by Laura Landon
“I got your message,” Barnaby said after Alex had poured him a drink, then showed him to a chair. “What’s wrong?”
Alex sat in the chair opposite him, while three chairs in the cluster of seats remained empty. “I need your help, Barn, but I’ll wait to explain until Claire and Major Bennett arrive.”
A frown appeared on Barnaby’s face. “This sounds serious.”
“It is. Quite serious.”
Thankfully, Alex heard muffled voices in the hall, then the door to the study opened, and his sister and her husband entered.
“Alex,” Claire said, rushing toward him with open arms.
Alex gathered his sister to him and returned her fierce hug. He shook Major Bennett’s hand when Claire released him.
“Oh, Alex. We’ve been so worried over you. I’m so glad you came back. What’s wrong? Are you ill? Your message sounded so serious.”
Alex couldn’t help but smile. Leave it to Claire to rush to the point. “No, Claire. I’m not ill. But I do need your help. Well, actually I need your husband’s help. And Barnaby’s.”
“You know all you have to do is ask,” Major Bennett said.
Alex poured his brother-in-law a drink, and Channing entered with a tea tray. When they were all seated, Alex took a swallow of his brandy, then placed it on the table in front of him. “I imagine I need to start at the beginning.”
Alex studied the concerned expressions on his family’s faces. For a moment he considered sharing what had happened to him while he’d been held captive. But this wasn’t the time, nor was he ready to share what he’d gone through. Belle knew. And she was the only person that needed to know.
She’d seen him struggle with his nightmares. She’d experienced the violence that resulted from reliving what had been done to him. As long as she was beside him, he didn’t need to share his horror with anyone else.
He began at the point when he left London. “As you all know, it was difficult for me to adjust after being held captive. It was cowardly of me, but I simply couldn’t cope with the crowds and all that was expected of me, so I left. I went to Temple Hall to escape everyone.”
Alex stopped and let a smile lift the corners of his mouth. “I went with the intention of never returning. But as we all know, seldom does anything go as planned.”
“What happened, Alex?” Claire asked. “You’re frightening me.”
“Nothing to fear, Claire. In fact, quite the opposite. When I arrived at Temple Hall, I was informed that my longtime housekeeper, Mrs. Franklin, had retired, and we were in need of someone to take her place. As luck would have it, Holmes found a suitable replacement: Mrs. Moore. Mrs. Daisy Moore. She was truly remarkable. I could not have survived without her.”
“Your housekeeper?” Claire asked in disbelief.
“Yes, my housekeeper. Without her help, I wouldn’t be here. Without her help, I’m not sure I would have been able to face ever returning.”
“What are you saying, Alex?” Barnaby asked. “Did you bring your housekeeper with you to London?”
“Yes, Barn, I did.”
“What are your feelings for this woman, Alex?” Claire asked. “Are you telling us you want to make her a part of your life?”
“If she’ll have me, yes.”
Alex looked at the three wide-eyed, shocked expressions of the people staring at him. Their reactions were exactly what he’d expected.
“Of course she’ll have you,” Claire said. “She’d be a fool not to want you.”
“She’s definitely not a fool, but there are reasons she has rejected my offer.”
“She rejected your offer?” Claire asked in disbelief. “Then we’ll have to convince her that her objections don’t matter. If you love her, and she loves you, then that is all that is important. It doesn’t matter that she was a housekeeper. Once you marry, she will be your marchioness.”
“Absolutely,” Barn and Major Bennett said in unison.
“So when can we meet her?” Claire asked. “Is she here with you?”
“Yes, she is.” Alex stopped at the knock on the door. “Ah, here she is.”
The door opened, and Isobel stepped into the room.
“My lady,” Alex said rushing to Isobel’s side. He took her hands in his and brought her to him, then turned to face his family.
Their shocked expressions as they stared first at Isobel, then moved to him, were priceless.
“Alex, do you know who you have with you?” his brother asked.
“Of course. She introduced herself to me as Mrs. Daisy Moore, and I employed her as my housekeeper.”
“She’s no housekeeper,” Claire added. “And I hope you didn’t treat her as such.”
“Of course I did.”
“Oh no,” Claire said, rushing to Isobel’s side. “Oh, Alex. The lady at your side is Lady Isobel, daughter of the Earl of Gilchrist. She’s been missing from her father’s house for several months.”
“Yes, she has,” Alex confirmed, then looked at Barnaby and Major Bennett. “And I need your help in order to keep her safe from her father. And from the Duke of Balsam.”
Chapter 21
Isobel couldn’t take her eyes from the surprised expressions on the faces of the Marquess of Halverston’s family. Not that she could blame them for their shock. Or for their skepticism. They’d hardly expected that their brother would bring home a lady who’d been missing from her father’s house for more than two months. A lady whose whereabouts had been the subject of a dozen rumors.
“Let’s sit down,” Alex said, leading her to the circle of chairs on the other side of the room. “I’m sure you’re anxious to hear how Lady Isobel arrived at Temple Hall, as well as her reason for posing as my housekeeper.”
Barnaby relaxed in his chair with a glass of brandy in his hand. “I, for one, can’t wait to hear this,” he said, taking a sip of brandy.
Everyone sat, and Alex turned to her. “Would you like to explain why you left London, and how you ended up at Temple Hall?”
Isobel nodded, then began her story. She started at the beginning and tried not to leave anything out. She explained her reason for fleeing London, then shared the hardship of Daisy’s death. She told them why she chose to take the position as Lord Halverston’s housekeeper, as well as her plan to travel on to Scotland as soon as she reached her majority.
“You mentioned that you’d received a note from Balsam’s late wife asking for your help,” Lord Barnaby said when she finished.
“Yes. I believe Genevieve was secretly planning to leave Balsam but wanted to have proof of what His Grace was capable of. From the letter she sent me, it was obvious that Genevieve knew if she stayed with Balsam, he’d kill her. She sent me the note because I think she wanted me to have it in case something happened to her.”
“Do you happen to have the note with you?”
“Yes. Would you like to see it?”
“Yes,” Lord Barnaby said.
Isobel left the Halverston study and rushed to her room to retrieve Genevieve’s message. She gave it to Lord Barnaby when she returned, then sat back in her chair. Alex reached for her hand and held it while his brother read the note.
“Bloody hell,” he said when he finished reading. He handed the paper to Major Bennett.
The major’s eyes filled with fury as he read Genevieve’s note stating how terrified she was of her husband. Isobel knew when he reached the section where Genevieve described several of the Duke of Balsam’s favorite forms of cruelty. The major’s eyes narrowed with a lethal calmness as he smoldered with contempt.
His stony glare shifted from Lord Barnaby to Lord Halverston when he finished. “This monster doesn’t deserve to live,” he said in an angry growl.
Alex’s sister reached for the paper in her husband’s hands, but the major kept it out of her reach. “You don’t want to read this, Claire.”
The major folded the paper, then turned his attention to Isobel. “Do you mind if I keep this, my lady?”
Isobel gave her permission. She knew the proof she had of Balsam’s cruelty was in the best hands.
“What possible reason could your father have for considering to give one of his daughters to such a monster?” the major asked.
“Admittance into the Fortune Club,” Isobel answered. “His Grace guaranteed Father’s acceptance into the club in exchange for one of his daughters. Father was desperate to be one of the esteemed group, and I was to be the one he sacrificed to gain admittance. Vanessa was to be given to the Marquess of Partmoore in exchange for a share of Partmoore’s shipping venture.”
Lord Barnaby bolted from his chair and stormed across the room. When he reached the window, he turned. “You’ll excuse me if I admit I don’t admire your father, Lady Isobel.”
Belle lowered her gaze. “I don’t blame you, Lord Barnaby. Even though he’s my father, I’ve never found much to admire either.”
“You mentioned that the reason you ran away from London was to stay out of your father’s control until you reached your majority,” Lady Claire said. “When will that be?”
“In less than two weeks. On the twenty-fourth of this month.”
“Then we will have to keep you hidden until you reach your majority and your father has no control over you.”
Belle tightened her hold on Alex’s hand. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. When I disappeared, Father decided he would rather be a member of the Fortune Club than own a share of Lord Partmoore’s ships. As you know, Lord Partmoore has disappeared, and Father is hosting a ball tomorrow night to announce my sister’s betrothal to the Duke of Balsam. I can’t allow that to happen.”
“Of course you can’t,” Lady Claire said, then moved her gaze to Alex. “What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to stop the announcement of Lady Vanessa’s betrothal.”
“How are we going to do that?” Claire asked.
Lord Barnaby returned to his chair. “I don’t know, but there’s no way we can let a monster like the Duke of Balsam torture another female. Or allow your father to sell his daughters into this murderous debauchery for his gain.”
Alex gave Belle’s fingers a gentle squeeze, as if telling her that they needed to share everything concerning her father. She nodded her approval.
“There’s more,” Alex said.
“What more can there be?” Barnaby asked. “I’m ready to hang the man now!”
“Were you acquainted with Viscount Harbinger?”
“Harbinger’s death was a tragic loss for our soldiers,” the major said.
“He did more than anyone to bring attention to the plight of the wounded coming back from the war,” Barnaby added. “He served on several committees and was instrumental in the creation of several hospitals for our wounded. It was a sad day indeed when he died in a hunting accident.”
“His death was no accident,” Alex said, keeping a firm hold on her hand.
“What are you saying, Halverston?” Major Bennett asked.
“Lord Harbinger was murdered,” Isobel said.
“Murdered?” Lord Barnaby and Major Bennett asked in unison.
Isobel opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She struggled again, but her eyes filled with tears that streamed down her cheeks.
“I tried . . . truly, I tried . . .”
“It’s all right, Belle,” Alex said, then spoke for her. “The Earl of Gilchrist murdered Viscount Harbinger. Belle witnessed it.”
“What!” Barnaby sprang to his feet.
More than anything, Isobel wanted Alex to gather her in his arms and shield her from the angry stares of shock and disbelief focused in her direction. Both Barnaby and the major were visibly furious, but Lord Barnaby reacted more violently.
“Why would your father kill Harbinger?” Lord Barnaby demanded when he took his seat again. “What possible reason could he have had?”
Belle attempted to explain, but Alex refused to allow her to go through such torture again. He held up his hand to stop her words, then related what she’d told him. When he finished revealing how her father had killed Lord Harbinger in cold blood, he told them what Belle had overheard her father tell his man of business concerning Lord Springton.
The expressions on Lord Barnaby’s and Major Bennett’s faces told her that they would both do whatever was necessary to make her father pay for what he’d done.
“What do you want us to do?” the major asked.
Alex looked at her, then wiped a tear from her tear-stained face. “Our first step has to be to stop Gilchrist from announcing his daughter’s betrothal to the Duke of Balsam.”
“How are we going to do that?” Barnaby asked.
“We’re going to kidnap Lady Vanessa.”
. . .
Alex sat beside Belle as they made their way to Gilchrist House. Barnaby sat opposite them, and Sam drove the carriage.
Their plan was simple. Barnaby had stood guard until the Earl of Gilchrist left, then came for them. He and Belle would go to the house, and Belle would locate her sister. They would remove Lady Vanessa from Gilchrist House and take her to Halverston House, where Claire was waiting for them. She and the major would remain there, as well as Barnaby, to act as both chaperones and guards.
The plan wasn’t foolproof. There were more risks than Alex wanted to consider, but time was running out for them to come up with a better option. The betrothal ball to announce Lady Vanessa’s engagement to the Duke of Balsam was scheduled for tomorrow night.
The biggest gamble was that Lord Gilchrist would arrive home before they got Lady Vanessa to safety. They didn’t know where Gilchrist had gone, or how long he’d be away. If everything went as they hoped, they could abscond with Belle’s sister without Gilchrist knowing who’d taken her. That would give them a few days to figure out what to do next.
Alex was glad when the carriage slowed, then stopped. He reached for Belle’s hand and held it. “Are you ready?”
She tried to put a confident smile on her face, but her trembling hand belied her show of self-reliance.
“Everything will be fine, Belle. Find your sister and bring her out with you as quickly as you can. We have to be gone before your father returns.”
She nodded; then they followed Barnaby from the carriage.
They made their way to the house nearly at a run, and Alex dropped the door knocker several times. The second the door opened, Belle rushed inside. Alex followed and shut the door behind him.
“Lady Isobel,” the butler said. His jaw dropped and his eyes opened wide. “Oh, you shouldn’t be here. If your father—”
“I’ll only be a few minutes. Is Lady Vanessa in her room, Grady?”
“Yes, my lady, but—”
Belle was halfway up the stairs before the butler finished his sentence. When she’d disappeared behind one of the doors on the second level, the butler turned back to Alex.
“His Lordship is going to be furious when he finds out Lady Isobel was here.”
Alex kept his gaze focused on the room Belle entered. “No doubt,” Alex answered.
“Have you come for Lady Vanessa?”
Alex didn’t give the butler an answer. He’d have his answer soon enough.
“I’m glad,” the servant answered, somehow knowing that’s why he and Lady Isobel had come. “The staff will be, too. No one wanted to see such a sweet young lady wed to that monster.”
“You don’t need to worry. The ladies will be safe.”
“Take care, my lord,” the butler said. “His Lordship is a man to be feared.”
Alex shifted his gaze from the upstairs room to the concerned expression on the butler’s face. “So am I,” Alex answered.
The butler nodded.
A door opened, and Belle exited the room. She had her sister’s hand clasped in hers, and together they hurried down the stairs. When they reached the bottom, they ran toward him.
The butler opened the door, and Belle and Lady Vanessa ran outside.
&
nbsp; “My lord,” the butler said when Alex turned to follow.
Alex stopped.
“I’d appreciate it if you made it appear as if I put up a struggle to prevent Lady Vanessa from leaving.”
Alex locked gazes with the butler, then without hesitation, pulled back his arm and laid the man flat.
Alex didn’t look back to see what damage he’d done but raced down the walk and stepped into the carriage. He fell back into the seat when the carriage lurched forward. Only then did he notice Isobel and her sister.
They were wrapped in each other’s arms, while tears of joy streamed down their faces.
When he saw them together, he realized freeing Lady Vanessa had been worth the risk they’d taken. He didn’t doubt that they’d done the only thing they could . . . until he turned his head and noticed Barnaby’s shadowed expression.
“Take care of yourself, Alex,” Barnaby said. “There’s going to be hell to pay yet.”
Chapter 22
Alex focused on the carriages that passed by on the street outside the receiving room window. They’d returned home safely a short while ago, and Belle had taken her sister to a room to get her settled. Stealing her away from her father’s home had visibly shaken her. She no doubt understood as well as they all did the danger they’d be in when her father discovered she was gone.
Alex checked the street again as if he expected Gilchrist to appear at any moment. Which was unlikely. He doubted the Gilchrist butler recognized him, and if he did, Alex doubted the man would volunteer the knowledge without being forced. But it was only a matter of time until Gilchrist discovered the role he’d played in Lady Vanessa’s disappearance.
He turned and focused on his brother and Major Bennett. Both had been relatively quiet, but Alex knew they’d been planning what steps to take next. Claire, too, had been listening to their conversation as she sipped on the tea Cook had sent for his guests.
“What have you decided we should do now?” he asked when the two men realized he was watching them.
