“She is in danger because Griffen and his cronies are bastards who wish to keep their secrets. You have nothing to do with the sins of our father.” His gaze was flat and devoid of emotion.
In contrast, Hart’s emotions felt out of control. Despair and the desire to rip apart anyone who harmed Lucy warred with his ability to think logically. He sighed. “I just wanted to know the truth. I wanted to be able to punish those who destroyed my family. Who ruined my life.”
“I understand that more than you know, brother. But aren’t you being overly dramatic? What happened to you was terrible but you are still the duke, still in possession of all your money and lands.”
Hart ran a hand down over his face. “Those things don’t matter, she does.” He would do whatever it took to have Lucy back in his arms. God, he never told her how much she had come to mean to him. How much he loved her. She had given him her heart, and the whole time he had been too scared to love her back because of exactly this, he ruined everything he touched.
“Tell me this, would you have even seen how special she is before? Or would she have just been another notch on your bedpost?”
Hart sucked in a sharp breath. Seaton’s words stung as only the truth could.
“You think what happened to you ruined your life. But perhaps it simply gave you the opportunity for a different life from the ashes of your old one. Stop looking at what you lost and start seeing what you have gained.”
Hart straightened his shoulders. Seaton was right. This was no time to fucking wallow. They had to find her. He looked across at Seaton. “Will you help me find her? Please?”
Seaton stared at him for a long moment. Then he nodded. “But don’t mistake me for the good guy. I have no fucking reason to be a hero.”
“Then why are you agreeing to help?”
“I like your lady.”
Well then.If he hadn’t felt so panicked, he might have laughed at how Lucy managed to win over everyone she met, even this coarse dangerous man. The slapping of footsteps echoed from his left and another boy, much younger than the one that had come off his roof, raced down the street toward them.
Hart turned to Seaton. “One of yours?”
Seaton shook his head. He put a hand out to stop the boy. “What’s your business today in St. James Square?”
The boy was out of breath. He leaned forward with his hands on his knees. “I have a note for the Duke of Hartwick. Do you know which house is his?”
Hart stood. “I am the Duke of Hartwick.”
The boy’s eyes went wide as saucers. He held out a shaking hand with a sealed letter between his fingers.
Hart strode over and snatched it up. He tore through the plain wax seal and read the neat script.
I have your wife. Bring the journal to Vauxhall Gardens tonight at ten o’clock and we will make the exchange like gentlemen.
Hart stared down at the wordsmake the exchange like gentlemen. Like fucking gentlemen who used women as ransom? He handed the note to Seaton.
Seaton snorted in disgust. He fished out a coin from his pocket and held it up in front of the boy’s nose. “Where did you get this note from?”
The boy’s eyes locked on the gold coin. “A nob approached me on Westminster Bridge.”
Seaton flipped the coin to the lad, and the boy ran off. Turning to Hart, he shook his head. “They are stupid. Haven’t hired anyone to do the dirty work this time. Didn’t take her far; my bet is they’re keeping her on the river.”
Hart scrubbed his hand through his hair. “But I don’t have the journal. I’ve looked through all of my father’s things, the safe. He must have kept it at Belstoke.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll find out where they have her before tonight. Give me a few hours. Then we’ll go ambush them in their hidey hole.” Then Seaton walked away without another word.
Hart stood on the drive, watching his best chance to find Lucy stroll away like he was enjoying an afternoon off from work. What was he supposed to do until ten o’clock this evening? What if they were hurting her? She would certainly fight.Damn it, Lucy, be smart. Don’t aggravate your captors.He flipped up the cover on his watch fob, four-thirty. The bank was still open. He would go there and see if the journal was kept in the Hartwick safe. Trusting Seaton was not easy, and it couldn’t hurt to have the journal to trade if it came down to that.
“Townson,” he called out as he took the front stairs two at a time. “Get my carriage ready immediately.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Lucy wiggled againstthe ropes that tied her wrists behind her back. Blast! Where the hell was she? It was too dark for her to see past her nose. She sat in a ladderback chair, her arms bound around the smooth wooden back. Underneath her, the floor swayed and bobbed gently. She must be on a boat. Panic bubbled up into her chest.
She called out, “Help! Someone help me!” She screamed at full volume despite her parched throat and aching head.
