“No, not yet, but I will soon enough.”
“How’s that, then?”
Emma touched the pendant in her pocket, running her fingers over the rough diamonds surrounding the portrait of the young boy. “I have something of his, and he wants it back badly enough he attacked Helena tonight to get it.”
“He knows ye have it?”
“I’m not sure he does, no, but he will.” Emma pulled the pendant from her pocket, and held her hand out to show Daniel. “I think it will flatter me, don’t you? I have just the gown towear with it.”
Lady Crosby looked between Daniel and Emma, her expression baffled and fearful at once, as if she didn’t quite understand what Emma meant, but was certain she wouldn’t like it.
Daniel glanced at the pendant on Emma’s palm, and grunted. “Ye mean to put yerself inhis way, then?”
“What?” Lady Crosby snatched Emma’s hand in a frantic grip. “No. He’ll hurt you, Emma!”
Emma had been threatened before, even attacked before, but even she couldn’t suppress a shudder at the thought of being the target of a man so cold-blooded. Because of course he’d been the one who’d taken Amy and Kitty from Lymington House, before setting his sights on Caroline Francis.
“I imagine he’s desperate to get this pendant back, and desperate criminals are likely to become careless.” Emma’s gaze met Daniel’s. “If he were to find me unexpectedly in his path, the pendant around my neck, who knows what mistakes he might—”
“God in heaven!” Lady Crosby shot to her feet. “That’smadness, Emma!”
Lady Crosby had faced every challenge thus far with the aplomb of a lady born for intrigue, but Caroline Francis strangled and left dead in an alley and her dear Emma threatened with a similar fate was too much for her.
“I thought it might come to this, my lady.” Emma drew Lady Crosby gently down onto the settee beside her. “I knew how dangerous this could become when I agreed to go ahead with it. Surely, you can understand why I must see it through?”
“But to throw yourself into such a man’s path, Emma!” Lady Crosby wailed. “How can you be certain it won’t end in tragedy?”
I can’t. Emma didn’t say it, but Lady Crosby was no fool. “If it’s not me, it will be some other lady, one who doesn’t know how to defend herself, and doesn’t have you and Daniel to help her.”
Lady Crosby shook her head, herface crumpling.
“Please, my lady. I can’t turn up at Lymington House without my grandmother, can I?” Emma’s tone was light, but she needed Lady Crosby as much as she did Daniel. Samuel knew part of the truth about her, but as far as the rest of thetonwas concerned, she was still Lady Emma Crosby, and Lady Emma Crosby didn’t visit the Marquess of Lymington’s country estate without a proper chaperone.“Lady Crosby?”
Lady Crosby drew in a shuddering breath. “I don’t like it, Emma, but I did agree to this, just as you did, and I won’t disappoint you and Daniel andLady Clifford.”
Emma sagged with relief. “Thank you, my lady. Don’t forget Daniel will be with us. He’s accustomed to dealing with murderous villains.”
“That’s, ah…very reassuring, Emma.”
“We might wish to arrive several hours before supper, so we have time to unpack our things and rest before the evening commences.” If they were already ensconced in their rooms, it would be more difficult for Samuel totoss them out.
“Of course, if you wish it, dear,” Lady Crosby said dully. “Whatever makes you comfortable, Emma.”
“Thank you.” Emma pressed Lady Crosby’s hand gratefully, but she didn’t fool herself into thinking there would be anything comfortable about this visit.
I don’t want to see your face ever again, Emma.
No, nothing comfortable, at all.
Chapter Eighteen
Samuel strode into the drawing room, found Lovell and Lady Flora whispering together on the settee in front of the fire, turned without a word, and strodeback out again.
“Wait, Lymington,” Lovell called, rising to his feet. “A word,if you would?”
Damn. He’d nearly escaped. Maybe he could pretend he hadn’t heard—
“I know you heardme, Lymington.”
