Secrets In Savannah (Phantom Knights) (28 page)

“Guinevere,” Levi said my name
from behind me a moment later, and spinning around, he was leaning against the
wall beside the dining parlor door.

“What are you doing here, and
where is Edith?”

“She’s safe for the moment, but I
wanted you to know that George is not pleased about Lucas’s death.” Levi broke
off as Jack came back into the house.

Levi smirked at his brother. “Have
you missed me, Jack?”

“More than I can say,” Jack
replied with what I knew was complete honesty.

Looking between the two, I could
see the resemblance. They had the same square jaw, the same air of unconcern
and boyish charm, but there the resemblance ended. Jack’s eyes were blue while
Levi’s were green, and there was something about Levi that made him appear
younger than Jack.

“Does Harvey know you are working
with him?” Levi asked.

“Harvey and I have had a falling
out so I did not tell him my plans, though he would not be surprised.”

Levi laughed. “You always were a
little too fond of the enemy. It will be your demise, you know.”

I knew, but I would fight it with
my last breath if that is what it took.

“Did she tell you that she kissed
me?” Levi’s grin grew as Jack’s shoulders tensed as my cheeks burned with heat.

“Levi Martin! That is a gross
falsehood, and you know it,” I exclaimed, prepared to slap some sense into him.
What was he thinking baiting Jack?

Levi laughed before he lunged
forward and wrapped Jack in a fond hug. After a moment passed, Jack returned
the embrace.

“You are incorrigible, brother,”
Jack said, but he was laughing.

“True enough,” Levi said as he
released Jack. “How is Bess? I heard about her capture.”

“Married.”

Levi whistled. “Sam? I thought
he’d be the one from the moment I first saw them bandy words.” Levi looked at
my hand as I placed it on Jack’s arm. His dark brows rose. “From the ring on
your finger I’d guess that you are my sister now?” When I nodded, he shook his
head. “I go away for a few months and everyone gets married.” His expression
became serious. “If you tell me Leo is leg-shackled, I’ll eat my hat.”

Jack laughed. “No, he’s as he ever
was.”

“What of Edith?” I demanded,
turning the conversation to what was important.

A scowl transformed Levi’s face.
“When I heard what George was planning, I went to him, told him of my
displeasure with the Phantoms, and acquired a job from him. I also left Silas
to take care of Bess.”

“Silas is Silence?” Jack asked,
and I nodded, remembering with fondness the man who had been one of Harvey’s
guards, but one of my followers.

“Turns out that your wife here is
a double threat, brother. She may have had to work for the Holy Order, but she
worked for herself more.”

“That’s quite enough of that,” I
said sternly, feeling acutely uncomfortable. Levi knew some things about me
that I did not want Jack discovering. “Tell us about George’s plans.”

Levi’s face darkened. “George has
gone off the hilt. Quite lost his senses. He planned to turn Edith over to Marx
for a fortune, but now that he’s dead George has said he has another buyer.”

He might as well have punched me.
I lost my breath and leaned down, resting my hands on my knees.

Jack knelt down beside me. “We
will not allow that to happen. We will get her out this night.” Jack helped me
to stand. “Allow me a few minutes to prepare and to fetch Leo.”

Jack ran up the stairs, and I had
a few minutes alone with Levi to ask how my sister was. Levi’s face softened as
he told me about her. She was frightened but safe. No one had accosted her, and
Levi had been made her personal guard.

“I am going with you.” I turned
toward the stairs, but Levi grabbed my wrist.

“Afraid we have more pressing
matters,
m’dear
.” Levi pointed toward the top of the
stairs where Charlotte was standing, holding two large pistols.

I stepped back beside Levi as
Charlotte came down, dressed for travel.

“Charlotte Mason, put down those
weapons before you hurt yourself, or me!” Levi chastised, but Charlotte raised
them higher.

“I never thought it of you, Levi,
to be involved in such sordid affairs, and with your own brother’s wife, too.”
She clicked her tongue, then smiled. “From her, I expect such doings, but to be
honest I thought Leo was her paramour.”

Weapons or no, I would knock some
sense into her head!

Lunging for her, Levi caught my
waist as Charlotte jumped back.

“Control your vixen, Levi, or I
will be forced to take matters in hand.” Charlotte walked around us, keeping
her back to the wall. “Now, I am going to Lucas, and I am going to tell him
every secret that I know about you.”

“Stop being a little fool, Char,
just because Jack chose her over you. They were betrothed long before he ever
met you. He thinks of you as a little sister, and nothing more,” Levi said.

“You are the fool, Levi Martin,”
Charlotte snapped. “This is the only way, and when it is finished your eyes
will be opened to the truth.”

“Charlotte,” I implored, taking a
step toward her, “if you will but listen to me, I will tell you the whole truth.
More than your feelings for Lucas are in jeopardy. If you go to Lucas, you will
be endangering my home country.” Not that there was any danger in her finding
Lucas, but there was great danger in what the impulsive girl would do when she
discovered that Lucas was dead.

“You are like the fox that found a
way into the hen house. ‘No, little chicken, I will not eat you.’ Well, Miss
Fox, I am no chicken to be taken in by your lies.”

There was now no doubt in my mind.
Charlotte was mad.

Charlotte reached the open door,
and backed out. “If you follow me, I will shoot you.” She slammed the door, and
Levi and I bolted into action.

“Follow her, Levi. Do not allow
her out of your sight. I will wake her brother.”

Levi was out the door before I
reached the stairs. As I went up, Hannah came out of her chamber, wrapping her
dressing gown around her.

“What is amiss?”

“Charlotte has run away again.
Please wake Samuel and Bess while I dress.”

In my chamber, Jack was pulling on
his weapons belt by the light of a single candle.

“I heard you. Sam, Leo, and I will
follow her, but I want you to remain here with Bess and Hannah.” Jack pulled me
against him, and held my face in his hands. “All that matters to me is keeping
you safe from harm. Give me your word that you will not follow us. I will not
be able to focus otherwise.”

“You have my word,” I told him,
loving the way he held me. His lips met mine, and I rose up on my toes as I
wrapped my arms around his neck. “Be safe, Jack.”

We found Sam and Leo awaiting Jack
in the entryway and the three set out across the square with Leo leading them
toward Lucas’s house.

Bess closed the door, then blew
out a long breath. “I will make us some coffee. It is going to be a long
night.”

An hour after Jack left, Dudley
sent a message. His valet was still watching the house and had followed
Charlotte mistakenly thinking she was me. She had gone to Lucas’s house and not
five minutes later, a carriage arrived. Charlotte and George Crawford left,
along with a girl of Edith’s description.

“I am going to ride for
Frederick,” I said over my shoulder as I ran up the stairs.

As I was dressing, Hannah and Bess
entered my chamber. Hannah was dressed, and carrying her riding crop. “Dudley’s
man brought our horses to the door.”

Knowing better than to argue with
her, I pulled on my boots, strapped on my belt, and picked up my dagger pistol.

“Let us make haste. Bess, if Jack
should return before I do, please assure him that I will return soon, and that
I did not break my promise to him.”

Bess agreed, and watched us from
the door as we mounted our horses and set off down the road.

Our only light was that of the
moon, and I thought I would lose Hannah several times, but she made a good show
of keeping pace with me.

When we reached the temple, all
was silent, but the door was unlocked, which caused both of us to pull out our
weapons.

Pushing open the door, we stepped
into the dark throne room. Frederick’s sleeping quarters would be through the
antechamber.

Moving with long strides across
the throne room, I made it a few steps when I heard a sound like the scraping
of a boot against the floor. There was someone in the room with us.

Inhaling a silent calming breath,
I took a step forward. Something moved past me, swift enough to make a gush of
air caress my face.

My eyes beginning to see in the
dark, I swung at a form, my body prepared for a fight. While I had been the
white phantom, I had grown accustomed to fighting in the dark, but my reaction
came a moment too late.

Two large hands grabbed me,
lifting me up while another form knocked my pistol away. A shot went off, and I
cringed at the loud report as I kicked out before me, searching for the second
form.

The antechamber door opened, and
light filled the room, forcing me to close my eyes against the painful
brightness. Blinking away the pain, I found myself staring straight at
Frederick.

“How obliging of you to come. He
said that you would.”

The man holding me set my feet on
the floor, but he maintained his hold on my arms.

“He?” I asked, dread sinking into
my heart.

“I give you good evening,
Guinevere,” George Crawford said as he stepped into the room.

Fear and loathing mixed together,
churning in my body, and I leapt toward him, ready to strangle him.

A large hand pulled me back and
pain shot through my arm, but I tried to ignore it as I glowered at George.

“Where is my sister?”

“She is well, and awaiting
transport. Now that we have you, I am hopeful that we can make a speedy
exchange.”

“Exchange?” I asked, looking from
George to Frederick.

Frederick was smiling, and I
wanted to knock it from his head, the turncoat. “You see, my dear, I am not a
fool. I knew you would never surrender Harvey. There is too much loyalty in
you. When George arrived, we made plans for your capture, and I must say it worked
better than I anticipated.”

“Tell me, did you enjoy seeing
Levi?” George asked.

I clenched my teeth hard. So that
was it. Levi was truly working for George.

“What are you receiving from this
exchange, George?”

George stepped toward me, and I
wanted nothing more than to choke the life out of him, but restraint was
needed, until after he produced my sister.

“I gave my life to the Phantoms
and what did I receive in return? Neglect and retirement. I do not owe anyone,
anything. Least of all you.” He looked me over and then grimaced. “Your time
has finally come and you will receive what you deserve.”

“Fair words coming from you who
have betrayed all that you claimed to believe in,” Hannah said, and George
looked at her for the first time.

“Mrs. Lamont? This is a surprise.
Harvey certainly knows how to choose his tools. I would never have suspected
you.”

“Uncle George?” came a soft voice
from the antechamber.

George frowned as he turned to
Charlotte. He held out his hand, and she ran to his side. Holding on to him,
she focused her gaze on Frederick, loathing covering her face. “I have done
well. She is here as promised. Now I demand that you release my affianced
husband.”

Frederick laughed, his look full of
contempt and pity. “You poor child, has no one warned you against trusting men
that you do not know? Scoundrels, every one.”

“What mean you?” Charlotte’s voice
shook.

“Lucas Marx is dead.”

Charlotte took a step back, fear and
disbelief shadowing her face. “You lie.”

Instead of answering her,
Frederick spoke to his guards. “Lock the three of them in the cellar, and then
prepare yourselves for battle. Our enemies will be arriving before long.”

As one of the guards pulled Charlotte
away, she began to scream, while George shouted at Frederick that such
treatment of his niece was uncalled for. His protests were unheeded, and
Hannah, Charlotte, and I were forced through the antechamber and down a winding
staircase to a cellar beneath the temple.

Panic had yet to set in when they
locked the door, leaving us in the dark. They would not trust us with a candle,
for they knew I would burn the place down.

Charlotte shouted and cried for a
full five minutes before running straight into me where I was leaning against a
wall. Capturing her before she could fall, I wrapped my arms around her and
held her like I had done to my sister many times over the years.