The Scarlet Bride (36 page)

There was no hesitation. “Why, I’m coming with you, of course.”

He knew his fearless Laura well enough to know that she had made up her mind. She’d also need to convince the duke to take her side in the matter. Once she had His Grace convinced to allow her to tag along, she’d have a two versus one advantage.

“It’s too dangerous,” His Grace said.

“I agree,” Simon insisted. “I shall hire a coach to return you to the school.”

Pointedly ignoring him, Laura leveled her pleading gaze on the duke. “Surely you can understand my need to correct the wrong that has been perpetrated upon me, Your Grace. If Miss Eva had been mistakenly accused of murder, wouldn’t she do anything to clear her good name?”

“His Grace would never allow his wife to put herself in danger,” Simon interjected.

Laura frowned. “What would he do? Keep her caged?”

They glared at each other. Her gaze didn’t waver. Her spine was made of steel bars.

A grin broke from His Grace. “The point is taken, and she does know Henry better than anyone.”

The duke was turning in her favor. Simon would get no more help there.

“I spent over a year cowering, wondering which blow might prove fatal. I’ll not cower again.” Laura drew in a deep breath. “Henry is the devil, hurting women and children for his game. I do not fear him anymore.”

The urge to shake her warred with his desire to kiss her pretty mouth. She knew the danger of her situation, yet she wanted to play a part in Henry’s capture.

Admiration welled. Yet as strong as she was, he still worried. He couldn’t bear it if she came to harm.

She kept her eyes locked on Simon and expelled an exasperated breath. “I am either going with you,” she stated, “or following behind. Watching over me will be easier if I ride with you. Not that I need watching. But if it makes you feel better to think of yourself as my protector, who am I to argue?”

Laugher sputtered out of His Grace. “Do let her come, Harrington. She will add a measure of liveliness to our little trio.”

Simon’s glare deepened. “I shall remind you of those words the next time Eva runs off to rescue one of her courtesans. Then we shall see if you don’t drag out that cage.”

The duke grinned. “If I have learned anything about women in the time I’ve spent with my headstrong wife, it is that she seldom heeds my counsel when dealing with her courtesans. Though I have extracted the promise that if there is ever a need for another rescue, I would like to learn of it before she trots off on Muffin.”

Laura smiled at the image. “Then you can understand why I want to go with you tonight. I know Henry and am angry enough to clock him with a candlestick.” She pushed back Primm’s cap, which she’d used to cover her hair. It was too big and wanted to slide down over her eyes. “But I promise to behave.”

Skepticism and frustration etched lines around Simon’s mouth. “When have you ever behaved?”

Her smile turned saucy. “You’ll just have to trust me.”

T
he inn was raucous, filled with sailors, merchants, and travelers from all over the world. It was far enough from the wharf to keep from bearing the brunt of the bitter winds that would come with winter, but close enough to draw in the oddly mixed crowd for ale and trouble.

Laura resisted the urge to lean into Simon as a sailor stumbled toward the door, nearly knocking her over.

The man had a prostitute tucked tightly under his arm. The woman gaped at Simon and the duke, taking their measure in spite of their worn clothes. For a moment it looked as if she would send her companion away for a better class of client, then thought better of it when both men scowled. She and her sailor vanished into the night.

Simon stepped farther inside, with Laura following closely behind. A fascinating new world was displayed before her.

Laura’s face flushed at the sight of scantily clad women speaking to the men with language that would make the bishop blush. Yet her heart filled with excitement at this risky adventure.

Keeping her cap low and her hair secured inside it, she hoped the borrowed clothing would make her appear like a cabin or stable boy. From beneath the brim, she immediately scanned the crowd for Henry.

It was a difficult task made worse when a pair of large breasts stepped into her line of vision to block her view.

She slowly lifted her eyes up to see a painted visage on the tallest woman she’d ever seen. The woman was nearly the same height as Simon and His Grace but had curves that went on forever.

Laura gulped as the woman reached out a hand and ran a long fingernail down her cheek. She smelled of ale and sex. “Ye are a young one,” she said saucily as she raked her eyes up and down Laura. “By yer blush, I think ye are yet untried. I’ll give ye a free ride if ye’ll let me be yer first.”

Beneath the cap, Laura’s face burned.

“Be off, woman,” Simon barked and stepped between them. “There are other men here to pester.”

The prostitute shrugged and flounced away.

“I shouldn’t have brought you here,” Simon growled. “This is no place for a lady.”

“I brought myself, remember?” she said, stunned by the encounter. “I have never been propositioned by a woman, and never by an Amazon certainly.” Laura’s mouth twitched. “I will remember this night always.”

He shook his head. “You are an odd chit. Most young women of good breeding would be horrified by all of this, but not you. You see this as an adventure.”

“Oh, I am horrified, shocked, and terrified that at any moment, Henry will appear brandishing his blade and murder me where I stand. Until then, I intend to make memories and live my life as if every moment is my last.”

For a pause, he looked into her eyes. Then, “If there wasn’t a chance that I’d be arrested for crimes against morality with my stable boy, I’d kiss you now.”

Their eyes locked and she winked. “And I’d let you.”

Everything outside of the two of them faded into a whirl of color. It took a drunkard with his voice spewing out a very loud and slurred ditty to remind Laura where they were.

“Later,” she promised.

Sobering, Simon stepped back. “We should take our post.”

He led the way to a corner near the staircase and called for ale. When the tavern wench ambled away, he leaned down to be heard above the din.

“Are you certain Henry will come?” Laura asked. “Surely he will not stay in one place long.”

“Crawford confirmed with the innkeeper that Henry is staying here and paid up for tonight. There is no reason to believe he will not return.”

They stared out into the room. The crowd was a seedy mix. It was a perfect hiding place.

“His Grace should have found Crawford by now and let
him know we’re in place,” Simon added. “They’ll watch for Henry at the front and back entrances. If you see anyone you think is the bastard, point him out, even if you are not immediately certain. He could be disguised.”

“I will.” Laura began to scan the room. The large space was filled with faces, none of them Henry’s, but she refused to lose hope. It was still early and people were arriving steadily. Simon sipped his ale as she casually leaned against the wall and kept her head down. “What happens if we catch him?”

“Crawford will question him for a confession, then turn him over to the Runners.” A woman sauntered past, her eyes raking over Simon. He ignored the blatant invitation.

“And what if we’re wrong and he isn’t the killer after all?” Laura’s stomach soured. “If Henry is nothing more than a man obsessed with me, then our investigation of him will be in vain.”

Simon looked down at her. “It’s possible, though unlikely. We have seen nothing to indicate another man was involved. All clues point directly to him.”

Laura nibbled a thumbnail. A man walked in and her breath caught. When he turned his face toward the light, she slumped back. It wasn’t Henry.

The night continued on in much the same manner for an hour, then two. Laura pointed out men that could be Henry, and Simon would head off for a closer look. When midnight approached and still no sign of him, Laura started to twitch. Her legs were weary from standing and her patience grew thin. The room was hot and the stench of questionable hygiene overwhelmed her.

She tried to catch Simon’s eye across the room, hoping they could finish up and return home. She was ready to admit defeat.

He was closing in on her latest suspect, but she knew it unlikely that the man was him. The coloring was the same, but his carriage wasn’t. Henry had a long-boned walk that this man didn’t have.

Several men pushed in through the open door and Laura
settled strained eyes on them one by one as they headed off in different directions. It was the fourth man who stepped over the threshold who brought her upright, her senses alert.

Henry. Though he was unshaven, she knew him instantly. She’d not forgotten his face.

Trying to keep watch over him and searching desperately for Simon in the crush, her eyes darted back and forth. Henry crossed the room, elbowing aside a prostitute who had the misfortune of approaching, and headed for the staircase.

Laura turned her face toward the wall as he passed. He took the stairs up and disappeared.

Following his trail, she paused on the first step and turned to find Simon.

He was heading in her direction, the advance slowed by a group of men shouting at one another. The argument built in intensity as the shouts dissolved into shoving.

Clearly impatient to return to Laura, Simon stepped sideways to avoid a stumbling figure and hurried toward her. She tipped her head, indicating her intention, and hurried up the stairs.

Earlier, the innkeeper had given Crawford the room information and he’d passed it on to Simon. Laura quietly walked the dim and narrow corridor, stepping gingerly to avoid tripping over an uneven floorboard.

Careful not to arouse suspicion, Laura leaned an ear against the door as Simon came up behind her.

“It’s him,” she whispered.

A door farther down squeaked open, and a man and woman stumbled into the hallway. They moved off toward the staircase and vanished from sight.

“Are you certain?” Simon whispered. He leaned to listen at the door. There were sounds of movement inside.

“Completely.”

Without another word or any indication of his plans, Simon pulled her away from the door, stepped back, and kicked the panel open with a crash.

Henry cried out as Simon and Laura spilled into the room. However, his stunned surprise lasted only for a moment. He lurched into motion and dove for the open window.

Simon was fast, but Henry had fear driving him onward. Simon caught his boot as he scrambled over the sash. Laura rushed over and clawed at Henry’s trouser leg for a handhold. Unfortunately, his flailing and falling body jerked the leg free. There was a cry as Henry hit the ground below.

His Grace appeared in the doorway as Simon went out the window behind him, feet first. “It’s Henry,” Laura cried.

“I saw him enter the inn.” His Grace bolted for the window and leaned out. “He was moving too fast for me to catch up with him.”

Laura wasted no time dawdling. She spun and ran out the door, along the corridor, and down the stairs. His Grace brushed past her on the landing, shoving bodies out of his way and moving Laura forward in his wake.

The cool night air hit her face when they pushed out the doors and into the street. They paused long enough to see a pair of men running in the distance, with a third not far behind. The uneven gait was Crawford’s.

His Grace bolted after them, Laura at his heels.

Night encompassed them away from the lit inn, and yet they didn’t slow. There were shouts ahead and Laura recognized Simon’s voice. They rounded a warehouse and Laura smelled the brackish Thames on the breeze. Henry was heading for the wharf.

“Stand back,” Henry cried out. The pair made a last turn and discovered that the chase had ended. Laura and His Grace lurched to a halt behind Crawford.

Henry stood on the pier, a gun in his hand, pointed at Simon. Simon had his hands out, palms up.

“You have nowhere to go, Henry.” Simon’s voice was surprisingly calm. “If you shoot me, you will hang.”

Henry’s face contorted with pain. Laura realized he’d hurt himself when he’d hit the ground. How much, she
couldn’t tell, but he was rubbing one thigh with his free hand.

“To hang me, you have to catch me.” He fired, turned, and jumped into the Thames.

Laura cried out and ran to Simon. He caught her against him. “I am unhurt, love. The shot went wide.”

Unwilling to take his word, she pulled back and quickly assessed him from head to toe. Then she stepped back into his embrace. He pressed his lips to her temple.

“You gave me a fright,” she scolded. “He could have shot you at any time during the chase.” They turned to see Crawford and His Grace searching the darkened water for Henry.

“I gave you a fright? I thought you were going out the window with Henry. You had quite a grip on his leg.” He lifted her face. “You are positively fearless.” He kissed her soundly.

“I did not need my knife,” she said, easing back. “Everything happened so quickly.”

“He
is
a slippery fellow,” Simon agreed and kissed her again. She clutched his coat, her strength slowly fading.