“I… Four?”
“There’s been five.Any idea when the first one took place?”
“It was last autumn I believe.”
“No.It’s been more than a year.Miss Fairchild was killed in the first week of June.Yet Bow Street is no closer now to catching the man responsible for it than they were back then.Even more disturbing, the murders are increasing at an exponential rate.”
His eyes widened just enough to suggest he’d missed this important detail.“Are you certain?”
She listed the dates.“If this pattern continues we run the risk of having a murder each week.Perhaps more often.”
“Making it more likely for the killer to reveal himself in error.”
“True.But how many women will have died by then?”
“Too many,” he murmured.
Good.He was finally in agreement.“Whoever this individual is, he’s clever, but the increased frequency of his attacks suggests he may have developed a taste for it – that he’s eager for victims.And once the ones fitting a certain profile have all been killed, he’ll surely move on to others.”
Horror drew Marsdale’s features tight.He stared at Samantha.“What’s your plan?”
“Promise you’ll hear me out before judging?”He gave a quick nod, upon which she told him what she and Adrian had in mind.
“And where would all this take place?”Marsdale asked once she’d finished.
“At Clearview House.During the ball.”
He scrubbed his jaw.“This is insane.Beyond that, it goes against my firmly held belief that private citizens shouldn’t be hunting down dangerous men.It’s perilous and stupid.However, I understand your reasoning in this instance.You’ve made an excellent argument, for which I commend you.So I’ll help.Provided Croft approves every part of this scheme.I’ll not have him challenging me to a duel for daring to kiss his woman.”
“What?”The comment was so unexpected he might as well have told her he knew of his friend’s proposition and hoped she’d accept.
Heat rushed to her cheeks and her gaze instinctively shifted to Adrian’s tall frame.He was approaching the bench, his dark eyes fixed upon her while he carried three paper cones.
“He’s taken a liking to you,” Marsdale murmured.“An understandable one, I might add.The manner in which he speaks of you leaves no question about his intentions.”
Despite the pleasure this comment instilled somewhere deep in her heart, she still had to ask, “What if I’m not of like mind?”
“That would be between the two of you.”Marsdale straightened as Adrian neared, his final words before he reached them so softly spoken Samantha barely heard him.“He may be rough around the edges, but he’s a reasonable man - the most dependable of my acquaintance.”
“What’s the conclusion?”Adrian asked, offering them each a cone filled with a mixture of nuts and sweetmeats.
“Miss Carmichael can be very persuasive,” Marsdale informed him.“I daresay she would work wonders in Parliament.”
“So you’ll help?”No hint of humor or willingness to make light of the situation.
Marsdale’s expression sobered.“Yes.”
Adrian couldn’t have looked more somber if he’d been carved from granite.It made Samantha wonder if he’d secretly hoped the earl would refuse.His jaw was firmly set, his mouth a tight line of precision.Fierceness sharpened his gaze.
Extending his hand to Samantha, he told Marsdale boldly, “I need to speak with her for a moment.”
No words of gratitude.
“Of course.”
Adrian’s gaze shifted, finding hers and locking with it, creating a pull that forced her hand to clasp his and her body to rise.They strolled for a number of paces, arms linked, before he spoke.“I worry our plan will go wrong and I won’t be able to protect you.”
No request for her to give him an answer regarding his proposition.She wasn’t sure if she found that disappointing or if it gave her relief.
