Always Have Hope (Emerson Book 3)

by Maureen Driscoll

  Lady Winifred’s lovely brown eyes widened in surprise. “Does that mean you no longer believe I killed my husband?”

  “I do not know what to believe. For all I know you did kill him and only came here tonight to retrieve evidence of your crime.”

  “I assure you that is not the case.”

  “And I still cannot be certain.”

  “If I might interrupt,” said Grayson. “The two of you could debate the question for hours, but with each minute we risk discovery. Since we all have the same purpose, I suggest we continue searching.”

  “Very well,” said Alex guardedly.

  “You and I will have a long discussion about this on the morrow,” Grayson said to Rose.

  “I am certain I could not be less interested in what you have to say on the subject.”

  “Would you rather I discuss it with Colin, Nick and James?”

  “Perhaps I could be persuaded to grant you a brief audience tomorrow,” said Rose hurriedly.

  “Excellent. Lewis, her majesty and I will search this quadrant. Perhaps you and Win could continue over there,” he said, pointing to the other side of the fireplace.

  Alex and Lady Win searched side by side in the dark. They moved from the fireplace to the bookshelf, occasionally bumping into each other. He tried to give her a wide berth because he could tell she was still nervous around him, but in the dark close quarters, they brushed fingers on more than one occasion. He felt each touch deep within him.

  He was drawn to this woman, despite all of the complications.

  “Mr. Lewis,” she whispered. “Can you please help me? I tried to pull out this book, but it seems stuck to the shelf.”

  He reached up, brushing her fingers again. She flinched just a bit. It was obvious that the fascination between them was his alone. Together they pulled on the book, then heard a click which reverberated in the silent room. With a slight groan the fireplace swung open, revealing a dark passageway behind it.

  The four of them stood at the entrance. From the lack of dust, it appeared to have been traversed recently. Grayson used a tinderbox to light four candles, handing one to each of them.

  “Be careful,” said Alex. “You don’t want those lights seen from the outside.”

  “We won’t be staying in the study for long,” said Lady Win.

  “You’re suggesting we go down the passageway?” asked Alex.

  “It’s why we came, isn’t it?” asked Rose.

  “Since Mr. Lewis believes I am a murderess, mayhap he fears for his life if we take the journey,” said Lady Win.

  “My sister is not a murderess,” said Rose.

  “What say you, Lewis?” asked Grayson. “Shall we see where this leads?”

  The decision was taken from them as they heard the study door rattling. Someone was trying to get in.

  Without further thought, Alex ushered both ladies and Grayson into the narrow space, then shut the door behind them. The four of them stood silently as they listened to what was happening on the other side.

  “Yer a naughty boy, ain’t ye?” asked a giggling female voice.

  “I’m the naughty one? It’s you ‘ose been pulling us in ‘ere every night since ‘is lordship got croaked. It’s right wicked to do the slap ‘n tickle right where they found the old sot’s body, ain’t it?” said a man.

  “Now don’ go getting me out of me mood. The way I look at it, this room had lots of mixin’ of naughty bits an’ only one dead body. From the way Tawny tells it, his lordship tupped more ‘ere than in ‘is bedchamber. Tawny even seen ‘im do it with others.”

  “That’s wicked, ‘aving ‘her in ‘ere watchin’ while ‘e tupped some bird.”

  The woman giggled and moaned. “I like it when ye does that,” she said. “But she weren’t in ‘ere, you see. She used to watch from the secret passage she always brags about usin’. And accordin’ to ‘er, she saw all sorts of things from in there. Oooooh, luv, that’s it. Are ye goin’ to bend me over the desk again? Make it last fer hours this time.”

  From the noises coming from the study, it became apparent that the amorous couple had settled in for the night. Alex was glad the darkness hid his blush. Grayson looked amused, Lady Winifred looked vaguely horrified – that was now her desk, after all – and Lady Rose looked extremely curious.

  “Perhaps we should find another way out,” whispered Grayson. “Waiting for that lot to finish could take hours.”

  “I don’t know,” said Lady Rose. “We might remain here for a little while. Just to see if they leave, of course.”

  “Absolutely not,” said Grayson, losing all vestige of humor. “It isn’t fit for young ears.”

  “I do not have young ears!” said Lady Rose.

  “Wot was that?” asked the woman in the study.

  “That was a little move I ain’t showed ye yet,” said her partner. “Did ye like it?”

  “I don’t mean that. I thought I ‘eard voices.”

  The four in the passageway remained still and silent.

  “’Tis nothin’,” said the man. “Now ‘ow do you like this?”

  From her moans, it appeared she liked it very much, indeed.

  Grayson pointed toward the darkened passage behind them, then slowly crept along it, taking Lady Rose’s hand and leading her onward. Lady Win followed her sister, leaving Alex no choice but to follow.

  They inched along in the darkness with only the light of their candles to guide them. Even then, they could only see two feet in front of them. With each step, Alex’s breathing seemed to falter. His heart beat faster as he fought his fear of enclosed spaces. He was glad he was not alone, though the thought did occur to him that he was in this enclosed space with a suspected murderess, her loyal sister and her friend who worked for the Foreign Office and could no doubt kill him easily in the dark.

  That didn’t help his breathing much.

  “Stairs,” whispered Grayson. He then proceeded to slowly walk down them, still holding Lady Rose’s hand.

  Alex reached out to find the other side of the staircase. It was narrow with a thin rail on the right. He and Lady Win would need to proceed single file.

  He stopped her before she began her descent. “You should go behind me,” he whispered.

  “Why?”

  Her lips were close to his ear and her breath tingled. He felt the effect throughout his entire body.

  “You might stumble with your skirts.”

  “I might stumble if I walk behind you, as well.”

  “But you would stumble into me, instead of falling down the stairs.”

  “Mayhap I would stumble into you and we would both fall.”

  “Lady Winifred?”

  “Yes, Mr. Lewis?”

  “Are you always this argumentative?”

  “I am rather insulted by that, though I suppose it is a step up from being called a murderess.”

  “I did not say you could not be both.”

  Lady Win could not quite suppress her laugh, though it was rather muffled.

  “Now please get behind me, my lady,” he said, as he stepped in front of her and grabbed the rail. “And kindly give me your candle, so you can hold onto both the rail and your skirts.

  “You are rather managing, Mr. Lewis.”

  “I would simply like to avoid falling and setting the house on fire, my lady.”

  She handed over her candle – after a sigh of exasperation – then they began their descent down the steep and narrow staircase. There was no light save for their candles. Once they reached the bottom, the tunnel split off into two directions.

  “Where do you think we are, Win?” asked Grayson.

  “I believe we are beneath the foyer. This tunnel likely runs under the kitchens. The other probably takes us under the dining room. But I have no idea where the exit lies. I never noticed any other entrance to the house other than the ones in front and back. There may be a warren of tunnels beneath this entire house. I suggest we split up to explore them. R
ose and I can take the one under the dining room, while you two gentlemen take the other.”

  “Out of the question!” said Grayson.

  “I cannot allow it,” said Alex.

  “What is wrong with my plan? I do not wish to make a second excursion to the house and I fear we may run out of time.”

  “You absolutely will not make another excursion anywhere, my lady,” said Alex. “I will not allow it.”

  “Are you arresting me?”

  “Not as of yet. But have you considered that someone very much wants to see you hang? If this person finds you, he or she might not take the trouble to send you back to Newgate.”

  “He’s right, Win,” said Grayson. “Tonight’s excursion was inexcusably foolhardy – for both you and Rose. You cannot risk it again.” He paused for a moment. “Not unless you are with Lewis and me.”

  “I beg your pardon?” asked Alex. “What gives you the idea I would consent to more of this behavior, which isn’t only foolhardy, but also illegal?”

  “Because you want to find Pierce’s killer almost as much as we do. Now, I will escort Win and Rose down the tunnel beneath the kitchens, and you can go under the study.”

  “Absolutely not!” said Lady Rose.

  “I must accompany Mr. Lewis,” said Lady Win. “Otherwise, we cannot trust that he would inform us of any developments.

  Alex felt the sting of her lack of faith in him. He was surprised how much it hurt.

  Then she turned to him. “I do apologize for not taking you at your word. But, as you reminded us at Lynwood House, we are on opposite sides in this matter.”

  Alex grunted his acceptance of her apology, though it did make him feel a little better. “I suppose you can come with me.”

  “I am flattered beyond all measure,” she said dryly.

  He ignored that. “We should agree on a signal. If anyone finds something of note, blow a whistle once. If it is urgent, blow twice.” He handed Grayson a Watch whistle, then held on to one for himself.

  “Won’t they hear a whistle upstairs?” asked Win.

  “I don’t believe so. These tunnels are well-built. They will likely muffle any noise. Shall we set off? This could be a long night.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  As Grayson and Lady Rose set off in their tunnel, Alex held up his candle to look at theirs. The few feet of light gave way to almost total darkness. It was everything Alex could do to control his breathing. He didn’t like enclosed spaces even in the light. The darkness would make it almost unbearable.

  Lady Win passed him and began to make her way forward at a rapid pace.

  “What are you doing?” he whispered.

  “I believe we already established that we have only a limited time in the tunnels. At your rate of exploration, I would die of starvation and thirst before the Crown had the chance to hang me. Perhaps even old age would claim me.”

  Her impertinence got him past his fear – momentarily, at least. “You should have a care with your speed. There could be any number of hazards down here. You would not wish to trip and turn an ankle.” Or be paralyzed by fear and be unable to walk. Was it getting warmer down there?

  “Thank you for the warning, Mr. Lewis,” she said, increasing the distance between them. “But I am keeping watch as best I can. I promise I shall not break a limb.” She sped up just a bit.

  He wasn’t certain, but he thought she might be afraid of him. He wanted to say something to reassure her, but he was finding it difficult to concentrate. The distance between them was now growing to such an extent that Lady Win’s candle was becoming more and more faint. The darkness in front of him grew with her every step, threatening to merge with the abyss behind him. The walls seemed to be closing in on him, and with a few more steps he would be in complete darkness, save his own meager candle.

  He ran forward until he caught Lady Win, then he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him. He needed the security of having her next to him to stave off his panic.

  Only to realize his error too late.

  Her every muscle tensed. She dropped her candle in a panic, causing it to blow out. But there was enough light to see her turn her head away and down, shielding herself from the blow she thought was coming. Her breathing was erratic. She began sobbing quietly. In his panic to catch up to her, he hadn’t realized how strong of a grip he had on her.

  Never in his life had he felt like such a brute. He deserved to be swallowed up by the darkness.

  “Pray forgive me, Lady Winifred,” he said, as he let go of her hand. He tried to back away, but realized they were wedged together in the narrow passageway. He tried to step aside, but saw only darkness around them. His fear was taking hold and suddenly he couldn’t get a deep enough breath.

  With horror, he realized he was about to faint.

  *

  Win braced for the blows – or worse – that she felt would come. She hadn’t known what her instinctual reaction would be when Nate and Rose had left. But she could feel Mr. Lewis’s strength, his muscular build, with each step they took. He had a presence much greater than his size. She had wanted to put as much distance between them as possible.

  And then he’d run after her, grabbing her arm and pulling her to him. Why had she put herself in this position? She should have known better. There were very few men you could trust. And this one already knew she’d been beaten. Perhaps, he thought she was someone who liked being struck, as her maid Tawny had once suggested, though she could not imagine such a woman truly existed.

  But she was well and truly in his power. She was so frightened and he was so close to her in the enclosed space, she wasn’t sure she could even draw breath to scream.

  She didn’t know what he was waiting for. Perhaps he was changing his mind. Mayhap he would let her go. She no longer had her candle, but she would find her way back to Nate and Rose and safety.

  She gathered the courage to look at him, hoping he wouldn’t choose that moment to strike her.

  She wasn’t prepared for what she saw. His eyes were wide with fright, his breathing was much too fast. And though the light was dim and she could not tell for certain, there appeared to be sweat on his brow. He looked like he was trying to calm himself, and at the same time he was swaying from side to side.

  “Mr. Lewis?” she asked hesitantly.

  He didn’t seem to hear her. He was swaying too much. She took the candle from his hand and felt how cold his fingers were. His breathing was too fast and shallow. He was swaying more and more.

  Without too much thought, she threw her arms around him, just as he collapsed. She was barely able to keep hold of him. But, fortunately, he slumped into her arms and she was pressed back into the wall.

  It was difficult, holding him upright without either dropping the candle or setting their clothes on fire. But, fortunately, he regained consciousness after only a moment or two.

  She could tell when he came out of his stupor, for he tensed – no doubt trying to figure out where he was and who was holding him. He started to stand upright. She held him closer. “Slowly, Alex. Don’t stand up too quickly.”

  With her help he was able to stand upright eventually, though she kept her arms around him. “Are you feeling better?” she whispered.

  He nodded ruefully. “I am terribly embarrassed. I hope I didn’t hurt you when I collapsed. Thank you for not dropping me on the ground – a fate I surely deserved after frightening you.”

  “You did not frighten me, sir,” she said, not wanting to appear weak before this man.

  But the look he gave her showed he knew better. “After what you endured in your marriage, your reaction was to be expected. And that may be true for some time in the future. Please forgive my callous behavior. I…panicked. You were so far ahead and it was so dark and…” He looked away.

  “And you do not like enclosed spaces?” she asked. That’s why he’d sped up. He hadn’t been chasing her. He’d been trying to save himself.

  Something she c
ould very much understand.

  “Not in the least, my lady. It was foolhardy of me to come down here in the dark. I should have just waited until tomorrow, though I believe this place is dark even at noon.”

  “But if you had waited, I would have been discovered by the amorous maid and footman. You came into these tunnels – the place you dreaded – because you did not want me to be sent back to Newgate.”

  It was hard to read his expression in the dark. “I do not believe I thought that far ahead.”

  “And I believe you are the one not being truthful now. Thank you. For many things. But, specifically, thank you for facing your fear tonight to save me.”

  Neither said anything. They simply looked at each other in the near darkness. His breathing seemed to be back to normal. Yet, for some reason, hers was becoming erratic. The moment was becoming too intense, the two of them still pressed together in the dark. So Win added, “Of course, given your goal is to send me to the gallows, perhaps I should have dropped you. I can give it a go now if you will kindly slump forward again.”

  He smiled, then leaned in just a bit. “My lady, if I slump forward into your arms again, it will not be for the purpose of you dropping me.”

  Win breathed in his scent. It was sandalwood with a hint of bergamot. She hadn’t been this close to a man in years. Not like this. And she realized to her great surprise that she wasn’t afraid. Even more surprisingly, she was enjoying it. She also had the absurd feeling he was going to kiss her.

  He leaned closer to her, then…

  They heard two short bursts from a whistle some distance away.

  Without delay, he grabbed the candle and her hand. He began running as fast as was prudent toward the sound, with her close behind.

  Win was frightened for Rose. She would never forgive herself if Rose was hurt because of her. She didn’t panic outright because she knew Grayson was with her. He would lay down his life to protect her. But then, there had already been one murder in this house, so who knew what might have happened?

  However, in those brief moments of racing through the tunnels, it occurred to her that she wasn’t frightened of the dark, of running toward danger, or of holding Alexander Lewis’s hand.