Chapter 25

Chapter 25

“Where is William?” Edward barged into his cousin’s townhouse, with Jonathon following closely behind.

“I beg your pardon, my lord, but you cannot just barge in like—” The steward tried to stand in the way, but Edward’s determination was not to be swayed.

“Stand aside,” he instructed the man.

Just that one sentence was enough for the steward to comprehend the gravity of the situation. “The dining room,” he said, nodding quickly, allowing them inside.

Edward had never been to any of the places William called home during his time in London. He would rent out a townhouse for a certain period of time, as did most gentlemen who did not live in London. But Edward never had any reason or desire to visit his cousin. Now, he had both.

He stormed into William’s dining room with Jonathon, barely registering the elaborate breakfast laid out on the table or the soft morning glow flowing inside from the windows. His focus was solely on William, who sat at the table, momentarily stunned by their sudden intrusion.

As soon as he saw them, William dropped the newspaper he was holding, and Edward’s impatience flared up. “Where is she, William?” he demanded to know, his every word laced with desperation and urgency.

Jonathon stood close behind Edward, his presence adding to the pressure. Edward’s frustration was a knot in his chest, his mind racing through the possibilities. He needed answers, and he needed them now.

William’s reaction was one of genuine confusion and concern. “Where is who?”

Edward’s anger bubbled up again. “Don’t play dumb! I have half a mind to turn you into a bloody pulp right there where you are standing if I find out that you had anything to do with Vivianne’s disappearance, which I am certain you did. Now, tell me everything you know!”

The look of alarm that spread across William’s face was unmistakable. Edward’s hart pounded with fear, with confusion, with frustration. He was desperate for any clue that might lead him to Vivianne. The very thought of not knowing where she was or, worse yet, if she was in danger, was unbearable.

That was when Jonathon interfered, his voice softer but with the same sense of urgency. “William, if you have any information, if you know anything, it could make a difference. A young woman is missing and we are running out of time.”

“To hell with this!” Edward lunged at William, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him against the nearest wall.

“Edward!” Jonathon shouted, but Edward could barely hear him. He had no intention of being polite and minding his manners when Vivianne needed him. And something assured him that his cousin either had something to do with her disappearance or knew who did. Either way, he was determined to beat it out of him, if need be.

“Everything started to go wrong from the moment you appeared!” Edward hissed right at William’s face, whose eyes betrayed fear. He wasn’t expecting to have his breakfast interrupted in such a manner, much less to have someone smash him against the wall, squeezing his throat menacingly.

“You will tell me everything you know, or so help me God, one of us won’t leave this place alive!”

Edward couldn’t stop himself. He had never spoken to anyone in such a wild manner, but the thought of Vivianne being in danger made him mad. It made him want to remove any obstacle in his way to find her. He would refrain from nothing to have her home safe and sound, to have her back in his arms.

William glanced at Jonathon helplessly, but Edward forced him to face him yet again. “I asked you that question, William, not Jonathon.”

William nodded, his chin trembling with fear. “Fine,” he said hastily, as if that single word took all of his breath and he needed to rest after it. “I’ll tell you everything… just don’t hurt me.”

Edward was disgusted. He hated such people, those who were all too willing to harm others from the shadows, but when the light of truth shone upon them, they were nothing but cowards.

“Speak,” Edward demanded as he released him from his grip. Still, he didn’t move away. He remained as close to William as he had been up until that point, just to show his cousin that he was still in as much danger.

“Reginald and I… we were involved in a scheme, a plan to undermine your engagement to Vivianne.”

Edward wanted to shout that he had unconsciously known all along, but he kept his mouth shut. He wanted William to tell him everything without being interrupted.

“The plan was to create a scandal so that Vivianne would break off the engagement, leaving me with the chance to claim the inheritance that was rightfully mine.”

“The inheritance belongs to whoever my uncle deems right for it,” Edward reminded him angrily. But he didn’t care one bit about the inheritance at that moment. All he cared about was Vivianne. “So, your plan was to involve Catherine and have Vivianne see me with her?”

“Yes,” William confirmed. “Reginald and I were certain that you would fall for her charms, as you always have.”

But they hadn’t counted on Edward being in love. They hadn’t counted on him caring deeply about Vivianne and not wanting to see her hurt in any manner, especially not caused by him. He would never do that to her, and that was what they couldn’t have anticipated.

“Vivianne saw me with Catherine, but I didn’t get to speak to her, to explain everything,” Edward continued in the same menacing tone. “Where is she now?”

“I… I truly don’t know,” William said, trembling before Edward’s unforgiving form. “Reginald never mentioned anything about that. We were certain that she wouldn’t believe a word you said, especially taking into account your past. Catherine has also agreed to fortify our lies, for a small compensation, so it was all settled. Our plan was flawless.”

“No plan is ever flawless,” Edward hissed. “And you made the mistake of coming against me and the person I care about. That now puts you in a very dangerous position, Will. What are we going to do now?”

“I swear, Edward, I’ve told you all I know,” William managed to muster, fear etched on his face.

“Have you spoken with Reginald since last night?” Edward demanded.

“N-no.” William shook his head hastily. “He was supposed to come and see me this morning, but he hasn’t shown up yet. Maybe he saw you and changed his mind.”

“That would have been the smartest thing he has ever done,” Edward snarled. “But bad for us.”

“Our scheme was meant to be just a series of manipulations and deceptions. I had no idea it would escalate to this. Reginald must have taken matters into his own hands,” William added.

Edward still didn’t know if he could trust his cousin. After all, William had admitted to having some part in all of this. That made him untrustworthy. And he had every reason to lie, with Edward not being able to prove anything. He had his own reputation working against him. He also had Catherine as a pawn against him. They were right. Vivianne probably wouldn’t have believed that he had no intention of bedding that woman.

As soon as he found out that his uncle had not sent that letter, he should have turned around and walked out of that private sitting room. His worst mistake was allowing curiosity to get the better of him and staying there with her, in that risky situation that had come down upon him like an avalanche of trouble. And now, he had no idea how to get out of it.

But first things first, he had to find Vivianne and make sure she was all right. Jonathon seemed to recognize his turmoil, as he stepped closer and placed his hand on Edward’s shoulder.

“We should go to Reginald’s home, Edward. I doubt he is there, but we have to start somewhere,” he suggested.

Edward turned to William. “Does your friend have any hiding places here in London?”

“Hiding places?” William echoed. “No, not that I know of.”

“All right.” Edward finally took a step back, but he continued speaking in a low, menacing voice. “I will leave now. But hear me out, William. If I find out that you had anything to do with Vivianne’s disappearance, I will personally make your life a living hell. I will make it my life’s mission to ruin everything you ever held near and dear… do you understand me?”

William swallowed heavily as he nodded, eyes wide. They left him in his dining room, and as they headed for their carriage, Jonathon spoke.

“Do you think he’s telling the truth?”

Edward sighed. “I’m not sure. He could be lying, but I never thought he would go to such lengths for the inheritance. It just goes to show that you never really know someone.”

“Yes,” Jonathon mused as they approached the carriage and stepped inside.

Edward closed the door, giving the driver directions to Vivianne’s home.

“Are we going there?” Jonathon asked, sounding surprised.

“No.” Edward shook his head. “But I remembered Vivianne saying that Reginald is her neighbor. So that means he lives close by. We will go there and see if he is home. I also doubt he is, but perhaps we can find some direction there and know where to go.”

“I see.” Jonathon nodded. “That’s not a bad idea.”

Edward sighed as the carriage started to move. “I don’t know what came over me, John. I… I wanted to kill him. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there. The very thought that he might have done something to hurt Vivianne drove me completely insane.”

“That’s what it means to be protective of those you love, Edward,” Jonathon said wisely. “You’ve never loved anyone before. For you, it is a new and unexplored feeling. It has obviously taken hold of you completely, and you don’t know how to handle yourself. But you must. For your sake, for her sake. We have to find her first, and then you have to explain whatever it is that happened with you and Lady Catherine.”

Edward realized only then that he hadn’t told Jonathon the truth. He quickly rounded up the entire story, giving him all the necessary details without dwelling on unimportant things. When he was done, Jonathon sighed.

“That is… quite a predicament, Edward,” Jonathon said earnestly.

“Do you think she would ever believe the truth?” Edward asked, heart clenching at the possible answer he didn’t want to hear.

“I honestly don’t know,” Jonathon replied. “But I do know that you can’t stop trying. We will find her, and when we do, tell her everything. Tell her even the things you are afraid to tell her, for that will show her that you truly mean every word. Show her your true self, and only then will she be able to make the right decision.”

“You’re right.” Edward nodded, resting against his seat, but his entire body was still tense from the confrontation.

Now, another one would ensue—and he had to be ready.