Cast in Ice (24 page)

Winnie stepped into the carriage, and Hodgekens shut the door behind her. From somewhere in the darkness, a shot echoed as it struck the bricks behind her.

“Get her out of here!” Nick’s voice called out from the blackness.

The carriage rocked as Hodgekens climbed above, then it moved with a jerk as it pulled forward. A second shot echoed from the alleyway as Hodgekens pushed the horses toward home.

And Winnie left Nick to face the gunman alone.

Winnie paced from one side of the room to the other. The sound of the gunshots as she left the alley played over and over in her mind. The fear she experienced wouldn’t go away. The terror she felt that one of those bullets had hit Nick was almost more than she could handle.

Surely Nick wouldn’t make her wait forever before someone sent word if he’d been injured. Or worse.

The door opened and she turned, hoping it was Willis with a message. But it wasn’t. It was her father.

“Tilly told me I’d find you in here,” he said walking toward her. “Is everything all right?”

Winnie forced the corners of her lips to rise in what she hoped passed for a smile. She wasn’t sure it did, because the frown on her father’s forehead deepened.

“No, Papa. Everything’s not all right. But you already suspected that or you wouldn’t have come.”

“No, Winnie. I wouldn’t have.”

“What gave me away this time?”

“I’d like to say the dark circles beneath your eyes, but your face is still so bruised it’s hard to say with any certainty the circles are darker. Let’s just say it’s obvious you didn’t sleep last night.”

“I’ve had several things on my mind.”

“Would you like to share one of those several things?”

Winnie’s first instinct was to tell her father no, but she knew she couldn’t hide her worry over Nick from him any longer. “I found out that Mr. Stillman was on a case last night that turned dangerous. There’s a possibility that he may have been injured. I’m just worried, you see.”

Her father stepped toward her and gathered her in his arms. She needed his strength now more than she thought she did.

“I take it that Mr. Stillman has become somewhat important to you,” he said leading her to the sofa and sitting next to her.

“Somewhat, yes. But nothing that you need to be concerned over.”

Her father held her hand in his and gently rubbed her fingers. “Why do you think I might be concerned if you form an attachment to Mr. Stillman? Do you believe I think less of him because he’s not titled? Or do
you
think less of him because he’s not titled?”

“No, Father. It’s not his title that concerns me. I don’t care that he doesn’t have a title.”

“Then what is it?”

Winnie fought the tears that wanted to well in her eyes. She wouldn’t cry. She’d cried enough last night to last a lifetime. She blinked away the wetness. “It’s what he does. It’s the chances he takes. The risks. It’s who he is.”

She wanted to add that she most feared his unwavering sense of right and wrong. That for as much as she loved Nick, her love ran parallel to the amount that she feared him. Feared that he wouldn’t give up until he found her mother. Feared that when he did, his ethics and principled honor wouldn’t allow him to consider permitting her mother to remain where she was. He would arrest her and take her to the authorities. He couldn’t do anything else and live with himself.

“Oh, Winnie,” her father said, gently squeezing her fingers.

Thankfully, she didn’t have to explain herself further. The door opened and Willis announced she had a visitor.

“Mr. Nicholas Stillman to see you, my lady.”

Winnie jumped to her feet. She barely stopped herself from running across the room when he entered. A small cry escaped her when she saw his arm bandaged and in a sling that kept it from moving.

She struggled to remain where she was, but her feet moved of their own accord until she was standing close to him.

“My lady,” he greeted. “Your Grace.”

“Mr. Stillman,” her father greeted. “I see Lady Winnifred’s fears were well founded. She said she received word that you’d possibly been injured.”

Nick lowered his gaze and held hers. “I regret that I was the cause of concern for my lady,” he said without lifting his gaze. “It’s nothing more than a scratch.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” His Grace said. “Perhaps now she will feel more at ease.”

“I am fine, Your Grace,” Winnie said, embarrassed that her father was telling Nick how concerned she’d been for him. “And Mr. Stillman did not come here to discuss my wellbeing.”

“Actually, I did. I wanted to call on you to see how you were improving since the other night.”

“I’m much improved, Mr. Stillman. Although I’m afraid the bruises on my face won’t go away anytime soon.”

“No, I’m afraid they won’t,” Nick said. “And you will no doubt miss even more of the Season.”

“I’ll survive,” Winnie said, relieved that she wouldn’t be forced to attend the upcoming events for at least a week or more.

“Where are my manners?” Winnie said. “Please, sit, and I’ll ring for tea.”

“No, thank you,” Nick answered. “I can’t stay long. I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”

“Perhaps Mr. Stillman would like to sit in the garden for a few minutes,” her father said. “It’s a beautiful day, and I know the fresh air will do you good, Winnifred.”

“Yes, I’d enjoy that,” Nick answered. “Will you join us, Your Grace?”

“No,” her father answered. “I have several details to take care of. Several adjustments that have to be made, now that Lord Cavanaugh is no longer one of the investors in our clipper ship venture.”

“The undertaking will still continue?” Nick asked.

“Yes, I see no reason why it shouldn’t. We’ll simply have to meet with the partners and see how they wish to continue. Some may not feel comfortable in picking up Lord Cavanaugh’s share of the investment. If so, it will be up to the rest of us to contribute more.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Nick said. “Lord Rummery was fearful that the venture might be abandoned.”

Her father shook his head. “No, I’m more determined than ever to continue. The venture is solid, and we all stand to make a sizable profit from the clipper ship. Now,” he said, walking to the door. “If you will excuse me.”

“Good day, Your Grace,” Nick said, as her father left the room.

“Are you all right?” she asked the minute they were alone.

“I’m fine. Truly. Just a scratch.”

“What happened?”

“Perhaps you’d like to walk in the garden,” he said, then followed her through the patio doors and down the three steps that led to a secluded area. She sat on the first bench they came to. He sat next to her.

“What happened?” she said when they were seated.

“They were waiting for us.”

“They?”

“We think there were two of them.”

“Did you see them?”

“No, they ran.”

“Did they get the money?”

Nick shook his head, then reached into his jacket pocket and handed her the package that contained the money. Winnie looked at it as if she’d never seen the package before. “What do you think will happen now?”

“We wait. They’ll contact you again. Probably soon.”

“With another demand for money?”

“Yes,” Nick said, but the look on his face indicated there was more.

“What?” she asked. “What are you thinking that you’re not saying?”

“You need to be prepared, Winnie.”

“Prepared for what?”

“For a demand of more than the usual amount. Much more.”

Winnie rose from the bench and separated herself from Nick. “They think I went to the authorities. They think I led them into a trap.” She turned to look at him. “They won’t risk another trip to the bakery, will they?”

“I don’t know what they’ll do, Winnie. It’s hard to tell what they’ll resort to.”

Winnie nodded. She tried to appear calm, but she wasn’t. She was scared to death. Then she realized her fear had turned to anger.

What if they demanded more money than she could raise? What if they demanded something other than money? Something she didn’t have, or couldn’t give them?

If only Nick hadn’t interfered. If only she hadn’t told him that she was being blackmailed.

“Don’t,” Nick said. “Don’t regret telling me. Don’t regret asking for my help.”

Nick stepped up beside her, but Winnie didn’t want his comfort. She didn’t want him to lie and tell her everything would be all right. Because it wouldn’t.

If only she could go back to the minutes before she’d told him she was being blackmailed. If only she could take the words back so he didn’t know. Then he wouldn’t have gone with her when she dropped off the money. Then none of this would have happened and things would be like they were before.

The anger she felt intensified. She was angry with herself for confiding in Nick. For not having the courage to deal with this on her own. And angry with him. For being so honorable. For having such a strong sense of right and wrong that he thought he knew how best to handle the blackmailer.

Couldn’t he see that sometimes there was no right answer? That there was only one choice to make? Only one choice she could live with? And it wasn’t the same choice Nick would make.

She regretted letting him become so important to her. Rebuked herself for trusting him like she had. Look what his interference had caused. Before, she could at least meet the blackmailer’s demands. With
The Dove
closed, and her mother’s jewelry almost gone, what would she do if the demand they made was for more than she could come up with?

“Winnie,” he said reaching for her.

She moved away from him.

“Don’t blame yourself for what happened last night.”

“I do,” she said, unable to hold in the anger she felt. “And I blame you. If you would have left me alone. If you would have let me handle the blackmailer myself, none of this would have happened.”

“And they would have bled you dry.”

“What do you think they’re going to do now? Give up? Go away and never bother me again?”

“No, which is why we have to catch them. We can’t allow them to continue. They have to realize you’re not going to give them any more money.”

Winnie couldn’t hold her temper any longer. “No! I can’t take that chance. Don’t you realize what will happen if Society finds out Mother is still alive? We will be ruined.”

Winnie swiped her hand through the air. “Do you think for one moment that Lord Montroy’s father will permit his son to marry a woman whose mother is a murderer? Do you think Father will be able to hold his head up in Society ever again? Or Benjamin? Or Gideon?”

She paced several steps in front of him, then turned her anger on him. “And what about me, Nick? Do you imagine that there is one person in Society who will not look at me and wonder if I have the same mad tendencies as my mother? Do you care for me so little that you would force me to make a choice that would destroy my family?”

“I wouldn’t let that happen,” Nick said. “Please, trust me enough to know that I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

“Like you promised me that you would capture the blackmailers last night?”

He reacted as if she’d slapped him. Her words stopped him from saying more.

“I know you mean well, Nick. I know you think you can protect me and my family. But you can’t. Last night proved it.”

“What do you think will happen, Winnie? How do you imagine this ending?”

The air rushed from her body, leaving an empty vacuum. “I don’t know. I only know that I can’t risk Society discovering what Mother did until Anne’s safely married.”

Nick turned his back on her and stood with his legs braced wide. His stance was battle ready.

For a long time neither of them spoke. What was there to say, after all? She’d made her position clear. She didn’t want his help. She didn’t want him to interfere.

Nick’s shoulders lifted and he breathed in a deep breath, then turned to face her. “Promise me one thing, Winnie. Promise me that when you receive the next demand, you won’t go alone. Let me go with you.”

“No, Nick. I’ll go by myself.”

His eyes narrowed and his mouth tightened. “You will either give me your word that you will allow me to come with you, or I’m going to your father right now and tell him everything.”

The panic she felt was indescribable. “No, you can’t!”

“I can, and I will. I won’t let you go alone.”