“I didn’t expect you to bother with us, Lord Peyton. Not with you and Lady Helen busily carrying on a treat.”
Rage replaced her fear with a burning desire to confront the woman. Heedless of Jason’s instruction, Helen flicked a lock of hair over her shoulder and abandoned the hiding place. “How careless of you to make that assumption, Mrs. Chance.”
“Helen, raise Jeremy and send him for a constable,” Peyton said. “And while we are waiting for the Watch, you two can enlighten me about your nasty little scheme.”
Reassured by his imperturbable tone, Helen rushed to fling open the library door, closing it swiftly behind her. She was about to flee along the corridor when the flickering candlelight beneath the library door was suddenly extinguished.
A shot rang out.
***
Jason wasn’t confident his shot found its mark in the dark. When the candle had gone out, a knife had whizzed past him, too close for comfort, and thwacked into the bookshelves behind him. He’d got off the shot before diving behind a chair. Crouching, he pulled out the knife he carried in his boot, cursing under his breath at not foreseeing the Frenchman’s action. Helen must have heard the shot. For a moment, his fear that she would open the door and become a target, highlighted by the light from the corridor, brought his heart to his mouth. He couldn’t risk calling out to her now; it might bring her running. Helpless, he waited. If anything happened to her... If he lost her.Why couldn’t he have persuaded her to just stay in bed?
“Peyton?”
He slumped with relief. “Stay outside,” he ordered, not confident she would obey him.
Loud sobs emanated from the end of the room, and he knew his shot had not gone wide. Bright candlelight flooded under the door and lightened the room to gray. He rose and moved cautiously toward the desk. Locating the fallen candelabra, he lit it. The man’s prone body was spread-eagled on the floor. On her knees beside him, Mrs. Chance was patting his chest and making cooing noises.
Whirling around, Jason went to open the door. Helen’s stricken white face greeted him, a branch of candles wavering and flickering in her hand.
“I thought it was you…” she said in a choked whisper, reaching out to touch his arm where his coat was torn. “You’re hurt.” He looked down and saw blood. “I’ll fetch a salve and some bandage. Jeremy has gone for the constable.”
“I’m all right, just bring me a blanket.”
Her eyes widened. “A blanket?”
“No questions, Helen. Just do it.”
Jason returned to crouch beside the prone man. His ball had killed him instantly. Blank eyes stared sightlessly up at them.
Helen hurried in carrying the blanket.
When Jason threw it over the dead man, the housekeeper came to life. She launched herself at Jason, screeching like a banshee. He grabbed her wrists and held her until she wobbled and sank to the ground in a torrent of tears.
He hauled her over the sofa and sat her down. “Who is he?”
She sniffed. “The best man you’re ever likely to meet.”
“I doubt it. His name?”
“Pierre Valmay. My husband.”
“You’ve been working together?”
She raised wild eyes to him. “Why should I tell you?”
“Better you tell me now then undergo the less polite treatment you’ll receive at Bow Street.”
“They’ll hang me anyway,” she said bitterly.
“Who hatched this plot?”
“Pierre did.” For a moment, she looked triumphant and then slumped into despondency. “I overheard his lordship talking to Bart. He was describing his discovery and how it would be of immense value to England. When I told Pierre, he said he could sell the information to the French. And he would have, too, if you hadn’t interfered. Pierre could do anything he set his mind on.”
Jason flicked at glance at Helen. She was staring with fury at Mrs. Chance. “Why poison a harmless man like Bart?”
“We tried to persuade him to join us. With Lord Kinsey away for months, and with Bart’s knowledge of the portfolio and his ability to access it at night, it was the perfect time to recruit him. But the fool refused. Said he was going to tell his lordship when he returned. He promised not to draw Lady Kinsey into it after we threatened to hurt her and the children. But we couldn’t trust him.”
