if hes wicked (26 page)

as she asked.”

“Go, Julian. I wil be safe.”

“And have you seen that, too?”

“Nay, I just know it. Go and save the rest of your family.”

He gave her a brief, hard kiss and, the moment Leo ordered the carriage stopped, leapt out. Leo was right behind him. Chloe watched as each

man gathered a horse and one man to ride with them. She sent a prayer with them, one that asked that they were successful in saving Lady Evelyn and

Lady Mildred and their daughters.

The rest of the ride to Colinsmoor was peaceful. Chloe wished she could have enjoyed it. Instead her mind clung to her worry about Leo and Julian

and the ones they had gone to save. Things had become so much worse than they had been. Either Arthur or Beatrice had clearly gone mad. No longer

was this a matter of protecting the heirs until proof could be found to end Arthur’s deadly game. Now it was about the survival of al the Kenwoods.

When the manor house came into view Chloe could not stop herself from gaping. She had only seen a brief glimpse of it from a distance when she

had stayed with Laurel. Never had she thought it would be so huge or so beautiful. A flutter of unease struck her in the bel y. How could she ever be

mistress to such grandeur?

The carriages rol ed to a halt before the big doors of the mansion, and one of the waiting footmen hurried over to put down the steps and open the

carriage door. Chloe reluctantly stepped out, her gaze fixed upon the place she was expected to cal home. Feeling a little helpless and lost, she looked

toward the man who held the carriage door open, only to see another man walking toward the horses, and she gaped.

“Jake?” she whispered, recognizing the man who had left the papers with Anthony, the ones that had helped them prove he was Julian’s son.

The man stopped and turned to look at her. “Miss? Do you know me?”

She moved closer to him. The man looked suddenly pale and she realized that the fear Beatrice and Arthur had bred in these people had not left

them yet. “I was in the cottage on the moors, hiding in a niche by the fireplace.” She caught him by the arm when he stumbled back, his face twisted in

fear. “Nay, do not fear. I wil not harm you, nor wil the earl.”

“But what I did—” he began.

“You had no choice. That is understood. But I do believe you and I have to talk.”

Julian leapt down from his horse and ran up to the door of his mother’s townhouse, praying that she would be at home. He was filthy and sweaty,

but he had no care for his appearance. Fear for the safety of his family control ed him. He did not think he had ever ridden to London with such speed and

lack of care for his mount. When the door was opened, he shoved past the butler and strode into the hal .

“Mother!” he bel owed.

Before he could take a breath to cal out again, Lady Evelyn rushed to the top of the stairs and looked down at him in open-mouthed shock.

“Julian? What are you doing here? You were on your way to Colinsmoor. What has happened?” she asked as she hurried down the stairs and then she

suddenly stopped only a few steps from the bottom. “Anthony?”

“He is fine. Chloe is fine. But you and the girls need to pack and come with me.” He grabbed her by the arm and started to take her back up the

stairs.

“Julian, you have to tel me what is wrong. I cannot just leave. I have plans, invitations I have accepted,” she babbled, only to stop speaking when

Julian dragged her into her bedchamber and ordered her maid to start packing her belongings. “What are you doing?”

“Getting you and the girls out of here. You are coming to Colinsmoor.” He looked at the maid. “Jane, get someone to pack up the girls’ things,

enough for a few days. The rest can be sent down later. Then get back here and do the same for my mother.” He then tugged his mother along with him as

he strode into her sitting room.

Lady Evelyn sank into a chair near the fireplace and watched her son pour himself a large drink of wine. For a brief moment she feared he had

taken to drink again and this madness was a result of that. Then she saw that he was covered in the dust of a long journey. His hair had been pul ed free

of its queue and he smel ed of sweat and horses. There was a look on his face that told her he was consumed by some fear.

“What is it, Julian? You are frightening me.”

A little calmer, Julian sat down in the seat next to her. “There is something I have not told you about Chloe. You have heard the rumors about the

Wherlockes, have you not?”

“Foolish things about them and the Vaughns. Tales of witchcraft and how they can see spirits and the like. Nothing worth repeating.”

“Wel , it is not al foolishness. This is to be kept secret,” he said and she nodded. “A lot of them do have some strange, er, skil s. Chloe has

visions.”

“Visions?” Lady Evelyn frowned. “You mean she sees the future as some gypsies claim they can?”

“I suspect they claim a gift they do not have. Chloe real y has the gift. Have you never wondered how she managed to save Anthony? How did she

come to be there when her sister needed her, when my son needed her? She saw it. She never would have gotten word that she was needed in time to

help in any other way.” When his mother said nothing, just stared at him, he told her of other ways Chloe’s gift had aided and protected him. “She truly has visions. I doubted at first, but no longer. If you could see her when she is gripped by one, you would believe it, too.”

“How miraculous, but what does that have to do with you rushing in here like a madman and demanding we al go to Colinsmoor?”

“She saw you and the girls murdered.” He quickly rose and poured her some wine when she paled. “Here,” he said as he handed her the drink,

“steady yourself. I do not mean to upset you, but I do not have time for delicacy. There is more. Leo has gone to get Aunt Mildred and the girls because

Chloe said they, too, were in danger.”

“And you trust in what she has told you? You are certain we need to flee?”

“I have just nearly ridden my horse to death to get here as swiftly as I could. Yes, I believe it. Even if I did not have ful confidence in what she says

she has seen, I would stil do as she asked. Arthur or Beatrice have acted with a recklessness of late that hints at madness. But I do believe in what she

says she has seen. Since she cannot tel me when this wil happen, I must insist that you come with me now.”

Lady Evelyn finished off her wine in a very unladylike hurry and then stood up. “Then we wil go with you. You go and clean up while I see that we

have packed enough to last us until the rest of our things can be sent on.” She pul ed him to his feet and started to push him toward the room he had once

used. “I believe there are some clothes stored in your old room. Some of yours, some of your father’s, and even some of Nigel’s. There wil be something

you can use. I wil tel my companion to send our regrets to al the people we have agreed to visit and have the carriage brought round.”

The next thing Julian knew he was standing in his old bedchamber and several footmen were rushing around preparing a bath for him. He could

hear people hurrying around outside and occasional y heard his mother and sisters. Shaking his head in surprise over how quickly his mother had fal en in

with his demands and how few questions she had asked concerning his claim that Chloe had visions, he stripped off his filthy clothes and climbed into the

tub.

He lingered in the heated water just long enough to ease the aches caused by his mad ride and then began to dress in some of Nigel’s clothes.

By the time he stepped out of his room, ready to leave, he saw his mother hurrying toward the stairs attired in her traveling clothes. He hurried to catch up with her.

“Ah, Julian, you do look a great deal better,” she said when he reached her side at the foot of the stairs. “Everything is already strapped to the

carriages and the girls are tucked in one along with my maid. I assumed you would ride with me in the other. I cal ed for two carriages because it is so late I know we wil probably sleep a little, and that requires room.”

“You are a wonder,” he said and kissed her on the cheek before leading her to the carriage. “I imagine the girls are not very pleased with this

sudden journey.”

“No, they are not,” Lady Evelyn said as he helped her into the carriage and then climbed in to sit on the seat across from her.

When the carriage started to move, Julian felt the tight knot of fear that had gripped him so many hours ago begin to loosen. “I am sorry for that,

but it is necessary. You wil be safer at Colinsmoor, with us and the men we have gathered there.”

“Julian, about these visions you say Chloe has. I do think some people know things that we cannot, but—” She fel silent when he held up his hand.

“I swear to you, they are real. Frighteningly so.” He shook his head. “When she first told me that it was a vision that led her to join her sister and be

ready to help my son when Beatrice left him to die, I did not believe it. I do believe it now. It is just not something I can talk you into believing. It is something you have to live with for a while, to see how they come to her, before you can believe.”

“Very wel . A part of me does believe in it al , but I hope I wil not insult her or hurt her feelings if my belief is not wholehearted.”

“No. As she and her cousin say, a lack of belief, or doubt, does not trouble them. It is the fear that does. And fear is also dangerous, so that is why

they keep the truth about the gifts so many of their family has to themselves.”

Lady Evelyn stared at Julian in surprise. “Lord Sir Leopold has visions, too?”

“No.” Julian explained what Leo could do. “I am not sure I wil believe al the gifts they claim in their family, but I do believe in Leo and Chloe.”

“And so you should. You would not be alive without them and neither would Anthony. Who do you think planned to,” she hesitated and then took a

deep breath before saying, “kil me and the girls?”

“Either Arthur or Beatrice.” He shrugged. “Mayhap both. As I said, they have grown reckless, striking out in ways they never have done before.

Each attack against me was obviously careful y planned so that no suspicion would turn their way. Now? Now they just attack. That they do when everyone

is now watching them with suspicion only adds to my belief that they, or one of them, has lost control and is acting out of fury. That would be much like

Beatrice, but it could also be Arthur in a fury. He must see that his plans to be earl are going awry faster than he can fix the problem or protect himself from blame.”

“I have never liked Arthur,” Lady Evelyn said quietly, “but I never thought him a danger. I hope Lord Sir Leopold finds Mildred and her girls safe.”

“So do I, Mama. Aunt Mildred is as innocent as the rest of us. She and her daughters do not deserve to suffer for my uncle’s ambition.”

“It wil be very late before we get to Colinsmoor,” she said and quickly covered a yawn with her hand.

“Rest, Mama. You wil need your strength to get the girls settled once we are there.”

“Have you seen the place since you walked away from Beatrice?”

“No. In truth, I have not seen it since long before I left my wife. Beatrice preferred London. We rarely spent much time at Colinsmoor when we were

married. The reports I have gotten from the men Leo sent there imply that it is in good shape but that work needs to be done. Uncle obviously did not wish

to waste his coin on it for al he seems to covet the title.”

Lady Evelyn closed her eyes. “I think Lady Marston is right. Shoot them both.”

Julian laughed softly and then stared out the window as his mother dozed on the other seat. He was calmer now but he would not relax completely

until he got his family tucked safely behind the thick wal s of Colinsmoor. The final confrontation with his enemies was coming; he could feel it. He just

wished he could find out which one of them was going to hunt him down.

Chloe sighed as strong, lightly cal oused hands stroked her breasts. “Is that you, Julian?” She laughed when one of those hands slapped her hip.

“Wretched brat.” He brushed a kiss over her mouth. “You felt sure we would al arrive safely?” he asked as he tugged her nightgown off and tossed

it aside.

“Aye and nay. I stayed awake long enough to see your aunt and cousins settled, but Leo sent me to bed when he caught me sleeping on the bench

in the hal . I was simply too tired to argue. Did your mother protest too much?”

“Not much. After al , the threat was not just to her, was it? I am afraid my sisters are not very happy, but they know when to just do what their mother

tel s them and not waste their breath arguing with her.”

Chloe stroked his back, trailing her fingers up and down his spine. “She did not believe the source of the warning, did she?”

“She is doubtful, but not so doubtful that she would risk staying in London.”

“That is good enough.”

“This is good, too,” he murmured as he encircled her breasts with soft kisses and heated strokes of his tongue.

“After al that riding back and forth to London, are you sure you are not too exhausted for this play?” she teased.

He shifted so that his erection pressed against the soft curls at the juncture of her slim thighs. “Does this feel as if I am too exhausted?”

“Nay, it feels very nice.” She tugged at his hair until he lifted his head and then she kissed him. “However, now that so many of your family are

gathered around us, are you certain we ought to be indulging ourselves like this?”

“We wil be discreet, but I am not giving this up.”

She opened her mouth to argue but he kissed away her protests. Chloe gave herself over to his lovemaking. She had been afraid for him right up

until the time Leo had told her to go to bed. Although she had had no further visions, she had known that he was on his way home and would soon return to