Chapter 25

Mayfair, London

" W here are Caitlin and Lilith?" Victor asked Lucas.

"Mother kidnapped Lilith earlier, and Caitlin is doing rounds with Dr. Barry," Lucas replied.

Victor had stopped by to brief Lucas on what had transpired with Briana. To say Lucas was shocked would have been an understatement. "It's always the quiet ones," he mused.

The meeting with Joseph Planta had also been arranged. The undersecretary was available the following day, and everything was set. Briana would gather her evidence, and Victor would personally escort her to the Foreign Affairs Office. Lucas and Officer Maxwell would also be in attendance. With these matters settled, Victor turned his attention to another pressing concern.

Cambridge House, London

"EDWARD, IT’S SUCH A pity that we only have one grandchild. I wish we had more. I long to hear this big old house filled with the pitter-patter of dozens of little feet."

"I dare say, my love, we seem to have our hands full with one pair as it is," Edward replied as he raced across the lawn and picked up his granddaughter, who was crawling with great speed toward the pond. She squealed with laughter as he gently glided her through the air while chuckling.

Baby Lilith, their first grandbaby, was adored and spoiled rotten by every member of the family, most of all her grandparents. Edward was exhausted from chasing her around the garden because she could move with such haste.

Vincentia was beaming with pride. "I know she is a handful, but I insist the rest of our sons make haste with producing heirs so that we can have a hand in their training."

Edward raised a brow, knowing that his wife was about to leap off on some scheme to interfere with their sons' lives. "Vincentia, let us just be grateful they are all healthy, and in good time they will settle."

Vincentia swooped Lilith out of his arms and cooed at the child, then began pacing the lawn in thought with Lilith firmly placed at her hip. Lilith mimicked her frown, also concentrating as if realizing that this woman was going to be her mentor. "I'm merely saying that I am worried for Victor. It has been many months, and things seem to have cooled between him and Miss Walsh. I hate to think he has returned to that Seymour woman; it is thoroughly vexing. He is so serious and aloof these days I'm afraid he has no time to enjoy life."

"He will be fine, my love. The Cambridge Curse will determine these things in the end."

As if the heavens decreed it, the doors to the back patio opened, and in strode Victor, a determined look upon his face.

"Mother, I need your help," he said to Vincentia before greeting Lilith with a quick peck on her forehead.

Vincentia beamed with a smile. "Well, of course you do. Whatever you need, my dearest son." She handed Lilith to Edward, took a deep breath, and said, "I have waited all my life for this moment. So fire away!"

"I need you and Father to act as chaperones for a small house party I am planning at my residence. Also if it is not too much trouble, I was hoping you would organize the party as well because I have no clue what to do."

Vincentia gasped as if she were going to burst into tears at any moment. But she rallied and controlled her frightful need to shout for joy. "Why, I would be honored."

"Nothing too big or outlandish. Just a small garden party with family and close friends. Some on the guest list can be quite reclusive, so I need your power of influence to ensure they attend."

"Then you have come to the right person! Any particular guest of honor I need to know about?"

"Miss Walsh is one."

"She is?"

"Yes. Do you have an issue with that?" Victor asked, feeling slightly defensive.

"Good God, no!" Vincentia practically shouted. She could barely contain her excitement. "Anyone else? You have a full guest list, I presume?"

"Here it is." Victor handed her a vellum of paper with names scribbled on it.

Vincentia scanned the list and paled slightly when she asked, "Mrs. Elizabeth Fry. The Quaker?"

"Yes. Miss Walsh volunteers with her prison charities, and I require her attendance to aid in my cause, so to speak. But why are you grimacing?"

"Oh, no reason at all. It's just that, well, ah... Betsy can be a little frightful at times."

"What do you mean, Mother? You are the scariest woman I know. Surely, you're not afraid of her?"

Edward cleared his throat as if trying not to laugh.

"What is this about, Father?" Victor asked Edward with a frown.

"Son, your mother hero-worships Mrs. Fry and becomes somewhat befuddled in her presence."

"Quiet, Edward! I do not. The notion. I just at times feel a little inferior, that is all, and rightly so—the woman is adept at reform. She is very forthright and immovable."

Victor replied, "Are you suggesting that this moment you've waited your whole life for is beyond you, Mother?"

"Absolutely not! I am, of course, up to the task. Now, tell me what you need, and I shall do it. Because there is no mountain I would not climb for my family. However, perhaps you could explain a little more as to why Miss Walsh is the specific guest of honor?"

Victor could already see his mother's mind working and the machinations she was cooking up in her head.

"There is no reason to explain at this stage. But I feel that you are the best person to arrange a soirée that would meet with the highest approval of all involved. I hope I am not wrong in that?"

Vincentia puffed up with pride. "I dare any other to best me."

"Good. But, Mother, I must insist upon this. You must not interfere beyond my request of you."

Vincentia looked outraged. "Me? Interfere? Why, I do not have a meddlesome bone in my body."

Edward snorted then cleared his throat and averted his eyes when Vincentia glared at him.

"Very well then. I hope you will keep this conversation private. I do not want any gossip before it has even occurred," Victor said.

"Darling, my lips are sealed."

Victor nodded, then Vincentia said, "But I do have one condition."

"Name it."

"I wish to invite Miss Walsh to dine with us this evening."

"Absolutely not," Victor replied. He blew a kiss at Lilith, nodded at his father, then turned on his heel and left.

Not to be put off, Vincentia grinned from ear to ear. Then when Victor was gone, she turned to Edward and said, "Oh Edward, our Victor is in love. He has never come to me for aid with a woman before. I, for one, am going to ensure I interfere as much as possible before he ruins his chances."

"Darling, did you not just promise not to meddle beyond what is requested?"

"Oh posh. Our sons know it's not meddling if you love them." She then addressed Lilith. "Prepare yourself, little one—there's another wedding on the horizon, and soon you will have little cousins to play with!"

Edward just burst out laughing.

Pall Mall

brIANA WAS READYING herself for the meeting with Joseph Planta, waiting for Victor to escort her to the Foreign Office. However, an urgent message arrived stating the plans had changed—the meeting would now take place at her home. She was to await further instructions. Briana hurriedly sent a note off to Thomas to notify him the location had changed and to invite her guests here instead.

She wasn't overly concerned, given that Victor had stationed two guards to patrol the property, while Renwick and Mr. Mason were somewhere inside the house. Laura and Serena had left for the market early.

When the knocker sounded, she assumed it was Victor arriving ahead of schedule. She heard Renwick open the door, followed by shouting and a heavy thud. Her senses instantly went on alert. Briana ran into the hallway to find Renwick sprawled unconscious across the doorway and Mr. Mason fighting off two men. Her blood ran cold when she recognized one as the man from the orangery—the other was the Earl of Rochford. Without hesitation, she flipped her skirts and drew her pistol.

"Run, Miss! Ru—" Mr. Mason's warning was cut short as the Earl of Rochford shot him point-blank in the back. Mason collapsed forward, striking his head against the hall table before crumpling to the floor, blood pouring from his wound.

Briana raised her pistol, aiming it at the Earl. "Take one more step and I'll blow your head off!"

The earl calmly pointed his weapon at Renwick's head. "You do that, and I'll kill your footman as well. Put the pistol down, X."

Glancing toward the garden, Briana spotted both guards slumped over, bound with rope. "Damn it to hell!" she cursed, lowering her weapon. She reasoned that if the earl had wanted her dead, she'd be dead already. He clearly needed something from her. As long as that remained true, she could buy time until she found a way out of this mess.

The Foreign Affairs Office

OFFICER MAXWELL ENTERED Joseph Planta's office to find the undersecretary, Lucas Cambridge, and Victor Cambridge seated by the fireplace. He apologized for his tardiness, explaining he'd been delayed by a carriage accident.

"Where is Miss Walsh?" Victor demanded.

Maxwell tensed. "I beg your pardon. The plan was for you to escort her here."

"No, I received your message that you and several runners would provide guarded escort. We were to meet you here."

"I sent no message," Maxwell rasped as the horrifying truth dawned on them all—they'd been tricked.

Victor didn't hesitate. He bolted from the room, sprinting for his phaeton. He heard footsteps pounding behind him and someone shouting instructions—Lucas, he knew, but the blood rushing through his brain made it impossible to stop, to explain, to speak, or barely breathe. Every instinct screamed that he needed to reach Briana, and fast.

The Earl of Rochford

THE DRAWING ROOM SEEMED to shrink as the Earl of Rochford drew closer, his aristocratic features twisted with malice. The late afternoon shadows lengthened across the Persian carpet, and Briana fought to keep her voice steady as Laura called through the door.

"Miss? Are ye well? I ‘eard voices... and the door is locked."

Briana's eyes remained fixed on the pistol in the earl's steady hand. "I'm perfectly fine, Laura. Please ensure Serena is baking enough delicious cake for all of us."

She had been on edge since hearing the women return from the market through the servants' entrance. Rochford's lackey had bound Renwick, Mr. Mason, and the two guards before dragging their bodies into the front room, out of sight. He'd locked the front door and left to ready a carriage for some nefarious purpose. The women would have no reason to suspect anything amiss unless they looked closely. Briana sent up a silent prayer that Mr. Mason was still alive and that they would all survive this day.

She heard Laura's retreating footsteps, each one feeling like another nail in her coffin. The earl's thin lips curved into a predatory smile.

"You thought you'd almost gotten away, didn't you?"

"I don't know what you mean, my lord."

His laugh was chilling. "I've come to ensure the job is done right, after my fool botched your attempted kidnapping so terribly."

"It was your man who attacked me in the orangery?" The words came out in a horrified whisper as the pieces fell into place—the men from the prison who shot at her carriage, the patron at the pub who was searching for her. It all made sense now.

"Yes, he was meant to kidnap you long enough for me to make my play." He examined the pistol with casual interest. "No one leaves my employ alive or unscathed. You see, you know too much, and I cannot have you wandering about London with all my dirty little secrets."

The blood drained from Briana's face as understanding dawned. "Good God, you're trying to frame the murders and heists on me alone. But I trusted you."

He sat back, his gaze raking over her body with unsettling deliberation. "Tut tut. That was your first mistake, X. As they say in Latin, 'Fide Nemini.' Trust no one. I was never going to release you. None of my agents survive."

"So what are you doing here now?"

"Now, I wait for the undersecretary to arrive. You see, I could hardly go to him with all those guards about the Foreign Office, but here I can present my case in a favorable light."

"How did you know about the meeting?" Briana asked.

"I know everything, Miss Walsh. My spies are everywhere."