Realm 06 - A Touch of Love (50 page)

“Would you, Sarah?” Simon asked hopefully.

“It would be my honor.”

Simon tugged on Lord Worthing’s hand. “Come. I wish to express my gratitude to Lord Charleton. He brought Ma’am home safely.”

Lord Godown led the way through the empty passageways, and Bella scurried to keep up with his long strides. “As the household has rushed to extinguish the fire Sir Carter has set, we will exit through the study. Stay close,” he whispered. “Once we are outside, stay before me until we reach the woodland.” He tightened his grip upon her hand. Not waiting for a response, the marquis entered the dark study and adeptly led her about the scattered furniture, and Bella marveled at his ability to see in the pitch-black room.

A brief pause announced his release of the lock, and Arabella looked behind her to what should have been a deserted hall. Instead, a dark figure filled the doorframe. In spite of her best efforts, Bella sucked in a sharp breath. She could feel the muscles of Lord Godown’s back tighten. Instinctively, the marquis shoved her behind him.

“Leaving without a farewell?” Viscount Ransing sneered.

The marquis slipped his gun into Arabella’s hand before he responded. “You appeared busy with more pressing matters,” Godown spoke with an air of superiority.

The viscount stepped into the shadows. “I knew immediately the fire was a ruse. Of course, I thought Lord Hellsman would come for his wife in person. I should have known the future baron to be a coward. Lawrence Lowery has always permitted others to face the dangers.” Only the marquis’s fingers digging into her skin kept Bella silent.

“What plan have you for us?” Lord Godown demanded. While he spoke, Bella set the trigger.

The thin wall sconces kept Lord Ransing in silhouette, and Bella could not discern his facial expression or his gestures; yet, she recognized the danger. “Am I to assume you set the fire also?” A bit of doubt played in the viscount’s tone.

“I possess many talents,” the marquis boasted. Bella noted how Lord Godown slipped his hand into a side pocket.

Ransing chuckled. “Furtiveness is not one of them.”

“Are you certain?” Lord Godown taunted. “Perhaps I have laid a trap among the furniture.” He shifted his weight and for a moment Bella felt quite exposed. Then she realized he meant to draw Lord Ransing’s attention from her.

Ransing stepped boldly into the room. “I will assume my chances.” His arm rose to chest high, and even in the dim light, Bella could see the gun pointed at the marquis. Lord Godown had given her his weapon and left himself without a defense. The viscount cocked the gun.

Without a second thought, Bella squeezed the trigger of Lord Godown’s gun. The explosion rang in her ears, while the room filled with gray smoke.

“Run!” Lord Godown ordered and shoved her through the partially opened patio door. Bella lifted her skirt and ran toward the tree line. Somewhere in the woods was her husband, and she meant to find Law. Behind her, she heard Lord Godown involved in a melee; the sound of broken glass and items being thrown about easily recognizable.

A single shot whizzed by her head, and Bella doubled her efforts. She glanced up to see Carter and Law rushing to her side. Sir Carter reached her first and caught her about the waist. He was alert to a possible assault, but no one had followed her from the house. “Stay with Law,” he ordered as he shoved her into her husband’s arms. “Where is Godown?”

“In the study,” she called to Carter’s retreating form. “The patio doors!” Then she collapsed against the man she loved.

Carter raced toward the unknown. It was a common scenario, and that familiarity gave him confidence. Two rough-looking farmers rushed him, but Carter barely noticed. He struck the first one a clasped hand blow to the man’s throat, sending
his assailant to his knees. The second received the heel of Carter’s hand to the man’s nose and then an upper cut to his chin. Both had lost their momentum, and Carter vaulted over their broken bodies to charge the incline to the balcony.

From within, he could hear the fracas. In the darkness, several men struggled. Pausing only long enough to identify Godown’s recognizable form, Carter grabbed the nearest assailant about the neck and gave the man’s head an opposing jerk. A loud crack announced the man’s demise.

“Here!” Godown shoved another of Ransing’s men in Carter’s direction. Intuitively, he caught the man by the back of his hair and slammed the culprit into the wall. A loud grunt of pain said Carter had incapacitated another of Ransing’s henchmen.

Turning to rejoin the fight, only Godown remained standing. “Ransing ran out when his men rushed in. He was limping from Lady Hellsman’s gunfire,” Godown announced. “I will settle things here. You should find Lord Ransing before he reaches the lady.”

“Bella,” Law pleaded, “are you injured?” His wife sobbed uncontrollably. Law’s jaw tensed: He would kill Ransing for the viscount’s insult to his family.

“I shot him!” she forced out on an exhalation.

Law tightened his arms about her to quell her fear. “Who? Who did you shoot?”

Bella whispered harshly, “The viscount.”

“But you did not kill me, Lady Hellsman,” a voice declared from the darkness.

Law strained to remain alert. He could hear the desperation in Ransing’s tone and could smell the fear on Bella’s skin. “It is I you seek, Ransing. Leave my wife untouched.”

The viscount stepped further into the ring of moonlight, and Law noted how his enemy favored his left leg. Although he had not fully comprehended her earlier assertion, Bella had made contact. “Lady Hellsman knows of my involvement with Woodstone. I cannot leave witnesses.”

Despair wrapped itself about Law’s heart, each beat nearly tearing it apart. “I cannot permit you to harm my wife.”

Ransing gave a hard laugh. “Then one of us will die.”

Law placed Bella behind him. He had never shot anything other than a fox or a deer, and Lawrence was uncertain he could look a man in the eye and pull the trigger, but he was all that remained between Ransing and Bella’s safety. Neither Carter nor Lord Godown had emerged from the house. A violent pendulum of emotions coursed through his veins. He concentrated on Lord Ransing’s stature, attempting to anticipate the viscount’s attack. Behind him, Arabella’s soft sobs spoke of her despondency.

Law swallowed his fear. His senses sharpened as never before. Pure murder spread across Lord Ransing’s countenance. Slowly, Law raised his gun. His gaze narrowed and honed. Ransing was breathing heavily, and Law noted the flicker of hatred in the viscount’s eyes, which signaled his finger twitched upon the trigger. In the space of a single breath, a flare of light split the blackness, and Ransing toppled forward to kiss the dirt.

Law looked to the gun he still held tightly in his grip to find it unused and then to his right where a puff of white smoke hung upon the night’s air. As the graying mist thinned, Law’s eyes rested upon his younger brother. Glowing white hot, Carter’s gun reflected the moonlight.

C
arter had insisted that Lawrence remove Arabella to the nearest inn. He was not certain who had experienced the most shock–Arabella or Law? When he had stumbled upon the scene, Carter knew he must kill Lord Ransing. Despite his older brother’s protestations, Carter had known Ransing’s death would change Law. Carter had experienced more deaths than he cared to acknowledge, and in his line of work, it was a foregone conclusion; yet, each time he was forced to use extreme violence, he had to justify the loss of life. If Law had been the agent of death, Carter’s older brother would have always secondguessed his actions. So, when Law paused as Ransing prepared to shoot, Carter had taken the choice from his brother: He had shot Lord Ransing in the head.

“We must send for Pennington,” Godown reminded Carter of the investigation.

Carter looked upon those they had captured. “I asked Law to send for Sir Phillip Spurlock. He is the magistrate Viscount Stafford befriended near Pemberley. Sir Phillip is man I trust. He was at Blake’s Run when Ransing attempted to steal Triton from Law. Sir Phillip is an honest magistrate.”

Godown scowled. “You know my opinion of Viscount Stafford, but I will follow your lead in regard to Sir Phillip.” The marquis’s eyes narrowed. “How long do you expect it will be before we finish this investigation? I should send word to Lady Godown of my delay.”

Carter shrugged noncommittally. “We are in the middle of nowhere, and it is not as if we can send one of Ransing’s men with a message.”

Godown’s countenance was not peaceful in response. “I am warning you, Lowery, I will not have Lady Godown in a state of worry so I advise you to discover a reliable messenger, or I will be on the road to Staffordshire myself.”

Carter arched an eyebrow. “If you assist me in moving the prisoners to the root cellar, then you may ride into the village and secure a messenger for Lady Godown. I require an update on Hellsman and Arabella, and if we are to remain behind until Pennington responds, we will require food while we wait.”

Some three-quarters hour later, Godown had departed, leaving Carter alone with his thoughts. Before the marquis’s exit, Carter had quickly scribbled a note to his parents to explain he must remain in Dove Dale until the authorities could take possession of the prisoners. He had wanted to return to Lucinda Warren’s side immediately, but duty insisted he remain behind. He assumed Law would escort Bella to Blake’s Run later in the day, but he wanted the baroness to know she was in his thoughts.

He wondered how long Mrs. Warren would remain in Derbyshire. He had asked her to wait for his return, but Carter knew she could not go against the earl’s wishes. Reluctantly, he grudgingly admitted, “Fate has offered me another test: A personal taunt. The lady is my private temptation, and I remain uncertain as to whether I will succeed in either winning her heart or banishing Lucinda Warren from my life forever.”