“To entice you, to gain your trust I placeda card shark in your path to put you in debt. Your father neverknew so heavy in his mourning. I set up the conflicts at Eton so Icould bail you out of trouble. The rest was made easy by yourpropensity for brawling.”
Silence combed the air. Her misery chokedhim as he watched blood drip from her head wound and a bruise swellon the right side of her face. The impulse to murder raged throughNicholas’s veins.
Cornelius waved his gun. “I’ve waited agesfor this moment.
“My late father, the imperial Duke ofWestbrook,” Cornelius said, sneering, “had paternal feelings duringhis last days. Reversed his banishment of me. He never shouldhave.”
“Why shouldn’t he have ended yourbanishment?” said Duke Richard.
A bizarre look gleamed in his one good eye.“Because I killed him.”
“You killed your father?” Anthony said, eyeswide with disbelief.
“Why shouldn’t I have? Never could pleasethe bastard. I lured him by becoming the penitent son.” Corneliusrasped.
Nicholas’s father and brother weredistracting Cornelius. Good. Smoke curled from the upper floor. Wasthe house on fire? That would explain Cornelius half-bakedappearance. Nicholas crept closer.
“I smothered the bastard with a pillow.Everyone thought he’d died in his sleep.”
As Alexandra tried to break away, Corneliussnapped her back, jamming his gun right next to her temple.Alexandra’s whimper went straight to Nicholas’s heart.
“There is one more,” bragged Cornelius.
“One more what?” said Duke Richard. Anthonyedged from the other side of the room.
Cornelius rasped out a breath. “Joshua, yourson. I have a man in America whom I’ve paid handsomely to kill him.Joshua will die soon.”
“Who did you send to kill Joshua?” said DukeRichard.
Nicholas dove onto Alexandra, shoving herout of the way, and then pitched his body into Cornelius. Theygrappled on the floor, Cornelius possessing the strength of amadman, Nicholas pummeling him with his fists, months of angerreleased. The men rolled with Nicholas on the bottom. Corneliusclutched his gun and jammed it on the side of Nicholas’s head.
A shot fired off.
Cornelius fell to the right, clutching hisheart. Smoke curled from Duke Richard’s gun.
Anthony shook Cornelius. “Who did you sendto kill Joshua?”
“He’s dead, Anthony. I should have killedhim years ago,” said the Duke of Rutland. “He’s wreaked enough evilon this family. I will alert Abigail, your sister and CaptainThorne in Boston to warn your brother, Joshua.”
Nicholas stood and pulled Alexandra into hisarms.
“Oh, Nicholas, I thought you were in Londonand I thought I’d never see you again,” she said.
“I have an indefinable instinct for danger.The letter I received hailing my father and I to London wassuspicious. Partway there, we returned to discover you and Rachelwere missing, never dreaming you would go against my wishes andleave Belvoir. The Rutland driver and guard told us of your braverythat helped them escape and returned to Belvoir. They hadrecognized the Duke of Westbrook’s coach and we rode here.”
Alexandra turned in his embrace, her handsflat on his chest. “The note I received was from you, wishing forme to visit Lord Banfield and was penned in your perfect scrawl.Cornelius must have had the note forged.”
“No doubt.” Nicholas wrapped Alexandra inhis coat.
“Where’s Rachel? said Alexandra glancedaround.
“I’m here,” said Rachel, rushing intoAnthony’s arms. “I had made it outside when I heard the shooting. Ipeeked through the windows and saw everything was undercontrol.”
“Are you all right, Rachel?” Anthonyscrutinized his wife.
“I’m doing fine. Just get me home.”
Nicholas smoothed his hand down Alexandra’sback to ease her trembling. How about you? Did Cornelius hurtyou?”
