“No,” Dominic nodded. “It will be better.” He exhaled heavily and asked, “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be. Let me get Devon and then the show will begin.”
He left the room, and Dominic waited patiently for Amos to return with his second-in-command, his son, Devon, the proud father of little Annalise. “Are you sure about this? Once you do this, there’s no going back.”
Dominic didn’t hesitate. “It’s the only way I can hope to be free. I don’t want the possibility that I will ever be tempted to come back.”
“You think that’s a threat with a woman like Miss Givenwald?” Amos asked candidly.
Dominic grinned. “Good point.” He stood back and spread his arms wide. “Let’s end this.”
Amos shrugged. “Goodbye, Avalon.” With that, he raised the pistol and pointed it directly at Dominic’s heart.
He pulled the trigger.
Chaos quickly ensued.
Once the shot sounded throughout the crowded pub, it didn’t take long before people were peering about the doorframe to see what had taken place. When a few managed to spy Avalon’s prone form lying on the floor of his office, there were a few shocked gasps and then came the screams.
A sheet that was conveniently placed nearby was laid over the body for privacy’s sake and as Amos turned to face the assemblage with the smoking pistol in his grasp, he asked coldly, “Anyone else care to challenge my authority?”
That was the day Amos took over the Blue Boys in the East End and Avalon was no more.
By the timethe Duke of Cuthbert returned to his townhouse in London that had been closed up, perhaps indefinitely, his lovely betrothed was eager to hear how things had transpired in the East End. “I regret to say that Avalon is dead.”
“Regret?” Lexie echoed.
He gave a lopsided grin. “Very well. Relieved.”
She put a hand to his strong jaw covered with that morning’s stubble. She decided that she might have to convince him to let it grow. She was rather curious how he might look like with a beard. “Are you sure you want to do this?” She gestured to the covered room, the furniture all lying in serene shrouds until the day they would be needed once more.
“Absolutely.” He threaded his hand through hers. “If I had the choice, the Duke of Cuthbert would die as well and we could start anew in the wilds of the Americas.”
She smiled. “That might be nice, but then, I am quite eager to see the nursery at your estate.”
He stilled. “You’re not saying…”
“No.” She laughed. “It would be too early to tell, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if we had a child who was born prematurely.”
His laugh was rich and deep and she loved the sound of it.
Riding in the coach on the way to his estate, Lexie thought it was odd that suddenly there was no need for Runners to serve as an escort. The threat to their future had been neutralized, and it was time for them to enjoy the years that they might share together, how ever long they might be. Either way, she knew they would be too short for her liking.
As the coach finally pulled into the long drive leading to the limestone manor, Lexie’s eyes widened in appreciation. She had grown up in a fine house in the country, but this one went far to rival that of the Eastland line that belonged to her father. Dominic had descended from a long history of Cuthbert dukedoms, and with any luck, they would have a son who would share in the same legacy of a respected title and a grand estate and grounds.
When they stopped at the front of the manor, a handsome, petite woman who mirrored the same dark hair and eyes as Dominic, but with the soft feminine features and streak of gray defining her age, greeted them fondly. “Cuthbert.” She moved down the steps with all the grace of a born duchess. She extended her hands to Lexie. “You must be my future daughter-in-law, Alexandra.”
Lexie was instantly smitten with Dominic’s mother. “Please, call me Lexie.”
“Lexie. How perfectly apt for such an enchanting creature. Let’s have a chat in the drawing room, shall we?”
As they entered the room decorated in shades of light greenand yellow, Lexie was impressed by the décor. “What a remarkable room.”
The duchess smiled. “I spend most of my time here. It has always been my favorite retreat.”
Lexie couldn’t imagine why Dominic had claimed his mother was something of a social pariah. She seemed perfectly amiable to her. However, taking one look at Dominic and the astonishment on his face, she realized that something had changed.
“Retreat,” he whispered. “My God. I never thought of it that way before.”
