“Not to fear, ma bella Ange, I told Anna that we would ring for her when we got up, and I also took the liberty of locking the door.” A rakish smile playing across his mouth as he wrapped his hand around the back of my neck pulling me closer. He kissed me passionately.
The sky outside had just begun to lighten, and I could hear a rooster crowing as the dawn was breaking the crest.
It felt as if we were the only two people alive, all new again every time he touched me. My skin tingled, and I felt electrified somehow, more alive in his arms, like the sensation one has when caught outside in an electrical storm. Every nerve in my body was raw as the hairs on my arms stood on end with anticipation, waiting for the next lightning strike. Jude was my electrical storm.
Snuggled safely after in Jude’s arms, I had fallen back into a peaceful slumber. Waking several hours later, I called for Anna. I bathed, then prepared with care for a leisurely day spent with Jude. We had agreed to meet in the sunroom by ten for breakfast to plan our day.
I arrived in the sunroom by five minutes past to find Jude and Honore enjoying a cup of tea while they waited for me.
“Good morning, Honore, what a pleasure to see you again. Where have you been keeping yourself as of late?” I asked pleasantly while pouring myself a cup of tea. When I turned around to join them, I could sense by the look on both of their faces that something was wrong.
“Darling, I need you to sit down.” Concern laced Jude’s words as he rose to take my arm and lead me to a chair.
“What is it?” I asked suddenly, feeling leery of the next words that would come out of his mouth.
“Honore just came from the local jail building,” Jude’s words were halted and measured.
I felt myself pale as blood rushed from my brain. I took several deep breaths to clear my head.
“Darcy Montgomery is no longer in custody,” Honore blurted out impatiently. “I tried to talk with Inspector Keats, but I had to make an appointment. I thought as long as I had to wait until eleven thirty, I might as well come and get Jude,” he finished.
My hand instinctively going to my stomach, and for a moment, I thought I would be sick. Jude’s piercing blue eyes filled with worry and concern as he tried to gauge the full impact the news was having on me.
“I’m coming with you both,” I boldly declared my tone, leaving no room for argument.
“But, Angelina, I don’t think that would be advisable,” Jude said as he looked to Honore for assistance.
“It really is a rough neighborhood, Angelina,” Honore finally said in his attempt to dissuade me.
“I have complete confidence in your ability to keep me safe.” I stood, then placed my teacup back on the cupboard. “Jude, would you be a love and fetch my shawl and parasol?” I asked sweetly, turning around to look at them both.
Jude turned to Honore. “Let’s face it, old friend, eventually women turn every man into their errand boy.” Then turning back to me, he said, “Does it matter which one I select, my love?” Jude playfully inquired, his sense of humor causing me to smile back.
“I think the white one with the lace trim, if you would be so kind. Maggie will know the one I want.” I smiled sweetly at him before turning to prepare a piece of toast with jam. I was starving but dared not stop long enough for a proper breakfast and risk Honore and Jude leaving me behind. My mind was racing as it filled with questions.
“Jude and I could handle this matter if you would prefer. That way you could finish up the preparations for the wedding,” Honore’s words struck a chord in me and not a good one.
“Tell me, Honore, do you find all women feeble, weak minded, and frail, or just me?” my words delivered as I turned on him, my humor suddenly gone. “Because I can assure you that there is nothing weak, frail, or feeble about me,” I said as I walked toward him. My tone was dead calm as I looked him in the eye even though my insides felt like they were turning over.
“I did not mean to imply that I thought you were not of sound mind, Angelina. I do offer my apology if I have insulted you.” The helpless look on Honore’s face made me feel bad for attacking him. Lately my emotions seemed to get the better of me.
“No, Honore, I am the one who should apologize to you. I don’t know what has gotten into me.”
“I just wanted to save you any further upset because of Darcy Montgomery. You don’t need to relive the whole ordeal.” The sincerity in his voice and the compassion in his eyes almost made me reconsider going with them.
“I relive the ordeal every night when I close my eyes. There is no way of undoing the harm that has already been done to me by that man. But knowing that he was behind bars where he belonged helped. Now you say he is gone and possibly out in society again.” I wrapped my arms around my middle as I involuntarily shuttered. “The mere thought of that less-than-human beast doing horrible things to another woman, or worse, what if he comes after me again?” My voice shaking as I sat down, afraid that my legs would no longer hold me upright.
“I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. You have my word on that,” Honore declared, kneeling beside me and taking my hand in his. My vacant stare came around to look at him.
“We won’t let anything happen to you,” Jude asserted.
Honore, turning loose of my hand, stood and turned to face Jude. “My apologies, dear friend, I only meant to offer assurance that nothing would happen to Lady Stewart.”
“No need to apologize, my friend,” Jude said as he walked toward us. “I have retrieved your shawl and the proper parasol.” Extending his hand to me, Jude gently pulled me to my feet and draped the shawl around my shoulders. “We should just have enough time to make our appointment.”
Jude led me out the door and into the waiting carriage as Honore followed silently behind.
Forty minutes later, we found ourselves in the handsomely designed, but small, confined office of Inspector Charles Keats. He’s the head inspector of the local magistrates and responsible for all cases that involve major crimes that take place in London.
“How may I be of assistance to you today?” the inspector said, leaning back in his chair, looking across his well-worn desk at us. “I understand that you had some questions about a case I have been working on.” Attempting to appear calm and patient with us, but the deep furrow in his brows gave his true demeanor away.
“First of all, allow me to introduce myself in case you have forgotten that we have all met before. I am Jude Deveraux. I believe you know my parents.” Then Jude gestured toward Honore with his hand. “Honore Lacroix.”
“Yes yes, lovely people, your parents,” he said, stepping around the desk to shake Jude’s hand then Honore’s. “We met at their dinner party,” Inspector Keats continued, his tone changing as realization dawned in his eyes. “And how could I forget the lovely Lady Stewart.”
The inspector took hold of my hand with both of his. “How have you been, my dear, since your horrific ordeal? You truly are very brave.” Inspector Keats’s eyes expressed real compassion.
“I am afraid that I have been having a rough go of it, sir,” I said, looking directly into his eyes made ancient by all that he had seen over the years.
“I am terribly sorry to hear that.” Inspector Keats let go of my hand. He walked over to retrieve a chair and pull it closer to me. “What can I do to ease your burden, Lady Stewart?”
“You could start by telling me if it is true that Darcy Montgomery is no longer in custody.” My words were direct and to the point.
“It is true that we are having difficulty locating him at the moment, but I am fairly confident that he will be located.” He never blinked or skipped a beat as if it had all been rehearsed.
“And how is that answer supposed to help me sleep at night, Inspector Keats?” I asked blandly.
“Well, I suppose it doesn’t, but it is the only answer I have for you at the moment.”
“But how can that be? I delivered the murderer to you myself.” Honore’s voice jumped, bet
raying his disbelief.
“One moment, please,” the inspector said as he stood up and walked to the door calling to his secretary. “Williams, locate Collins for me. Tell him I need him in my office, now, if you don’t mind!” Then shutting the door, he walked around his desk and sat back down. “It will just be a few minutes.”
We all sat quietly for a few minutes before the inspector’s door opened and in walked Eli Collins, the Inspector General of Scotland Yard. We had all been dinner companions at Jude’s parents’ gathering.
“How nice it is to see you again. I only wish it were under more favorable circumstances,” Eli said as he handed Inspector Keats a file, then took the chair next to me. “I was distressed to hear that you had been caught up in the whole matter with Montgomery.”
“Thank you, Inspector Collins, but I am more concerned about where Montgomery is right now and how he managed to escape the confines of his jail cell?” I said pointedly.
“We are still investigating the circumstances of his disappearance,” Collins replied.
“I hear a lot of answers that don’t really satisfy the questions.” Jude stepped in.
“There are things that we cannot talk about because the investigation is ongoing,” Keats interjected.
“Again, you didn’t really answer the question. We came down here to get answers, and we are not leaving until we are satisfied that everything is being done to capture this monster and keep my bride-to-be safe.” Jude’s frustration began to show as he stood abruptly and began to pace.
“And I, for one, am not satisfied,” Honore added.
“It is important that you remain calm, Lord Deveraux,” Collins said.
“Calm? Calm? You want me to stay calm? I want answers, and by all that is holy in the heavens above, I will get them, is that clear, Inspector Collins?” Jude finished, his tirade rather loudly, then looked each man in the eye. “Now start talking, gentlemen, and give it to us without your double speak and pat answers that have been rehearsed a thousand times before.”
A silent message passed between the two inspectors as if they thought with one mind, then Inspector Keats stood up and came around his desk.
“You want it straight, Lord Deveraux? I will give you what I can without jeopardizing the case. Darcy Montgomery was a member of a secret society called the Hell Fire Club. We haven’t determined how they communicated those locations as of yet, but we know they identified one another by a small tattooed symbol on the inside of their left wrist.” Holding up his wrist, he indicated the spot by drawing a circle with his right index finger.”
“Yes, I know the symbol you speak of. I’ve seen it several times now,” I interrupted. “Please go on.”
Collins took over where Keats left off. “They move around to different location to prevent being too predictable. We still don’t know how high up in the social circle this organization goes, but we suspect it is high. We also don’t know who their appointed leader is. For a while we thought it might be Darcy, but we are beginning to have our doubts. We also know that Darcy’s disappearance from jail was an inside job, we just don’t know who broke him out yet. We have a short list of suspects and will be wrapping that up within the next few days,” Collins finished.
“We also don’t know why he was let out of jail. Was it because he knows too much and someone was afraid he would talk? Or is Montgomery somehow important to the organization? And if so, how will they deal with the present situation now that Darcy’s particular proclivities have been discovered?” Keats concluded.
“I also have a few questions that need to be answered,” I said, interrupting the men who seemed to have forgotten that I was even in the room. “If Darcy is out there somewhere, who is hiding him? He can’t for obvious reasons return home. So where is he and what are you doing to track him down?” My questions seemed to momentarily catch the two inspectors off guard.
“We do have informants that are looking for him, and we also have people who have infiltrated the organization, but they are too low-down on the food chain to have any real relevant information to this case. But I want to assure you that we have made progress.” Inspector Keats’s words were carefully crafted to bring comfort to me, but somehow, they didn’t.
“The nightmares that I have been forced to live with every time I close my eyes since my unfortunate kidnapping and subsequent imprisonment by that monster will not be alleviated by assurances and empty promises, Inspector.” My voice began to shake. “I genuinely fear for my life. We went out to eat the other day, and the man serving us had the marking on his wrist. I wouldn’t let anyone drink the tea or eat the sandwiches. I am becoming paranoid and constantly looking over my shoulder. I can’t go on living like this,” my voice escalating the longer my rant progressed. “And know I fear I won’t sleep because Darcy Montgomery is on the loose, and the only way I heard about it was through Honore who decided to check in on your progress. Tell me, dear inspectors, when were you going to get around to informing me that Montgomery was no longer in your custody?” My somewhat calm bravado did not give away the real hysteria I was feeling inside as I looked at each of them dispassionately.
“We will post officers outside of your home to guard the perimeter,” Collins jumped in.
“Isn’t that like asking the fox to watch the henhouse, Inspector Collins?” I said dryly. Standing, I waited a moment to be sure that my legs wouldn’t betray me by giving out. “I believe that we can provide our own security detail.”
“I will expect frequent updates regarding this matter, gentlemen, and I want to know the second that Darcy Montgomery shows up.” Jude’s tone strongly suggesting that there’d be no arguments.
“We will keep you informed, Lord Deveraux. And again, may we express our most sincere apologies, Lady Stewart, for not informing you immediately when Darcy Montgomery turned up missing. In no way did we intend to cause you distress over the matter,” Inspector Keats said, coming toward me to extend a hand to me.
“You can make it right with me, gentlemen, by catching the madman and putting him someplace from which he will never escape from. But mostly, I want him to pay for the wrongs he has done,” I said, taking the arm Jude offered to me for support.
“That is our hope as well, Lady Stewart,” Inspector Keats said as he stood with his hand on the doorknob. He shut the door behind us when we left.
Nobody spoke until we were outside on the street. Standing in front of the waiting carriage, Jude opened the door and helped me inside, then he turned to Honore.
“Honore, gather our men and get the ship ready to depart. Then stop by and inform General Moore that we will need a detail of at least eight to ten men for a few days if he can spare them. We will meet back at the house.” Jude’s words were spoken direct and concise as if he had this contingency plan all along.
“Of course, and I will order supplies for the ship while I am there. I will see you in a few hours.” Honore tipped his hat to me as he turned to do Jude’s bidding.
“What was that all about?” I questioned as soon as Jude closed the carriage door behind him.
“I am just trying to be prepared for anything,” Jude said nonchalantly, as if this situation were an everyday occurrence.
“Well?” I asked, leaving the question open-ended.
“Well what, ma Ange?” Jude answered purposely, being evasive.
“Are you going to tell me the plan, or am I to be pleasantly surprised when the time comes?” I said dryly.
“I am still working out the details, but I will tell you when I have everything figured out.” Taking my hand in his, he lifted my chin up with his free hand. “My only concern at this moment is your safety.” Then Jude leaned down and gently kissed my lips.
Satisfied with his answer, I snuggled into the safety and comfort of his arms for the ride home, happy not to be forced to make any decisions for the moment.
Upon entering the house, Jude immediately sought out Anna who had been in the kitchen sipping some tea.
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“Anna, your mistress is in need of food and rest. Could you assist her up the stairs and see that everything is taken care of?” Jude’s solicitous request was quickly obeyed as he handed me off to her like a needy child. Not that I minded at the moment because I felt like a needy child.
“Come along, Lady Stewart. Mary, would you be a dear and fix a tray for Lady Stewart? Have Maggie bring it up when it’s ready,” Anna called over her shoulder as she took my arm and led me to the backstairs.
“Where are you going?” I asked Jude as he turned to leave, halting Anna’s progress up the stairs.
“I have to find your father. I have a matter to discuss with him. I promise I will be back to fill you in on everything.” And off he went before I could question him further.
I turned to Anna with a gracious smile on my face. “Well, I guess that answers that. Shall we proceed?” I said to Anna as we started up the stairs. “I am really hungry and tired and I can’t for the life of me tell you which is more pressing at the moment.”
“Then come along, my darling, and old Anna here will get you fixed up right as rain in no time.” Anna’s pleasant disposition and positive outlook on life was like a soothing balm to me.
“I think I am feeling better already, sweet Anna.” I patted Anna’s arm. “Now that I am in your capable hands do with me what you will.”
“Then I think we will put your feet up, get you something in your stomach and see how you feel after that,” Anna said as we walked down the hall together arm in arm.
“Have I told you today how much I love you?” I asked with the utmost sincerity.
“No, but I bet you are going to tell me,” Anna laughed.
Due to the diligent and efficient care of Anna, I managed to relax enough after eating that I drifted off to sleep. I don’t know how long I had slept as I drifted deeper and deeper into a peaceful unconscious slumber. Suddenly the calm quiet serenity of my dreams was invaded by cloudy skies over head.
But this was not a dream like the ones I experienced with Darcy Montgomery. No, the feeling was more insidious. Like a poisonous snake on a beautiful sunny day invading your garden, only to bite you on the ankle.
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