Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (80 page)

Brandon sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. 'She doesn't think she'll get out. I could tell. She's taken care of everyone, doing "last things" in her own way.'

He heard Nora's own desperation in his voice. He tamped it down and forged ahead. He didn't need Dulci and Jack's pity.

He needed their strength. 'Witherspoon won't allow her to stand trial. We can't give him a chance to go back there and finish the job. I have a plan.'

To their credit, Jack and Dulci both turned their attention on him and Brandon proceeded. 'We can slip sleeping powder into the guards' dinner and free her when they fall asleep.'

'And?' Jack asked.

'That's it,' Brandon said, feeling suddenly sheepish.

'That's it? If it were that easy, there would be no one in prison. Everyone would slip powders to the guards.' Jack began to enumerate his concerns. 'First, we have to get the powder without raising suspicions. Second, you, Brandon, cannot go anywhere near her or an apothecary's. Witherspoon smells blood. You've got to lay low.'

'Fair enough. If you're such a genius, what do we do?'

Dulci put in, taking an opportunity to rib Jack.

'We use her network,' Jack said simply.

'And I

how,' Brandon said with a smug smile, taking a leaf out of The

book of tricks. 'She once ran me ragged when I followed her on her shopping rounds in Manchester and all the while she was conducting business under my nose.'

Scott

265

In the end, Witherspoon was indeed far too suspicious.

Brandon could not leave the house without attracting attention.

While the plotting had been his idea, the execution of it was left up to others out of necessity for its success. After putting the plan into motion, Brandon could do nothing more than sit back and rely on others, a role he was not used to.

It was up to Dulci to pass a small note to Mary when

she visited the crofters' cottages. It was Mary son

who

the note to the apothecary's when he went to visit a friend in the old neighbourhood. He carried the prescription for a large supply of sleeping powder when he came home.

It was Dulci who wooed the cook's assistant out of the tray he carried nightly to the guards on duty and dumped the powder in the meals. She sat with the two burly guards and poured them wine and regaled them with bawdy stories until they fell over.

It was Dulci who lifted the heavy bars from the door and raced down the steps towards Nora, who already stood alert at the sound of the door opening at an odd time of night.

'There's no time to explain, but you're free,' Dulci gushed upon reaching Nora. Dulci whipped off her cloak and swung it around Nora's shoulders. 'Brandon was right, we are of the same size.'

'What is going on?' Nora queried.

'Brandon has engineered your jail break,' Dulci said gaily, as if this were all grand fun instead of a felonious crime. 'I am to stay here, so they'll think it's you asleep in the morning when they come with your breakfast. It will buy you a few more hours to get further away. Then

tell them I came to collect

the dishes last night and you hit me on the head.' With that, Dulci grabbed up the ewer and smashed it into pieces.

'Brandon's not here, is he?'

There was panic in the other woman's voice and Dulci was

266

Pickpocket Countess

glad to hear it. Like Jack, she was curious and doubtful about the nature of Brandon's association with the woman.

'No, Witherspoon could not be shaken.'

'Then how?' Nora gestured helplessly. 'How did he arrange all this?'

Dulci smiled conspiratorially. 'He used your network. He told me you led him on a wild goose chase all over Manchester. We did the same to Witherspoon and his men. There were three decoys and one real message. Mary boy it

carried to the apothecary's for the powder.'

'She should not have risked it,' Nora scolded.

Dulci was moved by the tone of the other woman's voice.

'Everyone wanted to help when they heard. You are well loved and not in the least by my brother.'

'You're wrong about that. He has a care for his own hide now that the game has gotten so perilous and he has become implicated so completely,' Nora protested.

Dulci looked at the woman speculatively. 'Well, there's no time to argue that out now. You need to be off. Brandon waits for you and you can sort it all out together. Now, go. Ride to Mary's cottage. Brandon is there. Hurry.' Dulci winked.

Brandon was the only thought crossing Nora's mind as she sped through the night on the horse Dulci had left outside. She had to see Brandon one last time, to thank him, to tell him all debts had been paid, the scales between The Cat and the earl were even.

She'd been wrong, at least in part, about what she'd overheard at the ball. Whatever manipulations she'd held Brandon accountable for, not all could be laid at his doorstep. He'd done his best for her the night of her capture and now he'd engineered her rescue again. These were not the actions of a man who wanted to see her betrayed.

There was still the issue of his motives for complicity. All

Scott

267

this effort might simply be far the benefit of clearing his name.