The Viscount's Counterfeit Wife (55 page)

“Then I may as well
retrieve the documents.” Chase moved closer to the fountain and
reached behind the statue to pull something out.

Reed kept his eyes on
both men watching his brother remove a sheaf of documents from its
hiding spot. So when Traubridge motioned and Adley’s hand went up
and back behind his head, he was ready for the glint of metal in the
moonlight.

“Duck, Chase! Now!”
he shouted.

Chase hit the ground as
the knife went sailing above his head to hit a fountain cherub and
plop harmlessly into the water.

Traubridge drew his
pistol and shouted a command in what sounded like Arabic.

Nothing happened.

He cursed and shouted
again!

Still nothing.

He looked frantically
around him, impatient for his men to appear. This time he tried in
English, “Attack men! Attack!” And fraught moments later, they
did arrive. All muzzled and bound, and guarded closely by Spares.

“No help there,
Traubridge.” Reed and Jace moved out from their hiding spots and
edged closer, rifles raised.

Traubridge suddenly
grabbed Adley, whose face was already stark with terror, and held the
little Mincer tightly in front of him, while he began backing down
the path toward the trees.

“This way is blocked
too, Edgar.”

Traubridge tensed on
hearing the Chief’s voice behind him. His hatred of his
step-brother was evident in the snarl on his face and spit of his
words, as he spun around to confront his relative.

“So it’s the new
Marquess of Olvin,” he mocked. “I should have killed you at the
funeral, brother. But I thought I’d have time to arrange a little
accident. Unfortunately, before I was able to do that, I received
news you were about to have me apprehended as soon as I returned to
London. I couldn’t allow that, now, could I?”

“There’s nowhere to
go, Edgar. No way to hide your treachery anymore. It’s time to
pay,” Olvin told him, still remaining a distance back.

“Never!” Traubridge
shouted. “And if I’m to die, so will you!” Before anyone could
stop him, he lifted his pistol and shot his brother in the chest.
Olvin keeled over backwards like a felled tree.

There was a collective
gasp and then all hell broke loose. Reed rushed Traubridge and kicked
the pistol from his hand with one foot, then twisted his body to take
the beast down by using his other foot behind a knee and yanking the
Vanisher’s sleeve backward with his hand. Jace leapt on him and
held him down while Max and Reed stood over him. Reed turned to the
angry group of men, who seemed eager to hang the wretch for killing
the Chief, and shouted, “Don’t do anything stupid, men. We want
them both alive. Too many people’s destiny depends on them
talking.”

Jace manacled
Traubridge’s hands behind his back and Max secured his ankles.

Hearing a scuffle, Reed
looked around and saw that Chase and Francis had Adley well in hand
and were busy shackling his wrists in the same manner. The Mincer
looked ready to soil himself.

Jace and Max handed the
Vanisher over to the Chief’s men. They might treat him roughly but
they understood he was not to die under their watch. Seeing that
everything was in hand, Reed went over to the Chief, who was still
lying on the ground. “Are you all right, Chief?” He helped Olvin
sit up.

Traubridge’s shocked
gasp was loud enough to be heard by all.

Reed, joined now by
Jace and Max, turned in time to see the Vanisher’s head snap around
to find them in the faint glimmer of the moonlight.

The Chief was sitting
without their help now. He groaned. But at their concerned looks, he
exclaimed, “I’m alive!” He looked stunned by that fact. “This
cuirass of yours is amazing, Selwich.”

Everyone, except for
the three who had known, was standing there in shocked amazement.

The Chief glanced over
at Traubridge, who was gaping at him in disbelief. The new Marquess
chuckled with grim amusement at the incredulity his step-brother was
unable to hide. “Ahhh…” He winced and held his chest. “You
thought me dead, did you?” He struggled to unbutton his great coat,
waving Reed away when he would have helped. Opening the coat, he
showed his brother the cuirass he wore. Tapping the rhinoceros-like
metal scales, he said, “Japanese. Selwich collects them.” He
stood shakily to his feet with help from Reed and Jace. “Luckily,
we’ve become adept at reading your insanity. Now, we’ll have all
the time we need to pry your secrets from you.”

Traubridge scowled and
cursed him vilely and the Chief shook his head sadly, watching his
step-brother and Adley being taken away. Once they were out of sight,
he turned back to the large group of men congregated there and gamely
lifted his hand, gesturing like a magician. “Presto! The Vanisher
vanishes. God willing, for good.” Still visibly in pain, he smiled
tiredly and quipped, “Good work, gentlemen. Just proves Spares are
worth a lot more than they’re given credit for.”

All the Spares laughed
as if the Chief had told a good joke, but the proud glow on their
faces revealed how pleased they were to be acknowledged.

“Heirs did themselves
proud tonight too.” The Chief gave an enthusiastic pat on the back
to Reed, who moved just in time so that this time his good shoulder
received the impact. “Marvellous invention, this. I know some of
the elite in the military used them in battle, but we, the militia
and investigators, should be using them out in the field too.
Especially these more malleable types. I will be forever grateful for
your forethought, Selwich.” Olvin was still marveling at his close
call. He gave Jace a stern look. “You’ll see that the men are
supplied with these when you take over, Mallory.”

“Yes sir.”

Satisfied he’d made
his point, the Chief turned and walked away to speak with his
militia.

Jace crossed his eyes
at Reed.

Reed chuckled, Jace
joined in, followed by Max. Soon the entire group, spares and heirs
alike, were laughing like buffoons. It was only when Chase complained
about having worked up an awful thirst that they retired to
Sylvester’s to celebrate their successful mission.

Tally hadn’t left her
new home since moving in. She was mortified at the error they’d
made in houses and at the resulting chaos.

“So tell me again why
we’ve changed houses, my dear?” Ever since their move, her
grandmother had been pestering her, prying, wanting to know what the
real reason for their move was. Otherwise, she seemed a little
subdued and not her usual self.

Tally suspected her
grandparent had, on her first visit, recognized Reed and now her
secret agenda was to see Tally and Reed wed. No doubt she was
disappointed to have her hopes dashed.

“As I’ve told you,”
Tally repeated for the tenth time at least. “We made a mistake,
Grandma. We were given the wrong address, which is why we ended up
next door.” She slid quickly past the matter of keys. She didn’t
want to confess that they had broken in through a back window! “Now
everything has been straightened out and we’re where we’re
supposed to be.” She moved over and picked up one of her
grandmother’s invitations. “You were talking about a rout you
plan to attend...”

For once her
grandparent let the subject drop. “Lady Willingham’s rout is
always a good one, dear. We must send our acceptance.”

“
You
may send
your
acceptance, Grandma.” She was more determined than ever to shun ton
activities. “I have no intention of attending any ton events, no
matter how interesting. My agreement with my sisters was for one
party only. Venetia’s. Now, they’ve gone to Paris as planned, and
I’m to be left alone to do as I please.”

Her relative muttered
something about rats abandoning ship and how she had expected them to
stay and be of more help.

“And I intend to hold
to that.” She modulated her tone and, adding a touch of syrup to
her voice, said, “However, I realize you do like to socialize, and
I wouldn’t want to deprive you of attending your usual functions.
But you must do it with your friends and receive visitors in your own
home, because I don’t intend to hire more servants, nor do I want a
host of strangers visiting here.”

“Harrumph!” Her
grandmother couldn’t hide her frustration at her grandchild’s
obstinacy.

Well, that was just too
bad! She had made her intentions clear, and she knew she couldn’t
give an inch or Grandma would be dragging her to every occasion she
could.

“I never knew you to
be so unsociable, my dear. Quiet, yes, but not anti-social.”

“You know my
childhood circumstances made me this way, and I don’t care to
change at this point,” she said. “There might come a time when I
don’t mind joining in social activities — though I doubt it —
but right now, I’m not interested in such frivolities.”

“It saddens me to
hear that, my dear. I had hoped to help you make a good match this
Season.”

She spared her
grandparent her usual discourse about never getting married. It would
only upset her grandmother more. “It isn’t to be, Grandma.
Certainly not this year. I’m too young to give up my freedom so
soon.”

“What a lot of
nonsense you young ones talk! Getting married doesn’t take away
your freedom.”

“Perhaps you were
lucky enough to find the right marriage, Grandma, but that isn’t
the case for scores of women who are condemned to losing their
freedom, their fortunes and, too often, ending up in dire situations.
I’ve had enough of such circumstances. I intend to remain free for
as long as possible.”
Forever!
though she refrained from telling her grandmother that.

“That son of mine has
a lot to answer for. Still…”

A stubborn look settled
on her grandmother’s face. But all she said was, “We shall see,
dear. We shall see about that.”

* * *

As usual, Tally was up
in her studio the next morning, when she heard pounding on the front
door. Lately, it felt as if there was always someone knocking at the
door and, thus far, it never boded well for her. This time, the knock
had an urgency to it that alarmed her.

Reed! Was something
wrong next door?

She barely took the
time to remove her smock and head scarf, before she raced downstairs.
It was difficult to hide her dismay when she heard Mr. Dubuc’s
raised voice. What was he doing here at this unfashionably early
hour?

“But why have you
moved?” she heard him ask Foster. “I went next door and the
butler told me you were living here now.”

Reed already had a new
butler! His attorneys must have been working round the clock to make
up for allowing strangers to live in his home.

Mr. Dubuc spotted her
and came to wait for her at the bottom of the stairs. He repeated his
question.

“It’s a long
story.” And none of your business! She wished they’d moved
further away, so she couldn’t be found this easily.

How uncharitable. Mr.
Dubuc had been all that was kind to her. It wasn’t his fault she
didn’t want to marry him… or any other man!

She came down the last
few steps. It wasn’t just him. She didn’t want any visitors. She
only wanted to paint all day. She’d wasted so much time since
arriving in London and she was feeling thwarted by her lack of
progress.

He seemed about to
probe for more of an answer, but she cut him off. “Why are you here
at this hour? Is something the matter?” Not the most hospitable of
greetings, she granted, but showing up on her doorstep at just past
dawn, allowed for such discourtesies. There must be a serious reason
to bring him here at this hour, in this agitated state.

She hoped he wasn’t
planning on proposing to her again!

She motioned Foster to
have Mrs. P bring some tea and crumpets, then almost stalked ahead of
their visitor into the drawing room. She hoped he didn’t plan on
staying long. She hadn’t even taken the time to put away her
brushes and paint.

She was astonished to
find her grandmother already ensconced on the sofa, busily
embroidering. If the buttons on her fastidious grandparent’s day
dress hadn’t been askew, she might have been deceived into thinking
that she had been sitting here serenely at work for quite awhile, but
Grandma Eva’s less than pristine appearance and quickened breathing
gave her away.

“Good morning,
Grandma.” She walked over to press a swift kiss on the elder lady’s
cheek, thankful for her interfering nature this time. “You must
have slept well, seeing that you’re having such an early start to
your day?” She couldn’t resist teasing the old dear, even if she
was grateful for her presence.

She almost laughed
aloud when her usually slug-a-bed relative, smiled placidly and said,
“Of course, dear child.” Her grandparent took advantage of Mr.
Dubuc’s momentary inattention to slant a reproving glance at Tally.
“I slept very well, indeed.” She raised her,
not-so-perfectly-coiffed, head to eye their visitor. “I see we have
an early caller.”

Mr. Dubuc was obviously
taken aback by the presence of her relative. “Pardon me, Lady
Lawton, I hadn’t realized…” He quickly changed his sentence. He
obviously didn’t want to reveal to Lady Lawton that he’d thought
Tally was living alone with only her servants.
Had
her sisters been indiscreet enough to
remark
on it in his presence?
Instead, he ended with, “…it
was quite so early.”

“You remember Mr.
Dubuc from the party the other night, Grandma? Monsieur Moreau’s
nephew.”

“Yes, of course,
dear. I’ve been meeting Victor since he was a small boy
accompanying his uncle to your father’s exhibitions,” she said
smoothly, nothing in her demeanor revealing she’d never thought
much of him, but her granddaughter knew the older lady well. “You
look out of sorts this morning, Mr. Dubuc.” Just her shift to his
family name, when the rest of the family called him Victor in
private, was sign enough she did not favor him.