Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Fortune's Den

Aldgate Street

Theo sat at the dining table with his brothers, discussing the Den's accounts, their new clients, and those Aaron had barred from the club this week. Aramis was to pursue Lord Blakemore for the two thousand pounds he owed to the house.

"Take Christian with you," Aaron said, closing his ledger. "I'm told Blakemore hired three thugs for protection. They're Crawford's men, so shouldn't pose a problem."

Aramis rubbed his hands together and grinned. "The reprobate has run out of excuses. I shall take pleasure in reminding Blakemore there's a punishment for testing our patience."

"Escort him to the pawnbrokers if necessary. Remind him he does not want a midnight visit from me."

Theo stole a glance at the mantel clock. Fifteen minutes, and he could leave to visit Eleanor. They had a busy day ahead of them—a solicitor to question, Daventry to appease and more kisses to claim. And they should check on Emily.

Aaron noted his lapse in attention. "Where did you go last night? You left at midnight and didn't return until dawn. You've barely slept."

A yawn escaped him at the mention of sleep. "Out."

"To visit Miss Darrow?"

All eyes were upon him now, eager to hear his confession. "I kept Gibbs company while Miss Darrow slept upstairs." She had played cards with Gibbs for hours and lost all but two games. She had darned Gibbs' socks to pay her debts and sewn new buttons on his waistcoat. Gibbs said she cried herself to sleep. "She knew nothing of my visit. I left before she woke."

He had crept upstairs, stood in her doorway and listened to the gentle cadence of her breathing. Knowing she was at peace did odd things to his insides. Never had he felt an overwhelming need to protect a woman.

"Gibbs has the strength of four men," Aaron countered. "He could ward off an army and remain unscathed. I'm confident he didn't need a chaperone."

Christian came to Theo's defence. "It's only natural Theo would feel responsible for Miss Darrow." Christian offered him a sympathetic smile before looking at Aaron. "Knowing she's safe puts his mind at ease. I'm sure we all understand that feeling."

Eleanor's safety had become Theo's primary concern. It came before his own welfare, and dare he say, before his duties at Fortune's Den.

"Guilt can play havoc with a man's emotions," Aramis added. "The wager was my idea. I will manage Theo's responsibilities until he has found Miss Darrow's ransacker. "

Aaron sat back in the chair and studied them over steepled fingers. "I understand the reason for Theo's actions. And I'm not his keeper. All I ask is that he considers his own safety when walking the streets at night. Men with a point to prove are unpredictable."

Theo wanted to argue but couldn't. "As always, your points are valid. I was shot protecting Delphine. I may get shot while protecting Miss Darrow. It's the price a man pays for chivalry." He chuckled to allay the tension. "Be assured, when navigating the metropolis, I shall proceed with an air of caution."

Aaron sighed, his silence stretching for what felt like an hour. "You see me as perfect, but I've made countless mistakes."

"When did these freakish events occur?" Theo teased.

A shadow of guilt passed over Aaron's features. He firmed his jaw before saying, "I left you all once. I left Mrs Maloney's bookshop in the dead of night and ran away. Caring for you seemed too great a burden when I was struggling to take care of myself."

Theo's mouth dropped open in shock. He could not recall a day when Aaron wasn't a strong shoulder of support. Aramis looked equally disarmed. Christian was the only one whose eyes swam with recognition.

"I reached the end of Lime Street before I realised I was nothing without my siblings. I have been your protector ever since." He paused, an air of sadness about him. "But we're men now. Each one of us must forge our own way in the world. If you want to visit Miss Darrow, that is your business, not mine."

Amid the stunned silence, Theo observed his eldest brother. Guilt and bitterness had poisoned his spirit, leading him to neglect his own happiness. Was his one mistake the root cause of his misery? Amidst the shadows of his painful past, would he ever find peace?

Aaron stood and gathered his ledger. "A judgement based on fear is a poor one. It's something I shall strive to remember in the difficult months ahead."

With that cryptic comment, Aaron left.

Seconds passed.

"It's impossible to imagine what Aaron has been through," Aramis said. "He had his innocence knocked out of him at a young age. Everything he does is for the good of this family."

"I imagine he feels like he's losing everything," Christian offered, his voice tight with emotion. "He won't know what to do if he's left alone here."

"I'll not leave him," Theo declared, ignoring the pang of remorse in his chest when he thought of Eleanor. To save Aaron, he must relegate his own happiness to a dusty shelf. Aaron had sacrificed his life to secure their future. It was only right Theo made sacrifices, too.

"Yet I suspect leaving him alone will force him to exorcise his demons." Aramis looked Theo's way. "If you're meant to leave, nothing will stop you. My love for Aaron remains unchanged despite my love for Naomi. Yet, I'd rather die than be separated from my wife."

Theo had found it hard to leave Eleanor last night. He'd been unable to stay away. The thought of never holding her in his arms again, of never seeing her smile … it was too painful to bear.

They spoke about Miss Lovelace.

"Women like to feel treasured," Christian said. "Can you see Aaron playing the romantic hero? The doting lover? He's cold and cynical. A woman would need a backbone of steel to tolerate him."

Miss Lovelace was the only woman in the history of the female sex who wasn't afraid of Aaron. Under the right circumstances, it would make for an explosive union. But Aaron's defences were forged in the fires of hell. No mortal woman could bring down his barricades.

"After all he's done for us, he deserves to be happy." The heaviness in Theo's chest returned. As the King of Hearts, he couldn't add to his brother's torment. Yet every waking moment was consumed by thoughts of Eleanor—her image, her voice, her touch—all etched into the fabric of his being. They were friends, lovers, but he wanted more. He needed more. He needed her.

"The outcome is already written in the stars." Christian laughed. "Daventry is up to his matchmaking tricks and won't rest until we're all wed."

When Theo arrived at New Bridge Street, Miss Darrow was waiting at the door, her beaming smile lighting his world. Her pelisse, a deep forest green reminiscent of forbidden forests, enhanced her figure to perfection. The ribbons of her silk bonnet framed her beautiful face. He had missed her, missed her more than he should, more than he dared to admit.

"You're late," she teased.

"I believe it's two minutes to twelve." He removed his gold watch, flashed the face and returned it to his pocket. "It sounds like you missed me."

"Missed your teasing remarks and fiery kisses?" She chuckled, though he could see the strain behind her smile. "I spent most of the evening fixing Mr Gibbs' clothes and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow."

He had watched her sleeping. She had clutched the bedsheets to her chest as if hugging a lover. Having discarded her pillow, she slept on the one he'd used to rest his head. Had she inhaled the remnants of his scent? Because he had laid face-down in his bed and breathed the essence of her.

"I've barely slept," he admitted. "I'll be useless today."

"Did London's rogues refuse to leave the gaming tables?"

"No, Eleanor. I spent the night thinking about you."

She swallowed deeply. "Thinking about the case and what I discovered about Emily? Now I know why she was so interested in my life in Eynsford."

He moistened his lips. "No, about the dimples in your cheeks when you smile, about the way your voice drops an octave when you're aroused." The way his name fell from her lips with she came. "The list of your charming qualities is endless."

"Oh." Her brows knitted together. "And what did you conclude?"

"That you have me bewitched." He was besotted.

She shifted nervously. "Perhaps I shall see if Madame Vestris is looking for another witch for her parody of Macbeth."

"I'm not joking." He stepped close enough to rest his hand on her waist. "It killed me to leave you last night. "

She held his gaze. "It killed me to let you go."

"Then we should deal with the solicitor promptly and spend the rest of the day in bed." He bent his head to avoid attracting a passerby's attention. "I've never known desire like this."

He was acting like a lovesick fool, lingering in the shadows just to glimpse his enchantress. Looking for any excuse to touch her.

"We must visit Mr Daventry, and I hoped to check on Emily and ask her more questions. I would also like to ask Miss Franklin how she knew I'd tumbled down the stairs."

Don't you want me? he wanted to say.

She was being logical while he could think of nothing but her soft thighs and porcelain skin, how everything felt right when he was buried inside her. Equally, he didn't want her to worry and bringing her the peace she deserved was just as important.

"Then I shall work tirelessly to help you achieve your goals."

"We could speak to Miss Franklin now," she said, her eyes flicking to the silversmith shop and the woman at the window. "But we'll never get away. I cannot help but pity her. It's why I permit her to idle away hours in my shop."

"I suspect she'll be at the window when we return. We can ask then."

Miss Franklin seemed the pious sort who would wash out her mouth with bar soap if she uttered an untruth. She was keen to foster a relationship between Eleanor and her brother, so why push her down the stairs?

The journey to the solicitor's office on Fetter Lane took less than ten minutes by carriage. Thatcher's & Sons occupied a four-storey terrace house next to the grocers. The smooth stucco exterior had recently been painted.

"Will you take the lead?" he asked.

"Me? Professional men rarely take women seriously."

Theo reached into his pocket and retrieved the Home Secretary's letter. "This will force them to take notice. I'll intervene if necessary."

The gesture earned him a sweet smile. "Perhaps if I prove my worth, Mr Daventry will employ me as an enquiry agent."

A chill ran down Theo's spine. "One of his female agents was shot at the observatory some years ago. I'd never sleep a wink if I knew you were tackling murderers and spies."

She looked at him strangely. "My welfare never concerned you before."

"Everything is different now."

"Because we're friends and lovers," she jested.

"Because I care what happens to you." Because he realised as he watched her sleep last night that she owned a piece of him. "You're important to me, Eleanor."

Eleanor's hand fluttered to her chest. "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I care about you, Theo. I always have."

They stared at each other, the world around them fading away.

But then a burly fellow stormed out of the solicitor's office, complaining about the extortionate fees. "It's criminal, that's what it is." Spittle flew from his mouth. "I'm the one owed money, yet I have to pay through the nose just to send a letter."

He stormed off, waving his fists and cursing the law .

Eleanor straightened when Theo held the door open. "I'd have a few sovereigns ready," she said. "I suspect information comes at a price."

The clerk, a young fellow whose trousers were too short, brushed a greasy lock of hair off his brow and came to greet them.

Eleanor spoke before the clerk opened his mouth. "We have a meeting with Mr Thatcher. Don't bother checking your diary. We're here on official business." She presented the letter. "If Mr Thatcher fails to grant us an audience, he will be required to answer our questions at Bow Street."

Theo watched with glowing admiration. She would make an excellent enquiry agent, but he couldn't bear the thought of her chasing criminals at night.

The clerk stuttered and eventually said, "Wait here. I'll fetch Mr Crump. He's in charge while Mr Thatcher is in Brighton on business."

Crump, an elderly man thin enough to slip through gaps in the paving, came hobbling out of his office using a walking cane for support. He observed them and frowned. "Mason said there were men from Bow Street."

Eleanor smiled. "We're investigators acting on behalf of Lord Melbourne, the Home Secretary. He asked?—"

"I know who Melbourne is, but I haven't the faintest clue why it should concern me. Show me the letter."

Theo presented the document, grateful it was vague. "As you can see, that is Melbourne's official seal. You're required to answer questions about a matter of national security. We're investigating the possibility that a French spy is operating in London."

Crump's bottom lip quivered. "A French spy? Surely you can't think anyone working here is involved. "

"May we discuss the matter in your office," Eleanor said. "I'm sure you understand this is a sensitive subject."

The fellow showed them into his office, a cluttered space that smelled of damp coats and old books. They occupied the chairs near the desk and waited for Crump to settle into his worn leather seat before pressing him for answers.

"I trust what we say here shall remain confidential," Eleanor said.

Crump nodded. "Of course."

"You have a client who made an unusual request. Lady Lucille Bowman invited Lord Wrotham's creditors to apply to you to have their bills settled. Can you confirm that is correct, sir?"

The man mumbled, clearly worried about discussing such high-ranking individuals. "A client's personal wishes are confidential."

"I'm sure you'd agree there is nothing criminal about paying one's debts," Theo said. Having one's betrothed pay them was utterly shameful. "Perhaps you require more information."

Eleanor took that as her cue to list the debts that had been paid. She mentioned the bookshop in Highgate and the perfumer in Covent Garden. "The owner of Breadwell's confirms you paid his debts on behalf of Lord Wrotham. As the person who delivered the letters on Lady Lucille's behalf, there is little you can tell me I don't already know."

Crump rubbed his forehead. "Yes, but how is this related to a search for a spy? And if you know this much already, what do you hope to learn from me?"

"Understanding the lady's motives is crucial in our hunt for the spy," Eleanor said, sounding convincing. "You will tell us what she said when she gave you the funds to pay Lord Wrotham's creditors."

"It will give us a better understanding of the situation," Theo pressed. "I see no need to mention your office other than to inform Lord Melbourne we received your full co-operation."

Crump considered them before saying, "The lady dealt with Mr Thatcher, but I was party to their conversation. Lord Wrotham's bills were excessive, amounting to over seven thousand pounds. She said it was a small price to save a lady's reputation."

"How many creditors were there?" Eleanor asked.

"Twenty or more. The viscount has wasteful tendencies."

Theo gave a mocking snort. "I know. He's my cousin."

Crump's cheeks coloured. "Forgive me. I did not mean?—"

"Say what you like about him. I despise the ingrate. Any man who makes a woman pay his bills deserves to rot in hell."

Crump jerked in the seat and appeared a bit more lively. "It's odd you say that because Lord Wrotham had no idea who had paid his debts. He came asking questions, complaining he was a laughing stock, and left believing his aunt had secretly made the donations."

A creditor must have mentioned the solicitor's office.

Eleanor sat forward. "You didn't tell him about Lady Lucille?"

"Heavens, no. I said we dealt with a courier. The lady insisted on secrecy. We assumed she had saved her allowance or her father had given her the funds. But she became teary and confessed to parting with precious jewels to pay the baker's bill. "

But why?

It made no sense.

Many lords had mounting debts.

It's why they married ladies with large dowries.

Theo sighed. "Is there anything else you can tell us that might explain her motive?" They were missing something. The clue that tied it all together. "What made her settle her betrothed's accounts?"

Crump shrugged. "We all thought it most peculiar." He leaned closer. "I'll deny this if questioned, but I'm inclined to think Lord Wrotham is the spy."

Now they were getting somewhere.

"Why would you say that?" Theo said. Spies needed nerves of steel. Wrotham was as weak as a wilting flower. Moreover, there was no spy. Just a devil out to hurt Eleanor and ruin her business.

"It's fair to say she despises the man. I'm sure her father could find just cause to withdraw from the marriage agreement."

So why pay the debts of a man you detest?

"She cursed him to the devil in a most unladylike manner," Crump continued, "and made us swear not to mention her name should he call. Thatcher thought she looked as frightened as a doe. Before she left, she urged us not to accept his money unless we wanted to meet our maker. It was most perplexing."

Theo's pulse rose. He was a moth drawn to the flame of curiosity. Wrotham had something to hide. Seeing to his downfall was Theo's life ambition. What secret was worth killing a solicitor over?

Having wrung Crump for every snippet of information, they left the office and returned to the carriage .

"Why would Lady Lucille entertain a man like Lord Wrotham?" Frown lines marred Eleanor's brow. "Do you think her father is insisting she marry him?"

Theo relaxed back against the squab. "Nothing matters more to the aristocracy than maintaining appearances. While our visit answered some questions, it brings us no closer to the blackguard who threatened you."

She pursed her lips, her expression grim. "Suspicion falls on Jack Rogers. He fits the profile and wanted me out of the shop."

"When I threatened him outside the tavern, he swore he'd never been in your yard. The man is a drunkard. You'd have smelled liquor on him, and he cannot afford to waste money on books."

Her shoulders slumped. "No one else has a motive. Mr Rogers needed me out of the way so Emily could steal haberdashery."

Lucille Bowman could afford to leave a book in a coal shed. She had a motive for stealing Eleanor's diary, and there was a record of her notes being delivered to Wrotham's creditors. Had she hired a man to do her wicked deeds?

Theo aired his concerns. "Is it a coincidence that Lady Lucille requested the book with the blank note from Pickering's library? She wanted you out of the shop so she could steal your diary."

She pressed her fingers to her eyes to stem her tears. "How did I get myself embroiled in the ton 's affairs? I should have known it would end badly."

"Has it ended badly?" Despite every worrisome problem, the moments they shared were the most memorable of his life. "I'm not sorry we're sitting here attempting to solve a mystery. "

In truth, he didn't want the day to end.

Then, he would have the dilemma of where to sleep tonight. Did he leave Aaron alone at Fortune's Den and join Eleanor? It shouldn't be a difficult choice as being with her was his only desire.

"I bet you wish you'd never taken my wretched box."

"I was destined to take it." He had been unable to resist, compelled to have something belonging to her. "Fate granted me a boon the night you hid in my bedchamber."

She brushed a tear from her cheek. "Part of me wants an end to the nightmare. Part of me doesn't care what happens as long as I'm with you."

He understood.

He wanted her with a ferocity that defied logic.

"Come here." The need to touch her drummed a powerful beat in his blood. He called to Godby and instructed him to head to Finch Lane. Not because he cared about the recipient of Lady Lucille's note. He wanted more than ten minutes alone with Eleanor. "Sit astride me."

She crossed the carriage, gathered her skirts and straddled his lap. "You'll need to hold me close. If we turn sharply, I'll fall."

"I'll not let you go." He wrapped his arm around her waist. He had no intention of ever letting go. "But I have a confession to make."

Her eyes widened, and she swallowed twice. "You do?"

"I couldn't stay away last night. I came to the shop at midnight and left at dawn. After what happened with Emily, I had to know you were all right."

Her smile spoke of relief. "You didn't wake me."

"Gibbs said you cried yourself to sleep and I didn't want to disturb your peaceful slumber." He'd wanted to climb into bed beside her, hold her close and lose himself in the heat of her body.

Tears welled in her eyes again. "I don't know what to believe anymore. If what Emily says is true, my entire life has been a lie."

"It's not a lie." He drew the backs of his fingers across her cheek. "You're a beautiful person with an extraordinary talent. The past is like a pebble in your shoe. You must discard it, or it will hinder your progress."

She slid her arms around his neck. "My mind is full of other things. I cannot think about Emily or my mother now. The past is too painful to contemplate."

"Is there anything I can do to ease your mind?"

"Yes." Her gaze fell to his mouth. "You can kiss me."

Kissing a passionate woman in a carriage was always a mistake. The moment their mouths met, they were consumed by a savage hunger. He didn't tear his mouth from hers when he fumbled to close the blinds. He pulled her close. Kissed her harder. Though it wasn't enough to satisfy his craving.

"Theo." She pushed off his hat and tangled her fingers in his hair. She tugged a lock, anchoring him to her, as she devoured his mouth in a heart-stopping kiss.

He had never taken a woman in a carriage, but the need to push deep into Eleanor's body had him fiddling with his trousers. "I need to be inside you, love, before I lose my damned mind."

"Hurry," she said, scrambling with her skirts and wiggling on his lap.

He entered her, their loud sighs like the notes of a beautiful symphony. Their gazes locked, the power of unspoken emotions passing between them with every deep thrust .

I'm in love with you.

The need to have her went beyond physical desire.

He knew what it meant.

He would have to disappoint someone.

As much as it pained him, that someone would be Aaron.