Surrender Amanda Quick

by Surrender (lit)

  his left leg more than was absolutely

  necessary.

  He was not particularly surprised to

  see Edgeworth pull a pistol out of his

  heavy coat.

  I imagine you recall that day you should

  have died every time that leg of yours fails

  you, don't you stone vale?"

  I do hope you will at least do me

  the courtesy of explaining what is going

  on before you pull the trigger," Lucas

  remarked, massaging his thigh as he sat

  down across from the other man.

  You may relax, stone vale. I will not

  be pulling the trigger for some time yet.

  My associate has a few plans that must

  be carried out before I shall have that

  pleasure."

  Would the name of your associate be

  Samuel Whitlock, by any chance?"

  Whitlock? What an amusing notion."

  Edgeworth rapped twice on the roof of the

  carriage and the vehicle moved off. Then

  he looked at Lucas and broke into outright

  laughter. Imagine forming a partnership

  with the dead. Most amusing."

  The message reached Victoria on a silver

  salver just as she came off the dance floor

  with Lord Potbury. Please excuse me." She

  smiled quickly at her escort as she opened

  the note.

  Of course. Nothing serious, I trust?"

  Victoria scanned the brief message and

  hoped Potbury would not notice that her

  fingers were shaking inside her beautiful

  gloves.

  Come at once if you value your

  husband's life and honor.

  A carriage waits at the corner with the

  garments you will need. The driver will

  give you instructions when you arrive.

  Time is of the essence.

  No," Victoria said, smiling very brightly

  at Potbury. Nothing is wrong, just a short

  note from a friend to tell me she is going

  to take some air in the gardens. She invites

  me to join her. I suppose she felt it would

  be easier for one of the footmen to get

  the message to me in this crowd than for

  her to get through the crush. Will you

  excuse me?"

  Certainly." Potbury bent gracefully over

  her hand. Enjoy yourself. Lady Atherton's

  gardens are quite extensive. Once again, my

  congratulations on your marriage. Good

  man, stone vale."

  Yes, he is, is he not?"

  Victoria unobtrusively collected her cloak

  from one of the footmen, explaining that

  she was going out into the gardens for a

  few minutes and found it cool outdoors.

  Then she made her way discreetly toward

  one of the windows.

  A moment later she was deep in the

  unlit portion of Jessica Atherton's precisely

  manicured gardens. Several rows of clipped

  hedges and elaborately designed topiary

  shielded her from the ballroom windows.

  Jessica Atherton's gardens were rather

  like Jessica herself, Victoria concluded:

  beautiful, perfect, untouchable.

  Climbing the wall took a bit of doing.

  She was obliged to hitch her gown up to

  her thighs in order to accomplish the feat

  and she thought fleetingly of what Lucas

  would have said had he seen her expose

  so much leg. The thought brought tears

  to her eyes and she dashed them away

  immediately. She would do something

  violent to Edgeworth as soon as she found

  him if Lucas had not already done so.

  Victoria wrinkled her nose at the stench

  in the alley as she put on the cloak and

  pulled the hood up over her head. Then

  she walked swiftly to the corner.

  A public coach was waiting. An obviously

  half-drunk coachman tipped his hat with

  mocking respect. Expect you be the lady

  I been waitin" for."

  Realizing he probably thought he was

  taking her to meet a lover at a secret

  rendezvous, Victoria said nothing. She

  shrank deeper into the cloak and climbed

  quickly into the coach. The vehicle jolted

  forward before she was properly seated and

  she nearly lost her balance.

  When she reached out to brace herself,

  her hand touched a sack. She knew

  immediately it contained the clothes she

  had been told to wear.

  Even as she pulled the breeches, shirt,

  and boots from the bag her stomach turned

  over with a sickening realization. This was

  no coincidence. Whoever had sent the note

  must know that she was in the habit of

  wearing men's clothes at night. If that

  same person knew that dark secret, he

  might know others.

  A ghost would know such things, she

  reflected, or a man who trailed her like a

  ghost the way she had once trailed Samuel

  Whitlock through the corridors of his own

  home. Victoria shuddered.

  But she could not think about that now,

  she told herself as she changed quickly into

  the male garb. Indeed, she must not think

  about it. The only thing that mattered was

  rescuing Lucas.

  Her stomach felt distinctly queasy again

  as the coach pulled up outside the Green

  Pig. The choice of destination could not

  be a coincidence either. Someone knew

  everything.

  With shaking hands, she put her cloak

  back on over the masculine clothing and

  pulled up the hood. Then she quickly

  rolled up her gown and the rest of her

  discarded clothes and stuffed them into

  the sack.

  Third room at the top o" the stairs,"

  the coachman muttered as she stepped

  down from the cab. Trust you'll ave

  fun. Quality usually does, unlike the rest

  o" us that's got to work for a livin"." He

  did not even bother to look at her as he

  took another sip from his flask, flicked the

  reins, and drove off.

  Victoria watched the carriage roll out

  of sight and then she removed the cloak

  and put on the high crowned hat that had

  been provided. Taking a deep breath and

  squaring her shoulders, she walked boldly

  through the front door of the gaming

  hell.

  Everything was different this time, she

  thought nervously, and she knew that was

  because she did not have Lucas by her side

  to make it all seem a grand adventure.

  The red glare from the hearth illuminated

  the rough crowd of Green Pig patrons,

  making them look like demons from the

  underworld. The coarse, drunken laughter

  was unnerving. She had the feeling a

  violent brawl could break out at any

  moment. As she started toward the stairs

  one of the barmaids sidled up to her.

  You don't want to be goin" up there

  alone, now do ye, sir? You'll be wantin'

  a lady friend and it just so appens I'm

  free at the moment."

  Victoria thought frantically. Thank you,

  but ther
e is someone waiting for me."

  Ah, so that's the way of it, eh?" The

  barmaid winked. I saw your friend go up

  earlier and I ain't one to pass judgment

  on that sort o" thing. Besides, the bloke

  already paid for the room. Good luck to

  ye, I say. But if ye decide you'd rather

  have a woman, ye just give old Betsy a

  shout, hear?"

  Victoria stared at her in confusion. Yes,

  thank you very much, I'll do that."

  Betsy roared with laughter. Ye can

  always tell the well-bred coves. They

  remember their manners even in a place

  like this." She sallied off into the crowd,

  still chuckling.

  Victoria went grimly up the stairs, the

  sack containing her dress still clutched in

  one hand, the cloak draped over her arm.

  At the top of the stairs she found

  herself in a dark hall. She could hear

  obscene laughter and groans coming from

  the rooms as she passed two doors and

  stopped at the third.

  She hesitated a moment at her goal and

  then tapped cautiously on the third door.

  It opened immediately.

  Isabel Rycott stood framed in the doorway,

  looking even more exotic in

  men's clothes than she did in a ball

  gown.

  Lady Rycott. What a surprise." Victoria

  struggled to sound calm and cool and

  almost detached, the way Lucas always

  managed to do when he was facing a

  startling situation. At least she was not

  dealing with the reanimated corpse of

  Samuel Whitlock, Victoria told herself.

  Where is my husband?"

  Isabel Rycott smiled with a terrible

  satisfaction and revealed the pistol in her

  hand. Won't you come in. Lady stone vale?

  I have been waiting for you."

  Now that she was over her initial shock,

  Victoria told herself she must stay calm.

  She would be no help to Lucas if

  she had hysterics. Is Edgeworth with

  you?" she asked as she stepped into

  the room. I cannot imagine you have

  managed this entire business by yourself

  You are accustomed to using your male

  acquaintances, are you not?"

  How very astute of you." Isabel backed

  away from her. Her eyes were feverishly

  bright. But, then, you always were a very

  clever girl, weren't you? Too clever by half

  And now you are going to pay for it."

  Still clutching the sack of clothing and

  the cloak, Victoria wandered over to the

  fireplace to lean negligently against the

  mantel. The blaze on the hearth cast a

  sordid glare over the small, shabby room.

  You don't mean to tell me that all this

  is because you hold some sort of grudge

  against me, madam? What on earth have

  I ever done to you?"

  You killed him. That's what you did,"

  Isabel hissed. You killed Samuel Whitlock

  and ruined everything."

  Victoria went still. Perhaps you will be

  good enough to tell me just what it was I

  ruined for you?"

  I had it all planned, you stupid little

  bitch. Whitlock was going to marry me

  after he killed your mother. It took me

  months to work him up to the point

  where he had sufficient nerve to see to the

  business of murdering Caroline. Months."

  Victoria almost collapsed against the

  mantel. You prodded him into murdering

  my mother?"

  Do you think he'd have done it on his

  own? He hadn't the guts to do it without

  being pushed into it. He saw no need.

  Kept saying he had the use of her fortune

  anyway, so what did it matter if she was

  alive. But I did not have the use of that

  fortune. So I made it clear to Samuel that

  he could not have me unless he got rid

  of her, and he wanted me very badly,

  Victoria. Very badly, indeed. He finally

  arranged the riding accident."

  I knew it was murder, even before he

  confessed."

  Yes, you guessed that immediately,

  didn't you? Less than two months later

  he started acting very strange. Kept saying

  he was seeing your mother's ghost. I was

  afraid he was losing his mind, that he

  would get himself sent to Bedlam before

  he could marry me. So I decided to see

  for myself what was going on at his house

  at night."

  Victoria's fingers tightened on the sack.

  You were there that last night when he

  came at me with a knife, weren't you?"

  Who do you think put the knife in his

  hand? I told him he must kill Caroline

  again and this time she would stay dead.

  He was so crazed with drink and the

  notion that Caroline had come back to

  haunt him that he did as I told him."

  Victoria's pulse was racing, driven by

  savage anger and a terrible fear. Where

  is my husband? What has he to do with

  any of this?"

  All in good time, Victoria. All in

  good time. He will be here, never fear.

  Edgeworth is going to bring him."

  So Edgeworth is involved."

  Isabel tightened her grip on the pistol and

  laughed softly, Oh, yes. It was Edgeworth's

  idea to finish the matter in this particular

  fashion. He has a score of his own to settle

  with stone vale, you see. I agreed to do it

  his way so long as I could be certain of

  your death."

  You cared so much for my drunken sot

  of a stepfather that you wish vengeance on

  me? I am appalled by your taste in men,

  Lady Rycott. But, then, I suppose I should

  not be so astonished. After all, you took up

  with Edgeworth and he certainly is not an

  admirable specimen of manhood, either, is

  he? Perhaps you like men who are as low

  as you yourself?"

  I told you once I like men who can

  be controlled. Men who are weak and

  therefore easily manipulated. It makes

  everything so much easier, you see.

  Whitlock was completely in my power.

  Edgeworth is now, too."

  How did you happen to select Edge

  worth as your assistant?"

  I heard the talk that there was ill

  feeling between him and stone vale. When

  stone vale began pursuing you, I decided

  a man who disliked him as much as

  Edgeworth did could be of use to me."

  Tis a bit late to murder me," Victoria

  pointed out. My husband has legal control

  of my money now. In the event of

  his death, the inheritance goes to our

  remaining relatives, including my aunt.

  You will never see a penny of it."

  Isabel's eyes sparked in anger. Don't

  you think I know that? You deprived me of

  any chance of getting hold of your fortune

  the night you caused poor, stupid Samuel

  to fall down those stairs. You ruined all

  my plans and now you will pay."

  Why have you
waited so long to take

  your vengeance? Why did you go to the

  continent after Whitlock's death?"

  Because I was afraid you would realize

  I had been involved. You were so damn

  clever that I could take no chances. I had

  no way of knowing how much you knew

  or how much Samuel told you that night

  he tried to kill you. I fled the night of his

  death because I feared you would put the

  entire tale together. But you never did."

  No. But for the past few months

  I have had the oddest feeling that

  there was something left unfinished." The

  nightmares had begun shortly after she had

  been introduced to Isabel Rycott, Victoria

  realized with a chill.

  I did not care for life on the continent,"

  Isabel continued coldly. Oh, it suited

  me well enough at first, but there were

  problems after I became involved with

  a young Italian count. His mother, you

  know. She was afraid her precious son

  would marry me and she could not bear

  the notion of the family fortune falling into

  my hands. She contrived to have me cast

  out of the higher circles of society, ruining

  all my opportunities. Most unpleasant."

  So you decided to return to England."

  It is here I have the best chance of

  securing another fortune. And mark my

  words, I will find another Samuel Whitlock,

  and soon. I have gone through my first

  husband's money and I find myself in need

  of more. Quickly. While on the continent,

  I had kept track of you through friends.

  After several months I realized I was safe,

  so I returned to London."

  And decided to make me pay for ruining

  everything for you?"

  Precisely. But I also wanted you out

  of the way because it was simply good

  policy to tidy up after oneself There was

  always the chance that you would put it

  all together, you see. Since I must be free

  to stay in England, I could not take the

  risk that you would eventually figure out

  that I had been involved in your mother's

  death."

  It was you who put the scarf and the

  snuffbox where you knew I would find

  them," Victoria said evenly.

  Isabel glanced down at her breeches and

  boots and smiled strangely. You are not

  the only one who has learned to enjoy the

  freedom of men's clothing. I owe you for

  that, by the by. Do you think there will

  ever come a time when women will be

  free to wear breeches in public?"

  Victoria ignored that. You followed me

  about at night."

  Oh, yes. I kept very close watch on

  you for weeks before I made my plans,