“I am trying to show the illogic in your thinking, as well as your lack of judgment.”
Eyes widened across from her. “My lack of judgment?”
“Yes, yours.” Ellie stood up straight and braced herself for the next few moments. She drew in a deep breath. “Well, wasn’t it you who chose a fortune-teller’s advice over that of a noble doctor?”
Her mother’s cheeks instantly reddened, mouth tightened. “Why do you insist on bringing that up? How dare you make me relive that again and again.”
Ellie bit her lip. A stab of guilt dug under her heart at her mother’s pain. But it served her right. It wasn’t Ellie’s fault her brother had died. Why did she have to carry the blame as her mother sought to replace the child she’d lost?
Ellie wasn’t David. Once her mother accepted her responsibility in David’s death, things between them would be different.
She was sure of it.
“I bring it up because you continue to haunt me for making bad choices. We all do. But we do what we think is right at the time.” Ellie pulled her robe tighter. “You can’t make me into something I’m not.”
Her mother’s eyes reddened. “I don’t want to lose you like we lost David.”
Again the stab of guilt and yet her mother could very easily be using the tears for just that purpose.
“David was a child who couldn’t make his own decisions. He was forced to rely on you for that.”
As was always the case, Lady Halswitch would not stand and fight. She retreated from the window then hurried from the room.
A hollow and brief victory.
Bennett stretched and kicked the covers down past his waist. The fire burned too intensely last night, making him hot. If he weren’t so exhausted, he’d get out of bed and open the window.
Instead he lay with just a thin blanket up to his hips and his mind on Ella.
It was impossible not to think of her when he’d dreamt about her the last several hours. He’d managed to keep himself focused while in Lundun, but once he was in his bed, lurid thoughts of Ella overtook his mind.
His dreams of her ranged from flying beside each other in their vehicles to chasing each other through the halls of Barrington House. Yet, every time they ended with his lips on hers. No matter what he told himself, his body clearly couldn’t get enough of her.
She was a torment of the worst kind. Her stubbornness and passion were both frustrating and endearing. She was someone who would never go unnoticed. And he’d never have laid his gaze upon her had his father not passed away.
Bennett sighed. That death seemed so long ago and yet it was only months…weeks really. What had he to show for that time period? Nothing except repeated failed attempts at locating Hugh and a burning lust for a noble posing as a Commoner.
His door rattled. Bennett didn’t know the time, but it certainly wasn’t three o’clock when his valet was to wake him.
He watched as the door opened and then quickly closed again. Someone was in the room with him. Someone who was not his valet or his butler. Someone with a light step and rustling skirt.
As the person neared, Bennett closed his eyes to feign sleep. He knew who it was now. The delicious aroma of lavender gave her away.
His lips curled. That little minx. He couldn’t wait to see what she had planned.
He heard her remove her shoes and then felt the weight on the bed as she sat. As much as he tried, he couldn’t prevent himself from breathing in her scent. Just last night he tasted that heaven with his tongue.
His groin twitched. Oh hell, he would show he was awake soon if he didn’t refocus his thoughts.
She scooted closer. Bennett forced his face still. Waited.
She must be looking him over. He remembered that the blanket was low now, just at his hips. She need only to shift aside a few inches to see what grew more solid despite his attempts to stop it.
Hold still. Breathe normally.
Damn her curiosity and unashamed desire. She had no idea what she was getting herself into, whom she was seducing.
He should tell her that he was responsible for Jenny’s death and those of the others. He should admit his failures and have her be on her way, out of his life forever. As she once said, he wasn’t worthy.
Her hand brushed lightly on his stomach.
Oh Lord, he couldn’t. He was a fool, a cad, a selfish bastard. He couldn’t let her go. Not yet.
Light fingers trailed up to his chest. One brushed his nipple. It was too much for him. His flesh hardened completely, his pulse increased, breathing deepened.
Heedless to his physical changes, Ella continued with her exploration. Her finger swept to the other nipple and circled it.
Bennett clenched his teeth to keep from moaning out loud. If she continued down this path, control would surely loosen from his grasp.
Then her palm was on his stomach again. It rested there briefly before slowly inching its way down. It slid over his navel and was almost to the blanket.
He must stop her!
Bennett snatched her arm. Ignoring her gasp, he pulled her on top of him.
Her face hung over his, eyes wide.
“Yet again you play a dangerous game, Ella.”
She grinned. “You weren’t asleep.”
“No.”
“And so you were testing me to see how far I would go.”
Her body, even clothed, was divine atop his. He resisted the urge to bury his fingers in her hair and yank her lips to his.
“Perhaps I was.”
She raised an eyebrow. “And reaching below the blanket was too far?”
He wanted it more than anything in the world. He wanted her hands on him, her mouth on him, her body to envelop him.
But where would that lead? Ella would want him to marry her. And that would be a mistake of gigantic proportions.
Reluctantly, he rolled her off him.
She didn’t pout. “I’m surprised you wanted me off of you after what I could feel down there.”
Yes, his body clearly wanted her. His common sense told him something else.
“You need to go, Ella.”
“I just got here.”
“This isn’t proper.”
She laughed. “Neither was last night in your Flyer.”
Bennett closed his eyes. “What do you want from me?”
Ella kissed his shoulder. Shivers danced down his spine.
“Oh, that’s simple.”
Simple. Nothing about Ella Wilder was simple.
“Tell me, then.”
She leaned against him, her lips at his ear. Soft breasts pressed upon his arm. Mad. She would drive him mad before long.
“I came here for…”
She let the sentence trail off as her breath tickled down his spine and set his erection blazing again.
Damn seductive minx.
Her lips brushed against his ear.
At once, he rolled over on top of her and braced himself on his elbows. It was time he took control. He’d not stand for her playful kisses and teasing words.
This time her breathing grew heavy. Her lips parted. A flush spread from the tops of her mounds up to her cheeks.
He was nestled between her legs, his throbbing flesh separated from her by a blanket and her skirts. Things he could rip away in a matter of seconds.
Fire burned through his veins, urging him down that path. By the wicked glint in her eyes, Bennett had little doubt she would stop him.
“Is this it?” The words strangled in his throat. He forced them past his lips. “Is this what you came for?”
She stared at him, opened her mouth and then closed it, as if she were afraid to hear the admission in her voice.
Bennett thrust his hips. Jolts of electricity blasted to his fingers, his toes. That was a mistake.
Ella gasped. Then her eyes narrowed. “I…I came for more of your devices. The…the ones that make noise.” She closed her eyes. “But now…”
“Now what, Ella?”
he whispered. He hadn’t the strength for much more.
She arched her back, pressing her breasts against his chest. “I can’t stand this longing…”
Now! Do it! Tear away the layers in between us and alleviate both of our agonies.
But through the haze of lust, he remembered. You aren’t worthy. He wasn’t. It wasn’t fair to tie her to him forever like this.
Bennett slid off of her and onto his side. “Go, Ella. Please, for once, listen to me.”
“But why?”
“Have Craft lead you to the workroom so you can take as many devices as you wish.”
She reached for him but he scooted away.
“You will thank me later for this. I promise you.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Bennett sighed. “That only proves my point further. You still don’t trust me.”
Ella’s breath hitched. Then she slowly got up from the bed, slipped on her shoes and retraced her steps to his door. Without another sound, she was gone, leaving him with a sharp pain in his throat and the sharper agony of denied lust.
The blonde beauty hurried to the shop door and then quickly slipped inside. He left another present waiting for her. Unlike the open door he did before, this one would make her pause. She would consider how it happened, who had done it. And why.
She would probably turn that pretty head of hers and glance around the shop, perhaps even peer out the windows. She would not see him. He knew just how to hide to be undetected. He knew this city. Every inch of it.
Tonight she would see his gift and know he was thinking of her. Know he was watching her.
And, soon, when the time was right. She would be his.
Chapter Eighteen
Shredded paper.
Ellie stood at the workbench in her uncle’s shop. All across the various gears and springs and screws were ripped up bits of The District Guardian.
Someone had taken just one of her newspapers and tore it up into shreds, then scattered it across the workbench.
She didn’t harm anyone by printing out these articles. No one but…the killer.
A brick sank her stomach. Chills sprouted on her skin. She should reach for the gun under her skirt.
Lord, would he have come in here and done this, perhaps left her a sign? It could have been he who had been in the shop and left the door open. Uncle Joseph promised he’d not done such a thing.
Ellie swallowed the fear clawing at her throat. She must be mistaken. There must be explanations for these things.
Quickly she rushed to the shop door and side alleyway door, bolting them both tight.
Ellie cleaned up the newspaper pieces. She must not panic. Not think the worst. And, most certainly, not tell Uncle Joseph, Lady Westerling, her mother, or even Bennett. One, if not all of them would find some way to keep her out of Lundun.
She sat again and emptied out her sack of protection devices. She had about eight of the devices she created a few weeks ago—the ones with a small blade at the end. There were two of what Uncle Joseph helped her to make—a more deadly device with acid inside to burn the attacker. And then there were five of the ones Bennett created.
Yet, there weren’t enough. Not nearly enough.
A knock sounded on the side alley door. Miles. He was here to help her distribute her latest edition of The District Guardian and some of these devices.
The moment the latch slid over, Miles burst in the room. “We found something!”
“Shh!” Ellie led him away from the stairs where her uncle might hear and into the front shop. “What? What did you find?”
“We found his lair…or wherever he must have been sleeping during the day.”
Her breath quickened. “You found his things?” She turned up the gas lamp. This was the biggest breakthrough yet. They could be just hours from capturing him.
He lowered to a stool. “Some of the men on patrol found it in a high crime area. You know, abandoned places.”
She nodded. Each district had at least one area that housed the worst of the worst. Most tenants would move out eventually, leaving empty row houses and flats.
Miles shoved a lock of hair from his eyes, “Inside a crumbling house they found the remnants of a squatter. They didn’t think nothing of it at first.”
“But…?”
“Well, they found some strange things for a squatter, not the usual old and dirty trash.”
Ellie was on the edge of her chair. “What? Tell me!”
He shrugged. “They found clothes folded and made of fine linen. There were embroidered handkerchiefs and fine leather shoes.”
“These could have been stolen. Easily.”
“Yes, I agree, but we found something else.”
This time Ellie said nothing, despite her patience thinning at each passing moment. She waited until Miles finally broke.
He stepped forward and held out his arm. “This.”
Ellie caught in her palm the object he dropped.
It was her protection device. One of the first ones she made.
She stared at it, her mouth agape. It held more questions than answers.
“What happened to everything else?”
“We took them all to the station. Several men have been set up in the area to keep a look out for anyone returning.”
“Do you need to take this back then?” She held up the evidence.
Miles nodded. “’Fraid so, but I wanted you to see it.”
Ellie kissed him on the cheek. He would have made an excellent husband for Jenny. She only hoped he would one day move on and find someone else.
“This gives me hope, Miles. It is the break we needed. I won’t let myself believe a drunk just happened upon it.”
“I don’t believe so either. I really believe this is him.”
“Maybe your guys will find blood on the clothes they gathered.”
Miles took the protection device from her hand and slipped it back in his pocket. “Maybe they will. Shall we go and distribute these others you have?”
She gathered them into a small basket and latched the top. Miles took the stack of newspapers. They went to the side door but Ellie hesitated.
“I want to go there.”
His hand was on the door handle. “Where?”
“To the place you found the clothes and such.”
He closed his eyes. “Ellie, you know that’s not a good idea. It’s a very bad part of town. The killer could still be nearby.”
“I know. You come with me.”
“My men have already searched the place.”
Her debt to Jenny had changed into a personal mission. And now she and Bennett were on the same path—she by day, he by night. “Please. During the daylight. And only with you there.”
Miles sighed. “Only because I know you will find a way to go without me, despite your promise.”
He was right, of course. But after what she just found on the workbench she did much prefer his company.
“Tomorrow.”
“Yes, Ellie. Tomorrow.”
Hugh kicked aside the trash at his feet and peered through the open window. He watched as across the alleyway, more people invaded the rooms he’d slept in for the last several months. All of his clothes were gone. They had left behind only his food and the Craft’s basket.
Bastards. Now he’d have to go back to Barrington Manor before the expected time. Craft wouldn’t be ready for him.
Hugh knew how he’d been found. But he could do nothing about it but move to a new location.
Time was closing in. Eventually, he would be caught.
He squinted, trying to focus on the faces out the window. But he couldn’t see well. Ever since his accident, his sight had never been the same. These attempts at focusing were a left over habit from his earlier life. Now, they brought him nothing but searing headaches.
Hugh sat back, but it was too late. Jarring pain momentarily blinded him. It ricocheted throughout his brain, as if it were splitting apart.
He sank to his knees. Eyes watered, teeth clenched. Stark still, he was helpless. If anyone came for him, he’d not be able to resist.
Then only hollow emptiness filled his thoughts. Blank whiteness and echoing misery.
After a few moments, the agony passed and he opened his eyes. Where was he? A fog of confusion swirled in his mind. He blinked, swallowed.
His gaze searched for the walnut dresser in his bedchamber. For his favorite foxhound normally at his feet.
Instead, decrepit stone walls boxed him in, discarded items scattered on the floor. No delicious scent of mutton, just the stench of his own dirty clothes.
At last the memories of the prior minutes resurfaced. He was in an old building across the way from his rooms.
What had Bennett done to him? There had been a fire, a falling beam, weeks of unconsciousness, and then this. Now he was forced to endure this madness. Every day, every night he suffered in this hell.
He clenched his hand, the good one. Not the fingers made of steel and springs.
His brother should have let him die.
Hugh released a breath as the final remnants of pain gradually subsided. Now he could watch out the window again.
Once the last round of policemen left, he moved to retrieve his food. But he stopped when a young man and a blond-haired woman approached from down the street.
Heat stirred in his gut as the woman drew closer. She was beautiful and curvaceous with hair of spun gold. She looked exactly like the others.
Instinctively, he moved toward her, his heart hammering.
Then his gaze settled on the man with her. His blood froze. This one he knew. He’d seen him too many times. If only that woman wasn’t with him, then Hugh could finally put an end to that young policeman.
He growled, helpless in his present condition. He could do nothing more but watch as the two entered the building where his rooms were. He was forced to wait again. Darkness would be safer anyway.
The police were finally after him. Eventually his brother would come too.
Without real evidence, the authorities could do no more than put him in jail for vagrancy.
Bennett wouldn’t need evidence. His brother’s pursuit was relentless. Night after night, he came into the city. There could be no other explanation. Bennett wanted to put an end to the monstrosity he’d created.
The Iron Heart Page 15