Deception (37 page)

Jared was ready for him. He raised his arm to block the knife thrust and simultaneously slipped his dagger out of its sheath. Sunlight glinted on the good Spanish steel.

The attacker sucked air between his teeth. “No one said anythin’ about you havin’ a blade o’ yer own.”

Jared did not bother to answer. He circled his opponent, aware that the man’s eyes were riveted on the dagger. When he was certain the villain’s whole attention was focused on the blade, he lashed out with one booted foot.

The blow connected with the man’s thigh. He howled in pain and rage and flailed wildly in an effort to catch his balance. Jared feinted with the knife and the man jerked backward, toppled, and fell to the pavement.

Jared kicked the knife out of the man’s hand and leaned down to put the tip of his own blade against his victim’s throat.

“Who hired you?” Jared asked.

“I don’t know.” The man stared at the hilt of the dagger. “It was just a business arrangement made through me usual arranger. I never saw the cove what paid me.”

Jared straightened in disgust and resheathed the dagger. “Get out of here.”

The man needed no second bidding. He scrambled to his feet and started to reach for his own blade which lay on the cobbles.

“Leave it,” Jared ordered softly.

“Aye, sir. Whatever you say, sir. More where that one came from.”

The villain ran off down the street. A moment later he disappeared into a narrow lane between two massive warehouses.

Jared looked down at the blade that his attacker had left behind.

No, he thought, there was no point in putting off the inevitable confrontation any longer.

  An hour later Jared went up the steps of the premises that Felix Hartwell had occupied for nearly ten years. A sense of weary sadness pervaded him as he opened the door and walked into the small outer room. He was not altogether certain what one said at a time like this.

Finding the proper words proved unnecessary. When Jared opened the door of the inner office he discovered that he was too late.

Felix was gone.

A letter lay on top of the desk. It was addressed to Jared and had obviously been scrawled in a great rush.

Jared crumpled the note in his fist. “Felix, why in God’s name did you not ask me for help? We were friends.”

He stood gazing at the surface of Felix’s orderly desk for a long while before he turned and walked back out onto the street.

At that moment Jared wanted only to talk to Olympia. She would understand.

“Jared, I am so very sorry.” Olympia scrambled out of bed and went to where Jared stood gazing out into the night. “I did not know of your friendship with this man, but I understand how you must feel.”

“I trusted him, Olympia. Over the years I gave him increasing responsibilities. He was as familiar with my business affairs as I was. Damnation. I do not usually make mistakes of this sort.”

“You must not blame yourself simply because you placed your trust in the wrong person.” Olympia put her arms around him from behind and hugged him fiercely. “A man with a passionate nature such as yours often listens to his heart rather than his head.”

Jared braced his hand against the window frame. “My friendship with Hartwell had been tested by time. He knew me better than anyone. He was the one who arranged for me to meet Demetria.”

Olympia frowned. “Well, I do not see that he did you any great favor there.”

“You do not comprehend. No one felt worse about the outcome of that meeting than Hartwell did.”

“If you say so, Jared.”

Olympia had known that something was seriously wrong as soon as Jared had returned to the house late in the afternoon. She had tried to talk to him earlier, but he had not wanted to speak of the matter until now when the household was finally abed.

“I have conducted some investigations and I believe I know how it must have started.” Jared took a sip of brandy from the glass he was holding. “Felix developed a passion for the gaming hells. He won at first.”

“But his luck changed?”

“Yes.” Jared took another swallow of brandy. “His luck changed. It always does. He appears to have covered
his early losses with money paid to him by some of our investors. He replenished those accounts with money received from other sources. As long as he kept shifting things about, he could conceal what was happening.”

“His scheme worked for a time so he no doubt grew bolder.”

“You are quite right. His play grew deeper. The losses grew larger. Six months ago I realized that something was wrong and decided to look into the matter.” Jared’s mouth hardened. “Naturally I asked my trusted agent to investigate.”

“He must have been very clever to conceal the evidence of his thefts from you for so long.”

Jared shrugged. “Hartwell was a very clever man. That was why I employed him.”

“I wonder how he came to realize that you had finally tumbled to his tricks,” Olympia mused.

“He obviously realized it this afternoon when the man he hired to kill me failed to carry out his task.”

“What did you say?”
Olympia tugged furiously at Jared’s arm, obliging him to turn around so that she could see his face. “Are you telling me that someone tried to kill you, Jared?”

Jared smiled faintly as he took in the sight of her horrified expression. “Calm yourself, my dear. It was a matter of no great moment. As you can see, the man failed.”

“It is a matter of very great moment to me, sir. We must do something at once.”

“What do you suggest?” Jared asked politely.

“Why, summon the magistrate.” Olympia started to pace furiously back and forth. “Hire a Bow Street runner. We must find this mad fiend and have him clapped up in irons immediately.”

“I doubt that would be possible. It was obvious this afternoon that Hartwell had planned for the possibility
that I would find him out. He left me a note informing me that he has left England.”

“He did?” Olympia spun around. “Are you quite certain that he has gone?”

“Reasonably certain.” Jared swallowed the last of the brandy. “It is the obvious course of action and Hartwell is nothing if not a careful, logical man.” His mouth twisted again. “Rather like myself. It was one of the reasons I employed him.”

Olympia scowled. “This is most annoying, Jared. I would very much like to see him pay for his attempt to have you murdered. He must be a coldblooded monster.”

“No. I think he was simply a very desperate man at the end. He probably had creditors hounding him, perhaps threatening him with physical harm or exposure.”

“Bah, you are too kind, my lord. He is clearly a monster. I shall not sleep a wink tonight for thinking of what might have happened to you today. Thank God you escaped.”

Jared’s eyes gleamed. “I appreciate your concern on my behalf.”

She glared at him. “You need not make it sound as though I’m merely being polite. It’s perfectly natural for me to be alarmed by this incident.”

“True. I suppose a dutiful wife is expected to show some concern when her husband tells her he has narrowly escaped death.”

“Jared, are you mocking me or yourself this time?”

The amusement in his eyes faded. “Neither. I am merely wondering how deep your concern goes.”

She stared at him, appalled. “That is a very stupid question, Mr. Chillhurst.”

“Is it? You must forgive me. I am not at my best today. The excitement, no doubt.”

“How could you possibly question the depth of my
concern for even one small second?” Olympia demanded, outraged.

Jared smiled. “You are very loyal to those in your employ, are you not, madam?”

“You are something more than a mere employee, sir,” Olympia snapped. “You are my husband.”

“Ah, yes, there is that, is there not?” Jared put down his brandy glass and reached for her.

Mrs. Bird plunked the coffeepot down onto the breakfast table and surveyed the crowd with a baleful eye. “Cook wants to know how many to expect for dinner tonight, yer lordship. Like me, she ain’t too keen on havin’ a bunch of visitors arrive with no notice.”

Jared picked up his coffee cup. “You may tell Cook that I happen to know precisely how much each of you is being paid. In your case, Mrs. Bird, there was a considerable increase because of your new duties. I am well aware that I am paying some of the highest wages in town and I expect the best service in return. Inform Cook that all of us will be present for dinner.”

“Aye, yer lordship. But she’s a mite annoyed. Don’t blame me if she takes a notion to burn the soup.”

Jared cocked a brow. “If she serves scorched soup tonight, she will be looking for a new position in the morning. The same goes for anyone else on the staff who feels unable to accommodate the requirements of this household.”

Mrs. Bird snorted and bustled on back to the kitchens.

“Kindly take the dog with you, Mrs. Bird,” Jared called after her.

Mrs. Bird stopped and turned around. “What’s all the fancy new staff for, if I’m still expected to see to everything around here, I ask ye?” She snapped her fingers at Minotaur. “Out from under that table, you bloody monster. You don’t need another sausage.”

Minotaur slunk out from beneath the table, mouth full of sausage.

Ethan gave Jared an innocent look. “I didn’t feed him the sausage, sir. Word of honor.”

“I know who gave Minotaur the sausage.” Jared cast a quelling glance at his father. “We are attempting to break him of the habit of dining with the family, sir. I would appreciate it if you would not encourage him.”

“Right you are, son. Where did you acquire your housekeeper, may I ask?” Magnus sliced into a plump sausage. “Mouthy wench. Doesn’t seem to have much respect for her employers.”

“She came with the rest of the lot,” Jared said absently.

Robert clapped his hand over his mouth to stifle a giggle.

Olympia looked up from her eggs. “You musn’t mind Mrs. Bird. She’s been with the household forever. I do not know what I would do without her.”

“Hire another housekeeper, more’n likely,” Thaddeus said. “One that doesn’t scowl at your guests first thing in the morning.”

“Oh, I could never let Mrs. Bird go,” Olympia said quickly.

Jared propped his elbows on the table and placed his fingertips neatly together. He regarded his father with a thoughtful expression.

“You need not concern yourself with Mrs. Bird, sir,” he said coolly. “She and I arrived at an understanding some time ago. And I must admit, she brought up an interesting point. Just how long will you and Uncle Thaddeus be staying with us?”

Magnus affected a hurt expression. “Trying to boot us out already, son? We just got here.”

Thaddeus grinned. “Save your breath, lad. Your father and I ain’t goin’ anywhere until we help your lady work out the secret of the Lightbourne diary. Best count on us being around for a while.”

“I was afraid of that.” Jared gazed down the length of the table at Olympia. “I trust you will uncover the mystery very shortly, my dear or we shall be saddled with our uninvited guests indefinitely.”

“I shall do my best, my lord.” Olympia blushed faintly. She was not certain whether to be embarrassed by his rudeness or not. As far as she could tell neither Flamecrest nor Thaddeus appeared the least offended by Jared’s blunt remarks.

“Very well, then, I shall leave the matter to you.” Jared reached for his missing watch and grimaced when he failed to find it. “Must make a note to purchase a new one.” He glanced at the tall clock and then looked at Ethan, Hugh, and Robert. “It is time for your lessons. Geography and mathematics this morning, I believe.”

Thaddeus groaned. “How very dull.”

“That’s my boy,” Magnus growled. “Give him a perfectly fine summer morning and he wastes it on geography and mathematics.”