by Jen Turano
Apparently, Eliza did not appreciate his tone of voice. She tilted her chin. “You’ll get arrested if you go back, and I thought I gave you permission to address me as Eliza.”
Hamilton swallowed a snort.
Women were strange creatures. One minute they were scowling at a man and tilting their adorable noses into the air, and the next, they were giving him permission to address them informally.
He shifted his gaze to Theodore and found the man had apparently rediscovered his charm, as could be seen by the twinkle in his one good eye.
“Thank you, Eliza. I wasn’t certain if that request was still valid after our last, somewhat tumultuous, discussion. May I say you and Miss Watson are looking quite delicious this evening? I beg your pardon for not mentioning that sooner.”
“This is hardly the time for excessive compliments,” Zayne said, sparing Hamilton the necessity of setting Theodore straight.
“There was nothing ‘excessive’ about my compliment,” Theodore returned with a lopsided smile that made him grimace.
Hamilton reminded himself it was not acceptable to enjoy another’s physical discomfort. He cleared his throat. “Are you certain it’s wise to return?”
“I won’t be alone,” Theodore said. “I sent out word to a few of my contacts, and they’re in the carriage right behind us. They are men who are perfectly willing and able to defend me if Eugene is still on the premises.”
“You do realize Bartholomew and Sally are most likely there also, don’t you?” Eliza asked.
Theodore shrugged. “I’m one of the leading private investigators in New York, and I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. I’ll be able to get past them without them even knowing I’m in their house.”
“Like you did a few hours ago?” Zayne asked.
“I’ll have a better grasp of the full situation this time,” Theodore said. “No one will be able to take me by surprise.”
Zayne frowned. “But why did you send word for us to bail you out of jail? You were able to summon your associates; surely one of them would have been more than up for the task?”
“He needed me,” Eliza said, drawing Hamilton’s attention and causing him to swallow a grunt. He’d forgotten all about the reason Eliza and Agatha were in the carriage with them.
“You’re right, Eliza,” Theodore said. “I have yet to actually see Bartholomew Hayes, and I need you to positively identify him for me. That way I can have the man carted off to jail, if, in fact, I can get my hands on that ledger again, and hopefully, I’ll be able to get you the results you want by learning where the man has stashed your fortune.”
“What did you see in this ledger?” Eliza asked as her tone turned breathless.
“I can’t say just yet,” Theodore said, “because I was only able to take a quick look when I ransacked Mr. Hayes’s desk. Luckily, I dropped the hidden desktop back into place before I was knocked out, so Mr. Hayes shouldn’t be aware that I know his hiding place.”
“What information did your ‘quick look’ give you?” Eliza pressed.
Theodore blew out a breath. “Again, I really can’t say. I don’t want to get your hopes up, but we should find answers soon, and look . . . we’re almost there.”
Hamilton drew in a sharp breath. “We’re almost where?”
“I took the liberty of giving the directions to Mr. Hayes’s residence to your driver,” Theodore said.
Hamilton narrowed his eyes. “It’s too risky. I won’t allow it.”
“My men will watch Eliza every second, and there’s no need for her to even get out of the carriage. If I find a man I believe is Bartholomew, I’ll bring him to Eliza.”
“I thought you said you would be able to slip past him without his even being aware of your presence,” Hamilton said.
Was it his imagination or was Theodore looking a bit wary?
“I really don’t plan on not having a confrontation with the man,” Theodore finally admitted.
“We need to turn the carriage around,” Hamilton snapped, reaching up to rap on the ceiling, but stilling when Eliza shook her head.
“I do believe time is of the essence here, and if we do not get to Bartholomew’s house soon, he’s more than likely to flee into the night, never to be seen again,” Eliza said. “This is why I came to New York. We have to see the night through to completion.”
Hamilton looked away from her and settled his sights on Theodore, angrier with the man than he’d been with anyone in a very long time. “I won’t have her in danger.”
“You have my word,” Theodore said as the carriage rolled to a stop and he looked out the window. “I’ll be back.”
“I’m not sitting here while you risk your life,” Zayne said. “You can use all the help you can get.” He turned to Hamilton. “You should stay with the ladies.”
“Hamilton can go with the three of you,” Agatha said. “I have my trusty pistol, and I’m more than capable of defending Eliza and myself if the situation warrants it. We’ll be fine.”
“I want to go with them,” Eliza said, a determined expression on her face. “This man ruined my life, and I deserve to be there when he’s taken down.”
“Out of the question,” Theodore snapped. “This is gentlemen’s business, and I will not waste a minute of my time arguing the matter with you. Stay here.” He sent Eliza a glare and then jumped out of the carriage.
“I swear he just sounded as if he were talking to his dog,” Eliza grouched, but to Hamilton’s relief, she made no move to exit the carriage.
“Are you going to stay with the . . . ?” Zayne’s voice trailed off when Theodore suddenly reappeared, his body blocking the door.
“Get them out of here,” he ordered before pulling out a pistol and slamming the door shut.
“What happened?” Hamilton demanded through the window.
“There’s a body on the sidewalk,” Theodore said.
“Let’s go,” Hamilton barked when Theodore stepped away and patted the side of the carriage. The sound of the driver flicking the reins came to him, and he breathed a small breath of relief when the carriage rocked into motion.
“There was a body?” Eliza whispered.
He couldn’t help himself from reaching over and pulling her to his side of the carriage, gesturing for Zayne to move out of the way as he settled Eliza by his side and hugged her to him. He glanced at his brother and noticed Zayne doing the exact same thing with Agatha.
“Maybe it wasn’t really a body,” Agatha said. “Maybe it was a delivery package.”
“You and I both know it wasn’t a delivery package, and I swear, if Theodore makes it out of this one, I’m going to wring his handsome neck,” Hamilton said as fear mixed with anger swept over him. “What could he have been thinking?”
“He was simply trying to do what you hired him to do,” Eliza said softly.
Hamilton felt Eliza snuggle closer to him and was amazed when some of his anger simply disappeared. When she placed her hand on his knee and patted it in a soothing manner, he found he had the strangest urge to propose to her again, even though the rational part of his brain told him this was hardly the proper moment. Before he could contemplate the thought further, Eliza began to speak.
“You really shouldn’t be upset with Theodore, Hamilton. It’s true he lacked a bit of judgment tonight, but I’m certain he’s angry enough at himself for making such a mistake. I think our time would be better spent saying a prayer for his safe return. And perhaps all of us should say a prayer for the unfortunate soul who lost his or her life tonight.”
Hamilton placed his finger under her chin and tilted it up so he could meet her gaze. “I thought you’d shut the door on God.”
“Maybe it’s time I reopened it.”
Hamilton considered her for a moment and then bowed his head, thinking that Eliza was not the only one ready to reopen the door. He closed his eyes and began to pray.
18
Eliza didn’t have the strength to tug her
hand out of Hamilton’s grasp. There was something decidedly comforting about having his warmth seep through her skin, and even though she was still incredibly put out with the gentleman, she wasn’t prepared to abandon his comfort just yet.
She shifted her gaze out the window, but instead of seeing the rapidly passing scenery, images of the night flashed before her eyes. It had been such a trying evening. First, she’d dealt with New York society and Hamilton’s insulting offer of marriage, followed by the whole Sally fiasco, and to top matters off nicely, there was now a dead body to consider.
She wanted nothing more than to seek out the comfort of her bed and make it all disappear, but unfortunately, she knew that wasn’t going to be feasible anytime in the near future.
The carriage began to slow, and Eliza saw the Beckett house appear out of the darkness. She pressed her face to the cool glass of the carriage and spotted Gloria scurrying down the walk.
Before anyone could move, Gloria pulled the door open and poked her head in. “You’ve given us quite a fright,” Gloria proclaimed. “Mr. Watson was just about to head off to jail.”
Eliza felt Hamilton release her hand, and she tried to appear nonchalant when Gloria’s sharp eyes landed on her. She sent the woman a small smile and struggled from her seat, waiting until Gloria took a step backward before she allowed Hamilton to help her down. She moved to Gloria’s side, took her by the arm, and began walking toward the house.
“Mr. Watson would have been upset if he’d gone to the jail,” Eliza said, “seeing as how we weren’t there in the end.”
Gloria stopped so abruptly that Eliza lost her footing and had to clutch onto Gloria’s arm to avoid a nasty spill.
“Don’t tell me you decided to pay a call on Lord Southmoor,” Gloria snapped.
“I didn’t decide to do anything of the sort,” Eliza said. “It was entirely Theodore’s idea.” She tried to prod Gloria forward only to discover the woman was digging in her heels.
“Where is Mr. Wilder?” Gloria asked, craning her neck as she peered behind her.
“He’s not with us,” Hamilton said, stepping up to join them, Zayne and Agatha in his wake.
“You couldn’t get him released from jail?” Gloria asked.
“Oh, we got him out of jail all right, but then . . .” Hamilton paused. “Let’s go inside so we only have to tell the tale once. I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Watson will wish to be included.”
Gloria looked as if she wanted to argue, but finally released a dramatic sigh, shrugged out of Eliza’s hold, and stomped her way up the walk and into the house, her voice carrying back to them on the breeze.
“I think I hear my father yelling,” Agatha muttered.
“We should let Hamilton and Zayne go first,” Eliza suggested when she looked up and discovered Mr. Watson standing in the doorway, his frame illuminated by the soft gas light hanging over the door.
“I say, Mr. Beckett,” Mr. Watson railed. “I thought you could be counted on to keep my daughter and Lady Eliza out of trouble. What’s this I hear about you going somewhere else after you departed from the jail?”
“Mr. Wilder felt it was imperative we travel immediately to Bartholomew Hayes’s house,” Hamilton said, “but you’re absolutely right, Mr. Watson. It was inexcusable for me to allow the ladies to travel there with us. I can only extend to you my most abject apologies.”
“It’s not as if you had any choice in the matter,” Eliza said, sweeping past everyone to make her way down the hallway and into a cheery parlor. For a moment, the warmth in the room from the blazing fire in the fireplace and the elegance of the delicate furnishings artfully spread around the space struck her as odd. It was so completely different than the cold of the night and the taste of death in the air only a short time before.
She shook herself out of her thoughts and joined Mrs. Watson on the settee, turning to watch as Hamilton, Mr. Watson, Zayne, and Agatha entered the room. Hamilton set his sights on her and strode across the floor, plopping down beside her and blatantly ignoring her hiss of protest at the fact that she had to practically sit on Mrs. Watson’s lap to allow him enough room on the small settee. “There are other chairs to be had,” she muttered under her breath.
Hamilton quirked a brow, and then had the nerve to smile at her. “I prefer the comfort of sitting next to you.”
Eliza chanced a glance to Mrs. Watson, who appeared to be trying her best not to grin. Eliza was about to get up when Mrs. Watson rose from the settee and resettled herself in a chair right beside Gloria. “There, problem managed,” Mrs. Watson said before she exchanged a smug smile with Gloria. Eliza rolled her eyes and began to scoot away from Hamilton, her progress coming to an abrupt halt when Agatha dropped down on the settee, taking her mother’s place.
“Is there something wrong with all the other chairs in this room?” Eliza said.
“I thought we could lend each other support,” Agatha said. “My father is bound to become distressed when he learns all the pesky particulars of the evening.”
“Which particulars?” Mr. Watson asked as he settled himself into a chair beside the fire, Zayne taking the chair right next to it.
“Again, Mr. Watson, I must apologize for not demanding that Theodore turn the carriage around,” Hamilton said.
“Honestly, Hamilton,” Eliza said, “you’re taking entirely too much responsibility for what transpired. There was no possible way you could have realized there was a body waiting for us.”
It took a full thirty minutes to calm Mr. Watson down after that telling remark. Tea was summoned and then consumed as Eliza listened with only half an ear as Hamilton and Zayne tried their best to explain what had happened. She couldn’t seem to concentrate on the matter at hand. Her thoughts were spinning every which way, and all she really longed for at the moment was a quiet place to sort everything through to satisfaction.
For some reason, she had the strangest feeling her fate would be decided as soon as Theodore returned. She blinked out of her troubling thoughts when Mr. Watson rose from his seat.
“This certainly has been one of the most interesting evenings I’ve ever had, but I do believe it’s time we took our leave,” Mr. Watson said.
“We can’t leave now,” Agatha retorted. “We need to wait for Theodore.”
“It might take Mr. Wilder hours before he has an opportunity to leave the scene of the crime,” Mr. Watson argued.
“Roger,” Mrs. Watson interjected. “Honestly, dear, you’re being unreasonable. I wouldn’t be able to get one wink of sleep with matters so unsettled. Besides, neither of us could take to our beds with Agatha so determined. You know it would only be a matter of time until she figured out a way to get back here on her own.”
Mr. Watson sent one loud huff in Agatha’s direction, but then returned to his seat as conversation resumed.
The sun was beginning to peek through the curtains when the sound of approaching footsteps caused Eliza to swing her attention to the door.
Theodore strode into the room, more disheveled than ever, heavy lines of fatigue apparent around his one good eye. The other eye was now completely shut with an unusual shade of blue and green ringing it.
“The door was unlocked,” he growled, sending Hamilton what Eliza could only assume was a glare.
“We were expecting you, and I sent the butler to bed hours ago,” Hamilton returned.
“Anyone could have breezed in here and you would have been easy pickings,” Theodore said as he stalked over to the tea tray, poured himself a cup, sunk into the only available chair, and took a large gulp. “Bartholomew’s dead; someone shot him.”
Although Eliza had been determined to seek justice against the man, she’d never wanted him dead. She cleared her throat and felt tears sting her eyes. “What of Sally?”
“Gone . . . and there was no sign of Eugene,” Theodore said.
“But . . . why would someone shoot Bartholomew?” Eliza asked.
“As to that, I believe a few of the discover
ies I made tonight will help explain,” Theodore said, setting down his empty cup before he struggled out of the chair and made his way back to the door. He called out to someone, and a rather disreputable-looking gentleman entered the room and deposited an armful of books on the table. The man gave a short bow and left the room. Theodore moved to the table and picked up one of the books, turning to Eliza and sending her a lopsided smile. “I found more than one of Bartholomew’s account ledgers.”
She’d been right; her fate was to be decided this evening.
“And?” she pressed.
“We now have everything we need to access Bartholomew’s accounts,” Theodore said, “and there’s more.” He gestured to two more disreputable-looking gentlemen who were struggling to carry a ratty old chest into the room. With a resounding thud, they dropped it by Theodore’s side and made a hasty retreat.
“Is that what I think it is?” Eliza asked slowly.
“It is, and I must admit, modesty notwithstanding, it was quite a stellar feat for me to be able to sneak it away after the authorities arrived. I certainly didn’t want it to be taken as evidence.”
“It seems a little small,” Eliza said slowly.
Theodore nodded. “That’s only half your money, but don’t despair just yet. We’ll return to that subject in a minute.” He fumbled in his pocket and withdrew a folded piece of paper. “I found this on Bartholomew’s body. It’s addressed to you.”
Eliza took the paper and unfolded it. She drew in a deep breath and began to read it out loud:
Dear Lady Eliza,
I do not have much time, but I just discovered that you are in New York and took that as a sign to settle matters between us. There are no words to express my deep remorse for what I’ve done to you and your family. I have no excuse except to state I’m a weak man, and I’ve allowed others to influence my decisions.
By the time you receive this, I will be long gone, but I’ve left my account ledgers for you in a false bottom in my desk. These ledgers will give you the information you need to restore the majority of your funds back to you. I say majority because I’m not strong enough to leave you everything.
