Three Times the Scandal (30 page)

Darleston lay inside her until he’d completely softened and slipped out due to Nature’s accord. He kissed her bottom, then rolled onto his back on the bed beside her. She lay strangely quiet, her head rested upon her folded arms, so that much of her expression remained hidden.

“
Are you angry?” He stroked a hand through what remained of her flaxen hair.

She hesitated, her lids lowered. “I’m not sure. I’m still not certain it’s the sort of thing one ought to enjoy.”

“
If it feels good, why not? And you can’t deny it felt good.”

“
I don’t deny it, but,” she rubbed her face against the sheets, “it’s against God’s law.”

That just set him laughing. He couldn’t help it. Hell, what a time to suddenly involve Christ. He had little time for religious doctrine. That, in his opinion, was the province of gluttonous parsons and simpering maiden aunts. “So is indulging in any form of sex outside of wedlock, or for the purposes of anything other than procreation. You’ve been an awfully bad girl recently.”

Fortuna frowned and tugged her breeches back over her bottom, a sight that just made him long to yank them down and take her again.

“
How will Giles find us?”

He eyed her curiously. Her lip trembled. The emotions of what they’d just done were clearly catching up with her. He snuggled up close to her and threw his arm around her back. “I’ll send Ned a clue, nothing too specific, just in case it’s intercepted. There’ll be someone downstairs willing to take it.”

“
Why do they watch?” Her gazed strayed to the wall. The peepholes were virtually impossible to spot, and in fact she was gazing at entirely the wrong section.

“
The same reason you like to.” He rose from the bed and crossed to the washstand to make use of the jug and bowl. “It arouses them to watch others like themselves fuck. You should take pride in the fact that you’ve likely just given a number of men an enormous amount of pleasure.”

“
But will they expect to make free of me now?” Her eyes were the most beauteous azure blue.

He considered her. She made for a rather effete and pretty young man. “There are a few who would try. Billy for instance, but they won’t come in here.”

She joined him, and watched him perform his toilet with considerable interest. “I’ve never felt one soft,” she said.

All cleaned up, Darleston stepped back and wordlessly gave her permission to touch. Her hand closed around him, warm and delicate. She sighed, squeezed, and then jerked her wrist away fast when he started to stiffen.

“
You’re not as big as Ned, you know.” He quirked an eyebrow, to which she responded by biting her lips.

He did know. Had known it a good while.

“
But for the sake of my bottom, I’m glad.”

* * * * *

Once they were onto Oxford Street, Giles had John slow to a more typical pace so as not to attract unnecessary attention. They’d been a little longer than he’d intended, but he hoped they’d find Fortuna still abed waiting for their return. Giles breathed deeply and closed his eyes, picturing her sitting by the fire in his guest room. The room he now thought of as hers. He wasn’t sure what he’d tell her about tonight. Suggesting Macleane might contemplate murdering her was hardly going help her make a rational decision. He knew he couldn’t let her marry that man. They had to find another way of paying Macleane, assuming the man would take money. He had a feeling Macleane had specifically gone after the Star.

“
I’ve always thought my brother perverse, but I have to say you’re beating him hands down at the moment,” Neddy said, still poking at his bruised cheek. “Marry her, Giles and have done with. It’ll solve everything. I’ll even promise to hold you down while she hands over the Star of Fortune to Macleane to pay off her daddy’s debts.”

“
I’m not marrying her, Neddy. I’m not marrying anyone. Why is that so impossible to grasp?”

Neddy gave him a thin smile and closed his eyes. “I know, I know, you believe in free love. We’ve all got it now, Giles. It’s just a shame you’re so blinded by it.”

There was too much light as they turned into the square. The yellow-orange glow lit up the inside of the carriage. John stopped on the corner of the street some distance from the house. “There’s no getting any closer,” he called down when Giles stuck his head out of the window, only to be forced immediately back inside as another carriage came hurtling past and sprayed up great wave of slush.

“
Damnit, to hell! What’s going on?”

“
I don’t know, sir. A fire I think.”

Giles leapt down from the carriage, and Neddy followed. They forced their way up the street through crowds of onlookers. As they neared the source of the commotion, Giles picked up the pace. His house… Smoke clouded the entire front face.

He forced his way up the steps, horror-struck by the sight of buckets of snow and water being passed from man to man. Long flames licked at the inside of the drawing room window. The curtains were already consumed, and the glass panes sooty and cracked.

“
What the devil!” He charged past the man on the doorstep. “Leach. Leach. Where are you man?” There was no sign of his valet.

A brutal metal vice seemed to close around his heart as he thought of Fortuna lying upstairs, her golden hair smoothed across the pillow beside her, as he and Neddy had left her less than two short hours ago. He forced his way through the chain of buckets and flew through the downstairs rooms. The fire itself seemed to be contained in the drawing room, although the paint in the hallway had bubbled and peeled. A section of architrave fell at his feet as he darted towards the stairs.

Dense smoke choked the upper storey. “Fortuna,” he yelled, no longer caring who heard. He had to find her, ensure the flames hadn’t trapped her.

Ned had followed him up, and pushed a kerchief into his hand. They took one side of the corridor each, and threw open every door, bellowing her name around the cloths clamped to their noses. Each shout met with silence.

Giles sagged onto the bed in the guest room. His legs refused to take the strain of supporting him any longer. Nothing remained to suggest she’d ever been here.

She’d gone.

“
Fortuna,” he sobbed, gutted.

If she wasn’t in the house, and nor was Leach, where were they? Had he somehow missed them in the crowd outside in his eagerness to get in? What had happened here? Had Macleane found her? Had she simply returned home?

“
She wouldn’t have left without saying goodbye,” Neddy muttered, shaking his head. He started to cough, bringing up wads of sooty phlegm. “Giles, we have to get out of here. Someone must know what happened.”

Neddy pulled him upright again.

He didn’t want to leave without Fortuna. Giles retraced his steps, checked behind every door as they made their way back through the house again.

A man stumbled from the drawing room, as they reached the bottom of the stairs, thinning black hair lay plastered to his ruddy scalp. “Dovecote?” he asked, blinking at them. Soot smears covered his arms, where he’d rolled back his shirtsleeves. “Is that you? Thank the Lord. I sent a boy over to try White’s and Brooks’s but nobody had a clue where you were. We couldn’t be sure you weren’t in here.”

“
Mr. Richardson.” Dovecote grasped his neighbour’s hand. “I’ve just arrived home. Tell me, my guest, where is she?”

“
Guest, eh?” Richardson’s fire-reddened face crinkled into a frown. “We only found Leach in the building. Poor fellow had been set upon and left to die. He was out cold due to the smoke. There was no one else.”

Neddy held tight onto Giles’s shoulders. “Leach. Where is he now?”

“
Outside, outside.” Richardson ushered them towards the door. “Safer outside, though I think we have it contained.” Down the steps and into the street he pushed them, Giles resisting each step, but Neddy kept nudging him forward.

“
Richardson.” Giles came to an abrupt halt at the top of the steps. He turned deploringly to his neighbour. “My man, did he survive?”

“
Yes, yes, we pulled him out. He’s in my kitchen. Mrs. Richardson and cook are seeing he’s all right.”

“
Has he said what happened?”

“
Not a damn thing, so as I know. I told you, he was out cold. It was the noise that roused us. Mrs. Richardson’s sisters dined with us tonight and the ladies were enjoying some after dinner games when the most infernal banging started. I didn’t see the flames until I got over here. About to give you hell over disturbing the charades, I was.” He paused and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a grubby handkerchief, which left more streaks of grime than it removed. “Your front door was wide, and I’d swear there’d been a scuffle. Hard to tell though, and of course the priority was the fire. I’m afraid the drawing room is in a poor way.”

“
Never mind the drawing room,” snapped Giles, nausea, fear and a murderous rage broiling beneath his skin. “A scuffle, you reckon.” Macleane’s thugs had come calling. He could think of no one else who’d be responsible.

“
Aye. As I said, your man, Leach has taken the brunt of it. Maybe it’d be best if you went in to see him.” He guided Giles towards his gate just a little further down the street. “Don’t worry about the blaze. We have it under control.” Richardson scuttled back to the bucket line and squeezed in part way along.

“
Macleane,” said Neddy. “This was no accident, Giles.”

Giles simply nodded, and even that took considerable effort. Macleane had come for Fortuna and he hadn’t been there to protect her. What a fool he’d been, gallivanting off to look for loopholes in a will. He’d been clutching at straws all night. Macleane must have caught wind of the Allenthorpe girls’ visit. It had been foolish to stay here with her after that. He should have moved somewhere else with her, but he’d been living in a dream world, pretending reality wouldn’t intrude until he was ready for it.

The bruise on Neddy’s cheek had grown livid. He patted Giles’s back. “Don’t let this eat you up yet. We don’t have the facts yet.”

Leach was not in the Richardson’s kitchen. Instead, he lay propped up on a sofa in the family parlour. The local physician, Dr. Ashby, who practiced out of Curzon Street, was bent low over him, examining the contusions on his stomach, when Giles and Neddy entered.

The doctor removed his spectacles before addressing Giles. “He’ll mend, providing he’s kept off his feet while the bones knit back together. He’s taken a severe beating. You’ll do well to reward him. He’s kept your valuables safe.”

“
Leach,” Giles leaned over his manservant. In addition to his cracked ribs, one eye was so badly bruised it resembled a split ripe plum. Leach squinted up at his master, and tried to rise.

“
Good God, man,” Giles pushed him back down. “Stay still. What the devil happened? Where’s Miss Allenthorpe?”

“
Fine. Safe,” Leach croaked. He waved his battered hand for a drink, which the eldest of Richardson’s daughters delivered with considerable care. Lips moistened, but his voice still crackly, Leach beckoned Giles closer. “My Lord Darleston came. He took her just before they arrived. A few minutes. I barely had time to follow his instructions. He knew. Had me dispose of her things.”

“
If my brother knew Macleane was on the way, he must have learned it after he left us.” Neddy joined their huddle. He too supped an offered drink. “She’s safe, Giles. Robert wouldn’t let any harm become her.”

“
Lady Darleston…with Macleane…” Leach stuttered. “They came looking for Miss Allenthorpe. Had his men break the lock to get in. I did try to stop them.”

“
I can see that.”

“
Probably the same three Robert warned off Gabriel.” Neddy sought his gaze, but Giles couldn’t bear to make eye contact. Instead, he curled his palm over Leach’s bandaged hands.

“
Did me best, sir. Wasn’t no good them thumping me. I don’t know where he’s taken her. He wouldn’t tell me. Said it were too risky, and that he’d send word once they were settled via Neddy.”

Giles stiffened and he pulled himself straight, panic bells sounding again inside his head. “But he knew you were with me,” he said accusingly, staring at Neddy.

“
That’s enough,” said Mrs. Richardson, bustling towards them. She fanned them away from Leach and tucked a blanket up to the man’s chin. “He needs his rest. You heard him, doctor said so.”

“
Have him sleep off the worst,” said Dr. Ashby. “I’ve given him laudanum. See he takes more when he comes to, and nothing but broth and water to pass his lips. I’ll call back tomorrow.” Having gathered his things, he gave Giles a farewell nod. “Mr. Dovecote.”

Giles dug in his pocket and put the contents into Mrs. Richardson’s hand to pay for Leach’s treatment. “See he’s taken care of,” he said, closing her fingers over the coins.

They left the Richardson’s residence and wound their way back to the carriage, leaving Richardson to the task of saving the house. John had joined the chain of men wielding snow-filled buckets. The flames were gone from the downstairs windows. “It all seems under control,” Neddy observed.

Back inside his stationary carriage, Giles bowed his head and dug his knuckles into his eyes.

“
She’s safe, Giles.”

“
Is she?” He looked up hopefully at his friend still unconvinced. “So where is she? Where’s your devil of a brother taken her, and why no message?”