A Scandal Most Daring

by Rebecca King

  “When you are ready,” Connor grunted as he and Oscar crept across the room on their knees with one of the doors. “Step back and we will plug the gap.”

  “Ready?” Isaac emptied both guns in a volley of shots that rendered at least two men out of action.

  “Go,” Connor ordered.

  He and Oscar immediately stood and slammed the door across the window opening, immediately blocking the view into the room from outside. Isaac dragged the second door up to cover the space beside it and held it in place until the window was blocked completely. By the time numerous nails had been hammered into place the doors worked more effectively than the shutters.

  Relieved to have one problem resolved for now, Connor drew the curtains and turned to Tahlia.

  “Right, now we go upstairs and keep watch. If we each take a room, we can make sure we can keep an eye on all sides of the house,” Connor ordered.

  Everyone nodded and made their way up the stairs and, under Isaac’s direction, took up positions in the upstairs rooms to keep watch until dawn, and reinforcements, arrived.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  The next morning, Tahlia was so tired she wasn’t even certain what time of day it was. She was so tense from having spent the night studying the shadows that she felt as though she would shatter into a thousand tiny pieces if she had to endure any more stress. As it was, there had been no further incidents since the last of the attackers had disappeared over the wall. The thugs Isaac had shot had long since disappeared with the shadows, although nobody could be quite sure where they had gone.

  Tahlia didn’t care where they had disappeared to as long as they didn’t come back. It felt like she was trapped in some sort of horrifying nightmare that wouldn’t end. Still, she wasn’t going to sit and be threatened by some invisible enemy who was after either her or Connor. She had to do everything to stay safe and help Connor with this until they were able to find a way to leave London in one piece. Just the thought of being able to see Joseph again, and live in the peace and tranquillity of her home, filled her with renewed determination to get out of London the first chance she got. She just didn’t know how yet.

  “You look like a cinder child,” Connor teased.

  Tahlia jerked. She hadn’t even realised he was there. She wrinkled her nose but didn’t have the energy to care how she looked. She was beyond tired; she was exhausted.

  “Why don’t you get some rest? There is no smog today so they are less likely to attack for now. They will wait for darkness, so it is important we get out of here before night falls again,” he whispered.

  Tahlia studied him. She wondered how he was able to cope with the anxiety brought about by situations like last night. She was still trembling through fear, worry, and lack of sleep yet Connor looked tired but ready to do whatever was necessary.

  “Where will you sleep? I didn’t think about it last night, but the other bedrooms are closed down. I think Henry had them emptied when he knew they wouldn’t ever be used. Cecily and Oscar have their quarters but, apart from Henry’s room, everywhere else is uninhabitable,” Tahlia frowned.

  “I will stay in one of the chairs downstairs. I think Isaac has commandeered your uncle’s room, and I won’t disturb him. He snores.”

  Tahlia smiled.

  “I don’t think I am ever going to sleep again. Not until I reach Rutland in any case,” she whispered with a half-laugh that was entirely humourless.

  “Would you like me to stay with you for a while?” He asked hesitantly.

  To his surprise, she nodded jerkily.

  Connor nodded. “I will go downstairs to get us a drink and will be back in a little while.”

  He closed the door on the sight of her looking a picture of such forlorn misery that he immediately wanted to hold her. Instead, he gave her some time to herself to get into bed, and went in search of a drink.

  By the time he reached the hallway, a rapid series of knocks on the front door prevented him from going any further. Rather than try to peer out of the shutters, he knocked back in a brisk tattoo and waited. Sure enough, a series of knocks in reply broke the silence.

  Heaving a sigh, Connor yanked the door open.

  “Thank God you are here,” he murmured, blocking the entrance. Keeping to the shadows, he peered through the crack in the door and stared hard at Barnaby.

  Barnaby froze and knew immediately that something had gone wrong. “Had trouble?”

  His gaze slid over Connor’s soot laden clothing.

  Connor snorted. “You could say that.”

  He briskly explained what had happened last night.

  “Get us out of here, Barnaby. Today. They will be back.”

  Barnaby nodded. “I will go and get reinforcements. He handed a sheet of parchment through the door. It is Henry’s death certificate. I have spoken with the doctor myself. Henry died of a heart attack. There was nothing unusual at all about the house, or Henry, when the doctor inspected the body.”

  “Tahlia will be relieved to hear that,” Connor whispered. “Thank you.”

  “I have also had the jewellery she received yesterday assessed. Both items match pieces stolen in raids over the last couple of months.”

  “Jesus,” Connor whispered. “Why send them here then?”

  “We think Valentin might have sent them to get them into the house. If the magistrate had a tip-off that stolen items were in the house, anyone living here would be held on suspicion of handling the stolen goods, if not burglary.”

  Connor frowned as he thought about that. “What would that have to do with Valentin?”

  “We can only assume that Valentin could then blackmail Tahlia, and offer to get her out if she helped him in some way,” Barnaby replied. He glanced casually up and down the street but couldn’t see anybody. He could feel their eyes boring into the back of his head, though, and didn’t want to stay out on the street for much longer.

  “Blackmail?” Connor whispered. “The portrait.”

  Barnaby nodded and looked Connor square in the eye. “Let me in. I don’t care if they try to ambush me. I have reinforcements down the street keeping watch.”

  Connor stood back so Barnaby could slither through the door.

  “What do you know?”

  “That Valentin doesn’t live anywhere in London. There is not a trace of him. Ambrose has asked all of his contacts. The man began to merge into London society last year. While he doesn’t attend all of the social gatherings, he attends enough to continue to gain access to the grandest of houses. I think most people let him in because he claims to be wealthy, and an owner of a diamond mine. He is a flamboyant character, apparently, although nobody can remember much else about him.”

  Connor sighed and swore.

  “We are still trying to get someone to catch sight of him. However, it is starting to look like this Valentin is Sayers. It is something he would do. All of us know how that man likes to play a part. It also explains how he knows who has jewels worth a fortune.”

  “He moves about amongst his victims,” Connor snorted. “The man is a fool.”

  “He is arrogant. He doesn’t consider that we would even cotton on to what he is doing,” Barnaby snorted.

  “I wonder why Henry chose to draw a picture of him.”

  “Maybe he suspected there was something unusual about the man? Whatever the reason, it is not important. Henry drew a picture, and it is a picture of Count Anatoly Valentin who it is presumed is an alias used by Terrence Sayers.”

  “No wonder they are so desperate to get the portrait back,” Connor snorted.

  Barnaby nodded. “He knows we can identify him. I have no doubt now that this Count will vanish completely. After what happened to you last night, we need to get everyone out of this house.”

  Connor nodded. “You won’t find any argument there, but how?”

  “Leave it to me,” Barnaby said as he turned to the door. “Ben and Reg will arrive at noon today with a large tea chest. It is full of nothing
, but they will bring it into the house. Your reinforcements will stay with you and get you out of the house. They will tell you what we have planned. I might even be with them, I am not sure yet.”

  “We need to go straight to Rutland,” Connor warned.

  “Good enough. Once you get there, stay there, and keep your head down.”

  Connor nodded. “Gladly. Are you sure you can do without me?”

  Barnaby grinned at him. “You need to meet with McManners when you get to Rutland. He is in Leicestershire. You can still keep working for the Star Elite, but on more local issues for the time being. It will give you something to do while we look for whoever wants you dead. I will tell you when we catch the bastard. Until then, look after Tahlia and that son of yours,” Barnaby warned.

  Connor nodded. “Thank you,” he said effusively, touched by his colleague’s generosity.

  “I have asked McManners to send Rafael down to help us in exchange for you. Rafe is a good man so we won’t miss you,” he accompanied his aside with a teasing grin.

  Connor smirked; pleased to be able to gain the time he desperately needed to work on pulling his family, and fatherhood, together.

  Doffing his imaginary cap in a mocking salute, Barnaby turned to leave.

  “Stay safe,” Connor called. He didn’t wait for Barnaby to reply, merely shut the door and stood beside it, listening for sounds of an altercation, gunshot, or anything amiss outside. Thankfully, silence settled, and left Connor able to go in search of those drinks.

  Within minutes he crept into the bedroom. He was surprised to find Tahlia propped up in the bed.

  “Thank you,” she murmured, eagerly accepting the goblet of wine off him. She hadn’t realised just how thirsty she was until she saw the drinks in his hand.

  “I also brought something to eat,” he added as he slid a heavily laden plate of pie, bread, and cheese, he had filched out of the kitchen onto the bed beside her. “I am starving.”

  He didn’t think twice about perching on the edge of the bed and balancing the plate on his knee. Together, they tucked into the delicious repast hungrily.

  “I wonder if Cecily and Oscar are hungry,” she murmured as she savoured the delicious pie that exploded wonderfully on her tongue.

  “I have left enough for them, and Isaac. I am sure they will eat when they are ready. Oscar is already up. He is going to keep watch while we rest,” Connor advised her.

  Silence settled between them while they finished eating. By the time she was full, and had quenched her thirst, Tahlia struggled to smother her jaw-popping yawn.

  “Come on. We need to get some sleep,” Connor urged her.

  He was fighting exhaustion himself. He placed the plate onto the floor while Tahlia settled beneath the sheets. Connor removed his boots and lay back on the covers whereupon he gathered her unprotestingly into his arms.

  For the first time in an age, Connor felt completely at peace. There was, temporarily, for a few hours at least, nobody to fight, nobody to go out in the dead of night to investigate, no war to rage, and no criminal to catch. It was blissful to simply lie in the silence of the morning, and savour holding the woman in his arms. He closed his eyes and prayed that this would be the first day of many. Within seconds he was fast asleep.

  When he began to snore, Tahlia tipped her head back to look at him. She always struggled to go to sleep. He was out cold within seconds. She had no idea how he managed it, but he was literally snoring as soon as his head hit the pillow.

  Shaking her head in disbelief she settled down beside him and sighed in delight. She had never been held like this by a man – ever. It was better than any of her girlish dreams. Connor exuded heat. She snuggling closer to his warmth gladly and relaxed completely. Her smile of contentment widened when his arm instinctively tightened around her even in his slumber. Safe and secure in the arms of the man she had never forgotten, or really ever stopped loving, Tahlia fell asleep.

  At noon, Connor was woken to the sound of someone knocking on the bedroom door. His eyes shot wide open and he stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment while he tried to figure out where he was.

  The first realisation that hit him was that he had been sleeping so soundly that it took a while for his mind to function again. He realised then why he had slept so well. A small bundle of femininity was draped over him, effectively pinning him to the bed. They were so close that it was difficult to know where he ended and she began but he didn’t care, and didn’t try to move her.

  “In,” Connor grunted quietly wondering if whoever was knocking would hear.

  He watched Isaac poke his head around the door.

  “Barnaby is here with reinforcements,” Isaac announced softly.

  Connor nodded. “We will be down in a minute.”

  Once the door had closed, Connor pressed a loving kiss onto the top of Tahlia’s head and slid down in the bed until he could see her face.

  “Sweetheart? Time for us to go,” he murmured gently.

  She yawned and blinked sleepily at him. A soft smile curved her lips.

  “Morning,” she whispered.

  “It’s noon,” Connor said wryly. “We both slept longer than anticipated.”

  At some point during his sleep, Connor had found his way beneath the sheets and was now wrapped up tight against her. There wasn’t an inch of space between them. Every breath she took pressed her chest against his and heightened the desire that shivered between them.

  “Penny for them,” he whispered and watched her turn wide, startled eyes up to him.

  She hoped he couldn’t read her mind. There were rather risqué thoughts going through there at the moment. Connor seemed to be able to read her well enough, though, because his smile grew until her cheeks had turned a fiery red. Unsure how she should get out of the bed without embarrassing herself further, Tahlia tried to find a way to escape with her dignity intact.

  “What do you think today is going to bring?” She asked.

  “News,” Connor whispered.

  He didn’t want to talk about the investigation, Sayers, her uncle, or London. He wanted to just, well, be, with her.

  “In this kind of situation, it is better not to bother to plan your day. You need to react to whatever life throws at you,” he informed her wisely.

  She nodded. It was difficult for her. She lived her life around Joseph’s routines. To not have anything in particular to do left her feeling at a loose end.

  “What is it? What troubles you?”

  “You mean besides being the target of a gang of thugs from London’s streets? Or nearly shot – twice? Or being mugged – twice? Or not having any answers to the mystery of what my uncle was involved in while he was alive? Or having to face the quandary of how to abandon London without further issue?” She half-teased. “Well, not much, really.”

  Connor nodded his understanding. “Reinforcements have arrived. They are waiting downstairs for us.”

  “We had better go then,” Tahlia replied, and reluctantly pushed her way out of bed. As she hurried across the room she became aware of the sound of footsteps outside her bedroom.

  “I’ll be downstairs, Connor,” Isaac called.

  “Alright. Be there in a minute,” Connor replied casually.

  Tahlia whirled to face him and felt a guilty blush stain her cheeks. Isaac was aware that Connor had slept in her room. If Isaac knew then other people would know. It was embarrassing, shameful even. She felt a little risqué for having let Connor even be in her room in the first place. To think that everyone else in the house knew they had shared the same bed made her want to squirm.

  “Oh, dear,” she murmured.

  “What’s wrong?” Connor watched in amazement as she darted around the room, gathering up her clothes furtively as though she had something to hide. He grinned when he realised she was completely oblivious to her semi-clothed state, but made no attempt to stop her.

  “Have they been told about us?” she gasped and threw a dark glare at h
im before she disappeared behind the retiring room.

  “They who?” Connor called with a frown.

  “Everyone. Oscar. Isaac. Oh, dear, Cecily.”

  “Know what?” He gave up. He was confused.

  “You were in here all the time.”

  “Why should they not be told?” He asked. When understanding dawned, he snorted. “I think that Joseph is proof that we are not strangers to each other, Tahlia. There is nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, what are they going to do when we are both in Rutland?”

  “What do you mean?” she asked, appearing from behind the screen, dishevelled and panting from the speed in which she had tried to dress.

  Connor smiled as she tried to straighten her clothing. She looked thoroughly tousled and intriguingly delightful but he didn’t say as much. He was incredibly lucky he had been given the opportunity to sleep with her, even if it was on top of the covers. However, he wasn’t going to be so patiently understanding once in Rutland. Next time they slept together, he fully intended to be in the bed with her and didn’t care who knew it.

  “Well, we will be sharing the same house. Everyone is going to find out that we are together,” he murmured.

  He watched carefully as she slowly turned to study him.

  “We are?” she asked weakly. The prospect was intriguing. “But we have so much to learn about each other.”

  Connor snorted. “I wouldn’t say that. Besides we have one very common link, Tahlia. Our son. He needs a father. While I have breath in my body, I will be his father. You need my help, and I have to confess-” he scratched his ear uncomfortably, “-I need yours.”

  When she looked a little stunned he knew he needed to explain himself.

  “I have no siblings, and went into the army at an early age. My kind of work doesn’t really bring me into contact with children much. I er-”