Her Wicked Ways (39 page)

Unwanted pity invaded Fox’s array of emotions. “Who knows how the man’s mind works? Maybe he planned to use it against you some day—you wanted something, and he gave it to you. You have to admit it’s a clever way to keep someone indebted.”

Stratham wiped a hand over his face. The clock ticked Fox’s freedom away. Norris would be here soon. Fox’s throat constricted until he feared suffocation. He’d come so close. Too close to watch it all slip away. “Stratham, I need you to tell the truth about this extortion scheme, and I need you to tell the mayor Norris planted the money in my cloak. If you don’t, I’ll lose everything, and I just…can’t.”

In that moment, Fox knew he would fall to his knees and beg if he had to. But he didn’t have to. “You either help me or I’ll ruin you. I’ve got nothing to lose, Stratham. They might not hang you, but you’ll lose your seat, probably go to prison, and perhaps even lose your land.”

A commotion in the hallway drove Stratham to his feet. Both men turned toward the door and waited.

Saxton opened the door while Norris’s wide girth shambled over the threshold. The earl grinned while mopping his brow with an orange handkerchief. “Not much of an escape, eh, Foxcroft?”

Saxton followed Norris into the office. While Norris looked as if he’d just eaten a vastly satisfying meal, Saxton looked as if he wanted to tear Fox’s limbs from his body. He’d seen Miranda and must’ve made his own assumptions. Fox thrust the thought away—he’d deal with it later. Right now, he needed to focus on gaining his freedom. He glanced at Stratham, trying to discern whether the man would help him, but his features were inscrutable.

Norris tucked his handkerchief into his coat. “We’ve got you now, Fox. The mayor is on his way. Never understand why you came here instead of running for parts unknown.”

Fox worked hard to keep his temper in check, a difficult endeavor as the world fell out from under him. His grip tightened around the evidence he’d use to prove Stratham’s crimes, but without Stratham testifying that Norris had planted the money in Fox’s cloak, he would still be prosecuted as a thief.

“I’ve no intention of running from a crime I didn’t commit. Not when you’re the one who’s been extorting money from our district.” Fox looked to Stratham, waiting for him to corroborate his story. The shorter man glanced at Fox and then back to Norris who sank into the chair Stratham had vacated.

Saxton assumed a stance near the garish fireplace. “That’s a strong accusation, Foxcroft. Are you able to substantiate it?” The set of his mouth gave Fox to believe he didn’t think so.

An uncomfortable moment stretched during which Fox wanted to throttle Stratham. Finally, his former foe stood as tall as his diminutive stature would allow. “I’ve collected this money for Lord Norris. Fox is holding a list of the people who have paid us the past four years in exchange for our promise not to adversely affect their properties.”

Norris’s face bloomed a vivid scarlet. His fat lips opened and closed as if he were trying to unloose the hook that would draw him into captivity. “You imbecile! You don’t know what you’re doing. You’re signing your own death warrant. No one will believe an earl extorted money on the word of some simple country MP.”

Stratham rolled his shoulders back. “That may be, but there are four of us ‘simple country MPs’ who have been at your mercy these past years. I’m sure Britt, Walker, and Dawson will be as relieved to be free of your tyranny as I am and will gladly confirm what I’m saying.”

“Insolent half-wit!” Norris turned a darker shade—nearly purple. “That doesn’t change Fox stealing from me last night.”

“He didn’t steal anything.” Stratham looked to Saxton as the only objective party in the room. “Norris had me put the money in Fox’s cloak, and I’ll testify as such. Fox is innocent.”

Norris’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. “But he climbed into my office with a mask! Clearly he had criminal intent!”

Fox had hoped to not have to use this, but didn’t hesitate. “As I told Saxton last night, I had ulterior motives with the mask. Motives that do not involve thievery, and motives I prefer not to disclose.”

Saxton pushed away from the fireplace, his eyes murderous. “Watch what you say, Foxcroft.”

“A pathetic attempt at deflection, Fox!” Spittle dotted Norris’s breeches. “I’ve sent for the mayor and Carmody, who will no doubt identify you as the highwayman who robbed him.”

Fox avoided looking at Saxton. “He might, but Lady Miranda will testify otherwise and with contradictory testimony, I doubt the charges will hold.”

The butler appeared in the open doorway. “The mayor, sir.”

A ruddy-faced gentleman past middle age entered the room. He pulled his hat from his head revealing a scruffy shock of white hair. “Good morning.” He took in the odd assembly and settled a puzzling look on Norris, who still appeared as if he were about to succumb to a fit of apoplexy. “I received your note, my lord.”

Fox stepped forward. “Yes, thank you for coming, Mr. Forth. Unfortunately, we have distressing news to report. Lord Norris has been found to be extorting money from several people within the district.”

The mayor didn’t move. He thrust his lips out in a pensive expression. “This is very surprising. You have evidence?”

Stratham took the papers from Fox and handed them to Forth. “This is a list of everyone we’ve demanded money from, and the dates on which we received it.”

Forth took the papers and glanced briefly at the top sheet before frowning at Stratham. “You’re involved in this as well?”

Stratham didn’t flinch beneath the mayor’s scrutiny. “I and my fellow MPs in the district believed we had no choice but to support this scheme.”

Fox wanted to convey his appreciation to Stratham. “I’d like to note, Mr. Forth, that if not for Mr. Stratham’s testimony and his keen records, we would not be aware of Lord Norris’s crime. I should hope there might be some leniency shown.”

The mayor tightened his grip on the documents. “It’s not up to me, Fox.”

Saxton’s features had relaxed, but his eyes were as hard as the fireplace marble. “I will ask if my father can speak on Stratham’s behalf when it comes to sentencing.”

Satisfied he’d helped Stratham as best he could, Fox nodded.

Stratham’s shoulders slouched and he seemed to shrink back to his normal height. “Thank you, Lord Saxton.”

Forth tucked the list of tributes into his coat. “I’ll just see these gentlemen out, though I’m confused as to why Norris sent for me in order to report his own crimes. Unless,” he turned to the earl, vainly trying to propel himself out of the chair, “you wished to turn yourself in?”

Norris held up a hand. “Might I have some assistance? I’m afraid my strength’s a bit leached, what with this morning’s excitement. But yes, I reasoned it time to come forward in order to demonstrate to our constituents that we cannot be bought.”

Fox made an inelegant noise, part disbelieving snort and part amused laugh. The earl had no shame at all. Forth shot Fox a questioning look, but he merely shook his head in response. Let Norris try to work himself out of this mess.

The mayor helped Norris out of his chair and Stratham accompanied them from the room. Fox didn’t know where they were going, but neither did he care.

Saxton stepped into the center of the room and fixed an angry glare on Fox. Before he could launch into what would no doubt be a tirade, Miranda rushed into the office. She appeared breathless, but utterly captivating with her riding habit donned in the appropriate manner. The lightness he’d felt earlier threatened to carry him away altogether.

She didn’t seem to notice Saxton as she moved toward Fox. “Have you been cleared of the charges?”

Fox smiled at her. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and never let her go. “Norris didn’t even make the charges. Stratham did his part.”

She exhaled and then froze when Saxton grabbed her arm. He glowered down at his sister. “You’ve made an absolute mess of this. When Holborn learns what you’ve done—”

Fox broke in. “Lord Saxton, it doesn’t signify since she’s to be my wife.”

Saxton gaped at Fox for a moment. “
Your wife
?” He looked back to Miranda whose eyes had widened.

Unease stirred with the emotions swirling through Fox’s mind. “Yes, we are to be married.”

Saxton pointed at Fox with a stabbing motion. “Did you agree to wed this man?”

Miranda’s cheeks hollowed as she sucked in air. She darted a glance at Fox and in her eyes he saw…regret. The lightness turned to black. Weight as heavy as iron pulled at his body, threatened his very sanity.

“No,” she said, shaking her head, “I didn’t agree to marry him.”

Chapter Twenty

MIRANDA’S knees quivered as she watched the happiness fade from Fox’s eyes. His pulse beat a steady rhythm in his throat, a rhythm she still felt in her bones.

Jasper relaxed, shaking his shoulders out. “Since you claim he’s not your lover, I couldn’t imagine why you’d agree to wed him.”

Fox pinned her with an incredulous glare and the burden of her lie nearly suffocated her. “You claim I’m not your lover? What the hell occurred between us in the stable then?”

Her vision blurred. Had he just said that out loud? As close as she’d come to disaster in the past, for the first time the walls seemed to close in around her.

Jasper lunged forward and grabbed Fox’s lapel. “You ruined my sister?”

Fox threw him off, his eyes blazing. “No, I made love to my future wife. I’ve been asking your sister to marry me for months. Fool that I am, I rather fancied her seduction in my cell last night a tacit agreement to my proposal.”

Jasper swung on his sister. “What have you to say for yourself? You don’t shag a man and then expect to walk away. You’re the daughter of a goddamned duke, Miranda, not some trollop!”

She flinched beneath his fury and coarse language. She’d never seen Jasper this angry. Her body began to shake, but words wouldn’t come. She had no more excuses, no easy way to explain herself out of this. She’d been caught.

Miranda’s anger flared and she turned to Fox. “You didn’t ask me to marry you last night!”

The blue, green, and gold of his eyes burned into her. “The hell I didn’t. I told you I still wanted to marry you.”

Had he said that? She didn’t remember. She spun to face Jasper. “I don’t have to marry him. No one knows what happened last night.”

Jasper’s eyes widened. “You’re mad.”

Fox stepped into her line of sight and tugged her arm so that she had to look at him full on. “I will personally inform your parents that you might be carrying my child.”

Miranda shrunk back and pulled herself from his grasp. She could scarcely believe he could be so cold. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“I would. We’re marrying, whether you agree or I drag you to the altar with your family’s blessing.” He leaned toward her with a menacing, humorless smile. “And I’m certain they’ll give it.”

Miranda turned pleading eyes to Jasper. “Mother and Father will help me.”

Jasper opened his mouth then closed it abruptly. His brows drew low over his pale blue eyes. “Holborn will be livid—as I am very nearly—which is why I shan’t tell him of your indiscretion. Pray you are not with child, Miranda. You’ll never be allowed to raise it.”

Fox grabbed Jasper’s forearm. “What the hell are you saying? I don’t care how your father feels, I’m marrying her. Especially if she’s with child.”

Jasper threw his grasp off. “You can bloody well try, but Holborn won’t want you in this family.” He returned his attention to Miranda and frowned. His blond brows slanted low over his sharply piercing blue eyes. He’d never looked more like their father and she had to suppress a shiver. “What a godforsaken tangle you’ve made.” He turned his attention to Fox. “Because I think it’s the conscionable thing to do,” he threw an icy glare at Miranda that practically froze her insides, “I’ll do all I can to see you married, especially if she’s with child. Be warned however—it may not be enough. Holborn’s a right prick, and he always gets what he wants.”

A bit of Fox’s tension left his frame. “Thank you. All I’ve ever wanted is to marry Miranda.”

Yes, that was all he’d wanted. Practically since she’d arrived. And now she may
have
to marry him. Regardless of what Jasper said, Miranda was certain her father would wed her to Fox if she carried his child. How neatly this had all turned out for him.