The Vengeful Bridegroom (24 page)

There was no sign of the carriage on the main road to the village or to London. They must have been farther along than he’d originally estimated. Gabriel headed toward Town, riding hard for five, then ten miles, the moon providing a shallow light. As he rode, the warmth of the night soon wet his brow.

If he had given the diamonds to Colgate, if he had told him about George—It made no difference, for Gabriel would never have altered his course, given the chance to change the past.

Weary mile after weary mile he pushed himself and Mars onward, convinced he would soon overtake the carriage, but this late at night, he passed no one on the road. Exhausted beyond measure, feeling soreness in his limbs, something caught his attention farther down the road, which he could barely discern.

Growing closer, he saw it was a carriage and breathed in new hope by clicking Mars into a gallop. Thirty yards from the site, he saw it was his carriage, but the horses were gone. Not willing to take chances with Colgate or the life of George, he slowed down prepared for a defensive attack from the rash young man and his companions.

Nothing.

Gabriel jumped off Mars before the horse came to a full stop and ran to the carriage. Upon closer inspection, he saw the carriage rested on its side with a broken shaft.

Grimacing, his first thought was, had anyone been hurt in the accident? But he simply had no way of knowing and had to rein in his wayward thoughts. Nothing would convince him that there would be any different outcome to the situation other than returning George unharmed to Madelene and his home, Westcott Close.

But where were they? He found nothing and no one in the carriage or in the surrounding area. Where could they have gone?

He swallowed his unease and mounted Mars again, riding up the road while studying the tracks in the road. Tracks of horse hoofprints and large wheels furrowed the churned-up dirt. Another carriage must have stopped to assist them.

This was the only possible solution. Unfortunately, Gabriel knew in his condition and his horse’s, he couldn’t catch up to them this night. They were farther ahead and probably traveling much faster.

“We are grateful to you for helping us in our hour of need,” Brelford told the stranger, who called himself Simon Cumberlane, the Earl of Bevondard. Ensconced in this fine carriage, Brelford looked with casual interest at Lord Bevondard, but knew his preference to be for the fairer sex.

Luck had played a great part in their adventure this night. After their carriage broke down, the baby crying without hesitation, everyone shaken but unhurt, his lordship’s carriage came upon them, and the earl offered them assistance by taking them to London with him.

Brelford reflected on what Matthew had whispered to him before they climbed into the carriage. His friend knew his lordship for all the wrong reasons and wanted to remain unknown to him. Matthew instructed Brelford to introduce him as Brelford’s brother, which his friend easily accommodated.

It appeared years earlier, young Colgate had taken part in a plot to kidnap the earl, in one of his more youthful indiscretions. The earl had forgiven them all, but Matthew had hoped never to see the man again. And here they were, accepting his hospitality to London.

The child began to cry softly, distracting Brelford’s thoughts. In close confinement, there was little to do but watch Alec rock the baby in her arms, but he wouldn’t stop crying and wouldn’t go back to sleep. Matthew drew his hat down over his forehead and slumped in his seat, presumably to make himself as unseen as possible.

However, the disturbance seemed not to bother the earl. He smiled easily, surprising Brelford with his handsomeness. “The babe has healthy lungs. I have two fine sons of my own, but it is my wife who knows what to do when one of our children is in distress. Madam, you look too young to have a child, are you his guardian?”

Alec and Brelford stared at his lordship before Brelford provided a quick solution. “Yes, she is the baby’s aunt. My brother and I agreed to take the babe to Town, where his parents are waiting for him. Friends of the family.” He pointed to Matthew. “He is joining us in Town for the baby’s christening.”

His lordship nodded. “What are the parents’ names? Perhaps I am acquainted with them?”

Brelford answered, amazed at his own glibness. “I would highly doubt my sister and her husband would travel in your circles, but their names are Mr. and Mrs. Roger Marchibroda.”

Bevondard considered the names but momentarily. “No, the name has no familiarity.” Fortunately for Brelford, the earl ceased his questioning.

It was another half hour before the baby went back to sleep. In the silence, all the occupants finally found rest, if not a peaceful one.

“How foolish I am, Mr. Bush.” Madelene had admonished herself several times the next morning to her companion when she learned he had remained at the house. “I was of no help to Mr. Westcott last night. I simply could not believe my brother—” She could not finish her thought.

“Your concern is for the child, and of course, your brother. I am sure he means the child no harm. He must know how much the boy means to you and Mr. Westcott. I gather the diamonds you mentioned must have driven him to desperation.”

Unable to sleep the last few hours of the night, Madelene had waited and hoped and prayed. This morning, with no word from Gabriel, she had to resign herself to the fact their quest remained unfinished. She stepped back from her wardrobe, handing another gown to Fanny to pack in her trunk. Windthorp had awakened the household early to apprise them they needed to pack for London, where they would meet Master Westcott.

“I never thought my brother capable of this. I am at a total loss to explain my brother’s behavior. His desperation has turned him into a stranger, a man I don’t know. I don’t know how to help him. But he’s taken George. If anything were to happen—” She lost the tears she was determined to keep to herself.

Mr. Bush rose from the chair and slowly walked to Madelene’s voice. She held out her hand to him and reached for his when he drew near. “You must believe your husband will find George and protect him,” he assured her while squeezing her hand.

“Yes, but who will protect my brother from my husband’s wrath?” she asked sadly, knowing there was no answer.

Gabriel lost no time after arriving in London to arrange a meeting with a private detective, Mr. Oberstein, an elderly wiry man, known among society’s elite for finding lost relatives with the utmost discretion. Unprepared to wait to hear from Colgate, between Oberstein and other acquaintances, Gabriel would search every lodging, from the London docks to the London Tower, every inn, every physician who cared for children, markets, orphanages, until he had exhausted every possibility.

Then he would start all over again. While he would have preferred to hand little George to Madelene on her arrival in a few days, he knew he couldn’t accomplish such a feat in so short a time, unless Colgate contacted him. Reminded of his wife, he hoped Bush had remembered to send along Falstaff.

If Colgate had returned to his town house in Bloomsbury, Gabriel would soon know. However, he doubted Madelene’s brother would make it too easy for him to find the child. He’d be afraid Gabriel would steal the baby back without the exchange of the jewels. And Gabriel had to play cautious with any dealings since he didn’t have the diamonds in his possession. Not yet.

His next item of business had been to find Rascal, a young man who knew many nefarious scoundrels in Town, and who could ferret out information like a dog hunting the fox. The young orphan in his late teens had big ears, long black hair, and nine fingers. The curse of Rascal’s life was to have been born with one finger shy of his left hand. Whenever Gabriel wasn’t in London, Rascal usually disappeared, and no one knew to where.

His mother had left him in the St. Augustus Home for Unwanted Children many years ago because she had little interest in raising a deformed son. From the young age of seven, he had learned many useful habits, such as how to blame another for his misdeeds, how to avoid work by intimidating the younger boys to do his share, and how to live on the streets, when the time came, and he would be forced into the drudgery of factory working.

He had escaped the orphanage by his fifteenth birthday and lived by his wits, running errands when he wasn’t stealing, which he considered an art and figured to be one of the best. His life changed when he made the mistake of—or was fortunately caught at—stealing Mr. Westcott’s horse. What he planned to do with a stolen horse, no one ever quite understood, since it would have been impossible to sell the animal in Town.

The night Cappie caught Rascal, Gabriel, instead of calling the magistrate, hired him on at the town house and gave him a room over the stables. By showing Rascal a kindness never known to him, Gabriel earned the young boy’s devotion.

Over a month ago, Rascal had trailed Colgate to Brelford’s lodgings to learn of the wager. Only the other day, the boy had jaunted over to Mrs. Grecian’s boarding room and reported back there was a new lodger in Brelford’s old rooms, an unsurprising development.

Another likely culprit in this drama was Count Taglioni. Gabriel thought it highly unlikely Alec would turn to her uncle for assistance, but taking all precaution, sent Rascal to observe the town house in Mayfair. He returned with news the house was closed, all the occupants gone.

The next day, before Gabriel and Mr. Oberstein started planning their search and strategies, Gabriel instructed Styers, the butler, to detain anyone delivering messages. He knew the only sensible action Colgate could take was to send a message to the house with directions on where to meet to deliver the diamonds and retrieve George. It might be a long shot, but they could possibly learn something from the messenger.

After Gabriel had spoken to the local magistrate, Mr. Thomaskin, he would have to turn over the diamonds for their return to Italy, and Madelene’s brother to court. Thomaskin knew of Count Taglioni and believed him to be an imposter. If Colgate gave the gems to Taglioni, he had no doubt they would all be on the next ship headed out the Channel.

What to tell Madelene? That he intended to have her brother arrested for kidnapping and stealing? That Matthew would be sent to prison because of him? Could she, would she, ever be able to forgive him? He knew if her love for her brother was as great as his love for his sister, Lucinda, they might not have a future together.

A few days later, Cappie assisted Madelene and Fanny down from the carriage and, with the help of the other coachmen, began unloading their luggage. Madelene had no time to appreciate Gabriel’s town house as she quickly made her way up the stairs, anxious for news about George and her brother. Gabriel and Styers greeted her and Fanny in the small but ornate white-and-black-trimmed foyer.

“Mrs. Westcott, my dear.” Gabriel, dressed in black pantaloons, white lawn shirt, black waistcoat and coat, went to her side and took her outstretched gloved hand and kissed it, his gaze warm and concerned.

“Mr. Westcott.” Madelene, dressed in a deep blue traveling coat and matched feathered poke bonnet, smiled at her handsome husband, wishing her heart bore no burden. Although happy to see her husband, she watched his face for any sign. “Have—”

Gabriel shook his head. “Not yet, but I am hopeful—”

“Woof, woof.” Falstaff pranced on his back paws, trying to get someone’s attention.

Madelene shook her head and knelt to pick up her dog. “You certainly have been a good little one on our journey. Perhaps the cook will have a tidbit for you in the kitchen.”

Falstaff jumped out of her arms and trotted down the corridor, presumably acquainted with the location of the kitchen.

She rose and looked at her husband. “I daresay I found it strange you requested Falstaff to come with us. But I’m sure you have your reasons.”

Her gloved hand in his, Gabriel said to Madelene, “Let us go to the front parlor. We can talk better there, and I can explain.”

She handed Styers her cloak, gloves, and bonnet and followed Gabriel into the front parlor, which overlooked Mayfair’s Park Lane. The palest of rose and green decorated the warm and welcoming room. Gabriel ushered her onto a mint green brocaded chaise longue and sat next to her, gathering her hands in his. Only four days had passed since the soiree, but the time seemed longer.

Madelene stared into his handsome face, aching for him to hold her and assure her George was safe and this whole horrible affair was over. But she could see, those were words he couldn’t give her.

His intense look encompassed her entirely, as if to memorize her features or to see how she fared from her journey. He needn’t look too closely to see the tiredness in her eyes and the quivering of her lips.

His hand reached over to stroke her cheek. “Madelene, are you well? Your face has lost some of its color. Are Fanny and Mrs. Lavishtock looking after you?” His genuine concern mirrored in tone and look.

“I, I have been unable to eat. I have been so very worried.”

Madelene did not hide her great anxiety from her husband. She did believe in him and trust him that he could make everything right. But would he hurt her brother by doing so?

“I wish I could give you the news we both desperately seek, but I’ve not heard from your brother. We’re searching all parts of Town for any sign of him and George. I’m sure your brother is seeing to George’s needs and will soon send him back to us.”

He thought to be reassuring, but Madelene could only imagine George crying because he was hungry or scared in a dark place somewhere in London. The pain she felt at her baby’s welfare was akin to the pain she felt at losing her father.

She couldn’t bear the thought of losing George, too. And what about Matthew? How could she help him? She knew she had to be strong and reserve all her energy to do something. But what, exactly?

Finding her voice, she told him, “I know you’re right. We
will
find George and Matthew.” She gave him a cockeyed smile. “I just need something to eat, and I’ll help you any way I can. Was Millie able to provide any information at our town house in Bloomsbury?”