by Laura Landon
“You said you and Millicent were friends. I’m not blind. You’re more than friends. You’re lovers.”
Renfrew’s bluntness surprised him.
“Which forces me to tell you that if your intentions are not honorable, I will be forced to call you out when I am well enough.”
Renfrew’s threat wasn’t lost on Barnaby. The man was serious. “You don’t have to worry about any duels at dawn. My intentions are entirely honorable. Millicent doesn’t know it yet, but she and I will marry as soon as this is finished.”
“Even though she’s betrothed to Lord Radburn?”
“That wedding will never take place.”
There was a long moment of silence. “Perhaps you should start at the beginning, Mr. Compton.”
Barnaby evaluated how much he should reveal to Renfrew, then decided nothing would suffice but the truth. Not if he wanted Renfrew to reciprocate in kind.
“As I said, I am Barnaby Linscott. I—”
Renfrew interrupted. “Any relation to the Marquess of Halverston?”
“His brother.”
“I see.” But it was obvious that he didn’t. “What are you doing here with Millicent pretending to be our cousin?”
“Can I be assured of your confidentiality?”
“Since you intend to marry my sister, I will give you my word . . . until you give me cause to break it.”
“I won’t give you any such cause.”
“Then I agree.”
Barnaby ran a hand through his hair. “I work with the government. I am here to do work on their behalf.”
“And you involved my sister in something that might be dangerous?” Renfrew’s eyes darkened with anger.
“She was already involved when I was sent to assist her.”
“I don’t believe that. Why would she be involved in something with the government? Especially something involving the Earl of Radburn?”
“Because she believes Radburn is responsible for your parents’ deaths. And before she discovered you and your sister were alive, she thought he was responsible for your deaths, too.”
“That’s ridiculous. Radburn didn’t set Cliffside on fire. He arrived after the fire broke out and risked his life to save Polly and me.”
“Except your sister didn’t know that. She received a letter from your father before the fire warning her to stay away from Cliffside. He was sending you and Polly to the London house to stay with Millicent. He also warned her not to have anything to do with the Earl of Radburn. Do you know why he would send her such a warning?”
Millicent’s brother rose from his chair and refilled his glass from the decanter. He cast a glance at Barnaby’s glass and when he noticed it was still full, he set the decanter down and returned to his chair. “Father was convinced Lord Radburn was using the caves below the cliffs on Cliffside to smuggle goods from foreign countries. It seemed unlikely to me, as the cliffs are practically unpassable.”
“Did your father say what Radburn was smuggling?”
Renfrew shook his head. “I’m not sure he knew. He was just aware of activity near the caves. He investigated, but I don’t think he discovered anything. I’m sure he would have told me if he had.”
Barnaby took a sip of his brandy, then lifted his gaze to find Renfrew’s eyes locked on his.
“Do you know what’s being smuggled?” he asked.
Barnaby took a deep breath while he considered how to answer. He released his breath, then answered. “Explosives.”
“Explosives! Why would Radburn want explosives?”
“To sell to foreign operatives.”
“To what end?”
“Arm an uprising.”
A look of alarm covered Renfrew’s face. “Bloody hell,” he whispered. “You think Radburn is connected to something that sinister?”
“I’ve located the explosives.”
“Where?”
“Where your father no doubt thought they were. In the caves below the cliffs.”
“On Renfrew land?”
“Yes.”
Lord Renfrew rose to his feet and paced the room. “But this doesn’t make sense. Why would Radburn start a fire to kill us, then save Polly and me? He couldn’t have known whether Father had told me about the smuggling or not. And why would he want to marry Millicent?”
“Because he knew the estate would go to her,” Barnaby answered.
“But it won’t.”
Barnaby’s breath caught. “But she said it was hers. That her father gave it to her to make sure she always had a home.”
“Yes, that’s true. But the house and the land aren’t in her name. They are in mine. Or the future Earl of Renfrew’s. She can live there, but neither the house nor the land can ever be hers outright.”
Thomas took a swallow of the liquor in his glass, then continued his explanation. “Cliffside Manor is Millicent’s to live in as long as she isn’t married. Once she marries, the home reverts to me. But in the future, if for any reason she needs it, she can take possession of it. But she can never own it outright.”
“I see,” Barnaby said. “So marrying Millicent will not gain Radburn possession of the land.”
“No. The land will always remain a part of the Renfrew holdings.”
“And if you had died in the fire?” Barnaby asked.
“All the Renfrew holdings would have gone to a distant cousin—the next in line as the Earl of Renfrew. The same conditions would have applied then, too. Millicent could have lived in the house if she needed to, but she would never own the land. Nor would her husband.”
Barnaby’s mind circled in confusion. “Does the Earl of Radburn know this?”
“I doubt it. I’m not sure Millicent is even aware of the stipulations in Father’s will.”
“Then Radburn’s attempt to marry her is useless,” Barnaby said.
“Hardly,” a deep voice said from the open doorway. “It allows me to protect her.”
. . .
Barnaby turned as the door opened wider. His body stiffened in warning, and his eyes lowered to the pistol in Radburn’s hand. He rose, then looked to the other side of the room where Millicent was entering. He took a step to stand between Millicent and a very angry Earl of Radburn.
“Please, come in,” Barnaby said. “Join us.”
“Oh, I have every intention of joining you.” Radburn entered the room and stopped in front of Barnaby. “You have no idea the number of questions I want to ask you, Mr. Compton.”
A slight smile lifted the corners of Barnaby’s mouth, but he doubted that the conversation that followed would be pleasant. As a gesture of politeness, he pointed to the chair in which he’d been sitting. Radburn hesitated, then when Barnaby sat first, he sat.
“You won’t need a weapon,” Barnaby said, glancing at the pistol.
“Are you certain?” Radburn asked.
“Positive.” He held his own coat open to show that he was unarmed.
Radburn returned the pistol to his jacket, then looked to where Millicent stood on the opposite side of the room. “You may as well join us, Millicent,” Radburn said, “since you are as involved in this as your cousin.”
Millicent walked into the room, and Barnaby rose to give her a hand as she sat on the sofa. He turned to Radburn. “Would you care for something to drink?” he asked.
“Yes, I think we might all need something to bolster us before this conversation is over.”
Barnaby went to the sideboard and poured Radburn a brandy and Millicent a glass of wine. After he delivered them, he returned for the decanter of brandy and refilled Renfrew’s glass as well as his own.
“Is Polly asleep?” Thomas asked Millicent.
“Yes.”
The relief on Thomas’s face was obvious.
Radburn studied the glass containing brandy for several seconds, then lifted his gaze. “I have to admit I’m in awe, Mr. Compton,” he said. “I’m impressed at your ability to discover this room. I was sure Lord Renfrew and Miss
Pauline were so well hidden that no one would find them. The fact that you did makes me believe you are something other than what you say you are.”
Barnaby acknowledged the compliment with a nod. “And I have to admit how impressed I am with your ability to provide me with such a challenge.”
Radburn took a swallow of his brandy. “Well, now that we’ve complimented each other and covered the necessary pleasantries, perhaps we can proceed to the business at hand.”
Barnaby sat back in his chair. “I’m sure you have several questions you’d like to ask. I know I do. Would you like to go first, or shall I?”
“Since this is my home, I believe I will exercise my right to ask the first question.” Radburn’s gaze hardened as he focused on Barnaby. “Who are you? I assume your name is not Reginald Compton. Nor are you Lady Millicent’s cousin.”
“My name is Barnaby Linscott. Lady Millicent and I are . . . friends.”
Radburn took a sip of his brandy. “Yes, that makes more sense.”
Barnaby wasn’t sure what Radburn meant by that, but he let the earl continue.
His focus shifted to Millicent. “Is there any explanation you’d like to offer before I draw a conclusion of my own?”
Millicent cast Barnaby a passing look that indicated she was allowing him to take control of the conversation. “In due time, Radburn. But first let me ask a question of my own. Why did Millicent’s father warn her to stay away from Cliffside, and from you?”
Radburn tried not to show his surprise, but failed. “I didn’t know he did.” He took a swallow of his brandy. “When did he issue this . . . warning?”
Millicent leveled Radburn a hostile look. “I received a letter the day of the fire. Father told me it wasn’t safe to come home and warned me to stay away from you.”
“I see.”
“Well, I’m afraid I don’t,” Millicent countered. “Why did you start the fire that killed my parents, yet save my brother and sister?”
Radburn’s eyes widened. “I didn’t start that fire.”
“You expect me to believe that?” Millicent’s voice turned harsh.
“Believe what you want, my lady. But I was not responsible for the fire that killed your parents.”
“Then who was?”
The guilt on Radburn’s face came and went so quickly that Barnaby wasn’t sure he’d seen it at all.
“Then who was?” Barnaby repeated.
Radburn threw the last swallow of brandy to the back of his throat, then stood to retrieve the decanter from the table beside Barnaby. His hand shook as he poured more liquor into his glass. When his glass was full, he stepped to the fireplace on the other side of the room and braced his elbow on the marble mantel.
Barnaby gave him several seconds to answer the question. When silence was the only thing that separated them, he repeated his question. “Who?”
Radburn lifted the glass to his mouth and took a long swallow, then shook his head. “I don’t know.”
But he did. Barnaby would bet his life on it.
The murderer was Phillippe Roseneau.
Chapter 17
Radburn took a swallow of the liquor in his glass, then set the glass atop the fireplace. When he turned, his eyes flashed with fury.
“Before we venture further,” Radburn said, “I think it will save all of us a great deal of time and confusion if we’re simply honest with one another. Since you aren’t Lady Millicent’s cousin, I assume the role you are playing is that of protector. Or is it something even more, Linscott?”
He turned his hostile glare in Millicent’s direction. “I also assume our courtship and engagement were part of a nefarious scheme to gain entrance to my home?”
Millicent didn’t lower her gaze.
“I see,” he answered. “Exactly what reason did you have for infiltrating my home?”
When Millicent didn’t immediately answer, Barnaby answered for her. “The explosives you have hidden in the caves on Renfrew land.”
Radburn’s eyes widened. “You found the explosives?”
“Yes. Perhaps you’d like to explain what the explosives are doing in the caves, and who your intended buyer is.”
Radburn considered Barnaby’s question, apparently evaluating the wisdom of answering. Eventually, he must have realized evading the issues would get them nowhere. “The answer is that I don’t know.”
The earl took a long swallow of his brandy. “The explosives aren’t mine. I didn’t purchase them, and I haven’t arranged for their sale.”
“But you know who did,” Barnaby accused.
Radburn released a heavy sigh. “Yes, I know who did. Which is why I have men guarding the area. The sale has something to do with a man with whom my mother is involved.”
Barnaby made note that Radburn didn’t seem to know about Orsini having already purchased the contraband. That, or he was very good at playing the innocent.
“Do you believe this man is also responsible for the fire that killed our parents?” Thomas asked.
Lord Radburn glanced first at Millicent, then turned to her brother. “Yes. I think he realized your father discovered the explosives that were hidden in the caves. Your father became a liability when he threatened to go to the authorities.”
Radburn turned to face the fireplace. He braced his arms wide and gripped the edge of the mantel. “I wish your father would have come to me first. Instead, he assumed I had something to do with the explosives. By the time I realized your family was in danger, it was too late.”
“How did you happen to be at the house after the fire started?” Barnaby asked. “It was the middle of the night.”
“I like to think it was divine intervention. It was impossible for me to sleep that night. I couldn’t think of anything but the explosives and what to do about them. After hours of staring at the ceiling, I got up. I went to the attic and out onto a small balcony.” He paused, then turned to face them. “I often go there. The view is quite pleasing. I can see for miles in all directions and look out over the cliffs. It’s the perfect place to think.” He looked to where Millicent sat. “That’s when I saw the glow of fire on the horizon, at Cliffside.”
He took a deep breath and continued. “The house was nearly engulfed by the time I got there with the straggling crew of stable hands I could muster. I woke the servants and got Miss Pauline and Lord Renfrew out, but I couldn’t get to the area of the house where your parents’ sleeping quarters were located.”
He lowered his head and stared at the floor. “I’m sorry. Perhaps if I had seen the flames sooner . . .”
“The fire wasn’t your fault,” Millicent breathed.
“But you thought it was?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Is that why you accepted my courtship? Why you agreed to become my wife? Were you planning some grand humiliation or . . . worse?”
It was no time for embarrassment or excuses. Only truth was on the table tonight. And Millicent knew it.
“Yes,” Millicent answered. “I needed to discover why you murdered my family. When you called on me that first time, I thought it was because you wanted control of Cliffside.”
“Because you thought I wanted control of the caves.”
“Yes.”
“Instead,” Barnaby interrupted, “you wanted to protect her. Just as you’re hiding Lord Renfrew and Miss Pauline to protect them.”
“I wish I could claim such noble intentions, but I can’t, entirely. Since my mother involved herself with the man who is behind this treasonous act, I’ve discovered even more of what a dastardly person he truly is. The authorities from several countries are investigating him and will arrest him as soon as they have the proof they need of his illegal activities. I intend to provide them with that proof.”
“And save your mother,” Barnaby finished.
“Yes. And all of you, I hope.” Radburn said.
“I don’t understand,” Millicent said. “We’re safe. You’ve rescued Thomas and Polly. Why
would you think we’re still in danger?”
Radburn laughed, a sharp, sardonic sound in the quiet room. “Because, my dear, Roseneau is demonic in his attention to detail. When he threatens, he makes sure there is no possible avenue of escape.” He stopped and ran both hands in frustration through his hair. “Look. He needed your family dead. And when he discovered that you had survived, he planted false evidence—incriminating letters—so that if anything at all went wrong with his plan, you would take the blame for it.”
“What! Me?”
Millicent stared at him in stunned silence, as what he was saying began to slowly sink in.
“Oh dear lord. The cave is on Cliffside property. He’s making it look like it’s my operation. The bastard!”
“Yes. A bastard of the highest—or lowest—order. My mother has no idea that the man with whom she is entangled is a murderer. And a blackmailer. A man who would send an innocent woman to the gallows for what he himself has done. What son would allow his mother to become attached to someone so reprehensible, so despicable as Roseneau? What man would allow his innocent and unsuspecting neighbor to be convicted of treason?”
No one in the room moved.
Radburn gave them time to absorb all they’d heard, and then faced Barnaby. “Now, Linscott, perhaps it’s time you told me exactly who you are—or shall we say what you are—and why you are here.”
Barnaby studied the Earl of Radburn. His first instinct was to trust him, but if he was wrong, it could mean their deaths. Yet what choice did he have?
“I work for the Crown,” he began. “I was sent here by the government to stop the sale of the explosives hidden in the caves on Renfrew land.”
“Do you have a plan to accomplish that?”
“Not yet. But I will. Roseneau won’t escape this time. He’s a traitor of the worst kind.”
Radburn’s gaze locked with his, and Barnaby knew there was more coming.
“I won’t allow my mother to be destroyed along with Roseneau.”
Barnaby couldn’t make any promises as far as that was concerned. He would try, of course, but much of what happened would depend on how deeply Lady Radburn was involved in Roseneau’s scheme.
