Authors: Nichole Matthews
It took all of his will to smooth out the frown that furrowed his brow.
Stretching his legs out, he sipped his brandy and idly watched Granville toy with a blonde shackled and spread across a rough wooden table. The girl’s eyes squeezed shut from pain or pleasure. He couldn’t be sure.
He lifted his eyes
and caught the redhead’s pleading gaze and he froze for a long breath.
In that brief second, his steel-blue eyes promised retribution.
Granville would pay, especially when these sickening games had nearly
devastated his brother’s life.
He would destroy him for that sin alone.
But he also knew that Granville was not a man to be trifled with. He would need to tread lightly if he was going to be able to fulfill all of the promises he had made.
He curled his right hand into a fist.
Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;
Threescore men and threescore more,
Could not place Humpty as he was before.
S
prawled in a deep wingback chair by the fire
, Granville stared at the pale, thin excuse for a man standing before him. Dark circles ringed his sunken eyes. A dead giveaway that he had not slept properly for days, perhaps even weeks, and had sunk back into his vile habit for opium.
Of course that is what he had given him the blunt for in the hopes that he would eliminate himself before he had to do it for him. He was be
coming too much of a liability.
Roberts had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach causing him to
tremble as he stood before Granville
.
Granville crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his leather chair regarding Roberts thoughtfully. “I have learned some new details that you might find interesting.” His eyes gleamed eerily in the firelight. “Why don’t you sit down?”
Roberts swallowed noticeably as he scrambled to obey, the expensive leather
creaking as he sank back into the available
chair.
“Do you know anything about my ring?”
“Know what?” Roberts asked with a puzzled look.
Granville raised his brow.
“No, my lord.”
Granville said nothing.
“What am I missing?” Roberts
’
voice was defensive, his eyes shifting to the other men in the room.
Granville shook his head, his green eyes staring a hole through him. “I’m sorely disappointed in you, Roberts. I gave you a lot of money to take yourself away and live comfortably for the rest of your life and you waste it in a matter of months on…” he waved his hand around negligently, “… drugs.” His condescending tone sent shivers of fear down Robert’s spine.
“You were the last one to have access to my person.”
“It’s
big. It’s gold. It has a sapphire
.” Roberts grumbled. “Why?” The question came out in a gravelly whisper.
“You may leave.” Granville’s
voice was like silk as he spoke to the other men in the room. He waited until the door closed.
“Wh
at?” Robert
s
’
voice a
panicked
whine now.
Granville stood. “Would you care for a drink?” As he walked past
, he trailed his finger over Robert’s
jaw in a deeply intimate gesture.
Roberts’ eyes were wide with fear.
“It will help
you to
relax,” Granville murmured.
Robert
s nodded his head slowly.
“You no longer hold any value to me.”
A cold sweat broke out on Rob
er
t
s
’
forehead as he sat paralyzed with fear.
Fuck, fuck, fuck. What had he gotten himself into?
Why had he been such a weak excuse for a man?
“I think it would be best if we drink to our past, and end our association now.” Granville handed him a cut
-
glass crystal tumbler filled with amber liquid.
Roberts
’
glass held the same, so he
took a deep swallow to ease his nervousness, then flinched at the evil twist that appeared on Granville’s face.
A moment later,
Roberts
clutched at his throat unable to breathe.
Granville
leaned forward, his arms braced on the desk, satisfaction
glowing
in his eyes.
“Cyanide,” Granville stated matter-of-factly. “Quite affective, and less of a mess.”
Roberts gasped in a
ragged
breath
unable to speak
.
Granville smiled when it lo
oked like it was going to be Roberts
last.
He walked to the bell pull and waited, turning at the scratching on the door.
“My lord,” the voice asked.
Granville gestured with his head to the body slumped in the chair. “Get rid of it.”
***
Fothergil
sat still in the chair
opposite Lord Ashford’s desk next to Rockwell and waited for his reaction, knowing it was not going to be good.
“What the fuck!” Parker slammed his palms flat against the blotter on his desk, raising his eyes from the information
Fothergil
had collected while he had been in London. “It’s not possible.” What had she endured? How had she escaped? Grateful that she had been so lucky. Angry at the men who tortured her, who caused her to shrink away from life.
“I’m afraid it is, my lord.”
Fothergil
nodded.
“All this time and
he
was the one
all along
.” Parker grimaced as he thought of it, his jaw tightening in rage as he handed the information
over
to Rockwell. “Someone must have been sleeping when they were
supposed to be investigating Miss
Mayton’s
death
,” he snapped. “These men are far from the most intelligent.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Fothergil’s
eyes held a hint of sympathy.
“
You are positive h
e is part of the same group of men whose activi
ties insured Miss
Mayton’s
death
.”
Rockwell looked up after examining the information
, his eyes hardened glints of amber
.
Parker couldn’t believe it.
It couldn’t be this simple. He turned his eyes to Rockwell. “How did we miss this?” Anticipation rippled through him. This was what he had been waiting for. Years of investigating, of searching out clues
to finally have an answer
sent waves of relief washing over his soul
. He had heard there was a group of peers who acted out their innumerable perversions, but no one k
new where. And those that did wouldn’t
talk.
This club
was p
robably one of the best kept secrets of the ton. It was by invitation only and no matter the reputation he cultivated, he was unable to gain access to their circle.
There hadn’t even been a strong suspect in
the years since Miss
Mayton’s
death
. He or they were an anomaly, a shadow. Now he knew why.
Money.
Power.
Name.
Bile rose quickly to his throat almost c
hocking him, o
n the verge of making
him physically ill. How many had suffered while he had seemingly searched in vain? How many more had paid the ultimate pri
ce? He prayed to God
none, but he knew in his heart of hearts that was a child’s fantasy.
The bastard responsible
would pay.
He
would pay for his part in causing Miss Smith and Tillie’s pain.
Rockwell gave Parker a sympathetic look. “Because he pays a lot of blunt and the other men involv
ed pay a lot of blunt to keep their evil deeds
a secret.”
“So what happened to Miss
Mayton
wasn’t an accident?” Parker questioned
, seeking confirmation
.
“No, my lord,”
Fothergil
replied. “Based on the new information I’ve uncovered, I believe it was a sexual encounter that went awry.”
“How is that possible?”
Parker
shook his head
, feeling unbelievabl
y
naive
. “She was a young, unmarried lady.”
“She wouldn’t be the first unmarried lady who was led astray, Ash,” Rockwell reminded.
“She must have known too much,” Parker added.
Fothergil
spoke up, “Granville’s group of men have a multitude of
indulgences
. Some
tame, some not so tame, and some involving women with their innocence still intact.
”
Parker’s head shot up. “There are enough women willing to do the despicable acts they are accused of without taking an innocent.”
“Roberts paid for an innocent,”
Fothergil
added. “He is the third son of a peer, no chance of inheriting the title and very little funds remain
ing
.
Perhaps this made him feel powerful?
”
Rockwell added, “I’ve heard he became addicted to opium during his extensive travels
abroad
a few years back and will do anything to feed that hunger.”
“I’m going to kill him.” Parker’s eyes were hard as he came out of his chair and stood
. Then unable to remain still, he began an agitated pace
around the desk
,
anger surging through him demanding action of some kind, any kind. So young. Twenty-one perhaps and yet forced to endure more than anyone should have to in such a short life. He had witnessed the haunted pain in her eyes too many times and now he was going to make it right. Eliminate the object of her fears so that she could feel safe.
Rockwell’s loud sigh was one of resignation, standing to follow Parker. “I’ll tag along to see that you don’t.”
“My lord, there’s more.” Parker watched as
Fothergil’s
throat worked, before he spoke. “
His
name has been linked with these circles.”
Rockwell turned his sharp stare to Parker.
“What?”
Parker’s expression blackened.
“
Son of a bitch
.”
Then a
ll
of a sudden
the color drained fr
om hi
s face. “I don’t believe what you are saying.”
“I have proof.”
Fothergil’s
brow furrowed.
Parker froze inside at
Fothergil’s
wor
ds. “He would never…” His
voice trailed off as he saw the look on his secretary’s face. “
Y
ou
say you
have proof?”
Fothergil
reached for a file on the desk
,
holding it out
to him
.
Parker
stalked back to his desk
and grabbed the file.
His jaw tightened as he stared
coolly
at the contents contained within
.
There in black and white showed dates and times. He pushed h
is fingers through his hair as he shot unfocused
eyes
in
Rockwell
’s general direction. A bitter smile twisted
his lips.
“Ash?” Rockwell said carefully
and when Parker didn’t respond he tried again
, “
Parker?” He laid his hand on Parker’s arm and he
jerked at the touch.
“There ha
ve
been no rumors, not so muc
h as a hint that he did this,” Parker
murmured
, shaking his head in denial
. “He assured me time and time again that these things were cultivated to enhance his r
eputation only.” A frown marred
his brow;
he seemed to stare off into nothing. “It’s too late tonight. The women are
decorating;
don’t let them become aware of this info
rmation. Get some sleep
, we’ll leave first thing in the morning.”
Parker
dropped
into the chair behind him, pushing
his fingers tiredly through his hair, and sighed. For years he had searched. He
had wanted to clear his name.
He di
dn’t want to leave this world wi
th this cloud of suspicion hove
ring over the Peregrine family, over the m
arquisette. He had wanted
answers
, but he didn’t want this.