Chapter 34

34

P eter Kendrick arrived at Orendel House the following morning. He hadn't slept, having spent the entire night interviewing Croft and writing his report. He'd left it on Sir Nigel's desk before heading out. There was no way to know if the chief magistrate would be pleased or not when he learned of Croft's arrest. After all, Sir Nigel had seemed more inclined to protect the man lately than prosecute him.

He stepped up to Orendel House's front door and gave it a solid knock. The butler granted him entrance and showed him into the parlor where the earl would meet him shortly. Coffee was brought upon request and Kendrick enjoyed a few sips while reflecting on last night's events.

Letting Mrs. Croft get away was upsetting, but he'd had no choice. As one sole officer on the scene, he couldn't ensure Croft's capture while also chasing after the man's wife. So he'd let her go but had wasted no time requesting her capture. The order was already being relayed to every magistrate in the country, and he'd offered a reward of one hundred pounds.

"Does your coming here mean you finally have some news about my daughter's murder?" Orendel asked when he entered the parlor. "Have you apprehended another suspect?"

The earl knew Mr. Hutchins had been let go and that Bow Street had kept on hunting for the right man.

"It's not quite that simple, I'm afraid." Peter waited for Orendel to sit, then told him, "An incident occurred last night. Mr. Benjamin Lawrence was murdered by Croft. A young woman, whom Croft claims to have been Lawrence's mistress, was also found dead at the scene."

"Good heavens." Orendel looked appropriately perplexed. He shook his head as if trying to knock his disorganized thoughts into order "I know Croft is rumored to be a hard man, but… Forgive me. I don't understand why you're telling me this."

Peter pressed his lips together. There was no getting around the tangled mess Croft had relayed to him. Or the investigation his testimony necessitated. It would be an arduous task, hampered no doubt by Lawrence's father, the Marquess of Avernail.

"If Croft is to be believed, then Mr. Benjamin Lawrence murdered your daughter."

It took a couple of seconds for that to sink in. Orendel frowned. "I don't see how that can be when the man couldn't walk, never mind scale the side of this house as he presumably did in order to reach Eleanor's bedchamber."

"While there is a chance Croft was wrong to suspect Mr. Lawrence, I have no choice but to consider what he has told me." He'd had a hard time believing it himself, but a number of details that didn't add up, like Lawrence's presence in that building, had forced him to listen. "According to him, Mr. Lawrence never lost the use of his legs."

Orendel's eyes bulged. "What?"

Even now, after he'd had time to think the idea over a number of times, it sounded as ludicrous as when Croft had suggested it. "He claims it was part of a well thought out plan to commit the crime in question without anyone ever suspecting him of wrongdoing."

"But that's preposterous. It would mean he planned this at least four months ago since that's when his accident happened." Incredulity filled Orendel's face. "I can't imagine him being so callous or hating my daughter enough to enact such a heinous crime against her. What would his motive have been?"

"Perhaps the fact that she meant to elope with Mr. Hutchins."

Orendel sat in utter silence for a long moment, a distant look in his eyes. "Are you telling me Lawrence might have killed her because she no longer wanted to be his wife?"

"If he knew she loved Hutchins and planned on running away with him, the humiliation this would have caused Mr. Lawrence could have driven him to it. Nothing quite like being thrown over for the penniless son of bookshop clerk. From what I gather, he would also have lost his chance to acquire the shares you promised to transfer to him as part of the marriage contract. Combined, the two may have made him so livid he felt the need to punish her for it in the worst way imaginable."

"But…" Bleakness shadowed Orendel's eyes. He gripped his armrest with one hand. "This would mean I'm to blame."

Peter tilted his head. "How do you mean?"

"Eleanor said she wanted to break the engagement, that she feared Lawrence would be unkind to her. She actually wept at the prospect of following through with the wedding but I…I told her she had to. Not just because the man she wanted in Lawrence's stead was completely unsuitable for her, but because we needed the funds Lawrence promised to give me as part of our deal."

This last confession made Peter feel slightly sick. It sounded like the man had bargained away his daughter for a bag of gold. Yet looking at Orendel now, Peter wagered he'd give up every last penny he owned if only to have his daughter returned to him from the dead.

"You never mentioned any of this before."

"I didn't think it relevant." Orendel's eyes glistened as he turned his gaze more fully toward Peter. He blinked. "You said Croft killed him?"

"Last night. I found him standing over Lawrence's body. He was still holding the pistol he'd used to shoot him."

"Good." When Peter raised his eyebrows at this, Orendel said, "If Lawrence did indeed kill my daughter, then I'm glad he's dead. My only regret is that Croft denied me the chance to pull the trigger."

"A blessing, my lord, or you would be the one facing charges right now."

"I gather you have no children?" Orendel's features wobbled a little. He drew a sharp breath, appeared to reach for composure. When Kendrick confirmed he was right, the earl said, "If you did, you would know that I'd gladly accept such an outcome."

And yet, he'd pushed his daughter toward an unhappy union in order to line his pockets. Instead of saying as much, Peter stood, ready to make his departure when Orendel surprised him by adding, "Croft shouldn't be punished for seeing justice served on Eleanor's behalf. If anything, he deserves our thanks."

"That's not how the law works, my lord. It's not one man's place to decide who lives or who dies. Besides, everything I've told you thus far is mostly based on Croft's account. There's a chance it's false, that Lawrence had nothing to do with your daughter's murder, and that Croft has made up a story to justify killing him."

Somewhere deep down in his gut, Peter knew this wasn't the case. Lawrence had killed Lady Eleanor and when he'd also shot Miss Fontaine, Croft had taken him out. It was what the man had deserved, and a part of Peter – the part that realized there could be shades of grey when it came to justice – regretted bringing Croft in.

Despite having hunted him for several months in the hope of reaching this conclusion, it didn't feel right. He did not experience the satisfaction he'd thought he would once Croft was detained. If anything, a hollow sensation crept through him.

It made him wonder for the first time if Mrs. Croft might have had a good reason to change her allegiance.

Dorian stood on the front step of his home and watched Lord Carver's carriage depart. The viscount had personally come to deliver the news of Samantha's betrayal and subsequent disappearance. Despite the severity of the situation, Dorian had found some amusement in the ease with which she'd fooled the authorities.

Carver had been far from pleased. Annoyance had radiated off him in waves when Dorian asked how Kendrick had managed to track her. The viscount had muttered something pertaining to luck, after which he'd delivered the crucial blow.

Samantha was now a wanted woman on the run. A fugitive who'd betrayed her country. Any hope of saving her was gone after what had occurred last night. Carver would happily put every effort toward her capture now, but as a courtesy to Dorian, he would allow him the honor if he desired.

Fists clenched, he returned indoors, marched to his study, and summoned the women he'd raised. Hazel, Tara, and Holly arrived in short order, inquisitiveness in their youthful gazes.

"I regret to inform you that one of our own has strayed from her duty. From this moment forward, you will consider Samantha your enemy." Any surprise they experienced in response to these words was swiftly concealed. Not quite as adept as the woman they would now hunt, who would not have betrayed any hint of what she was thinking. "Your task will be to find her and bring her to me. Failure to do so may lead to a far worse fate for her than the one she will face at my hands."

Dorian knew Carver well. The viscount would not be merciful toward a woman whom he'd described as a danger to the nation's security. Dorian couldn't afford to be either. He'd have to silence Samantha because of the choices she'd made, but at least he'd make it quick and painless.

There was no guarantee Carver would do the same.

Fists clenched in anger, he listened intently to what Sir Nigel told him. Everything he'd worked toward this past year was falling apart at the seams. The chief magistrate wrung his hands, the occasional word he spoke an annoying stutter. But at least he'd come to deliver the information about Croft's arrest, despite clearly wishing he were anywhere else.

"You should have stopped Kendrick from helping Carver." The constable was like a dog with a bone where Croft was concerned. It made sense that he would eventually manage to make the arrest even though doing so had required good timing and luck. Eyes narrowed on Sir Nigel, he asked, "Could you not have provided him with a new case so he'd be kept busy with other matters?"

"Not wi…with Lord Carver considering him an au…authority on the ma…matter." Sir Nigel's gaze darted around the room, a sheen of sweat glistening on his brow.

Pitiful.

Even though he supposed the man did have a point. It was the reason why he'd allowed the chief magistrate to stop sabotaging the effort to take Croft down. Because the very last thing he needed was for this cowardly individual to be questioned. He'd likely spill his guts at the first hint of a threat made against him.

While aligning with Sir Nigel had made sense at the time, it was proving to be a foolish decision. Which prompted him to say, "You're never to come here again. Our collaboration ends here. And if I ever find out that you've told anyone about what you and I have been working toward, your family will pay the price. Is that clear?"

Sir Nigel trembled but nodded, no longer able to speak. Their conversation at an end, he dismissed the man, his body coiled with tension until Sir Nigel left the study. Only then did he lean back against his seat, elbows perched on the armrests and fingers steepled beneath his chin.

It was a bloody disaster, Croft getting arrested for murder. If he was found guilty…

He uttered the most uncouth curse he knew. Everything he'd hoped to gain would go to hell if Croft hanged. Sacrificing the man's sister in order to set him on the right path would have been for nothing.

A growl of displeasure rose from his throat. He could not permit such an outcome. Somehow, he'd have to find a way in which to save Croft. A task that would without doubt require a great deal of thought and careful planning.

For as of right now, he'd no idea how to proceed. Least of all if he was to save his own skin as well.

The increasingly late hour made Murry restless. Croft and his wife should have joined him by now. Unless the plan had gone horribly wrong.

Not daring to think in such terms, he pushed the thought aside. There could be any number of reasons for their delay, like the need to lay low for a while or shake off a tail. He'd had his own work cut out for him, outrunning carriages that had pursued him. It was possible Croft was just being cautious, making sure he didn't lead the authorities here.

He considered Ward and Turner, squatting upon a fallen tree while they waited for him to issue an order. Despite the chill creeping through the air, he'd denied them the comfort of building a fire. Even though they were deep in the forest, far from any well-travelled road, they could not risk drawing attention.

They'd abandoned the carriage behind a church as soon as the chance to do so arose and had split up for a while before reconvening near Brentford.

One of the horses, standing close to Murry's left shoulder, whinnied. He placed his palm against the velvet-smooth coat of its neck, softly stroking in order to quiet the beast. The mare, the only one from her team who hadn't been ridden, still deserved a reward for her work this evening. She'd transported the files Murry had loaded her with while he rode alongside her.

Twigs snapping drew his attention. He stiffened, his breath contained in his lungs as he listened. A soft rustle in the undergrowth had him reaching for his dagger. Silence followed for a brief moment. He almost relaxed, every muscle once again tightening to full capacity when a rider emerged from between the trees.

"It is I," Mrs. Croft informed him, her voice whispering through the air. She swung from her saddle in the next instant and stood before him, the morning light illuminating her eyes. The dangerous look he found there was hard enough to cut steel .

Murry's gut twisted in response to the dark foreboding that swept the length of his spine. "Where's Croft?"

"Everything went to hell." The sharpness with which she spoke was like a blade to the chest. "He was captured by Kendrick. The worst part is my husband now believes I betrayed him."

One swift move was all it took for Murry's fingers to close around his mistress's throat. He leaned in. "Did you?"

After all that had happened, he knew the chance she might have done so existed. It would be stupid of him to ignore that.

"I wouldn't be here if I had." She held herself completely rigid, silence stretching between them while he weighed the truth in her words. "More to the point, I'd not be planning to head into battle."

He loosened his hold, his fingers slowly sliding away until he'd fully released her. "What kind of battle?"

"The only kind worth discussing right now." Her teeth flashed. "The one where I get my husband back."

Eager for the next book? Grab A Ruthless Angel Weeps to find out what the future holds for Adrian and Samantha.

And sign up for my newsletter at www.sophiebarnes.com so you don't miss out on my freebies, special deals, and giveaways. You'll receive a complimentary copy of No Ordinary Duke with your subscription!

Did you enjoy A Tainted Heart Bleeds ? If so, please take a moment to leave a review since this can help other readers discover books they'll love.

Keep turning for a sneak peek of A Ruthless Angel Weeps.