Never Wager Against Love (Kellington Book Three) (29 page)

Arthur could restrain himself no longer.  “Willingham, Miss
Gans risked her life for those treasures and feels bad enough as it is.  I
would think the wiser use of our time would be to set a new course of action,
instead of heaping recrimination and blame.”

Willingham looked like he wanted to punch Arthur.  “I don’t
see how it is any of your concern, Kellington,” he blustered. 

“It is my concern,” said Arthur, “because the chest was
stolen from Riverton’s estate and I have been working with Miss Gans to secure
the treasures.  It is just as much my fault as hers that we return
empty-handed.”

“From what Sir Lawrence told me, it is much more your fault
than Vanessa’s.  I’ve a mind to have you arrested for obstructing a Crown
inquiry.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” said Vanessa.  “Lord Arthur saved my
life and he was of invaluable service in obtaining the treasures in the first
place.  It is hardly his fault that Mortimer and Cassidy were able to catch up
to us.  Indeed, I wonder who could have tipped them off.  Very few people knew
where we were.  But you were one of them.”

There was a moment of absolute silence in the room.  Then
Willingham said coolly, “You cannot possibly be accusing me of giving away your
location.”

“I’m not accusing anyone – yet,” said Vanessa.  “But I have
reason to believe that Mortimer and Cassidy have been helped by someone with
connections to the Home Office.  Very good connections.  I intend to learn who
that person is, then see him or her prosecuted.”

Willingham’s only response was to pick up the box he’d just
been packing.  He put a few more papers into it.

“Going on a trip?” asked Arthur.

“Just for a few days.  Estate business.  How do you plan to
catch the mole, Vanessa?”

“I have two things this person would want.  The first is the
chalice.”

Willingham looked at her with interest.  “I thought Mortimer
and Cassidy took the chalice.”

Vanessa shook her head.  “Mortimer left it with me, along
with a note warning me of a Judas.”

Willingham pressed his lips together.  “Interesting choice
of words.  Did you bring the chalice with you?”

“No,” said Arthur.  “It is in my brother’s safe.  I assure
you that it’s secure.  But we figured the only way we could learn the identity
of the traitor was to smoke him out.”

“This is highly irregular,” said Willingham.  “What’s the
second thing, Vanessa?”

“I have the chest.”

“The one with the code?”  Now Willingham looked very
interested.  “I thought Mortimer and Cassidy took it with them.”

“It turned up again,” she said.

“You must bring it here,” said Willingham.  “If we have that
code, we might be able to trace the origin of the message.  I don’t care about
the trap you’re laying.  But I want that chest.”

“I am sorry, sir,” said Vanessa, looking anything but.  “I
believe this is the best course of action.”

“You do realize I’m your superior, do you not?”

“I have not forgotten,” said Vanessa.  “But neither have I
forgotten my duty to King and country.  If I do not know whom to trust, I cannot
trust anyone.  I must do my best to protect these items on my own.  Kellington House
is now a fortress, with the extra men the Duke of Lynwood brought in to guard
his safe, as well as the Runners Inspector Stapleton hired.”

“Bow Street is in on this?” asked Willingham.

“Yes,” said Vanessa. “Rest assured, Lord Willingham, I will
learn who betrayed me.  And the chalice will be safe in the meantime.  Good
day.”  With that, Vanessa turned and left, leaving Willingham staring at the
back of her with an odd expression. 

Arthur and Vanessa waited to speak until they were outside
the building.  “That was very clever of you,” he said.  “To let him know about
the chest.”

“It could only be considered clever if Lord Willingham is
the scoundrel behind these thefts,” she said.  “If not, I’ve just been terribly
rude to my superior.  He seemed surprised when I told him we had the chalice. 
Do you think that was genuine?”

“I don’t know the man well, but it appeared to be his real
reaction.  However, I did see something else of note.  While you and he were
talking, I was looking at his desk.  He’d written Frederick Mortimer’s name on
a scrap of paper.”

“That wouldn’t be too unusual, since this case involves
him.”

“But he’d also written ‘five thousand pounds’ after it.”

Vanessa’s eyes widened, but she said nothing.  She was lost
in thought when Arthur told their driver to take them to Sir Lawrence’s
address.

“I don’t understand,” she said.  “I thought you’d had quite
enough of his company.”

“I had,” said Arthur, as he took advantage of the privacy of
the coach to kiss her.  He kept it brief because it wouldn’t take much for
their passion to blaze out of control.  “But I believe you should do the same
thing with Sir Lawrence as you did with Willingham.  Let him know you have the
chest to gauge his reaction.”

“I still cannot believe it is Sir Lawrence,” said Vanessa.

Arthur stilled.  Did Vanessa harbor a
tendre
for the
insufferable agent?  “Why do you think it could not be him?” he asked, very
much afraid of the answer.

“I do not think him smart enough to plan such an elaborate
ruse,” said Vanessa.  She was then startled by Arthur’s bark of laughter. 
“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, love,” he said, looking out the window.  “And I
believe we have found Sir Lawrence.”

 Vanessa looked out to see Sir Lawrence walking briskly down
the street toward his building, with no noticeable limp.  She narrowed her
eyes.  “That’s suspicious, isn’t it?”

“Frankly, everything about the man is a little suspect,”
said Arthur, who attributed at least a portion of his feelings to jealousy.  The
carriage pulled to a stop, then he and Vanessa got out and hailed Sir Lawrence.

When Sir Lawrence recognized them, the limp reappeared. 
“Good day, Vanessa, Kellington,” said Sir Lawrence as he bowed over Vanessa’s
hand.  “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Obviously,” said Arthur.  “How’s the leg?”

“Paining me something awful.  Vanessa, would you care to
look at it while Kellington goes to the apothecary?  You have such a soothing
touch.”

“Unfortunately, Lord Arthur and I are expected elsewhere. 
But I did want to inform you of something.  I found the chest with the code in
it.”

Sir Lawrence looked rather shocked by the news.  “I thought
you said the villains absconded with it in Kent.”

“They did,” said Arthur smoothly, “but once they realized
the papers were fake, they apparently disposed of it.  One of Riverton’s
tenants found it and returned it to the marquess.”

“Extraordinary,” said Sir Lawrence.  “I’d love to take a
look at it.”

“No can do, old boy,” said Arthur.  “It and the chalice are
in my brother’s safe.”

Now Sir Lawrence’s shock was tinged with anger.  “You have
the chalice?  That’s impossible!  I saw Mortimer take it.”

“He only wanted it to look like he’d taken it,” said
Vanessa.  “But I later found it in my bag.”

“I don’t know what to think of that,” said Sir Lawrence. 
“Sounds a bit havey-cavey, your keeping the whole business from me.”

“You were injured,” said Vanessa.  “We didn’t want to
trouble you with the deception when you had more pressing matters to attend
to.”

“I suppose,” said Sir Lawrence, still less than convinced. 
“So, what do you say you help me, ‘Nessa, while Kellington takes himself off?”

“I’m sorry, no,” said Vanessa.  “But I hope you feel better
soon.”

“Do get well quickly,” said Arthur, as he pounded Sir
Lawrence on the back so hard he almost fell over.  “I would hate to think of
you in pain.”

Arthur and Vanessa then made their last visit of the day.  Professor
Dumbarton had taken rooms at Claridge’s.  They sent a message up to his
chamber, asking him to meet them in the lobby of the elegant hotel.

“How lovely to see you again, Vanessa,” said Dumbarton as he
bowed over Vanessa’s hand and brushed his lips over her knuckles. 
“Kellington,” he said, with barely a nod in Arthur’s direction.  “I heard you’d
run into some trouble and have been terribly worried.  I’m glad you caught me
before I returned home.  There’s an important conference at the university and
I shall be speaking, obviously.”

“How did you learn we’d run into trouble?” Vanessa asked, as
she gently tugged her hand away from Dumbarton before Arthur did it for her.

“Sir Lawrence filled me in.  Nasty business about your
villains.  You’re quite fortunate you didn’t all come away the worse for wear.”

“Yes, wasn’t it?” said Arthur.  “I’m surprised you’re
staying at Claridge’s.  Doesn’t the university have a club here in town?”

“Of course it does,” sniffed Dumbarton, “but I so rarely get
a moment to myself when I stay there.  Fame does have its price, don’t you know. 
So what brings you to see me?”

“We thought you’d want to know we’ve recovered the chest and
the chalice,” said Vanessa, anxious to see his reaction.

Dumbarton was momentarily taken aback.  “Sir Lawrence didn’t
tell me anything about recovering the chalice.  He said the villains stole it.”

“That’s what we thought, as well,” said Arthur.  “But they
only took the sword and the spike.”

“So that’s good news, is it not?” asked Dumbarton.  “While
it’s regrettable that you let the other two items fall through your hands, the
chalice is purportedly a treasure beyond worth.  Good show on salvaging at
least a portion of the mission.  Can I see it?  I reckon I find myself curious
to examine it from an academic standpoint.”

“Currently, it’s quite well guarded,” said Arthur, who then
explained the security measures they were taking to keep it safe. 

Dumbarton nodded approvingly.  “Good to hear you’ve learned
from your past mistakes, Kellington.  But I would be most anxious to see it
before you hand it over to Willingham.  It might even be worth sticking around
for a few more days.  I shall disappoint the conference attendees, but my
scholarly pursuits must come first.”

“Of course, they must,” said Arthur.  “Miss Gans and I are
expected back at Kellington House shortly.  We shall send word when we intend
to move the chalice.”

“Splendid!” said Dumbarton.  “Until then, my dear.”  He
bowed over Vanessa’s hand once again.

When the two of them were alone once more, Vanessa decided
it was time to take a stand about the untenable position she was in.  “Arthur,
I’d like you to take me home,” she said. 

“Of course, love.  You’ll enjoy dinner at Lynwood House. 
Cook is sure to outdo herself with all of us home.”

“I do not mean your home, Arthur, but mine.” 

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Her voice was resolute.  She was determined to put distance
between them.

“Not again,” he said.  “Vanessa, I will not allow you to be
in danger, especially not now when we’ve alerted our three main suspects that
we have the chalice and the chest.  Not to mention Mortimer and Cassidy are
likely in the city and could easily track you to your rooms through their
contact in the Home Office.”

“That is
if
they are in London and
if
they
have a source in the Home Office,” she countered.  “Furthermore, since telling
everyone the chalice and chest are at Lynwood House – which only a fool would
try to rob – why do you think they would go to my home?”

“Because I have the mind of a criminal?” asked Arthur.

“I am serious, Arthur.”

“So am I, love.”  He looked at her, filled with
determination, then unbent a bit.  “What if I take you to your rooms, so you
can pick up whatever personal items you might need for the coming weeks…”

“Weeks?”  Her voice was one of near panic.

“For however long you will remain at Lynwood House.  That is
the biggest concession you will get from me, so I suggest you take it.”

She grumbled a bit, but finally agreed.  She gave the
address to Lynwood’s coachman, then they set off for her rooms in a boarding
house near Covent Garden.  Sitting opposite Arthur, she noticed his face became
grimmer as the neighborhood became increasingly less genteel.

“It’s all I can afford,” she said defiantly.  She wasn’t
about to feel embarrassed about her home, when she finally had one of her own. 
It was modest, but paid for by honest work. 

They drew to a halt in front of a slight shabby building
with some chipped paint and at least one broken shutter.  The only sign of
gentility was a window box off one of the rooms on the third floor.

“Is that yours?” asked Arthur.

“How did you know?”

He grunted, then followed her into the building.  They were
about to climb the first set of stairs, when a large woman in a stained apron
confronted them.

“See here, missy!  If’n yer to be takin’ men to yer rooms,
ye’ll need to pay extra.”

Vanessa took a deep breath.  Her landlady, Mrs. Carter, was
unpleasant in the best of times, and while it was embarrassing to have such an
outburst in front of Arthur, she, in truth, was leading a man up to her room,
which no self-respecting woman would do.  But before she could say anything in
her defense, Arthur spoke up.

“Madam,” said Arthur, with an arrogant tone that would set
even Lynwood back on his heels, “if you ever dare to insult my betrothed again,
you shall most assuredly regret it.  There are laws against slander and trust
me when I say I have the means to see them enforced.”

“What in blazes is a betrothed?” asked the combative
landlady.

“Nothing, Mrs. Carter,” said Vanessa.  “Please go back to
your room.”

“Miss Gans and I are to be married,” continued Arthur.  “And
you shall show the proper respect to my future wife.”