Always Have Hope (Emerson Book 3) (24 page)

He had to get out of there so he could find her. He
wasn’t sure how he was going to do either of those things. He tugged on the
shackles a few times and discovered there was a little bit of give.

Thinking of Win, and only Win, kept the panic at bay.
He knelt facing away from the wall, with one shackled wrist on either side of
him. Then he imagined himself at the boxing salon throwing punches. He threw
a right punch in the air in front of him, then a left. He repeated the process
again and again, putting every muscle in his back and stomach into it. After a
few moments, his muscles burned with the exertion, but he had to continue
onward. First punching with his right, then his left.

His shoulders ached. He didn’t care.

First the right, then the left. One punch straight
out in front of him, then another.

He must have done ten minutes of this before he
finally had to rest. He was covered in sweat and his arms were shaking. But
the bolts on his right shackle – his dominant side – had noticeably loosened.
He still couldn’t pull himself from the wall. But if he’d come this far, he
could go further.

He could do anything for Win.

*

Win was finally able to kick apart the wooden
headboard to which she was bound, though she made so much noise she feared
someone would hear. Her hands were still tied together, but she was able to
run. She went to the heavy wooden door and knelt before it. Fortunately, she
could see the key wasn’t still in it.

She’d been imprisoned in her bedchamber on many
occasions. She’d become an expert at picking the lock with a hairpin. She
reached up now to grab one, then went to work. It took but a few moments to
pick it, then she quietly swung open the door.

There was no candlelight in the hall, though there was
moonlight coming in from the windows. She carefully pulled back a curtain and
to her amazement she realized she was still on her own street, though not in
her house. She didn’t know who lived there – Clarence had never allowed her to
make friends with anyone on the block.

There were no servants about. She could hear no
sounds from belowstairs. It could be the house down the street from her own,
which had been vacant quite some time. She wondered how Horace had taken her
there without anyone noticing, then realized the tunnels must run beneath all
of the houses.

She ran downstairs, then into the study, hoping there
was an entrance to the tunnels in the same place as at her home. She began
pulling out items near the fireplace until she found the correct switch. She
paused long enough to light two candles, then disappeared into the passageway.

She tried not to think of what lay in front of her.
For all she knew, she could be entering an endless maze where she’d get lost in
the complete darkness, only to be found by Horace. But she wouldn’t think
about that. She let only one thought guide her: finding Alex.

She fumbled around in the dark for too long. Each
moment was agony, knowing Alex was trapped somewhere. For all she knew, Horace
might have lied to her. Perhaps Alex was already dead. Mayhap she’d stumble
upon his body.

She couldn’t think of that now.

For want of a better option, she turned in the
direction of what would have been the wine cellar in her own house. Perhaps
there was a room like the one where they’d found Tawny. Perhaps….

She ran into something solid and warm.

“Win?”

“Alex?”

She lifted her candle and there he was. Alex Lewis,
the man she loved.

For a moment, neither of them moved. Then he tried to
pull her into his arms, but her hands were still tied. She could feel metal on
his wrists and she had to awkwardly put her hands to the side, being careful
not to burn him with the candles. But their lips finally found each other.

It was the most sublime moment of her life.

“He said he’d left you in the dark tunnels. I
couldn’t bear it,” said Win, half sobbing.

Alex’s only response was another hungry kiss.

“Did he hurt you?” he asked. “I’ll kill the bastard.”

“No, though I believe he plans to. But we must
leave. Grayson is in trouble.”

“Trust me, I have no desire to tarry. But where are
we?”

“I believe we are in a house just down the street from
mine. And, yes, let’s leave quickly.”

They carefully retraced Win’s steps and were soon back
in the study. There was no sign of Horace or anyone else as Alex quickly cut
the ties around Win’s wrists. They hurried out the front door, then Win called
out to James, who was still in front of her house.

“Horace is on his way to Grayson’s!” said Win.

James had one astonished moment as he watched his
sister emerge from a different house with her hair falling down about her and
Alex in manacles, but he called out to Colin and Nick and soon the five of them
were on their way to Grayson’s.

Nate had tried every cipher he knew, yet he still
couldn’t break the coded ledger. But of one thing he was certain. The crimes
contained within would have to be among the most serious in order for Pierce to
have spent that much time encrypting it. In the blackmail ledger, Nate had
already found incriminating evidence about prostitution, the opium trade, white
slavery, jewel thieves, government corruption, extortion and murder. If those
could be written about relatively freely, what would require such secrecy?

Only one crime came to mind: treason.

Nate and Stemple were sitting in the dark. They’d
snuffed out the candles an hour earlier, hoping the villain would think he was either
out or asleep. He’d placed the ledgers in a secret compartment in his desk, an
elaborate piece of furniture from France that he’d brought from home. It was impenetrable
unless you could undo the elaborate puzzle that would unlock it. No one would
be able to do so. And he’d have to get past him and Stemple to even try.

It was past one of the clock when they first heard the
footfalls in the hall.

There were other flats in the building and for a
moment, Nate thought the person would continue onward. He did for a moment,
then doubled back. He stood outside for a moment, then began picking the
lock.

Nate looked over at Stemple to find him training a
pistol at the door. His hand was steady, and Nate had no doubt he’d be an able
ally. Nate had his own pistol in his hand, and had two knives on his person.
He wouldn’t allow the villain to get away.

He heard the lock give way, then the door opened. It
was dark in the hall, but light enough to illuminate Horace Warren. For a
moment, no one moved, then Warren turned and ran.

Nate and Stemple gave chase, only to see Horace
unexpectedly run up the stairs. Nate and Stemple followed, then heard Colin,
James, Nick and Alex behind them – along with a female voice. He couldn’t
believe the Emersons would have brought any of their sisters, but if it was
Rose, he’d take her aside later to express his extreme displeasure.

Or simply kiss her senseless.

Horace threw open the door to the roof. Nate
followed, only to see Horace race to the edge of the roof, back up, then jump.
It had to be eight feet to the next roof – four stories in the air – but the
blighter made it. They stared in amazement as Horace landed, then shimmied his
way down the building until he dropped the final six feet to the street.

“I’ll find you later, Win!” he called up to her. “And
finish the job the courts wouldn’t do.” Then he turned and ran up an alley
toward the mews in back.

An angry Alex made a move to leap to the other roof,
but Colin, James and Nick held him back.

“Let go!” said Alex.

“No,” said Colin. “We’ll find another way.”

A shot rang out from the direction of the mews. Nate
led the others back into the building and down the back stairs to an exit which
led to the alley. They raced to the mews, pistols drawn, only to find Horace
Warren dead on the ground, shot precisely through the heart.

“Who did it?” asked Stemple. “Another accomplice?”

They looked around, but there was no one there.

Suddenly, Nate realized what was going on. He’d been
an idiot not to see it coming. He ran back to his flat as quickly as possible,
with the others following.

He arrived only to find the door open and the
intricate puzzle of his desk undone. The compartment was open. The ledgers
were gone. Nothing else in the room had been touched.

“Damn it!”

“Are the ledgers gone?” asked Alex.

“Yes,” said Nate.

“Should we give chase?” asked James.

“He’ll be gone. I’m certain he ran to the front as we
ran to the back. He was probably gone when we found Horace’s body.”

“Who would have known how to get into your desk?”
asked Nick.

Nate only shrugged. But he knew only one person who
could get into the desk that quickly.

His father, the Duke of Bancroft.

*

Sergeant Fisk and his men had been near Grayson’s
building, but none of them had seen the man who’d killed Horace, then fled with
the ledgers. Fisk interviewed Alex, Win and the others in Grayson’s flat.

“Who do you think killed Warren?” Fisk asked. “Another
of the late Mr. Pierce’s relations?”

“I don’t believe so,” said Win. “Horace and Clive
didn’t get along well. I cannot imagine them working together. And I
particularly cannot imagine Clive being sober enough to first shoot Horace with
such accuracy, then double back and steal the ledgers so quickly.”

“About that theft…it looks like the villain knew
exactly where to look. And, even more surprising, how to open that fancy desk.
Most men I know would’ve had to use an axe. But this man had a much lighter
touch. And nothing else was taken, you say, my lord?” he asked Grayson.

“Not at first glance.”

“And we weren’t gone that long,” said Colin. “I’m surprised
he was able to open the desk that easily.”

“Quite,” said Fisk, still taking notes, but stealing
glances at Grayson. “And you weren’t able to make a copy of either ledger?”

“Unfortunately, no.”

“It’s just as well you didn’t,” said Alex. “The
person possessing them could be in danger. If possible, Sergeant, I would ask
that you mention there are no copies when you talk to the press. It would be
in everyone’s best interests.”

“I agree, sir.” He finished taking notes. He
hesitated for a moment. “Is it true what I’m hearing? Are you really leaving
chambers?”

“I fear I have no choice. I don’t think Sir Wilfred
would allow me to stay.”

“And I don’t suppose you’d like to tell me why. I
might be able to do something about that.”

Alex certainly wouldn’t mind having Sir Wilfred
removed from his position, but he feared it would raise the suspicions of the
other officials who were in the ledger. If it were just his safety at risk,
he’d do it. But there were too many others who could be hurt. And he’d never
place Win in danger.

“I’m afraid things will have to stay as they are. But
I thank you for the offer and everything you’ve done in this case.”

“Yes, thank you, Sergeant,” said Win. “We are in your
debt.”

She kissed him on the cheek and the battle-hardened
sergeant blushed.

“Yes, well, I was glad to help. I’ll be relating all
of this to Joseph Stapleton in my next letter, if you don’t mind. It couldn’t
hurt to have his thoughts on this, as well.”

The sergeant left and it was time to go back to
Lynwood House.

“I shall see you all on the morrow,” said Grayson.

“I’d like you to come with us,” said Colin. “We can’t
risk having the killer return here tonight.”

“But why would he? He has what he came for.”

“Nevertheless, I’d rather you accompany us. We can
revisit the matter on the morrow. Lewis, you, too, shall be joining us.”

“But I have my rooms in chambers.”

“Yes. And there is a corrupt barrister in the same
building who may get nervous enough to kill. Lynwood has the room. I daresay
we each could have our own wing, if we so chose. Let us all go back to the
house without delay. I have a wife waiting for me, which beats arguing with
you lot.”

“You really are besotted with your wife, aren’t you?”
asked Grayson.

“Most definitely. You should try it sometime.”

It was almost four when Win finally lay down in bed.
She couldn’t remember feeling this relieved. She was exhausted but at peace.
Alex was safe. Jane had treated the cuts he’d sustained from the manacles. Win
liked knowing he was under the same roof.

She felt terrible that he’d lost his position in
chambers. It was most unfair. And he would surely hate her for ruining his
life. He’d worked so hard to attain his profession and now it had been taken
away from him. She had to figure out a way to make it up to him.

There was a knock on the door. Perhaps Rose had come
to spend the night. But Win opened the door to find the Duchess of Lynwood,
instead.

“Oh, good,” said Rosalind. “I’m so glad you have not
yet retired. How are you feeling?”

“Much better, thank you. I’m sorry we awakened you.”

“I couldn’t have slept until I heard the entire story,
anyway. How brave you were – and your Mr. Lewis.”

“He is not my Mr. Lewis,” demurred Win, though liking
the sound of that impossible thought.

“Is he not?” asked Rosalind with a smile. “I was
wondering if you could do me a favor.”

“Of course.”

“I hate to ask, but Jane has been so tired as of late
because of the baby.”

“Daniel is a wonderful babe.”

“Actually, I was referring to Ned. I love him dearly,
but poor Jane doesn’t get any sleep because any time Daniel makes the slightest
noise, Ned frets. I want her to get some much-needed rest, so I was wondering
if you would go check on Mr. Lewis.”

Win was immediately worried. “Are his injuries worse than
they appeared?”

Rosalind blushed just a bit, which made Win suspicious.
“I am not an expert, but it would be dreadful if his condition were to worsen
without anyone to look after him. So if it is not too much trouble, I was
hoping you could go to his bedchamber and….tend to his needs.”

Now Win knew something was up. “When you say I should
‘tend to his needs,’ what do you have in mind, exactly?”

The duchess’s color was now approaching a bright red.
Then she grinned. “I suspect you will have to find out for yourself. Win, you
must go to him. He’s too proper to come to you.”

“And you think I am improper?” It was the best
compliment she’d received in some time.

“Only the exact right amount. Go to him. It’s
obvious the two of you care very deeply for each other. It’d be a shame if you
couldn’t work things out between you.”

“But it is a lost cause.”

“You aren’t bothered by the difference in your social
stations, are you?”

“Of course not!”

“Excellent. I have grown so fond of you and would
hate to learn you cared about such foolishness.”

Win had to laugh. “You may be the only duchess with
such egalitarian beliefs.”

“Position and social standing do not interest me. I
married the love of my life. He just happened to be a duke. I believe yours
is a former barrister.”

“What if he orders me to leave his bedchamber?”

“He won’t.”

“What makes you so certain?”

“Because he is a highly intelligent former barrister
and when he looks at you, there is enough heat generated to warm all of London
even on a night like this. Go to him Win. Begin your new life of freedom in
the best possible way.”

*

Alex hadn’t ever lain in such a comfortable bed. His
cot at chambers was rather lumpy. And his accommodations at Harrow and
university had been little more than a plank of wood with a bit of scratchy
wool on it. With such a bed he should be having the best rest of his life,
except he suspected he wouldn’t be able to sleep at all because Win was
somewhere in the house.

He supposed he should be lying awake worrying about
his future. After all, everything he’d worked for all these years was gone.
He had no obvious means of supporting himself. He would have to start over.
Perhaps, he’d go to America and start anew.

It would be wonderful to start over again with Win at
his side, because he was certain he could do anything as long as she was with
him.

She was beautiful. Not just physically. But her
spirit, as well. She was remarkable.

And she was somewhere in that house asleep. Likely
wearing a nightrail that he would slip from her shoulders….

There was a knock at his door. It was damned
inconvenient since he’d been about to embark upon a rather wicked fantasy. He
pulled on the dressing gown he’d been provided, then went to the door expecting
to see Lady Jane with more ointment.

But it wasn’t Lady Jane.

Win was standing there in a purple silk dressing
gown. Her black hair was in one long braid. She looked uncertain, but there
was something else there, as well. He was just too unsure of his own state of
mind to guess what it was.

“Win,” he said, rather witlessly.

“Alex,” she said, still looking nervous. “I just
wanted to make certain you were well.”

“I am well, thank you. Lady Jane did a fine job in
tending to me. Are you well?” In court he’d been eloquent. Here with Win, he
was a blithering imbecile.

“I am quite well, thank you.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re well.”

He then decided it would be best for everyone if he
stopped talking. He waited for her to speak again. Then he could simply nod
or shake his head or pull her to him and kiss her.

He particularly wanted to do that last thing.

“Do you have everything you need?” she asked. “The
staff is most efficient, so I imagine they have thought of everything. But I
thought I would ask anyway. I am certain you need only ring if you need anything.”

I need you
.
“Yes, everything is as it should be. Do you have everything you need?” He
was, somehow, growing duller by the minute. Perhaps a change of venue would
help. “Would you like to come in?”

Panic briefly flared in her face and Alex was about to
apologize and retreat in his humiliation, when Win took a deep breath and
nodded.

“Thank you,” she said. “I would like that very much.”

*

Win hadn’t been this nervous on her wedding night,
then cursed herself for even thinking of that hellish occasion. The act had
been even more painful than she’d anticipated. On the dozen times that she and
Pierce had had relations during their marriage, it had always been uncomfortable.
She wasn’t looking forward to the dry friction, the uncomfortable twinges. But
she was determined to have relations with Alex. The time together afterward
would be well worth whatever irritation she had to put up with for the three or
four minutes of actual coitus.

The bedchamber was elegant. The bed itself – which
Win glanced at quickly – was covered in a rich brocade material. She imagined
it was as comfortable as the one she’d been sleeping in, though this one was in
the guest wing and not the family quarters, where she was situated. She
briefly wondered if the duchess had done that deliberately to give them more
privacy. Just the very thought made her nervous. And when she was nervous,
she babbled.

“I am concerned about you, Alex. I know you must be
quite upset about the loss of your position. What do you plan to do?”

“I don’t know yet.” He looked so solemn in the
firelight. “What are your plans?”

“I will sell the house as quickly as possible to pay off
Pierce’s debts. Colin has been kind enough to invite me to live in Wiltshire.
I worry about what it will do to their reputations. But I confess to being a
selfish creature. I want to be with my family.”

“Only your family?”

“My family and….you.”

He drew in a breath, then they both forgot to
breathe.

“Win, can it be true that you’d consider spending your
life with me?”

“If you wouldn’t mind having a wife whom everyone will
think is a murderess.”

“I know the truth. Nothing else matters. But have
you thought this through? I have no way to support you. I have some savings,
but certainly nothing that will last a lifetime. I have no idea what I shall
do for money once that is gone.”

“Are you saying you’d want to marry me if money
weren’t a concern?” It was too much to even hope for.

“I am far beneath your station.”

“Nonsense.”

“I cannot imagine your brothers would approve of the
match.”

“I cannot imagine they’d object to me marrying for
love,” she said quietly. Then her eyes widened as she realized what she’d
said.

“You…love me?”

“Well, that is…Yes.” There was no use denying it. She
was well and truly a woman in love.

“Marry me,” he said. “Please. Marry me despite the
fact that I am of illegitimate birth and have no money or profession. Despite
the fact we shall have to live on your brother’s charity until I find a way to
earn a living. But I will find one. Because I love you so.”

Win had to brush back tears. “I cannot trust my ears
when so much happiness is at stake.”

“Will you marry me, Win? I promise to make you a
happy woman for the rest of our days, despite a decided lack of material goods.
I love you, Win. With all my heart.”

“I love you, too. Yes, please. I want to be your
wife above all things.”

He kissed her. And for a long moment, there was
nothing else but the two of them together in love.

The kiss quickly became heated. It felt so wonderful
that Win wished they could continue doing that and not have to move on to
relations. She knew men tended to enjoy the act itself and it was a sign of
just how much she loved Alex that she would quite willingly submit to it so he
could find release. She knew he’d be as gentle as possible and would likely
hurry so as to not prolong her discomfort.

His lips moved down her neck, unexpectedly making her
shiver. It was a peculiar sensation to feel his breath on that very sensitive
part of her. Then his hands moved down to her bottom. She instinctively
tensed since Pierce had struck her there so many times.

He immediately stopped. “We don’t have to do this,
love.”

“No, please continue,” she said shakily.

“No. Not if it causes you distress. Know this. I
will never hurt you. I will never allow anyone else to hurt you. And any time
you want me to stop, I will. Should I remove my hands from your bottom?”

“No, I am…curious as to what you’ll do there.”

He smiled as he kissed her again. “Well, I certainly
wouldn’t want to deny your curiosity.”

He began gently kneeding her there, massaging each
globe in a mesmerizing way. Then when she was just getting used to the
sensation, he began kissing her neck again. She pulled him toward her because
she didn’t know what else to do with her hands.

“Win, are you sure you’re enjoying this?” He pulled
back from her as much as she allowed.

“I’m making a mess of this aren’t I?” she said. She
was going to humiliate herself in front of the man she loved.

“Not at all, love. Just having you here is the real-life
version of the fantasy I’ve been having for quite some time, now. But perhaps
we should sit and talk before going further.” Holding her hand, he led her to
the bed.

“You want to sit on the bed?” she asked.

“We don’t have to,” he said. “Let us sit in the
chairs by the fire.”

“No,” she said firmly, for her sake more than his.
She wasn’t going to let fear get the better of her. Not now. Especially now.
“Let us sit on the bed.”

They both sat and she felt the warmth of her hand in
his. She knew she had to explain, but was too embarrassed. Finally, she
gathered her courage. “I don’t know how to do this. I mean, I understand the
technical aspect, though we did this to completion only a few times and not for
many years. I know that I am to lie on my back quietly and allow you to…do
what you do. However, I’d like to hold you when you are…doing what you do,
although I know it is customary for the woman to rest with her arms at her
side. And pray do not worry about completing the act quickly. I was able to
withstand the act even when Pierce took five minutes. With you, I am certain I
could tolerate even twice that long. I do hate mentioning him tonight and once
again I fear I have ruined our evening. It is not a very good start for us, is
it?”

She turned to look at him and was not prepared for the
odd mixture of emotions on his face. She was quite certain part of it was
horror and her stomach fell, thinking she had given him a disgust of her. But
it appeared there was also tenderness, sorrow, shock and, to her chagrin,
amusement.

“My love,” he said, as he kissed her gently. “We don’t
have to do anything tonight. Or tomorrow. Or on our wedding night. We won’t do
anything until you truly want to. However long that may take. And once we do make
love, you need only to tell me to stop and I will. You must promise right now
that you’ll never do something just because you think I want to do so. It must
be mutual. And I certainly don’t want you to merely tolerate me when we’re
making love. I should also probably mention that I plan to go on for a lot
longer than ten minutes.” Her panic must have shown, because he quickly added,
“But though it may seem immodest to say so, I believe you’ll enjoy yourself.
As a matter of fact, I would not continue if you didn’t.”