Read Whisper To Me of Love Online
Authors: Shirlee Busbee
Whisper To Me of Love (53 page)
“Which,” Royce exclaimed savagely, “explains why he has been so determined to get his hands on herâhe knows who she is and must have concocted some elaborate scheme to gain control of her fortune!”
Jack cleared his throat uneasily. “I don't think that it's, um,
just
to get his hands on her fortune that he has kidnapped herâme and Ben have known for a long time that he wanted her in his bed,” Jack said with unvarnished truth.
just
to get his hands on her fortune that he has kidnapped herâme and Ben have known for a long time that he wanted her in his bed,” Jack said with unvarnished truth.
“Jesus!” Royce muttered, his eyes shutting in anguish at the ugly picture of Morgana enduring the embrace of the one-eyed man. “Jack, I could have wished that you hadn't brought up that aspect of the situation. We
must
find her as soon as possible!”
must
find her as soon as possible!”
Confusion evident, Julian asked uncertainly, “Has something happened since I've been gone? You said âkidnapped.'”
Zachary and Jack instantly crowded up to Julian, and both began to talk at once, rapidly explaining between the pair of them the current, rather grim situation. Ironically, the news that his half sister had been snatched by the one-eyed man was perhaps the very thing that Julian needed to hear. The knowledge of her terrible predicament, the possibility that her very life might be in danger, pushed his own unhappy situation to the back of his mind. It also gave him something to do other than dwell on the horrendous shocks he had suffered this day, and with a zealot's gleam in his eyes, with desperate eagerness he turned to Royce and vowed, “I will help you in any way that I can! Where shall we begin?”
Bleakly Royce stared off at the horizon. “I don't know,” he said finally, a hint of defeat in his voice. Giving himself an angry shake, deliberately closing his mind to the fear and degradation that Morgana might be suffering at this very moment, holding a tight rein on his own fears for her, he continued more confidently, “We know that whatever method he used to spirit her away, he did not come past the entrance to Lime Tree Cottage ... which lets us know that he had to be going in the direction of Tunbridge Wells... .” His mouth tightened and he spat frustratedly, “Which tells us precisely
nothing!
He could have taken her anywhere!”
nothing!
He could have taken her anywhere!”
Pulling his watch from its pocket in his vest, he glanced down at it, his expression growing even grimmer. “It's almost the half hour... . If we tarry any longer here, we will have lost whatever advantage my learning so soon about her meeting with him will have given us.”
They held a short, tense discussion of the best way to proceed. It was decided that Royce and George would leave immediately in the gig that Royce had ordered readied earlier; they would head toward Tunbridge Wells, inquiring after Morgana as they went, leaving messages or directions whenever possible; the others would follow after them just as soon as horses could be readied for them. Julian's horses were exhausted, having already traveled from London today, and it was agreed that some of their party should be mounted individually, in order to be able to cast farther afield and search in several different directions at the same time.
The fact that Jack had never been on a horse in his life, nor driven one, created a temporary setback until it was deemed that it might be wise to have a second, larger vehicle available if they needed itâthey had no way of knowing when or in what condition they might find Morgana. The solution was simpleâZachary and Julian would be astride the fastest horses in the stables, and Jack would follow in the yellow-bodied barouche, ably driven by Royce's coachman.
Having disposed of their various methods of transportation, and conscious of the minutes relentlessly ticking away, with mounting impatience Royce growled, “Come along, George! Let us be offâand pray that we discover some hint of which direction he has taken her!”
“Wait!” George said abruptly, and when Royce threw him an irascible look, he added imperturbably, “Been thinking.”
“Oh, Lord! Not
now!”
Royce pleaded irritably, certain that George was about to embark on another long-winded explanation.
now!”
Royce pleaded irritably, certain that George was about to embark on another long-winded explanation.
George shot him a reproachful glance and held up the note from the one-eyed man, which he still had clutched in his hand. A slight frown furrowed his forehead. “Believe I've seen this handwriting before... .”
His eyes fixed on his cousin's face with painful intensity, Royce asked raggedly, “Are you certain?”
George nodded. “Told youâremember everything!”
Julian gave a half-bitter, half-rueful laugh. “I can attest to
that!”
he said with feeling. “He does remember everything, whether it is twenty-year-old gossip or the fact that some high-flyer had china blue eyes!”
that!”
he said with feeling. “He does remember everything, whether it is twenty-year-old gossip or the fact that some high-flyer had china blue eyes!”
George jumped as if he had been shot. “That's it!” he exclaimed excitedly. “Knew there was something else!” He looked at the handwriting on the paper and nodded and muttered as if to himself. “Of course, should have recognized his scrawlâtook enough vowels from him over the years!”
In a suspiciously mild voice, Royce asked, “Would you mind sharing your knowledge with us?
Soon?”
Soon?”
Sending his cousin a quelling glance, George said calmly, “Almost forgot something interesting about Jane Fowler... . She was born on the wrong side of the blanket, but she came from good stockâher father was a country squire, raised her properly, but she kicked over the traces and ran away with her half sister's fiancé to London.”
Jack nodded his head and corroborated George's statement. “Yes, that's trueâMother never hid her past from us.”
George beamed approvingly at Jack, and Royce choked back a despairing groan. Afraid that his cousin was about to embark on a lengthy discussion about Jane Fowler and what she had done or not done twenty-five years earlier, painfully conscious of time slipping away, Royce muttered, “George,
please!
If you have any affection for me, get to the damn point of your story!”
please!
If you have any affection for me, get to the damn point of your story!”
Looking slightly offended, George said stiffly, “Thing is, about two years after she appeared in London, her brother, one of the squire's legitimate get, showed up in town. He was green as grass and didn't realize that having a sister who was a member of the demimonde would put him beyond the pale.” A thoughtful expression on his face, George murmured admiringly, “Didn't take him long to learn, though, and he quickly distanced himself from her and that crowd. He was a likable youthâknown him for years, but don't think that there are many people who even remember that his sister was Jane Fowler.”
“His name, George!” Royce demanded tautly, holding on to his temper with the greatest of effort.
“Allan Rufus Newell,” George said simply.
“Newell!”
Zachary and Julian ejaculated simultaneously, staring in astonishment at George. “B-B-But you may meet him nearly everywhere!” Zachary continued in confusion.
Zachary and Julian ejaculated simultaneously, staring in astonishment at George. “B-B-But you may meet him nearly everywhere!” Zachary continued in confusion.
“Of course! That's how he knew where we would be the day Morgana was ordered to pick my pocket!” Royce breathed thickly. “We know the one-eyed man wrote that note, and if George has identified the handwriting as Newell's ... Allan Newell
is
the one-eyed man! Which also explains how Morgana ended up with Jane Fowler! Her brother, as the one-eyed man, brought her the infant to raise.”
is
the one-eyed man! Which also explains how Morgana ended up with Jane Fowler! Her brother, as the one-eyed man, brought her the infant to raise.”
“But
why?”
Jack questioned in obvious bewilderment.
why?”
Jack questioned in obvious bewilderment.
A fierce, dangerous smile curved Royce's mouth. “That's something I intend to find out, just as soon as I lay my hands on him!” He speared George with a menacing glance. “And now, cousin,” he began in a silken tone that fooled no one, “where can we find our elusive Mr. Newell?”
Eyeing Royce uneasily, George muttered, “Believe he has a summer home on the coast, near Hastings. Don't know its precise location, but once we reach Hastings, positive we can get directions to it.”
It seemed logical, and without further discussion, Royce hustled George to the waiting gig; a moment later, the horses leaping forward at Royce's urgings, they swept down the driveway. As the gatekeeper's cottage came into sight, Royce slowed slightly and would have driven on past if Harry and John had not suddenly appeared at the entrance, waving their arms frantically.
Jerking his horses to a halt, in a tone that would have given a lesser man pause, Royce barked, “Yes, what is it?” His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of a bloodied and disheveled Tom Cooper and Mr. Spurling standing uncertainly at the side of the cottage.
Mr. Spurling, his usually immaculate clothes dusty and torn, his nose bloodied and his lip split, walked over to the gig. Meeting Royce's hard stare, he said in a voice trembling with indignation, “I know that you believed that I was the one who allowed the intruder into the house in Londonâbut I am innocent of that crime!” He shot Tom Cooper a bitter look. “I was not the only one up that nightâafterwards, when I left to return to my room, I found
him
lurking about. He denied any knowledge of what had happened, but since I knew that
I
had not let the one-eyed man into the house, I immediately suspected that Tom Cooper was the culprit.” Drawing his diminutive body up as tall as he could, he went on doggedly, “I have watched him closely these past weeks, and today my efforts were rewarded.”
him
lurking about. He denied any knowledge of what had happened, but since I knew that
I
had not let the one-eyed man into the house, I immediately suspected that Tom Cooper was the culprit.” Drawing his diminutive body up as tall as he could, he went on doggedly, “I have watched him closely these past weeks, and today my efforts were rewarded.”
Tom Cooper, wiping his own bloody nose, although looking slightly less for wear than Mr. Spurling, growled, “I didn't do anything wrong. He's dicked in the nob!”
Mr. Spurling smiled in a superior manner and, reaching into his torn vest, brought out a slip of folded paper. “I think you will find the contents of this note most revealing, sir!” He handed it to Royce, then glanced disdainfully back at Tom Cooper and said quietly, “I followed him into town this afternoon, where he furtively met a gentleman who remained concealed in the shadows. I was hidden from them, but close enough to hear the man's instructions as he gave Tom the noteâyou were not to receive it until eight o'clock this evening. I, er, forced him to give it to me.”
Swiftly Royce scanned the missive, instantly recognizing the handwriting as the same in the note to Morgana. It was obvious why Newell had not wanted the letter delivered until laterâat eight it would still be light enough for Royce to leave for the meeting detailed within, but it would be well after dark before he could have possibly reached the destination stated by Newell. Darkness would have been Newell's ally, and the three-hour delay would have given the man all the time in the world to set a trap for Royce. Morgana was to be the bait, and Royce didn't doubt for a moment that Allan Newell, as the one-eyed man, had every intention of killing him... .
Royce lifted his head, his gaze resting a brief, lethal moment on Tom Cooper's face. “Tie him up,” he ordered flatly. “And guard him wellâI don't want him getting to my quarry before me!” Looking down at Edward Spurling, he apologized charmingly, “I regret having suspected you, and I want to thank you for what you have done todayâyou have exposed the spy within our household and you may very well have saved my life! We will talk further upon my return.”
Tossing the note to George, Royce cracked his whip, and as the horses sprang forward, he snarled softly, “It seems that we have some advantages, after allâwe know Newell is the one-eyed man, we have over a two-hour head start, and we won't have to waste time searching for the bastardâhe's given us a bloody map to follow!”
C
HAPTER
32
HAPTER
32
M
organa's head ached dreadfully, and as she gradually became aware of her surroundings, she was bewildered at first by the predicament in which she found herself. It took her several increasingly terrified seconds before she realized that she was bound and gagged and lying on the bottom of a vehicle that was traveling rapidly down the road. Something heavy and scratchy covered her, and she guessed that it was a blanket or a rug. Hazily those last few minutes as she had stepped from the road came back to her, and when the full, horrifying realization of her disastrous situation hit her, for one awful moment she thought that she would faint from utter fright.
The one-eyed man had captured her!
organa's head ached dreadfully, and as she gradually became aware of her surroundings, she was bewildered at first by the predicament in which she found herself. It took her several increasingly terrified seconds before she realized that she was bound and gagged and lying on the bottom of a vehicle that was traveling rapidly down the road. Something heavy and scratchy covered her, and she guessed that it was a blanket or a rug. Hazily those last few minutes as she had stepped from the road came back to her, and when the full, horrifying realization of her disastrous situation hit her, for one awful moment she thought that she would faint from utter fright.
The one-eyed man had captured her!
She allowed herself only a moment of stark terror, and then, closing her eyes and offering up a fervent prayer to whatever gods looked over fools like her, she focused all her thoughts and energies on considering how to escape from this perilous situation. From the murky gloom within and the bright glitter of sunlight that danced at the edge of her covering, it was obvious that the sun was still up. She had no idea how long she had been unconscious, but from the degree of light, she suspected that it had been for more than an hour.
Ignoring her aching head, keeping at bay demoralizing thoughts of what her fate might be, she experimentally wiggled her fingers and hands, which were tied behind her back, but it was apparent almost immediately that her captor was taking no chancesâher bonds were secure and tight ... painfully so. Since the fact that she was conscious seemed to be the only advantage she had at the moment, she kept her movements to a minimum, not wanting to alert him that she had awakened. Cautiously she tested to see if the ropes on her ankles were as firmly fastened as those on her wrists. They were. Suppressing a despairing groan, she next tried to dislodge the gag from her mouth, but that, too, had been tied in such a manner that defied her attempts to remove it.
Angry frustration welled up inside her, and she cursed herself for having been tricked so easilyâshe should have known that he would have set some sort of trap, and gullible fool that she was, she had waltzed eagerly into it. Longingly she thought of the dagger that she had concealed in her reticule and wondered if he had discovered it or had even bothered to bring her things along with him. She suspected that he hadâhe wouldn't have wanted to leave her belongings where someone else would find themâand she could only hope that, at some point, she might be able to reach the dagger ...
if
he hadn't found it!
if
he hadn't found it!
Assessing her grim situation, she came to the dismal conclusion that things could not be much worse for her, but she took comfort from the knowledge that at least Royce's life was not in danger... . She swallowed nervously. At least she
hoped
that Royce's life was not in dangerâthe one-eyed man was not to be trusted, and there was a tiny niggle of fear that once he had her safely disposed of somewhere, he would return and kill Royce anyway. A shudder went through her slender body. Oh, God! Please, she begged silently, don't let him kill Royce!
hoped
that Royce's life was not in dangerâthe one-eyed man was not to be trusted, and there was a tiny niggle of fear that once he had her safely disposed of somewhere, he would return and kill Royce anyway. A shudder went through her slender body. Oh, God! Please, she begged silently, don't let him kill Royce!
It was horrible enough that her fate hung in the balance, terrifying enough that she might be forced to endure whatever pain and degradation the one-eyed man intended to inflict upon her, but to know that it had been for nothing ... to know that while she suffered whatever ugly destiny the one-eyed man had planned for her, she was powerless to stop the brutal murder of the person she loved with all her valiant heart, was nearly unbearable.
Conscious of the fact that she was doing herself no good dwelling on such painful musings, she tried to concentrate on something else, anything else, but though she could blank it from her mind for a while, insidiously those torturous thoughts would return again and again. Unfortunately when she would try to switch her thoughts to something else, inevitably they would turn to the stunning meeting with Julian Devlin this afternoon and the unsettling discovery that a woman she had loved deeply and had always believed to be her mother might not have been related to her at all! But what had devastated her was the knowledge that there was also a distinct possibility that she was an heiress to a fortune and that her husband might very well have married her simply because he already knew these things and hoped to gain from them.
With the one-eyed man's threat against Royce's life uppermost in her thoughts, however, there had not been even a moment in which to seriously consider what effect George Ponteby's disclosures might have upon her life, and now, as she lay bound and gagged, the helpless prisoner of a man she loathed and feared, did not seem a particularly propitious time either! Her emotions in a frantic, restless turmoil, her head pounding furiously from the blow she had received, and the ache in her tightly bound arms increasing with every jolting mile that the vehicle traveled, she gave up, stoically enduring the physical discomforts, waiting almost defeatedly for whatever fate had in store for her.
The journey seemed interminable, but just when she was certain that she was going to have to plead with him to untie her arms, the motion of the vehicle changed and she sensed that they had reached their destination. Her heart began to bang with sharp, painful beats, and like a small, frightened animal, she froze as the daylight around the edges of her covering disappeared and the horses were pulled to a stop. From the sudden cessation of light, she guessed that they had driven inside a stable or a barn, and tensely she waited for what would happen next.
The vehicle swayed as he stepped down, and for the next few moments, she heard the sounds of the horses being unharnessed and put away. A door closed and she could hear his footsteps fading as he walked away. Her listlessness had vanished, and lifting her head, she listened alertly, her mind racing with wild schemes to affect her escape. Silence descended for several moments, and she wondered how long it would be before he returned. Time enough for her to flee? She was just on the point of struggling to a sitting position when she heard him approaching and she stiffened.
Walking directly up to the vehicle, he drawled hatefully, “Still pretending to be unconscious, my dear? It won't do you any goodâI have been aware of your wakefulness for quite some time.”
Since the gag in her mouth effectively prevented any coherent speech, Morgana simply glowered in the direction of his voice and remained silent.
As if he could see her reaction, he laughed, and a second later, she was swooped up, rug and all, and the breath was knocked from her as she was tossed unceremoniously over his shoulder. He rummaged around for another moment and murmured, “Mustn't forget the lady's basket and hat.”
Her heart gave a great leap at his words. Was the reticule still in her basket? The dagger still safely hidden? For the first time since she had awakened and discovered her terrible peril, hope sprang to her breast.
As they left the barn, he said mockingly, “I'm sorry for the delay, but you see, I had to âbecome' the one-eyed manâuntil I have taken care of a few more little details, I'm afraid the eye patch and the rest of it are most necessary.” He chuckled, and it was obvious that he was in high fettle, very pleased with himself. “If all goes well,” he continued easily, “after tonight, the one-eyed man will be no more!”
If I can get my hands on the dagger, Morgana vowed grimly, he certainly won't be!
He carried her what seemed like a considerable distance, and the bobbing motion of her body as he walked did not help the throbbing in her head at all. From her position, she caught occasional glimpses of the ground and could see that they were not traveling on any particular pathâthe ground was sparsely covered with wild grasses and weeds, dotted now and then with scrubby brushes, and as they walked, the sound and scent of the sea grew stronger. From the ever-increasing roar of the waves and the salty mist that seemed to permeate her very clothing, she knew that they must be on a cliff right at the very edge of the sea.
Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of weather-beaten boards and he swerved, as if going around a corner; a few feet later, he stopped abruptly. Pushing open a door, he walked inside a building. A second later, Morgana found herself flung down onto a hard wooden chair, the rug falling away from her, and for the first time, she was able to fully see her surroundings. She was seated, she discovered, in a small, open-beamed room, two salt-stained windows on either side of the door through which she had entered giving her her first sight of the turbulent, ever-changing sea. A stone fireplace, obviously used for cooking, from the utensils hanging nearby, was against one wall, some tall oak cupboards were on the opposite side, and another doorway in the fourth wall presumably led to sleeping quarters at the rear of the building. Two surprisingly handsome leather chairs were placed on either side of the fireplace; the only other furniture in the room was a heavy chest near the entrance door and a sturdy table with three wooden-back chairs around it, one of which Morgana occupied. The floor and walls were bare.
She had deliberately avoided looking at the one-eyed man, but once she had completed her survey of her surroundings, she looked up at him, contempt flickering openly across her lovely features. He was standing directly in front of her, appearing as he always didâclothed in black, the dark slouch hat pulled low, the patch covering his one eyeâand when her gaze touched his face, he smiled. That smile sent a shiver down her spine, but she lifted her chin proudly, determined not to let him know how very frightened of him she was.
“Still the haughty little bitch, I see,” he observed mockingly, and carelessly tossed her basket and hat upon the table. He reached out and caressed her cheek and murmured, “I'll soon break you of your defiant ways, my dear ... and take pleasure in doing so!”
She jerked her face away from his touch, and it took everything she possessed not to look at the basket to see if her reticule was still there, and more important, the dagger. Glaring ferociously at him, through the gag she spat out a muffled curse.
Her reaction seemed to please him and he laughed. To her astonishment, he loosened the gag and said smoothly, “There is no longer any need for thisâyou may scream all you want, but there is no one who will hear you. Unfortunately, I'm afraid you will have to remain tied up until after I've taken care of that husband of yours.”
Her eyes huge, she demanded fiercely, “What do you mean? You promised not to hurt him if I obeyed your command.”
“Promised?” he repeated with a lift of his one brow. “Odd, I don't remember promising not to hurt him. I only recall that I threatened to kill him
immediately
if you didn't meet meâI didn't write a thing about not killing him later... .”
immediately
if you didn't meet meâI didn't write a thing about not killing him later... .”
“You bastard!” she shouted, struggling to launch herself at him, but the ropes prevented her from doing more than falling off her chair.
An angry glitter in the black eye, he lifted up her twisting body and thrust her back down on the chair. “That's
enough!
If you are wise, you will keep a civil tongue in your mouth,” he snarled, and struck her brutally across the face.
enough!
If you are wise, you will keep a civil tongue in your mouth,” he snarled, and struck her brutally across the face.
Her ears ringing from the force of his blow, she glumly concluded that there was nothing to be gained from further antagonizing him, and sullenly she asked, “What do you plan to do with me?”
He smiled. “Oh, nothing very terrible, my dearâonce I've eliminated Manchester, you and I will wed and you will take your rightful place in society.”
Morgana gaped at him. “Are you mad?” she asked harshly. “I would rather die than marry you!”
“But would you rather your
brothers
die ... than you marry me?”
brothers
die ... than you marry me?”
She paled. “Why are you doing this?” she asked despairingly. “What do you hope to gain?”
A finger caressed her cheek and she flinched. “I intend to gain the Lady Morgana Devlin for my bride, and a very wealthy, aristocratic bride you will make me, my dear. I've planned this for a very long time and I don't intend to be deterred nowânot even if I have to kill a dozen people to gain my way. With you at my side, there will be no door closed to meâyour fortune, combined with mine, will make me one of the richest men in England, and with you as my wife, I will have the social prominence and power that I have always wanted.” He glanced kindly at her. “You will find me a generous husbandâyou will have whatever you wish, and I will only require your presence at my side ... and your willing cooperation in my bed.” His eye traveled boldly over her small bosom. “Your
very
willing cooperation,” he muttered, and pulled her into his arms, hungrily pressing his mouth against hers.
very
willing cooperation,” he muttered, and pulled her into his arms, hungrily pressing his mouth against hers.
She fought to escape his ravaging kiss, but he held her fast, cruelly forcing her lips apart, his thrusting tongue brutally violating her mouth. Nearly gagging from the feel and taste of him, she finally managed to twist her head aside. “Don't!” she pleaded softly, her head lowered and turned away from him.
He was breathing heavily, and to her horror, even between the layers of clothing that separated them, she could feel his rigid member pushing insistently against her. Oh, dear God! Not
this!
this!
With an effort, he set her from him and said thickly, “There will be time enough to enjoy each other after I have disposed of Manchester.”
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