Chapter 45

Chapter Forty-Five

T hey made it back to the manor house an hour later and headed straight up to their bedroom. Robert gave strict instructions that unless the authorities came knocking on the front door, he and Victoria were not to be disturbed. Even then, if anyone did call, they could damn well wait.

Victoria barely had time to kick off her boots and slip out of her gown, before Robert had her bent over the bed and his cock buried deep in her sex once more. This moment was hard and fast, born of the need to confirm what they had sealed in the stonecutter's cottage—that no matter what happened, they were in this together.

She woke him midafternoon. As a sleep-and-laudanum-ruffled Robert stirred from under the blankets, a now fully dressed Victoria perched on the end of the bed. While he had slept, she had lain awake and searched for answers. By the time she nudged him from his slumber, she had the beginnings of a plan.

"Why are you out of bed and dressed, Your Grace? I don't recall giving you permission to leave my side," he teasingly chided.

Victoria rested her arms on her knees and smiled at him. "You can punish me for my transgressions later, Your Grace, but first I want to set my proposal before you."

He slowly sat up in the bed, catching the shirt she tossed his way, before letting her help him put it on. Robert looked tired, wrung out.

I just hope he sees the sanity in my plan.

"I'd kill for a cup of tea. I didn't exactly have much to eat all of yesterday," he croaked.

She pointed to the tray which sat on the nearby bedside table. "There is a fresh pot of tea and some rosemary biscuits. Under the cloth are some fresh egg and watercress sandwiches. I know you love them, and I figured they would be useful to soften your resolve. I can fix you another pain tonic as well, if that helps."

Robert poured them both a cup of tea and handed Victoria the plate of biscuits. She waved away the offered sandwiches. "I ate a round of them while you were sleeping. The eggs were freshly boiled and peeled, so they are particularly good."

While he got himself sorted with sustenance, she moved to the other side of the bed and composed herself. It was vital that she got this right. Got him to understand that her plan not only had merit, but that it could actually work.

He sipped his tea, washing down the last of the sandwiches, then focused his gaze on her. "Alright, I am listening."

Victoria cleared her throat. "This fight against the company isn't something you can win. I'm not saying your war against them wasn't a righteous thing, but I would argue that how you went about things certainly wasn't. You can't steal from people like the East India Company and not expect repercussions."

For an opening statement, it was a good one. She was quietly proud of herself. As she'd worked to put this plan together in her head, Victoria had been clear with her intended purpose. No matter what Robert said, she was not going to lose her temper.

If there was one lesson she had learned from her parents, it was that letting emotions rule the day did no one any good.

"I don't necessarily agree with everything, but yes, there are consequences to my actions," he replied.

She let the remark about his illegal activities slide. Let him win that small skirmish. Her sights were set on the bigger prize—getting out of this war with their future intact.

"Go on," he said.

"The East India have clearly figured out who has been stealing from them." She held her hand up when he went to protest. This wasn't up for debate. It was fact. "The agent who came here didn't do so on a mere whim. He knew . He told me they were coming for you, and your people."

That held his attention. "Yes. I am aware. And my people in London have been warned."

Thank heavens he is starting to see the truth.

"My family has power and influence, but I doubt that even they would be able to save us, if push came to shove. Some of the things you have done are indefensible, Robert. I love you, but even you have to admit that you are a bit of a villain. Dukes don't normally go in for thievery and highway robbery. And while your motives might have been somewhat honorable, your means have been…" Her voiced tapered off.

She didn't want to condemn him. This wasn't a trial. It was an honest attempt to salvage what they could and set up their lives forever.

"You have a choice, Robert. We can have a real marriage, one with affection and…" She swallowed deep. "Love. Or you can have nothing."

Victoria waved her hand in the air, then lay it over her heart. A solemn promise of what would come if he didn't agree to her plan. "You won't have me. If you try to stop me leaving, I'll raise merry hell. And when I do, the resulting scandal will be so earth- shattering that my mother will come after you. The duchess will have you soon begging for a swift death."

As much as it irked him, Robert had to concede Victoria was right. His goal had been to break the East India's monopoly over the London spice market by all means necessary, but somewhere in the past he had lost sight of who the villain was in the story. He'd crossed the line between right and wrong a long time ago. Had become so used to working in the gray areas between those lines, that he no longer knew the way back.

As the sun's dying rays streamed in through the window, bathing their bedroom with its golden light, Robert finally came to an understanding with himself. He'd lost the war against the East India Company.

The risk to his family was too great. The risk to the people of his estate was also one he could no longer afford. His loyal steward had spent the night before last burning then hiding the body of a company agent. A man, Robert's beautiful bride had been forced to kill in order to save him.

My wife.

His marriage vows had included protecting her, but instead he'd placed the woman he loved right in the front of the battle. In the firing line.

Victoria had now taken a stand. She was prepared to fight for them, for a real future. But not this life. And only a damn fool would risk losing such a woman in order to prove he was also a stubborn ass.

Robert Tolley, His Grace, the Duke of Saffron Walden, had stolen his last barrel of spice. Now he just had to figure out how to get the East India Company off his back.

"I take it you have come up with a plan, my love?"

She had, and it was a simple one, but not without risk. "Do you remember meeting my cousin, Alex Radley, at our wedding? The Marquis of Brooke. His wife, Millie, was the woman dressed in a pink and gold sari. She had a ruby stud in her nose."

"Yes, the girl who grew up in India?"

"That's her. And do you recall them talking about her father, James, who was a senior man at the East India Company in Calcutta? He's one of those wealthy nabobs who made their fortune with the company before returning to England."

Robert nodded. "Yes, I remember them mentioning him. And I was quite unsettled to discover the family connection. Please tell me he has retired."

She shook her head. "Not fully. James Ashton is still working on the odd project for the East India here in England. Which places him in a perfect position to help us. If we are going to attempt peace talks with the East India, we need someone who could mediate those discussions."

Someone who might be willing to straddle both sides of the argument and help come up with a solution. James Ashton could just be that man. Hope stirred in Robert's heart.

"Do you think James Ashton is someone who could be trusted to act for us in negotiations with the East India?" asked Robert. He may well just turn the enemy of his employer into the authorities and be done with it.

Victoria's face lit with an encouraging smile. "Mister Ashton is the brother of Viscount Ashton. Viscount Ashton and his wife have not been blessed with children, so James's son, Charles, is the current heir to the title. When he becomes the next viscount, you could help make his entry into the House of Lords a success."

She was going to call in as many family favors as possible. He might not like owing personal debts to other people, but it was a lot better than having the agents of the company continuing to come after them. Robert was quiet for a moment. "How would we go about talking to James Ashton without putting ourselves in danger?"

"What I propose is that we ask my uncle, Ewan Radley, to talk to Mister Ashton. With the Duke of Strathmore being both Alex's father and Millie's father-in-law, his words will carry a great deal of weight."

Robert's face tightened, and she could just imagine what he was thinking.

I'm also a bloody duke.

"And while my father is also a duke, he doesn't have the same amount of influence that my uncle Ewan has in this matter. If I need to bring Papa or any other members of the Radley and Kembal family into this, we can discuss that if and when it occurs. In the meantime, I would think it makes sense to keep this as closely held a secret as possible."

Victoria held her breath. Robert could be stubborn, and he wasn't beyond making stupid decisions. His lack of thought had been what had got them into this situation in the first place.

Setting the food tray to one side, he rose from the bed. It took a good deal of self-control for her not to say anything else. Not to pressure him.

While Robert retrieved some clean clothes from the tallboy, she sat waiting quietly. With his injured arm in a sling, he dressed slowly, but she sensed he didn't want any further assistance. This was something he had to do for himself.

When he finally finished putting on his clothes, Robert turned to her. "Alright, we leave for London later in the week. In the meantime, I will check with Jasper and make certain that all traces of our spice operations are completely covered up. George was given instructions to leave town, so hopefully that will tie up any loose ends for the time being."

He came to her and stood at the end of the bed, his good hand clenched into a tight fist. "I know this isn't the most honorable thing a man should ever ask of his wife, but you and I need to be in fierce agreement about what happened to the East India agent."

Victoria let out a breath. She had pondered what to do about that prickly problem and had come up with the only solution that made any sort of sense. She steeled herself for the price her soul would eventually have to pay in order to save her husband, and their future.

In a calm, clear voice she said. "If anyone asks, we don't know anything about any missing company agent."

There was no body. No wagon. No leather satchel containing incriminating papers. Everything had been burned, and the agent's horse sent to greener pastures in Scotland.

Robert gave a small nod, an acknowledgment that sealed their bargain. Both he and Victoria would take their dark secret to the grave.