ve already instructed Fairlie to summon a hack. He’ll take the children to Aunt Beatrice while I wait for you.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Rhea snapped. “You can’t be here when the police arrived, and they will come.”
“I’m not leaving you,” Arianna said in a calm, firm voice.
“So you’re willing to risk the safety of the child you’re carrying?” Rhea’s harsh words made Arianna flinch. Slowly the viscountess straightened her shoulders and met Rhea’s gaze steadily.
“I’m armed, and I’ll not let anyone do anything that might hurt my baby. Stedman will be here with me.”
“Don’t be a fool.” Rhea grabbed her sister’s arm and squeezed hard. As her fingers dug into Arianna’s skin, her sister released a small gasp of discomfort. “You’re to leave here the moment Fanny and Harry are with you. Do you understand?”
For a moment it looked as though her sister intended to argue. Rhea narrowed her gaze at the viscountess who nodded sharply and jerked free of Rhea’s grasp.
“Thank you,” Rhea said softly in relief, but her sister ignored her.
The carriage suddenly rolled to a stop, and Rhea’s heart raced even faster. Dear God, did she have the strength to do what was required of her tonight? The air left her lungs as the footman opened the carriage door. Rhea accepted his hand and stepped out of the vehicle. As the door closed behind her, Arianna softly called out to her.
“Rhea, be careful. You know Ruckley is always at his most dangerous when someone tries to cheat him out of something.” Her sister’s words echoed with fear, and Rhea reached out to squeeze the hand the viscountess extended to her.
“I’ve not forgotten.” The simple words made Arianna flinch.
“No, I suppose we never will,” her sister whispered. Arianna’s air of hopelessness made Rhea’s hand tighten on her sister’s.
“We might never forget, but after tonight we’ll be free of the man.” Rhea turned away then stopped as she remembered one last detail. “I left a note for Percy in my room. Please see that he receives it.”
“You can give it to him—”
Arianna’s eyes widened with horror as she suddenly realized Rhea was prepared not to return. Before her sister could say another word of protest, Rhea headed toward The Bull and Hare’s door. She was only a few feet away when it swung open abruptly. A man stumbled into the street his arm slung over the shoulders of the woman at his side. He was clearly drunk, and the woman was encouraging him to join her in a dark corner.
The woman’s suggestive words caused Rhea’s stomach to roil as the scene in front of her stirred memories she’d fought to bury over the course of the past few months. Desperately, she pushed the past into the dark recesses of her mind and forced herself to focus on the matter at hand. Panic lashed out at her, but she pushed it aside. Fear could be a friend or an enemy. She chose to make it a friend she held close to her breast like a shield. She glanced over her shoulder at the footman.
“The moment you have the children, you’re to see them to safety along with the viscountess. Do not let her remain here.” Rhea frowned as the man shook his head in obvious disapproval. Not about to argue with him, she glared fiercely at him until he nodded his agreement. “Thank you. I’m entrusting the lives of three people I love dearly into your safekeeping.”
“Yes, miss,” the man said.
Rhea opened the tavern door and stepped inside. The first smell to assault her senses was that of sweaty, unwashed bodies. In the next breath, the scent of stale ale and tobacco smoke filled her nostrils. It nauseated her. From the farthest end of the bar, she heard Ruckley call her name. The sound forced Rhea to choke back another wave of panic that threatened to debilitate her.
As she watched Ruckley approach, she realized he’d been drinking. For the first time, a glimmer of hope pushed through her fear. Perhaps if he drank enough—she didn’t finish the thought as he stopped in front of her. The rank stench of his breath made her breathe through her mouth in an effort to keep the horrid smell of him out of her nose.
“Well, my poppet, you’re here at long last,” he said with a smug satisfaction. “I thought you might back out of our little arrangement.”
“Where are Harry and Fanny?”
“They’ll be along, shortly,” the crime lord said as he sidled up beside her to wrap his arm around her waist. “Why don’t you and I find a quiet place to enjoy ourselves.”
Without any effort, Rhea slipped free of his grasp and eyed him coldly.
“Our bargain was that Fanny and Harry would be delivered before any business was conducted between the two of us.”
Behind her, Fairlie coughed in obvious dismay. She glanced over her shoulder at the man and glared. The footman was clearly concerned, but he remained silent beneath her stern look. Rhea turned back to Ruckley.
“The children, per our agreement, please.”
“Please is it, now? That’s right pretty speech, Rhea,” Ruckley said with a chuckle before he turned and waved his hand.
From the back of the tavern, Rhea saw Harry guiding Fanny toward the front door. The moment Fanny saw her, the girl race forward to throw her arms around Rhea. Relieved and happy to see the excited child, Rhea hugged her close.
“I’m so sorry it took me so long to come for you, sweetheart,” she whispered as she bent and kissed the girl’s cheek. Her arm still wrapped around Fanny, she reached out to brush her hand over Harry’s curly locks.
“Have you come for us, Miss Rhea?” the boy asked with a confused expression.
“Yes, I made arrangements with Ruckley. You’re going to go with this gentleman here.” Rhea gestured to Fair
lie. “He’s going to take you to Miss Arianna.”
“Are you coming with us Miss Rhea?” Fanny’s voice quavered as she clung to Rhea’s skirts.
“I have a few things to discuss with Ruckley first, sweetheart.”
Rhea shuddered as she gently pushed the child away from her. One hand on Fanny’s back she urged the child to go to the man behind her. Fanny reluctantly did so, her eyes wide in her pretty face. Rhea forced a reassuring smile to her lips as she encouraged the girl forward. No matter what happened tonight, Fanny would be safe. She turned back to Harry who was studying her with suspicion.
“Go on, Harry, Miss Arianna is waiting for you.”
“What sort of business do you have to discuss with the likes of him?” Harry bobbed his head in Ruckley’s direction. With the speed of a snake, the crime lord lashed out and struck the back of Harry’s head viciously.
“Get on with you. You got no business asking any questions.”
Rhea jerked at Ruckley’s violent actions, but knew better than to protest. Harry’s freedom was too precious to risk insulting Ruckley.
“Please go with Fairlie, Harry,” she commanded in the stern, but gentle, voice she’d always used when watching over the children.
“But, Miss Rhea—”
“Now, Harry,” she said sharply. The boy jumped in surprise at her harsh order, but reluctantly moved toward the door. As Fairlie opened the tavern door, Rhea saw one of Ruckley’s men beginning to move forward.
“Fairlie, please show Mr. Ruckley why he’s not going to let any of his men interfere.”
Rhea kept her gaze focused on Ruckley who scowled at her with annoyance. With a grunt, he angrily waived his men to stand down. The moment he did so, she knew Fairlie had displayed his weapon. Without taking her eyes off Ruckley, she ordered the footman to go. Both Harry and Fanny murmured protests, but she didn’t look away from Ruckley. The soft thud of the door behind her caused Rhea to flinch. Immediately a cruel smile curved his mouth.
“Well now, why don’t you give that pistol you’re hiding in that pretty little bag of yours to me.”
