his left leg more than was absolutely
necessary.
He was not particularly surprised to
see Edgeworth pull a pistol out of his
heavy coat.
I imagine you recall that day you should
have died every time that leg of yours fails
you, don't you stone vale?"
I do hope you will at least do me
the courtesy of explaining what is going
on before you pull the trigger," Lucas
remarked, massaging his thigh as he sat
down across from the other man.
You may relax, stone vale. I will not
be pulling the trigger for some time yet.
My associate has a few plans that must
be carried out before I shall have that
pleasure."
Would the name of your associate be
Samuel Whitlock, by any chance?"
Whitlock? What an amusing notion."
Edgeworth rapped twice on the roof of the
carriage and the vehicle moved off. Then
he looked at Lucas and broke into outright
laughter. Imagine forming a partnership
with the dead. Most amusing."
The message reached Victoria on a silver
salver just as she came off the dance floor
with Lord Potbury. Please excuse me." She
smiled quickly at her escort as she opened
the note.
Of course. Nothing serious, I trust?"
Victoria scanned the brief message and
hoped Potbury would not notice that her
fingers were shaking inside her beautiful
gloves.
Come at once if you value your
husband's life and honor.
A carriage waits at the corner with the
garments you will need. The driver will
give you instructions when you arrive.
Time is of the essence.
No," Victoria said, smiling very brightly
at Potbury. Nothing is wrong, just a short
note from a friend to tell me she is going
to take some air in the gardens. She invites
me to join her. I suppose she felt it would
be easier for one of the footmen to get
the message to me in this crowd than for
her to get through the crush. Will you
excuse me?"
Certainly." Potbury bent gracefully over
her hand. Enjoy yourself. Lady Atherton's
gardens are quite extensive. Once again, my
congratulations on your marriage. Good
man, stone vale."
Yes, he is, is he not?"
Victoria unobtrusively collected her cloak
from one of the footmen, explaining that
she was going out into the gardens for a
few minutes and found it cool outdoors.
Then she made her way discreetly toward
one of the windows.
A moment later she was deep in the
unlit portion of Jessica Atherton's precisely
manicured gardens. Several rows of clipped
hedges and elaborately designed topiary
shielded her from the ballroom windows.
Jessica Atherton's gardens were rather
like Jessica herself, Victoria concluded:
beautiful, perfect, untouchable.
Climbing the wall took a bit of doing.
She was obliged to hitch her gown up to
her thighs in order to accomplish the feat
and she thought fleetingly of what Lucas
would have said had he seen her expose
so much leg. The thought brought tears
to her eyes and she dashed them away
immediately. She would do something
violent to Edgeworth as soon as she found
him if Lucas had not already done so.
Victoria wrinkled her nose at the stench
in the alley as she put on the cloak and
pulled the hood up over her head. Then
she walked swiftly to the corner.
A public coach was waiting. An obviously
half-drunk coachman tipped his hat with
mocking respect. Expect you be the lady
I been waitin" for."
Realizing he probably thought he was
taking her to meet a lover at a secret
rendezvous, Victoria said nothing. She
shrank deeper into the cloak and climbed
quickly into the coach. The vehicle jolted
forward before she was properly seated and
she nearly lost her balance.
When she reached out to brace herself,
her hand touched a sack. She knew
immediately it contained the clothes she
had been told to wear.
Even as she pulled the breeches, shirt,
and boots from the bag her stomach turned
over with a sickening realization. This was
no coincidence. Whoever had sent the note
must know that she was in the habit of
wearing men's clothes at night. If that
same person knew that dark secret, he
might know others.
A ghost would know such things, she
reflected, or a man who trailed her like a
ghost the way she had once trailed Samuel
Whitlock through the corridors of his own
home. Victoria shuddered.
But she could not think about that now,
she told herself as she changed quickly into
the male garb. Indeed, she must not think
about it. The only thing that mattered was
rescuing Lucas.
Her stomach felt distinctly queasy again
as the coach pulled up outside the Green
Pig. The choice of destination could not
be a coincidence either. Someone knew
everything.
With shaking hands, she put her cloak
back on over the masculine clothing and
pulled up the hood. Then she quickly
rolled up her gown and the rest of her
discarded clothes and stuffed them into
the sack.
Third room at the top o" the stairs,"
the coachman muttered as she stepped
down from the cab. Trust you'll ave
fun. Quality usually does, unlike the rest
o" us that's got to work for a livin"." He
did not even bother to look at her as he
took another sip from his flask, flicked the
reins, and drove off.
Victoria watched the carriage roll out
of sight and then she removed the cloak
and put on the high crowned hat that had
been provided. Taking a deep breath and
squaring her shoulders, she walked boldly
through the front door of the gaming
hell.
Everything was different this time, she
thought nervously, and she knew that was
because she did not have Lucas by her side
to make it all seem a grand adventure.
The red glare from the hearth illuminated
the rough crowd of Green Pig patrons,
making them look like demons from the
underworld. The coarse, drunken laughter
was unnerving. She had the feeling a
violent brawl could break out at any
moment. As she started toward the stairs
one of the barmaids sidled up to her.
You don't want to be goin" up there
alone, now do ye, sir? You'll be wantin'
a lady friend and it just so appens I'm
free at the moment."
Victoria thought frantically. Thank you,
but ther
e is someone waiting for me."
Ah, so that's the way of it, eh?" The
barmaid winked. I saw your friend go up
earlier and I ain't one to pass judgment
on that sort o" thing. Besides, the bloke
already paid for the room. Good luck to
ye, I say. But if ye decide you'd rather
have a woman, ye just give old Betsy a
shout, hear?"
Victoria stared at her in confusion. Yes,
thank you very much, I'll do that."
Betsy roared with laughter. Ye can
always tell the well-bred coves. They
remember their manners even in a place
like this." She sallied off into the crowd,
still chuckling.
Victoria went grimly up the stairs, the
sack containing her dress still clutched in
one hand, the cloak draped over her arm.
At the top of the stairs she found
herself in a dark hall. She could hear
obscene laughter and groans coming from
the rooms as she passed two doors and
stopped at the third.
She hesitated a moment at her goal and
then tapped cautiously on the third door.
It opened immediately.
Isabel Rycott stood framed in the doorway,
looking even more exotic in
men's clothes than she did in a ball
gown.
Lady Rycott. What a surprise." Victoria
struggled to sound calm and cool and
almost detached, the way Lucas always
managed to do when he was facing a
startling situation. At least she was not
dealing with the reanimated corpse of
Samuel Whitlock, Victoria told herself.
Where is my husband?"
Isabel Rycott smiled with a terrible
satisfaction and revealed the pistol in her
hand. Won't you come in. Lady stone vale?
I have been waiting for you."
Now that she was over her initial shock,
Victoria told herself she must stay calm.
She would be no help to Lucas if
she had hysterics. Is Edgeworth with
you?" she asked as she stepped into
the room. I cannot imagine you have
managed this entire business by yourself
You are accustomed to using your male
acquaintances, are you not?"
How very astute of you." Isabel backed
away from her. Her eyes were feverishly
bright. But, then, you always were a very
clever girl, weren't you? Too clever by half
And now you are going to pay for it."
Still clutching the sack of clothing and
the cloak, Victoria wandered over to the
fireplace to lean negligently against the
mantel. The blaze on the hearth cast a
sordid glare over the small, shabby room.
You don't mean to tell me that all this
is because you hold some sort of grudge
against me, madam? What on earth have
I ever done to you?"
You killed him. That's what you did,"
Isabel hissed. You killed Samuel Whitlock
and ruined everything."
Victoria went still. Perhaps you will be
good enough to tell me just what it was I
ruined for you?"
I had it all planned, you stupid little
bitch. Whitlock was going to marry me
after he killed your mother. It took me
months to work him up to the point
where he had sufficient nerve to see to the
business of murdering Caroline. Months."
Victoria almost collapsed against the
mantel. You prodded him into murdering
my mother?"
Do you think he'd have done it on his
own? He hadn't the guts to do it without
being pushed into it. He saw no need.
Kept saying he had the use of her fortune
anyway, so what did it matter if she was
alive. But I did not have the use of that
fortune. So I made it clear to Samuel that
he could not have me unless he got rid
of her, and he wanted me very badly,
Victoria. Very badly, indeed. He finally
arranged the riding accident."
I knew it was murder, even before he
confessed."
Yes, you guessed that immediately,
didn't you? Less than two months later
he started acting very strange. Kept saying
he was seeing your mother's ghost. I was
afraid he was losing his mind, that he
would get himself sent to Bedlam before
he could marry me. So I decided to see
for myself what was going on at his house
at night."
Victoria's fingers tightened on the sack.
You were there that last night when he
came at me with a knife, weren't you?"
Who do you think put the knife in his
hand? I told him he must kill Caroline
again and this time she would stay dead.
He was so crazed with drink and the
notion that Caroline had come back to
haunt him that he did as I told him."
Victoria's pulse was racing, driven by
savage anger and a terrible fear. Where
is my husband? What has he to do with
any of this?"
All in good time, Victoria. All in
good time. He will be here, never fear.
Edgeworth is going to bring him."
So Edgeworth is involved."
Isabel tightened her grip on the pistol and
laughed softly, Oh, yes. It was Edgeworth's
idea to finish the matter in this particular
fashion. He has a score of his own to settle
with stone vale, you see. I agreed to do it
his way so long as I could be certain of
your death."
You cared so much for my drunken sot
of a stepfather that you wish vengeance on
me? I am appalled by your taste in men,
Lady Rycott. But, then, I suppose I should
not be so astonished. After all, you took up
with Edgeworth and he certainly is not an
admirable specimen of manhood, either, is
he? Perhaps you like men who are as low
as you yourself?"
I told you once I like men who can
be controlled. Men who are weak and
therefore easily manipulated. It makes
everything so much easier, you see.
Whitlock was completely in my power.
Edgeworth is now, too."
How did you happen to select Edge
worth as your assistant?"
I heard the talk that there was ill
feeling between him and stone vale. When
stone vale began pursuing you, I decided
a man who disliked him as much as
Edgeworth did could be of use to me."
Tis a bit late to murder me," Victoria
pointed out. My husband has legal control
of my money now. In the event of
his death, the inheritance goes to our
remaining relatives, including my aunt.
You will never see a penny of it."
Isabel's eyes sparked in anger. Don't
you think I know that? You deprived me of
any chance of getting hold of your fortune
the night you caused poor, stupid Samuel
to fall down those stairs. You ruined all
my plans and now you will pay."
Why have you
waited so long to take
your vengeance? Why did you go to the
continent after Whitlock's death?"
Because I was afraid you would realize
I had been involved. You were so damn
clever that I could take no chances. I had
no way of knowing how much you knew
or how much Samuel told you that night
he tried to kill you. I fled the night of his
death because I feared you would put the
entire tale together. But you never did."
No. But for the past few months
I have had the oddest feeling that
there was something left unfinished." The
nightmares had begun shortly after she had
been introduced to Isabel Rycott, Victoria
realized with a chill.
I did not care for life on the continent,"
Isabel continued coldly. Oh, it suited
me well enough at first, but there were
problems after I became involved with
a young Italian count. His mother, you
know. She was afraid her precious son
would marry me and she could not bear
the notion of the family fortune falling into
my hands. She contrived to have me cast
out of the higher circles of society, ruining
all my opportunities. Most unpleasant."
So you decided to return to England."
It is here I have the best chance of
securing another fortune. And mark my
words, I will find another Samuel Whitlock,
and soon. I have gone through my first
husband's money and I find myself in need
of more. Quickly. While on the continent,
I had kept track of you through friends.
After several months I realized I was safe,
so I returned to London."
And decided to make me pay for ruining
everything for you?"
Precisely. But I also wanted you out
of the way because it was simply good
policy to tidy up after oneself There was
always the chance that you would put it
all together, you see. Since I must be free
to stay in England, I could not take the
risk that you would eventually figure out
that I had been involved in your mother's
death."
It was you who put the scarf and the
snuffbox where you knew I would find
them," Victoria said evenly.
Isabel glanced down at her breeches and
boots and smiled strangely. You are not
the only one who has learned to enjoy the
freedom of men's clothing. I owe you for
that, by the by. Do you think there will
ever come a time when women will be
free to wear breeches in public?"
Victoria ignored that. You followed me
about at night."
Oh, yes. I kept very close watch on
you for weeks before I made my plans,
Surrender Amanda Quick Page 44
