Lucy was in danger. She just did not know it yet.
Chapter Thirty
“I’ll double your fees. I might even triple what Marsleigh paid you,” Daniel growled.
The words tasted bitter on his tongue. He was using money to gain justice for his relatives, and that didn’t sit well with him, but it was a necessary evil.
At the same time, the bitterness mixed with a coppery tang. He realized he had bitten his lower lip so hard that it had split.
“Think about it. I can pay you in gold, Gordon. However, you will have to testify. You must sign a confession right before a magistrate that Joshua Coulson ordered the murder. If there is proof and further witnesses, it would solidify the case against him.”
Gordon’s eyes narrowed. Daniel could imagine the debate in the thug’s mind. Being a criminal could be hard and dangerous.These men did it for gold. Now, he was being offered an obscene amount for his cooperation.
“Gold is always a temptation, Your Grace,” Gordon muttered, then spat a thick glob of greenish phlegm. It landed on the floorboards.
Daniel suppressed a shudder.
“However, I want this done fast, or else I would have made a ruthless enemy. The Earl might look like a mere prig, but he has enough hatred in his heart to kill.”
“What about your men? Certainly, they are loyal to you,” Daniel retorted.
“Ah. Of course. Now, you’ve beaten some of them.”
Still, there was no real remorse in Gordon’s eyes. The thug seemed ready to negotiate.
“Talk, and your punishment will be light. Keep your gold safe so you can find something to return to,” Daniel said, his voice dropping dangerously. “Now, before you think I am lying about the gold, here it is.”
He reached into his pocket for a heavy purse and threw it at the arsonist. Gordon caught it quickly with one hand.
“That is the downpayment. After you’ve done your part, you will be rewarded with more. Your reward also includes being escorted to a safe house until you can be sent to the colonies.”
A grin spread across Gordon’s face.
“You’re in a right hurry, Your Grace? Yes, I will sign the confession. But you must also move fast if you want to catch the Earl unawares. From what I heard, he is protective of his property, including that dear sister of his.”
Property?
Daniel’s stomach churned. Lucy might not take him back now, but he must save her from her mad brother. She should not live one more minute in that murderer’s house.
He sprinted out of the warehouse.
At Marsleigh House, a storm was brewing. Lucy could feel it in her bones as she watched the primrose silk dress she had worn to show Joshua that she was willing to play the obedient sister, as long as he helped her find a match.
It wasn’t the dress that concerned her the most at that moment, but the small jewelry box on her vanity.
Something was not right with it.
Inside was a scrap of paper Daniel had slipped to her during one of their clandestine meetings. The paper was wrapped around a silver charm he had bought for her. It was not expensive, just a souvenir from a street peddler. The tiny bird reminded him of her, he had said.
The note read:To the bird who must fly out of her cage—D.B.
She should not want to see it after he had rejected her, but the urge was strong. She needed to see the letters curving on the paper again, but when she touched the box, she realized that it did not click properly. She always kept it closed.
When she opened it, she saw that the silver charm was still there, but not the note. How?
Lucy did not expect the question to be answered quite so quickly, and with brutal force.
The door to her chamber flung open. Her washstand rattled. In the doorway, looking like he could murder someone—perhaps her—stood Joshua. He was still dressed in his formal attire, but his cravat was askew. In his hand was a crumpled slip of paper.
