Fifty pounds… Aislynn snatched the letter and shoved it into her own bodice. She did not want to think about how she might come up with such a fortune in that limited amount of time, but she was willing to do anything it took to save other women from suffering a dark fate, as well as have the assurance that this nightmare would finally be at an end. “Fine. Now get out.”
With a haughty sniff, her mother left without another word.
Once she was gone, Aislynn sagged against the doorframe. Her heart was pounding furiously but there was nothing she could do but set aside her personal grievances for the moment and head onto the stage.
She forced herself to refrain from seeking out Cordell’s face among the numerous faces staring back at her. Nothing good would come of wishing that things could be different than they currently were. The truth was, all of her hopes had been dashed the moment her mother had reentered her life. She was not about to subject Cordell to her mother after everything he’d said to her earlier. He didn’t deserve that.
She might be giving a stellar performance for the occupants of London tonight but it wouldn’t be until later that the ultimate test of her career would occur.
Two hours later, amid a standing ovation and a thunderous applause from an overwhelming audience, Cordell made his way backstage to congratulate Aislynn on another commanding role as the lead actress. He was conflicted with a mixture of pride because of her talent and the ever-growing concern for her wellbeing. He despised that he wasn’t able to secure her safety because the evil that continued to elude him was still running free. He could be planning another attack at this very moment and Cordell was furious that he couldn’t seem to stop any of these unfortunate deaths. He realized he might not have ever met Miss Sims had it not been for the threat that loomed, but if fate wanted to intervene, they could have encountered each other under considerably better circumstances.
There would, of course, always be that niggling doubt in the back of his mind that whispered he was to blame for all of her turmoil, that the sins of his father had been passed down the lineage to him, but he didn’t want to accept it without further proof. All he had was the wild conjectures that erupted in his mind, the demons of his past threatening to rise up and drag him back down, this time, where he could never break loose of their tight hold.
He gave a light knock on the door before he let himself inside Aislynn’s dressing room. She was standing with her back to the door, her hands gripping the back of her chair in a show of distress when he entered. If that wasn’t enough cause for concern, the way her head whipped around as if she might be expecting trouble was another indicator of her inner upset.
He uttered a curse, his first reaction to reach for the pistol he kept within easy reach. “What has happened?”
“It is nothing.”
She brushed off his concern too easily. “No. I do not believe that. Something is wrong and I am not leaving until you tell me what it is.”
She closed her eyes so that he couldn’t decipher whatever it was that was swirling in those emerald depths that she obviously didn’t want him to see. “I realized tonight that hoping for anything further between us is useless. I wanted to trust you, truly, but I was… lying to myself.”
His heart abruptly stuttered in his chest. “Aislynn, talk to me. Tell me what has transpired between earlier and now.”
She walked away, hugging herself as she replied softly over her shoulder. “I need you to go. I cannot think clearly when you are around.”
He clenched his jaw. “I am not leaving you.”
“I sent a letter to Mary. She is coming to escort me back to Spades.” A shuddering breath escaped her. “I need you to go, Cordell. Please.”
He shoved a hand through his hair. The softly spoken plea was almost his undoing. Frustration was shooting through every part of him but what could he do but give her what she wanted? He’d told her before he was powerless to resist her, even if he couldn’t understand the reasons why. “Very well.”
He slowly walked toward the door and although his hand shook as he reached for the knob, he did not remain. The last thing he wanted to do was push too hard. Evil, tainted blood flowed through his veins and the last thing he wanted to do was poison Aislynn with it. Perhaps the truth was that there was no salvation for someone like him after all.
But that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to find out what the hell was going on.
He waited outside in the cold, huddled in his greatcoat until he saw Mary’s carriage pull up out front. When he saw her alight from the vehicle, he strode forward. “What did Aislynn say to you?” he demanded.
“Cord,” she breathed in obvious relief. “I got this urgent message from Aislynn claiming she wants to come back to Spades but I thought the two of ye had mended things?”
“Something is wrong but she will not admit it to me,” he returned grimly. “I fear it could be connected to the killer. You must alert me the minute you notice her exhibiting any unusual behavior.”
Mary gave a snort. “As if ye do not already know that my loyalty has always been with ye.”
“I appreciate that. It is good to have friends one can count on in times of high distress.”
“Ye can always count on me,” Mary said with a firm nod. “What are ye planning to do now?”
Cordell’s mouth tightened. “To call in a favor. You know how to reach me.”
With that, he strode off into the night, already set on his next course of action.
It was time to face down more than just the demons that he continued to face at his own front door.
Chapter
Sixteen
