Taming the Wicked Wulfe (The Rogue Agents) (49 page)

“Yes, my lord,” the man’s quick appearance indicated that he had merely been waiting for
 
Thorn to decide what he would do.

“Gather my horse.”

“I will accompany you.”

Thorn looked at the man, but knew he could not talk the other man out of his decision.
 
“Ladies, if you will pardon me,” he swept past the two women, then paused, turning towards them.
 
“Do not leave this house.
 
I can protect all of you, but only if you remain here.”

“Of course, Wulfe,” Gertie replied.

“Bring my daughter home safely,” Edith instructed.
 
Thorn merely nodded before leaving.

***

Thorn arrived quickly at Walsh’s residence, not having spared the horses.
 
“Stay here,” he instructed Barkley, before marching up to the front door and pounding on it.
 
The same elderly man opened it that had opened it earlier.
 
“I have business with Walsh.”

“I’m sorry, but it is past receiving hours.
 
You will have to return tomorrow at a decent hour.”

“The hell I will,” Thorn said and pushed back the old man, who was stronger than he appeared.

“It is all right Cummings, Lord Wulfe and I have business to discuss.
 
Come in Wulfe, and make yourself at home.
 
Have a seat.”

“I’ll stand,” Thorn countered.

Walsh shrugged.
 
“Drink?”

“Where is she?”
 
There was a pregnant silence in the room.
 
“Don’t tell me you haven’t a clue as to what I am talking about.
 
I want my wife back, hale and hearty.”

“I truly hate that it has come to this.
 
I had hoped you could take some time and see the merit of our endeavor.”
 

Before Walsh could reach the safety of his chair, Thorn backed him into the wall, pinning him in place.
 
“Where is she, you bastard?
 
Where’s my wife?”

“Tsk, tsk.
 
This is not the way to find out.
 
You see, I know who you are Wulfe, or rather what you are.
 
I know that you are an agent for the Crown.
 
I know that you work for McKenzie at the War Office.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Come now, don’t play me for the fool.
 
I am a duke, a peer of the realm, and a member of Parliament.
 
I may be young, but my father taught me well and left me well-connected.
 
Now, shall we try this again?
 
I know who and what you are, Wulfe.
 
I want your help.”

“Dammit, Walsh, I will know how you found out.”

“I have my methods.”

“Aimée.”

“Never trust a woman with your secrets.”

“I never told her.”

“Oh, but she knew just the same, and that was your mistake.
 
She might have said she did not love you, but a woman scorned is still a woman scorned.”

“Where is Rebekah?” Thorn slammed him against the wall once more.
 

“I suggest you let me go before Tiny and John take care of matters.
 
You see Tiny might not be completely well after his little run-in with your wife, but he is very angry.
 
His anger is directly linked to his trigger finger.
 
Make him angry and it tends to jerk.
 
If you threaten me, it will make him angry.
 
And as I told your wife, John wants to very badly avenge his brother’s honor.
 
Should anything happen to me, he has my permission to do whatever he wishes to the lovely Rebekah,” Walsh whispered in Thorn’s ear.
 
“Anything.”

For the first time since entering the room, Thorn saw two rather large men over in one corner, one stood and one sat.
 
The one standing smiled lasciviously.
 
“Aye, I’ll have a fine time with the wench before I off her.”

“You touch one hair on her head, and I’ll kill you!”
 
He turned back to the man still pinned against the wall. “Now, what do you want, you bastard?”

“First, put me down.
 
This has become quite tedious, don’t you agree?
 
Besides, what kind of lesson are you teaching those of us moving up as peers?
 
I mean, do you just go barging into every man’s house and threaten him?”

“Only those that threaten to harm my family.
 
You told me you would allow me to have time to consider.”

“And you were taking too long.
 
You needed a little incentive.
 
You are just as concerned with the state of England as we are.”
 

“Enough of the games, Walsh.
 
Tell me what you want.”

“You are the one that is drawing this out Wulfe.
 
I have told you what we want, well, not specifically, but we will get to that.
 
We want Prinny gone.
 
We want to draw an end to the embarrassment Prinny is causing the country.
 
His extravagant spending, his lack of commitment to ending the war, and his attempt at ending his marriage.
 
He is a disgrace to all that is good and dignified about England.
 
Everything that our fathers and grandfathers stood for.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“He is going to have a little accident.”

“How?”

“That is where you come in, Lord Wulfe.”

“What do you mean?”

“Why, you are going to assassinate the Prince Regent.
 
Then and only then will you get your wife back.
 
Should you fail, you forfeit her life.”

“The twins,” he said the thought aloud, unable to help himself.

“Are perfectly safe in the little fortress you have created.
 
I have no desire to be known as a child killer,” the younger man shivered delicately.
 
“Your mother-in-law and your dear wife’s cousin are also perfectly safe.”

“What is your plan?”

“You’re in, then?”

“It seems I have little choice.”

“Yes, well, enough of that.
 
We have told our wives and mothers what an excellent idea it would be to celebrate the Prince Regent’s birthday.
 
What with his father having to be isolated last year, Queen Charlotte has been quite depressed.
 
We know how much she loves the King, and to see him like that, well it must be so hard to bear.”

“Where is the party to take place?”

“You mean you have not received your invitation?”

“I am hardly the type of man the Queen would allow entrance to her home.”

“True.
 
Tomorrow night, at the most nostalgic location for Queen Charlotte.
 
Buckingham House is where all of her children except Prinny were born.
 
That is where she spent the happiest times with her family and husband.”

“You want to use the river that runs beneath it,” Thorn supplied the last piece of the puzzle as he realized the best way to do away with a large group that supported Prinny.
 
Many of the small rivers and tributaries that ran through London and emptied into the Thames were slowly being forced underground.
 
They had forever been used to aid in sewage control, but now that the London population was ever growing, the space that the rivers took up were needed for buildings and houses.

“It is rather convenient,” Walsh said.

“You do know that you are not just going to remove the Prince Regent, you will also be doing away with a large part of the
ton
.”

“His supporters.
 
Those that believe they are controlling his every move, when in truth they are doing no such thing.”

“What do you expect me to do?”

“Wulfe, must I do all the thinking for you?
 
If I recall correctly, you and some others from the War Office recently took a prominent inventor to a secret hiding location.
 
An inventor that specializes in military gadgetry and explosives.”

“I had nothing to do with that.
 
I don’t know who took him or where.”

“Oh, but I think you do.
 
You see, McKenzie thinks very highly of you.
 
You are the little brother of his best friend.
 
You look shocked.
 
I told you, I know everything, Thorn.
 
Nothing is a secret from me or the members of my group.”

“If he can set an explosion that will rock Buckingham House, do you know how many innocent people besides Prinny will be murdered?”

“Sometimes lives must be forfeit for a greater purpose.”

“What if it rains and the tunnel floods?”

“I am certain you will have an alternate plan in place.”

“I will do what I can, but you are not leaving me very much time.
 
The party is tomorrow night, and my director is fighting for his life because someone saw fit to nearly beat him to death.” Thorn cut a look at the two giants in the corner.

“Hence, why taking your wife became a necessity.
 
I had to force you to see it from our side.
 
Though, that is too bad about your director.
 
It would have gone much better for him if he had just given us the information that we needed.
 
I do so hate it when bastards are appointed to a public office and believe they are so much better than anyone else.”
 
The man stretched and yawned.
 
“I find I am rather tired.
 
If you will excuse me.”
 
Walsh pushed away from his desk and casually walked around it.
 
“Cummings will see you out, and next time, do try to pick a more decent hour to visit.”
 

Thorn watched the younger man strut to the door as if he were a gambler that held all the cards.
 
He wanted to kill him where he stood, but knew that was not going to do anyone any good, especially not Rebekah.
 

“By the way, I am looking forward to quite a spectacular fireworks show tomorrow night,” the man grinned evilly before turning and disappearing into the dark recesses of his house.
 

Chapter 26

Thorn rode up to the house alone.
 
He had left Barkley behind to monitor the activities of the Duke of Walsh.
 
As he dismounted, he heard a rustling in the hedges.
 
He stormed over, reached in, and fished around until he was able to clasp his hand around an arm.
 
Wulfe pulled and heard an indelicate “Ow!” in a very familiar voice.

“Come out of there, Aimée.”

“Hush!
 
He can’t know that I am here.
 
Meet me in your garden.”

“Why should I?”

“Because I might just be able to help you.”

“Fine.”
 
He left and stomped up the walk to the front door.
 
His anger caused him to fight with the key, unable to get it to meet up with the hole in the lock.

“Welcome home, my lord,” the footman assigned that particular shift opened the door.
 

“Any word from Lady Wulfe?”

“No, my lord.”

“Very well.
 
Make sure that everything is securely locked.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“I am going into the gardens for a few moments.
 
I need some fresh air.”
 
The footman bobbed and went about his duties, not saying that he though it odd the master was going outside after just having come from there.
 
Thorn went to his study without lighting any lamps, unlocked and opened the veranda doors, then slipped outside.
 
“Aimée, where are you?”

“Here,” she stood in the dark shadows cast by an evergreen.
 
The moon was a half moon, casting things in silvery light and shadows.
 
Whispery clouds floated by, adding to the shades and patterns on the ground.
 
“I take it you have not found your wife yet?”

“No.
 
Do you know where she is?”

“No.
 
I know where she was.
 
He had her at his house.
 
I wrote the letter, but that was her blood.
 
He cut her hand.”

“Is she all right?”

“She was, last time I saw her.
 
He had give John instructions to take her somewhere.”

“Why does John seem to hate Rebekah so much?”

“Evidently she unmanned his brother.”

“So, that’s it,” he couldn’t help but chuckle as he thought back to that day.
 
She had been both frightened and brave.
 
If Barkley had not been there to verify her story, he would have doubted her capable of carrying out such an action.