Page 73 of Captivating the Earl (Lords and Ladies in Love 5)

Of course, Lizzie was his responsibility. All wives were their husbands’ responsibility. Her well-being was also his duty, but not the way it had sounded when he’d said he married her to keep her safe. He’d married her because he loved her, and love meant trust, and trust meant not always being in control of the other person.

Hawk stomped up the stairs to his bedchamber. He had no intention of permitting whatever Sidmouth had set up to be the only safety for Lizzie. Hopefully, he would drag the information out of the maid as to where the driver had taken his wife and chase after her.

He pulled his cravat off and tossed it on a chair, along with his jacket and waistcoat. While he waited for the blasted maid, he wandered into Lizzie’s room and stopped at her desk. He looked around the room. This was another matter to be dealt with. Once he groveled sufficiently for her to forgive his behavior, she would move all her things back into his bedchamber. No more sleeping apart. He had no intention of having a typical ton marriage.

In fact, bedchambers would not be an issue for some time. He had made the arrangements for their trip to the Continent, and now that it appeared this matter was close to an end, they could enjoy their delayed honeymoon.

While these thoughts ran through his mind, he bent over her desk and picked up a piece of paper she’d left behind.

My dear Lady Hawkins,

Our meeting will take place tonight at six o’clock. Please arrange to be at The Rose and Thistle in Camberwell at that time.

Your Servant, Lord Sidmouth, Home Secretary.

All the blood drained from Hawk’s face as he reread the note, refusing to believe what he saw. Over the years he’d received numerous notes and other correspondence from the Home Secretary. This note had not been penned by Lord Sidmouth.

In a flash, he was down the stairs, out the door, and headed to the mews behind the row of townhouses. “My horse, if you please,” he shouted at the groom. “And hurry.”

He’d known from the start this plan of the Secretary’s was flawed, but it was his own fault that Lizzie was in danger. If he hadn’t demanded she refuse to help uncover the culprit, she would have turned to him before she left.

Once again, he’d made the mistake of not listening. Lizzie had tried to tell him how important this was to her. How much she wanted to do one little thing to, in some way, redeem her name as a traitor’s daughter and help the Crown capture another treasonous individual. But he had dismissed it, more concerned about her being injured than her desire to put her father’s betrayal behind her.

His heart pounding and his stomach twisted in knots, he flung himself on Reggie and kicked the animal’s sides. He’d glanced at the long clock in the entrance way before he left. It was ten minutes to six o’clock. The ride to The Rose and Thistle was about fifteen minutes.

…

Lizzie stumbled as Mr. Allen pushed her forward. She dug her heels in, and they came to a stop. She pulled her elbow away and burrowed into her reticule, pulling out the papers. Hopefully, he wouldn’t look at them here and would let her go before he discovered they were blank. “Here.” She shoved the papers at him. “If this is what you want, then take them, and let me go.”

He took the pages from her hand and shoved them into his pocket. “No, my dear Lady Hawkins. Since you have these letters in your position and are looking me square in the face, you are fully aware of who was working with your father. I would be a fool to let you go free.” He grabbed her elbow again. “Move.”

Once they reached the cool night air, Lizzie shivered, searching frantically for the Scotland Yard men. Then she realized with a jolt that, of course, there would be no Scotland Yard men. This entire meeting had been set up to get her alone, retrieve the papers from her, and then kill her.

She closed her eyes and groaned. She should have waited for Hawk. She should have refused to help the Home Secretary. She should have…well, all

the “should haves” in the world didn’t matter since here she was in a place not known to anyone, with a gun pointed at her side.

Cam’s carriage sat in front of the Rose and Thistle, the driver and footman sprawled on the ground, clearly knocked unconscious, which meant another man working with Mr. Allen had been outside, waiting for her to arrive.

Would Mr. Allen turn her over to the other man to do the actual killing? Since he’d hired men before to do his dirty work, she was quite sure he would not kill her himself.

Her forearm clenched tightly in his grip, Allen walked her to Cam’s carriage. “Climb in, and don’t make a sound, or I will shoot you right here.”

She did as she was told and looked around the space, trying desperately to think of a way to save herself. Suddenly, the carriage was jolted sideways, and she slid across the seat to look out the window.

Hawk had Mr. Allen by his throat, shoved up against the carriage. Lizzie opened the door and screamed, “Behind you, Hawk.”

Another man, most likely the one who had bludgeoned the driver and footman, raced up to the carriage, his gun drawn.

Hawk threw a punch at Mr. Allen’s jaw, and his head snapped back hard against the carriage, and he went down. Lizzie screamed as Mr. Allen’s cohort reached out, pulled her from the carriage, and put the gun to her head.

“Back up, toff, or yer lady love gets shot.”

Hawk stopped and stared at the two of them, breathing heavily. He looked over at Lizzie and gave her a wink! She couldn’t believe it. With all of this going on, he was winking at her. The man must be crazy. “They’re going to kill me anyway, Hawk. Don’t listen to him.”

“This time I’m in charge, Lizzie. Remember to always obey me. Instantly. No argument, no second thoughts. Do you understand?”

Whatever was he rambling on about? He wanted to discuss her disobeying him now? Here?