Always Have Hope (Emerson Book 3) (23 page)

“And we cannot wait to have you and Mr. Lewis join us
there,” said Ava.

“Who said anything about Mr. Lewis?” asked Win, as her
face flooded with color.

“Irene, Rose and I,” said Ava. “I’m afraid your
brothers married gossips.”

“Oh, Win, you must marry Mr. Lewis,” said Rose. “It’s
all quite romantical, other than the murders, which were rather grisly. But let
us conclude this horrid affair quickly. I would love to attend a double
wedding.”

“You’ll get no argument from me,” said Irene with a
smile.

And they’d get no argument from her,
thought Win. If only Alex would agree.

“I do wish you wouldn’t stare at me like that,” the
Marquess of Grayson said to Victor Stemple. “It makes me wonder if you’re
going to cosh me over the head with the nearest heavy object.”

“You needn’t worry about being coshed, my lord,” said
Stemple, as he smiled just the slightest. “I’d be much more likely to use my
knife.”

They were sitting in Grayson’s bachelor flat, awaiting
the ledgers that would soon be delivered. Nate didn’t think he needed a
bodyguard, but the Emersons and Kellingtons had insisted. “Did you volunteer
for this duty, Mr. Stemple?”

“I did, my lord.”

“Was it to emphasize the importance of leaving Lady
Rose alone?”

“No. Though if such a lesson still needs to be
learned, I wouldn’t find it a hardship to teach you. In truth, I’d like to
know what you’re about. You were engrossed in the ledger when you saw it
originally and I daresay you’re looking forward to studying it again. The
Emerson brothers wouldn’t be friends with a dishonorable man, which makes me
wonder who you’re working for and what you hope to find.”

Stemple was asking too many good questions. Questions
Nate couldn’t answer. He could end this conversation by reminding Stemple that
he was a marquess and didn’t have to answer to a butler. But he wouldn’t do
that to this good man. He sighed. “I wish I could tell you, but I cannot.
However, you are correct. I’m not exactly what I seem.”

“A man in love with Lady Rose?”

“All right, in some ways I’m exactly what I seem. Just
trust me when I say I’m working for the good of England. As for Rose – Lady
Rose – I cannot even begin to straighten that out until I’m no longer involved
in my task. Now, I ask you as a gentleman to please keep all of that
confidential.”

“I’m not a gentleman, my lord.”

“Of course you’re a gentleman, Stemple. Otherwise you
wouldn’t care so much. Do I have your word?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Thank you. Now please avail yourself of my library.
The wait may be long.”

A quarter of an hour later, Olson and Lewis arrived
with the two ledgers.

“How did it go?” Nate asked Olson.

“As well as could be expected. The family was
disturbed to find they’d been cut out of the will.”

“How did Win hold up?”

“Quite well,” said Lewis. “Pierce’s relations are
insufferable, but I believe she enjoyed standing up to them and ordering them
from her house. I hate thinking of her there, though the Emerson ladies will
keep her company until I return.”

“But they will return home, won’t they?” asked Nate.
“It would be just like Rose to sneak out to aid her sister. It’s bad enough
that one of them is risking everything. It’d be intolerable for anyone else to
risk it, as well.”

“His grace is taking no risks with the ladies’
safety,” said Stemple. “He has issued an order that all doors and windows
should be guarded and that no female is to leave Lynwood House. The order
cannot be countermanded even by her grace – a most unusual move I am told.”

“Good. Now all we have to worry about is Win,” said
Nate.

“And you and Mr. Stemple,” said Lewis.

“You need not fear for me,” said Nate. “I’m confident
I can take this villain. No, if you find me dead tomorrow, the likely killer
is Mr. Stemple.”

Lewis frowned. “Why would Mr. Stemple wish to harm
you?”

“That is a story for another time. Now go protect
your Winifred.”

“She is not ‘my Winifred.’”

“Codswallop. Go now.”

*

Colin
and Nick were on the top floor of the mews in the alley behind Win’s house. They
were cold, but at least they had shelter, which was more than James had, who
was watching the front of the house. But he’d assured them that years spent
outside in the frigid American winters had prepared him for just such an
occasion.

“Who
do you reckon it is?” Nick asked.

“I
don’t know,” said Colin. “But I’d like to send the bloody lot of them straight
to hell. They knew what was happening to Win all those years, but did
nothing. For that matter, I’d like to punish myself.”

“We
all should have seen it. We’re each just as culpable. And we have a lifetime
to make it up to her. You cannot take the blame. You’ve enough to worry about
as it is.”

Colin
continued looking out the dirty window. Nick’s words meant more than he could
say. Literally. The two brothers weren’t the best at communicating with each
other. They were men, after all. “What are you going to do about that arse
Simon?”

Nick
shrugged. “Maybe I’ll simply give him the title. He’s actually right. I’m
not a Chilcott.”

“In
the eyes of the law you are. And the late earl never contested it.”

“But
he hated the very fact that I’d one day inherit.” He laughed mirthlessly.
“Which is one of the reasons I’m thinking of keeping it. He was almost as big
of a bastard as our father.”

“Perhaps
all earls are arses – excluding us, of course. If Simon took the title, it
wouldn’t affect just you. You have tenants and responsibilities. Do you
really think Simon would give a damn about them? You’ve also been a dedicated
member of Lords. You can do tremendous good if you remain the earl. Besides, every
time I see the prat, I want to plant him a facer. That could be inconvenient
in Parliament. If you really want to hang on to the title, perhaps you should
marry and get yourself an heir.”

“I
think I’d rather hand over the title.”

“Marriage
isn’t that bad.”

“Says
the man who only a year ago had to force himself to begin the search for a
bride.”

“That’s
because I was looking for the wrong type of wife. In the end, I got exactly
what I needed and I’ll be forever thankful. So get a wife like Ava. You’ll
note I said ‘like Ava.’ If you come within a hundred yards of Ava with
romantic intent, I’ll be the next Emerson charged with murder.”

“As
tempting as the lady is, she’s as besotted with you as you are with her. You
and James both chose extremely well, but I rather doubt there’s a third lady
out there as wonderful as your wives. Though I believe I’ve just spotted our
future brother.”

They
looked out the window to where Alex Lewis was striding up the alley. It was
clear he wanted to be inside as quickly as possible.

“I
wonder if he knows what it means that we’re trusting him with our sister,” said
Colin.

“Let’s
just hope he’s worthy of the faith we have in him.”

They
watched Lewis disappear into the house.

“Are
you still a praying man, Nick?”

“Yes.
And I’ve been putting my prayers to good use for Win. I suggest we do so for
both her and Lewis. They may need the help.”

Rose,
Ava and Irene had left not half an hour before, in the company of two Lynwood
House footmen. Win had spent the time since then exactly as she’d been instructed.
She was in the study with two loaded pistols. She was to shoot anyone who
entered the room, other than those she knew she could trust.

And
there weren’t many of them.

She’d
been calmer than she would have thought possible. Perhaps returning to this
house under her own terms had started the healing process she needed to move
forward. It also didn’t hurt to know Alexander Lewis was on his way back to
her.

There
was a click at the door to the opening of the tunnel. Win picked up a pistol.
Her hand trembled slightly, but she supposed that was to be expected. It
wouldn’t be easy to shoot someone. It shouldn’t be. She just wanted to make
sure she didn’t shoot the wrong person.

The
door opened slightly and a voice from the passageway called out, “It’s Alex
Lewis.”

Win
carefully placed the loaded pistol on the desk. “Please come out of the
darkness.” She quickly crossed to the door to swing it open. Alex was holding
a large candle and looked quite relieved to emerge into the light.

He
had a strand of a cobweb on his head. Win wiped it away, surprised to find his
hair was so soft. She wanted to run her fingers through it, but didn’t want to
appear to be a ninny. “Please have a seat. May I pour you a brandy?”

“I
should probably keep a clear head about me,” he said, as he set his candle on
the table.

“But
you bravely traversed those tunnels. I have to think at least a small brandy
is in order.”

“I’m
not certain the word brave applies to what I just did, but I suppose a small
brandy wouldn’t hurt.”

“You
faced your fears to help me,” said Win. “That is the very definition of
brave.” Her back was turned to him as she poured the drink. She hoped he
couldn’t tell how much his sacrifice meant to her. There was a chance she
might even start crying from the beauty of it.

She
poured a small drink for both of them, then let their fingers touch as she gave
him his glass. She was being unbelievably forward, but she didn’t know how
many more opportunities she would have to be with him.

“Is
it difficult for you, being in this room?” he asked, as they both drank.

“Not
with you here,” she whispered. “I feel like my life is beginning anew.”

“It
is, Win. You have a world of opportunities ahead of you. You can now see your
family as much as you want. You’ll no longer be a prisoner in your own home.
And you’ll have no shortage of suitors.”

“I
love my family and have missed them dearly. And, yes, I like being a free
woman once again. But I have no interest in suitors.” The brandy was really
going to her head, for it was giving her courage she didn’t know she had.
“Except for one.”

*

It
had been a sign of just how much Alex cared for Win that he’d gladly traversed
the underground tunnels to avoid being seen by her staff. He’d had to fight
his hysteria as he carefully made his way through them, holding a candle and a
pistol. There had been no way of knowing if he was alone down there. But all
he wanted was to get to Win and hear her voice, see her lovely face and, in his
wildest dreams, perhaps steal a kiss.

He
hated thinking of her many suitors, but could it be true that she wasn’t
interested in them? That she was, just possibly, interested in him? Alexander
Lewis, the soon-to-be-sacked barrister. Alexander Lewis, the bastard.

But
the way she was looking at him made him believe it might just be possible. Or
she was foxed from a small glass of brandy. He was feeling a bit giddy,
himself. But he didn’t think it was the effects of the drink as much the
effects of being in love.

And
love is what gave him the strength to find his voice.

“Which
suitor do you fancy, Win?”

“Well,
he hasn’t exactly declared himself as a suitor, so I hesitate to name him.”

“Yet,
I am asking you to, nonetheless.” He had a brief moment of panic that perhaps
she was speaking of Grayson or any number of men he knew nothing about. That
would be terrible. Perhaps love had made him an imbecile.

She
smiled at him. “He is extremely clever. Yet, I hope he is not so clever as to
realize he could do much better than I.”

“If
he thought that, he wouldn’t be clever at all. More of a nincompoop. What
else can you tell me about him?”

“He
saved my life. He’s inordinately brave and terribly handsome.”

Here
she blushed so much, it was all Alex could do to keep from hauling her into his
arms and kissing her senseless. The only thing that prevented him from doing
so was he wanted to hear what she’d say next.

She
took a deep breath. “I think about kissing him. And I dream about finally
finding out what I’ve been missing.” She began walking toward him.

“What’s
his name, Win?” he asked. He had to hear it from those delicious lips

“Alexander
Lewis,” she said.

She
was walking toward him slowly like a seductress, her hips swaying side to
side. He moved toward her as if in a dream. Then he realized it wasn’t just
her hips that were swaying. All of her was.

Then
she looked behind him and her eyes went wide with fear. She started to
collapse and he reached out to catch her. Then a strong blow to the back of
his head caught him and they both fell to the floor.

As
he was losing consciousness he realized he’d failed her. The woman he’d sworn
to protect. The woman he loved. And now they were both going to die.

*

Win awakened to find herself bound and gagged, lying
on an unfamiliar bed. She tried to sit up, which is when she realized her head
was throbbing. Once again, she felt the telltale signs of having been
drugged. But she must have been given a much smaller dose this time. As she
tried to loosen the silk material tied around her wrists, she wondered how
she’d been drugged this time.

Then she remembered. The brandy.

She tried unsuccessfully not to think of Alex dead on
the study floor in a grim echo of what had happened to Pierce. She wanted to
cry at the very thought, but she couldn’t give in to tears now. She had to
figure out how to free herself, then how to escape from wherever it was she’d
been taken.

She was tied to a tester bed in a rather elegant room.
She didn’t recognize it, but there was something familiar about it. The
curtains were closed but she was certain it was night. There were few noises
coming from outside. She might still be in Mayfair, though not at her house. She
might be at a country estate, which would be unfortunate, since there’d be no
one to help her even if she did escape. But she didn’t think she’d travelled
out of London. She didn’t feel like she’d been unconscious that long. The
last time she’d been drugged she’d been in a stupor for well over a day. The
effects were already wearing off.

Though much was unclear, she was certain about one
thing. She had too much to live for to die now. She would see her family
again. And, God willing, she would see Alex.

She heard the jingle of keys, then the turn of a lock.
She knew a moment of panic. She’d never wanted to be in a man’s control
again. She fought down the bile in her throat then used her inner strength to
lift her chin and face her enemy.

Horace Warren entered the room looking a little
disheveled. “You’ve caused me a great deal of trouble,” he said. “I would’ve
thought years of beatings would have taken the spirit out of you.”

“Never,” said Win. “Especially when I have so many
things to live for now.”

He looked amused. “I suppose you mean your family.
Pierce used to brag about how he kept you in line through threats to your
beloved sisters. I never knew whether to scorn you or admire you for staying
just for their sake. I would have left, then found a way to kill the bloody
bastard. Your brothers would have done it for you, I suspect, and saved both
of us a great deal of trouble.”

“My brothers are honorable men. I could not have
risked having them learn of Pierce’s treatment of me because they would have
done exactly that. Their lives would have been ruined.”

“Yes, but it would have been easier for me.”

“You will understand if I don’t apologize for the
inconvenience.”

“You have a delightfully dry sense of humor. And
you’re quite beautiful, though your pert tongue makes you a less than an ideal
companion. Fortunately, I shan’t have to listen to you much longer.”

It was only through long years of practice that Win
was able to control her emotions. She wouldn’t give Warren the satisfaction of
seeing she was afraid.

“Bravo,” he said. “You are more in control of your
emotions than any woman I’ve ever seen. Certainly much more than your former
husband. Would you like to hear about the fear in his eyes when he realized I
was about to kill him? I caught him from behind unawares, but purposely turned
him toward the mirror so I could see his face as I sliced him open. You should
get a certain amount of satisfaction in knowing the man died terrified.”

“I get no satisfaction from any of it. Pierce was an
animal. But no one should die that way.”

“Don’t you want to know why I did it?”

“I want to know what you did to Alex Lewis.”

“Fancy the bastard barrister, do you?”

“Did you kill him?”

Horace studied her for a moment. Win realized he was
drawing out the tension, hoping to hurt her more by not telling her. Finally,
he said, “I haven’t killed him….yet. Though he probably wishes he were dead.
Your brave barrister doesn’t like enclosed spaces much at all. I could have
killed him in the tunnels when he was on his way to see you tonight. But I
thought it might be more interesting to do it this way. Besides, I might be
able to get more information from him.”

Win’s relief that Alex was still alive was
immeasurable. Though she hated thinking of him alone in the dark. “What do
you want to know?”

“I’d like to learn what he knows about those ledgers.
He figured out Sir Wilfred was being bribed, but that might just have been a
lucky guess.”

“Those are your ledgers?”

“In a manner of speaking. Clarence and I were
partners. He had an uncanny way of learning secrets about people, then either
blackmailing or bribing them. I was a dab hand at it myself, but on a much
smaller scale. It’s why I married Emmeline, by the way.”

“To go into business with Clarence?”

“You didn’t think it was for her looks and charming personality
did you? No, Clarence was the only one with a winsome wife. Which is one of
the reasons I could never understand why he spent so much time beating you.
Perhaps it was because he was incapable of fucking you – or any woman, despite
the tales of his exploits. I’m friendly with too many whores who told tales of
his impotence for me to believe he was any different with others. And what a
waste to leave you untouched.” Horace looked Win over in a way that made her
shiver with revulsion.

“Careful, pet,” he said. “You wouldn’t want to get on
my bad side.”

“If you were partners with Clarence, why did you kill
him?”

“On the one hand, it was unfortunate to end such a
profitable partnership. But I found a much more prosperous one. A rather big
fish in Clarence’s big pond. Clarence sent me to blackmail him, but our target
offered me a rather nice sum of money to kill Clarence instead and return with
the ledgers. I managed the first part easily enough, though I hadn’t counted
on that tart of a maid witnessing the whole thing from behind the door.

“She wasn’t a bad blackmailer herself, though too
trusting by half. Imagine her surprise when she learned I wasn’t as interested
in tupping her as I was in killing her. Yet I still needed to find the
ledgers. It was damned bad luck that your Mr. Lewis had the ledgers in
chambers. It’s not an easy place to break into. And I couldn’t risk having
Sir Wilfred get a hold of them. I just had to wait for my opportunity – which
you so kindly provided me. I know they’re at Grayson’s. And he’s either
passed out drunk or at some brothel enjoying himself. Either way, I will soon
be in possession of them.”

“Then you’ll give them to your partner?”

“Yes.”

“Who is it?”

“Ah, my lovely Winifred, I’m not going to tell you.
Don’t read too much into that. It’s not like you’d be able to pass on the
information. But I’m superstitious about things like this. Suffice it to say
he’ll be very glad to get the damned things in his possession. I will leave
you now so I can do that very thing. But trust me when I say I’ll see you
later.”

He blew a kiss at Win and left the room.

*

If Alex had ever imagined the worst possible position
he could be in, he would have described the one he was in right now. Shackled
to a damp tunnel wall in the pitch black. But, he realized there truly was
something worse – thinking of Win at the mercy of a man who would kill her.