What A Gentleman Wants (37 page)

Bentley scowled at them, then put out his hand. One of the thugs handed over his gun. “I know you both well enough to be standing here holding a pistol to your heads,” he snapped.

“Damned… coward,” wheezed David.

Bendey’s eyes glittered with malice. “Damned fool,” he replied softly. “Never willing to take the help that’s offered.” David growled. He was swaying slightly now, and Marcus tried not to think of the wounds that could be leeching his brother’s life away. He needed a doctor at once, it was clear. Bentley seemed to know this as well. A cold smile crept over his face, as if he enjoyed seeing David suffer and Marcus agonize. “That was what made my plan work so well,” he went on, addressing David. “I knew you hated his interference. I knew you would do anyithing to spare yourself crawling back to the almighty duke of Exeter for help. And look.” He snorted contemptuously. “You’ve got both yourself and him killed with your stubbornness, to say nothing of your gullibility. If you were going to live, I’d warn you against propositions that sound too good to be true, but you’re not, so I won’t.” He raised the gun. “I’ve waited a long time to be a duke.”

“You’ll wait a while longer,” Marcus said tightly.

His cousin’s smile widened. “No more than a few minutes,” he said pleasandy. “I’ll be merciful in that.”

“Closer to seven months,” Marcus shot back. Bentley’s smile froze, then slipped. The title will be held in suspense until my child is born, after all,“ Marcus supplied.

Twins, with any luck,“ added David weakly. They do seem to run in the family.”

Bentley’s narrow eyes flicked from David back to Marcus. “It’s a lie,” he said almost to himself. “She can’t be increasing.”

“Rosalind will see to it that the world knows,” said Marcus. He was grasping at straws, but he had nothing left to grasp. “With us dead, she’ll devote herself to the well-being of my wife and son.”

“The woman should have had a dozen children,” David mumbled. “A veritable force of nature, protecting her own.” Marcus kept his eyes on Bentley. Whatever else Bentley might believe, he would know Rosalind would behave just as they said, and unlike Hannah, Rosalind was widely known in London, including by highly placed people in the government. Killing Marcus and David would by no means assure Bentley the title, for Rosalind, once Hannah had enlightened her about their cause of death, would stop at nothing to keep it from him.

“She’s only a woman,” Bentley said, more as though to reassure himself. “And she has her own daughter to care for.”

“You thought you had nothing to fear from her, didn’t you?” Marcus pressed on. “Because she has no son. But David and I have been her sons for over twenty years. And whom, pray, do you think her daughter will marry? By this time next year, an entirely different family will stand against you.”

“It will be Avenall,” said David, naming the Prime Minister’s nephew. “He’s asked after her every year since she was thirteen.”

“Avenall?” Marcus exaggerated his interest. “Do you really think so? Ware asked me to send his regards the other night.”

“Ware? Jack would be a capital choice.”

“She won’t marry either of them!” shrieked Bentley. His face was mottled red, and he looked half-mad.

“Silence, both of you! I must think for a moment!” Marcus fell silent, conscious of David’s raspy breathing behind him. He had shot his every arrow; the notion of Celia marrying into a powerful family had given Bentley pause, but Marcus didn’t believe for a moment that Bentley would allow him or David to walk free, not even if they claimed Celia was betrothed to a royal prince. He felt hope slipping away. Something must have delayed Hannah. She was too late. He could only be glad he hadn’t changed that wedding register from the Middleborough church, that she would be his legal widow—

Something hit the floor in the center of the room. In the tense silence, it plinked loudly against the floorboard. Marcus didn’t dare take his eyes off Bentley, even though he knew it would be hopeless whenever Bentley decided to fire. Something else fell, then rolled, followed by another plink. Bentley, his face still screwed up in thought, frowned viciously. “What the devil is that?” he cried, looking at the floor. Then he stopped, his expression going slack. Warily, Marcus dared a quick glance down.

It was a pearl. Three perfect lustrous pearls, lying on the scarred wooden planks of the floor.

Astonishment and suspicion warred in Bentley’s face. “Don’t move,” he snapped, waving the pistol. Marcus put up his hands in a defenseless gesture, trying to hide any sign of his racing thoughts. She was here. He distinctly remembered those pearls around Hannah’s neck, could feel them under his fingers as he pulled her close for his kiss just before he leaped from the carriage. But where was she? And why was she throwing pearls?

Bentley inched forward, still frowning at the pearls on the floor. He jerked the pistol threateningly at

Marcus again, then looked up, just in time to catch the falling brick right in the forehead.

Marcus was on him by the time his cousin hit the floor, unconscious. “Stay!” he shouted at Bentley’s stunned accomplices, aiming his cousin’s pistol at them. As if on cue, the door behind them burst open, and half a dozen armed Runners bounded in.

There was a great deal of shouting and a few punches, but as Bentley was senseless on the floor, Rourke’s men lost their stomach for fight. It could only have been a matter of seconds before Timms appeared behind his men in the doorway, striding into the room and announcing in a booming voice his intention to have them all arrested. Marcus surrendered Bentley’s pistol to one of the Runners and got to his feet.

“Exeter, by God!” Timms slapped his shoulder. “Damned fine work!”

Marcus waved it off. “My brother needs a doctor at once.” He swung around in search of David. His brother was still leaning against the wall, holding his ribs. His eyes met Marcus’s, tired and glazed with pain, but he gave a triumphant grin in spite of that

“Of course. What about this fellow?” Timms asked the Runner now crouching over the prostrate Bentley. “Does he need the leech or the bone wagon?”

“The leech, sir.” The man looked up. “The lady caught ‘im just a glancin’ blow. He’s alive.”

“Excellent,” said Timms as Marcus seized him by the arms.

“Where is she? My wife?” Timms hesitated, then raised his eyes to the crumbling ceiling. Marcus followed suit instinctively, just as a tumult erupted outside the door. His heart leaping, Marcus shouldered Timms aside in time to see Hannah as she charged into the room, disheveled and dirty, her eyes wild with anxiety.

She froze for a second when she saw him, then flung herself at him with an inarticulate cry. Marcus met her halfway, catching her in his arms. The reality of how close he had come to never holding her again made his arms tremble, and he held her tighter.

“Oh, heavens, are you hurt?” She leaned back, running her hands down his face, over his shoulders, gripping his arms. “They said someone was shot— I didn’t know—”

He cut her off with a kiss, long and hard and filled with relief that she was unhurt and that he was alive to know it. “I’m fine,” he broke off the kiss to say. “But what on earth have you been up to?”

She smiled, a little self-consciously through her tears. “They needed to know what was going on inside, and I remembered the leaking roof. But none of the men could climb the chimney, and they might have been too heavy for the roof to bear in any event. So I did it.”

“And dropped priceless pearls into a rat’s hole,” added Marcus with a grin. She laughed shakily.

“I didn’t know what else to do—the necklace was the only thing I had to catch his attention and get him to move to where I could hit him—” He threw back his head and laughed, and Hannah clung to him, weak with relief. He was safe. She’d been sick with fear they’d been too late.

“I don’t give a damn about the pearls,” Marcus murmured against her hair. “I daresay it’s the best use they’ve been put to in centuries.”

Hannah started to smile, then caught sight of David over Marcus’s shoulder. “David,” she gasped.

Marcus whipped around at once. A Runner was crouching over David, who had slumped down the wall and was now sprawled on the floor. “Move,” he ordered the man, stepping over to crouch beside his brother. “David,” he said, touching his brother’s shoulder. “Can you hear me?”

Hannah let out her breath as David nodded once, without opening his eyes. “Bloody rib,” he muttered.

Marcus’s face grew grim. “Let’s go home,” he said. He and the Runner each grasped one of David’s arms, and helped him to his feet. Then Marcus wound David’s arm around his neck, and David himself waved the Runner aside.

“Miserable place to receive guests anyway,” he said, his words slurred. Hannah hurried over to David’s other side, taking his arm across her shoulders. Moving slowly, they walked past Rourke’s body, the bound and sullen diugs, and Bentley, who was just starting to come around as Timms emptied a bucket of river water on his head.

Marcus stopped outside, looking back at the little house. “How on earth did you do it?” he asked. She followed his gaze, to the rock chimney. Now that she looked at it again, it did seem rather unlikely that anyone could scale it.

“I don’t really know,” she said in surprise. It tilted alarmingly to one side, and all the missing rocks that had looked like toeholds and footholds before now looked like omens of impending collapse. “I had to, so I did.”

“Dashed brave of you,” said David feebly.

“Oh, no,” she said at once. “Not compared to what you did.”

“Hannah.” Marcus stopped her. “It was heroic.”

“It was not,” she said again, blushing scarlet now. Climbing onto a roof and destroying a priceless necklace didn’t seem half as brave as facing down five murderous cutthroats alone.

“Well, you’re
my
bloody heroine,” coughed David.

Over his head, Marcus gave Hannah a slow smile. “No,” he said, “she’s mine.”

They arrived back home to a tempest quite unlike anything Hannah had ever seen. Before the carriage had even reached the steps of Exeter House a dozen servants burst from the doors, followed by Rosalind, her face drawn and pale. Without a word she pushed past all the footman and threw herself at her two stepsons as they climbed from the carriage. Marcus embraced her for a moment before stepping away, leaving David to lean on their stepmother alone. David nodded a few times, in response to whatever she said to him, then released her and hobbled slowly into the house, assisted by a pair of servants.

“Hannah.” Rosalind’s face crumpled as she turned to Hannah. “Oh, goodness,” she choked. “I didn’t realize—I never imagined—not until Celia told me she had Molly, and Telman said there was a maid locked in a dressing room.”

“Is everyone here well?” Hannah took the other woman’s hands in hers. “Did anything happen while we were gone?”

Rosalind shook her head. “No. Everything here is fine. I told Harper to bar all the doors and windows until you returned, and had him search the house from top to bottom.” She let out a weak laugh. “He’s no doubt reached the wine cellar by now.”

Hannah heaved a deep heartfelt sigh. That had been her last worry, that Bentley might have set some of his accomplices to causing trouble at the house. She and David had been in such a rush to leave, they’d told no one to be on guard.

“Shall we go in?” asked Marcus. “We’ll explain everything, Rosalind.” She nodded and they all went in, Marcus’s hand reassuringly at Hannah’s back. Inside, David had already gone up the stairs. Telman was sitting in the hall looking dazed and lost. At their approach, he leaped to his feet.

“Your Grace!” He bowed, his eyes darting anxiously from Marcus to Hannah and then back. “I did as you asked.” He thrust a key at Hannah as if he couldn’t wait to be rid of it. She took it, clasping his hand as she did so.

“Thank you, Telman. Your aid was invaluable. I shall be eternally grateful.”

“Oh, madam. That is such a relief.” He started to smile at her, then glanced at Marcus and all expression left his face.

“No need for that, Telman,” said Marcus. “I imagine we’re all rather dizzy with relief.” He took the key from Hannah. “I shall not forget your service tonight.” His valet blinked, then bowed, the beginnings of another smile on his face.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” he murmured.

“You are dismissed,” Marcus added. “I shan’t need you tonight.”

Telman bowed again, stepped backward, and hurried off past Harper, who had just come rushing into the hall, slighdy disheveled. He came to a halt in front of them with a quick bow. “The house is secure, Your

Grace,“ he said breathlessly. ”I have searched every room personally.“

“Well done, Harper,” said Marcus, a thread of amusement in his voice. The buder bowed his head. “Send someone for the surgeon to see to Lord David, and have tea sent to my study.” Harper nodded and hurried away. Marcus turned to Rosalind. “Rosalind, will you assure Celia and Molly everyone is well?”

“Of course,” Rosalind said, hesitating. “But…”

“Never fear, I shall tell you everything. But first there is a maid we must speak to.” Marcus looked at the cluster of waiting servants, and one of them came forward. Marcus handed him the key. “Bring the maid who is locked in Lord David’s dressing room to my study at once.” The footman bowed and left. Hannah felt a wave of exhaustion crash over her; she closed her eyes, too tired to face Lily, too weak with relief to do much of anything. She just wanted to see Molly once more and fall into bed.

Marcus’s hand came to rest at the back of her waist. “Can you bear up a little longer?” he murmured next to her ear. “I should like your assistance with Lily.”

Hannah took a deep breath and nodded, opening her eyes to meet his. For a moment all she saw was Marcus, his dark eyes warm with affection, looking down at her. Then she recalled that they were standing in the middle of the hall surrounded by people, and tore her eyes away.

“Rosalind,” she began. The other woman, who had been watching them avidly, jumped.

“Oh! I must see to Celia now,” she exclaimed. “She’ll be so worried. And now that I know everyone is safe and well…” She turned and all but ran up the stairs. Hannah blinked after her in surprise.