Seduced By A Devil

by Vella, Wendy

  “She is, and what of it?” the duchess questioned, not looking quite so calm now. “Speak, man!”

  “Perhaps if you stop bellowing, he will have a chance to do just that,” Gabe said.

  The duchess harrumphed but closed her mouth.

  “We are unsure, but there is a possibility that Miss Brown is in danger, Mr. Sinclair. I am about to search for her. Will you tell me what it is you need to discuss with her?”

  “It is possible she could be in danger due to what I have learned,” Warwick Sinclair began. “She came to me for help, you see.”

  She should have come to me.

  “Miss Brown found some letters in her father’s Bible that said she was not his child.”

  “Oh, Dimity,” the duchess whispered.

  Gabe remembered the look on her face when she’d read that paper the night he’d found her. She’d been shocked.

  “She had the note from her aunt to her father, and a locket, which her father had said belonged to her mother,” Warwick Sinclair continued. “I had my sister draw the locket in detail, I then visited the two jewelry designers I knew in London. One said he was sure he’d seen the design before but would need to investigate further.”

  He’d seen the locket. The intricate detail and numerals. Gabe’s thoughts went back to when, and his body tightened at the memory of Dimity naked in his arms. She would be there again soon. And this time he would not let her go.

  “Are any of you familiar with the story of the Saint-Bonnard family?”

  The Deville brothers shook their heads, but the duchess nodded.

  “I spent time in France with my husband,” she said. “It was five years after the revolution. I remember the name. Several of the children had gone missing, and the parents were murdered.”

  Warwick nodded. “There were four Saint-Bonnard children. It is said that their estate was stormed during the revolution and the parents gave the children to the servants to hide until the danger had passed. The eldest daughter died, two brothers survived, and the youngest girl, who was just a babe at the time, was never found.”

  Gabe was suddenly tense.

  “An uncle raised the brothers, and the family have never stopped looking for the girl. They have offered a reward for many years, and some have come forward, but none were her.”

  “But surely if she was a babe there would be no way to recognize her?” Nathan asked, shooting Gabe a look.

  “Each of the Saint-Bonnard children was given a locket on their birth. It had the Saint-Bonnard crest on the front and a heart with a number on the back depending on your place in the family.”

  “Surely not?” Gabe whispered.

  “The locket that Miss Brown wears has that crest, and the numeral four in a heart. I was contacted by Jacques, one of the jewelers I approached. It was he who told me this,” Warwick finished solemnly.

  “Can it be?” the duchess whispered, looking pale. “Can Dimity be the lost Saint-Bonnard child? Comte Saint-Bonnard’s sister?”

  “I asked Jacques if he had met the family, and he said no. But his friend has, and they have Miss Brown’s coloring. But he said something else.”

  “What?” Gabe rasped.

  “Apparently the youngest has an unusual birth mark on her that only the family are aware of. No one knows where or in what form. And this is why they believe they will be able to identify her.”

  An image of Dimity’s thigh slipped into Gabe’s head. The perfect dots that formed a circle. He’d traced them that day he’d made love to her. Could it be true?

  “And you believe that Dimity could be this missing child?” Michael spoke, as Gabe could not.

  “I do.”

  “And now she is in Diard’s hands, and we have no idea what that means. Has he recognized her or the locket? Is he involved with Ombrage, who is likely Allard, or unaware of his nature or intentions?” Michael asked.

  Warwick Sinclair’s shoulders jerked back at the name. Gabe shot him a look, but his face showed nothing.

  “There are not many who live in France who do not know about the Saint-Bonnard family and reward, from what I understand. I asked the French members of my family about it, and they knew,” Warwick added.

  “But what proof does he have?” Zach said.

  “The locket,” Gabe rasped. “He has to have seen it, and if, as you say, she looks like the others, he’s decided he will use her to get the reward.”

  “If he is not in collusion with your nemesis,” Nathan added.

  “We must get her back,” the duchess said. Her voice had lost its strength, and she looked old suddenly.

  “We will, and Walter is coming with us, as he can track Dimity,” Gabe said.

  “The painting,” Michael said. “Where is the painting, Duchess?”

  “Hung in the main dining room. Why?”

  “Chibbers, show us the way,” Gabe said, realizing that his brother could be onto something. If Ombrage was involved with Diard and wanted to lure him somewhere, he may have left a clue.

  “I am coming!” the Duchess demanded.

  They hurried to where it hung.

  “Ladder, Chibbers!” Gabe barked.

  One was procured, and soon Gabe was climbing it.

  “It’s a good likeness,” he heard Zach say.

  Lifting the frame slightly from the wall, he searched the back. There, on the side, was a piece of paper sticking out. He pulled it out and climbed down.

  “What does it say?” the duchess demanded.

  “As I have yet to open it, I can’t tell you,” he snapped back.

  “Well, hurry up!”

  Unfolding the paper, he read the words silently.

  “Diard is involved, and I know where she is,” he said. “Let’s go.”

  “What does it say?” the duchess demanded.

  “It merely states the location he has taken her to and the amount of money he wants for her return,” Gabe tucked the note into his pocket.

  “I will return with her.” He bowed to the duchess, then headed out of the house.

  He shook Warwick Sinclair’s hand on the doorstep of the Duchess of Yardly’s house. “My thanks to you for your assistance to Miss Brown.”

  “If you need further assistance, Lord Raine, please do not hesitate to contact my family,” the young man bowed before walking away.

  “I think Geraint should recruit the Sinclair and Raven families,” Nathan said as they mounted their horses.”

  Gabe grunted his agreement before saying, “and now we find the woman I love.”

  “The daughter of Comte Saint-Bonnard,” Nathan added. Walter barked.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Dimity woke feeling nauseous. Her last memory was of traveling in Mr. Diard’s coach. He’d pointed at something out the window, and then a hand had placed something over her nose. She’d fought, of course, but she’d also inhaled deeply and then her head had swum and that was that.

  Looking around, she noted she was in a room. Small, she realized as her eyes searched the space. There were flowered curtains, and a matching canopy on the bed she lay on. Her hands were bound, as were her ankles. Thankfully nothing was tied around her mouth.

  That snake Diard. She’d make him pay. As if her thoughts had alerted him, the door opened and in he walked.

  “Ah, you are awake, Miss Brown. I hope your head does not pain you too much.”

  She sat upright slowly. Swallowed back nausea and was soon resting her back on the headboard. Dimity let her eyes settle on him.

  He still wore the red jacket she’d thought so nice when he’d sat beside her in the carriage.

  The duchess had told her she was driving out with Mr. Diard and brooked no refusal. Dimity had gone simply because the duchess was right. He would make her a good husband and living in France would ensure she never saw the man she loved ever again. Her words had merely confirmed what she’d known. There could never be anything between her and the Earl of Raine.

  “Why have you done
this?”

  “All will be revealed in good time.”

  His smile didn’t hold its usual charm.

  “I will make you pay,” she hissed. “I’d advise you to kill me, sir, for I shall do so to you if you do not!”

  Perhaps not the right choice of words, but Dimity always went on the attack when she was vulnerable. Her vehemence startled him. His feet halted just inside the door, and the smile on his lips fell away. Realizing that of course her threats were empty, as she was tied up, he moved to stand beside the bed.

  “Why have you done this?” Dimity snarled at him. She would show him no fear. “If you think to violate me, I will make you pay.”

  She saw in his eyes he was not prepared for her fight. He’d thought she’d be cowed by the bonds at her hands and feet. She cowered before no man.

  “Lovely though you are, I would never do that.”

  “Then why have you done this?”

  “I know you have a mark on your thigh, Miss Brown, and this was the last piece of evidence we needed.”

  “You touched me?”

  “We needed that confirmation.” His smile was strained.

  “We?”

  His eyes shot to the door. “I meant I.”

  She lunged at him, making it to a standing position and grabbing his lapel. He yelped, which gave her little comfort, as in seconds she was flat on her face. She rolled onto her back.

  “I’ll tell you why I have spent time making you trust me, Miss Brown!” He glared down at her. “I know your family… your real family, and they are going to pay me a great deal of money for your return. Plus, your earl will die to save you, and that will make him happy!”

  “What are you talking about? Who are my family? What does the Earl of Raine have to do with this?”

  “I have said enough. Only know that your life is worth little to him, so it would be in your best interests to behave, and then perhaps you may live.”

  Dimity rolled several times until she reached him and sank her teeth into his leg. He shrieked and kicked her.

  “Bitch!” He dragged her to her feet and pushed her onto the bed. His hand dug inside her bodice, and she felt a small sting as he took her locket with a sharp tug.

  “This and that mark on your thigh will see that I have enough money for the rest of my life!” He spat the words. “And your precious earl will die, Miss Brown, and you will be forced to watch, I will ensure it now!”

  “Leave him alone!”

  He slammed the door behind him.

  He knows my family. Is Gabriel’s life really in danger?

  She lay there thinking about that for a while and could find no reason why Diard intended to harm him. Clearly there was someone else involved and Dimity did not have all the facts. She needed to do that, and fast. His boot had connected with her jaw, making it throb. But the pain was a reminder for her to stay strong.

  “I’m not lying about here for however long it takes you to get what you want,” she whispered. If Gabriel was in danger, then it was up to her to warn him.

  She reached down, attempting to undo the bonds at her ankles, but they were too tight. Patience was not a strong suit of Dimity’s, so she crawled to the only other piece of furniture, a chair beside a window, and looked below. There were only trees as far as she could see. Even if she could get the window open and her hands and feet free, she’d likely break her neck if she jumped.

  There had to be a way to get out of here. The rattle of the door handle had her tensing; she was ready to attack Mr. Diard with whatever means she had at her disposal.

  “I am not Diard, Miss Brown, so be warned if you bite me, I shall hurt you.”

  “Mr. Allard!” Dimity wasn’t sure why she was shocked; he was after all Diard’s assistant. But the man had seemed so shy, almost withdrawn while at the duchess’s house.

  He lowered the tray to his feet where he stood inside the door.

  “As you managed to crawl to the window, you can do so to get your food. Whores do not mind being on their knees.”

  Dimity could do nothing to stop the gasp.

  “I see I have shocked you, Miss Brown. But what you need to understand is I am aware of everything you have done with Lord Raine.”

  “I-I don’t understand.” Dimity felt cold all of sudden.

  “I expect not. After all, you never really saw me, did you. But as you were nice to me, when others ignored me, I will not kill you if you do as I say.”

  His voice was different. Stronger.

  “Diard—”

  “Is a fool, and merely does as I tell him to.”

  “What do you want with me?”

  “Your use is twofold, Miss Brown. You are to lure the earl to your side. Like any man wanting to be the hero for the woman he loves, he will come.”

  “Then whatever plan you are hatching will fall down,” Dimity said. “He does not love me.”

  “I have observed Lord Raine for a long time, Miss Brown. He tried to kill me, you see, and nearly succeeded, so it was important I understood the man I am to return the favor to. I, however, will not fail.”

  “No!”

  His smile was sinister.

  “Yes. And he does love you. It is quite clear for anyone to see. But that love will come to nothing, as very soon he will be dead.”

  Dimity bit back the sob. “I will not let you kill him, and neither will his brothers.”

  He made a tsking sound. “Miss Brown, I am a ruthless mercenary who is paid by powerful men to destroy your king. I have killed many and will do so again. One week from today, your country will be plunged into uncertainty and despair, so you will not be alone in your grief. Killing the earl is a personal vendetta of mine, not something I am being paid for.”

  “You will not kill him!”

  “All will not be lost, as you will have your new family to care for you.”

  “Who?” The word was hoarse, desperate.

  “Time will reveal all, Miss Brown. But placing you back into the bosom of your family will bring me a great deal of money. Now, I suggest you eat your meal and rest. Your love will find my clue, and I estimate he will be here in the early hours of the morning.”

  Dimity said nothing as he left, locking the door behind him.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Dimity was in the hands of a man who was a cold-blooded murderer. Gabe was ice-cold at the prospect. Now he’d admitted his love for her, he felt different. Exposed in some way. His need to see her, hold her, was fierce. She would stay safe until he got to her; he would allow no other option to enter his head.

  “I cannot believe she is the Comte Saint-Bonnard’s sister,” Zach said. “She is your equal now, brother.”

  “She was always my equal; I was just too foolish to see it. None of that matters now,” Gabe said. “I just want her back.”

  “We will see she is returned to you safe,” Nathan said.

  “Ombrage will not make it easy,” Zach said.

  “I will get her back,” Gabe said. “No matter what it takes.”

  “Aye,” his brothers agreed. “Now read what the letter really said.”

  Gabe had no need to pull it from his jacket; he had memorized the words.

  “‘Come alone to Broad Clunsden if you want Miss Brown back, or should I say Charlotte Elise Saint-Bonnard.’ It is signed Ombrage.”

  “Short and succinct,” Nathan growled. “You are not going alone.”

  “I will take no risks with her.”

  “And we will take no risks with you or her,” Michael added. “Besides, if you’d wanted to go alone, you wouldn’t have told us your location.”

  His brother had a good point. He was not thinking straight.

  “We will ride there now,” Gabe said, pulling his watch from his pocket. “The journey will take several hours. Then you will stay hidden, and I will meet Ombrage.”

  “He will not have left a trail, Gabe, or be found until he wishes it,” Michael said. “You are not riding in there alone.”


  “I know that, but you will stay hidden. If he sees you, he could harm Dimity.”

  “I wonder why he has chosen Broad Clunsden?” Nathan asked.

  “That man leaves nothing to chance. He’s ruthless, calculating, and has my woman. He will have chosen the destination for a reason.”

  “Is that Daniel approaching?” Michael said, pointing down the road.

  It was, and soon he stopped before them.

  “Devilles,” he greeted them “And before you ask, your sister is safe. She is surrounded by my family but could not settle until she knew all was well with you all. So she dispatched me from the house to check.”

  “The danger is just as great to you now; you are one of us, Daniel,” Gabe said. “You should not be riding about alone.”

  “And while those words warm my heart, I was raised to survive. Now what are you lot about?”

  “We are to leave London. Return to Abby and tell her all is well. We will come to her as soon as we are able,” Gabe said.

  “Where is it you are bound?” Daniel asked.

  “There is too much to tell, and it is extremely complicated,” Zach said.

  “Most things to do with you lot are. How about you explain it while we ride?”

  “No,” Gabe said. “If anything happens to me, I want you safe with Abby.”

  “Nothing will happen to you,” Nathan ground out.

  “Why will something happen to you?” Daniel asked calmly. “Hello, Walter.”

  The dog sniffed Daniel’s boot by way of greeting.

  “We believe Dimity has been kidnapped by Diard,” Gabe said, telling a half truth.

  “What? Why?” Daniel demanded.

  “There is a great deal you do not know, and I’m not sure you need to.”

  “And yet here I sit, at your service and not returning to my wife without the information I seek.”

  Gabe saw the determination in Daniel’s eyes.

  “Tell him. He is one of us now, and this entire secrecy business of Alexius is becoming something of a misnomer,” Zach said.

  “It is not a misnomer,” Nathan snapped.

  “Someone speak,” Daniel said. “Any one of you will do.”