Libertine's Wife (46 page)

“
Take care, my love,”
Arianne warned with a glint in her eyes. “I don’t trust as easily
as I once did.”

“
I do not go
alone.”

“
I will not be able to relax
until you’re back.”

“
I’ve doubled the guard in
my absence,” Garret told her with a grim look. “You take no
chances, Arianne. A loaded pistol is in my desk in our room. Use
the damn thing if you need to.”

She looked ashen as he enfolded her in
his arms. Despite the dozens of armed guards, she felt exposed and
vulnerable still. She doubted a pistol would comfort her until he
came back. The thought of losing him made her grow cold all
over.

After all they’d been through; she’d
not lose him now. She hugged him tightly, eyes closed in anguish.
She knew he didn’t believe his cousin was as evil as was suggested.
The thought it could prove to be his downfall made her rail against
the unknown.

“
Just come back to me, my
love,” Arianne whispered against his chest.

Garret tipped up her chin, his green
eyes teasing. “I have no intention of making you a widow. We will
resolve this once and for all.”

Garret arrived at The Boar’s Head Inn.
He found Eustace among the rowdy patrons carousing in the taproom.
His wife’s brother looked alarmed as he set down his tankard of
ale, looking behind him as he entered, expecting to see runners at
his back. Eustace approached and looked nervous, his blue eyes
darting past him to look about for signs he’d been
tricked.

“
I came alone,” Garret
informed him with a scowl.

Eustace smiled with relief. “Let us go
up to my room where we can talk. I don’t trust any
here.”

Garret followed Eustace up the narrow
backstairs where he had rooms. Garret was alert, conscious he could
have walked into a trap. He was wearing both his dueling pistols
should Eustace turn on him. He followed him to his door, listening
for signs of pursuit. There were none. They entered the small,
dingy room and Eustace bade him sit at a rickety table.

Garret sat and eyed the man with
disgust. “What is this all about, Dunne? What is it you want from
us now?”

Eustace bore the man’s contempt with a
ghost of a smile. “Arianne told you what is at stake,
Ravensford.”

Garret smiled without humor. “My wife
has a habit of listening to whatever lies you would speak. I do
not. What proof do you have that my cousin hired Dench to kill
me?”

“
No proof at all. I heard it
with my own ears, my lord.” Eustace sat back and regarded him
without expression.

“
How bloody stupid do you
think I am, Dunne?” Garret leveled him with a disgusted look. “How
much will this information cost me? I assume your next request is
for money?”

“
I want nothing! I stayed in
London to warn you, Ravensford. What I should be doing right now is
running. They mean to kill me. They will try to make it look as
though I did it all. That is why they had me write all the ransom
notes. I might have manipulated my sister in the past, but I am no
damned murderer!”

Garret didn’t display the least
concern. “Naturally, with me out of the way, it would be easier to
go after my children.”

Eustace sipped his wine casually.
“Spencer planned to take the boys from Arianne when you were dead.
He said an accident or two in the future would see it done, so none
questioned it.”

“
Lord Cosgrove is named in
my will as their guardian, Eustace,” Garret informed him with a
shake of his head. “William would have never gotten away with
that.”

“
Dench spoke of a plantation
you bought in the colonies that was making a fortune for you, and
would for years to come. How would I have come by that
knowledge?”

Garret froze at his words, his eyes
narrowed. “William was never privy to any of my business affairs,
Eustace. And neither was your sister. Only my partner and I know of
that venture.”

“
There? Do you see? I’m not
lying to you!”Eustace looked relieved.

Garret struggled to look at his best
friend as a suspect in those moments, knowing Martin was the only
one who knew of the venture. He invested ninety percent of his own
capitol to buy Belle Terre. Martin had only ten percent interest in
it, held by his mother now. The fact he also had the largest share
of the profits didn’t escape him.

If he were dead, his heirs would own
his shares. Knowing he listed Martin as his children’s guardian
should anything happen to him was joked about between them at the
time. He’d made the change before he brought Arianne back to
London. He felt disturbed to feel as though he would have to
question everyone close to him now. Martin had much more to gain
with him dead than William would.

William’s recent visit made him
stiffen. He had time enough to go through his papers while there.
Still, he was not convinced, feeling there was something he wasn’t
seeing. The only one who knew about the plantation was Martin. That
was irrefutable. Then there was also the fact Martin was out of the
country half the year since they purchased the plantation. He felt
a tightening in his chest to look at his best friend to be
involved. William couldn’t have known of the change in his will
when he sought Dench out to have him killed. Martin would have
known, however. He fought his own suspicions, refusing to see
Martin would do such a diabolical thing to gain Belle
Terre.

Garret’s mind was racing, coming to
conclusions that made no sense. He vowed to get to the bottom of
it. He didn’t like the thoughts he was having at all. He refused to
believe his best friend was involved in this. Martin would
never…

“
Dench knows a great deal
about you, my lord. He refused to help William unless he had a true
measure of your considerable wealth.”

“
It’s always a sound plan
when you plot to kill one you wish to inherit from, don’t you
agree, Dunne?”

“
You are rather glib for a
man who has a contract on his head, Ravensford,” Eustace said
sourly. “You don’t seem to take this seriously at all.”

“
Thaddeus Dench and his
henchmen don’t scare me, Eustace. That’s one thing you failed to
realize when you forced me to marry your sister. I don’t cower
before thugs and thieves.”

“
It appears I chose my
sister’s husband well then,” Eustace remarked with admiration in
his gaze. “They will come after you, my lord. I do hope you have
some plan to protect my sister and nephews when they
do.”

“
I will find Dench and deal
with him,” Garret informed him testily, his green eyes narrowed.
“When this is over, I will give you enough money to leave here and
never return.”

This news seemed to please Eustace.
Garret’s lips twisted into a sneer of contempt. The mention of
money made him obvious in his intent all along. He wanted to put a
pistol ball in him where he sat. He needed more information from
him, however.

“
First you will take me to
him. If you lie about this, I will hand you over to them without a
qualm.”

“
I had no reason to come to
you with lies, but remorse over my sister, my lord,” Eustace denied
hotly, nostrils quivering in outrage.

“
They have no use for you
anymore, Dunne. You said that yourself, to my wife,” Garret argued
and glared at him. “That’s the only reason why you went to her.
Your own hide is threatened. Don’t sugarcoat the matter. You’re not
talking to Arianne, but me now.”

“
I don’t deny my excesses
have brought you all down with me,” Eustace said coldly, his blue
eyes flaring in anger. “It might surprise you to know I care about
what becomes of my sister and nephews. I didn’t know what I got
myself into until she arrived back in London.”

“
When did my cousin
supposedly seek out Dench to kill me?”

“
I assume it wasn’t long
after my sister returned to London with you. I really don’t know. I
only met the man a few weeks ago.”

Garret digested this with a scowl. “Why
would I still be standing here if this is true? That was over a
year ago!”

“
That, I cannot answer, my
lord,” Eustace said and shrugged. “It’s not for lack of whining on
your cousin’s part. The man isn’t happy Dench bides his
time.”

“
William was involved in
this from the very start?”

“
It was his idea to take the
boy. He saw a way of making easy coin until he got the bulk of your
estate. Dench said it was a good will payment. I only wrote the
notes and threatened my sister to scare her.” Eustace looked
stricken as he met his gaze. “I had no idea they meant to hurt
anyone. Dench demanded his payment of me, or else. I had no choice
but to help them.”

“
You told Dench that Jaime
is Lord Vale’s child to make sure they got their money to protect
yourself, didn’t you?” Eustace look away guiltily. “I can see that
you did. You figured Vale would surely pay if I didn’t, isn’t that
right?”

“
Yes, I told him. Only so
they would go after Vale if you didn’t agree to pay. Arianne
threatened to tell you then. They would have killed me.”

“
Where is he hiding,
Eustace? I would be done with this. With Dench out of the picture,
my family is safe.”

“
Your cousin is another
matter,” Eustace pointed out. “Spencer is not at a loss to find
uncouth brigands who would take up where Dench left
off.”

“
Allow me to worry about my
cousin,” Garret replied with a scowl. “You will arrange a meeting
with both men. That should prove my cousin’s guilt in this
matter.”

“
Dench isn’t an easy man to
get to, my lord. He never deals directly with anyone.”

“
Do that for me or I’ll
leave here and do nothing for you,” Garret warned, his cold gaze
making Eustace realize he had no choice.

“
I will do as you ask, only
don’t blame me if the man refuses,” Eustace grumbled. “Spencer is
just as paranoid as Dench now. This meeting will be near impossible
to arrange.”

Garret’s eyes lit up. “You learned
something new that would help their cause. They will wish to hear
what that is.”

“
And when I have nothing to
tell them, my lord?” he queried with a grimace. “I will be
dead.”

“
I will go with you, and
stay in the shadow,” Garret told him with a grim look. “I’ll get a
good look at Dench once and for all. I’d see with my own eyes that
William conspires against my family.”

“
Dench never deals with
anyone. He has many who wish him dead, my lord,” Eustace explained
with a nervous look. “His business is as dirty as they come. A man
like Dench can’t afford to be recognized. He uses his men for most
of his dealings. I only saw his face once. He takes great pains to
avoid being seen.”

“
How is it you got as close
to him as you did?”

“
The man took an interest in
me when I was able to pay him off so quickly after you married
Arianne. He came to me and offered me a lower interest from then
on,” Eustace told him, cringing to know he’d done all this to
himself. “As I said, I only saw his face once, and it was
dark.”

Garret looked speculative. “While I
could understand he’d be pleased you paid him off in a timely
manner; I question the man seeking you out to reward you for
it.”

“
Dench came to me and
extended a lower interest, ‘tis all true. I was rather surprised
myself.”

“
It appears he’s played you
all along, Dunne.”

“
I don’t see the point.”
Eustace looked uncomfortable to think he was lured into the hell he
now sought to escape.

“
Don’t you? Dench saw a way
to get to me. You’re as naïve as my wife if you think it anything
else. He offered you lower terms just to keep you gambling, and
owing him. It only makes sense.”

“
If Dench learned of the
connection between us, why would that be of any use to
him?”

“
It sounds more like getting
to me was the man’s intent from the start.”

Eustace looked confused still. “Your
cousin sought Dench out. He was chatting up fellows in The Lone
Sparrow for an assassin for hire. I saw him!”

“
Then it’s nothing but a
coincidence the two found one another,” Garret remarked. “Dench
knew Jaime wasn’t mine. He must have told William. Then they
learned my wife had another son,” Garret mused and shrugged. “It’s
the only thing that makes any sense why they would wait this long.
They wanted to see if I had another son.”

“
You must also know your
cousin has a much older woman who keeps him in rooms in the city,”
Eustace disclosed. “I have never met her before. He refers to her
as ‘the bitch’. She pays his bills. She is possibly involved in
this too.”

Garret fumed to know some conspiracy
flowed about him and his wife this whole time and he’d seen none of
it. He’d not even seen through William’s façade as the doting
cousin. This unknown woman didn’t concern him. The contract on him
did.

“
Where are her rooms? Did
you learn that much?”