Libertine's Wife (44 page)

Arianne felt around under the bed and
pulled the silk bindings he kept there with a mischievous gleam in
her eyes. “Would you like to see it now?”

Garret’s green eyes twinkled as she
tossed the cords into his lap. Her lips curved and trembled in
anticipation. He snatched them up and proceeded to tie up his wife
far more intricately than he had the serving wenches, grinning as
he sat back and smirked gloatingly.

“
Let us see you get out of
that, madam,” he whispered in challenge as he rolled her to her
back, his lips taking hers in a fiery kiss.

Bound as she was, she couldn’t
participate. She grew flushed and heated as he continued his
sensual onslaught, knowing just how to make her writhe and make the
ropes tighten. She closed her eyes as the heavenly sensations
throbbed within her to lie submissively under his knowing touch and
be unable to move. Before he managed to bring her to pleasure her
hand found its way free. She smiled at his surprised expression
before he took his own release. They lay entwined as she freed her
other hand.

He shook his head in amazement. “We
must definitely find a new game to play, my dear. I fear you’ve
mastered this one. Naughty wench that you are; you no doubt
practice while alone.”

“
I like this game,” she said
with a wickedly satisfied smile. “And do not question what I do
alone. You liked to watch me pleasure myself, if I recall, and
pretend you aren’t there.”

Garret smiled and plucked at the silk
cords binding his wife’s knees and raised an eyebrow. “What fun is
there in playing when you always escape from my trap,
madam?”

“
Don’t discount the value in
the trying, my love,” she whispered and smiled as he pulled the
bindings from her and shoved them back under the bed.

Garret kissed her and looked deeply
into her eyes. A talk was long overdue. Her brother was the issue,
yet again. “Promise me you will go nowhere until we have the men
caught who did this, Arianne? Dench was not alone in this. It could
be Eustace who helps him in this.”

“
Dench implied he hasn’t
caught my brother, Garret. You don’t know if he had anything to do
with it. Eustace would never hurt me.”

“
Until we know for sure, I’d
feel better knowing you take no chances with yourself or our sons.
I don’t like it, Arianne,” he warned as he laid back and held her
contentedly. “This has the stink of Eustace all over it. I won’t
risk you or the children. Do me that one thing and I will be happy
to go about my day without having to worry.”

“
Dench could just as likely
snatch you next, Garret. We might have given him the idea by
leaving Julian in my place,” Arianne informed him in a disapproving
tone, still displeased to have done what they did to
him.

Garret smiled at the mention of his
former rival, pleased he was still in the country with his wife. It
didn’t appear Dru was letting Julian out of her sight. Thoughts of
Vale tied up and at her mercy pleased him to no end. Hell hath no
fury like a scorned redhead.

The man watched the large manor from
the corner of the street. His eyes were narrowed as he saw the
house was dark. They were home, abed no doubt. His lips twisted in
disgust to know his sister was back with Ravensford. After her
secret came to light, he’d lost his hold over her, and his access
to funds.

Eustace was desperate. Dench would kill
him this time. The moneylender threatened him when he freed him
from the wagon that would take him to the prison ship. He owed the
man ten thousand pounds when he was caught by Lord Vale and his
hired men. Arianne escaped her captors and the ransom wasn’t
paid.

Lady Vale brought the magistrate along
with her when she arrived at The Lone Sparrow Inn. Dench and his
men were in hiding now, blaming him for how things went awry. The
plan had been a simple one until Vale joined forces with
Ravensford.

The two men realized they were both
being extorted by the same man. Dench believed the enmity between
the pair would ensure a double payment for Arianne’s release. They
got nothing for their efforts. His fear of what Thaddeus Dench
would do to him made him grow bolder, enough to linger here,
knowing he should run while he had the chance to escape.

Ravensford would not fall for such a
ploy again, and neither would Lord Vale. The stakes had grown much
higher. The fifty thousand pounds Lord Vale paid for Jaime only
encouraged them now, like the vultures they were. They saw his
sister and her family as an easy means to line their pockets. He
could do nothing to stop it.

Weakness made him choke on a sob of
despair. The need to feel the cards within his fingers once more
made his hands tremble until he stuffed them into his coat pockets.
A part of him knew if he stayed in London he would die
here.

Dench had no use for him. He knew it as
soon as Dench’s men helped him escape while his guards were
distracted. Without his sister’s help now, he would die. His seven
year sentence in an Australian penal colony had been a blessing in
disguise while he sat in prison, recoiling from all he’d done to
hurt his sister and her family. A part of him welcomed the idea of
breaking free of his demons. Now they lived and breathed in the
form of Dench and his minions.

Dench wasn’t amused to discover he’d
been duped by Lord Ravensford and Lord Vale. The nature of his
business was primarily money lending. But Dench had never been
caught at his real work. Blackmail and kidnapping were only a few
dirty deeds he did for hire. His true business was killing. Until
recently, he’d been satisfied to just pinch Vale and Ravensford for
their wealth. Now a new player entered the fray; Ravensford’s very
own kin.

Eustace despised William Spencer the
minute he met him in Dench’s flat. The fop wanted to be
Ravensford’s only heir once more. He promised Dench much to see it
done. Eustace felt sick to think of his sister’s husband dying to
serve the young man’s purposes. He came here to warn his sister,
knew if he was seen, he’d be arrested or worse.

It was all he could do for her now. If
they discovered he’d turned on them, they would kill him.
Ravensford’s younger cousin was as slimy as they came. William
thought nothing of killing his cousin, or two babies who got in his
way.

Eustace had enough time to think those
months he sat in jail to find his reason. Somehow he had to get in
to speak with Arianne. The armed guards she had around her night
and day would shoot him on sight if he dare go near her. Time was
running out. William Spencer was offering Dench half of
Ravensford’s fortune to see the deed done.

Eustace swallowed hard to know who
would be blamed. They took him from the prison wagon for a reason.
They made him write all the ransom notes for a reason. When
Ravensford was killed, he would be blamed. He heard all from
Dench’s own lips as they plotted the matter while he lingered
outside the door. A gut wrenching sense of fear filled him to think
of that happening.

Contrary to what his sister thought, he
hadn’t considered Dench truly dangerous when he got in with the
man. He was too lost in his own hell then to see he’d fallen in
with the worst sort of opportunists. Now that Spencer had Dench’s
ear, he had to come forward.

His brother-in-law would kill him if he
tried to speak with him. It must be Arianne. Somehow he had to get
in to see her, before it was too late. He owed his sister much,
thinking of all he’d done to her these last five years. Realizing
how he’d wronged her made him despise himself. The urge to end his
own life as Edmund St. Ives had done was strong. If he wasn’t so
bloody weak, that is.

No, before he met his end at the hands
of Dench; he’d right this wrong for Arianne. He promised their
parents he would take care of her. What had he done but use her for
his own purposes since he lost his fortune? Though it appeared
Ravensford loved her, so too had Vale. She’d lost the man she loved
once because of him, and nearly lost her husband. Twice he’d
jeopardized her happiness for his own selfish reasons. This last
time he would make sure none would ever hurt her again.

He saw a shadow turn the corner and
walked away, hunching down under the collar of his coat, conscious
he was on Dench’s tolerance now. Now that Dench had Spencer in his
pocket, he no longer needed him, if only to take the fall for the
murder of Ravensford. Just thinking of how that would destroy his
sister forced him to act quickly.

He walked back to his rooms with more
purpose. Tomorrow he would try to get past the guards. Once he told
her what was afoot, she would forgive him for what he’d done. He
had to try. He’d get no sympathy from Garret or Julian. No, Arianne
had a soft heart. She would listen and help him one last
time.

~ ~ ~

Arianne avoided the house, wandering
the gardens with two guards who skulked about, hardly trying to
hide their boredom. A month passed since her kidnapping. Garret had
nearly a dozen guards working around the clock. He hired runners
and elicited the aid of the magistrate to find Dench and
Eustace.

She shivered and drew her shawl around
her shoulders, despite the warmth of the late September morning.
The thought her brother lay in wait for her made her realize the
man she’d always loved and idolized was gone forever. The disease
of gambling had absorbed her brother to such a degree; he knew no
sense of right and wrong anymore. Aiding Dench in taking Jaime made
her see him as he was. Of that particular; she and Garret were in
agreement at last.

She looked up and gasped. As if her
thoughts conjured him, her brother was alive and on the path in
front of her. She opened her mouth to scream, knowing the guards
were not far away. Eustace held up his hand.

“
I’m not here to hurt you, I
swear it, Arianne,” Eustace whispered fiercely as he saw her
intent. “Please, you must listen to me!” He walked closer. She took
a step backward.

Arianne backed away from him slowly.
The five feet that separated them hardly made her feel secure. “I
need only scream and the guards will come to my aid. Stay where you
are, Eustace. What is it you want? More money again, I assume? You
haven’t any children or secrets to trade anymore!”

Eustace grimaced at her words. “I
deserve that and more. I didn’t think they would actually go
through with all of this if it makes you feel more kindly toward
me. I assumed you would pay as you did before.”

“
It doesn’t make me feel
kindly knowing you nearly destroyed my life!” Arianne snapped and
her blue eyes narrowed in rage. “The brother I once knew is gone.
What is it you want?”

“
I came here only to warn
you, little sister,” Eustace began and his blue eyes filled with
fear. “You have no reason to trust me. I came here to tell you that
your husband and children are in danger.”

“
Yes, in danger of you, no
doubt!”

“
No! I am no danger to
anyone, Arianne. Ravensford’s cousin hired Dench. Do you know
William Spencer?” Eustace asked quickly, eyes scanning the path
behind her.

Arianne frowned. “What of William?” His
words made a cold feeling spread over her. She had never liked the
young man. Her eyes filled with dismay. “What has he to do with any
of this?”

“
Spencer isn’t happy to have
lost your husband’s patronage. He means to kill his cousin and take
control of your sons. I don’t need to tell you what he intends for
them. You have to believe me! I know my actions have been
reprehensible, but I never meant any harm to befall you or your
children. I’m no monster!”

“
You helped them kidnap my
son! You helped them kidnap me! Why should I believe you now,
Eustace? Is this some new trick of yours to get money out of us
once more?” she asked harshly, no sympathy in her gaze as it raked
over him.

“
You must believe me,
Arianne. I had nothing to do with any of that! William Spencer
means to kill Ravensford. He’s not happy he is no longer the man’s
heir. The only reason I am even alive is to help them. I was forced
to write those notes. They took you on their own when they saw how
readily the ransom was paid for your son.”

“
William has no money of his
own to pay them with!” Arianne scoffed in agitation and paced
behind the bushes off the path, eyeing her brother in distrust. “He
lives on an allowance provided for by my husband. I doubt Dench
would work for free.”

“
He’s promised Dench half
your husband’s fortune to see the murder done,” Eustace said
quietly and looked sick. “This is my fault these men are in your
life, Arianne. I had no idea this would go this far. It is my
responsibility to get them out now. You have to believe
me!”

“
Have you any proof to
offer?” she asked. “I cannot take merely your word to Garret. He
isn’t pleased with the man William has become, but it would take
more than accusations from you to make him believe it.”

“
Is that a risk you would be
willing to take, Arianne?” Eustace asked and looked stricken. “I
have not been much of a brother to you, but I’ll not have your
husband or sons deaths on my conscience. I came here to implore you
to be on your guard. I don’t know how or when they plan to do this.
Dench is in hiding now due to the warrants for his arrest. He means
to kill Ravensford.”