Dancing at Midnight (40 page)

sure Alex and Emma and Dunford can testify." She breathed a sigh of

relief, glad that John wasn't planning to take the law into his own

hands. If he killed Spencer, he'd be hanged.

They had just reached the cold night air when Dunford suddenly burst

upon them. "Wait!" he yelled, stopping to catch his breath. "He's got

your mother, Belle."

"What?" The blood drained from her face. "How?"

"I have no idea, but I saw him leave the room with her a few moments

ago, and he was holding her very close to his side."

"Oh, John, we have to do something. She must be so frightened."

"I can't think of anyone more capable than your mother," John said,

trying to put her mind at ease. "She'll probably have him

tied up and ready for the constable in a matter of minutes."

"John, how could you joke about this?" Belle cried out. "This is my mother!"

"I'm sorry, love," he said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Dunford, where did they go?"

"Follow me."

He led them out a side door and down a dark hallway, where Alex and Emma

were waiting for them.

"Do you know which door he went into?" John whispered.

Alex shook his head. "Emma," he said. "I want you and Belle to go back

into the ballroom."

"Absolutely not!" came the heated reply.

The three men then turned their collective gazes on Belle.

"My mother is in danger!" she replied hotly. "As if I would abandon her

now."

"All right," Alex sighed, realizing that a direct order was a waste of

time. "But stay back!"

The two women nodded, and the quintet made their way down the hall,

peeping into every doorway, taking care not to let the hinges creak

whenever possible.

Finally they reached a room which was partially open. John was at the

head of the group and immediately recognized

Spencer's voice. He turned around and put his forefinger to his lips,

motioning everyone to keep quiet.

The three men wordlessly took out their guns.

"You silly man," they heard Caroline say disdainfully. "What can you

possibly hope to accomplish by doing this?"

"Be quiet."

"I won't be quiet." came the imperious reply. "You've dragged me off

from the party into a deserted room and pointed

a gun at me which I can only surmise is loaded, and you expect me to be

quiet? You are sorely lacking in intelligence,

my dear man, and—"

"I said shut up!"

"Hmmph."

Belle bit her lip. She'd heard that tone before. If she hadn't been so

terrified this might have been funny.

John, Alex, and Dunford exchanged looks. If they didn't make a move

soon, someone would be dead, although they weren't necessarily convinced

that the victim would be Caroline. John held up his hand and silently

counted with his fingers. One. Two.

Three! The men burst into the room and spread along the back wall, their

pistols trained on Spencer.

"It took you long enough," he sneered. He held Caroline's arm in a

painful grasp, and his gun was pressed up against her temple.

"Your attitude is beyond surly," she scoffed. "It ill becomes you—"

"Mother, please," Belle pleaded, coming in through the door. "Don't

provoke him."

"Ahhh," Spencer said approvingly. "You brought the ladies. What a treat."

Belle couldn't see John's face, but from the way he was holding his

shoulders, she could tell that he was furious with her

for not remaining out in the hall. "Just let my mother go," she said to

Spencer. "She hasn't done anything to you."

"I might, if you'd be willing to trade places with her."

Belle took a step forward, but John's arm shot out like an iron band.

"No, Belle."

"Really, Belle, don't be silly," Caroline said. "I can handle our

lackwit friend here."

"I've had enough!" Spencer exploded. He slapped Caroline across the face.

Belle let out a little cry of dismay and rushed forward, eluding John's

grasp. "Leave her alone!"

Spencer's arm snaked out and wrapped around Belle's waist, pulling her

close to him. Her stomach turned over in dismay,

but she swallowed down her fear and said, "Now let my mother go."

With a vicious shove, Spencer pushed Caroline away from him and she went

tumbling to the floor. She opened her mouth to

give him a scathing rebuke but then held her tongue, not feeling quite

as brave now that he held her only daughter in his grasp.

In that moment, John lost the ability to breathe. It felt as if Spencers

hand were reaching out and squeezing around his windpipe. Belle was

standing next to him, trying to appear brave, but John could see the

fear and loathing in her eyes. He threw down his gun, put his hands in

the air, and took a step forward. "Let her go, Spencer. I'm the one you

want."

Spencer caressed Belle's cheek with the back of his hand. "Maybe I've

changed my mind."

John's control snapped, and he would have jumped him right then and

there if Alex hadn't reached out and grabbed the back

of his shirt. "I said let her go," John repeated, his body shaking with

fury.

Spencer's hand stole around to her backside and he gave it a little

squeeze. "I'm still thinking about it."

Belle grimaced, but otherwise she did her best to remain silent. John's

life was on the line here, and if she could save it by

letting this man paw her, by God, he could paw her all he wanted. She

just prayed he wouldn't try anything more intimate.

The bile was already rising in her throat.

John's body was taut with rage. "For the last time, Spencer, let her go

or I'll—"

"You'll what?" Spencer replied mockingly. "What can you possibly do? I

have a gun. You don't. Furthermore, I have your wife." He let out a

maniacal laugh. "And you don't."

"Don't forget us," Dunford drawled, jerking his head toward Alex. Their

pistols were trained on Spencer's chest.

Spencer looked back and forth between his adversaries and laughed. "I

cannot imagine one of you would do anything as asinine

as to shoot me while I have a loaded gun aimed at the lovely Lady

Blackwood. Still, she is not, after all, my main purpose in coming here,

and I am afraid I am going to have to trade her in. Blackwood?"

John took another step forward. "Release her."

"Not just yet." Spencer yanked off his cravat and shoved it at Belle.

"Tie his hands behind his back."

"What? You cannot mean ..."

"Do it!" He raised his gun and aimed it at John's forehead. "I can't

very well tie him up and keep my aim at the same time."

"Oh, John," Belle whimpered.

"Do as he says," John said. Behind him he could feel Alex and Dunford

tensing their muscles, getting ready to spring into action.

"I can't." Tears stung at her eyes. "I just can't."

"Tie his hands," Spencer warned, "or by God I'll shoot him on the count

of three."

"Can I tie them in front? It seems so barbaric—"

"For God's sake, tie them any way you please. Just do it tight and be

done with it."

With shaking hands, Belle wrapped the necktie around John's wrists,

trying to tie it as loosely as possible without raising

Spencer's suspicions.

"Step back," he ordered.

Belle took a baby step away from John.

"Farther."

"What are you going to do to him?" she demanded.

"You haven't figured that out yet?"

"Mr. Spencer, I'm begging you."

He ignored her. "Turn around, Blackwood. We're going to do it through

the back of your skull."

Belle's legs grew weak, and she would have fallen to the ground if she

hadn't crashed into an end table. Out of the corner of

her eye, she saw Dunford slowly inching forward, but she had little hope

he'd be able to save him. Spencer could see his every move, and there

would be no way to surprise him. By the time Dunford could wrestle him

to the ground, the fatal shot would already have been fired. Besides,

the room was densely furnished; it looked as if the Tumbleys had shoved

every stray settee, sofa, and table into it. Dunford would have to jump

over two chairs and an end table if he wanted to take a direct route.

"You!" Spencer barked, jerking his head at Belle without really looking

at her. "Get back even farther. I'm sure you have a yen

to play the heroine, but I will not have the blood of a lady on my

conscience."

Belle moved sideways, as the end table was blocking her path. She

sniffed. She smelled violets. How odd.

"Farther!"

Belle took another step back and thumped up against something solid.

Something solid and ... definitely human. She looked

across the room. Alex, Dunford, Emma, and her mother were all in plain

sight.

"Take this!" came a whisper.

Good God, it was Persephone! And she was pressing a pistol into Belle's

palm.

Spencer raised his arm and aimed.

Belle felt herself dying. She'd have to shoot Spencer and pray that her

aim was true. There was no way she'd be able to get

the gun to John. Damn, why hadn't she let Emma teach her how to shoot

properly?

John twisted his head around as far as he was able. "If I could have

just one last wish?"

"What?"

"I'd like to kiss my wife goodbye. With your permission of course."

Spencer nodded curtly, and Belle hurriedly moved forward, concealing the

gun in the folds of her skirt. With her free hand she reached up and

touched John's face, making sure that Spencer could see her movement.

John glanced down at his wrists, and Belle saw that he had worked his

hands free of the loosely tied cravat.

"Oh, John," she whispered loudly, "I love you. You know that, don't you?"

He nodded. Give me the gun, he mouthed.

"Oh, John!" she wailed, figuring that the better show she put on, the

more time they would have to plot. She moved her free

hand to the back of his head and pulled him to her in a scorching kiss.

She pressed herself as close as she could to John, praying that Spencer

wouldn't be able to see what was going on in the narrow space between

their bodies. She placed the gun in John's hands, quickly pulling the

loosened cravat off his wrists as she did so.

"Keep kissing me," he whispered. She could feel his hand settling into

the contours of the gun. Her tongue flicked out, tracing

the outline of his mouth, savoring the slightly salty taste of him.

"Open your mouth, love," he said softly.

She did, and his tongue swooped in to deepen the kiss. Belle returned

his passion with equal fire, all the while keeping one eye open and

trained on Spencer, who was watching them with a fascinated expression.

His arm had lowered slightly, and Belle

knew that their kiss had pulled some of his attention away from his

obsession to kill John. She resolved to distract him

completely and moaned loudly with pleasure.

John began to trail small kisses along her jawbone, and Belle arched her

neck to give him greater access. But she could feel

that his attention was focused elsewhere. She felt him nod, and then

from the shadows came a hideous, barely human shriek.

The sound was terrifying. Belle felt sick to her stomach just listening

to it.

"What the hell?" Spencer was jolted from his voyeuristic reverie, and he

couldn't stop his head from turning toward the awful sound.

John abruptly let go of Belle, and before she realized what was

happening, she pitched forward and tumbled onto the ground.

John spun around, whipping the gun out and shooting Spencer's pistol

cleanly from his hand. Alex and Dunford immediately

rushed forward, tackling the stunned man to the ground.

Persephone stepped forward and folded her arms, a satisfied smile on her

face. "Sometimes a little age and wisdom is a

very good thing."

"Persephone, what are you doing here?" Alex demanded as he yanked

Spencer's wrists behind his back.

"That's a fine way to greet me after I've gone and saved the day."

"Oh, Persephone," Belle said with great feeling. "Thank you!" She

clambered to her feet and flung her arms around the older woman. "But

what was that awful sound?"

"Me." Persephone grinned broadly.

Caroline raised her brows incredulously. "Surely that wasn't human."

"Oh, but it was!"

"It certainly did the trick," John said, joining the women after making

sure that Spencer was tied up properly. "Although I must admit, I never

dreamed you'd emit such a sound after I signalled to you to make a

commotion."

"You knew she was here?" Belle asked.

"Only after I saw her hand you the gun. Well done, Persephone." John

pushed his hair back and noticed that his hand was

shaking. It would be a long time before the image of Spencer holding

Belle hostage would fade from his mind.

"How on earth did you get in here?" Belle asked.

"I knew something sinister was going on. No one saw fit to confide in

me." Persephone sniffed in disdain. "But I figured it out.

I also eavesdropped a lot. And then I realized—"

"Excuse me!" Dunford called out.

Six heads swiveled in his direction.

"We might want to notify the authorities about him." He motioned down to