Chapter Five

"Ah, O'Malley." Lippincott waved Dermott into the study. "I was about to send for you."

"Expected as much, yer lordship, as I've eyes and ears everywhere and heard a messenger arrived. Is it the missive ye've been expecting from Bow Street?"

The earl held it up. "Aye." He broke the wax seal and read the short note. "Apparently, Trenchert has never lost a duel." Lippincott frowned. "Though, rumor has it, not because he is an excellent shot."

Dermott blew out the breath he'd drawn in. "There's another possibility—one neither of us would ever consider. He either had someone lying in wait for his opponent to arrive and ambush him, or the viscount never waited for the full count to turn and fire."

Lippincott nodded. "Given the urgency of the matter, King and the duke's London man-of-affairs Captain Coventry rallied and have culled the information we need." His gaze met Dermott's. "They have pieced together what appears to be Trenchert's murderous past. No one has ever uttered a word about the outcome of a duel involving him before. Once they dug into the particulars of the viscount's past dawn appointments, it has come to light that the same seconds and physician have always been in attendance."

"Well now, yer lordship, wouldn't ye want to have a physician well known to you on hand if ye were the one meeting an opponent over a brace of pistols? One experienced in dealing with the damage a lead ball can do. I would prefer if the physician had served as a surgeon in His Majesty's military."

"I would too—however, it is not only the number of duels he has fought, but also the fact that the viscount has been the one to challenge his opponents. Every time."

"For a variety of offenses or slurs?"

"Nay," the earl replied. "Every man accused the viscount of cheating…at cards."

O'Malley's anger surged dangerously close to the surface. "The man has no honor, and the lass is caught in a web of lies and deceit by her own father's weakness—gambling!"

The earl walked over to the window overlooking the gardens and clasped his hands behind his back, staring without seeing the beauty beyond the window. "I wonder if she knew about her father's part in this whole affair."

"I cannot say for certain, yer lordship, but if it was me ma, she'd have known Da was involved in wagering. Then again, me da was smart enough not to. Ma would have skinned him alive."

The dark look on the earl's face disappeared as he turned around and walked over to his desk. He lifted the missive and handed it to Dermott to read.

He scanned the note and handed it back. "Will ye be sending a reply to Captain Coventry advising that ye'll be sending a missive to King to find out if he was called to investigate any of the deaths resulting from the viscount's duels?"

"I was about to," Lippincott replied. "However, I did not want to arouse any suspicion that someone I was acquainted with challenged, or was challenged to, a duel. It is illegal, you know."

Dermott agreed, "Aye, that it is, but that won't stop a man from protecting his wife's honor." His gut roiled as another possibility occurred to him. "Nor an innocent young woman he has vowed to protect."

Lippincott was silent for long moments. "Aurelia would have my head on a platter if she found out."

Dermott met Lippincott's steady gaze. "I was referring to meself, yer lordship. Ye'd best be knowing that I made a vow when the lass was in me arms, blood seeping from the wound on her forehead. I vowed to protect her with me life. If I have to challenge the viscount to a duel, ye can be certain that I will!"

The earl inclined his head. "It seems to be an occupational hazard. All of the men in my brother's guard have rescued women in their darkest hours, saving them from ignoble ends. And each and every one have vowed to protect the women, adding them to the long list of those already under their protection before marrying them. How many women at last count?"

Dermott frowned as he started counting in his head, but the image of the lass he rescued distracted him. "Bollocks! I lost count when I forgot to add those of the duke's staff in Cornwall. I have to start over."

Lippincott chuckled. "Don't bother. I know it's not just my wife, our son, and myself that are under your protection here at Lippincott Manor, O'Malley. It's the staff and tenant farmers, and as of your dawn rescue, the daughter of a former friend from my checkered past. Eggerton was well liked and generous with others whenever fortune smiled upon him. I was floundering trying to find my way when I followed my eldest brother Oliver into the gaming hells. Thought I had found my path. In the aftermath of Oliver's death—his murder—it was Jared's immediate acceptance of the responsibility assuming the title that had me questioning my choices. He never wanted to be the duke—he preferred country life and working with his hands."

The earl raked a hand through his hair, and Dermott sensed the man still blamed himself for not stepping up and offering to help restore the fortune the fifth duke had gambled away.

Lippincott's next words confirmed it: "I should have done more to aid Jared when he spent hours poring over the accounts from all of the ducal properties, looking for ways to restore what had been a sizeable fortune."

"Ye cannot shoulder the blame for what was not yer doing, yer lordship. Though I'd never met the fifth duke, I knew of him by reputation. Ye're nothing like him, and more like His Grace than ye know."

"But I did not roll up my sleeves and spend every waking moment consulting with our solicitors, stewards…or tenant farmers. Jared did."

The bleak expression in the earl's eyes reminded Dermott of his ma the day he and Emmett announced their plans to follow their older brothers Finn and Patrick to England. The wages they sent home helped, as did the three men he heartily approved of who'd married their sisters and moved onto the farm. He and Emmett were able to board the boat with the faith that their wages would tip the scale so Ma wouldn't have to go to sleep each night worrying that she'd lose their great-grandda's legacy—their farm.

"Aye," Dermott agreed. "But I heard from me brother Patrick that His Grace was not only handling the duties of his new title, but the prospect of navigating Lady Phoebe's first Season. Thank goodness he met and married Her Grace when he did."

"Persephone has been a godsend to this family," Lippincott replied.

"Aye, yer lordship, but do not forget yer part in bringing the family name back to where it had been. Ye stepped in at a crucial time, and were there to save Lady Phoebe when that madman had a blade to her throat." Their eyes met, and understanding flowed between the men. "I may not have been in the same position as yerself, yer lordship, but when it became obvious to me that our failing farm needed more than me brothers' wages, Emmett and I made the difficult decision to follow in their footsteps."

"I never asked," the earl said, "but who replaced you working on the farm?"

"Ye may remember that we have three sisters." The earl inclined his head, and Dermott continued, "Their husbands, good men that they are, moved in with Ma to work the farm. With the wages the four of us have sent home, our brothers-in-law have been able to add rooms onto the cottage and build two more. When help is needed at harvest time, they call on our Mulcahy cousins, who have a farm nearby."

"In times of crisis, families need to be able to count on one another. I realized that I had a skill Jared could benefit from—my ability to move about in Society and rub elbows with some of the more influential members of the ton. My brother spent as little time as possible in London. He had no use for it…until he inherited the title."

Dermott could not resist asking, "And who was it that broke His Grace's nose at Gentleman Jackson's?"

Lippincott's jaw dropped, and for a moment not a sound emerged, until he snorted with laughter. "It was an accident, as you well know."

"Oh aye, yer lordship. 'Tis a tale well known among the ton…and His Grace's guard."

The earl shook his head. "I'm not certain how we ended up discussing my brother's broken nose, when what I intended to do was to thank you for being the one to rescue Eggerton's daughter. I'm grateful, O'Malley. Although we will be facing accusations, most of them false, I know I can count on you, Sean, and Flaherty to guard Eggerton's daughter."

"Is there anything else you think we need to know about Viscount Trenchert?"

The intensity in Lippincott's gaze drilled into Dermott's. "He has no honor and is not to be trusted under any circumstances."

Dermott digested the information, then asked, "Have ye considered adding to the guard? Ye know their ladyships would be more than happy to spend time under one roof, while at the same time add to our number by two more: me cousins Michael O'Malley and James Garahan."

"I have been trying to decide how to approach the conversation with my wife, but am not sure I am ready for the discussions between Aurelia and Calliope discussing whose roof will continue to shelter Miss Eggerton," the earl said.

"Faith, but ye have the right of it. I'll be leaving that up to yerself and Viscount Chattsworth to handle. Their ladyships are a delight when they are trying to convince one another—and yerselves—to agree with them. I'm thinking it might be best not to move the lass. She has enough to deal with at the moment."

"Excellent point. Healing physically and worrying when her memory will return may delay her healing," Lippincott murmured.

"Aye." Dermott knew he should speak up about the vow he'd made carrying the lass to safety. He shifted from foot to foot and cleared his throat. "About that vow I confessed to ye…"

The earl raised one brow in silent question.

"I'll do me best not to kill the viscount." When the earl stared at him without speaking, Dermott added, "I made a decision as well when I was wrapping the makeshift bandage around Miss Amber's head." Uncertain how the earl would react, he waited for the man to speak.

Lippincott stared for a few moments before reminding him, "I understand, and before you bring up the subject, your cousin Sean has not had any difficulty protecting my family and his." A bit of the acid eating away at Dermott's gut calmed when the earl added, "I do not expect it to be an issue for you either. But keep in mind that she has lost her memory and may not remember who is friend or foe. I am not certain if she has any other family now that her father is dead."

Dermott nodded, and the earl continued, "She doesn't know who she is, who is chasing her, or why. Beyond that is that bloody scrap of foolscap where Eggerton agreed to turn over his home, his fortune, Georgiana's dowry, and his promise that she would wed Trenchert."

"I will keep all that in mind." Dermott paused, and although he had never asked the earl a personal question before, his heart and head were still trying to settle the matter of the instinctive need to protect the lass and not let her out of his sight. "I'm a bit flummoxed, and was wondering if I could ask ye a question."

"Of course," the earl replied.

"It has to do with matters of the…er…heart."

"After the number of bones you have broken, times you have been clubbed, stabbed, or shot protecting our family, you have more than earned the right to ask me anything."

"Thank ye, yer lordship." He rubbed a hand over his heart. "Before I ask, I need ye to understand, 'tis me heart that has me head muddled."

Lippincott nodded. "Having suffered the same not that long ago, I have a feeling it has to do with a woman."

Dermott sighed. "Forgive me for speaking of such, but do ye remember how ye felt the first time ye saw her ladyship?"

Lippincott slowly smiled. "Aye, as a matter of fact, it is a night I will never forget—for more than one reason. It was the night I met the love of my life—and the night that nearly cost my sister and me ours."

Neither spoke of the shared memory of the madman who'd burst into the duke's town house. Neither of them would ever forget that night and the chaos that followed.

Dermott cleared his throat. "'Tis plain to all who see ye together that ye've a deep and abiding affection for one another."

"Aurelia is not just my wife and mother of our son…she is my life."

Encouraged, O'Malley continued, "Ye can see from the way the lass is thinking deep thoughts that bits and pieces of her memory are coming back to her. Earlier, when I was sharing a story about me ma, she started to cry." His gut ached as he remembered her silent tears. "When I asked her what was wrong, she said she couldn't put it into words other than to say 'twas something she felt inside every time I mentioned me ma. Then the lass rubbed her hand over her heart. I'm thinking bits and pieces of her memory are closer to the surface, waiting for her to recall them."

Lippincott did not argue—a good sign that the earl accepted the latest addition to those Dermott would protect. His heart chose that moment to whisper of forever with the lass, but he could not afford to think about that now. He had a duty to do and a mystery to uncover—unless the lass remembered whom she was running from.

Dermott's gut told him it was Trenchert—or if not the viscount himself, one of his lackeys. It wasn't enough to think it… He would need proof before making any accusations.

"I know you won't pressure Miss Eggerton into remembering, but keep it in mind in your bid to get to the bottom of whom she was running from, and what led her to the desperate moment she jumped off that wall."

"Ye have me word, yer lordship, but I have a bad feeling in the pit of me stomach."

Lippincott nodded. "Aye. Trouble's coming."