A Desperate Wager (24 page)

Nate wanted to kill the blaggard. He wanted to kick him in the ribs, in the groin, punch him in the face till his nose bled so badly he could not breathe. But the man on the ground was not the ‘brains’ behind this scheme. Lady Trotter was, and he would have to be careful how he handled that situation.

Meanwhile, his biggest concern was Sarah. When
Eversley had rushed into the card room and told him he had seen a footman leave the ball with Sarah and she had looked none too pleased, Nate cared not what it looked like. His chair toppled as he practically ran from the card room, Eversley on his heels.

He stopped a passing footman and asked if he had seen another footman carrying a lady. The footman answered in the negative. He then asked about exits from the building. Apart from the French doors in the ballroom, the kitchen door and the front door, there was only a side door that many of the servants used. The footman then gave directions to the side door, and Nate took off with
Eversley in hot pursuit.

He and James had headed to the back of the property. No one would have gone out to the front where a myriad of carriages sat awaiting their owners. He caught sight of a shadow in the trees at the side of the garden and rushed towards it.

Grabbing Sarah off the man’s shoulders, he passed her to Eversley and set about the kidnapper. For a moment he had wanted to just hold Sarah, but the sight of her bound hands in the dark had fuelled his fury and he had begun to punch and kick the man.

But he had not killed the man, for he knew that this man was not behind the kidnap, the shooting and the carriage accident.

Now sitting on the ground with Sarah in his arms he considered the problem. His wife seemed shaken but not unduly harmed. Lady Trotter would need to be dealt with somehow. But as the wife of a viscount, it would be difficult and scandalous to have her hanged. The scandal would surround Sarah and him as much as it would surround the Trotters. No, this would have to be dealt with without the help of the law. Perhaps having her sent to Bedlam was the answer. He would have to think about it.

“
Would you like me to see this blaggard to Bow Street or to the London docks?” Eversley’s voice cut into his thoughts. He turned his attention to the bound man.

“
They may hang him if you take him to the law. That would be too easy a punishment. Take him to the docks, pay any captain going to Australia to take him and leave him there. Get all this blaggard’s particulars. And if I ever see his ugly face on British soil again, I will have him hanged.”

“
Excellent idea, old chap. I could not have come up with a better plan myself. And what about Lady Trotter?”

“
I shall deal with her in the morning. But first, would you have my carriage brought around to the back gate? I shall look after Mr…?”

“
Stevenson, Your Grace. Will Stevenson.”

“
I shall look after Mr Stevenson while you are gone.”

“
Good, I shall get my father to help me with Stevenson. Between us we should have enough men in our respective carriages to ensure Stevenson’s co-operation.”

“
Thank you, Eversley.”

In the darkness, Nate could see the nod of Eversley’s head before he hurried off. How had he ever questioned Eversley’s intentions towards Sarah? The viscount was a good man.

Sarah snuggled against him. Damn, she would be cold, out here on the damp grass in just a ball gown. With some difficulty he shrugged out of his well-fitted coat and put it around her shoulders, encouraging her to put her arms inside the sleeves. She followed his instructions and settled against him. He pressed a kiss against her temple. How grateful he was that Eversley had seen her be taken from the ballroom and she was not drowning in the Thames even now.

The sound of footsteps alerted him and he tried to struggle upwards, but having Sarah in his arms prevented him from moving quickly. Then he saw the glow of a lamp. Just as the man and his lamp came into view, Nate recognised him.

“Your Grace. ‘tis, me, Bellamy.”

“
Oh Bellamy, thank God.”

“
I see you have had some trouble, Your Grace,” intoned Bellamy, swinging his lantern around to inspect Stevenson who was still lying in a heap, groaning. The tied up man screamed as Bellamy took a step forward and ground the heel of his boot into Stevenson’s hand. “Oh my, I appear to have stood on your hand. I do apologise.” He stepped back before planting a hard kick in the man’s groin. Nate winced. Any man would have winced. That had to hurt.

“
Enough Bellamy. Help me up.” Nate was trying to struggle onto his knees as Bellamy placed the lantern on the ground and hurried over.

“
Perhaps if I take Her Grace, it would be easier.” He addressed Sarah. “I appreciate you don’t like being manhandled, Your Grace, but…”

“
It is fine, Bellamy. I would appreciate it.” She held out an arm, his sleeve end dangling comically off the end of her fingers. Bellamy lifted her gently, his hands placed very carefully, and Nate scrambled to his feet. “Thank you, Bellamy,” she said, suddenly placing a light kiss on the coachman’s cheek.

“
Sarah!” Nate scolded.

Sarah’s high peal of laughter rang out though the evening air. It seemed to relieve some of the tension that was pressing in on him.

“Oh Nate, don’t be a prude. It was just a peck. Bellamy does not mind, do you, Bellamy?” Even in the dim light of the lantern, Nate could see that Bellamy’s cheeks were aflame.

“
You have embarrassed Bellamy. Honestly, Your Grace, I cannot take you anywhere without you doing embarrassing things like getting kidnapped and kissing the servants.” His mock outrage pulled forth another squeal of laughter. As Nate relieved Bellamy of his burden she pressed a hard kiss on her husband’s cheek.

“
I am sure Bellamy forgives me for my imprudent actions, do you not, Bellamy?”

“
Of course, Your Grace. I could forgive you almost anything.”

“
See?” she said triumphantly before her grin faded and she rested her head on Nate’s shoulder. “Oh Nate, take me home.”

“
I will, just as soon…” More footsteps and rustling sounded, and four men appeared carrying lamps. “Eversley, Lord Chapelbrooke. Thank you for your assistance.”

The men hurried up and all bowed to the duke and his duchess.

“You are more than welcome, Your Grace,” said the older man. “We shall ensure this blaggard is seen off at London Docks. Feel free to leave and take care of your duchess.” The earl turned to Sarah and cast a fatherly look over her. “How are you, my dear?”

“
I am fine, My Lord. Just a little… well… shaken, I suppose.”

“
If you can survive a fall from a horse at sixteen, you can survive this, my gal,” he said brusquely. “Kirkbourne will look after you. Get her home, man, before she expires.”

“
Thank you, My Lord.” Nate dipped his head and strode off with Bellamy two paces behind. Sarah smiled and then remembered that Lord Chapelbrooke would probably not see it in the dim light.

Once inside the carriage, Nate made no move to place Sarah on the seat beside him. He should, but the feel of her in his arms was important. It reminded him she was alive and that his anger had to be tamed for her sake. She seemed in no great rush to break their contact, snuggling against his chest and sniffing at the inside of his coat.

“It smells like you. Your coat, I mean. It makes me feel safe.”

He bit back the angry retort he wanted to make about failing her three times since their marriage. Instead he hugged her tighter against him, brooding about getting some kind of revenge on Lady Trotter.

They sat in silence as the carriage took off, the only sound throughout their journey being the thud of the horses’ hooves and an occasional shout from other coach drivers.

When they eventually drew up beside the townhouse, Nate heaved a sigh of relief. As Bellamy opened the door and let down the step Nate clutched his wife to his chest, grateful for the other man’s steadying hand as they disembarked. He hurried up the steps and through the hastily opened front door. He ignored the look on the butler’s face and made for the stairs.

“Nathaniel, you…” The dowager duchess stood at the top, a frown marking her brow. Her gaze travelled over her son and his wife, taking in their dishevelled state. “You are home early,” she finished feebly.

“
Not now, Mama. Sarah needs a hot bath and bed.”

“
No, Nathaniel. I need a cup of tea in the drawing room. Your mama should hear the whole story. We need to work out what to do about Lady Trotter. Send a servant to get me a shawl. I cannot sit around in your coat all evening.” Sarah’s voice, despite what she had just lived through, was strong. Nate smiled. It seemed his wife was indefatigable.

“
As you wish, my love.”

He heard his mother order one maid to find a shawl for Her Grace and another to arrange a tea tray before she followed him into the drawing room. The fire had not been banked yet for the night, so he placed Sarah in a chaise near the hearth, waited on his mother to take her own seat then sat beside his duchess.

The maid arrived a few minutes later. He shooed her away and helped Sarah out of his coat and wrapped the shawl around her. He placed a kiss on the side of her head and asked if she was all right.

With a wan smile and a nod, she displayed the inner strength he had grown to love. Once the tea tray had arrived and his mother had poured them all a cup, the dowager sat back and raised one eyebrow.

“Well?”

“
I was sitting with the dowagers, as usual, in the ballroom and a footman came up and said that Nathaniel wanted to speak to me. I told him that Nathaniel would have to come to me, but he was insistent. I thought it was just Nathaniel being his usual boorish self.” Nate opened his mouth to protest, but a dark stare from his mother held his tongue. “I should have known, of course. Nathaniel gets jealous when servants are required to help me and in particular male servants, when they have their hands all over me. Anyway, I did not want to make a fuss. I tried to get him to put me down, speaking in undertones. But he refused to listen. I should have known and I should have made a fuss, but it would have been so embarrassing.”

“
Of course it would, my dear. How were you to know his purposes were nefarious?” Nate snorted his disbelief but turned it into a cough as he suffered another glare from the dowager duchess.

“
He took me to a room and gagged me and tied my hands, but not before I landed a punch or two.” There was fire in her voice. God, she was so brave. “I wanted to fight more but once my hands were tied, I was helpless. Anyone else would have been able to run away or kick, but not me.” She looked up at Nate, her eyes swimming with tears, frustration evident in her face.

“
You did your best, my love. He was a strong man. Even with the use of your legs, you would have been no match for him, simply because you are female.”

Nate took over the tale, explaining how James had seen the footman remove Sarah from the ballroom and had come to get him. How they had chased the man into the garden and accosted him, rescuing Sarah and how the Earl of
Chapelbrooke was now ensuring that the blaggard’s feet never touched English soil ever again.

“
And what do you propose to do about Lady Trotter?” his mother asked when he had finished his tale.

“
I could make the threat that I will tell the authorities if she does not take herself and her obnoxious daughter off to America. Or I could suggest she hangs if she is not admitted to Bedlam immediately. Surely Bedlam is preferable to a noose.”

“
Do you not want to see her tried properly and possibly imprisoned?”

“
Think of the scandal, mother. I would like to know what Lady Amelia’s part was in all of this. If she is innocent, I believe she should not suffer for her mother’s transgressions.”

“
I agree,” said Sarah quietly. “I know you called her a bitch the first time we went for a drive in Hyde Park, but I do not believe she was involved.”

“
You always think the best of people, my love. I believe Bedlam or a new life in America is the best plan. We can ensure she never returns. It cuts down on the scandal. There will be talk, of course, after our disappearance from the ball, but hopefully that can be waved off as amorous newlyweds sneaking away, unable to keep their hands off each other. We would not be the first couple.”

“
Yes. I think that may be for the best. You must wait until the morning to reduce the scandal further. I am sure Lady Trotter has nowhere to go. Besides, I believe that Lady shall brazen it out. I doubt she will be filled with regret for her actions.”

“
I agree. Now, Mama, if you will excuse us, I believe my wife should be abed by now. It has been a tiring day.”