The Rebellious Rake (The Notorious Nightingales #4)

Chapter 31

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

S he was here, with her hand in his. She was safe, Ramsey told himself over and over as the anger inside him demanded retribution.

Someone had drugged Flora, and his father had saved her. Too much emotion was not healthy for a person, because Ram was sure his heart was about to stop. His eyes went to the man leading their small party back to the house where he’d rescued Flora.

His father.

“That one there,” Brandon Hellion said, his finger pointing to an elegant-looking brick-fronted town house.

He felt Flora shudder.

“It’s all right, you’re safe now. No one is hurting you again.”

“I climbed down from that window with your—Mr. Hellion.” Her finger pointed upward.

“You did?” The rest of his words were muffled as a large hand clamped over his mouth.

“Shut up,” Leo whispered in his ear .

Ramsey nodded, but he’d have plenty more to say on this matter soon.

“I’ll take Charles and Warwick to the rear with the duchess,” Alex said. “You others knock on the front door. I’ll give the signal when I’m in place.”

He wasn’t sure why the Sinclairs would involve themselves in this, but they seemed almost eager to do so, even the duchess.

They waited in cold silence. Ram slid an arm around Flora, as aware as she was of the man standing before him. His father.

“What signal are we waiting for?” Leo asked.

A noise reached them that sounded like a drunken bird who was unsteady on his feet as he wandered home from a night’s overindulgence.

“Alex’s attempts at bird whistles always fall alarmingly short,” Leo said.

“If I may offer a suggestion, I should knock, as those inside will not know me,” Lord Sinclair said. “It may help us gain admittance more easily.”

“He has a point,” Leo said. “We’ll stand to the side, out of sight.”

They moved into position, and then Lord Sinclair knocked on the door, a pleasant smile in place. Flora was pressed into Ram’s side, and Charles was to her right. They wouldn’t let anything happen to her again.

Pulling out his pistol, he waited.

The door opened, and Ram couldn’t see who answered but heard the man speak.

“My name is Lord Sinclair. I’m wishing to speak with a Mr. Masters. I believe he resides here.”

“There is no one by that name here. Good evening.”

“How about now?” Ram stepped up behind Lord Sinclair, pistol raised and pointing between the man’s eyes. “Move a single step and I’ll shoot you.”

“Where is Dr. Faulkner?” Brandon Hellion stepped to Ram’s side.

The man pointed behind him with his thumb. Ram turned the man and marched him inside, with the others following.

“Stay back, Flora,” Charles said. Ram hoped she listened to her brother.

The house was elegantly furnished as they moved down a hallway.

A voice reached them. “We will not leave without payment. You promised us money when we brought you someone to blackmail him with. We did that, now pay up, Dr. Faulkner.”

Ram nudged the man into the room and, following, pointed his pistol.

“Gentlemen, I’m sorry to interrupt you,” Brandon Hellion said.

“You!” This roar came from the man seated behind a desk. Ram had never seen him before, but it was clear his father had.

“Extortion will see you behind bars, Doctor,” he said. “Add attempted kidnapping, and the rest of your days will be spent tending to the inmates in Newgate prison.”

“No! Kill him!” The doctor got out of his chair.

“You will not get my money, but you will pay for your crimes,” Brandon Hellion said.

They hadn’t noted the doctor was carrying a pistol until he raised it and fired. Ram turned to grab Flora and pushed her to the ground, landing on top of her body.

“Well now, that wasn’t very nice.” Raising his head, Ram watched his father drag the doctor out from behind his desk and plow his fist into his face .

The rest of their party, who had arrived through the back door, joined in subduing the other men until they were all on the floor, either unconscious or bound with their arms at their backs.

“Let me up, Ramsey.”

He rose slowly, ensuring it was safe, and then picked Flora up. Looking down her body to check she was unharmed, he saw the blood.

“You’re hurt!” His hand ran over her.

“No, I didn’t feel—oh my God, it’s you!” Her hands frantically parted his coat and jacket, both of which she pushed from his shoulders. “You were shot. I can’t find it!”

“Flora, I’m all right.” In fact, his head was feeling strangely light. Odd how the knees that had held him up his entire life now didn’t seem to work as well.

“Where is my wife when I need her,” Lord Sinclair said, appearing before Ram. He then gently nudged a tearful Flora aside.

Ram felt her clutch his hand as Lord Sinclair opened his shirt. Looking down, Ramsey noted it was covered in blood.

“You have a hole in your side, Ramsey. I believe the bullet has gone through. However, we need to get you help at once.”

“He’s a doctor,” Alex said, pointing at the man with a freshly bloodied nose courtesy of Ramsey’s father.

“I will not allow him to treat Ramsey,” Brandon Hellion said.

“Find something to staunch the flow, and then we will get him home. Mr. Greedy can tend him,” Leo said.

“And I shall send my sister and wife, should they be required,” Lord Sinclair said.

After that, Ram wasn’t really sure what was happening. They pressed things to his side, which hurt. Flora kept hold of his hand, which he was grateful for. If he was tethered to her, then he wouldn’t die, he reassured himself .

The carriage ride was uncomfortable, as were the eyes focused on him. He attempted to be brave, but in fact his side now burned.

Was he to finally rid himself of the threat to his life and be free to wed Flora and now die of an infection? He would be furious if that were the case. No other man but him was marrying his love.

Finally the carriage stopped, and Ram by now was just barely holding on to consciousness. Entering 11 Crabbett Close, more mayhem ensued, and answers for their disappearance from the fair were demanded.

“Later. Ram is hurt. Hurry, we need to get him upstairs,” Charles said.

“Take his legs, Bram,” a Scottish voice said.

Ram looked up into the blue eyes. “You’ll not bother speaking, as you’re weak,” he said in his deep burr. And that was that, Ram thought, so he closed his eyes.

…

He woke to a hand on his forehead, and opening his eyes, he saw her. His love.

“How do you feel?”

“My side burns, but seeing you is all that matters. I’m sorry for your suffering, Flora.”

She wore a dressing gown of rose velvet, and her hair was unbound. He’d never seen it like that. Lifting a hand, he touched it, running his fingers through the silk.

“Mr. Greedy cleaned and stitched your wound, and Mrs. Huntington came with tonic and to take a look also. Both declared you will be fine in no time,” she said.

“You’re tired.” Ramsey touched the smudges under her eyes. “Come and lie beside me. ”

“I will hurt you.” Her eyes ran over his face. “You could have died this evening, Ramsey.”

“I didn’t, and I’m not leaving you.”

“I was scared when those men took me from the fair and then when your father rescued me, but knowing you had been shot”—she closed her eyes—“I was terrified I would lose you.”

Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her over him and onto the bed.

“Your side.”

“I want you in my arms.” Settling her at his side, she rested her head on his chest, and finally he felt at peace. Whatever happened tomorrow, they would deal with together; for now, this was all he needed.

“If I had died tonight, Ramsey?—”

“Which was not going to happen.”

“I know, but if I had, I would have regretted two things.”

“One?” He wound a lock of her hair around his fingers.

“I wouldn’t have even known what it was to be your wife.”

“Then we had best marry fast so that can happen,” Ram added.

“Yes.”

“And two?”

“I would have died never knowing my other brother, and I realized that it was wrong of me to resent him, as he had no more say in any of this than I did.”

“Then we shall make sure you meet him soon, my sweet.”

“I want you to meet him too,” she whispered.

“As I will, because you’re not going anywhere from now on without me.”

“That’s very highhanded of you,” she said around a yawn.

“I love you, Flora.”

“I love you too, Ramsey. ”

He stroked her cheek and felt her body relax, and Ram followed her into slumber minutes later.

When he woke and looked down at the sweet face still sleeping at his side, Ramsey thought he’d be happy to wake this way for the rest of his life.

Moving to ease the ache in his side did not rouse her. So he slid out of bed and pulled the covers to her chin. Pulling on the dressing gown someone had placed on the end of the bed, he let himself out of the room. He needed food and tea, so he gingerly took the stairs down, as each movement pulled the stitches Mr. Greedy had sewn into him last night.

Apparently, it was just a flesh wound, with no serious damage done. If they staved off the infection, he would be well in no time.

Reaching the lower floor, he heard the rumble of voices in the parlor and hoped that meant there would be breakfast in there.

Entering, he found Brandon Hellion and Bramstone along with Curaidh, who greeted him enthusiastically.

“Ram, how do you feel?” Bramstone said, rising. “I’m not sure you should be out of bed.”

“I’m all right, Bram, thank you.”

“Come and sit then. I will have the tea replenished and more toast cooked.”

He lowered himself gingerly into a chair because he didn’t have the energy to return back upstairs and he knew this conversation was inevitable; therefore, Ram wanted it done with.

“I hadn’t thought your mother would tell you, but it seems she did,” Brandon Hellion said.

“She came to London with your letters.”

“Ah, so you’ve read those too.”

Ram nodded, and an awkward silence settled on the room .

“I left because grief consumed me and blinded me to all but my loss. I loved your mother deeply, and there has never been another for me. When I realized what I had done, leaving you, I went to find you, but it was too late.”

“I read the letters,” Ram said again.

“And do you hate me for leaving you with my brother, because I thought yours would be a better life with them?”

Ramsey’s laughter held no humor. “I couldn’t work out why my father seemed to hate me so much, but now I know exactly why.”

“Because you were mine. I didn’t think what he felt for me would spill over to you, and I’m sorry for that.”

“’Tis done, and nothing can change it. It wasn’t a horrible life, just a loveless one.”

His father sighed. “I traveled the world for most of my life. I made a great deal of money but never found a place to settle until your mother wrote to me you had returned to London. I decided it was time for me to join you. Had I known Dr. Faulkner would find me and try to extort money out of me by using the knowledge he had about you, then I would not have come home.”

“How did he know?”

“He was one of the doctors there the night your mother passed and you were born. It seems he was never a very good doctor and ran up a lot of debts. He would have paid them with the money he was blackmailing me for.

“Bastard,” Ramsey said.

“I had a man following you, but the night they dragged you into the sewer, he did not see you leave the tea shop.”

His tone suggested he was not happy with his man’s actions.

“You were following me the night you stepped in to help me?”

“I was, and it was then I knew something had to happen, but I was unsure what. Gray seemed to step in after that, and you were never alone, which relieved me.”

“You know about Gray?”

“I know everything about you, Ramsey,” his father said, holding his eyes.

“What happens now?” Ram said, feeling ridiculously tired. So much emotion had battled inside him for days, and now it was over he was exhausted.

“I would like us to be friends.”

Ram studied the face of the man who should have raised him. He waited for the resentment and anger to hit him, but all he felt was a wave of sadness. How different their lives would have been if his mother had lived.

“Yes, I think I would like that.”

They talked then, he and his father, about the life they had both lived. Ram ate the food Mungo placed before him and three cups of tea laced with honey.

“You’ll go back to bed now and rest up,” the Scotsman said, placing a large hand on Ram’s shoulder. “Here,” he added in a dark tone.

“I will,” Ram said. “Thank you.”

Mungo grunted. “I’ll show you out,” he added, looking at Ram’s father.

Ram shook Brandon Hellion’s hand, and then started back up the stairs after passing the Christmas tree. He felt hope looking at it and the presents beneath. Ram had a future now, and Flora and these people were it, and perhaps he would also have a relationship with his father.

Flora still slept when he entered the room, but her eyes fluttered open as he shut the door.

“Ram?”

He moved around the bed and sat beside her.

“Your wound.”

“Hurts like the devil, but I am alive, and that is all that matters because it means I can now woo you.” He touched her warm cheek.

“You don’t need to woo me,” she whispered, rising to rest against the headboard. “You already have me. I love you, Ramsey.”

He leaned in to kiss her. “As I love you, my sweet Miss Thomas.”

And for now, that was enough.