Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Edward had never realized his cousin was so difficult to intimidate. He had to admit that he’d never seen it in him. He, however, was determined. The stakes were too high, and he couldn’t afford to leave any stone unturned… several times.

After he and Jonathon demanded of the servant to allow them to see William, they were ushered into the quiet house and shown their way to the drawing room. After a brief wait, William appeared in the doorway.

“Edward,” he said, sounding concerned as he entered without a proper greeting. “Do you come bringing good news?”

“No.” Edward’s brows furrowed. “I come hoping you have some for me, in fact.”

His cousin sighed, glancing down at his feet, then back up at Edward. “I already told you everything I know, everything I’ve heard, which I do believe is what you’ve heard as well. Beyond that, I have no knowledge of her whereabouts.”

Edward exchanged a glance with Jonathon, both of them frustrated by the man’s calm demeanor. Edward decided to push harder. “I haven’t been convinced of that, and I have to say, I’m not convinced now.”

He wanted to grab his cousin by the throat and shake any information out of him. But that might make him even more cautious, and that was the last thing Edward wanted. So, he decided to play the card of the grieving lover.

“I’m sorry, Will, I… I know that we keep coming here, but that is only because I keep hoping that you’ve come in contact with that scoundrel who has taken Vivianne against her will… I just want to know that she is safe, Will, that is all.”

William seemed to hesitate for a moment, then he placed his hand on Edward’s shoulder. “I’m sure she is fine, Edward. As I said, I don’t know where they are or what Reginald is planning on doing, but if he wanted to hurt her, he would have done it a long time ago.”

Edward was hoping that was the case. He was also hoping that there was a way to force Reginald out of his hiding, but he had no idea how. Then it hit him.

“Do you remember when we saw you and Reginald that first time?” Edward started.

William lifted an inquisitive eyebrow. “Yes?”

Edward tried to appear as nervous as possible. “Well… I think that was when I noticed that Vivianne might still be harboring feelings for him. After all, they do share a past.”

“You… think that?” William asked, obviously taken off guard by the comment.

“I do.” Edward nodded. “I refused to accept it, but one cannot run from the truth. If the two of them have truly decided to be together, I will not stand in their way. As I said, all I want is for her to be home, for her family not to worry anymore. You understand that, don’t you, Will?”

“Of course,” he agreed with a slight nod of his head.

“I would give anything to have her back, even if that means that she won’t be mine anymore,” Edward mused.

“What do you mean?” William asked, urging for more just as Edward hoped he would.

Edward locked his eyes with William’s, although he could see the perplexed look on Jonathon’s face as well.

“I would pay to have her back,” Edward finally said.

“There isn’t a single person on this earth who doesn’t need money. If Reginald wants to marry Vivianne, he needs money for it. I will give it to him, just to have her back. And he won’t be in any danger either. It would appear that everyone thinks they eloped, so them returning as a couple will only solidify everything. But I cannot bear to see Vivianne’s family worrying so much, especially her mother and sister. They are inconsolable, aren’t they, John?”

It took Jonathon a moment to realize that all he needed to do was nod. “Oh, yes… yes,” he hastily confirmed. “Inconsolable.”

“See?” Edward sighed. “I am not a vengeful man. I have grown to care for Vivianne, and want to see her happy, even if it is with another man.”

William then remembered something. “But what about your own marriage and uncle’s condition?”

Edward scoffed. “Old boy, I have dozens of women lined up to marry me.”

I just don’t want any of them, Edward thought, but he kept that part quiet.

William didn’t say anything to that. He seemed lost in thought, and that was exactly what Edward wished to achieve.

“Thank you for seeing us, cousin. I promise we won’t bother you again. I’m just… inconsolable, just like the rest of Vivianne’s family.”

“That’s quite all right,” William assured him, seeing them both to the door.

After they exchanged their goodbyes and the two men returned to Edward’s carriage, Jonathon turned to him. “What was all that about? Giving money to that scoundrel?”

“You don’t really think I meant any of that, do you?” Edward chuckled. “I thought you knew me better than that.”

“Well, no, but… it seems so farfetched,” Jonathon pointed out. “What do you expect to achieve with it?”

“I expect William to go to Reginald, if they are in contact, and tell him about it,” Edward revealed. “Farfetched or not, he will want to share this with Reginald. And then, we will be ready.”

Jonathon didn’t seem all that convinced. “And now what?”

“Now, we wait,” Edward divulged. “But not here, and not in my carriage. He will easily recognize it. Besides, I want him to see us leave.”

Upon those words, he knocked on the ceiling of the carriage, signaling the coachman to go.

***

Later on, as the inky blackness of the night descended upon the city, the two men were once again sitting in silence within the confines of the unmarked carriage. Edward had no intention of letting William slip away so easily. He was certain that his plan would work.

Their carriage, drawn by a single black horse, moved quietly along the deserted road, its wheels muffled against the gravel. They had returned to William’s townhouse under the cover of darkness, intent on watching his every move. This time, just like before, they would follow him, see where he went, and discover what secrets he was hiding.

Edward had no idea what to expect. He simply knew that if that didn’t work, he would reach a dead end, something that couldn’t happen, not while Vivianne was still missing. The very thought of her alone and frightened filled him with rage, with the strength of a thousand men, but he couldn’t do anything from where he was now. They could yet be miles apart, and for all he knew, they were. That was the most frightening thing.

“There he is,” Edward said, his heart about to jump right out of his chest. “He’s on the move.”

Jonathon gave a curt nod. “We follow. But we have to keep back. We can’t risk being seen.”

“Yes,” Edward agreed.

His coachman, an experienced man who had worked with them before, expertly guided their carriage at a safe distance behind William’s. The roads were deserted, the only sounds the soft clatter of hooves and the occasional rustle of the wind through the trees.

They followed the carriage ahead of them as it wound its way through the quiet streets, then out beyond the edge of town. The road grew narrower, less traveled, until it was little more than a dirt path cutting through the countryside. The houses became sparse, the landscape more rugged, as the city fell away behind them.

Finally, after what felt like an entire eternity, William’s carriage began to slow. Edward signaled to his coachman, who pulled the carriage off the road and into the cover of a thick grove of trees. They watched in tense silence as William’s carriage came to a stop in front of a small, unremarkable house perched on the outskirts of the city, surrounded by nothing but open fields and dense woods.

The house was plain, its wooden walls weathered and dark, blending into the surrounding landscape. No light shone from its windows, and it seemed almost abandoned, but the arrival of William suggested otherwise.

Edward and Jonathon exchanged a meaningful look, a silent understanding passing between them. This had to be the place. There was no other reason for William to come here at this late hour, unless it was connected to either Reginald or Vivianne, or hopefully both.

William stepped down from his carriage, his movements purposeful and unhurried. He cast a glance around, but the night was still, and he appeared satisfied that he was alone. Without hesitation, he approached the house, knocking on the door with a sequence of raps that seemed deliberate, like a signal.

Edward tensed next to Jonathon, his hand instinctively moving to the pistol tucked beneath his coat. He was hoping there would be no need for it, but things had gotten much more dangerous than he ever thought they could be. Rushing into such a situation without protection was close to madness, and Edward was no madman.

“That’s it,” he whispered to Jonathon. “This has to be the place.”

Jonathon nodded, his expression grim. “I know you want to run in and save Vivianne if she is here, but we have to wait. We have to see who answers the door. We need to know what we’re up against before acting. Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.”

Edward could understand why his friend would demand something like that of him. He also had to admit that he had already considered barging in and demanding to see Vivianne, but reason got to him in time, fortunately.

“You’re right.” He nodded.

Both men focused on the house and the door, which opened slowly, just wide enough for William to slip inside. Whoever had answered remained hidden in the shadows, but the door closed quickly behind him, shutting out any further view of what was inside.

The two men waited, the seconds stretching into minutes as they watched the house from their concealed position. The silence was oppressive, the night seeming to hold its breath along with them.

“What now?” Jonathon asked, not nearly as certain as he had been a moment ago. “Do we wait for him to come out?”

Edward couldn’t wait. “We give it a few minutes,” he replied, his eyes never leaving the house. “Then we go in.”

Jonathon nodded as Edward’s grip on the pistol tightened. He knew the risks. Whatever was inside that house, it was likely to be dangerous. But he also knew that William was hiding something. They were closer than ever to finding Vivianne, and they weren’t about to turn back now.