Libertine's Wife (47 page)

Eustace shook his head, looking
apologetic. “I only listened at the keyhole that night, my lord. I
didn’t follow Spencer when he left. Dench uses only rented rooms.
The location changes to avoid his being caught.”

Garret was relieved he could put a face
to who threatened him and his family soon. It was his cousin, aided
by this unknown woman, who sought Dench out to kill him. As soon as
they learned of his having a true heir, they began to move against
his family. What they wanted with Eustace now, he could only
speculate.

The rumors swirling around his marriage
back then took London by storm, all wanting to know every detail of
the hasty nuptials. William would have wanted to assess this new
obstacle. Latching onto Eustace’s money lender would have afforded
him with information about certain details.

“
It appears you pushed
Spencer’s hand further by having another son.” Eustace looked sick
at the realization. “I did not see it at all, forgive me. It’s
rather obvious now.”

“
William would have waited
to see if I had another heir before he made any move,” Garret said
and shrugged. “If we had a daughter, I’d probably be dead right
now.”

Eustace looked ill. “Dear God, the man
is a monster!”

“
I have a detective
following him. He will discover these rooms he stays at, and the
name of the lady who keeps him,” Garret assured his brother-in-law.
“This will all be over very soon.”

“
What do you plan to do with
your cousin, Ravensford,” Eustace asked and looked grim. “You could
not want the man looming over your shoulder after this.”

“
Allow me to worry about
William.”Garret smiled darkly. “You will go to Virginia, to my
plantation there. The work will do you good. Be lucky I help you at
all. My first inclination was to put you out of your misery,
Dunne.”

Eustace fidgeted with his wine glass.
His blue eyes met his with distinct gratitude in them. “You must
care very much for her to do this, my lord. I do not doubt you were
the better man for her now. Vale would have done nothing to help
me.”

“
We all make mistakes,”
Garret allowed with another scowl. “Do not make me regret this,
Eustace! You will go to Virginia and help run my plantation there.
If you prove your worth, I’d make you a partner one day. Think of
your future every time you pick up the cards again.”

“
I will do as you say,
Ravensford. You have my word.”

“
My wife will sleep better
at night knowing you are out of harm’s way.”

“
Can I see her and the boys
before I go?” Eustace asked hopefully. “I’d not leave without
saying goodbye.”

“
That would be up to her,”
Garret told him. “I have no problem with it.”

“
Dench has a second pistol
he hides in his boot, my lord. William has a blade disguised as a
walking stick. You should be forewarned before you go in there,”
Eustace added, seeing Garret rise and intend to leave.

Garret smiled at the disclosure, having
no doubt he spoke the truth. He left the inn and returned home.
Arianne paced in their room, flying to the door when he entered.
Seeing her distress, he smiled gently and hugged her to
him.

“
You have been in a dither
every since I left, haven’t you?”

“
You were gone so long!”
Arianne exclaimed and pressed to his chest tightly. “Tell me this
will all be over soon?”

Garret kissed the top of her fair head
and sighed, closing his eyes and wishing he could tell her such an
outcome. Eustace would arrange the meeting and get back with him.
He could tell her nothing yet. He held her tightly, feeling a sense
of helpless rage to know more was behind this plot than the
obvious. That he was still alive made little sense, for one. That
was one glaring fact which pushed him to look at the reasons Dench
would have delayed the matter. He kissed the top of her head. He
needed to know.

“
I have several matters to
attend to,” he told her. “I won’t be long. It will be over, my
love. Soon there will be no threats against us.”

~ ~ ~

Thaddeus Dench sat in his rented rooms,
glaring at the man in front of him. His hireling returned to report
Sir Eustace Dunne approached him at The Lone Sparrow and wished an
audience with him.

The man claimed new information
surfaced which they needed to know at once.

He frowned, wondering whether Spencer
would agree to meet before the deed was done. The fop was worried
his own neck would be stretched when Ravensford was murdered. Using
Eustace as their scapegoat had its drawbacks. Eustace would have to
be dealt with very quickly first for that reason. His coming out of
hiding tonight to approach his men solved many problems.

“
Tell him you will collect
him and bring him here tomorrow night,” Dench told the
man.

“
Ye want me to take care of
him then?” his man named Grimes asked, smiling evilly in the dim
light.

“
First, I need to hear what
the man has to say,” Dench said quietly and nodded. “Take care of
him when he leaves. Hide the body in my warehouse. It wouldn’t do
at all if any discover he’s already dead before Ravensford, now
would it? We can’t risk him running before we see this
done.”

The man left the room and Dench tapped
his long fingers on the rough wooden table, the ruby signet ring
glittering in the firelight. He stood and glared into the flames,
his eyes filled with disgust.

Dunne went to ground when his sister
escaped his men. The little worm now slithered to the surface. The
ransom he asked for Lady Ravensford was denied him, as well as his
consolation of Lord Vale’s. He received nothing for all his
trouble.

Dunne’s debt still hung over his
miserable head too. He doubted the man sought him out with
repayment options. His guess was Eustace sought to help them now,
having no choice but to comply, if he wished to live.

His eyes glittered to think of how
disappointed he was the lovely blonde escaped the cellar at The
Lone Sparrow. He’d been enchanted the first time he saw her.
Kidnapping her had been only a means to enjoy her considerable
favors, and laugh as Vale and Ravensford tried to save her. That
was denied him now. Just thinking of how she felt in his hands,
helpless and tied, made him grow aroused.

Vale and Ravensford confounded him that
day and worked together. He was out the hundred thousand pounds
each he’d demanded of both of them, plus any ransom he might have
received from Lady Vale.

He vowed then he’d see this matter done
quickly, before he was caught, and his identity was known. The
authorities were relentless now. The reward Vale offered for his
capture was staggering. He couldn’t even trust his own men
anymore.

These thugs who worked for him knew him
only as Thaddeus Dench, but he was quite someone else in higher
circles. He’d been careful to keep both his personas separate these
last five years.

He was forced to go into this business
to pay his own debts. His purse strings were held tightly. Anything
requested went through a doddering, tight-fisted hand. So he now
stooped to petty thievery, blackmail, kidnapping, and the
occasional murder to make up the difference. The stakes and pay
grew much higher when murder was involved.

He had all the advantage over his peers
when he began this business. Knowing their ridiculous secrets was
fortuitous and lucrative. They all paid handsomely to keep them
quiet. He questioned going after Ravensford from the onset until
Spencer contacted him through The Lone Sparrow to meet. In his
dealings with the marquis in the past, he’d seen little sign of
weakness. It appeared that all changed when he married. His
beautiful wife was his only weakness now.

He sighed as he thought of the lovely
Marchioness of Ravensford. How dearly he would have liked to make
her acquaintance. He didn’t dare approach her in society or she
would have recognized him later. It wouldn’t do at all, given his
association with her husband.

The means to have all he wanted landed
in his lap in the form of Eustace Dunne. When the man’s sister
married Ravensford, he saw a way to get everything he desired. He
kept Eustace gambling, offering lower terms to bring the man to his
knees. He owned him now. The man would do anything he asked. He
learned all he needed to know about the Marquis’ hasty marriage,
his wife’s desperate little secret, and the means to kill the man
and keep his own hands clean.

William Spencer arrived in town and
only added to the mix. The fop wanted to be Ravensford’s only heir
the only way left to him. He pushed the matter even further when
Lady Ravensford presented her husband with a legal heir that year.
The stakes went up, and with it, the fees.

Spencer offered him half of
Ravensford’s considerable fortune to see it done, unmindful of what
the deed would cost. Ravensford would die first, made to look like
his brother-in-law killed him. The boys would die of mysterious
ailments in the future.

He was to be given the lovely widow as
a bonus. He sighed when he thought of her. The delectable beauty
was his compensation and he dearly wanted to collect. He’d been
frustrated every since she escaped him.

Then, he could retire; enjoy the fruits
of his dual life. Getting Spencer what he wanted was only part of
it. He would have it all. The idiot Spencer had no idea Ravensford
changed his will or he’d not bother going ahead with his foul
plans. Spencer would get nothing but the man’s title, and half his
wealth. The other half would be his.

Too late William would realize he
killed his cousin for nothing. While he’d have the title eventually
when his heirs died in childhood accidents, he’d be paying Thaddeus
Dench for a very long time to keep the matter quiet. Spencer would
never know it was him, having never seen his face. None would know
it was him all along, pulling all of the strings. He could retire
Dench and fade into his own life once more.

Eustace Dunne was only one of three
people who had ever seen his face. It became necessary to kill the
baronet when he set this course. The other persons would have to
die too. Using the man as a scapegoat became imperative when he
plotted all four years before.

Spencer was an idiot thinking none
would ever question Ravensford dying. The man was short-sighted
when it came to achieving his goals. No, to insure none questioned
Spencer’s involvement, the blame needed to fall upon another. Who
better than Ravensford’s deranged, destitute brother-in-law? It was
perfect, though he suspected Dunne now worried about his own
future.

Eustace went into hiding when the
magistrate raided The Lone Sparrow. His men were unsuccessful
finding him. His biggest fear was that Vale or Ravensford would
find him first.

Now Eustace came to him, wanting to
prolong matters by offering another tidbit. He’d go through the
pretense of hearing him out, even insist Spencer join them too.
Then, one of the last persons who saw his face would be eliminated.
He’d own the future Marquis of Ravensford and never need to worry
his nefarious dealings would ever catch up to him.

He chuckled with how perfect it all
was. None knew how truly clever he was. He amassed a fortune
playing Dench. He’d not let all he worked for slip away now.
Tomorrow his future would be secure. Once Dunne was dead, he could
finally move against Ravensford.

~ ~ ~

Garret arrived at his rooms early. “You
need to keep them talking as long as you can, Eustace. The longer
they linger there, the more I will hear.”

“
I will tell them you tire
of your wife and mean to send her and the children away,” Eustace
said and beamed. “I will tell them where you send her, and when.
It’s perfect.”

Garret made no comment. His nerves were
taut. He had six heavily armed men who were ready to kill on his
command. He need only hear William was involved. His cousin would
pay for what he intended. Dench would be locked up and unable to do
anything anymore.

He hadn’t thought of a fitting
punishment for William, but he’d not leave him to hatch some new
plot later on. The man was too close to gaining all that was his to
ever underestimate him again. He might give second chances to some,
but his cousin’s foul deeds sealed his fate.

“
You have to stall as long
as you dare,” Garret told him. “Delay them as long as you can
without drawing suspicion. My cousin might be an idiot, but Dench
hasn’t gone undetected because he is. Make no mistake, they mean to
kill you to cover them. Tonight would be my guess. You were right
to hide all this time.”

Eustace appeared sick to hear it, but
he knew he’d worn out his value. Dench needed him to take the fall.
He took a deep breath and stood up from the table, looking earnest
and unafraid. “I no longer care as long as my sister and her family
are safe, my lord. I go into this knowing I may die. It is all I
can do to prove myself to you both.”

“
Let us be clear on one
thing, Dunne,” Garret snapped as he bore down on him. “I mean to
put your sorry arse on a ship as soon as our business is concluded.
I assured my wife I’d watch your backside until then. The man will
be here soon. Just do as I say and all will go as
planned.”