by Rebecca King
“They all look like Elspeth,” Oliver whispered.
“What the Hell? Who are they? What does this have to do with Frederick and Voss?” Niall demanded.
“Apart from the different eye colours, and a slightly longer nose on one of these young girls, they are all startlingly similar to Elspeth, are they not?” Sir Hugo asked his men. It wasn’t really a question. The proof was before them.
“They are the kidnap victims,” Aaron said after several moments of thoughtful silence.
“What?” Oliver tipped his head.
Aaron pointed to one of the pictures and accurately named the unfortunate victim.
Sir Hugo silently turned the paper over, so they could all read the name written on the back of the drawing.
“Good God,” Niall whispered.
“What does it mean? Surely Horvat isn’t working with Frederick and Voss? I don’t believe it,” Jasper scoffed.
“No, he isn’t. But Horvat has been seen in this area, only last week as a matter of fact. I am afraid, Elspeth, that you are in considerable danger. However, the risk you are in doesn’t come from either Frederick or Voss but a more sinister threat; Horvat.”
“The kidnapper,” Oliver whispered.
“While I have no reason to believe Horvat is still here, much less has ever seen Elspeth, having you men in this house will help. It is clear to anybody with eyes in their head that Elspeth is hauntingly similar to the victims who have already been taken. We cannot and will not take any risks. Elspeth, you must stay inside where it is safe. Do not go near the windows, and do not venture outside unless one of the men is with you. Aaron, you are to stay with her. Men, I want you to take turns to keep watch; morning, noon and, night.”
“What are you going to do?” Aaron asked as he slid a possessive arm around Elspeth.
“I am going to get that coffin dug back up. If it contains three thousand pounds, we are going to take it back to the bank, but we are not going to deposit it back into Thomas’s account. As far as the bank are concerned Thomas is dead, and the solicitor might demand the lot is handed over to Frederick. We are going to deposit it into Elspeth’s bank account, and there it shall stay until Elspeth decides otherwise.” There was such a firm finality to Sir Hugo’s voice that the men knew that was exactly what would happen.
Aaron pursed his lips but nodded his agreement.
“But what about Thomas?” she whispered.
“He will have to make his presence known when he is ready. Until he does, the money isn’t his because he is believed dead. Deciding ownership of the money won’t hinder us doing what we need to do to resolve matters around here,” Sir Hugo said with arrogant determination.
“What about Voss and Frederick?” Oliver asked. “Do we flush them out?”
“We watch and wait. We have to catch them red-handed as it were, preferably with one foot inside this house,” Sir Hugo warned. “That means we have to play a few games of our own. They know you are here, do they not?”
Aaron nodded. “We have already caught Frederick trying to break in.”
“Because they thought Elspeth was on her own,” Sir Hugo said. It wasn’t a question.
“I suggest that once the money has been banked, we all supposedly leave her, an eligible, vulnerable, wealthy young woman all alone in a huge house like this,” Aaron murmured after several moments of thoughtful consideration.
“Please don’t leave,” Elspeth pleaded. She felt sick at the thought of being left to sit in the house all alone and wait for it to be invaded by a night-time intruder.
“We aren’t all going to go,” Aaron warned. “I am staying in here. The men will go and watch the house from the outside. Once they have watched either Voss or Frederick enter the property they can be arrested and will face time behind bars. You, meantime, will be safe in here with me.”
Sir Hugo agreed. “Firstly, we will deal with the money in the coffin, then will go to the local group and find out what they have uncovered about Voss et al, and Horvat. Then we can make our departure clear.”
“Let the games begin,” Aaron murmured.
Elspeth felt physically so drained by it all she wasn’t at all sure what she should think anymore. Her head ached. She was starting to wonder what else everyone knew that they weren’t telling her about. Her life was, once again, being thrown into turmoil by the foolish behaviour of others and there wasn’t a damned thing she could do about it.
“One thing I would like to just say before we all have a rest,” Sir Hugo interrupted as the men began to pack away the various letters and drawings.
Everyone froze.
Elspeth jerked when she realised Sir Hugo was looking directly at her.
“It wouldn’t be wise to get your hopes up about Thomas still being alive. While I know you said you saw him looking through the window, it might not have been him. God only knows whether he was in a carriage accident or not. Nobody has any idea what has happened to him. So, until we dig that coffin up and find money inside it not a body, please remember that Thomas must be considered dead. We have no proof that he isn’t.”
“I understand,” Elspeth whispered miserably.
“Try not to mull it over too much because it will drive you to distraction. Best to work on facts, eh?” Oliver murmured with an encouraging smile.
Elspeth smiled her thanks. Her gaze was drawn to Aaron, who was the one solid, reassuring presence in her life right now. He steadied her world. Aaron was a man who could be relied upon, trusted, and would never let her down, of that she could be sure. Aaron had proven his dependability. As a result, Elspeth was aware that she had a growing admiration, love even, that she struggled to find the right words to describe, mostly because they didn’t seem adequate given the depth of her adoration of him.
Aaron was handsome, charming, solid, reliable, trustworthy, funny, caring, and more important than anything else, someone she could turn to. She cared about him - deeply. In fact, the more she contemplated the strengthening emotions that continued to grow deep within her, the more she could confidently name it as love. It wasn’t shallow affection for someone one cared about through friendship, but a deep, abiding love that came straight from her soul.
Was having a soul mate possible? She couldn’t be sure, but Elspeth knew that if it was, Aaron was hers.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“I want to be there,” Elspeth informed Sir Hugo when he was preparing to leave the house to oversee the removal of the coffin from the grave.
“I don’t think that is a wise idea,” Sir Hugo murmured.
“This involves me,” she argued. “I am not going to sit here and wait. I will go quietly out of my mind. I am coming.”
Sir Hugo sighed and looked at Aaron in silent appeal, but he merely shrugged to say that he didn’t mind. “I am coming. I will keep her safe,” he offered.
Elspeth looked at them both in exasperation.
“I am able to keep myself safe, you know,” she declared flatly.
“Not from Horvat you can’t,” Aaron argued. “Just stay close to me. I will request you turn around when the lid is taken off, just in case. You don’t need to see anything too disturbing, but I do think you need to be there.”
Sir Hugo reluctantly surrendered and led the way out of the house.
Despite the reassuring presence of Aaron and his friends, Elspeth still felt a deep sense of trepidation settle over her as she followed the men across the graveyard to the plot where she thought she had buried her brother. The grave diggers had already made great inroads to digging the rectangular space back out. So much so, she could hear the heavy thuds of their spades hitting the coffin lid.
“Ready?” Sir Hugo asked of the magistrate when they arrived.
The magistrate eyed Elspeth with concern but didn’t object to her presence given it was Sir Hugo who requested she be present. With a nod to the grave diggers, the coffin was carefully lifted to the surface and placed onto the ground at the side of the grave.
&n
bsp; “Turn around,” Aaron whispered to her when the screws were unwound.
Elspeth turned, but only so she faced Aaron, who slid a supportive arm around her waist. She leaned against him while she waited for what felt like an eternity.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” the magistrate burst out. “What in the Devil’s name?”
“Elspeth?” Sir Hugo called.
Elspeth looked over her shoulder at him only to find him pointing to the coffin.
Slowly, she turned around. To her stunned disbelief, but intense relief, rather than there being a body inside the coffin there were several bags. Aaron stepped closer and quickly opened one to reveal its contents to everyone.
“I suspect this is three thousand pounds,” he murmured.
One of the grave diggers swore but then looked contritely at Elspeth. “Sorry, miss.”
“What do you want to do with it?” the magistrate asked of Sir Hugo.
“I would appreciate an armed escort to get this back to the bank where it belongs. I shall see to the necessary formalities,” Sir Hugo bit out, his face stony with the depth of his concern.
The magistrate nodded and oversaw the removal of the bags all of which were placed at Sir Hugo’s feet.
“I shall go and get my men,” the magistrate informed him before he hurried off.
“I shall stay here and keep watch,” Sir Hugo replied. He turned to look at Aaron and Elspeth. “Then we need to talk.”
The magistrate nodded grimly and waved at him over his shoulder but didn’t slow his pace.
“What now?” Elspeth asked Aaron. “I know they are going to take it to the bank, but then what?”
“We go back to the house to wait. Someone at some point is going to turn up. The grave diggers will be sworn to secrecy. If Thomas is around here and watching us, he knows we have the money. He won’t know, however, what we are going to do with it. That can only draw him out of hiding. We already know Voss and Frederick are still at home because Oliver has already been to check. They are out of the way and won’t have any idea what is going on. The coffin is going to be put back, and the grave filled back in. For all intents and purposes, everything will be as it was yesterday, but with fresh soil over the grave.”
“What about the vicar?” Elspeth asked quietly.
“He has been sworn to secrecy because this is a government investigation into the possible murder of Thomas Lincoln. That is what he has been told, and that is all he needs to know for now,” Aaron replied.
“I can’t just sit and wait for someone to try to break into my home,” Elspeth whispered.
“We have to,” Aaron declared firmly. “Don’t be fooled, Elspeth. Just because you are at home doesn’t mean waiting is going to be in any way easy or boring. You will have to keep watch as well and try not to panic when the time comes. It will happen, Elspeth, so it is best if you think about it and prepare for it mentally. That way, when it happens you will not be caught by surprise. It will be expected. You will be less inclined to panic. When situations arise like this, the worst thing you can do is panic. It can get you killed.”
“How in the world do you live like this?” Elspeth shivered. “This life consists of nothing more than death, shadows, lies, sinister threats and danger every single day. How do you cope?”
“I switch off to most of it. I work with the lives of others, so it doesn’t really hit home or affect me. Charity’s shooting affected me because she was romantically involved with a good friend of mine, Angus. Her shooting, and near death, affected us all because we all knew her in the days prior to her near fatal injury. We all failed to keep her safe, and she paid the price for it. We won’t allow it to happen again. I won’t allow it to happen again.” Aaron reached out and stroked her cheek. “Not ever with you.”
“The men know how close you are to Aaron, Elspeth,” Sir Hugo said from behind her. “They knew that wild horses wouldn’t stop him from getting to you once he found out about Thomas. They also knew that his need to be here would make their work on the Horvat investigation impossible to continue. It was faster and safer for all of them if they all worked on your problems. That way, the situation can be resolved quicker, with Aaron leaving here happier and more content with the knowledge that you are safe.”
“When do you leave?” Elspeth felt sick with dread at the thought of Aaron not being a part of her life anymore. She wanted to see him every day, if only so she could be assured he was all right.
“Not for a while yet,” Aaron assured her soothingly. “Before I do leave, we have to talk.”
Elspeth nodded when he looked at her meaningfully but must have looked doubtful.
“I mean it. I am not going anywhere until we have come to some arrangement about the future, Elspeth,” Aaron added, tipping her chin up until she looked at him.
“Ours?” she asked. Her heart was full of so much hope she suspected it shone in her eyes, but she made no apology for it.
“For now, let us get home and then we can talk,” Aaron murmured. He tugged on her hand and led her away from the grave.
Sir Hugo remained beside the money which he wouldn’t leave until it was handed over to the bank manager.
When they were alone, Aaron clasped her hand in his and walked side-by-side with her along the narrow path that led to the back of Elspeth’s garden. Before they entered through the gate, Aaron drew her to a stop and turned to face her.
“While we have a moment to ourselves, I want you to know that I will not leave here even if Thomas appears. I won’t go until I am positive you will be fine and staying here is what you want. I do, however, hope to be able to persuade you to come and stay at my house for a while. I must return to London at some point, but it won’t be for long. If there is one good thing to come of all of this, I hope it is that I will have a bit more time free to have a home life at last. If you are agreeable, I should like to share that home life with you.”
“You would?” Elspeth’s eyes flooded with tears. “I should like that,” she breathed, her voice rich with the force of her emotion.
Boldly, before he could enter the garden, Elspeth stepped toward him and pressed a kiss to his lips. It was impossible to allow herself to consider what she was doing or why. Elspeth knew she had to follow the way she felt and trust her instincts toward this man who had given her so much and asked so little in return.
Aaron slid hard arms around her and stepped closer. Silence settled all around them and was broken only by the occasional rustle of the leaves on the trees which swung lazily overhead, teased by the gentle wind which reminded them that the storm had not abated completely yet.
Elspeth was oblivious to it all. Whenever she was with Aaron everything else faded and had little importance in her world. Together, she knew they could vanquish whatever problems life threw at them. They would come out stronger, of that there could be no doubt. She had no idea why the feelings she had always had for him should start to surface now, but they had. In her hour of need, Aaron had been there for her. But Elspeth knew, deep within, that it wasn’t why she was compelled to not let a single moment pass without showing him in some way how much he meant to her.
Maybe it is because I have started to understand the importance between life and death, she mused. Why shouldn’t I make the most of every single moment I have with him?
Elspeth knew that the way she felt about Aaron had something to do with the fact that Aaron filled every inch of the imaginary hero she had spent most of her childhood dreaming about. He was tall, handsome, charming, protective and strong. If she could envisage anybody riding into her life on a white charger to rescue her from a tower, it was Aaron.
That’s what he has done. He has ridden into my life and rescued me from a tower of misery in my darkest hour of need. He has saved me and rescued my heart.
The emotional turmoil she had felt over the last several weeks suddenly began to settle. When he tightened his arms and widened his stance to pull her closer, Elspeth stepped deeper into his emb
race willingly. His arms instinctively tightened about her some more as he settled her against him, as though securing her place next to his heart. She, in turn, allowed herself the freedom to explore. Now that they were alone, safely tucked out of sight by the large hanging branches of a willow, she was bold enough to release all constraints and allowed her hands to wander. In a direct mimicry of his shocking daring, she slowly slid a solitary hand down the rippled muscles of his side until they came to rest on the sharp protrusion of his hip. Once there, she slid that distracting hand around until it rested just below the belt of his breeches. His groan was enough to allow that hand to venture further down.
Aaron slid a hand into her hair and tipped her head sideways to deepen the kiss. He made no attempt to hide his burgeoning desire for her. In fact, he revelled in the way she shifted when she became aware of it but didn’t back away. Instead, Elspeth ventured closer and began to copy his movements.
Suddenly, with an abruptness that was shocking, Elspeth was brutally yanked out of his arms. Aaron barely had the time to blink before pain exploded in the back of his head. The world swirled as he fell to his knees. His vision blurred. He looked up when he heard Elspeth’s screams of protest. When another blow hit him, Aaron rolled to one side, away from the man wielding the club. Rather than lie prone and wait for the fatal blow that would kill him, Aaron lifted his feet and kicked the side of his attacker’s knee. The painful crunch of muscle and bone was enough to make the hooded man howl in pain, but not enough to stop him trying to throw the club down upon Aaron once more.
“Aaron!” Elspeth yelled as she was dragged, screaming and kicking, toward the end of the path. She clawed at the arm across her chest with desperate fingers. When digging her nails into the arm didn’t even make a dent in the thick fabric covering the restraining arm, she began to kick out wildly behind her in a desperate attempt to get him to let go. She felt him groan when her boots struck his shin time and again, but it wasn’t enough to force him to release her.
It wasn’t her freedom she fought for. It was the horrifying sight of a second assailant clubbing Aaron with a savage determination that was evil. It was clear, even to her, that the man wanted Aaron dead. Aaron, prone upon the floor, was helpless to do anything more than defend himself.