Alexandra clutched her stomach, her babygrowing safe inside. Someone inserted a key into the lock andturned it. She straightened. A quick twist of the doorknob and thedoor banged opened, revealing the gentleman she had known in herbones was the architect for all the calamities that had befallenthe Rutland’s.
“Ah, good, you are awake,” Lord Westbrooksaid genially. “Your color has improved. For a few disconcertinghours, I thought you would not wake.”
“Why have you brought me here?” She crossedher arms over her breasts. The chemise was too thin to protect hermodesty.
“Lucretia, I had to.”
Alexandra inhaled. What to do. Play to hisdelusion.
He scrutinized her. “How do you feel?”
Her hand slid up to her throat. “Better,”she lied. “But why did you feel you had to kidnap me, milord?”
“I had to get you away from the Rutland’s.They are evil.”
Her head snapped up. That voice, so familiarto her now and as frightful as a serpent’s hiss. She closed hereyes. Westbrook was the man she had heard behind her that day onthe docks, commanding Captain Diogo to take Nicholas aboard theSantanasand depart at once.
She opened her eyes, meandered to the farside of the room. Would her shaking legs give out from beneath her?She looked through the thick, wavy pane of glass distorting theworld. “Then it is good you saved me.”
“I’ve wanted you in my arms for so long,Lucretia.”
“Why bother abducting me?”
The Duke of Westbrook laughed. “You are sobeautiful and naïve.”
“Why didn’t you ask, I would have come.”
Alexandra edged away from the window when hestepped toward her. “I do not understand, Lord Westbrook,” shesaid, deliberately pitching her voice so she sounded submissive.“Why have you brought us here?”
Lord Westbrook tilted his head to the side.He carefully deliberated her question. His face changed, embodied asinister look, as if he was sizing up his quarry.
“I have such wonderful plans for you,Lucretia.”
“I do n-not understand.” she stammered.
Without warning, he lunged for her andseized her roughly by the upper arms. Surprised by his attack, shescreamed, but the muscles in her throat were taut with fear and shebarely uttered a sound.
“I’m aware that you are confused by all ofthis, my dear lady.’ His fingers dug into her bare arms and shewinced in pain. “I sent the invitations to Belvoir requesting yourpresence at the Duke of Banfield. I also know Duke Richard and LordNicholas are in London for two days. How easy it was to orchestratetheir visit to London. No one knows you are here.”
Alexandra was repulsed by his touch. Shestruggled. Her head throbbed from the laudanum and she still feltweak. “What about the driver and the other guard. Surely they willreach Belvoir?”
“What are you talking about?”
“They escaped. The man with the wart on hisface did not tell you?”Divide and conquer.
“He told me he killed everyone. He will payfor deceiving me.”
“Why are you doing this? What did theRutland’s do to you?”
The anger clouding his expression faded ashe chuckled. “Lucretia, how could you be so trusting? You mustremember the duel between me and Duke Richard…or was it Nicholas?Look at my eye. He thrust a sword into my eye, blinded anddisfigured me for life. Don’t you remember? Of course not. TheRutland’s have convinced you to forget.”
Keep him talking.“Why, Rachel?”
“She is breeding another Rutland. She has todie,” he said, talking of Rachel’s murder as if he were discussingthe riddance of a rabbit.
Alexandra shivered. She must save Rachel.“What would Cornelius do to her if he knew she was expectingNicholas’s child? “So how did you arrange the night of Nicholas’sand Abigail’s kidnapping?”
“The Rutland’s are such trusting dolts.Patience was winning the war. Endearing myself to them, gainingtheir trust as a favorite uncle. Took me years. I paid large bribesto get Percy Devol and Cuthbert Noot out of Newgate as a quid proquo arrangement. How expedient their grudges equaled mine. Everyonewas busy with Abigail’s masked ball. My men doused the laboratorywith grape-seed oil. Messages were sent out. Richard and Anthonywere to die in the explosion.”
