Heart of Honor (29 page)

“There’s a lot of money involved in the mining business,” he said, “and we aren’t going to let you do-gooders keep us from getting our share.”

She tried to edge away, but Burton stood in her path. “Let me pass,” she stated.

He made no move, just kept those hard eyes fixed on her face and a half smile on his lips.

She heard a faint sound, then a big hand settled on Burton’s shoulder. “Do as the lady says.”

Krista wished she didn’t feel so relieved to see Leif standing behind her opponent. Burton turned, seemed surprised to discover that Leif was even larger than he, and gave a brief nod of his head.

“Enjoy your evening.” His voice held a hint of sarcasm that Krista ignored as she watched him stroll back toward the ballroom.

No such luck with Leif. She steeled herself against the fury she read in his face.

“How…how did you know I was here?”

“I heard about the ball tonight. And I know you well, lady.”

Her cheeks colored at the memory of exactly how well he did know her.

“You promised to be careful,” he continued. “If that is so, what are you doing here in your enemy’s camp?” Dressed in elegant black evening clothes, his blond hair freshly trimmed and brushed till it glistened, he looked magnificent. The mysterious Scandinavian prince had returned and his presence would not go unnoticed.

Inwardly, Krista groaned. There was bound to be more gossip, more problems for her and her family.

“I hoped to speak to Lawrence Burton,” she said. “Instead, I talked to his son. Coralee says Porter Burton is the man who threatened her.”

Leif’s whole body went tense. “
He
is the man you were talking to out here?”

She nodded and Leif swore in Norse. Turning away, he started striding toward the French doors, and Krista had to run to catch up with him.

“You mustn’t confront him, Leif! Not here!”

He seemed to realize the trouble that would cause, and visibly clamped down on his temper. “How can I protect you if you continue to stir up trouble?”

“It isn’t your job to protect me.”

“No? If that is what you think, then you are wrong. I cannot leave England until I know you are safe.”

She tried not to be pleased that he cared so much, tried to ignore the possessive look on his face. She reached up and gently cupped his cheek. “Then perhaps you will have to stay.”

For a moment their eyes met and held. Leif caught her hand, drew it to his lips and kissed the palm. He said nothing. They both knew he could not.

“Will you tell the police about Porter Burton?” he asked.

“We don’t have any proof, just Corrie’s word that she recognized her assailant’s eyes and his ring. I doubt that would hold up in court. I’ll speak to Father and also to Mr. Petersen. Perhaps they will know what to do.”

Leif glanced back toward the ballroom, where ladies gowned in silk and satin whirled to the music of a waltz in their escorts’ arms. Krista wondered if he was thinking of Draugr Island and how different life was here.

“It is cold,” he said. “Get your wrap. I am taking you home.”

Krista shook her head. “This isn’t Draugr, Leif. I can’t possibly leave with you. I shouldn’t even be out here alone with you.”

A muscle tightened in his cheek. With a sigh of resignation, he nodded. “I will let you go back to Coralee and your friends. When you are ready to leave, I will follow you home in my carriage.”

“I don’t think you need to—”

He stopped her with a glare.

“All right, I’ll plead a headache. Corrie will never forgive me, but that is beside the point. And at any rate, on the morrow, there is work I need to do.”

Krista and her party left within the hour, Corrie’s departure, as usual, grudging.

“I hate to leave,” she said as they gathered their wraps and Lady Maybrook went to summon her carriage. “It is such a lovely party.”

“Except for Porter Burton.”

“Well, yes, except for Porter Burton.”

But Burton
was
there, watching them as they left the house, and Krista was suddenly glad that Leif would be following them home.

“We’ll bring in the law,” the professor said, outraged.

“It won’t do any good,” Dolph Petersen argued. “Porter Burton is right—you don’t have any proof.”

“What about the ring?” Krista asked. They were seated in the study, Leif and her father in chairs across from her and Mr. Petersen. Since Thor was only beginning to learn English and this was a family matter, he was upstairs studying in his room. “Father says a pair of crossed sabers is the symbol for Consolidated Mining.”

Petersen didn’t look impressed. “It’s not enough. All you have is Miss Whitmore’s word against the son of one of the wealthiest men in England.”

“Coralee is the daughter of a peer.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s still just her word against his.” He leaned back in his chair. “We can’t involve the police—at least not yet—but there might be another way to stop Porter Burton from posing any more of a threat.”

Leif sat a little straighter in his chair. “How?” he asked in that straightforward manner of his.

Krista hadn’t seen him since the party. She tried not to wonder where he spent his time when they were not together. Perhaps he had returned to the gaming tables, though she didn’t think so. He had never particularly liked the idea of making money off another man’s vice, and had done so only to achieve his end.

“The police can’t help us,” the investigator continued, “but maybe someone else can.”

“Go on,” Leif urged.

“Porter Burton is Lawrence Burton’s heir. His father keeps him in royal style, and once the elder Burton is dead, Porter will be hugely wealthy. Put pressure on the old man to stop his son’s allowance and threaten to cut him out of the will, and Porter will have no choice but to fall in line. He’ll be forced to stop his attacks.”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand,” the professor said. “Why would the elder Burton agree to such a thing?”

“I have a very strong feeling the old man knows nothing about his son’s nefarious activities,” Petersen explained. “Lawrence Burton has a young wife he adores and two daughters who’ll need to find husbands. If his son’s activities came to light, it would be ruinous for all of them.”

“It won’t work,” Leif said. “As you say, we have no proof.”

“You don’t need proof. You need someone powerful enough to force Burton senior to take action against his son—or at least threaten to do so. Miss Hart, your grandfather, the Earl of Hampton, is a man with that kind of power.”

Krista pondered the investigator’s words. Her grandfather was an extremely powerful man and, where his family was concerned, extremely protective. If she went to him and explained what they had discovered about Porter Burton, he would help her, she was sure.

“You are worth every farthing, Mr. Petersen,” she declared.

He rose from his chair and smiled. “Let me know how it goes, will you?”

“Certainly.”

Petersen left the house and the three of them discussed how they should proceed.

“I am the one who must speak to the earl,” Krista said.

The professor nodded. “Lord Hampton adores you, even if he doesn’t want you to know it. He has been extremely worried ever since you began to receive those threatening notes.”

“He knew about the messages I received?”

“There is little the Earl of Hampton does not know.”

Krista wondered if he knew about Leif and her journey to Draugr Island. A blush rose in her cheeks. Surely, after what she had told him after her return, he had guessed that she and her abductor had been lovers.

Still, he had done his best to help salvage her ruined reputation, and she was certain he would help her with this.

L
eif refused to let Krista travel to her grandfather’s house alone, though he grudgingly agreed to wait for her in the carriage.

“After the ball and your talk with Burton, the danger to you is greater than ever before.”

It was true, she knew, and so she gave only token resistance. The carriage pulled up in front of the earl’s town mansion, a three-story Georgian residence at the edge of the city that had belonged to the family for more than a hundred years. A young blond footman helped Krista down the carriage steps and followed her to the door, then waited on the front porch for her to return. She could see Leif though the windows of the carriage, his jaw set, his eyes watchful.

Ignoring a sudden stab of pain that he would soon be gone, she made her way inside the house and was shown into one of the earl’s elegant drawing rooms.

Her grandfather joined her there, seating himself on one end of the pale blue brocade sofa while she sat on the other.

“I am glad you have come, Granddaughter,” he said. “I planned to call on you later in the week.”

“You did?”

“There is a matter we need to discuss, but for now, tell me why you wished to see me.”

Krista wasn’t quite sure where to begin, so she started with the threatening letters she had received some months back and the fire at
Heart to Heart,
which he was already aware of. Then she told him about the assault on her Leif had thwarted, which he wasn’t.

“These men are entirely disreputable,” she said. “If it hadn’t been for…my protector, I believe they would have forced themselves upon me.”

A flush rose in his wrinkled cheeks. “You should have come to me! You’re the granddaughter of the Earl of Hampton!”

“We hired an investigator, Grandfather, a man named Dolph Petersen.”

He nodded, some of his temper receding. “Petersen. Good man. Couldn’t have chosen better myself.”

She went on to explain about Harley Jacobs, the man who’d pleaded guilty to hiring the brutes who assaulted them, an overseer at Consolidated Mining. “We thought the matter was ended. Then Coralee Whitmore was threatened at gunpoint on her way home from the gazette. We are certain the events are related.”

“You said Jacobs is now in prison?”

“That is correct. But you see, as it turns out, Jacobs wasn’t truly the villain.” She went on to reveal how Porter Burton, son of wealthy mine owner Lawrence Burton, was actually responsible for hiring her attackers. “It is likely he set the fire at
Heart to Heart,
as well. He practically boasted that he destroyed the
London Beacon.
”

The earl leaned back against the sofa, propping his gnarled fingers over his chest. “So finally you have come to me for help. What is it, girl, that you wish me to do?”

She explained her reasoning to him, asking him if he would be willing to speak to the elder Burton, to use his power and influence to get the man to control his ruthless son.

The earl sat forward again. “I’m your grandfather. I will do whatever it takes to protect you. But there is something I want in return. It is the matter I was coming to discuss.”

Wariness settled over her. “What is it?”

“In exchange for my protection, I want you to marry. I want you to wed Matthew Carlton.”

“What!”

“Listen to me, Krista. Your reputation is in tatters. The only way to salvage what little remains is for you to marry, and you need to do it soon.”

“But…but surely Matthew is no longer interested in wedding me. Why…why would he wish to marry a ruined woman?” But she kept seeing the look on Matthew’s face when last she had spoken to him. Even with her tarnished reputation, he had made it clear he was interested.

“Why is not important. The fact is, I’ve already spoken to the man and he is willing to overlook your…
transgressions,
whatever they may be.”

Her dowry.
It was quite large, and no doubt her grandfather had promised a good deal more if Matthew would still agree to wed her.

“What say you, girl? With Matthew as your husband, you will be free to continue printing your gazette. I’ll take care of Burton and his son and any other problems that might come up. There’ll be no more threats, no more danger—on that you have my word.”

Her insides tightened into a painful knot and Krista found it suddenly hard to breathe.

“You have always wanted a family,” the earl added, speaking a little more gently. “That isn’t going to happen now, not unless you heed my words and do what is necessary.”

She bit her lip to keep it from trembling.

“Matthew is a fine man,” he continued, “and he has always held feelings for you. I believe he will treat you well, and in time, perhaps you may even come to feel a certain amount of affection for him.”

Perhaps she could. She would never love him. She could never love any man the way she loved Leif. But she and Matthew had been friends. Perhaps they could be again. And deep down, she knew her grandfather was right. If she didn’t marry Matthew, she would be left a spinster. After the weeks she had shared with Leif, she knew how good it felt to be held by a man, to enjoy a man’s company, to feel cared for and protected.

And there was the matter of children. She had always wanted a family. She would never have Leif’s child, but she would have Matthew’s children to love, the children they would share together.

Her heart twisted hard inside her. As soon as it was clear that she was no longer in danger, Leif would leave.

If she couldn’t marry him, what did it matter whom she wed?

And there was her family to consider. Her grandfather needed an heir. It was her duty to provide one.

“I—I would need some time to…Some time before we…before we…”

“If you are worried about your duties in the marriage bed, Matthew has agreed to give you whatever time you need before he claims his husbandly rights.”

Krista swallowed. She would need as much time as he would grant her to get used to the idea of sharing her body with a man besides Leif.

She looked into the earl’s dear, wrinkled face and the lump in her throat became a thick knot of tears. “If Matthew still wishes to wed me, I will agree.”

Relief and pleasure glinted in the old man’s cloudy blue eyes. “You’re a good girl, Krista. You always have been. On the morrow, I shall speak to Burton Lawrence. Once the matter of his son is dealt with, you and Matthew can be married by special license. We’ll have the wedding right here at Hampton House, just a few close friends and family. I’ll send word to your aunt Abby. The two of us will take care of everything.”

Krista rose a bit shakily from the sofa and the earl rose, as well. “You will let me know what happens with Burton?”

“You may expect to see me no later than day after the morrow.” His jaw hardened in a manner she had rarely seen, and Krista thought that even in his declining years, the Earl of Hampton was an extremely formidable man. “Rest assured, by the time I am finished, Porter Burton will no longer be a danger to you or anyone else.”

Krista made no reply. She believed him, utterly and completely.

She started walking on legs that felt wooden. Leif waited for her in the carriage, and seeing him, knowing she would soon be forced to marry another man, sent a sharp jolt of pain into her heart.

She said nothing of her decision on the way back to the town house, merely told him her grandfather had agreed to help and she firmly believed that in a day, two at most, the matter would be put to an end.

Leif turned away from her to stare out the window. “The weather worsens each day. Captain Twig worries for our safety, should we postpone our voyage much longer.”

She knew little of sailing, but she had been concerned about the weather, as well.

“As soon as word comes from your grandfather and I am satisfied you will be safe, the
Sea Dragon
will prepare to leave.”

She wanted to beg him to stay. Wanted to tell him that if he left, she would never be the same, never again know the kind of happiness she had with him. But asking him to stay wouldn’t be any more fair to Leif than staying on Draugr had been to her.

On the short ride home, Krista kept silent, saying nothing of her upcoming marriage.

Unwilling to say the words that would sever their relationship forever.

As promised, two days later, the Earl of Hampton arrived at the town house. Leif had gone out to check on his ship and crew, but Thor remained, a man capable of handling whatever threat might arise. Krista led her father and grandfather into the study, where the earl related the news of his meeting with Lawrence Burton and the subsequent encounter between Burton and his son, at which the earl had also been present.

“Petersen, as usual, was correct,” her grandfather said. “The elder Burton knew nothing of his son’s criminal activities, and he was positively livid. He was terrified to think what his wife would do should she and their daughters lose their coveted social position and become pariahs in society. When he spoke to his son, he told the man in no uncertain terms that if there was a single incident against any of the reform papers—whether Porter was responsible or not—his funds would be permanently cut off. He would be chopped from the will as if he had never existed, and banished forever from the family.”

“Good heavens,” Krista exclaimed.

“Well done!” said the professor.

Her grandfather smiled, his pale eyes crinkling at the corners. “It is over, my dear. You and your friends—and your blasted ladies’ gazette—are out of harm’s way. Porter Burton has been banished to the country where, I imagine, at least for some time, he will remain.”

Krista rose from her chair, walked over and kissed the old man’s wrinkled cheek. “Thank you, Grandfather.”

“You are the granddaughter of an earl. Never forget that. The next time you need help, come to me.”

“I will, I promise. Thank you.”

“Now on to a more pleasant topic—the matter of your upcoming nuptials.”

Krista had told her father the news, and though he was saddened that the man could not be Leif, he had always liked Matthew and was delighted at the prospect of having him for a son-in-law.

“I’ve spoken to the vicar and also your aunt Abby,” the earl announced. “The wedding is scheduled to take place a week from this Saturday at Hampton House. I thought we might use the conservatory, since it is too cold out in the garden.”

She nodded, feeling strangely light-headed. None of this seemed real and yet she knew that it was, that soon she would be a married woman.

“Perhaps…” She swallowed. “Perhaps Matthew and I should speak. It seems strange to wed a man I haven’t spent time with in weeks.”

Her grandfather reached over and took her hand. “You and your husband will have plenty of time to know each other after you are wed. Until then, why don’t you ask your friend Miss Whitmore to help you choose a wedding gown and whatever else you might need for your trousseau?”

Dear God, she hadn’t even considered a wedding dress. Even as she imagined the sort of gown she might wear, an image of Leif appeared, so tall and handsome, standing next to her in the spot that belonged to the groom.

She swallowed again, the lump in her throat growing bigger. It wasn’t going to happen. “I’ll speak to Coralee. And thank you again, Grandfather, for everything you have done.”

Krista had to resign herself to the life that stretched ahead of her, and get on with it.