Sir Basil rose in a rush, outrage stiffening his posture. “This is preposterous. You’d give weight to some dust-covered papers and the ravings of those villains found at the scene?”
Gabriel stood, cold fury sharpening in his chest. “Villains acting under your orders.” He wanted to drag this fool across the desk and force a confession from him. “You tried to haveme killed. Worse. You had my wife abducted and beaten. For that, you’ll find out what it’s like to dance with the devil.”
Daventry was on his feet. “Sergeant Reid.”
The footsteps came at once. Sir Basil turned, blanching as the door opened and the sergeant stepped inside, four constables in tow.”
“Sir Basil Malden,” Daventry said calmly, “you’re under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder, abduction, sedition and the corruption of public office.”
“On whose authority?” Sir Basil countered.
Daventry smiled. “The King’s.”
Sergeant Reid stepped forward, taking Sir Basil firmly by the arm. “Best you come quietly, sir, save?—”
“Unhand me, you fool.” The magistrate shirked out of his grip with a sneer. “This is a mistake. A damned mistake. I’ve served this city for twenty years?—”
“And in that time,” Daventry said, unmoved, “you’ve profited from every lie you helped conceal.”
Sir Basil opened his mouth to argue, but said nothing. Perhaps even he sensed the futility of denial in the face of ruin. Sergeant Reid took hold of him again, more forcefully this time, and led him from the room.
Gabriel watched them go in silence. The door closed, not just on a traitor, but on every wicked lie that had nearly cost Olivia her life. That chapter was over. She was safe. And that was all that mattered.
Daventry gave an amused snort. “No matter how many criminals we put behind bars, nothing satisfies quite like those who believe they’re invincible.”
“Or those who got away with murder for twenty years.” Gabriel considered the hours Daventry had spent as master ofLondon’s finest enquiry agency, relentlessly pursuing justice. “But at what cost to you, personally?”
Daventry’s smile softened. “I do it for my wife, who’s the heart of everything I am. And for my sons, to show them that a man doesn’t walk past what’s broken. He does everything in his power to fix it. And I’ve every faith your sons will learn the same from you.”
The remark drew his mind to Olivia and the future they might build, the life they would share. If the wheels of fate were already turning, she might soon be with child. He’d be the father he’d once needed. The man he’d spent his whole life trying to become.
Daventry pulled his watch from his pocket and checked the time. “On the subject of being a better man, I promised my wife dinner at Marcello’s tonight. And I’ve an important call to make in Kingston.”
“Kingston? Are there not enough rogues in the city?”
“This one’s personal. A deal I made with Dominic Hawke.”
Gabriel jolted. “You’re riding to Shadowmere?”
“To deliver a document. Hawke and his friends need very little help from me.” Daventry laughed, almost to himself. “If you want to see the foundations of thetonrocked to its core, accept the invitation to the Templeton ball next month.”
Gabriel watched him with mounting curiosity. One thing was certain. Whatever document Daventry had for Dominic Hawke, it would send the man’s life veering in a different direction.
Daventry checked his watch again. “Well, I’d best deal with Sir Basil before heading to Kingston. Nothing will make me late for dinner with my wife.”
Gabriel didn’t doubt it. In Daventry’s world, rogues cameand went—but love endured. A man didn’t earn a reputation as a matchmaker without understanding what truly mattered.
He thought of his own path, every loss, every hard lesson. The road had been merciless. But it led him to Olivia. And he would crawl a thousand miles, gladly, if it meant finding her again.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Two months later
There had been nights in the cottage when peace seemed a distant dream, happiness little more than an idle wish, and family just a fading memory. But here, now, laughter and music filled the ballroom at Studland Park. The house pulsed with life, their friends’ voices echoing through rooms once silent, the lonely days behind her.
The Chance brothers made playful bets on who might lure their eldest brother from his wife’s side for five minutes. Mr Daventry and his agents waltzed with their wives, while her friends from The Burnished Jade remarked how a single year could transform everything.
“Who knew we’d be dancing at Studland Park?”
