One Sinful Night (28 page)

His pulse quickened at her chilling words. Aidan would not let that happen, but now he knew time was of the essence. “No, I'm going to marry her.” With that parting shot, he charged out of the house.

 

By the time he reached the Cardwell residence, the Earl of Whitlock was calculatingly calm, his mind having weighed various scenarios and possible outcomes between Harlow and Vivienne, but he needed more information. He followed the Cardwell butler into the comfortable parlor where Lord and Lady Cardwell paced frantically.

“How can this have happened?” Gilbert Cardwell blustered when he stopped pacing and noticed that Aidan had entered the room.

“Oh, Aidan, where can she be?” Lady Gwen Cardwell wailed, her pretty face drawn in concern.

“I don't know, but Vivienne did not go with Harlow willingly,” Aidan answered without hesitation.

“I didn't believe so either. I've seen the two of you together and Vivienne is quite taken with you,” Lady Cardwell continued. “But there was a note from Jackson Harlow stating they wanted to elope together.”

Aidan shook his head. “It's a lie. A ploy to throw us off. Where are Gregory and George?”

“They went to Harlow's office first, hoping to find out more, and then went looking for you,” Lord Cardwell said.

Lady Cardwell rambled on in nervousness. “I never would have suspected Mister Harlow of doing something so underhanded as to run off with Vivienne. He seemed such a nice gentleman. So charming. I knew he was quite smitten with her and disappointed that she was marrying you, but this…This is too much! I can't imagine the scandal this will cause. Do you think they are truly eloping?”

Aidan certainly hoped not yet anyway. “I think it's Jackson's plan, but definitely not Vivienne's. And not mine.”

Gregory charged through the front door at that moment, with George close on his heels. Both of their ruddy faces were more flushed than usual and their expressions worried. Another man followed behind them.

“Aidan, thank goodness you're here!” George said in obvious relief. “We kept missing you. We stopped by your office and then your house, but you had just left ahead of us.”

“Did you go to Harlow's office?” Aidan asked impatiently. “What did you find out?”

“His brother Miles was there, and just as anxious to find Harlow as we were,” Gregory explained hurriedly, his usual easy-going manner now tense and troubled. “He's come here with us.”

An older, slimmer looking version of Jackson Harlow stepped into the room. Miles Harlow stood shorter than his younger brother, seemed less vital, and wore thin wire spectacles. He removed his hat politely and nodded to the room in general. “Forgive my intrusion, but it seems this is an emergency. My brother has caused some serious trouble.”

“That's an understatement,” Aidan muttered in disgust. “What's going on? Do you know where he is?”

“I will try to be brief, since I know that Miss Montgomery's safety is at stake, and that is my main concern at this piont.” Miles Harlow cleared his throat nervously and began to explain the complex story to them. “It has only recently come to my attention that my brother Jackson had been involved with some rather unsavory characters. He has plotted to destroy our competitors. He has spent wastefully, lavishly redecorating our offices and he has run up huge debts on his personal spending. His many creditors have begun hounding us. And he has just about bankrupted our family's business with his underhanded deals and has ruined our company's good reputation.”

Aidan interrupted, “I was aware of that. I believe he arranged to steal a large cotton shipment of mine and had my storage warehouse burned to the ground.”

Miles nodded his head wearily. “That does not surprise me. I'm sorry. It seems my brother has shown his true colors. I regret that I did not notice his wrongdoings sooner and put a stop to them. I've had my suspicions of him for some time, but did not want to credit him with this sort of behavior. But just this afternoon Jackson made off with all the cash from our business safe. Every last cent.”

“How does Miss Montgomery figure into all this?” Aidan questioned with an increased sense of urgency. It was obvious to him that Jackson Harlow was a desperate man, and desperate men commit desperate acts. The thought of Vivienne with him turned his stomach.

Miles continued in his quiet and earnest manner. “Apparently there was a falling out between our other brother, Davis, and Captain John Montgomery over some land they had claimed in South Africa. Captain Montgomery informed me of this situation and told me he was giving the land to his only child for her future. Unfortunately, I was very ill for many months, and not keeping up with the shipping business, and most of the duties fell to Jackson. During that time, Captain Montgomery's ship sank off the coast of Africa in a terrible storm. When I was finally recovered enough to resume my duties, I realized that Miss Montgomery probably had no idea of her father's wishes. Captain Montgomery was one of our best sailors and a fine man. I owed it to him to see that his daughter was taken care of properly. Because I was still too unwell to travel myself, I sent Jackson to Galway to find Vivienne Montgomery to inform her of the property her father owned in South Africa and allow her to claim it.”

“You are referring to the diamond mines?” Lord Cardwell questioned.

Aidan's eyes narrowed at this bit of information. “What diamond mines?”

“Today Vivienne found deeds belonging to her father that showed ownership of diamond mines in South Africa,” Lord Cardwell explained in amazement. “She just gave them to me this afternoon, before she left to visit your mother. I sent them to my solicitor to have them verified.”

Aidan turned to Miles, “And Jackson knew about these diamond mines, which now belong to Miss Montgomery?”

Miles concurred. “Of course he did.”

“Then that's why he is so eager to marry her!” Gregory stated emphatically. “Vivienne told me that when she went to his office this week that Jackson offered to marry her even after—” His voice trailed off, but everyone knew the incident he referred to.

“What was her response?” Aidan's eyes pinned on Gregory.

“That she couldn't marry him, because she was marrying you.”

At those simple words, Aidan felt relief wash through him. “I thought he was just trying to ruin my business and had a personal vendetta against me. But now I see that he has an even greater motive for taking Vivienne. He wants the diamond mines,” Aidan stated with a deadly calm.

“So where do you think he went?” Gregory questioned urgently. “We have to move fast. He already has a good lead over us.”

Miles spoke up first. “I'll bet he's headed to our family estate in Fair Haven. It's a little village north of here. But it's a two-day journey, and with getting such a late start, he'd have to stop for the night. Especially in this weather.”

“Then let's get going,” Aidan prompted them into action, for there was no time to lose.

It seemed their short trip to Jackson's office was taking longer than she expected. Vivienne was not familiar enough with London to know exactly what was wrong, but nothing outside the window looked familiar to her. She became concerned that not only had she missed tea with Lady Whitlock, but by now she would miss supper with the Cardwells.

“Where are we going, Jackson?” she had asked, perplexed by their northerly direction. She was positive his office was south of Aidan's mother's house. Perhaps she had simply become confused. “I thought we were going to your office.”

“There's been a slight change in plans,” he stated affably, grinning at her. “I must leave London and I need your help.”

“Jackson, this is hardly the time for me to leave town!” she scolded in exasperation. “I was supposed to be meeting Aidan's mother and I'm getting married the day after tomorrow.”

“So is that your answer to my proposal to you? You're getting married the day after tomorrow?” he asked quietly, pinning her with his steady golden gaze.

Confused by his tone, she responded uncertainly, feeling slightly guilty for she never did give him a definitive no when he asked her to consider his offer of marriage. “Well, yes…I truly appreciate your offer. It was very gallant of you to ask me given the circumstances and I'm honored by it. But I'm sorry, Jackson. I am going to be married to Aidan on Saturday.”

“Do you love him?”

Now there was a loaded question. She definitely had feelings for Aidan and supposed she never did stop loving him after all that had happened. Especially during the past week. Seeing him again brought all her buried feelings back to the surface. “Aidan and I have a history together,” she explained attempting to break the awkward silence. “We were engaged once before, but it didn't work out…” Her voice trailed off in hesitation. “Could you please turn the carriage around?”

“Aidan Kavanaugh doesn't love you.”

Vivienne refused to be baited by that. “It's late and I really should be getting back home now. My family will be very worried about me. Please, Jackson, take me home.”

“I'm afraid I can't do that.” He grinned at her, shaking his head.

“This is not the time to jest with me. I insist you take me home this instant!” she cried in frustration and a growing sense of alarm. He could not truly mean he was not going to take her home.

“I'm not jesting, Vivienne. I'm actually quite serious.”

He was not going to take her back to the Cardwells? Then where was he planning on taking her? Suddenly Vivienne was very afraid. She did not know the man sitting across from her in this fine carriage. Aidan's warnings sprang to mind too late. Ruthless and dangerous were words he had used to describe Jackson last night.
Harlow is not interested in helping you. At least not in the way you think he is. He is set on ruining me and he'll ruin you to get to me.
She had dismissed Aidan's warnings as the ravings of a jealous man. Now she wished she had heeded his prophetic words. He had been trying to protect her.

“You deceived me, didn't you?” she said, willing her voice to remain neutral. “You have no news about my father.”

“One of the things I admired most about you, Vivienne, aside from your exquisite looks, is your quick wit. In answer to your question, yes, I deceived you.”

She nodded her head in response to his grinning face. She shivered to think she had once thought his features handsome. Now she found them blatantly menacing. “May I ask why?”

“You're a wise girl, too. No hysterics on your part. I knew I was right about you.”

Silence reigned in the carriage as she regarded him warily. An elegantly dressed gentleman in a fine carriage. He looked as if he were out making casual calls upon friends, not abducting a woman against her will. He carefully removed his top hat and gloves and set them on the seat beside him, next to his long, silver-handled black walking stick, and settled back in his seat across from her.

“Because you have behaved well so far, I shall answer your question. I told you once, Vivienne, that I play to win, didn't I? That day at the picnic?”

The day she had innocently flirted with him beneath the shade of an elm tree and they talked about finding her father. She had felt pretty and engaging in her pink and white-striped dress and he had been dashing and charming. Such a contrast to how she felt now. “Yes, I remember that.”

“I made up my mind that day to win you. The night of the masked ball I even asked your uncle for permission to court you honorably. Which, I will have you know, is something I have never done before. It just goes to show the extent of my feelings for you. You're a very beautiful and desirable woman.”

His penetrating gaze moved over her appreciatively, causing her heart to pound in fear. She could not speak.

“I must say,” he continued in the light tone he had been using, “that I was quite disappointed when I discovered you in bed with Whitlock. I had thought you a chaste young lady.” He shook his head in disapproval. “Tsk, tsk, Vivienne. Who knew you were such a naughty girl? I despise the idea of Whitlock having had his hands on you first, but…that can't be helped now, can it?”

She did not know if he expected her to answer that, but in either case, she could not. Her throat was too tight. She felt the palms of her hands sweating inside her white gloves.

“Whitlock, that self-righteous, pompous, straitlaced mama's boy, managed to ensnare you into marriage before I could ask for you myself. That was hardly fair, Vivienne. Still, I wanted you. In good faith I offered to marry you, in spite of seeing you in bed with another man.” He gave her a lopsided smiled, which chilled her to the bone. “Although I have to admit, that only spurred my interest in you, knowing you are not the prudish sort and that you would be a willing partner in
my
bed eventually.”

Panic began to rise in her and she fought the desire to scream at the top of her lungs. The predatory gleam in his eyes terrified her. She needed to get him on another topic immediately.

“What about helping me? What about my father?” she croaked.

“I'm sorry, Vivienne, that I haven't better news for you.” The look on his face changed to one of concern. “Your father did drown when his ship sank off the coast of South Africa. Before that happened however, he had a falling-out with my brother Davis. They had been partners in a land deal. Your father had the deeds to the diamond mines. My brother wanted them. So he sent them to you for safekeeping until he got home. Unfortunately he died before he could tell you about them.”

“I found them this morning!” she blurted out, instantly wishing she could withdraw her words. Her hand covered her mouth a moment too late.

“Excellent news, my darling!” he exclaimed in excitement. “I knew you had to have them somewhere. You wouldn't happen to have them in your possession now by any chance, would you?”

She shook her head.

“No? I didn't think so. But it's no matter. We'll just have to stop back in London and retrieve them at some point. The money from those little deeds of paper will come in quite handy to finance our future.”

She slowly removed her hand from her mouth. “Our future?” she murmured while alarm bells clanged furiously in her head. But she remained very still, not moving a muscle, her expression one of calm neutrality.

“Of course, Vivienne. I'm still going to marry you. Everything is all arranged. By this time tomorrow you will be my wife.”

Pure, unadulterated panic rushed through her as she sensed the danger she was in. Her head spun with wild possibilities, none of them pleasant, as her heart thudded loudly against the wall of her chest.
Oh, God
.
Oh, God. Oh, God.
She was trapped. Trapped in a moving carriage with a man who had some nefarious purpose in mind for her. Her first impulses were to scream, cry, rant and rave, or, quite possibly, vomit all over him. She glanced at the window of the carriage and then back at Jackson, who still eyed her intently. She was no match for him physically. He could easily subdue her if it came to that, and she shuddered to think just how he would subdue her.

Then she heard Aggie's voice telling her,
Keep your wits about you now, miss.
Just thinking of Aggie helped. Her grandmother's spirit was with her. She could not overcome Jackson physically, but she certainly could outwit him. A cold calm took over her. Believing he would remain calm as long as she did, she forced herself to breathe and reminded herself not to say anything that might anger him.

“If you take me home, I'll gladly give the deeds to you,” she suggested.

“No. You're staying with me. I thought I made that abundantly clear. Once I marry you the deeds legally belong to me.”

Unconsciously Vivienne glanced out the window again, seeing dilapidated buildings pass by. It was beginning to rain. Her eyes lingered on the door handle. They were moving at a good pace. What would happen if she jumped from the carriage now? Would she be able to summon help? Or should she bide her time and wait for a better opportunity to escape?

His long black walking stick smacked down on the empty space on the seat beside her, cracking the leather like a whip. Vivienne jumped, gasping in startled surprise, her heart thudding wildly.

“Don't even think about it.”

His threatening voice sent chills down her spine. She glanced back at him, and found his feral eyes gleaming at her. He sat like a tiger ready to pounce, watching, waiting, for his moment to strike. “At the moment, we're in a section of London where you would be raped the instant you hit the ground, then sold to the highest bidder. You would more than likely go for a high price.” He grinned at her wickedly, enjoying the fear he instilled when she shuddered helplessly.

“You're better off taking your chances with me. I don't want to hurt you at all. I can make things very nice for you, Vivienne, if you will let me. For I have come to care for you a great deal. Be sweet. Be accommodating. Be willing. And we shall get along quite well together.”

He lifted the walking stick and pressed it menacingly against her chest bone. As she gasped in shock, he uttered in an ominous tone, “But cross me once, just once, and you shall not live long enough to regret it. Are we agreed?”

No, you demented, repulsive, pathetic excuse for a man! You'll rot in hell for this!
Stifling the words she longed to scream at him, she managed to murmur aloud a faint, “Yes.”

“Smart girl.” He removed the stick and placed it on the seat beside him once more. “Whitlock doesn't want to marry you anyway. His mother told me.”

She glanced sharply at him, unconsciously rubbing the sore spot on her chest where he had poked her with his cane.

“Ah, that got your attention. You see, Vivienne, I'm really rescuing you from a terrible fate. Lady Whitlock despises you. She's the one who sent me that note, signed with your name, asking me to come to your room that night at Bingham Hall. She wanted to ruin you by having me caught in your bedroom and forcing you to marry me. That whole night was a set up for the two of us. And, quite frankly, I wouldn't have minded that at all. But apparently I showed up a little too late.” He gave her a knowing look. “I'm doing you a favor by taking you from Whitlock. His mother would torment you relentlessly. I, on the other hand, offer you a mother-in-law-free marriage.” He grinned happily at her, his golden gaze intense.

Vivienne's head spun as she thought of that night. Jackson's words explained so many things. Especially Lady Whitlock's being outside her door at the crucial moment. She did not doubt for an instant that Aidan's mother was capable of such behavior. How infuriated Lady Whitlock must have been when her plan went awry and Aidan was obligated to marry her after all! No wonder she fainted.

It also explained her sudden friendly overture to make peace.

“Then she orchestrated this with you, didn't she? That's how you knew I would be going to her house this afternoon. Lady Whitlock told you.”

“But of course,” he answered matter-of-factly. “Now just relax, as we have a long journey ahead of us. I've a basket packed with some food just for you. Are you hungry?”

“No, thank you.” Did he really believe that she would enjoy this as a merry, little jaunt to the country? That she would picnic with him gladly and thank him for rescuing her? The mere thought of food nauseated her. “Where are we going?” she dared to ask.

“Now if I told you that, it would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?” He gave her a gleefully intimidating look. “And don't worry. No one is coming after you. I sent a note telling your aunt and uncle that we were in love and eloping together.”

She had no acceptable words she could say to him in response so she kept quiet, her eyes lingering helplessly on the window and the rain falling outside. They were passing into open countryside. The sky hung low with gray and ominous clouds. Thunder rumbled overhead. It would be dark before long. She tried not to dwell on what might happen once they reached wherever it was he was taking her…

Instead she hoped her family would be worried enough to look for her by now. Surely they would not believe that she had gone out for tea with Lady Whitlock and ran off with Jackson Harlow. She counted on Gregory creating an uproar over her disappearance. He knew she would not leave willingly, especially after everything she told him about Aidan and Jackson Harlow yesterday. Gregory would be able to deduce that Harlow had abducted her and make Aunt Gwen and Uncle Gilbert believe she had not run away. But how would they know where to begin looking for her?

She wondered if Aidan knew she was missing yet. And, more importantly, would he even care that she was gone?

A powerful, dreadful thought occurred to her.

Aidan would automatically assume the worst of her now. He would think she ran off with Jackson rather than face marrying him, of course. She was certain of it. Last night he had warned her to stay away from Jackson Harlow and she had obstinately ignored him, knowing it infuriated him to think of her with Jackson. And he had been so high and mighty with her that she had wanted to infuriate him. But now he would believe she left with Jackson willingly. He would never think anything else. Why would he? With the words she had flung at him last night? She had deliberately taunted him.
But we're not married yet, are we, Aidan?
She cringed at the memory. How could she have acted so foolishly and recklessly? Who knew her words would come back to haunt her so soon and so irrevocably?