"To hell with that, I'll get a fresh horse and come back tonight." Toby argued.
"You're no good to me if you're too tired to aim, Toby." He watched the emotions that played across Toby's face as he considered arguing. Finally, he nodded and turned to leave. "Be careful." Lucien called after him. Toby raised a hand in farewell and ran from the house.
Alone, Mirabelle stepped into Lucien's arms. He pulled her close and let her scent calm him. He rested his cheek against her hair.
"You know who this is, don't you?" She whispered.
"Yes." Once again, Lucien felt rage swell within him.
"Why is he doing this?"
"Because I exposed him for the evil monster he was and destroyed him. Now, he wants to destroy me by taking away the only thing that matters." Lucien kissed Mirabelle's hair.
"I suppose we'll just have to kill him, then." She stated.
Chapter 35
Bennings was just about to announce dinner when there was a ring at the front door. He turned on his heel and left the room. Gilles and Alastair stood and started towards the door when Toby ran into the parlor.
"Toby, what are you doing here?" Gilles asked.
"Something’s happened at Winthorpe." Alastair said at the same time. Toby nodded and handed Gilles a letter. The Mothers and Elise rose.
"Bennings! Get this man something to eat and drink, he's exhausted." Elise ordered.
"Yes, my lady. If you'll come with me, please?" He gestured towards the door as he regarded Toby. Toby held up a hand.
"I'd greatly appreciate that but I'd like to know what these gentlemen decide to do first." Gilles nodded as he tore open the letter and read. He cursed and looked at Alastair.
"Whitrose is at Winthorpe and is going to try to kill Mirabelle." Alastair swore and snatched the letter from Gilles. His eyes scanned the letter quickly before he stared across the room. His pupils bounced as he ran through plans and scenarios.
The Mothers watched, their faces filled with fear as they held each other. Celine reached for Elise and pulled her close.
"Give me an hour to lock this place down. Then, we ride for Winthorpe. We should be there before dawn. I assume Lucien has taken every precaution." Alastair paused and looked to Toby who nodded. "Good. He won't have any problem guarding Mirabelle until we get there." He turned to leave and Celine called out to him.
"What will you do once you get there?" She looked pale and fragile. Alastair crossed to her and pulled her into his embrace.
"We're going to set a trap and then we're going to kill him, maman." He pulled back so he could see her eyes. She nodded.
"Protect ma petite fille!" Celine whispered.
"Always." Alastair kissed his mother's forehead and then strode from the room.
Gilles gathered Elise in his arms.
"You'll be safe here. Stay in the house until we send word that it's over. I'll be back as soon as I can." Elise nodded and buried her face in his shirt for a moment and then stepped back.
"Be careful. Save Mirabelle and then hurry home." Gilles caressed her cheek and then turned to Celine.
"I won't let anything happen to her." He kissed his mother's cheek and gave her a reassuring smile.
"I have faith in you, mon brave garçon! I have faith in all three of you. We will keep your wife safe." With that, Gilles bowed and turned to Toby.
"Follow me; I want you to fill me in while I change." As if on cue, Bennings appeared with a sandwich on a tray for Toby.
"Bless you, sir!" Toby exclaimed as he took a large bite.
"I assume you've already been told you have to rest before you can make the trip back?" Gilles asked as they left the parlor.
"Yes, my lord." Toby grumbled.
Around them, doors and windows began to lock and male servants emerged from below stairs carrying pistols and rifles.
"Come along and tell me everything you know." Gilles called over his shoulder as he climbed the stairs.
Chapter 36
Hendrick finished setting up dinner in the study while Lucien looked over a map of his estate. He couldn't think of anything else he could do to make the house more secure. He reached for Mirabelle and squeezed her hand. He prayed that it was enough to get them through the night until Gilles and Alastair arrived. Lucien was leading Mirabelle to the table to eat when a scream ripped through the house.
Lucien, Mirabelle and Hendrick looked in the direction of the ducal chambers.
"Mary!" Mirabelle yelled as she bolted towards the door. Lucien and Hendrick were right behind her.
The three of them ran up the stairs and down the hall. At the door, Lucien grabbed Mirabelle and set her behind him. He drew his pistol and carefully opened the door. He located Mary standing in the middle of the room and lowered the weapon. Setting the door wide, Lucien entered carefully and surveyed the room.
For the second time that day, rage, fear and hatred coursed through him. He swore and pumped his fists angrily in the air.
"I'm going to kill the son of a whore!" Lucien roared.
Mirabelle stepped into the room and looked around. She paled and began to tremble. Not with fear, Lucien was sure, but with anger. Her fists were clenched at her sides as she looked at the bed and through her dressing room door to her wardrobe.
On the bed, a deep slash extended from her pillow and into the mattress to roughly where her stomach would have ended. Feathers hemorrhaged from the gash. A single white rose rested on the pillow.
In the dressing room, the wardrobe door hung open drunkenly as the top hinge had been ripped out. Several dresses were in shreds on the floor while others dangled from hangers, the bodices ripped down the middle. A message had been carved into the door with a blade.
You can't save her. I will take everything from you.
Mary started to shake violently.
"I was just in here not half an hour ago, Your Grace! How did he get in and do this without anyone seeing him?" She cried. Mirabelle tried to comfort her.
"I don't know." Lucien whispered. He looked at Mirabelle and was glad to see that she didn't seem frightened. He was frightened enough for both of them.
The clock in the hall announced the third hour as Lucien stared across the study at Mirabelle. She sat on the floor, her knees pulled up to her chest and her head tilted to the side as she considered the chessboard in front of her. Every now and then, one of the armed footmen or stable hands would wander over to see if she'd made a move.
After discovering Whitrose's second break-in, Lucien tightened the defenses around Mirabelle. He rolled his eyes. Defenses. He'd pulled the men from patrolling the boundaries of the estate to the immediate grounds around the house. Every door and window on the ground floor had a sentry, inside and out. The main hall had become a recovery and staging area for men between shifts. Mirabelle and Lucien were confined to the study with twelve armed men watching them play the longest game of chess he'd ever taken part in. As soon as he'd locked them in, Mirabelle set up the board, determined to make the best of it.
Outside the study door, the hall filled with sounds of movement. Boots running on the tile and raised voices had everyone in the study alert and moving. Mirabelle rose to her feet as men surrounded her, their pistols trained on the door. Lucien went to the door, his pistol ready and waited. There was a knock.
"It's Hendrick, Your Grace." Lucien unlocked the door and opened it enough to peek out. Relief hit him like a wave and he flung the door open when he saw Gilles and Alastair.
“Hal, Prospero! Thank God!”
They were covered in dust and looked like hell but he'd never been so glad to see them. Mirabelle pushed her way through the men around her and ran to Gilles when they entered the study. He threw his arms around her as his eyes met Lucien's. Relief and gratitude poured from them. Alastair pulled Lucien to him in a quick embrace. He released him and looked around the room, nodding in approval. Lucien shook his head. He'd never felt so helpless and unprepared in his life.
"Everything l
ooks good here. It took us an hour to make our way into the stables to make contact. I didn't want Whitrose to know we were here. We had a tense moment when we revealed ourselves to McInnery. He looked set to shoot first and ask questions later." Alastair said as he hunkered over the chess board. "Is this you?" He looked to Lucien as he pointed to the ebony figures. Lucien nodded and Alastair snorted. "She's toying with you." He stood and Mirabelle wrapped her arms around his chest. He closed his eyes as he held her tight.
Gilles groaned as he reclined in a chair, stretching his legs.
"We almost killed ourselves and our horses but we didn't want to miss the fun." He said as he looked over the men around the room. "Clearly, you weren't taking any chances."
"This was out of necessity." Lucien said as gestured around the room. "I had this place locked down and he still got in. I hope you have a plan Alastair because I can't keep her locked in here for much longer." Gilles and Alastair tensed. Mirabelle crossed to Lucien and took his hand.
"I think I can behave for at least another day." She teased.
"What happened?" Alastair asked.
"He got into our room again and left a message." Lucien felt cold and desperate just thinking about it.
"Show me." Alastair said as his eyes searched Lucien's. Gilles was already at the study door.
The group made their way through the hall and swiftly up the stairs with Mirabelle in the middle. Lucien took a deep breath before he turned the handle and swung the door open. He let Gilles and Alastair go in first, in no hurry to see the scene again. Mirabelle leaned against him for a moment before she set her shoulders and led him through the door.
Gilles stood at the foot of the bed staring at the long slash through the pillow and mattress. His arms were crossed over his chest and his eyes were wide and filled with rage while the muscles in his jaw twitched.
Alastair moved silently from the bed to the dressing room to examine the wardrobe, cataloguing everything as he looked around the room. He stood in front of the wardrobe for several minutes, his pupils darting over every thread and splinter. He turned and moved towards the window. He examined it thoroughly before opening it and looking out. Alastair shook his head then tilted it as he shut his eyes. He opened them and swiftly strode into Lucien's dressing room.
"He never left." Alastair announced as he walked back into the bedroom. "He was in your dressing room. He hid until everything calmed down, left his message and then waited for the commotion to slip out."
Lucien swore as he stepped into his dressing room. Alastair had left his wardrobe opened. In the back corner, the clothes were pushed aside and dried mud was caked on the bottom. Someone had been in there for hours. When Lucien returned to the bedroom, Alastair was standing by the bed holding the wilting rose.
"He could have killed her this morning. He was in here, standing over her." Alastair extended his arm towards the pillow; his hand was stretched open just above where Mirabelle's neck would have been. "He could have done it and slipped away but he wants you to see it happen."
Lucien saw Mirabelle shiver as she stared at the bed. He pulled her into his arms and breathed her in as he waited for the panic and rage to recede. Alastair looked at Mirabelle. His entire demeanor was controlled and calm with the exception of his eyes. They were dark and hard.
"This is how we'll catch him. He's over thought this and thinks he's pulling the strings." Alastair whispered. He flung the rose on the floor and stalked from the room. Everyone followed, glad to be out of the bedroom.
Back in the study, Hendrick had set a cold collation on the sideboard with tea and coffee. Mirabelle didn't hesitate and began piling food on a plate. Alastair ignored it entirely and went to the map. Lucien and Gilles each grabbed a roll and cheese and stood across from Alastair.
"He wants you to believe that Winthorpe isn't safe. He needs to get you to someplace where you're vulnerable. He's counting on you to panic and try to move her back to London, to Fortress Spencer." Alastair looked up at Gilles and Lucien and smiled. "We'll catch him in his own trap." Lucien liked the sound of that.
"You think he'll attack us on the road." Lucien turned the map.
"We'll need to hurry and have a coach and four brought around before it’s too light out." Alastair looked to Lucien who then looked to Hendrick who nodded and left the study. "One of us will be on the box and one of us will be Mirabelle and will ride with Lucien." He looked up at Gilles.
"I'll go up on the box." He grinned and winked at Lucien. Mirabelle shook her head furiously and rushed to the desk.
"No one is going to be me! I'll ride with Lucien and be ready to put a bullet in this coward myself!" She declared. All three men turned and glared. Alastair shook his head and looked at Lucien. Set her straight, his eyes warned.
"Are you suggesting that you would risk our unborn child's life when the three of us are perfectly capable of handling this?" He prowled towards her, using his most threatening stare. She backed towards the couch, her mouth twisted and her fists balled. Finally, she sat and grumbled something Lucien was certain would have been appalling, if he had heard it. He returned to the desk and gestured for Alastair to continue.
"Well done." Gilles whispered as he nudged Lucien with his elbow. Alastair cleared his throat.
"Very well. You'll drive, Gilles. I suspect that there will be some sort of road block and he'll shoot you as soon as the coach stops." Mirabelle gasped and all three turned to her.
"Gilles, no!" She started to rise again but Gilles pinned her with a glare.
"As you were saying?" He looked to Alastair.
"We'll borrow some mail and a breastplate from the armor collection for you to wear under your coat." Alastair looked to Gilles who nodded in approval.
"Excellent!" Lucien grinned. The three of them had spent their entire childhoods itching for an excuse to play with the armor. Hendrick wouldn't be thrilled.
"I'll wear one of Mirabelle's cloaks. If we move swiftly while it's still dark, he'll see what he wants to see." Lucien nodded. He knew that Alastair had already considered every option, from every angle. The only thing that gave him pause was leaving Mirabelle. He hoped they could be back quickly, before she had a chance to give the guards he'd surround her with too much trouble.
"Sounds great. Let's get into costume and get on the road. I told Elise I'd hurry home." Gilles declared as he slapped Lucien on the back.
Chapter 37
Less than hour later, Lucien was hurrying out the front door with a stooped and cloaked Alastair. A footman slammed the door as soon as both were inside and Gilles set the team in motion.
Mirabelle was on the verge of being distraught when they left her in the study. Lucien wondered if half of it was because she was being left behind. It didn't help that Alastair stood back and grimaced as Gilles pulled on a larger, borrowed great coat.
"Make sure he aims at your chest or the armor will be useless." He handed Gilles two pistols.
"Can't we do something different?" Mirabelle begged.
"I'll be fine, brat." Gilles kissed her on the forehead and headed out. She turned to Alastair who had pulled her largest cloak on and was tucking two pistols into his waistband.
"This is too dangerous! What if he has help?" She hissed as she grabbed Alastair's arm.
"It's highly unlikely. His actions are that of a desperate man set on vengeance. He wouldn't be hiding in wardrobes or trying to draw you away from Winthorpe if he had reinforcements." He pulled her to him and kissed her hair before he turned to leave. "Even if he should have help, I still like our odds."
Mirabelle turned to Lucien and her eyes glistened. He felt a stabbing pain in his heart as he gathered her in his arms. She tilted her face back and pressed her lips to his.
"I don't know what I'll do if you don't come back. I waited so long, I can't lose you now." A tear rolled down her cheek and her chin quivered. Lucien hated the idea of leaving her when she was so vulnerable.
"Look at me." He ducked his head so th
at he could see her eyes. "I'll be back. I won't let anything keep us apart." He took her lips and kissed her tenderly. Mirabelle clung when he pulled away. "Be good, sweetheart. Don't give these men any trouble and do what you're told." He took her chin and stared in her eyes. "Promise me." She nodded and he swooped down and brushed his lips against hers before he turned for the door.
Once the coach was moving swiftly down the drive, Lucien leaned back against the cushions and sighed.
"I'm so sorry I brought this upon our family."
Alastair paused while folding Mirabelle's cloak and looked at him.
"You didn't bring this upon our family. Whitrose did." He finished folding and tucked the cloak under the seat.
"But if I hadn't investigated him..." Alastair cut him off.
"That's not who we are, Lucien. With everything the three of us have done, I'm surprised we haven't seen more repercussions. It's not as if I targeted the weak and harmless. Any of the tasks I assigned to us could have had similar consequences." Lucien shook his head and leaned forward.
"No. You were always careful and you didn't assign Whitrose. I decided to do this on my own."
"You came to me with your suspicions and I helped you where I could. If I didn't think it was the right thing to do or that it would put the family in danger, I would have said so." Alastair checked his pistols and set them on the seat next to him. "The fact remains, you can't be in our line of work for as long as we were and not end up in someone's sights at some point. It was just a matter of time."
Lucien tried to relax but couldn't shake the feeling that he was to blame. The image of Mirabelle asleep in their bed and the white rose on the pillow next to her came to him. He felt his throat tighten and his body tense. Rage swelled within him.
"He was in my room, Alastair. He saw my beautiful wife, asleep in my bed. What if he touched her?" His voice became hoarse and his throat convulsed. Even in the gloom of the coach, Lucien could see Alastair's eyes flare. His body tensed but was otherwise still.
Wicked And Wild: Spencers in Love Book Two Page 17
