“That can’t be right. Lady Charlotte was supposed to be staying with the Sinclairs,” he said as his brows knit together in confusion. Had she come back before he started the fire? Surely, he would have noticed if anyone else was home; he’d ensured that the servants all took their half day at the same time.
“It would seem that she went back home and got trapped in the flames.” Lord Dunham narrowed his eyes, a muscle in his jaw twitching slightly.
Feeling as if things were getting a bit too much, Lord Reginald decided to leave. He’d lay low for a while and catch the next boat when no one was around to see him leave. “I thank you for bringing this to my attention, My Lord. Now, if you will excuse me, I must go and see to the aftermath of the fire and my niece.” He turned and began to walk away with haste.
He'd come too far now to allow anything to trip him up.
“Perhaps you should wait a little while, My Lord. Mr Blackwood would be very disappointed to hear that you were not where he said you would be.” Lord Dunham called over the heads of the other people who were waiting to board the ship.
Reginald froze, a bolt of ice travelling down his spine.
That two-timing coward.
Starting off at a sprint, he pushed a lady out of the way, causing the crowd to gasp in shock as she fell into a stack of empty crates. “Unhand me this instant!” he yelled in panic as two burly men stopped him in his tracks, each grabbing an arm and holding on tight. He attempted to struggle free, but their grip was just too strong for him to escape.
One of the men kicked his cane, sending it flying over the dock and into the waves of the sea. A scuffle continued for a few moments until he spotted Lord Dunham parting the crowd that had gathered.
“You didn’t think that I would come without help, did you, Reggie?” Lord Dunham smirked as he came forward, calmly walking towards him.
“How dare you treat me like this! Unhand me at once; I have a title!” Reginald bared his teeth, anger flaring his nostrils as he realized that Mr Blackwood must have sold him out.
“Actually, you stole a title through murder. That’s right, Mr Blackwood didn’t look kindly on the fact that you threatened him. He went straight to the authorities after your little meeting and confessed everything. Murder doesn’t sit well with some. And I must thank you … if you hadn’t come clean to your partner, you may very well have slipped through my fingers once again,” Lord Dunham said coolly, stopping a few steps away from Reginald.
All forms of address and respect had been discarded now that Reginald was firmly in the man’s custody.
“Blackwood is a liar! You can’t believe anything he says,” Reginald snarled and strained to break free, not giving up on his pursuit of freedom.
“It isn’t just Mr Blackwood’s word that we are taking into consideration, Reggie. You really don’t recognize me, do you?” Lord Dunham shook his head and came a little closer.
Reginald stopped struggling long enough to get a proper look at the man. He seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t place where he had seen the face before.
“Perhaps you are thinking that you recognize me but can’t quite place your finger on it? Allow me to refresh your memory. My father, Lord Dunham, was a prominent landowner in Scotland. Or, as you might recall, one of the men you embezzled from and left in ruin.
Have there been so many families you’ve touched with your poison that you don’t recall how many there were?” Darkness fell over his eyes as Lord Dunham glared at him.
“I remember now, you were a boy in your father’s house when I visited Scotland.”
A wave of nausea washed over his body as Reginald realized just who Lord Dunham was. The chances were good that the man had been pursuing him for years as he thought over their chance meeting at a ball and the persistent way he had pursued his niece.
“The jig is up, Lord Grey, or should I say Reggie? You may have fooled me over the years with your many clever disguises, but there was one detail you never quite mastered.” Lord Dunham smiled triumphantly.
“And what would that be, you smug little coward?” Reginald spat viciously and lunged towards him but once again found himself being held back by the men.
Leaning forward with a smirk on his lips, Lord Dunham whispered to Reginald, “Your Scottish accent was never that good.”
“I will get you for this, you bastard!” Reginald hissed angrily and fought as the two men dragged him off to a waiting carriage.
***
Lord Dunham felt his shoulders relaxing as he watched the irate figure of Reginald Grey being dragged away. Years of searching and working to bring the man to justice had finally come to an end. It was a pity that his father hadn’t lived long enough to witness the victory, but at least now he could put the memory to rest and move on with his life.
Heaving a sigh of relief, he turned away from the spectacle, breathing in the salty air. Now that Reginald had been apprehended, there was one small matter that needed to be seen: Lady Charlotte Grey.
***
Charlotte’s eyes fluttered open as a dull light pricked at her eyelids. Her throat felt dry and scratchy, and her chest was heavy. She wasn’t sure how long she had been asleep or even if she had managed to escape the fire.
Is this heaven?
