UNCOMMON DUKE, AN

by BENSON, LAURIE

  The watchful gaze of his father looked down at him as he tossed the note towards the fire. Then that familiar voice rang in his head one last time.

  Trust no one and suspect everyone.

  * * *

  Gabriel approached the observation room in the small brick house in Richmond to find Andrew waiting for him outside the doorway. To expedite his journey, Gabriel had taken Homer and raced him through London. Even though it took him about an hour, it was the longest ride of his life.

  ‘I assume this means my suspicions were correct,’ he said, approaching his brother.

  Andrew nodded. ‘There is a bottle of your favourite claret on the other side of this door. Colonel Collingsworth has already arrived with members of the Guards should we require them. He is eager to help with the interrogation. I expect Mr Donaldson will arrive shortly.’ He pulled Gabriel by his elbow to a nearby alcove behind the stairs. ‘I still believe this could have been accomplished without anyone else present. You are placing yourself at great risk.’

  ‘That is not the way of the law. In order to have a proper trial, we must proceed accordingly. If it appears we tampered in any way with the investigation, he will be released and all of this will be for naught. Prinny’s life comes before all else.’

  ‘But—’

  ‘I appreciate your concern, little brother, but I am firm in my conviction. Now tell me about our guest.’

  ‘You had the right of it about Manning. He was providing information to Mr Clarke regarding Prinny’s whereabouts.’

  Gabriel tried to steady the pounding of his heart. He should be relieved that they were one step closer to eliminating the threat to Prinny. Instead, he might be one step closer to condemning Olivia.

  ‘What was observed?’

  ‘I left your house earlier today with Spence in tow. I stationed him across from Manning’s studio with a stack of newspapers to sell so no one would question his presence. Approximately an hour later, Olivia and Lady Haverstraw were seen leaving his studio in our carriage. Not her carriage, mind you, our carriage.’

  ‘Yes, yes, I know, just tell me what the bloody hell happened.’

  ‘Fifteen minutes after their departure Manning left and Spence trailed him to Hatchard’s.’

  ‘Who was inside Hatchard’s?’

  ‘I happened to be in Hatchard’s to check on Williams when we saw Manning place a note into a copy of Dante’s Divine Comedy tucked under a bookshelf on the second floor. Immediately after he placed the paper inside the book, Manning left the premises. Once I was secure in the knowledge we were alone, I removed it from the book and read it. It was evident it was penned by the same hand as the other note. I left Williams to see if anyone will retrieve it. Harris and Spence were able to subdue Manning in his studio and they brought him here. The note referenced Nettleford House on Park Lane.’

  Nettleford? Gabriel tried to steady his heart, which he was certain was going to crash through his chest. This was the second time a letter intended for an assassin referenced a location Olivia knew Prinny would be.

  His stomach turned. In his heart he didn’t want to believe it was true.

  ‘What is it?’ Andrew asked, lowering his voice further. ‘You know something.’

  He needed to remove his emotions and think logically. First and foremost was his responsibility to the Crown. He ran his thumb over his ring. ‘Olivia spoke of Nettleford’s ball to Prinny. He told me she tried to persuade him to attend.’

  Andrew looked as if he wanted to send his fist into the wall. ‘Demmit, Gabriel! Do you see why inviting Bow Street to this inquisition was not in your best interest?’

  ‘That is precisely why Donaldson needs to be present. If she is involved in this, she needs to face the consequences of her actions.’

  ‘And as her husband, you might pay for her crimes as well.’

  ‘Then I will face the hangman’s noose if that is God’s will.’

  ‘But, Gabriel—’

  ‘Not another word, Andrew. If this is to be my fate, so be it.’ But he prayed to God it was not. And he prayed even harder that his wife wasn’t a murderer.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Olivia had watched Gabriel ride off from behind the curtains of her bedchamber. His impatience to arrive at his destination was evident by the speed with which he mounted Homer. In the past she would not have cared in the least about any trip he took. But today, after discovering that mysterious box in the odd carriage, Olivia wondered what was so urgent that Gabriel needed to race away on horseback this late in the day. Her need for answers was driving her to distraction.

  Convinced the answer to the riddle about him would be found in his study, she made her way downstairs. When she tried the handle to the door she found the blasted man had locked the room—probably because he knew she would be back. The only thing that prevented her from kicking the door in frustration was the knowledge she would do more injury to her foot than to his massive door.

  Well, she was not about to let a mere lock stop her from finding answers. Removing one of her hairpins, she inserted it into the keyhole and after several attempts she managed to open the door.

  The shutters were closed and the only light came from the glow of the dying embers in his fireplace. As she bent down at the hearth to light a candle, a small scrap of burnt paper caught her eye. Dragging it out of the ashes with the poker, Olivia picked it up and blew off the soot. Returning the unlit candle, she walked to one of the tall windows, cracked open one of the shutters and read the words on the paper in her hand.

  ...package...in Richmond...

  So whatever had caused him to speed away from their home, at least she had an idea of his general direction. The question was, what was inside this package that made his departure so urgent? And exactly where in Richmond had he gone?

  * * *

  The sparsely furnished, windowless observation room in the house in Richmond was lit by one small candle placed on a table in the corner. It took Gabriel a moment before he spotted Colonel Collingsworth and shook his hand.

  ‘Well done, Your Grace. I understand from Lord Andrew that man, Manning, has much to answer for.’

  ‘We believe so, Colonel. My brother tells me you brought men to guard him in the event we need him to remain here until a trial?’

  ‘I have. If you have a secure room, my men will make certain no one has a chance to kill this one before he is brought before the court.’

  Just then Mr Donaldson entered the room and Andrew slid a glance at Gabriel.

  ‘I say, Winterbourne, what the devil is so important you took me away from Bow Street so urgently?’ His eyes skidded to Colonel Collingsworth and then Andrew, before a look of comprehension settled on his face.

  While Andrew relayed the events of Manning’s capture, Gabriel peered through one of the small holes in the wall and took his first look at the prisoner. Although the long white shutters on the windows were closed, the candlelight from four large, silver candelabras illuminated the room in a bright glow.

  Manning was sitting in a chair with a strip of white cloth covering his eyes and his hands were cuffed behind his back. Brennan, one of Gabriel’s men, lounged against the wall behind the artist with his arms crossed over his massive chest, watching silently.

  ‘Although he has questioned where he is, we have not said a word to him since we removed him from his studio,’ Andrew offered, approaching Gabriel’s side.

  Manning repeatedly licked his lips and periodically turned his head, as if listening for even the slightest sound.

  Gabriel stepped back from the wall. ‘He appears rather skittish.’ He turned to Colonel Collingsworth and Mr Donaldson. ‘My man Brennan is inside with Mr Manning. Should you require his assistance, do not hesitate to let him know.’

  Mr Donaldson nodded. ‘Is there any
further information about the prisoner that Lord Andrew has not told us that might assist us in interrogating him?’

  Gabriel’s hands began to sweat and he purposely avoided his brother’s eyes. He should tell them about Olivia’s association with the man. He should tell them she had been prompting Prinny to attend Nettleford’s ball just a few days ago. And, he definitely should tell them Olivia had been to see Manning prior to the artist’s departure for Hatchard’s.

  Instead he shook his head and firmly pressed his thumb into the stone of his ring, feeling more protective over her than he expected. ‘As far as I know, my brother has given you all the relevant details.’

  Mr Donaldson peered briefly into one of the holes in the wall. ‘Very well.’ He gestured towards the door. ‘Colonel, I believe it is time to see what he knows.’

  After the door closed, all the air in the room appeared to leave with them. Gabriel wanted to take a deep breath to steady his nerves, but found the tight pressure on his chest prevented him from drawing in much air. He caught Andrew’s concerned expression before he sat down in the chair and focused his attention on the prisoner on the other side of the wall. Through the vent near his boots, he heard, rather than saw, when Mr Donaldson and Colonel Collingsworth entered the room. So much had come down to this very moment.

  They took seats across from a very alert man, who shifted in his chair.

  ‘I know there is someone there,’ Manning said with a shaky voice.

  Mr Donaldson nodded to Brennan to remove the man’s blindfold. Manning blinked a number of times before narrowly studying the well-dressed men in front of him and then eyed Brennan from his scuffed boots to his sturdy legs, broad shoulders and black hair that fell past his collar. Once he had sufficiently taken his measure, he turned back to the men seated across from him.

  Eyeing Colonel Collingsworth’s scarlet uniform with gold trim, he addressed him first. ‘You’re a Guard to the King. What business do you have with me? Why was I brought here?’

  Colonel Collingsworth leaned his tall, athletic frame closer and folded his hands on the top of the table. ‘Is your name John Manning?’

  Manning’s gaze shifted between his inquisitors and he blinked four times before he nodded. ‘I am.’

  ‘John Manning, you are charged with high treason, for conspiring to murder the Prince Regent of the kingdom of Great Britain.’

  All the air missing from Gabriel’s lungs appeared to push its way out of Manning’s with a loud whoosh and the man fell back against the chair. ‘I have done nothing of the sort. Surely, sirs, you are mistaken.’

  ‘Do you deny visiting Hatchard’s bookshop today and placing information about the Prince Regent’s future whereabouts into a copy of Dante’s Inferno?’

  The colour drained from Manning’s face and his chest visibly rose and fell as if he had been running instead of sitting for so long. ‘I...I...’

  ‘You should be aware before you attempt to deny it that you were seen doing so by noble men who protect the Crown,’ the Colonel informed him.

  Manning sat up tall and cleared his throat. ‘Even if I did place a paper with the date and location of a ball, that does not mean I am conspiring murder.’

  ‘And what if I told you that someone with your hand recently provided an assassin with the location of the Prince Regent the very day someone tried to kill him?’

  The colour drained from Manning’s face and his wide-eyed gaze moved from Colonel Collingsworth to Mr Donaldson and back again. ‘Assassin?’

  ‘That is the term for a person who attempts to kill someone.’

  Under the table, the artist’s right leg began to tremble. Pressing his lips firmly together, he lowered his head and stared at Colonel Collingsworth through his lashes. His chest rose and fell rapidly, matching time with Gabriel’s.

  From behind the large mural on Manning’s right, Gabriel rubbed the stone of his ring, praying that Olivia was not part of this treachery. It would destroy him to find out the woman he had chosen to marry had the heart of a murderer. The image of Olivia being led to the gallows was making him feel sick.

  Gabriel focused his attention on the scene before him.

  ‘Do you know the penalty for treason, sir?’ This time it was Mr Donaldson who spoke. ‘You will be sentenced to death. You will swing within a fortnight.’

  Manning’s head jerked in his direction, but he remained silent—except for the sound of the rapid tapping of his boot.

  ‘Tell us about Hatchard’s. Tell us why you placed a note into that book. Who were you attempting to contact?’

  The tapping sound was now replaced by the sound of heavy breathing, as Manning appeared to struggle with his decision to talk. Finally, he let out a shaky breath. ‘I have no notion of who takes the information I leave. I was told to place the information in that book each time I learned of somewhere the Prince Regent would be. I swear to you I had no idea what they would do with the information.’

  They? Dear God, there was someone else involved.

  ‘Who told you to do this?’

  ‘I do not know. I am innocent of any treachery against the Crown. I had no notion what they would use my information for.’

  ‘Why should we believe you?’

  ‘I am telling you the truth. I have no idea who has been retrieving my notes. They never told me their names.’

  ‘Who told you where to place this information of yours?’ Colonel Collingsworth asked.

  ‘I do not know. You have to believe me. I never met them. A note was delivered to my studio one afternoon, early in the month. This person knew of a child of mine—a child that is far from London with his mother. If I did not provide them with the information they wanted, they threatened to harm my child. They told me they would mutilate him so badly that his life would be a living hell.’

  ‘Were you contacted by one person or were there others?’

  ‘I only received the one note.’

  ‘How long were you to supply them with information?’

  ‘I do not know. They said they would notify me when they no longer required my services.’

  ‘Do you still have the letter?’ Mr Donaldson asked.

  ‘No, I destroyed it as they directed.’

  ‘How many notes have you deposited at Hatchard’s?’

  ‘Four...I think.’

  ‘And the information on the Prince Regent’s plans, where did you get it?’

  Manning looked away.

  The pounding of Gabriel’s heart was so loud, it almost blocked out the noise from the other room. From of the corner of his eye he saw Andrew turn his way. He sucked in a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut, forcing a sense of calm to steady his frantic heart.

  Manning shifted in his seat. ‘Are these handcuffs necessary? I have answered your questions and they are chafing my wrists. Surely with that mountain of a man behind me and the two of you between me and the door, you don’t believe I could actually escape. Do you?’

  Colonel Collingsworth nodded to Brennan and the cuffs were unlocked. Immediately, Manning began rubbing his wrists. The men sitting with him might have missed his tactic for avoiding the last question, but Gabriel had not. Why did he not want to reveal where he had gathered his information? Was he protecting someone or fearful of them?

  ‘The information on the Prince Regent’s whereabouts. How did you acquire it?’ Mr Donaldson asked again, and Gabriel almost wished he had forgotten that he hadn’t received an answer the first time.

  ‘They will know you have me and that I have told you things. They will want retribution. Please, sirs, I beg of you. Please do not let any harm come to my child and his mother. They have had no part in this. They should not be made to suffer because of me.’

  ‘You are in no position to make any requests,’ Colonel Collingsworth said, clear
ly disgusted.

  ‘Then I have nothing else to say.’ Manning leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

  ‘Cooperate with us fully, Mr Manning, and should you be found guilty, transportation might be an option.’

  Manning said nothing as he stared at his captors.

  ‘Then I believe this interrogation is over,’ Mr Donaldson said, rising to his feet. ‘Colonel, you may take the prisoner now.’

  He walked to the door and it wasn’t until he touched the handle that Manning called to him.

  ‘Sir, I shall tell you everything, if you promise to safeguard my family.’ He chewed his lower lip and fixed his gaze on Mr Donaldson’s back.

  Gabriel was fighting the urge to shut his eyes. Olivia was too young to die now.

  Turning slowly, Mr Donaldson walked back to the table and sat down. ‘I will do what I can to keep your family safe.’

  ‘I need your word as a gentleman.’

  Mr Donaldson visibly bristled, but after pursing his lips together, he gave a curt nod. ‘You have it.’

  ‘Very well, I’ve gathered the information on the Regent’s whereabouts from my acquaintances.’

  ‘Tell us the names of those acquaintances.’

  Manning shifted once more in his seat and he looked about the room before his gaze returned to Mr Donaldson. He took a deep breath. ‘Lady Abernathy and the Duchess of Winterbourne.’

  The silence in the room was deafening.

  Gabriel broke out in a cold sweat and his heart twisted in pain. If only he could pretend this day had never happened. But it had—and Olivia’s name was now linked to an assassination attempt on Prinny.

  His right hand clenched into a tight fist. He glanced at his brother and the expression on Andrew’s face told him, in no uncertain terms, that he thought Gabriel was a fool for allowing other men to conduct this interview. Now, he wished he had listened. But strangely enough it was to protect Olivia more than he worried about saving himself.