“You assume a great deal,” Stanton said, his attention switching to her. “Like the fact that my son wasn’t forced to write that confession under duress.”
Adrian growled, anger rolling off him in violent waves. Samantha prayed he wouldn’t do something reckless and get himself killed.
“Word is you caught him, Croft.” Randolph’s and Owen’s unidentified brother leaned forward. “The cleric found him the very next morning. I don’t believe that to be a coincidence.”
“Enough,” Stanton said, his deep voice rumbling in the dark. “Put your bloody knife away, Randolph, before things get out of hand.”
Stillness settled upon them. Samantha held her ground until Randolph started retreating, at which point she, too, withdrew her weapon. She took a deep breath and sent Adrian a swift glance to make sure the situation was not about to get worse.
Despite his stiff posture, he showed no hint of going on the attack. He took a step back. “My condolences to all of you.”
Stanton’s expression darkened. “Go to hell.”
There was no doubt in Samantha’s mind that Adrian only allowed the rudeness because of the loss the viscount had suffered. The man broke into an angry stride, shoving past them as he stormed off, his sons right behind him.
Samantha expelled a deep breath. “Well. That was exciting.”
Adrian turned to her, disbelief in every crease of his brow. “Are you demented?”
It was hard not to grin. “Good thing I was there to protect you.”
He muttered a curse, shook his head, and reached for her, pulling her into his arms and pressing a hot kiss to her mouth. Right there in the middle of the street, for all the world to see.
A smirk tugged at his lips when he drew back to face her. “I could have taken that pup if I’d needed to,but I have to admit, I rather enjoyed seeing you in action. That hairpin was quite the surprise.”
“It’s practical – easily accessible at a moment’s notice.”
“A bit like my cravat pin.”
He pulled the elegant piece of jewelry free so she could see that it was longer and sharper than what was expected. The revelation caused an astonished bit of laughter to catch in her throat. Chuckling in response, he caught her arm and steered her toward the carriage.
They pulled up in front of their home some twenty minutes later and were in the process of alighting when a small figure peeled away from the dimly lit street corner and walked toward them. Already on heightened alert from their earlier altercation, Samantha prepared for the worst, but allowed herself to relax when she saw it was only the flower girl she’d met before.
Sensing the tension in Adrian’s body, she placed her hand against his arm. “It’s all right. I know her.” She went to meet the girl. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“It’s about Isak.” The tremor in the girl’s voice chased away all hints of warmth and good cheer brought on by the evening. “He said to come here if Wycliff took him to that awful place. Let you know it was happening.”
Dread pooled in Samantha’s gut. “Where is he?”
“A place near Covent Garden.”
“Can you show us the way?”
The flower girl nodded and Samantha gestured for her to follow as she began striding back to where Adrian waited.
“Looks like we’ve got a boy to save,” she announced before she reached him.
Adrian straightened, his expression hardening as he glanced at the flower girl. “Isak?”
“Wycliff isn’t heeding your warning.” Despite doing her best to stay tough, her eyes started to sting as she spoke. “I should have murdered that man when Isak asked it of me. But I denied him and now… We have to do something.”
“And we will,” Adrian told her, the firmness in his voice a welcome assurance. To the flower girl he said, “What’s your name?”
“Rosie.”
“You’re a good friend, Rosie. Isak’s lucky to have you on his side.” He informed the driver that they would be taking another trip, then asked Rosie to tell him where to go. Once that was done, he handed her some coins and thanked her, adding, “We’ll take care of Wycliff and make sure no further harm comes to Isak. You have our word.”
Rosie bobbed an awkward curtsey, spun on her heels, and sprinted away, disappearing into the night.
