At her side, Miles growled low in his throat and made an abrupt movement, as if to lunge at Jack, but Emily caught his elbow and held him back. “It’s all right, Miles. Please.”
The stable hand subsided, but continued to glare at the man in front of them with the light of battle in his eyes.
Emily turned back to Jack. “You know, you’re going to use that threat once too often, and it’s going to wind up losing its power over me.”
“I doubt that.” Jack leaned toward her, his lips peeling back from his yellowed teeth in a snarl. “Some’ow I don’t think you want all of Little ’Averton knowing what a whore your mum was.”
She winced at the harshness of the words and her hands tightened into fists at her sides. There it was. The accusation that had haunted her for the past month. The revelation that had made her start to doubt everything she remembered or had ever been told about her beloved mother.
Jack gave a casual shrug and shoved his hands in the pockets of his breeches. “Of course, if you don’t care if everyone knows that the late Countess of Ellington diddled a mere servant before she married your father, I suppose that’s your decision.” He lowered his voice to a grating whisper. “But I ’ave to wonder ’ow your brother will take the news that ’e just might be the bastard son of a stable ’and.”
Anger raced through Emily’s veins, sharp and sweet. “And I have to wonder who would believe you. A wanted thief.”
“Maybe no one.” He shrugged again. “Or maybe everyone. Are you willing to find out? Why, at the very least it should cause quite the scandal. Society will be talking about it for months, if not years. ’Ow the countess slept wiv a stable ’and and passed ’er bastard child off as ’er new ’usband’s son.”
Is it possible? Emily wondered, not for the first time. Could there be any truth at all to what he said?
It was a puzzle she’d been tormenting herself with ever since Jack had first reappeared in her life.
She’d been shopping with Lilah in the village the day this whole nightmare had begun. While the older woman had been occupied chatting with the proprietor of the local millinery shop, Emily had been outside on the sidewalk, admiring a display of bonnets in the window, when a hand had grabbed her arm, pulling her into the alleyway behind the building.
And she had come face-to-face with Jack.
Stunned and outraged that he would dare to accost her after all these years, she had threatened to go straight to the authorities and report his presence in the village. It was then that he’d revealed the information he’d managed to stumble upon regarding her mother, and his intention of letting all of Little Haverton know what he’d discovered if she didn’t do exactly what he said.
Initially, she had refused to believe him. But the more she’d thought about it, the more it had made a strange sort of sense. It would explain so much, including the late Lord Ellington’s attitude toward Tristan. The earl and his son had never gotten along, and their relationship had been antagonistic, at best. Had their father somehow found out about their mother’s affair and realized that his firstborn might not be his after all?
Jack was right. In a town the size of Little Haverton it would be the scandal of the decade. Dear God, how would Tristan react to the prospect that the mother he had so adored hadn’t been the paragon he’d believed her to be? And not only that, but that he might not be the man he’d always believed himself to be?
The only son of the Earl of Ellington.
No, she couldn’t allow Tristan to be hurt in such a way.
Jack jolted her back to the present by giving her a sly look and sidling away a step or two, glancing back at her over his shoulder. “Per’aps I’ll approach your dear sister-in-law wiv the news first. Won’t she be surprised to see me? I ’ope it’s not too much of a shock. After all, she is carrying the possible ’eir to the earldom, and we wouldn’t want anything to ’appen to the babe, would we?”
Icy cold fear lodged at the back of Emily’s throat, but she fought through it and plunged forward to grasp Jack’s sleeve. “You stay away from her!”
He shook her loose and turned back to face her. “If you don’t follow through on our agreement, she’s fair game. And what about that ’ome for wayward waifs?” His voice dripped with scorn. “’Ow long do you think it will last once word gets out?”
As much as she hated to admit it, Jack had a point. Most of Little Haverton would jump at whatever chance presented itself to get rid of Willow Park for good. With a scandal like this associated with it, her family could very well lose what little support they had. And if that happened…
“All it would take is for me to ’ead down to the local tavern and whisper the tale in the right ear,” Jack told her, venomous glee clear in his expression. “And wiv my proof to back me up…” He let his words trail off meaningfully.
Emily swallowed and stepped back away from him. “You keep talking about this proof, but I have yet to see it.”
“All in good time, my dear.”
“No.” Enough was enough. She’d made up her mind she would get some answers tonight, and she intended to do exactly that. “Now, Jack. I’m not doing any more of your dirty work until I see this so-called proof of yours for myself.”
“My, my. Aren’t we brave all of a sudden?”
“Not brave. Just tired of being endlessly led around by the nose on the strength of your threats alone. How do I know you haven’t been bluffing this whole time?”
“I guess you’ll just ’ave to take my word for it, won’t you?”
“Your word? Hardly.”
Jack’s thick black brows lowered in a menacing manner. “I wouldn’t be giving me any ultimatums, little girl. You’d best stick to the plan or I’ll make sure you’re good and sorry. You and your family.”
“You bloody bastard!”
The words came from Miles, and this time Emily barely managed to restrain her friend before he got his hands around Jack’s throat.
The older man sent him a disdainful glance. “Back off, stable boy. This is between me and ’er.”
Still clinging to Miles’s arm with all her might, Emily glared at Jack. “I could go to the law, you know.”
“You could, but you won’t. You’re in this too deep now, princess. If I go to jail, so do you and your little friends.”
Damnation, he was right again.
Realizing he had her over a barrel, Jack smiled grimly. “’Ere now. Never let it be said I’m an unreasonable man. You do this next job, and it’s possible I could be…persuaded to let you see what I’ve got. If I’m feeling generous, that is.”
“And I’m just supposed to trust you?”
“What other choice do you ’ave?”
None. It galled Emily to no end, but she had no option but to continue to give in to his blackmail for now.
She couldn’t take the chance that he might hurt someone she loved.
Straightening her shoulders, she leveled Jack with a look of pure loathing. “When do you want us to do it?”
“There now. I knew you’d see it my way.” He gave her a smug, satisfied grin. One she longed to claw from his face. “The time isn’t right to make our move yet. I’ll send a message round as soon as I’m ready.”
“Is that all?”
“Not quite. There is one more thing. Make sure you keep your trap shut and tell Peter Quick nothing.”
Emily blinked at him in surprise.
“Yes, I know ’e’s ’ere. I ’ave my ways. And I’m warning you to keep ’im away from this. I’d ’ate to see anything ’appen to my old friend Peter.” Those chilly gray eyes bored into her, making her flinch. “But you know, accidents ’appen, even to the best of us. Remember that.”
With those words, he spun on his heel and faded into the darkness.
Emily didn’t hesitate, but turned and started toward Jenna and the horses with Miles trailing along behind. Damn Jack Barlow for coming back and turning her life upside down! Now he was not only threatening her fa
mily, but Peter as well.
And for some reason, that angered her more than ever.
She waited until they were mounted and had urged the horses back along the trail to Knighthaven before speaking again.
“This has gone too far. We must do something to stop him.”
Jenna sent her a concerned glance. “Yes. But what? Nothing ’as changed. If we turn ’im in,’ e’ll just blurt out the whole sorry tale about your mum. Not to mention we would be arrested, too.”
“I know.” Emily tightened her grip on Artemis’s reins. “If I could just manage to get my hands on this proof he keeps claiming he has, then we’d know once and for all whether there is any truth to what he says.” She looked over at Miles. “Have you had any luck at all in your questioning of the servants at Knighthaven?”
He shook his head. “The few that were around back when your parents were in residence are very close-mouthed. And it’s not easy to be subtle when asking about such a thing. I don’t want to push too ’ard.”
Emily nodded, then was quiet for a moment as she contemplated their options. Their current course had gained them nothing, and she could no longer afford to follow Jack’s directives in hopes that sooner or later she would stumble across something that would help them.
They had to take more serious action.
“I want you to keep an eye on Jack for the next few days, Miles,” she said finally, meeting the stable hand’s eyes. “We know he’s staying at the cottage. I want to know where he goes and who he sees. Perhaps he might give something away if we’re patient enough. In the meantime, no matter how much I hate it, we may have to resign ourselves to breaking into Brimley Hall. We can’t afford to anger Jack. Not at this point.”
It was true, and Emily had to place one hand against her stomach to calm the roiling deep in her belly. Would Adam ever forgive her?
At that moment, the three of them reached the immediate environs of Knighthaven and dismounted.
Miles sent a surreptitious glance at Jenna. “You know, I could walk you ’ome, if you like.”
The younger girl gave a start, then frowned at the stable hand. “I don’t need you to walk me ’ome. It’s not that far to Willow Park if I cut across the field instead of going by the road, and you need to get the ’orses back to the stables.”
Miles visibly bristled at her superior tone. “It’s not right for a woman to be out by ’erself after dark—”
“I’m perfectly capable of—”
“You’re perfectly capable of annoying the bloody ’ell out of me!”
“Me? You’re the one who—”
Emily winced. Leave it to the two of them to bicker at a time like this. “If the two of you are going to fight, the least you can do is lower your voices.”
They obliged, but continued to argue in hushed whispers.
It was useless trying to make either of them see reason when they were like this. They had their hackles up and Emily knew from personal experience that this could go on indefinitely. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and began the walk back to the house, leaving her companions to their disagreement. She had faith Jenna and Miles had sense enough to call a halt to things before they either killed each other or someone stumbled upon them.
She didn’t have far to go, and by keeping to the shadows of the numerous outbuildings scattered about the estate, she was able to reach the edge of the garden at the side of the house in no time at all. Peering from behind the safety of a large elm tree, she noted that all was peaceful and still. The moonlight cut a path through the hedges and neatly trimmed flowering bushes, illuminating the surroundings with a pale glow. From here, she could see the window of her bedroom and the candle she’d left burning on the sill to light her way.
She was almost safe.
She started forward, but she hadn’t gone more than a few steps when a dark shape suddenly swooped out of the shadows, tackling her with enough force to knock the breath from her body and bear her to the ground.
There was no air left in her lungs for her to do more than let out a frightened squeak, and she reached up with desperate hands to attempt to push away the solid bulk that covered her, keeping her pinned to the ground.
Her fingers closed on broad, muscled shoulders.
“Just what the bloody hell are you doing out here?”
Oh, dear God, it was Peter!
Chapter 10
Peter had been unable to sleep.
That was not unusual, in and of itself. He’d never been a very sound sleeper. He supposed it came from all those years of having to keep one eye open, even at night, as a boy on the streets of London.
But he knew it wasn’t entirely habit that had led to his restlessness tonight. The case of the Oxfordshire Thief was weighing heavily on him. And he had to admit that a certain angelic-looking, blond-haired young lady was on his mind far more than she should be.
He had paced his room for well over an hour, trying to concentrate on the facts that had been laid out before him that day. From what Lord and Lady Tuttleston had said, he couldn’t help but draw the conclusion that whoever had stolen the necklace and other items knew the couple quite well, or at least was very familiar with their house and their routine.
As he’d turned that thought over and over, however, trying to come to some sort of conclusion, Emily’s image had interfered with his usual cool rationality. Deciding to escape from the confines of his bedchamber, he’d made his way outside to the garden, where he had been grateful for the brisk night air that cleared his head.
If ever there had been a case that Peter felt compelled to solve, it was this one. From the moment he’d arrived at Knighthaven, he’d felt something stronger than his usual need to succeed pushing him onward. He had to catch this thief, to bring an end to the man’s life of crime. He owed that much to Tristan and Deirdre. And meeting the kindly Lord and Lady Tuttleston today had only added to his determination.
He had no idea how long he’d been out here. It could have been mere minutes or more like hours. He’d lost track of the time as he’d wandered the moonlit pathways, and he’d just been contemplating returning to his room when he’d noticed the cloaked figure slinking from tree to tree, coming ever closer to the house.
The thief! a voice in his head had hissed. It seemed a definite possibility, for who else would be skulking about the grounds of Knighthaven so long after midnight?
His whole body went on immediate alert, and taking care to remain in the shadows where he could not be seen, he’d worked his way closer to the figure, then stationed himself at the edge of the copse of elms, waiting for the thief to make his move and step out into the open.
Surely it can’t be this easy, Peter thought, the anticipation and the adrenaline pumping through his veins like sweet nectar. He damned himself for leaving his pistol in his room, but he’d never expected such an event to occur. Had never expected that the thief might try to break into Knighthaven right under his nose.
The bastard was in for a rude awakening.
When the shadowy form finally broke from the concealment of the trees, he didn’t hesitate. He lunged forward, catching the intruder about the waist and knocking him to the ground.
But the moment he felt that soft body lying beneath his own, he knew this was no thief. The rounded curves pressed against him were much too familiar, the smell of roses making it nearly impossible to mistake her for anyone else.
Emily.
Anger at her foolishness blazed through him. “Just what the bloody hell are you doing out here?”
Hands clutched at his shoulders, and he waited for her to reply. But no explanation appeared to be forthcoming. The silence went on past all bearing, and just when he was ready to shake her in sheer frustration, he realized that she couldn’t answer him.
He had managed to knock the wind from her.
His anger momentarily usurped by concern, he got to his feet in one swift motion and grasped her wrists, pulling her up next to him.
&nb
sp; “Are you all right?” he demanded.
A second passed while Emily gasped for air, then she gave an abrupt nod that had the hood of her cloak falling back and a spill of gold curls tumbling about her face.
She was so petite, so fragile. The thought of how easily he could have hurt her once again brought his anger to the forefront. “Are you mad? What are you doing wandering around out ’ere in the dark wiv a thief on the loose? Do you ‘ave any idea what could ’ave ’appened to you?”
As always whenever he was emotional, the hint of Cockney he had tried so hard to get rid of crept back into his voice. But at this point he didn’t care. The foolish woman had put her very life at risk by sneaking out of the house after dark, and for what? What could possibly be so important to her?
As he watched, he saw the hint of temper flare in the dusky purple of her eyes, and he had to stifle a groan when he noticed her chin go up in a haughty manner. She was going to be stubborn. He should have known.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she said, her voice filled with a distinct chill. “I simply needed to get away for a while, to get some fresh air, so I took a walk. And there was no risk. This thief hasn’t hurt anyone that I’m aware of.”
“There’s always a first time,” he told her, still tempted to shake her. He clenched his hands into impotent fists at his sides in order to restrain the urge to do so. “And you ’ave no idea what ’e might ’ave done if you’d stumbled across ’im in the act.”
“Well, I have returned, safe and sound, so there’s no need to belabor the point.” She looked up at him from under lowered lashes. “And there’s no need to bother Tristan and Deirdre with this little incident, is there?”
“No need—” Her gall astounded him. “I ought to turn you over my knee and deliver you the thrashing you deserve right now.”
She took a step back from him. “You wouldn’t dare!”
A Kiss Before Dawn Page 9