Good Earl Gone Bad (30 page)

Hermione was silent for a moment, and Jasper worried that he'd gone too far.

“I cannot believe I was so gullible,” she said finally, in a scandalized whisper. “How utterly self-important of me to think I was the only lady with the skills to be invited into the club.”

“Do not be too hard on yourself,” he said, soothing her with a stroke down her back. “He was very persuasive, I'm sure.”

“But how could having me as a club member help him get my horses from me?” she asked, still confused. “It's not as if I'd simply give them over to him because I was a club member.”

“No,” Jasper said, wrapping his arms around her. “He wanted you in the club so that he could claim friendship with you and then perhaps convince you to sell them to him.”

“But he never even asked!”

“There was no time to do so,” he explained. “Before you could even go on your first promenade with the club your father lost them to Lord Saintcrow.”

“So, it was Lord Payne who killed Saintcrow?” she asked, shocked. “I must confess, I hadn't thought him capable of such a thing. He isn't an especially warm man, but I didn't think him a killer.”

“And he may not be,” Jasper assured her. “I think it was actually Fleetwood who killed Saintcrow. According to Payne, the two were thick as thieves. And the man at Tattersall's said it was Fleetwood who was there the day after Mr. Wingate purchased the grays on your behalf. I think it likely that Fleetwood sent Saintcrow to persuade your father to worst them and then Saintcrow double-crossed Fleetwood.”

“But why?” she asked. “They are beautiful and spirited, but they are hardly the most brilliantly pedigreed horses in the world. I thought I was getting a bargain because of it, but clearly someone thinks they are valuable enough to kill for them.”

“Do you recall how I told you I was looking into Fleetwood for the Home Office?” he asked. “I believe that Payne is somehow involved with the theft ring and that someone—perhaps Fleetwood—mistakenly put your grays up for sale at Tatt's.”

“What's so damning about that?”

“Tattersall's is one of the most prestigious venues for horses to be bought and sold. And I think someone didn't wish your grays to be looked at too carefully. Which is not likely at someplace like that. Certainly not in a place where their horses are seen by hundreds of men in a day.”

“You mean they were afraid their true owner would recognize them?” she asked, frowning.

“Precisely,” he agreed. “Or that they would realize that they didn't start off life as pure grays.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Do you recall how Rosencrantz always grows uneasy when you attempt to scratch him between his eyes?” Jasper asked.

“I thought he just didn't like it,” she admitted. “Some horses don't. So I just stroke his neck.”

“I think your Rosencrantz began life with a white marking between his eyes,” Jasper said. “And I think someone dyed it before you bought him at Tatt's.”

“So they're not matched?” she asked.

“Very likely not,” Jasper said with a nod. “I believe their distinguishing marks were covered up so that their true owners wouldn't recognize them.”

“Does Papa know?” she asked, a hand to her chest. “Was that why he was so keen to wager with them?”

He wanted more than anything to let her have the illusion that her father had been acting in her best interests. But he knew she would not like being lied to again. “I don't think he knew when he lost them to Saintcrow, no.”

“But Saintcrow knew,” she said with a frown. “Because he was working with Fleetwood from the start. And instead of giving them back to Fleetwood when he won them from Papa, he double-crossed him?”

“I think it's very likely.” Jasper nodded. “Perhaps Saintcrow wanted more money than Fleetwood was willing to give him for managing to win the horses from your father. It's a risk a man involved in any sort of criminal dealings must take when he trusts someone else.”

“Perhaps we'll never know why,” Hermione said thougtfully. “If Saintcrow was planning to marry Miss Fleetwood, then perhaps he was going to attempt to turn over a new leaf. And he needed the extra money to do it.”

“And before Fleetwood could manage to get the horses from Saintcrow's stables,” Jasper said, “I bought them from Saintcrow's heir.”

“And now Fleetwood has stolen them again,” she said, shaking her head. “Do they not consider that by stealing them they are just alerting us to the fact that there is something amiss with them?”

“I think at this point, he feels he has nothing left to lose,” Jasper said grimly. “One man is dead, another is lying abed with a cut across his throat, and they risked injuring you. That's the murder of one peer and the attempted murder of two others. Once they're caught they will be shown no mercy.”

Hermione was quiet for a little while.

Finally, she asked, “Why attack my father? He was no longer in possession of the horses when he was waylaid. And he never even went to the stables to see them once while I had them.”

“I believe that once he learned of Saintcrow's murder, your father figured out that there was something amiss with those horses.” Jasper frowned. “Unfortunately, knowing your father and his constant desire to have more money with which to gamble, I am afraid he figured out who it was that killed Saintcrow and decided to blackmail them.”

Hermione gasped. When her eyes filled with tears, he pulled her against him. “I am so sorry, my dear. I would not tell you such a thing for the world, but I'm afraid it's the only thing that makes sense.”

“Foolish, foolish man,” she said through her tears. “He was so desperate for the next game. The next win. And it almost killed him.”

“But he survived,” Jasper said, kissing the top of her head. “That is the important thing. And I will make sure that the man responsible for hurting him is brought to justice.”

“If not Fleetwood, then who?” she demanded.

But before Jasper could speak, a throat cleared, startling them both.

“I hate to interrupt this charming little tête-à-tête,” said Lord Payne from behind them. “But I'm afraid I'll have to stop you now.”

 

Twenty-two

Hermione leaped up from Jasper's lap and Jasper stood, slipping his arm around her waist.

“What a sweet couple you make,” said Payne with a shake of his head as he leveled his pistol at them. “I truly did not have anything against you, Lady Mainwaring. If I had to open the club to a lady, you were as fine a driver as any lady I'd ever seen behind the reins.”

“But you only invited me to join because of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern,” she said flatly.

If she thought he'd be shamed by her accusation, Hermione was to be grossly mistaken.

“I'm afraid so,” he agreed. “But truly, you are a splendid driver. It's too bad you had the bad fortune to buy those bloody grays out from under me. I'm still not sure how they made it to Tatt's. My ridiculous brother, in all likelihood. But the minute I saw them I knew they were the ones we'd nicked from Lord Carston in Yorkshire. And I couldn't take the chance that he'd see them being driven about town. Imagine my shock when your man of business bought them before they were even put to auction.”

“What must you have thought when you saw me drive them to the promenade that day,” Hermione said with a shake of her head.

“I'm afraid what I was thinking wasn't fit for a lady's ears,” he said with a rueful grin. “I was so relieved when Saintcrow came and took them before the procession could begin. It's too bad my brother had to kill him, but the damned fool got greedy. He had agreed with Robert to hand them over when he won them from your father, and then once he had them in his possession he threatened to turn us all over to the authorities if we didn't pay his price. And we couldn't let that happen. They hang horse thieves, you know…”

Clearly he assumed that she'd not realized the horses were stolen because she was a silly lady, Hermione surmised. She never thought she'd be grateful for being thought foolish because of her sex, but she would be more than happy to accept his derision in this instance.

“Why didn't you take them from Lord Saintcrow's stables immediately?” Jasper asked, keeping Hermione close to him.

“Robert was interrupted at Saintcrow's house,” said Payne with a grimace. “I ended up slipping out through the servant's entrance. Was a close thing, too. And then whoever it was contacted the authorities and neither of us dared to go back until it was too late. By the time I got there Saintcrow's damned heir had already sold them to you, Mainwaring. I have to admit you were the last man I'd expected to buy them considering your antipathy for driving.”

“They were a wedding gift for my bride, Payne,” Jasper drawled. “Unfortunately they were stolen from my stables not long after.”

“Sorry about that, old fellow,” Lord Payne said with a laugh. “Nothing personal, you understand.”

“I'm afraid I find assaults on my wife very personal indeed, Payne,” Jasper said with a growl.

Hermione was startled to see that instead of remorse, Lord Payne looked like a schoolboy who'd been caught in a prank.

“I couldn't very well let her see me,” he said reasonably, as if it could all be explained away. “Besides, she seems well enough now. If you want her out of harm's way, then keep her on a shorter leash.”

She felt Jasper stiffen beside her. She knew he was angrier with Payne than he was letting on. It was one of the reasons she loved him.

The thought startled her and she realized it was true. She loved her husband.

If only she hadn't been so foolish as to realize it when they were being held at gunpoint.

“I'll have to keep your advice in mind, Payne,” Jasper said, drawing her from her thoughts. “But just now, I think I'd prefer it if you would simply put down your pistol and let Lady Mainwaring and myself go on about our business.”

But Payne wasn't in any mood for giving concessions. “I'm afraid I can't do that, old fellow,” he said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. “You two know far too much about my business now. Do you really think I would have told you all of that if I intended to let you go on about
your
business?”

“I think you don't wish to compound your crimes with the murder of a lady,” Jasper said firmly. “I think you are, despite your illegal behavior thus far, a man who abhors hurting women. Else you'd have killed Miss Fleetwood when she discovered her husband's involvement with your schemes.”

At the mention of Miss Fleetwood or rather Mrs. Fleetwood, Hermione couldn't hold back a gasp of shock. But it must be true because Lord Payne's jaw tightened and if his eyes were able to fire bullets Jasper would be dead.

And suddenly she recalled that day she'd seen Mr. Fleetwood kissing his sister in the garden. Of course they were husband and wife.

“I might have known you'd guess my sister-in-law's true relationship with my brother,” Lord Payne said with a scowl. “If you were hoping to save yourself and your lady wife, I fear revealing that was not the way to go about it, Mainwaring. Their brother and sister act came in handy. With Saintcrow and with you. Indeed her faux betrothal to Saintcrow allowed us to learn what your little wife knew about our movements on the day of your wedding.”

“I should have known she was lying,” Hermione said with a shake of her head. “She was trying to gain my trust and sympathy. And even today I came to see if she needed my help.”

“I fear she was truly asking for your help, today,” Payne ground out. “And she will pay for that as soon as I dispense with the two of you.”

“Oh, but I disagree,” Jasper said coolly. “For I fear that at the moment Miss Fleetwood is in the capable hands of my friend the Duke of Trent.”

Hermione was shocked to see that Payne's expression could turn harder. “What do you mean?”

“Just that the Duke of Trent has removed Mrs. Fleetwood from her husband's house and has taken her to stay in a safe location. I have every reason to believe that she has been filling his ears with all sorts of tales. And no doubt Trent has alerted my friends at the Home Office to the fact that you are currently here in the late Lord Upperton's home.”

Instead of looking unhappy at Jasper's revelation, Lord Payne actually smiled. “But there is no reason for that to alarm them,” he said, grinning. “I own this house.”

Hermione's heart sank. She'd had no idea that Lord Payne owned the house she and her father had rented. Could Lord Payne really talk his way out of the grasp of the authorities by explaining his presence in the house? She could almost hear him revealing that he thought he'd come by to look over his property now that Lord Upperton was dead and that he'd thought he heard intruders. It would be so terribly easy. Especially since most of the servants had come with the house and were loyal to him.

But Jasper didn't seem to notice. “I know that,” he said with an answering smile. “And the one next door. Do you think we would have investigated Fleetwood without finding out who owned his rental house? Sometimes it's the small connections between people that end up tying the noose, so to speak.”

“Then what do I possibly have to lose?” Lord Payne asked with a snarl. And to Hermione's horror, he lifted his pistol and aimed it at Jasper.

“No!” she cried out, even as Jasper pushed her to the floor. And before she knew what was happening a loud gunshot rang out.

*   *   *

“Jasper!” she shouted, struggling to her feet, not caring if Lord Payne came at her. He'd used his shot, now he would have to kill her with his bare hands.

“Easy,” Jasper said, helping her to her feet. “Hermione, it's all right. I haven't been shot.”