Never Wager Against Love (Kellington Book Three)

by Driscoll, Maureen

  “I should have been suspicious when Merlin went lame – an insult I place second only to the harm you’ve caused Vanessa – ensuring we had to take your carriage. That way you would know exactly where we were.

  “I am curious about one thing. Was it part of your plan that Mortimer and Cassidy show up at the Iron Bridge Gorge? It would have been easier for your men to simply take the three items and deliver them to you at whichever port you planned to depart from. Because you are leaving England, correct? It’s the only way to sell the three items.”

  He was rewarded with a begrudging nod from Dumbarton. “I shan’t miss this dreary island. It has too little respect for men of intelligence.”

  Arthur continued. “I speak for my countrymen in saying we will certainly not miss you. But back to the recent past…by the time we returned to the carriage with an injured Sir Lawrence and supposedly having been robbed of all three items, your men had little recourse but to deliver us to London.”

  Vanessa spoke up. “Did you instruct your men to kill us at the gorge?”

  Dumbarton weighed his words and for a long moment it looked like he would not reply. “Yes. But they were to use their discretion. I didn’t know that idiot Lawrence would actually accompany you to the gorge. Once he showed up, it was far from certain whether my men could kill the three of you. But I told them to look for the chance once you recovered the third item. If I had known Mortimer and Cassidy would bungle the job yet again by haring off after you, I would have killed them myself.”

  “Instead of just framing us for the murders of Vanessa, Kellington and Sir Lawrence?” asked Mortimer, sounding bored by the recitation.

  “Yes,” said Dumbarton. “But don’t act so superior Mortimer. Portia has blood on her hands from any number of crimes. And you’ve been playing both sides of the law for many years now.”

  For the first time, Frederick Mortimer lost his cool demeanor. “I’ve heard enough from you.”

  “What’s he talking about, Frederick?” asked Portia.

  “Nothing.” Mortimer looked like he wanted to use his pistol on Dumbarton.

  “Oh, but it really is something,” said Dumbarton. “Who do you think tipped Willingham off about Vanessa all those years ago? It wasn’t happenstance that allowed him to catch her picking a pocket. It was information from Frederick Mortimer.”

  Vanessa looked at Mortimer with stunned disbelief. “That’s not true, is it?”

  He still gripped her arm, but his voice was gentle when he spoke. “You were never meant for that life. Your heart was never in the work and you were going to be caught. I’d been informing for Willingham for quite some time. He needed a female agent and promised he’d give you a better life. It worked out well for everyone. Except for me.”

  It had been a long time since Vanessa had seen anything other than hatred in Frederick Mortimer’s eyes. Or, perhaps, it had been her long ago loss that had colored how she saw him. Her love for him had died years earlier. But she still felt a connection to one of the few people who’d shown her kindness when she’d needed it most.

  “How touching,” said Portia, her voice filled with anger. “But I am most interested in being paid for my services. You’d better have the money you owe us, Dumbarton.”

  “I’m afraid there’s been a change of plans,” said Dumbarton with a smile.

  The first shot rang out from behind one of the crates. It missed its intended target, Portia, but shattered the chalice on the table. As Dumbarton yelled at his men to stop firing, Frederick Mortimer ran down one of the aisles in pursuit of the shooter. Portia pulled Vanessa in front of her to use as a human shield then put a small pistol to her head. Dumbarton calmly walked toward the table.

  Arthur grabbed the Larsen broadsword and brought the tip to Dumbarton’s throat.

  “How theatrical, Kellington,” he said with just a glimmer of fear. “But this is hardly Camelot. My men are situated throughout the room. You’ll take a shell to the head before you can do much damage with the sword.”

  “You give me too little credit and your men too much,” said Arthur. “Tell them to put down their weapons. Or has Mortimer already done it for them?”

  There was a pause as Dumbarton seemed to realize the one shot had not been followed by others. There was a noise nearby and Dumbarton’s coachman came staggering down one of the aisles. His throat had been cut and he fell to the ground dying.

  “I see Frederick is making progress,” said Portia. “Give off Dumbarton. If your men were going to rescue you, they would have done so by now.”

  No sooner had she said that than they heard a man scream from further away in the warehouse. Dumbarton lost some of his calm demeanor. “We’re on the same side, dear Portia. Tell Kellington to drop the sword or you’ll kill his Vanessa. That’s the only way you’ll get your blunt.”

  “Do it,” said Portia as she pressed the pistol to Vanessa’s head.

  “They’ll kill us both Arthur,” said Vanessa. “Keep the sword on him.”

  “Don’t be a fool,” said Dumbarton to Arthur. “You cannot win.”

  Arthur had to keep him talking to give Mortimer a chance to dispose of the rest of Dumbarton’s men. Even if Mortimer wasn’t an ally, he knew Dumbarton’s men would kill them if given the chance. There was a possibility Mortimer would at least let Vanessa go. “Why did you do it?” he asked Dumbarton.

  Dumbarton smirked at the question. “For the money, of course. I’d grown rather tired of teaching the stupid children of the peerage, each generation more useless than the last. I started taking assignments from the Home Office not for the paltry payment and certainly not out of devotion to King and country. I did it because it allowed me to travel extensively on the continent. And it also allowed me to learn the identities of England’s most desperate villains, which is how I became acquainted with Mortimer and Cassidy. You see, one night I caught Cassidy trying to rob me after an evening’s, shall we say, entertainment. I made her write a signed confession, which could put her in Newgate at any point, then I started using her for personal missions here and there. I was delighted when she agreed to implicate Frederick Mortimer, so they both had to do my bidding.

  “I’d been fascinated by the sword and the chalice for years – the spike was just something I threw in to amuse myself. But I knew no one would ever be able to steal them. However, if the Home Office were to acquire them, I could then convince Mortimer and Cassidy to work for me one last time in exchange for enough blunt to start anew elsewhere.

  “I had a friend in France start the rumor of a renegade spy in England, then I planted the chest in Riverton’s lake. After that, it was only a matter of time before Willingham sent someone to retrieve it. All Mortimer and Cassidy had to do was entice you to follow them. I had complete faith, dear Vanessa, that you would retrieve the items I very conveniently ‘deciphered.’ Well done, sweetheart. It’s a shame you have to die.”

  Suddenly a shot rang out in the warehouse. It was the distraction Arthur had been waiting for. He hit Dumbarton in the head with the flat side of the blade, knocking him unconscious. At the same time, Vanessa stomped on Portia’s foot, then pulled out of her grasp. Arthur ran toward her as Portia raised her weapon to shoot. Time seemed to stop as Arthur threw himself into the path of the shot. He was hit with a blinding stab of pain and it felt like his entire side was on fire. He saw one of Dumbarton’s men shoot Portia.

  Vanessa ran to Arthur’s side and within a moment they were both covered in his blood. He was breathing heavily, consumed by pain. He was vaguely aware of Mortimer coming out from the aisles and going to Portia, who’d been shot dead by the last of Dumbarton’s assassins.

  As the room grew dimmer, all Arthur could think about was that he’d done it. He’d saved her from being shot. Lord Arthur Kellington’s very last thoughts were filled with love. Love for the woman he’d tried so hard to save. Love for his family. Love for the parents he’d lost so long ago.

  * * *

  Vanessa knel
t at Arthur’s side, unaware of anything except the still form beside her and the terrible amount of blood seeping from his wounds. She was praying to God to spare his life. Her worst nightmare had some true.

  She was vaguely aware of Frederick Mortimer pushing her forcefully aside because she did not want to leave Arthur, as if the only thing that could bring him back was her touch. Frederick placed a wad of fabric against Arthur’s side, then placed her hands upon it. Vanessa could feel Arthur growing colder as blood continued to seep out of him. The flow seemed to have slowed, but that could simply be because there was so little left. She bit back a sob at the very thought.

  Mortimer turned her cheek to face him. “I don’t have much time. Willingham will be here any moment and I suspect the Kellingtons won’t be far behind. I’m free, love. And I’m leaving this place. I hope we both find the peace which eluded us for so long.”

  For a moment, it seemed like he would kiss her on the lips, but then he simply pulled her forward and kissed her forehead. Then he was gone.

  Moments later, shouts were heard outside, then came the sound of several men running into the warehouse. Lord Willingham approached Dumbarton, who was slowly regaining consciousness. But Vanessa didn’t care about the others. Only Arthur. Her eyes were blinded by tears as she kept pressure on his wounds, praying for him to awaken. She heard a man swear and someone else call for Jane.

  A moment later, she was pulled aside as Jane Kellington took her place and began calling out orders, which were swiftly obeyed by Ned, Hal and Riverton. Vanessa had a vague feeling of being held by someone. Strong arms were around her, and her cheek was pressed against a solid chest. She could feel the fast heartbeat of whoever was holding her. She knew that despite the man’s strong hold on her, he was as scared as she.

  They both watched as Jane very capably tended to Arthur’s wounds. There was so much blood Vanessa didn’t think it was possible that he still lived. But as he groaned in pain, she felt a glimmer of hope.

  It seemed like hours later, but was likely only several minutes, when Jane sat back. “It looks much worse than it is. The ball went all the way through and didn’t hit any organs. He’s lost a lot of blood, and there’s always the risk of infection. But the way you packed the wound likely saved his life.”

  “I…I didn’t do it,” said Vanessa, hardly able to believe Jane’s words of hope. “It was Frederick Mortimer.”

  The man holding her spoke. “He may have been the one to pack the wound, Vanessa,” said the Duke of Lynwood, “but I believe you saved my brother, just the same.” Lynwood pulled back, then steadied her to make sure she could stand on her own.

  She wasted no time in going to Arthur, even as Ned, Hal and Riverton were devising a way to carry him out to the carriage, disrupting him as little as possible.

  “My love,” she said, as she held his hand. “Stay strong for me.”

  “Always, dear heart,” he said as he brought her hand to his lips. “Forever.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  Vanessa spent the next seventy-two hours at Arthur’s bedside. He regained consciousness on and off, but was never lucid for long. A fever had set in almost immediately, and she’d spent her time wiping him down with cool cloths. His brothers had immersed him in a cold bath three times when his temperature had spiked. And it seemed to have worked. He finally felt close to normal.

  She’d refused to leave his side. She knew she was being improper, since no unmarried lady would be alone with a man in his room. But she didn’t care, and no one else seemed to, either. When she’d been close to fainting from exhaustion, Lynwood had picked her up and laid her on the other side of Arthur. She’d been so tired she must have fallen asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. When she’d awakened three hours later, someone had covered her with blankets and Lizzie was keeping watch with Riverton by her side.

  “How is he?” Vanessa whispered to Lizzie, all the while looking at Arthur to see for herself.

  “Much improved,” said Lizzie, quietly. “He still has a touch of fever, but seems to be cooling off.”

  “Thank God,” said Vanessa, as she brushed a strand of hair off Arthur’s forehead.

  Arthur slowly opened his eyes and looked at her. “This must be heaven,” he said with a raspy voice.

  Vanessa’s eyes filled with tears. “Now that you’re back, I believe it is.”

  “And they complain about us being horribly poetic,” said Lizzie as she rolled her eyes. “Arthur, dear brother, welcome back to the land of the living. You had us quite worried.”

  Arthur smiled as he weakly reached for her hand.

  “Your brothers are going to want to see you,” said Riverton, as he rose and reached for a grinning Lizzie. “But we’ll hold them off for at least a little while until the two of you have a chance to talk. Glad to see you so well, Arthur.” Riverton and Lizzie left the room, closing the door behind them.

  Arthur knew he’d never seen a more beautiful sight than Vanessa beside him. He wasn’t sure what had happened since being shot. It didn’t feel like he’d been asleep. It was more as if he’d been on a trip, even though he was sure he hadn’t left Lynwood House. But now that he was awake, he knew what he wanted to do.

  “Let me hold you,” he said to Vanessa.

  “Your brothers will be here any minute.”

  “I expect they will not expire from the shock of seeing us. Come here, my love. I’ve missed you so.”

  Vanessa had been so worried that she needed little encouragement to obey his wishes. She lay against his good side and put her hand over his heart.

  “My love,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her. “I know you think you have any number of reasons why we cannot marry. But the only one which would matter to me would be if you do not love me. Although, even then, given how much I love you, I would hope that you could come to love me even a little in the years ahead. I know I would try my hardest to make that happen.”

  “You love me?” asked Vanessa, hardly able to believe it.

  “Of course. You’re the one I’ve been waiting for all my life. There will never be another. So you have to marry me, to save me from a life of loneliness and pining over you.”

  The temptation was so great. “You know there will be obstacles,” she said. “Not the least of which would be your family’s disapproval.”

  “I am my own man, Vanessa. I love you and nothing will get in the way of that. Nothing. Please say you’ll marry me, love. I did, after all, sleep outdoors for you and eat horrid food at dreadful inns. I should get some type of reward.”

  She had to smile. She didn’t want to resist anymore. She reached up and carefully kissed him. “I will be honored to marry you. I love you, Arthur. I cannot wait to be your wife.”

  If he hadn’t been so weak and his infernal family hadn’t been at that very moment tramping down the hall to see him, Arthur would have sealed his proposal with something a good deal more satisfactory than just a kiss.

  Then all at once, they streamed into his room. Vanessa leapt off the bed as Lynwood, Ned, Jane, Vi, Hal, Lizzie, Riverton and Stapleton came in to shake his hand and joke about what a terrible patient he’d been, even though he’d been unconscious for most of the time.

  Arthur looked at the family who meant so much to him. He didn’t want to hurt them, but he could not imagine his life without Vanessa as his wife. He cleared his throat. “I have an announcement. Vanessa has done me the great honor of agreeing to be my wife.”

  He didn’t have to wait long for a reaction. There was more handshaking. Each of his brothers hugged Vanessa. Hal, that rake, even made a point to hold her just a bit longer than he should have, only so he could then grin at his brother afterward.

  Lynwood gently pulled her aside. “Vanessa,” he said, “I could not be more pleased to have you as a sister. You are not just gaining a husband. You now have a family.”

  * * *

  A few days later when Arthur was finally able to leave the house, he and Vanes
sa called on Lord Willingham at his home, where he was preparing to leave town on family business.

  “I’m glad you pulled through, Kellington,” said Willingham, as he shook his hand. He then surprised Vanessa by kissing her on the cheek. “And congratulations on your betrothal. Lynwood, Riverton and the rest of the Kellingtons have been spreading the word most vociferously. It seems most of the ton is anxious to meet the intrepid miss who helped save England’s treasures.”

  “Not all of the treasures,” said Vanessa wistfully. “The chalice was shattered by the gunshot.”

  “Yes, the Duke of Newcastle was none too pleased about that,” said Willingham with a slight smile. “The pompous ass demanded recompense until it was brought to his attention that he wasn’t in legal possession of the chalice to begin with. King Richard lent it to his family with the understanding it would be returned to the Crown.”

  “I wish you would have let us tell him,” said Arthur.

  “I rather enjoyed doing it myself,” said Willingham. “The jewels from the chalice have disappeared. I believe Frederick Mortimer took them when he escaped. He probably felt it was due payment from His Majesty’s government.”

  “Was it true what Dumbarton said?” asked Vanessa. “Did Frederick Mortimer work for you?”

  “On and off,” said Willingham. “And always in an unofficial capacity.”

  Arthur watched Vanessa as she hesitated to ask the next question. “And is it true that he sold me to you?”

  Willingham sighed and looked away for a moment. “I’d hoped you’d never find out. But, yes. When I told Mortimer I needed a female agent, he reluctantly – and after weeks of my badgering – gave you up. I know we didn’t give you a choice. But I hope your years of service had been meaningful to you. I know the Crown is most appreciative of your efforts. In fact, we hope you’ll continue your work – both of you.”