Finn swung around to find Robin standing in the doorway. “What the devil are you doing lurking about?”
“The lady brung me. I can show you where she is.”
The thought of Vivi in this house without him, how they might hurt her or try to lock her away again, had him trembling. “Take me to her.”
Only when they got to the library, it was empty.
“They were here,” Robin said. “Her and her brother. He paid me five hundred quid.”
He slammed his eyes closed. Of course Vivi would ensure someone benefitted from that scandalous reward. “Help me find her,” he ordered, and Robin didn’t hesitate to rush out of the room with him and begin peering in others.
Finally, they found her in a bright yellow room, standing over a woman sprawled on the floor, a hand pressed to her jaw, looking up in fear. He assumed it was her mother. Her brother stood nearby, staring at the tableau as though he were lost, trying to discern what action he should take. Finn placed his hand on Robin’s shoulder. “Wait for us on the front steps.”
With a nod, the lad dashed off, and Lavinia swung around, whether because she’d heard his words or the boy’s footsteps, he didn’t know, didn’t care. The sorrow woven into her features nearly brought him to his knees.
“She had it killed.”
The rage and fury that swept through him carried him to her, would have carried him beyond her to the self-righteous bitch who lay there glaring—if his first concern wasn’t Vivi. He took her in his arms, pressed her face against his chest.
“Come along,” Finn said, his voice low, surprised he was able to make it sound tender when he spoke to Vivi as grief and torment swirled through him. For the loss of a child he’d never known, to the suffering brought upon the woman he loved. “Let’s go.”
Straightening, dashing the tears from her cheeks, she gave him a tremulous smile and a nod.
The countess pushed herself to her feet then and stood there with fury blazing in her eyes. “You will not take my daughter anywhere.”
“Take?” he repeated. “As though she is a possession to be carried about in my pocket? No, I will nottakeher, but if she chooses to come with me, not you, not a horde of servants or constables or the dogs from hell will be enough to stop me from allowing her to leave with me.”
“Lavinia, think hard on this because if you leave with this scoundrel, I will never again welcome you back into this residence.”
“You heartless bitch, I don’t want to be welcomed back into your residence. You took my child. You sent me to a madhouse. You made me feel ashamed when all I did was fall in love. Then when I was still vulnerable, you laid Father’s death on me, in an attempt to bend me to your will. And I bent. But no longer. Father didn’t die because of my sins. But our child died because of yours. You saw to it that it was murdered. An innocent babe who had done you no harm. You’re a horrid, hateful woman. I am done with you.”
She separated herself from Finn, and with her spine straight, her shoulders squared, she walked from the room with grace and dignity. He’d never loved her more.
He glanced back at the hideous creature. “May you rot in hell.”
“My daughter will join me there for her sins.”
“It is not a sin to love.” And with that, he strode from the room, quickening his pace once he entered the hallway, until he caught up with Vivi, slipped his arm around her waist, and brought her up protectively against his side. “I’m so sorry, my love.”
“I never want to see her again.”
“You shall never have to.”
“I’d have never believed her to be so cruel.”
“Wealth, power, and prestige are not indications of kindness.”
Tilting her head up to hold his gaze, she furrowed her brow. “How did you know I was here? My note didn’t tell you where I was going.”
“I didn’t know you were here. Nor did I see your note. I came to speak with the servants, to see if I could learn anything from them before confronting your mother and brother.”
“Poor Neville. I fear this morning was a rather unfortunate revelation for him. Somehow they managed to keep everything from him.”
They had just reached the foyer when he heard, “Lavinia?”
Stopping, they turned and faced her brother as he scurried from the hallway. “Lavinia, I hardly know what to say,” he said as he halted before them.
“I think the countess said it all.”
