Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty-Seven

" I saw my bleeding daughter run in here. Keep looking, you bacon-brained fools!"

Ethan charged into the library, his brothers at his back. No sign of Xenia, but that was a good thing since Lady Jo was there with a pair of lackeys. The gang leader's face contorted with fury.

"How in blazes did you get free?" she snarled.

"It's over," Ethan said. "You're surrounded and outnumbered. Surrender now."

The two brutes flanking Lady Jo gave her questioning looks.

"Don't be idiots," she fumed. "Attack."

The pair bared their teeth and lunged. James and Owen leapt forward to take them on, leaving Ethan to deal with Lady Jo.

"Set down your weapon," he said.

"Which one?"

She yanked a small pistol from her skirts, letting off a shot. Ethan dove, the bullet whizzing past his ear. He hit the ground rolling and was on his feet in a blink. A groan sounded behind him, and he twisted around, afraid she'd hit one of his brothers…but no, she'd caught one of her own men. The cutthroat Owen had been grappling with lay writhing on the ground, clutching his side.

"Are you all right?" Ethan asked his brother.

Owen nodded, sprinting off to help James.

Ethan returned his focus to Lady Jo, who'd tossed aside her pistol and was now brandishing a dagger.

"Give up," Ethan said. "I don't want to hurt you."

Her laugh was derisive. "You couldn't hurt me even if you had two functioning hands."

The jibe sharpened Ethan's focus. His opponent was ruthless and lethal, but he had advantages: his greater size and his determination to see this villainess behind bars so that she could never hurt Xenia again.

Lady Jo came at him with the quickness of a cat. He dodged the swipe of her blade, trying to grab her weapon arm. She kept to his weak side, and while he had to fight his ingrained impulse not to hurt a female, she had no qualms about inflicting damage or fighting dirty. She stomped on his foot, and he barely evaded her attempt to knee him in the groin.

When he managed to grab her wrist, twisting it and forcing her to release the dagger, she smiled, another blade appearing as if by magic in her other hand. She struck out, and he moved but not quickly enough, steel slicing into his upper arm. As he retreated a step, she tripped him. He stumbled, nearly hitting his head on a cabinet.

Before he could recover, Lady Jo leapt atop him, her teeth bared and dagger flashing. He caught her wrist with his hand, the tip of her knife hovering inches from his throat. He grunted with effort, trying to keep the blade from sinking into him, while her eyes glowed with murderous triumph.

"I'm going to gut you like a fish," Lady Jo crooned.

"Go to hell," Ethan retorted.

He's here.

Hearing her beloved's voice, Xenia scrambled to open the secret panel in the fireplace. She activated the hidden mechanism, which made the side of the firebox swing open again. As she crawled out, her mother's voice rang with menace.

"Prepare to die, you bastard. As you bleed out in your fine manor, know this: I'm going to take my daughter back with me and make her suffer in ways you cannot begin to imagine."

I cannot let my mama hurt Ethan. I must get to him.

There was no time to squeeze through the tight alley between the cabinet and the wall. Terror gave Xenia strength, and she charged into the back of the cabinet. It swayed, rattling the objects inside. Putting her entire weight against the heavy mahogany, she pushed again. The cabinet tilted…and then it toppled.

The crash echoed through the room, the floor vibrating with the impact. Xenia spotted Ethan on the ground nearby and clambered over the cabinet to get to him.

"Ethan!" Kneeling beside him, she saw the blood on his sleeve. "Are you hurt? Did my mother?—"

"I'm fine, love." He sat up, catching one of her hands. "Especially now that you're safe."

"Well done, Mrs. Wood."

This came from the Earl of Manderly, who was accompanied by Lord Owen. Both looked disheveled but unharmed, the cutthroats they'd defeated now being led away by the constable's men.

"Where is my mama?" Xenia asked. "Did she get away?"

"You, er, prevented that, pet." Ethan cleared his throat. "When you pushed the cabinet over, your mother was on top of me, trying to slit my throat. I saw the cabinet tilting and managed to push her off and roll away. Lady Jo, however…"

Whipping her head around, Xenia felt her jaw slacken. Her mama was lying trapped beneath the cabinet, her legs poking out. One of her leather shoes had fallen off, revealing her clocked stockings.

"Odds bodkins," Xenia croaked. "Did I…did I kill her?"

Xenia had wanted to protect herself and defend the manor. But she'd never imagined killing anyone. Not even her monster of a mother.

"No, you worthless child, you couldn't even do that properly." Lady Jo groaned, her voice muffled by the wood. "But you've crushed my blooming arm."

Ethan and his brothers lifted the cabinet. Xenia saw that Lady Jo had been lucky: most of her body had been protected by the space between the narrower top section of the cabinet and the floor, thus avoiding any critical damage. Her right arm, however, had been pinned by the heavy base; it was bleeding and lay at an odd angle.

Just in case, Xenia kicked the dagger out of her mother's reach. "She needs a physician."

"I don't need a damned sawbones, you ungrateful bi?—"

"Shut your mouth," Ethan growled. "Or we'll let you bleed to death where you are."

"My men will see that Mrs. Wardell is taken care of." Rawlins hobbled over.

"Are you all right, sir?" Xenia asked anxiously. "I saw my mama shoot you."

"Luckily for me, this stopped the bullet." The constable showed her his notebook, which now bore a large dent. "Now, I believe you and I have some things to discuss…Miss Bernice Wardell, is it?"

Xenia wanted to deny it. She'd fought with everything she had to leave that person behind. Truth be told, she was tired of running—of living in fear. It was time for her to face the consequences of being her mother's daughter, whatever those may be.

She was about to speak, but Ethan beat her to it.

"My fiancée's name is Xenia Loveday," he said. "Soon to be Xenia Harrington. If you wish to interrogate her, I must insist upon being present."

The miracle of this man swelled her throat. Hearing Lady Jo cursing and screaming as the constables carried her out, however, Xenia felt it was only fair to give him a choice. To make certain he still wanted to honor his proposal.

"Are you certain you want to marry me?" she asked. "After meeting my mother?"

"You are not your mother. You are yourself ," Ethan said tenderly. "A brave, loving, and alarmingly resourceful woman, and the only one I've ever loved."

"I do love you so." Her voice hitched. "But your family?—"

"We will welcome you with open arms."

This came from Lady Blackwood, who entered the room with her husband. They were both smiling at her…as were Ethan's brothers. If Xenia's heart got any fuller, she feared it might burst.

So this is what it feels like to belong. To be part of a family.

Rawlins cleared his throat. "I daresay an interrogation will not be necessary, my lord. It is obvious that Joanna Wardell was behind the nefarious schemes carried out this eve and was thwarted, thanks to the brave actions of Miss Loveday. However, I was hoping that Miss Loveday could furnish me with facts to solidify the case against Mrs. Wardell?—"

"I nearly forgot!" Xenia exclaimed. "I found the stolen valuables. They are in a secret room behind the fireplace. It was dark so I couldn't see the items clearly, but I think there are at least three large chests full of jewelry."

"You defended the manor and found the treasure. How efficient of you, my love." Ethan laughed and pulled her close. "No more excuses. Will you be mine?"

Xenia's heart spoke for her. "Now that I am free from my past, all that I am is yours—my heart, body, and soul."

His eyes gleamed with proud recognition of the gift she was giving him. In front of everyone, he kissed her, and she kissed him back. The world faded to the beauty of being in her beloved's arms…of coming home at last.