Midnight Masquerade (37 page)

Chuckling, “Amelia Elizabeth, I knew you were as stubborn as a mule far before I even considered crossing that line with you. I had ample warning my love. Now today, that shook me.”

“I love you Alastair, only you.” She whispered against his chest, squeezing him tightly.

“I know you do Lia
.”

“I’m sorry for today, truly I am. I feel ashamed for my actions, I should be showing you off to the world with pride and I was like a stammering fool in the face of a man long in my past.”

“Is he in the past?” He asked, his voice catching the slightest bit.

“Yes.” She replied simply, knowing in her heart it was the absolute truth.

“Marry me tomorrow Amelia, any time of the day, just marry me already.”

His words made her smile, running her hands up his jaw she sat up and kissed him passionately, “For you, anything.”

“Interesting you should say that love, anything you say?”

Nodding she pulled his cravat off and tossed it to the side as she grinned.

His hands were on her in an instant, grabbing her by the waist and hoisting her directly onto the piano. Still laced up in her red silk gown she shook the rest of her remaining pins out of her hair letting her long hair fall down her shoulders in dark waves.

Biting her lip she sat perched on the piano look
ing at her breathtaking lover, “I cannot believe you denied me sex earlier…” she said slowly as she unbuttoned his shirt.

Chuckling, he rolled off her silk stockings slowly, “I suspect being told no isn’t something you’re used to, is it princess?”

Swatting at him she pulled him closer with her heels and kissed him hard, “Princess I am not, duchess I will be, your duchess and yes, hearing no from your lips only made me want you more.”

“Good. The look in your eyes made me want to rip off this gown with my teeth and bury myself in you until you confessed your undying love for me for all eternity, jealousy does not bode well for me.”

Ripping his shirt open, buttons scattered around the room, “By all means, feel free to do so now.”

The smell of smoke woke him instantly
, sitting up he
quickly scanned their room as he
reached over to make sure
Amelia
was still beside him
. Breathing a sigh of relief as he felt
her warm skin he slipped out of bed and ra
n to the far window, “Good God!”

Seeing flames shooting from the stables he heard her
sleepy
voice behind him, “What is wrong?”

Running into his wardrobe, “The stable is on fire!”

Throwing on pants and black shirt
he dressed in a rush, out of the corner of his eye he saw her
running
to her wardrobe, “Amelia, you are to stay here!” He shouted as he pulled on his black leather boots and armed himself.

Hearing her rustle around, he heard her muffled rebuttal, “Like hell I will!”

Striding out of his wardrobe he saw her
dart out in a
dark purple gown ready to go, the look on her face
dared him to argue with her
.

Knowing he’d never convince her to stay behind he held
out his hand for her, “We must hurry.”

Throwing open the door he could hear the alert being
sounded throughout
his home, his employees were rushing outside when he saw Alfred
running towards them.

“Your Grace, the stables…”

“I know Alfred, please wake the Somerset brothers,” He requested as he pulled Amelia past the winded majordomo down to the staircase and out into the chilly night.
Running towards the massive stables his heart pounded as he eyed the scene before him.

Screams of horses and people were coming from the far yard, running hard he and Amelia rounded the corner to see the large stable engulfed in flames lighting the night brightly.

Looking down at his future wife, “Lia,
I need you to take the horses and tie them on the far side of the courtyard, you need to find a spot for them that is calm where they cannot see the flames. They will be frightened and flighty, please be careful I do not want them to hurt you in their panic. We’ll bring you the horses, you stay here…by no means are you to run into that burning barn for them! Understood?”

Nodding, she let go of his hand and looked for any animals that had al
ready escaped the raging fire.

“Alastair, tell us what to do!” Luke shouted as he and Gideon ran towards them.

Seeing the Somerset brothers, he nodded towards the stable, “Gideon, please
lead the others in putting the flames out, Luke you and I will try to get as many animals out of the barn as possible. Amelia is going to tie them up on the far side of the courtyard as we capture them.”

Nodding, Gideon ran to the side where the workers where filling large buckets frantically and dousing the fire. Looking back at Amelia, he saw she already had two frightened horses, talking to them calmly as she walked them to their new staging area far away from the fire.

“Come on Luke, we need to get as many out as possible!” He ordered, running directly into the burning stable. The heat was immense, the smoke made him cough as he covered his face with the inside of his elbow, Luke close by his side.

Inside was an infernal Hell, the sounds of screaming horses and blinding smoke made it difficult to concentrate, “Unlock the stalls Luke, they’ll run out on their own!” He ordered, “You take the right side, I’ll do the left!”

“Got it!” Luke answered, the two split up and took to their respective sides and threw open the bolts and
tossed the stall doors open.

Tossing the bolts, he saw horse after horse run out of the burning stable as he heard the men outside desperately trying to douse the flames. Praying that Amelia could handle
the onslaught of the stampeding horses he maneuvered through the smoke until he reached the last stall.

“Luke?” He shouted, unable to see his friend in the thick smoke, not hearing his immediate reply panic lanced through him as he crossed the stable to the side he last saw Luke.

Coughing, he
covered his face and shouted again, “Luke where are you?”

“Over here Alastair, I’m pinned!”

Following Luke’s voice through the smoke he found his friend laying on the ground with a burning beam laying across his legs, “Bloody hell,” he muttered dropping to the stable floor beside Luke.

“I can’t move it myself, I think I might have broken my leg again.” Luke muttered pushing against the massive beam of wood that held him down.

Alastair knew exactly what Luke meant, years ago when they were at Eton together he had taken a nasty fall off his horse and shattered his leg. Doctors from all over told Luke he’d never be able to walk again, he had proved them all wrong. The leg was ultimately what kept him from following Gideon into war.

Stepping over top of the large beam, he looked down at his friend as the building burned around them, their time was running out. Beams were falling all around them, soon the entire stable would collapse.

“I’m going to lift it up, you push and try to get free Luke.”

“Alastair, you can’t lift it, it is too heavy….you need to get out of here!”

Anger shot through his veins as he looked down at Amelia’s brother, “I am not leaving without you! Now get ready…” seeing Luke nod with acceptance, he grabbed onto the charred beam and pulled up with all of his might. Feeling it lift, he knew all he needed to do was to alleviate some of the pressure on Luke’s legs so he could shimmy out. Feeling someone behind him, he looked back to see Gideon
grabbing onto the beam and lifting.

“Leave it up to you two to burn down with the damn stable!” He muttered, helping Alastair lift the beam enough for Luke to move his legs.

“
Ahhhh
, my damn leg!” Luke shouted, grabbing onto his right leg as he moved.

“Gideon, grab onto his right side, I’ll grab the left we need to get the hell out of here before the entire roof collapses on us!”

Both men wrapped their arm behind Luke’s back and underneath a knee, lifting him off the ground together, Gideon taking the broken leg. All around them smoke and fire raged,
visibility
was
nil as they choked on smoke as they slowly made their way out of the burning building.

“Oh thank the Lord above!” Helena exclaimed upon seeing the three men exit the stable, running over to them, Genevieve close behind her the women fussed over Luke’s injury.

“Sit him by the fountain
,” Genevieve ordered after seeing Luke’s bloody leg.

Doing as requested he helped Gideon carry Luke to the far side of the courtyard and sit Luke down on the fountain’s edge so the ladies could work on Luke’s injured leg. Standing up, he looked back at the stables as the flames engulfed his award winning building, thankful they were able to get the animals out safety, he saw his staff standing back and watching the building go up in flames. No amount of buckets could stop the fire now.

Hearing Lady Juliet and Hero, he turned around and scanned the grounds for Amelia, he hadn’t seen her since they had arrived at the stable. Turning to Helena, he asked, “Helena, where is Amelia?” praying she was busy with the horses on the other side of the property. As soon as his question was out of his mouth, his friends all looked directly at him, and then scanned the property in a desperate attempt to find Amelia.

“Oh no…no…no” Helena muttered, “It’s happening.”

Chills went down his back and arms as Gideon’s wife whispered the words, “What is happening Helena?”

“I had a dream days ago, of Amelia and a lake. I can remember her crying, there was blood and a row boat.” She answered immediately.

Gideon looked up at him, “
Could he be here already
?”

The ladies asked in unison, “Who?”

Pulling out his pistol he checked his gun carefully and looked back at the ladies, “Viscount Berkley, we believe him to be the Hyde Park murderer, and the man trying to kill Amelia.” He answered gruffly.

Genevieve gasped, “Porsche’s father?”

Nodding
,
panic ripped through his heart, Amelia had gotten out of his sights and their killer had struck. He prayed that she was still alive, he had no idea how long she had been gone.

“I’m going too!” Luke demanded, attempting to stand on his broken leg.

“Oh the h
ell you are Luke, sit your arse back down right now
.” Alastair demanded, “Let’s go Gideon, the lake is in the back of the property. Ladies take care of Luke.”
He snapped, hearing Romeo barking at the edge of the woods he tore off in the direction of Amelia’s panicked dog.

Beside him Gideon kept pace as they cleared the smoky gardens and jumped the hedges towards the path that led into the thick forest on the edge of the grounds. The paths were vast and many,
but with Helena’s vision he knew he needed to head north to the loch hidden deep within the forest at the edge of the mountain range.

Seeing Romeo barking at the edge of the woods, they ran past the little guy who was giving them a heading but too afraid to venture into the dense fog ridden forest.

All of his fears were materializing, there was no doubt that the fire had been intentionally set to draw out Amelia from the secure castle. He knew she hadn’t grabbed
a weapon, there hadn’t been any time and she was too sleepy to even think about it. He had only done so in the event he had to put a horse down if it was in pain.

Hearing Amelia’s scream pierce the cold night sent a chill down his spine. Looking over at her brother, he could see Gideon’s jaw tighten in anger. Their family had already lost their parents, it’d be a cold day in hell if they lost th
e baby of the family- Amelia
.

Reginald VanEtter
, or formally know as Viscount Berkley
had taken more than enough from him and Amelia, he had taken their baby and for that alone the man would die. He had caused pain to Amelia, pain he would pay for with his life. She was everything to him, he couldn’t lose her too.

Pain tore through her wrists as he tied the ropes with weights, tears fell silently as she watched someone she once loved so much morph into a man she didn’t know. He had gagged her mouth with a musty handkerchief and bound her wrists together, he was the last person in the world she thought could be the murderer, it just didn’t make sense.

From behind her she heard the cynical voice of the man who had pushed her off the balcony, “You’ve done exceedingly well Rory, you shall see that you are paid handsomely for capturing her.”

Whipping around she saw Reginald VanEtter
standing before her
, Viscount Berkley standing on the cusp of the dark forest applauding Ro
ry for snatching her from Alastair’s
home.

Starring at the hollow man as he stepped out of the shadows, the sight of him made her stomach turn. He had tried to kill her multiple times, causing her to lose Alastair’s heir to the dukedom.

Lunging at him, she slammed into him and crashed them both to the ground, unable to scream or speak or hit him it was the best she could do to buy herself additional time.

“You bloody bitch, I can’t wait to see you sink to the bottom of Alastair’s lake. You’ve been a damn thorn in my side for too long! You stole my daughter’s duke and caused me to lose out on millions of his pounds!”

He pushed her off with such force she rolled into a tree that hit her somewhat healed ribs causing her to scream against the cloth in her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut she prayed Alastair noticed she was gone. He was so damn busy with the barn fire, chaos was ensuing around them all when she was taken.

She had seen Rory and asked him to help her secure the horses, instead the man kidnapped her and brought her here, to her doom. If Reginald had his way she’d never be found, her body weighted at the bottom of the deep loch, her family and fiancé would never know what happened to her. Reginald and Rory would slip back into their normal lives and she would be dead, the threat of their crimes dying with her in the Scottish lake.

Kicking at Rory as he approached, she winced in pain as he grabbed her hair and pulled her to her feet.

“Ah Amelia, you’ve become quite a little wildcat eh?
Tisk
tisk
my dear, do remember to have some grace about you when facing certain death. You were nothing more than a tool to gain wealth and some action with, one I bored of soon.
So naïve and desperate for love, now look at you…standing in the forest alone with two men who want you dead, oh how the mighty have fallen.”

Flailing and kicking at him, her hatred for him in that moment made her see red. Her family had been right this entire time, she had fallen in love with a
snake who only wanted her body and money. For years she had fought with her loved ones over Rory’s motives, she even believed he had been forced into marriage with Laura by her family.

“Put her in the boat Rory enough of your mouth for
tonight! I want this over and done with, on my way back to London before her family realizes she’s gone.
” VanEtter barked, shoving her hard towards the small rowboat that was pulled up on the sandy bank of the lake.

Watching Rory with fear in her eyes, he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and dropped her like a sack of grain in the small wooden boat with a thud.
Groaning against her gag the world spun around her as she recovered from hitting her head, her ribs ached with vibrant pain.

“Good show Rory, now
that we have our little package wrapped and waiting to sink to the bottom of this bloody lake, I do say, I’m happy to see this all behind us. Go back to the estate and let my daughter know the bitch is dead, eh?”
VanEtter’s
words sent a chill down her back.

Scooting to the back of the boat she looked around desperately for a way to escape or fight them off
, hurt and dazed she felt the boat sway with
VanEtter’s
weight. If he got her out to the middle of the lake there was no hope for her. She was a strong swimmer, but with her hands tied and weighted she’d sink like a rock.

Sitting down, VanEtter with his dark brown eyes looked right through her as he rowed them off the shore, “You were a hard one to catch Amelia, once I’m done with you I’ll slip back into London without a care in the world. Your brothers will never be able to pin any murders on me and my daughter will assume her previous title as Alastair’s fiancée. She’ll marry him, have a baby or two of his and then he’ll meet his fate just like you
,
leaving myself and my family w
ealthier than we ever imagined. Eventually Porsche and Rory will marry, it’ll be tremendous step down from a duke but it was the deal we worked out and it all starts with you dying my dear.”

Shaking her head, she couldn’t believe this man had finally caught her, and that a man she once cared so dea
rly for had plotted against her with this evil man.
She would have never have guessed a man like Rory capable of such plotting and evilness. Staring into Reginald VanEtters’ soulless brown eyes she saw the man who ended the life of her
baby, her precious miracle. Beyond his shoulder a flash of white caught her eye, sitting up straighter she saw Alastair and Gideon running out of the forest with their pistols drawn, Alastair’s eyes directly on her.

“VanEtter, let go of my wife before
I put a bullet through your heart!”
Alastair barked across the lake, his voice slicing through the cold air.

Watching VanEtter quickly glace behind him, he looked back at her in desperation and yanked her towards him. Screeching against the dirty gag stuffed in her mouth she
saw her brother and Alastair aiming their guns directly at them. He positioned her so she shielded him from their bullets. To shoot him they’d have to put a bullet through her first.

Yelling back, “Shoot, kill her for me, save me some trouble!”

Looking directly at Alastair, not far enough out into the lake she could see into his beautiful blue eyes, from behind her she heard him, “Say goodbye to your brother you bloody bitch!” The bullet fired from beside her face, jerking against his hold she screamed as she watched Alastair jump in front of Gideon and take the bullet in his chest, falling to the ground beside Gideon.

“You fucking cunt!” He screamed so loudly in her ear it began to ring. Tears pouring for her life as she saw Alastair slowly stand up and face them both.
His white shirt was dirty from soot from the fire, and now blood from his wound.

Elation ran through her, thinking quickly she prayed her plan worked.
I love you Alastair, forever.
Jerking against VanEtter, she jumped in the water, clearing the way for Gideon and Alastair to put their bullets into the sick bastard. Hearing the gunshots as she hit the water she braced for the shock of coldness.

The icy water engulfed her, swallowing her instantly. Kicking as hard as she could her legs tangled with her skirts. Her hands bound she felt herself sinking lower and lower as she thrashed to keep from dying.
The weight tied to her right foot drug her deeper and deeper, struggling she fought to live as the dark lake swallowed her up.

Feeling an intense pull on her hair she looked up to see someone pulling her from the murky depths of the loch, her lungs burned. Panic welled through her, with no sun she had no clue how far the surface was.
A strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her north. Breaking the water she fought against the wet rag in her mouth, blinking away the water.

Struggling for breath, the rag was pulled from her mouth, inhaling deeply she began to sob.

“Amelia…” He choked.

His voice, his beautiful velvet voice. Alastair, he had saved her life. Immediately worried, she looked at her handsome lover to see blood pouring from his chest. In his haste to save her life he had risked his own.

“Right here Lia, right here.” Gideon said calmly. Looking behind her she saw her older brother grab them both and swim them back into shore, her hands still bound.

Standing up when her feet hit the rocky bottom at the beach she watched Gideon lift Alastair out of the water, not moving. Laying him down on the ground they both sank to their knees.

“Alastair, please…please wake up.” She cried, grasping his hand desperately.

Leaning over him, Gideon ripped away Alastair’s shirt showing a bullet hole on the right hand side. Looking up at her brother, “He isn’t breathing Gideon, do something!”

Placing his hands upon Alastair’s chest he pressed down stiffly, trying to push out the water he had swallowed.
Kneeling beside him she pleaded with him to come back to her, to not leave her. She couldn’t lose him too, there was just no way.

Fear gripped her tight as her brother worked to no avail.

Pushing Gideon’s hands aside, she took her bound hands and brought them up high above Alastair’s chest and came down as hard as she could, beating him as tears ran down her face, “Come back to me you bastard, don’t you dare leave me now! We’ll have another baby, I can’t do this without you. I love you so damn much,” lifting them high again, she brought them down, “Alastair Cedric Bancroft, you fucking come back to me!” Slamming them one more time, crashing into him in a bl
urry mess of tears and screams.

Feeling his muscular chest convulse underneath her, she heard the sound of water and choking. Lifting her head from his torso she saw his bright eyes looking back at her.

“Bloody hell Lia, you brought him back from death!” Gideon whispered beside them as she crashed back into Alastair’s chest crying profusely, uncaring of how ugly it sounded.

“Amelia, my love.” He whispered, sitting up wrapping his arms around her. Cherishing the very feel of him holding her she sobbed in his arms as they sat on the beach of the loch soaked, covered in blood and freezing.

Hearing a stick break, the three looked over to see Luke walking out of the woods with his pistol pointed directly at Rory, who walked
beside him with his hands up and a bloodied face, “Look who I found, my favorite fucking person in the world. Tell me I can shoot him Lia, please for the love of everything we
hold dear
tell me I can end his life.”

“He deserves to die,” she whispered, scowling at the man who had handed her over to a certain death, “but he deserves to serve his punishment, death is too good for him Luke. Save your bullets, there is a hangman’s noose for Rory and for his fair Porsche, they can dangle together.”

“No! Lia, please let me explain!” Rory shouted, tears brimming his weak eyes.

Balling his fist, Luke delivered a splintering punch directly to Rory’s jaw, “You do not get to call her that!”

Crumpling at Luke’s feet, Rory laid in a sickening pile unnatural for a human form. Shivering, she leaned into Alastair and looked at Luke, his clothes sooty, his leg
splinted
with a cricket bat, “Luke, what the hell happened to you?” She asked eyeing him with great concern.

Alastair’s chest rumbled as he answered, “Broke his damn leg again underneath one of the large barn beams, Gideon and I had to drag his ass out before we all burnt to death.”

Looking back at Alastair, she looked at him then to Gideon. Her eldest brother nodded in agreement, she could have lost all of them. Each one of their lives were in desperate peril tonight.

“Amelia, I do not want to worry you but I’m about to pass out from blood loss. If you’d be so kind to get me back to the castle and call Alfred, I do believe I’m close to dying again.”

It took them less than ten minutes to get Alastair back to the castle, mainly because the women had sent Alfred with a horse and carriage to swiftly carry them all back to the castle, even Rory, who was now bound and gagged just as she had. Gideon rode the entire way back with Rory outside with a gun pointed at his head.

In the carriage she and Luke held onto Alastair as he came in and out, her hands now untied thanks to Luke’s trusty knife he kept in his boot.
Shivering she held him tight and talked to him the entire way, begging him to stay with them.

It took them hours to get him repaired, Alfred it appeared was a handy surgeon who ordered the families about like a general. He had them preparing hot water, clean linens and getting everything he needed to save Alastair’s life. It was a chaotic mess. Amelia and the ladies were doing the men’s bidding as they stripped Alastair out of his wet clothes and opened his chest up to retrieve the bullet out.

Lady Juliet and Helena insisted that Amelia get into a hot bath and change while he was operated on, they did not want her to catch a fever nor did they want her to see Alastair being worked on. Genevieve and Hero had the bath ordered up and found her warm clothes as the older ladies stripped her down and saw her into the steaming bath.

Holding
herself
, the hot wat
er felt so good as she shivered, t
he Scottish lake had been freezing. Closing her eyes she remembered the flashbacks of jumping into the lake, the desperate fight for her life against her bound hands. Tears streamed down her face as Helena washed her hair.

“Lia, love…it’ll be okay. I’ve seen it.”