The Lady Plays Her Ace (The Langley Sisters) (14 page)

Walk, then.
Ace wanted to say, but held that thought inside his head.

"If it is a problem, I can walk or get a hackney," Luke added.

Whatever Luke was thinking was hidden behind a calm smile and Ace felt trapped. If he refused, then Luke would think it was because of Thea—which it was, but he had no wish for that subject to raise its head again.

"Of course, I see no problem with taking you there," Ace added, hoping that he could drop his friend off and then leave before he caught a glimpse of Thea.

...

Thea was enjoying herself. She and Bella had decided that the expectant mother would be better in charge of anything that did not include heavy lifting or walking up the stairs, so Bella was seated downstairs in the front little office area with one of the seamstresses, sorting through laces and trims. There was also a selection of buttons needed for the dresses and she was taking care of those, too.

"It is time to finish for the day, ladies." Thea said after glancing at the clock.

Everything had run smoothly, and they had the lists that Hannah had left them should they need help, plus Alex was nearby—although Thea had no wish to catch whatever illness he was, at present, laid low with.

Working here had given her something to occupy her thoughts besides Oliver and her attack. Here, she could keep busy all day; of course, she was not so lucky with that when she closed her eyes at night. Then, he was there, filling her head with his kisses, touches and his handsome face.

"I believe we are running to the schedule that Miss Wooller set us, my lady?"

"Yes, we are, Ellen," she said to one of the seamstresses who was busy tidying away her things. "And as you are all working so hard, I will have Mrs. Fletcher's cook bake something nice for you tonight, and bring it in for you all tomorrow."

The women all smiled and then began to leave the room.

"Mrs. Fletcher said that her husband has arrived, my lady, and that your footman has not yet returned with the carriage; therefore, he will take you home."

"Tell them I shall be down shortly, please, Jane," she said, wondering whose carriage Luke was in, as Ted was to collect her, because Luke had said this morning he had a meeting to attend.

Going to the window, Thea looked out, saw the carriage, and then watched Luke step down—and behind him was Oliver. Her heart skipped a beat and began to thud hard in her chest.

She watched as he stood, hatless, looking around him while Luke went to greet Bella, who had just walked outside. He looked alone at that moment, the man who had forged his destiny through hard work and resilience. Thea want to go to him, tell him that she cared nothing for his past, only that she be his future. He had said he was not worthy of her, yet in all honesty it was she who was not worthy of him.

She had been cosseted from her earliest memory, and knew nothing of hunger or living in fear. She had achieved little, besides annoying her brothers. Such was the life of a noblewoman, Thea thought. Being born to privilege was a wonderful yet stifling thing.

"Lord, I'm ungrateful," she sighed, watching the man whose life had been a succession of trials, tragedies and eventual success. "You are worth ten of me, Oliver Dillinger, and certainly ten of many men I know."

His long legs carried him away from the carriage as he looked around the narrow lane at the other buildings. It was almost as if instinctively he chose solitude over company, as he probably had the majority of his life. Pushing the heel of her hand into her chest, Thea tried to rub away the yearning she felt deep inside her to go to him. She ached with need for this man who wanted nothing more to do with her.

Thea should move away from the window and collect her things, and then walk downstairs and smile politely to the man whose kisses still tormented her and act like he had not seen her breasts. Something made her take one more look out the window, and her eyes were drawn to the alley between two shops on the other side of the street. A man was standing there, hunched over. Pressing her face to the glass, Thea tried to get a better look. There was something about him that made a chill traverse her spine. He was watching the carriage, she was sure of it—or was he watching Oliver? Thea felt panic as Oliver began to walk towards the man. Obviously, he was deep in thought or he would have seen him skulking there. Something was not right—she could feel it. She wanted to call out to Oliver to stop. Her hands went to the window, but the sill was stiff and didn't move. She saw the man move then, watched as he pulled something from his coat, and she realized it was a gun.

"Oliver!" Thea cried as she ran towards the stairs and hurried down. Her flight was so fast she nearly missed a step, but she jumped the last three and ran for the door, which she burst through, screaming.

"Oliver, he has a gun!"

She saw Luke pick Bella up as she flew past the carriage and throw her inside before he followed her.

"Stop, Thea!"

Ignoring Luke's words, Thea picked up her skirts and hurried towards Oliver.

"Oliver!" He heard her and turned. "Get down!" He didn't, instead running towards her. "Down, I said!" She launched herself at him when he did not comply. He caught her and then they were both falling, Thea taking him with her to the ground as the gun fired. He twisted as they were about to connect, placing her beneath him.

Fear had Thea trying to wriggle free, her hands searching his back to see if the bullet had found him.

"Dear God, Thea, tell me you are unhurt." She heard the desperation in his words as his hands journeyed over her body.

If he could talk then surely he was unharmed. She tried to inhale deeply, but found it impossible with his large body blanketing hers, but she did not want him to move—if he was here with her he was safe.

"I am unhurt, Oliver," she whispered.

"Luke, are you unhurt?" Oliver then called to his friend.

"Yes." The word came from over her left shoulder and Thea closed her eyes in relief. Both men were unharmed.

"What were you thinking, putting yourself in danger like that to rescue me, Thea?" The words were whispered into her ear. "You could have been hurt, and I…" He didn't seem able to continue.

"I had to alert you. Surely you can see that, Oliver?"

"Had something happened to you," he kissed her neck and Thea shivered, "I could not have borne it." He inhaled a deep, shuddering breath.

"Oliver—"

"Sssh now, it's all right." His lips touched her throat this time.

"He's gone, and my guess is he'd hoped to get you closer before he took that shot," Luke's words were softly spoken, but carried to Thea, who still laid pinned beneath Oliver. "I think it's safe to say that earlier conversation we had is now true. You're definitely being followed and someone is trying to kill you."

"Someone has been trying to kill you, Oliver?" Thea questioned him.

He lifted his head to look down at her, his eyes traveling over her face, their expression fierce with the emotions that raged inside him.

"Yes, and that is just another reason why I must keep my distance from you, Thea. You must see that now."

"I don't want to keep my distance from you." Thea touched his face, running a finger down his cheek. His eyes closed briefly and leaned into her hand.

"You should not have risked your life for me."

"I would do so again in a heartbeat," she whispered.

"No." He shook his head. "It can never happen again."

"Oliver, please—"

He cut her words off by climbing to his feet and taking Thea with him.

"Luke, take the front. Lady Althea, press to his back, and I shall take the rear."

"But it is you who are in danger—"

Thea's protest was cut off as Oliver simply lifted her in front of him.

"Do as I tell you," Oliver added. "Please, Thea." He leant forward and whispered the words so Luke could not hear.

Thea did as he asked, because her knees were shaking and she wanted to reach the carriage as soon as she could. Then Oliver and Luke would both be safe. She was wedged between them. Luke reached behind him and squeezed her hand and she gripped his fingers tight as he led her towards the carriage. Oliver had a hand in her back and she felt steadier because of it. If he was touching her, he was unhurt.

"It's all right, Thea. Everything is all right now," Luke said.

She was shaking, but it was anger this time, unlike when that man had attacked her. This was anger that someone was trying to kill Oliver.

They made a strange procession as they walked as one towards the carriage. Once there, Luke reached a hand inside and touched his wife, murmuring a few comforting words, before standing aside. Oliver picked Thea up and placed her inside before she could step into the carriage, and once there, Bella's arms wrapped around her. Leaning into her friend, she held her tight.

"Dear Lord, I did not want to call out, but I was so scared," Bella said. "I did not know if that gunshot I heard had hit any of you, and dared not look."

"Take them home now, Luke. I can no longer leave the investigation to others. I must find who did this myself, and to do that I must make contact with people from my past."

"No!" Thea pulled out of Bella's arms and tried to get back out the doorway after Oliver spoke, but he stopped her by stepping into it.

"Stay in that carriage, my lady." His eyes were cold and clear as he looked up at her. "Luke will see you home now."

"How can you think of doing that, going out there," Thea pointed over his shoulder towards the alleyway, "without any men or weapons? Tell him, Luke." She looked at her friend.

"She's right, Ace. You have no idea who that was or why he is intent on taking your life. Let us leave here, and then we will make a plan."

"No, I must do this before he hurts someone I care about. Take them home, Luke," Oliver said, looking at her one last time before turning away.

Thea then watched in horror as Oliver stepped back from the carriage. "I shall contact you tomorrow, Luke."

Oliver!" Thea called his name, but he turned from her and ran. Light on his feet for a big man, he had soon disappeared, slipping down the same alley the man who had tried to kill him had taken.

"I will take you home and then go and find him, Thea. Let me close the door now." Luke pushed her inside gently.

"Bella, stop crying, love. We are both here safe with you now." Luke sat and gathered his wife into his arms.

"I-I seem to weep all the time at the moment."

"Tis natural considering your condition, love. Remember your sisters," Luke soothed. "Phoebe cried endlessly over the smallest thing."

Thea could not understand why Oliver had been so foolish as to go out there alone with no protection when someone was trying to kill him.

"How many instances have there been of people trying to kill Mr. Dillinger, Luke?"

"A few," Luke said slowly. "Oliver told me about them today when I confronted him about avoiding me. He thought to keep his friends and family safe by having no contact with us, and I fear what happened today will only strengthen that resolve."

"To have gone out there alone is foolhardy, Luke." Thea voiced her thoughts as panic clawed at her throat. "The man, the one who shot at him, could be there, just waiting for him to show himself.

Luke's eyes still held the anger he, too, felt over what had just happened.

"You forget that Ace knows how to survive here, Thea. He has lived in London for many years and not always in the best parts of town. He is a survivor and has many allies in the world he once inhabited."

"That does not make me feel any better," Thea said, shivering. The thought of Oliver hurt or alone made her feel ill. What if that man had succeeded? She would have never seen him again.

"I will find him after I have dropped you and Bella home," Luke added and Thea had to be happy with that, although his words did nothing to ease the tension inside her.

The journey was silent as they thought about what could have been, and when they had arrived, it was to find Joseph had returned.

"Joe." Thea was so relieved to see him she burst into tears, which had him striding across Luke and Bella's parlor to take her into his arms.

"What has happened?"

Luke told the story of her attack, and what had taken place today, and she felt Joe's body tense.

"Dear Lord, Thea, are you all right?" He lifted her head off his chest and anger darkened his eyes as studied the fading bruise on her jaw. "Did they find who did this?"

"Not yet," Luke said.

"I want him found," Joseph said softly.

"It is all right, Joe, please," Thea lay her check on his solid chest.

"And what of this business with Dillinger? Where is he now?"

"He has gone out alone to look for the man who tried to kill him, Joe, with no gun or men to protect him," Thea added, her voice rising.

"This was his jungle, Thea, so I have no doubts that he knows how to survive in it. However, no man is a match for a well-placed bullet."

Thea shuddered at the thought of a well-placed bullet hitting Oliver. She tried to shut out the vision of his body lying lifeless on the ground.