Elizabeth paced backand forth across the carpet in Matthew’s study.“I don’t think this is a good idea.”She watched Seaton and Matthew strap weapons to themselves.Seaton slid two wickedly sharp knives into slots in a leather holster he wore fastened across his chest.Matthew tucked a pistol into the inner pocket of his jacket.
He crossed to stand in front of her.“We have to confront him.Now that he knows where you and Stella are, I can’t risk him coming for either of you.We will attempt to intimidate him into staying away.Seaton can be very persuasive.”He glanced over at Seaton.The look they exchanged said they found it very unlikely that intimidation would work.
“What are you doing?”Stella’s voice came from the open doorway.Her eyes were glued to Seaton’s knives.He shrugged into his jacket and turned to pick up a short club from the desk.
“They are going out to be vigilantes,” Elizabeth said.“We ran into your older brother this evening at my grandmother’s house.”
“What?Why was he there?”Stella came into the room.
Elizabeth rubbed her arms, still chilled from her encounter with a murderer.“He wanted an introduction to me.According to my grandmother, he has become enamored of me.”
Matthew growled low.“He recognized me, and we had words.He knows you’re here, Stella.The time has come to deal with him.”
Stella’s eyes were round with fear.Elizabeth crossed and put an arm around her.She looked over at the men.“Can’t we still go to the magistrate?Tell him what we know.Perhaps you could search Griffen’s house.Maybe there is evidence of his wrongdoings there?”
Stella shook her head.“No, if Jonas has fixed on you, he won’t stop.I have seen it time and again.”She locked eyes with her brother.“Go deal with him.”
“We are going back to Lady Rollinsford’s house to wait for him.The dinner should last at least three hours, right?”
She bit down on her bottom lip and nodded.
Matthew came over and kissed Stella on the cheek.Then he kissed her, hard but brief.“Stay inside.”He strode out of the room with Seaton at his back.
*
She placed downher trick with a loud sigh.Across the table from her, Stella sat in her sparkly blue costume.After Elizabeth had put Robert to bed, Stella had come to find her, fretting about what could be happening with the men.They had decided to play cards to pass the time while they waited for them to return.
“It’s no use,” Elizabeth said.“I can’t concentrate.”
“Let’s go downstairs.Matthew said to stay inside; he didn’t say anything about staying trapped up here.We can go bother Val behind the bar.He always has funny stories to tell.I still have an hour before the show.”
“All right,” she found herself agreeing.She would go crazy, sitting here waiting all night, and she still wore the apricot satin dress from earlier in the evening, so at least she was dressed appropriately.“But we must stick together.I don’t want to lose sight of you for any reason.”
“You are worse than Big Ben with your mother-hen routine.”Stella stood and gripped her hand.“Come on.What could happen inside the club?”
Val good-naturedly lifted the end cap on the bar and let them come behind.“This one is always hanging out behind here.”He jerked his thumb at Stella.
“It’s the best place to watch people from.Busy tonight, Val?”
“For mid-week, a fair amount of customers.”He poured a glass of wine and handed it to Elizabeth.
“Thank you.”She took a long drink.
“Where’s the boss tonight?”
“He and Seaton went out hunting,” Stella said cryptically.
Val seemed to understand perfectly.He nodded, then grabbed the wine bottle and topped off her half-empty glass.“He’ll be fine.No tougher kids than those two.”
She snorted at Val calling them kids.Suppose that’s how he saw all of them.The graying and grizzled former sailor must be at least sixty-five.“How long have you been working for Mr.Reeves?”
“Since he opened the place.But I knew him from when he and Seaton worked as hooks down at the docks.”
A roar of voices rose from around the hazard table.Stella grinned.“Play is hot tonight.”
But then a scream rent the air.A man lay on the floor, a brick next to his head.All hell broke loose as more of the front windows were broken by bricks sailing through them.A bottle with a rag set on fire sailed through one of the broken windows and landed in the middle of a table, setting the felt covering on fire.Another came through the far window.It rolled across the floor and set the curtains aflame.
“We’re under attack!”Val lifted the end cap.“Come girls, get out of here.”
