Demon shook him again. “What have yedone with her?”
Did the man honestly think Bull had sent her alone to the train station in the middle of January?
He focused on pulling Demon’s hands from his lapels. “I dinnae ken why—” A thought struck him. “Did she receive a telegram? From Merida, perhaps? Is she off to London?”
Without saying goodbye? It would hurt, but at least it would be an explanation…
Demon stepped back, eyes still frantic. “A letter! This morning she got a letter, nae return address.”
“Oh, fook,” Bull whispered, suddenly struck with dread. “Was it related to this case?”
“Ikennedye would hurt her,” growled Demon, lunging forward.
But Bull blocked him, and it washisturn to grab the olderman and pull him closer. “Iloveher, ye auld dobber, I wouldneverdo anything to hurt her!”
Demon’s green eyes widened, even the one covered in the horrible burn scars, and his lips formed the wordlove, but no sound emerged.
It was that opportune time that a cheerful sound, like a monkey splashing in a barrel of whisky, broke through Bull’s panic.
He dropped Demon and whirled about to see the housekeeper, Mrs. Kettel, wearing a teapot on her head and holding a pair of grubby envelopes.
“I found these in wee Rosie’s room. You can see one’s addressed to her, one to you, Mr. Lindsay.” She waved them at Bull. “I would’ve brought them right away, but I needed to clean out the silver lid, to prevent shrews. The poor dears are attracted to?—”
She continued speaking as Bull grabbed the envelopes and was busy tearing open the one with his name.
My Love,
I have found our blackmailer. Or rather, he has found me. It appears he did not die in that frozen river after all. I cannot allow him to hurt you, so I pray you will forgive me for giving into his demands. After some debate, I am leaving you the letter I received this morning in the hopes that, despite his threats, you might consider joining me in Balleter after I have delivered the portrait and saved your reputation and future.
I know you well enough to know you are cursing me right now, but please: be original, and do not lean so much on fook, which is most uncreative. Considerobdurate shitegobblin,ormalodorous wankmuppet.
Believe me, love, I know my own mind, and am strong enough to do this. I will learn the blackmailer’s secrets, and together we can take him down.Later. When your reputation is safe.
I love you, Bull. You are worth this.
Your Rose
Postscript: since I defied our blackmailer’s orders to tell you, you might as well alert my parents, so they do not worry. Has my father punched you yet?
Do not worry? Bull’s mouth gaped as his hands lowered. He stared at the words swimming before his eyes.Do not worry?
She’d gone gallivanting off alone to confront the blackmailer, the one who’d tried tokillthem…and she told them not to worry?
When Demon snatched the letter from his hands, Bull scrambled to read the other one, the one addressed to Rose.Rosie, the blackmailer called her, as if heknewher. As he read, Bull’s rage blazed to life.
This—thiswankmuppetthought his reputation mattered more to him than Rose’s safety?
“Fook that,” he growled aloud.
It wasn’t until he looked up that he saw Demon’s stricken look. Rose’s letter dangled, forgotten, from her father’s fingers as he turned horrified eyes to Bull.
“Dear God,” the older man whispered. “What is going to happen to my bairn?”
In that moment, Demon’s pain became his own. Bull grabbed him once more, by the shoulders this time, and forced the other man to meet his gaze. “Demon. Demon,look at me. We’ll find her.” He shook the man just slightly. “We’ll find her, we’ll get her back, we’ll keep her safe.”
Demon slowly blinked. “She loves ye,” he croaked. “My bairn. I held her when… I promised I would never let… Do ye…” He swallowed, then straightened, looking more like the fearsome bastard he could be, rather than the terrified father. “Do ye truly love her in return?”
And Bull, filled with a sense of certainty—not just about the question, but the knowledgehe would keep Rose safe—nodded firmly and offered a small smile with his vow.
