He looked at his brother, who sat across from him, and smiled. Their relationship was restored—no, it was new, for they no longer saw one another as competitors. Now, he admired Evan for righting his wrongs and, like William, becoming a better person.
Beside William sat Caroline, the woman he realized this very night he loved. He wanted to tell her, and he suspected she had wanted to do the same. However, he knew that after his departure, he would never be able to see her again. If he was spotted and she was with him, it could bring trouble to her as much as it would him. She deserved a man who had not been ostracized by his peers, one who could comfort her as well as support her.
It was the kiss they shared tonight—The one she had initiated, he thought with amusement—that told him she cared for him as much as he cared for her. A testament to her heart, and he was honored she had shared it with him.
“We are nearly there,” Evan said, bringing William back to the task at hand. “Are you sure we should continue?”
“Yes,” William replied. “I do not expect the man to bend to our will, at least not tonight. However, it is my hope that he understands that, unless he frees those women, he will be exposed one way or another.”
“It is but a hand in a game of cards,” Evan said. “I worry it may not be enough to win.”
“The cards have been dealt,” William said. “We have no choice but to play our hand. And I assure you, I do not bluff.”
Evan nodded, and the carriage turned onto the lane that housed the property owned by the Duke of Chesselberry, nestled in the outskirts of London.
William turned to Caroline. With the spectacles perched on her nose and the dirt on her cheek, she still looked as beautiful as ever. “Do you remember what to do?”
Caroline nodded. “I do.”
He had gone over every step with her. She would be the key to gaining entry, playing a woman who was there to find a new position as a servant.
“Good. If this takes a turn for the worse, go with Evan. He will take care of you.”
Caroline nodded again and reached out to take his hand. The carriage came to a stop outside a large home, a house much larger than Applefield Estates despite the fact it was in London and not in the country.
“This is it,” Evan said, his voice trembling. “May God help us all.”
The driver opened the door, and William lowered his cap as the three exited the vehicle. The door to the house opened, and William grabbed Caroline by the arm as if she were his captive. Two men, one a man in livery and the other dressed in street clothes and a cap much like the one William wore, came out with lamps in their hands.
“Who’s there?” the liveried man asked.
“It is I, Lord Lymington,” Evan said. “I have brought a servant for His Grace.”
William’s heart thudded behind his ears as he listened to the practiced lines.
“I don’t understand, my Lord!” Caroline said with a gasp. “I was happy working for you. Why can’t I stay there?”
“Quiet, woman!” Evan barked. Then he looked back at the men. “The Duke is expecting me.”
“Indeed, he is,” the man with the cap said, his eyes looking Caroline up and down hungrily. William recognized him now; he was the man who had escorted William to the flat the night Marina was killed; the same man who had taken her life. “You’ll serve the Duke well. Yes, I can see it already.”
William clenched his fist. He wanted nothing more than to beat this man within an inch of his life, but he was out to catch a bigger fish. This man would have to be dealt with later.
They stepped into the foyer. High above them hung a chandelier with more candles than William had ever seen in one fixture. Rich tapestries of red and gold hung from the walls; vases of intricate designs sat on tables beneath them.
“Follow me,” the man with the cap growled. “Your work will soon start.” The man chuckled as they followed him down the hallway and stopped in front of a heavy door.
A sudden bout of fear rushed through William. Was this plan indeed foolish after all? The man beside him was a killer, and the Duke inside was powerful. He wanted to turn and run, taking Caroline and Evan with him to safety. However, the chance passed, and the man opened the door. He extended his arm to them mockingly, and William entered the room, his head still down.
Colborn sat in a chair covered in fine red cloth. In his hand was a crystal glass filled with what appeared to be port. The smile he wore was pure evil, and his eyes went straight to Caroline.
“Ah, Lymington!” he said with clear appreciation. “You did not disappoint!” He stood, and William tightened his grip on Caroline’s arm, ready to keep her from harm’s way. “She certainly is beautiful.” He stopped before Caroline and raised his hand to touch her cheek with the back of his fingers. “One of such beauty will make a fine addition to my home.”
“I-I don’t understand,” Caroline cried. Was that true fear William heard? “I’m to be your servant? Here? But what about my old position? I’ve made friends there…”
“Servant?” the Duke said with a laugh. “Yes, you will serve me.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bundle of notes. “You will earn what I am paying for you and more.”
Then he turned to William, and his eyes narrowed. “Who are you?” he demanded. “Do I know you?”
William released Caroline’s arm, stepped in front of her, and removed his cap. “Indeed, you do know me,” he said. “I am here to save you.”
The Duke’s brows raised, but his voice dripped with amusement. “Save me? Save me from what?”
“Your own destruction!”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Caroline had been in situations before where her life was at risk, and she recognized that now was no different. The Duke possessed a pair of eyes that exhibited such evil it sent a shiver down Caroline’s spine. She had encountered other men like him before, and he was not going to allow them to leave. Not alive.
However, there was no time to inform William, for he had already pushed her away and revealed his identity.
“Your destruction,” William said through a clenched jaw.
The Duke laughed, a malevolent sound like two rocks grating against one another. He raised a hand to the man in the cap, who was stalking toward them. “No, Thomas,” the Duke said. “There is no need.” He turned to his guests. “So, Lymington, you come into my home under the pretense of selling this woman?” The man’s wrinkles drew tight. “Have you not learned your lesson? Have you not seen already what I can do?”
“There will be no more threats,” William said. “My brother and this servant girl will be safe from harm.”
The Duke snorted and then settled eyes on Caroline. His tongue snaked out and traced his lips, and her body trembled in revulsion. “She will remain safe, to be sure—with me in my home. And you two will leave at once.”
“I have something of yours,” William continued as if the man had not spoken. “I came across an interesting piece of writing, and it tells quite the tale of a man with your name who bought and traded women and forced them into prostitution. It even details the names of every woman you betrayed and every man with whom you did business.”
The Duke’s smile fell. “I see.” He ambled over to a small cart with crystal decanters, as if what William had said was of no consequence. “And what do you plan on doing with this book?”
“He’s lying, Your Grace!” Thomas, the man in the cap, said. “He’s speaking merely of rumor.”
“Silence!” the Duke snapped. Then he turned to face them, a glass of amber liquid in his hand. “What Thomas says is true. It is a nice bluff, but one that does not cause me concern. For you see, the document of which you speak does not exist.” He took a leisurely sip of his drink and gave them a bored look.
Caroline swallowed hard as William reached into his coat and produced a single sheet of parchment. “I tore a page out of that nonexistent book,” he said with a smug smile. “Your name, particular dates, the
name of a multitude of women, all recorded in neat lines. I must say, Colborn, you do have fine penmanship for a man of your…depravity.”
The Duke nodded at Thomas, who walked over and snatched the page from William’s hand. He then walked over and gave the sheet to the Duke.
After reading it over, his eyes growing wider with each passing, he set it aside. “So, you seek to ruin me. And how do you plan to carry out such a task?” The man took a sip of his drink, that same bored look on his features. However, Caroline did not miss the white fingertips from the tight grip on the glass or the tiny beads of sweat on his brow.
“I seek to end your business of selling women,” William replied. “Ruin is your choice of words, but I propose something a bit different.”
This caused the Duke to throw his head back and laugh. “I see,” he replied, still chuckling. “And if I do not? What then? You will seek help? Expose me to those in power?”
“Yes,” William stated with a surety Caroline admired.
The Duke gave a light snort. “A well thought out plan. However, you forgot one tiny detail.” He used his thumb and forefinger to indicate just how small. “I own London. Not a strand of thread or a single horse is sold without my approval. My power runs deep and longer than the banks of the Thames.”
“William!” Caroline whispered. She had to stop the man from doing something foolish.
The Duke turned to William’s brother. “I’m afraid, Evan, that our previous arrangement has come to an end. You are a fool, and now you have placed your wife in danger. And trust me, she will pay for your mistakes.”
Evan let out a roar and charged the Duke, but Thomas jumped in front of him, sending a fist into the elder Lymington’s stomach.
“Do not do this!” William shouted. “I will cast your empire to the depths of Hell!” He lunged for the Duke in one swift movement.
However, the Duke seemed to anticipate the attack. He raised his arm and smashed the glass against William’s face, the shards creating a light tinkling sound on the floor.
William fell to his knees as blood poured from a gash under his eye. Caroline wanted to run to him, but the glower in the man’s eyes stayed her feet.
“You are a fool!” the Duke shouted. “You will die here tonight, along with your brother!” He turned to Thomas. “The man released from prison meant to rob me.”
Caroline, still frozen in fear, glanced at Evan, who lay on the ground, blood gushing from his nose as Thomas sat on top of him, his hand still raised as if to strike Evan again.
As fast as a lightning strike, William jumped to his feet, drew his arm back and slammed his fist into the Duke’s stomach, causing him to double over with a grunt. Before William was able to land another hit, the Duke raised his knee and struck William in the chin, sending him backwards to the floor.
Seeing Evan fighting back with what little strength remained and William lying on the floor in a groaning heap, Caroline felt a surge of rage rush through her. She loved William with every ounce of her being, and if they were to die tonight, she would die fighting! With quick hands, she tore open the medical bag she had brought as a pretense of using it as a bag for her belongings and pulled out her scalpel.
“I will kill you,” she shouted as she held the weapon toward the man. “Get away from him!”
The Duke raised his hands, but his eyes flickered with amusement. “Very well.”
Caroline moved to help William, but she realized her error too late. She cried out when the Duke grabbed her wrist and gave it a quick twist. Pain shot up her arm and she could do nothing as the scalpel fell to the floor. The air left her lungs as his fist met her stomach, and as she fought to breathe, she watched in horror as the man reached into his coat and produced a pistol.
It was at that moment that Caroline realized that she had never told William that she loved him. How she wanted to spend her life with him. How her future could never be complete without him. Her lungs were still devoid of air, and she wanted nothing more than to be able to utter those words to him, even if they were her last.
She loved him.
With a grin that held much malignancy, the Duke raised his pistol, and Caroline knew she could do nothing to stop him. She would die here in the parlor of a man who built his life on the bodies of those around him, be they women who were forced to use their bodies to please men or men who rose against him. Either way, it did not matter, because at least she would die beside the man she loved.
She inched closer to William. If she could get close enough, at least she could die holding his hand; that would be her final request. She reached out, and their fingertips touched. He lifted his head a few inches off the floor and squinted at her. He looked so much like the man she had tended in the prison, but she saw past the bruised and swollen face to see the lord within.
The deafening roar of the pistol made her ears ring. She did not want to open her eyes, to see her beloved William lying dead on the floor. To see his blood leaking from his body. To see his soul going to meet its maker. However, how could she not tend to him? How could she not do what she could to save him?
When she opened her eyes, she was shocked when the door flew open and nearly a dozen men rushed into the room.
“Lord Cooper!” she cried.
“Get him!” Lord Cooper commanded, and several of the men with him ran past her and flung themselves at the Duke, his pistol falling to the floor with a heavy clank.
Caroline took little time to watch the men accost the Duke, for before her lay the man she loved, red staining his otherwise white shirt.
He rolled to his side with a grunt and reached out to take her hand.
“Caroline, I…we did it,” he whispered, his hand shaking. “I found my redemption.”
“You have,” Caroline replied as tears rolled down her cheeks. She released his hand and crawled over to grab her medical bag. She had never treated a wound so severe, but she had never turned away anyone, and she most certainly would not turn away William.
She ripped open his shirt. The bullet entered near his collar bone, and blood leaked from the hole it had created. The training she had received from Doctor Brown seized her; she would not fail!
“Do not fear,” she managed to say. “I will save you.”
William grabbed her hand and squeezed it. He gazed up at her, the love behind them as evident as the sun in the sky. “You already have,” he whispered.
And then his eyes closed.
***
“We can take him to my estate,” Lord Cooper said.
Caroline looked up at the man. “I must remove the bullet before you take him anywhere.” She knew that much from what Doctor Brown had taught her. She only hoped she knew enough to keep the man alive long enough for a doctor to attend to him.
Honestly! she admonished herself. She had received more than enough training to keep a man alive. Losing hope would do nothing but kill him.
“What do you need?” a liveried man asked.
“I need hot water and as many clean towels as you can give me. If you have any linen strips. I would use those, as well.”
The man nodded and rushed out of the room.
Caroline pressed William’s coat to the wound to stem the flow of blood. She could not have him bleed to death before the towels arrived. With her other hand, she rummaged through the bag, growling with annoyance when what she searched for did not magically appear.
“What is it you need?” Evan asked as he squatted beside her. His face did not look any better than William’s. In fact, it was worse. His eyes were nearly swollen shut and he had a gash on his cheek that would require suturing. However, that could wait.
“I am searching for a pair of tweezers. They are usually in a side pocket, but they must have fallen into the bottom of the bag.”
Evan grasped her hand and held it until she looked up at him. “I will aid you,” he whispered.
She nodded, and a sense of calm came over her. All of her training had come to this mo
ment, and she needed to keep her head if she was to do any good.
“Here you are, you little devil,” Evan said as he pulled the tweezers from the bag. He handed them to Caroline with an encouraging smile.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “I will need someone to hold him down. This will be painful, and I cannot have him flailing about while I work.”
Evan sat on William’s legs and two other men came and held down his upper body. They seemed to know what to do without instruction, much to Caroline’s relief. Then again, that meant this was not their first encounter with this type of wound. The idea made her shiver, but she shook it off and went to work.
“I will need something to cleanse the wound,” she said.
One of the men reached over and grabbed one of the decanters from the liquor cart. “This’ll do the trick,” he said with a chuckle.
Caroline thanked him, took a deep breath, and poured the spirits over the wound. William bucked under the pain as the hole bubbled, but the men holding him down did good work at keeping him still.
She imagined she was searching for a giant splinter caught in a child’s finger as she worked. William gasped as she rooted around until she found the offending projectile embedded near his collarbone.
William screeched for a moment, but once the bullet was removed, his breathing returned to normal. Not once did his eyes open as she worked, but his breathing was deep, so Caroline worked as well as she could.
With the linens and towels the footman brought, Caroline was able to create a decent bandage, and when she finished, she allowed the men to lift William and carry him to the waiting carriage.
“I will meet you at my house,” Lord Cooper said as he headed to another carriage.
Caroline nodded and stepped into the vehicle, and soon they were on their way.
Once they reached Lord Cooper’s house, the doctor was waiting by the door.
“You did this?” he asked of Caroline when William was safely in a bed and his bandages removed.
Redeeming The Rake (Delicate Hearts Book 3) Page 18
