Lady Charlotte and the Lending Library (The Rogue’s Alliance #1)

Chapter Twenty-Three

A shford watched William carry Charlotte from the carriage through the mews at the rear of her parent’s townhouse in Hanover Square. He made to follow.

“She’s all right, my friend.” Nathaniel stood beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. “William said she merely fainted. Although she is cold and exhausted, her pulse is steady and strong. Our presence can only be a nuisance right now. William will send you word tomorrow about Lady Charlotte’s condition.”

The baron was right. He would go home and wait for word from William. And Cecil.

While William had helped Charlotte with her bound wrists, Cecil took custody of the cloaked man. Landry was dead, his head a ghastly sight. As Ashford and Nathaniel followed William to the carriage, Ashford examined the body by the Serpentine. The dead man was indeed Lord Meers. From the looks of it, he'd been drowned.

Once he was sure Charlotte was safely inside her home, Ashford drove Cecil’s carriage back to Grosvenor Square. Nathaniel decided to walk home. To regain his equilibrium, he’d said, and Ashford didn’t argue. It was well after two o’clock in the morning and several residents of the neighborhood were returning from evening entertainments. He would soon find out if his mother were home.

According to the footman on duty in the entry hall, the marchioness had already retired for the night.

Ashford replied, “Inform my valet I won’t need his services tonight. I will be in the library and wish not to be disturbed unless the matter is urgent.”

When he entered the library, he found Chloe lying by the cold hearth. He lit the fire after giving the dog several pats. Taking a seat on a plush settee, he kicked his dancing pumps from his feet and pulled off his wet stockings. His shoes and hose were caked with grass and mud and probably ruined. He reclined on the settee, silently apologizing to the maid who would have to clean the carpet under his shoes. Chloe jumped up next to him, settling beside his feet. She looked as tired as he felt.

His mind raced back over the events of the evening. Lord Meers must have been a member of the alliance. He was sure Cecil would search the viscount’s body and the green-cloaked man for the tell-tale black snuffboxes.

The next thing he knew, he opened his eyes to see the room awash with sunlight as he heard the creak of the library door opening. A maid entered with a tray, followed by Cecil. The maid set the tray on a nearby low table and gingerly picked up his muddy footwear and stockings before making her way back out of the room. Cecil closed the door behind her before taking a seat on a leather armchair near the hearth. Someone had been in to stoke the fire. Chloe was nowhere to be seen.

“Good afternoon.” Cecil had changed his clothing. Freshly shaven, his appearance was immaculate.

Ashford sat up and stretched his arms over his head. The satinwood clock on the mantle showed the time to be a few minutes after noon. Realizing he must look a sight, his response was less than cheery. “Good afternoon. I expected to see you before now.”

“When Landry fired his pistol, he attracted attention. I had to explain the situation to some runners.” Cecil nodded toward the tray. “Have something to eat. You look awful.”

The tray held a pot of tea, a rack of toast, butter, and marmalade. Ashford ate and drank while Cecil filled him in on the rest of his night.

“I secured the cloaked man and searched the body by the lake. It was Meers, and he had a snuffbox in his coat pocket. So did Landry and the cloaked man.” His friend paused. “I attempted to get some information from Landry’s lackey before the authorities arrived, to no avail.”

He could only guess what Cecil might have done in his effort to extract information from the cloaked man.

The viscount continued, “To protect the family of Lord Meers, I told the runners I knew not how he had drowned, and that James Landry shot himself before I arrived. The cloaked man will not refute my story. After I returned home to change, I was notified that Landry’s associate was stabbed while in the custody of the runners. The man is dead.”

Ashford wasn’t surprised. The alliance would want to tie up any loose ends. The magistrate’s court was a busy, congested place, no matter the time of day. It wouldn’t have been difficult for an assassin to stick a knife into the ribs of the cloaked man amongst the milling crowd in the building.

“Do you think someone in the alliance will come after us?” he asked, finished with his meal.

Cecil shook his head. “Landry was supposed to acquire the land Jacobsen owned in Berkeley Square. Now you and Nathaniel own it I don’t see the alliance coming directly after two peers. Their usual course of action when they want something is rarely straightforward.”

“What about your brother’s death?” If Cecil’s suspicions were correct, someone in the alliance had killed a peer in cold blood even before Lord Meer’s murder.

“I can’t tell you all the details, but it was a very different situation,” Cecil replied in clipped tones. “My contacts tell me the hierarchy of the alliance isn’t pleased about Lord Meers’ murder. The death of a peer draws too much attention to their activities.”

He had another thought. “The cloaked man wore the same colored cloak we saw on the wagon driver that night in Five Fields.”

Cecil nodded. “I noticed that as well. It could be the same man. The mission that night was to destroy not only the bridge, but a commercial enterprise. I believe the alliance wanted to harm either the Vauxhall Bridge Company or their ironwork supplier, the Butterley Company.”

“Does that bring you any closer to determining the head of the alliance?” he asked.

“It does narrow down my list of suspects.” His friend grimaced. “I still have a very long list.”

There was one thing Ashford needed to know. He’d held off asking Cecil about Charlotte because he knew to do so would remind his friend about his declaration of love for the woman. “Do you believe the threat to Lady Charlotte has passed?”

Cecil nodded. “Landry kidnapped her because he was desperate. He wanted to hurt you.”

“Do you have news of the lady?” he asked stiffly, his eyes on the teacup in his hand.

“My sources tell me she appears in good spirits and is well-rested. Lady Edith and Lady Louisa have been summoned to her side.” Cecil added cheerfully, “You may want to give her some time to recover from the events of last evening before going down on one knee.”

Ashford felt warmth rise upward from his neck to cover his cheeks. He’d declared his love for Charlotte in front of several people. Looking at his friend, he couldn’t help but grin at the idea of Cecil offering guidance on the treatment of the fairer sex. “Thank you for the advice.”

Cecil got to his feet. “The runners have no idea you, Nathaniel, William, or Lady Charlotte were in Hyde Park last evening. I suggest we keep it that way. I’m off to see how the baron fares.” He shook his head at Ashford’s appearance. “You could do with a bath and a shave.”

* * * * *

“H ow are you?” Edith asked as she squeezed Charlotte’s hands between her own, her face creased with worry. “The note William sent early this morning merely said that you were safe and Louisa and I should call on you this afternoon.”

Charlotte received her friends in her bedchamber, reclining against a pile of pillows on her bed. Dressed in a pale blue nightdress and matching dressing gown, she had a few bruises from her ordeal, but otherwise felt well.

In the event their parents heard that Charlotte had disappeared from the ball quite early, William told them Charlotte had felt unwell and been looked after by her friends in a retiring room before returning home.

Their mother was now convinced Charlotte needed a good long rest. “You’ve been too active lately, my dear. You saved Thorne’s. Now you need to take care of yourself.”

“I am quite all right,” she replied with a tired smile, releasing Edith’s hands. “You and Louisa should get comfortable. I have a long story to tell you.”

Louisa sat on the only chair in the room, an oak Bergere side chair, beside a tiny night table. “There is an ugly bruise on your temple. What happened to you, Charlotte?”

Edith took a seat at the end of the bed as Charlotte recounted the events following her disappearance from the ballroom at Norfolk House. She wasn’t sure when she’d received the bruise. She was unconscious when William brought her into the townhouse; heaven knows what the servants must think.

William had awakened her lady’s maid Sally. The girl roused Charlotte from her stupor to dress her in nightclothes before putting her to bed and keeping a watchful eye over her mistress through the night.

Charlotte woke with the dawn, a slight headache, and some aches and pains, the only reminder of her abduction. After a warm bath and some breakfast, she’d felt well enough to speak with William about the events at Hyde Park.

“Lord Cecil has already been to see me this morning,” her brother said from his place in the Bergere chair. “Nobody knows you or I were in Hyde Park last night.”

“What about the cloaked man? And Lord Meers?”

“Lord Cecil made up a story to protect the family of Lord Meers.” William paused. “The cloaked man was stabbed while he was in the custody of the Bow Street Runners. He is dead. That is everything Lord Cecil told me. It’s over, Charlotte. You’re safe.”

She wasn't surprised the cloaked man was dead. The alliance wouldn't want him alive to answer the runner's questions. To her relief, William didn't mention Lord Ashford’s declaration of love.

When Charlotte was finished recounting the events at Hyde Park and her recent conversation with William, Edith and Louisa were silent for several moments.

“All of this violence over some land.” Edith shook her head.

“I don’t think we’ll be visiting Hyde Park in the near future,” Louisa remarked.

Charlotte felt laughter bubble up in her throat. Edith shot Louisa a quelling look.

“Edith, I’ll be fine. I’m stronger than I look.”

Her friend giggled in reply. “There is one good thing that came from the events last night. You found out that Lord Ashford loves you.”

“He might have merely said it to convince James Landry not to harm me.” She was afraid to believe what the marquess had said. “His actions to save Thorne’s were merely to help Lord Cecil with his efforts against the Rogue’s Alliance.”

“Charlotte, enough with this silliness,” Louisa said irritably with a frown. “Lord Ashford loves you. From the first moment he met you, he has tried to protect you. The marquess helped save Thorne’s for you . He put himself in harm’s way for you . Twice. If that isn’t love, tell me what is.”

This time Charlotte couldn’t contain her laughter. She laughed until she cried; Edith laughed along with her. Louisa merely sat, arms crossed until her friends were done laughing.

“Does that mean you’re warming up to Lord Ashford?” Charlotte asked, wiping tears from her cheeks with the back of one hand.

“Do tell,” Edith said, brows raised.

Louisa raised her chin. With a shrug, she replied, “The man has sense enough to fall in love with my wonderful friend, so he can’t be all bad.”