An Earl's Guide to Catch a Lady (20 page)

Madeleine nodded. “Yes,” she replied in a tired voice. “Just a bit scared.”

“Everything is going to be fine,” James put in behind them.

Madeleine took a step back at the sight of James, a frown gathering on her forehead. Wes took note of her retreat and put a protective arm around her shoulders.

“Where’s the boat?” Evelyn asked, her eyes squinting in search of the elusive boat.

Madeleine was to board a ship, anchored a few miles off shore. The exact location of the ship only the captain had knowledge of. It was safer that way, should Madeleine’s father ever find out one of them had been involved in her disappearance, which he would most likely have noticed by now. But no one waited at the docks to receive them.

Poor Madeleine had suffered a great deal at the hands of her father. The last time he beat her so badly she hadn’t been able walk for three weeks, it was then that Jo and her group came together to rescue the dear.

“Late,” Wes muttered.

“If the boat doesn’t arrive in ten we move to plan B,” James said with a steely edge to his voice. He wasn’t a man for complications. “We dare not wait any longer or we risk being caught.”

“I agree,” Jo said with a nod. “It won’t end well if we get caught now.”

“My-y father would k-kill me,” Madeleine stammered nervously, moving closer to Wes.

To all probing eyes it appeared she’d formed an attachment to their friend.

“Don’t worry Maddy. I won’t let anything happen to you,” Wes reassured.

“I would like to wring that bastard’s neck,” James grumbled.

Evelyn wished that he would. In fact, she was tempted to do it herself. If only she had big arms like James. Madeleine’s father, the Marquis of Marlborough, needed to be brought to justice for what he had done to his daughter. Unfortunately, no laws protected women against this kind of violence. The Marquis was her father and therefore her legal guardian; therefore she was his property to be done with as he pleased.

Evelyn was suddenly grateful for her brother who loved her beyond a doubt, even if he was at times too meddlesome for his own good. Madeleine had never known such love.  

“What can be keeping them?” Evelyn said impatiently.

“They are sea folk, they don’t give a damn about time,” James said in a dark whisper.

“Or they are foxed,” Wes grumbled, peering over the docks with a frown.

Jo sighed and started to pace. Her friend’s frustration bled from her limbs.

“Something’s wrong,” Jo muttered absently.

Evelyn agreed. The ship’s captain had been briefed on the importance and delicate nature of the situation, and the quick execution of it. Their operation would fail without his cooperation and they’d come too far to fail now.

“I don’t normally say this but I have an increasingly bad feeling.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. In all honesty, things had gone too smoothly. From the moment they’d arrived at the ball, the perfect reaction when Charlotte arrived on Matthew’s arm and her humiliating departure. He hadn’t even made a move to extract himself from her person. Evelyn blinked away that disturbing image. She was furious with him. Still, their plan proceeded with perfect precision, flawless even. Jo and James had planned this operation like army generals, but where was the gunfire of the enemies?

Evelyn turned to Madeleine, “Are you nervous?”

“About starting a new life?”

Evelyn nodded.

“A little. But mostly I’m excited not to be scared all the time.”

Evelyn’s throat closed up at her admission. How could one’s parents be so cruel?

Jo smiled sympathetically, pushing a lock of Madeleine’s wavy blond hair out of her eyes.

“You'll do fine. You've got the kind of strength in you that will allow you to rise above any circumstance. I admire that in you.”

“Careful Jo,” Evelyn murmured. “You are revealing your old age.”

“What?” Jo exclaimed in mock horror, lifting the mood a bit.

Evelyn and James chuckled softly. Even Madeleine had a small smile on her lips. Wes was the only one holding a serious demeanor. 

The sudden sound of sloshing had them all frozen, listening intently and focused on the darkness beyond the docks. James cursed when they couldn’t see anything but darkness before them.

“Did you hear that?” Wes asked in a whisper, gripping Madeleine’s arm.

“I think everyone heard that,” James muttered, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

“Be quiet,” Jo admonished.

Everyone went quiet again, but no sound was detected other than the rippling of water.

Wes pulled Madeleine back into the shadows, but not before he leaned down to whisper into Evelyn’s ear, “I hope you enjoyed my gifts, early wedding presents, if you will.”

With that they both faded into the darkness of the surrounding buildings.

Evelyn watched them disappear with huge eyes. He had been her secret admirer? Goodness! Why ever would he do that? Had he wanted her to marry Matthew? She shook her head; she would dwell on that shocking revelation later.

The sloshing sound returned, diverting her attention, and James grabbed her by the shoulders when she would have taken a step toward the edge of the dock to better see what the noise might be. It would be disastrous should anyone other than who they were expecting.

“There is someone out there,” James’s voiced whipped through the night, pushing them aside to stand in front of them, shielding them from whoever lurked out there.

“I take it it's not the captains men?” Evelyn asked in a whisper, gripping the back of his coat her hands.

“No.”

For the first time since they met Evelyn saw James in all his deadliness. It defied explanation how he transformed from charming to scary so fast.

Unfamiliar sounds drew Evelyn’s attention to the darkness again. Feet landing somewhere on the docks reached their ears. About three or four pairs, if her ears did not deceive her. Evelyn peered around James when he blocked her view. Tiny ripples of shivers racked her body when four big men emerge from the darkness.

Her heart plummeted. Her pulse began to race.

Fear had her clinging tighter to James. She turned to glance at Jo. Like Evelyn she stood frozen at the sight before her, sheer disbelief and shock playing across her features. Evelyn turned her gaze back to the four men approaching, their features now very distinguishable. Well, at least it wasn’t the Marquis of Marlborough. That was something she supposed.

“I take it you both know these lads,” James said in a loud voice.

For the benefit of the approaching men, Evelyn assumed. His voice held just the right amount of indifference and she could tell the word “lads” had been deliberate. It had the desired effect on the men.

“I vote we beat him to a bloody pulp,” Damien said scathingly.

“Bloody hell, he’s a mountain,” Simon put in.

“I’ve taken on bigger,” Damien growled, assessing James.

“I’ve taken on more,” James shot back, a sly smile plastered on his face.

The other two men remained silent.

Holy stars. “What are you doing here Simon?” Evelyn asked in a clipped tone. A mistake. She regretted her question at once when all eyes turned on her with narrowed regard. She knew very well what the men were doing here.

Matthew however didn’t need to turn his gaze her way. His eyes had been locked on her since their arrival. A brief glance confirmed his gaze was not on her, but rather on her hand that gripped James’s coat. Mentally Evelyn commanded her fingers to release its hold on the coat, but her fingers only tightened. Her grip on James’s coat signified solidity where the ground had just opened beneath her.

Evelyn felt a pang of sorrow. Deep regret filled her. But anger soon sparked beneath the depth of regret. Had he not, only hours ago, been in the arms of the harlot? Well, he could stare all he wanted to, she would not let go of this coat!

His obvious glare also hadn’t escaped James’s notice.

“Well, we couldn’t miss your little party now, could we,” Simon finally said, glancing at their surroundings.

“Captain Jack was very forthcoming with information of how he was to escort a posh young lady to some unknown destination where she would start a new life, with a new identity. Care to elaborate on that?”

“No.”

Was all Evelyn said.

“Defiant until the bitter end,” Damien muttered.

“It would appear so,” Simon agreed. “Where is the sweet Lady Madeleine?”

Evelyn shot Jo a sideways glance. They knew. The pretense was over. “I believe she left.”

“With your good friend Lord Weatherpee, no doubt.”

Evelyn narrowed her eyes on her brother. “No doubt.”

“Evelyn,” Matthew started, taking a step forward.

Apparently the sight of her clutching another man’s coat with no intention of letting go was enough to bring him out of his brooding silence. Brahm, Jo’s brother, however, remained stoic and silent. How out of character for him, Evelyn mused.

“I have nothing to say to you,” she said to Matthew, her eyes cold and her voice curt. 

He froze, watching her wearily.

“I take it,” Jo spoke for the first time, directly to her brother, “you had your minions follow us around.”

“On the contrary my dear,” Brahm told her in a remarkably calm voice, “after St. Aldwyn, Westfield and Grey informed me of their suspicions, we had our minions follow your good friend, Lord Wetterby around.”

Damien shifted on his feet. “It was clear you tried to distract us from something, while someone had to be making the arrangements. It seemed a logical deduction.”

Logical indeed. Their mistake was apparent.

“It changes nothing,” Jo spat at Damien.

“It changes everything,” Brahm said.

Jo snorted. “You’ve learned our secret true, but it changes nothing.”

“You will escort Lady Madeleine back to her father,” Simon said with a voice that brooked no argument.

James’ muscles bunched. He did not like being told what to do. “There is just one problem with that plan, lad.”

“And what is that?” Simon asked, clenching his fists.

“The little lady isn’t here.”

“Where is she?” Brahm bit out.

“That’s the best part,” James replied with a smile, “We don’t know.”

“How can you not know?” Simon asked with suspicion.

Damien narrowed his eyes on all of them. “Willfully ignorant, I believe they call it. They cannot tell us where she is because Wheatby never told them.”

“What the hell were you thinking, Evelyn,” Simon snapped, “consorting with people such as this,” he glared at James, “to destroy other people’s lives.”

Evelyn’s temper exploded. “Destroy Simon?”

She marched passed James toward her brother, poking at his chest. The coat forgotten. “We are not destroying Madeleine’s life. We are saving it. Her loving father beats her so frequently she’s limped for the better part of her life. Or have you never noticed how she’s never present balls, and when she does make an appearance, she never dances. That is because she can’t,” Evelyn paused to glance at the rest of them. “He has betrothed her to a slime ball that tried to force himself on her. If it hadn’t been for James,” she said pointing in James’s direction, “and the people I consort with, he would have succeeded.”

“You are not supposed to run around saving people. That is why we have Scotland Yard.”

“What would they have done, Simon? They would have informed her father who would have beaten her for it,” she said, incredulously, not believing he could be so naïve. “Or haven’t you heard, we
silly women
have no rights, we only have silly woman
phases
.”

He flinched at his own words being tossed back at him. “It’s still not your problem,” he bit out.

“It’s everyone’s problem!” she shouted, pushing at Matthew when took a step between her and her brother. “What else are we supposed to do?”

“You could have come to me about it.”

Evelyn burst out laughing.

“You? What would you have done? Hatched some plot to manipulate her father to stop beating his daughter?”

“What the devil are you talking about?” Simon asked scowling, while Damien shook his head reverently. Her brother did not catch the telling note in her voice.

“I’m talking about,” she paused, her gaze flickering between Damien and Simon, “how you two manipulated me into fleeing to Bath, where my maid then conveniently got sick and our carriage conveniently broke down. My footman conveniently disappeared and I conveniently got my room mixed up. But let us not forget the most convenient part of all, my introduction to your dear estranged friend, the Earl of Grey, who you have now, in light our so called courtship, conveniently renewed your friendship with.”

Silence greeted her assertion. Two guilty faces stared back at her. No wonder St. Aldwyn never told Simon anything. Her brother already knew everything.

“Ah yes and don’t forget Damien’s visit to Bath,” she glanced at the rogue. “Impeccable timing, I daresay.”