“Ellis went to you,” Juliana repeated.
Rivers dropped his gaze back to her. “He did. He met with someone, a woman. Now, normally I protect the identities of the members of my club religiously, but I’ll make an exception provided this remains between us.”
“Who?” Rook pressed.
Rivers met his gaze. “Winston Leonard’s sister.”
“Lady Lydia?” Juliana gasped, and saw her sisters looked just as shocked as she did. “She is a patron of your club?”
“A great manyladiesare, Miss Shelley,” Rivers said with a slightly arched brow in her direction. “They met very briefly and then departed separately. I waylaid Ellis temporarily and I saw…” He turned toward Rook. “I want you to understand, Rook. Handsome is…he’s on a suicide mission.”
Juliana buckled at those words and Rivers reached out, catching her elbow so she didn’t collapse onto the floor under the weight of that suggestion. He guided her to a chair and helped her into it. She stared up at him, blinking at tears, fighting around the lump in her throat. “A suicide mission. How?”
“He talked to me about it weeks ago,” Rivers said, his mouth a thin, hard line. “About failing everyone he cared about. About how his only option was to sacrifice himself in order to end Leonard.”
“End him?” Rook repeated, the color exiting his cheeks. Anne slid to his side and wrapped her arm around his waist as if to shore him up. “He’s going tokillLeonard?”
Rivers nodded. “That was his intention recently. After tonight, I believe to still be.”
“Why the hell didn’t you send for me?” Rook cried out, marching up on Rivers, his hands in fists at his sides.
“Because Handsome wants you out of the life,” Rivers said, never flinching even at the implied threat. “And to be honest, I hoped he would talk himself out of it.” He glanced at Juliana. “Because of you. You were giving him something to live for.”
“Not enough,” she whispered, and now one of those tears she’d been fighting slid down her cheek. “Not enough to fight his urge to protect us all.”
Harcourt had been strangely silent during it all but now he stepped forward. “Enough people have died because of the mistakes Ellis Maitland and my brother made. Juliana, you said Ellis solved the anagram. What did he say exactly?”
“Three words that stood out, that he reacted strongly to, and I hope they’re enough.Garden. Fountain. Honoria.”
She expected Harcourt to be as confused as she had been by the answer, but instead the color fled his cheeks. “Honoria,” he repeated, and his cheek twitched.
Thomasina reached for him, taking his hand. He glanced down at her, and for a moment, their connection was powerful. “Who is Honoria?” she whispered.
“My brother’s mistress,” Harcourt said softly. “The only woman he ever loved, I think. Solomon had a house for her here in London. When he died, she was devastated. She boarded it up and left for the continent. It has a garden with a fountain. She loved it.”
“That’s where he hid the gem,” Rook breathed. “Because he and Solomon were friends, my cousin must have known about her, known about the fountain…so he would understand the reference as much as you did.”
Harcourt nodded. “I’m getting dressed. Rook, do the same. Mr. Rivers, I hope you will accompany us. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”
“I’ve already sent word to Handsome’s men. My man of affairs, Abbot, is gathering a few more. We’ll have an army to save him.”
“I’m already dressed,” Juliana said, smoothing her gown. “I could change into more serviceable boots but that will take but a moment.”
The men stared at her, and Rook shook his head. “You can’t go. It’s too dangerous.”
Juliana barked out a laugh. “As your cousin has learned, Rook, I am not one to be argued with. The man I love is being threatened and is willing to kill and to die in order to protect me and all of you. I’m bloody well coming, and if you don’t allow it, I’ll break out of any chains you try to put me in. I’m not abandoning him because he wouldn’t abandon me.”
Anne drew back. “You—youdolove him.”
She faced her sister, the one of them Ellis had hurt most. And she prayed there could be forgiveness in the future. “I do. And I think he does love me. He is more than what desperation had him do. More than what any of you know, save Rook. I want to give him a chance to prove it and himself.”
“It seems he’s already proving himself,” Thomasina said, and squeezed Harcourt’s hand again. “He would die to protect us. That means something.”
“It does,” Harcourt said. “Juliana, you may ride with us. But you’ll stay back.”
“All of us will stay back,” Anne said, patting Rook on the cheek and heading for the door. “Because we’re all coming.”
Harcourt and Rook exchanged a weary glance as Rivers laughed. “I understand the attraction now. Ready yourselves. I’ll go gather the men at my disposal and meet you. You only need to provide me the address of this house.”
