Surrender Amanda Quick

by Surrender (lit)

  learning your habits and your ways. When

  you took up with stone vale, it all became

  vastly easier. You began taking so many

  risks, you see."

  Yes." Greater risks than even Lucas had

  imagined, Victoria thought. Who was it

  who nearly ran me down that night outside

  this tavern?"

  That was Edgeworth. I told him I only

  wanted you frightened, but I do believe the

  fool saw his chance to get rid of stone vale

  in the process. I was very angry with him

  afterward."

  And the footpad who attacked my

  husband?"

  Edgeworth hired him for me. Again, you

  were supposed to be frightened, perhaps

  nicked a bit with the knife, but that was

  all. Something went wrong, however. You

  did not follow your usual pattern that

  night. stone vale went to fetch you from the

  garden as usual, but you did not return to

  the carriage with him. The dolt of a footpad

  attacked him anyway, figuring he had to

  earn his money somehow," Isabel said.

  Victoria remembered that had been the

  night when she had summoned Lucas to

  the garden to tell him she wanted to begin

  a love affair with him. She had not planned

  to go adventuring that evening, so she had

  not gone back to the carriage with him.

  Why the haunting tactics, Isabel? Why

  the business with the scarf and the snuffbox

  and the pamphlet on reanimating the

  dead?"

  Isabel's eyes brightened noticeably. I got

  the notion from you, of course. Don't you

  appreciate the irony? I wanted you to be

  scared out of your wits and to know

  there was no one you could turn to.

  After all, who would believe Whitlock

  had come back from the grave to kill

  you? My original plan was to terrify you

  into believing you had lost your wits.

  Everything would have been so simple if

  you had gotten yourself committed to a

  madhouse. Imagine yourself chained to a

  wall to rot for the rest of your life. A sane

  woman trapped in a world of madmen. It

  would have been a most piquant ending.

  And a safe one for me."

  Victoria nodded. You would not have

  had to risk your own neck by resorting to

  murder."

  Isabel paused, considering Victoria's

  words. True. I do not like this business

  of having to do one's own killing. However,

  once you married stone vale and left Town

  so abruptly, it all got very complicated.

  There was always the chance that if you

  confided in stone vale he might decide to

  make an investigation. That was when I

  began to agree with Edgeworth that you

  both must die."

  You still have not answered my first

  question, Isabel. Where is my husband?"

  Edgeworth is bringing him here so that

  you both may die together in this room.

  It will all be excessively tragic and very

  romantic, I assure you. We should not

  have much longer to wait."

  Victoria smiled coolly. I fear you have

  made a mistake in sending Edgeworth to

  fetch my husband. stone vale will be here

  soon, of that I have no doubt. But it is

  my guess that Edgeworth will not survive

  to accompany him."

  Isabel walked over to the window, gazing

  at the dingy alley that ran alongside the

  Green Pig. I fear you have a great deal of

  misplaced faith in your husband's abilities,

  Victoria."

  I have a great deal of faith in his

  knowledge of strategy, madam."

  From the dark confines of Edgeworth's

  carriage, which was parked in a lane near

  the Green Pig, Lucas watched Victoria

  alight from the coach and go into the

  gaming hell. His hand tightened into a

  fist.

  You have just sealed your own death,

  Edgeworth. You should never have in

  volved my wife in this business," he said

  icily.

  Your wife was involved before I was,"

  Edgeworth said with a thin chuckle of

  satisfaction. Her death is as important to

  Isabel as yours is to me."

  What is your plan?"

  I suppose there is no harm in telling

  you now. You are known for your ability to

  plot tactics and strategy, stone vale, so you

  should be able to perceive the cleverness

  of my scheme."

  Lucas did not take his eyes off the

  front door of the Green Pig. He could

  feel Edgeworth's tension filling the coach.

  The man smelled of it. You are a coward

  and a fool, Edgeworth. The combination

  means that whatever you have planned is

  bound to end in failure."

  Edgeworth raised the pistol slightly, his

  smile of satisfaction turning to a snarl.

  You will see, stone vale. This time your

  luck has finally run out. It is not only your

  life you will lose tonight, but your precious

  honor. Tomorrow morning all London will

  be talking about how the Countess of

  stone vale left Lady Atherton's reception

  to carry out a secret rendezvous with an

  unknown lover in the upstairs room of a

  gaming hell. They will delight in saying

  how you followed her and discovered her

  in bed with another man."

  Who is this other man?"

  No one will ever know because he will

  have mysteriously escaped while you were

  busy killing your wife."

  And my own death? How will it be

  explained?"

  Very easily. What else could a man in

  your situation do except put a pistol to his

  own head?"

  Tell me, Edgeworth, was it you who

  notified Lady Nettleship of Victoria's

  whereabouts on a certain evening?"

  Edgeworth smiled dryly. I followed her

  from the ballroom that night, as usual.

  When I realized you were taking her to

  that inn in order to seduce her, I thought

  I saw my chance to enjoy a most agreeable

  vengeance against you. I was certain that

  when you were discovered, your reputation

  would be in shreds. I thought you would

  be shunned by Society afterward and cast

  out of the clubs. But you moved too

  quickly and married the lady within hours.

  And once Lady Nettleship and Jessica

  Atherton made it clear they approved the

  marriage, there was nothing to be done."

  Edgeworth motioned with the weapon

  in his hand. The movement was jerky,

  betraying the man's anxiety. I think we've

  given my associate enough time alone with

  your wife. Isabel has the instincts of a

  cat, you see. She wanted to toy with her

  victim a few minutes before she delivered

  the death blow."

  Lucas started to step out of the carriage.

  He stumbled in the process and grabbed

  at the edge of the door, stifling a groan.

/>   Damn you, stone vale." Edgeworth moved

  back hurriedly, the pistol coming up sharply

  as he made a grab for his own balance.

  Sorry. My leg, of course. It has a habit

  of giving way at inappropriate moments."

  Shut up and get out of the carriage,"

  Edgeworth said nervously.

  Lucas obliged, moving cautiously. He

  watched Edgeworth alight behind him.

  There is a flight of stairs at the back.

  We will use those," Edgeworth said. I

  don't intend to have you try to escape in

  the tavern, where there would be witnesses

  if I was forced to shoot you."

  Very farsighted of you." Lucas started

  into the dark alley that led to the back

  of the building that housed the Green

  Pig. The shadows suited him well. All

  that running around at odd hours with

  Victoria had paid off, he thought wryly. He

  had become quite accustomed to moving

  about in the deepest part of the night.

  He did not make his move until they

  reached the stairs. Then, in obedience to

  Edgeworth's command, he started up the

  steps ahead of his captor.

  Hurry," Edgeworth muttered, his voice

  quavering and anxious now.

  This must be exceedingly difficult for

  you, Edgeworth. Your nerve was always

  somewhat weak, was it not? I can just

  imagine what a strain this must be on

  you."

  God damn you, stone vale. You will

  soon pay for that, I swear it. Hurry."

  Lucas waited until he was on the third

  step before he deliberately let his bad leg

  go out from under him again. He started

  to reel backward, flailing wildly.

  What in hell's name are you?" Edge

  worth instinctively tried to get out of the

  way, but the stairs were narrow and he

  wound up having to grab at the shaky

  railing as Lucas's full weight hit him. He

  fought to get the pistol back in line to fire

  but it was too late.

  The struggle was brief. Both men rolled

  together down the three steps. Lucas paid

  attention only to the pistol in Edgeworth's

  hand. Edgeworth's finger began to tighten

  and Lucas used both hands to force the

  man's arm across his body.

  Edgeworth heaved frantically, just as the

  pistol exploded. He cried out as the bullet

  went into his own chest at point-blank

  range.

  Lucas felt the shock and the sudden,

  terrible limpness that went through the

  other man. He was vaguely aware of a

  ringing in his ears caused by the noise of

  the pistol. Then he felt the unmistakable

  sensation of warm blood pumping over his

  fingers.

  God damn you to hell, Edgeworth." He

  levered himself away from the dying man.

  He did that a long time ago. The day

  I turned and ran on the field of battle."

  Edgeworth's eyes were already closing.

  You never told anyone about that."

  Each man must see to his own honor."

  You and your bloody damn sense of

  honor," Edgeworth said, his voice strained

  and not much above a whisper.

  Which room is my wife in, Edgeworth?

  Do not go to your maker with murder

  on your conscience along with everything

  else."

  Edgeworth coughed and choked on

  blood. Find her yourself, stone vale." He

  fell silent.

  Lucas got to his feet, certain the man

  was already unconscious. He dried his

  hands on Edgeworth's coat and picked

  up the pistol.

  He had just turned to start back up

  the steps when Edgeworth spoke one last

  time.

  Should have slit your throat that day

  when I saw you lying on that goddamned

  battlefield, stone vale. Should have killed

  you when I had the chance. You have

  haunted me ever since, like some damned

  ghost. And now you have had your

  vengeance."

  Lucas said nothing. There was nothing

  left to say. He bounded up the stairs as

  fast as he could without jeopardizing his

  balance.

  At the top he found himself on a narrow

  landing. There was a door at one end

  which opened onto a dingy hallway. The

  grunts and groans and laughter that came

  from behind the closed doors told him

  where he was.

  He could start throwing open each

  door as he came to it, but that would

  cause alarm and give Isabel Rycott too

  much time and warning. Lucas reluctantly

  stepped back out onto the outside landing

  and eyed the narrow ledge that ran

  beneath the windows. It was a lucky

  thing he had a head for heights, he

  decided.

  Victoria was still leaning against the

  mantel when she caught the trace of

  movement outside on the window ledge.

  She knew immediately who was out there.

  Relief soared through her. Lucas was here

  and everything was going to be all right.

  She redoubled her efforts to keep Isabel

  talking and to make certain the other

  woman's attention did not stray to the

  window.

  Tell me, Isabel, do you think you will

  be able to give up the habit of going

  about in men's clothing now that you have

  discovered the freedom associated with it?

  I vow, I will have a hard time resisting the

  temptation. It is a marvelous sensation, is

  it not? Think how much better off the

  world would be if all women felt free to

  wear breeches when it suited them."

  Isabel shook the pistol menacingly.

  Shut up, Victoria. You will not have

  to worry about that particular temptation

  after tonight."

  Victoria smiled and used the toe of

  her boot to poke a small stick back into

  the fire. Edgeworth will let you down,

  you know. Weak men may be useful on

  occasion, but I fear they cannot be counted

  upon in a crisis. I shall be the first to

  admit there are difficulties in dealing with

  a strong man, but I have learned that at

  least one can depend upon them. Have you

  ever met a man you could depend upon,

  Isabel? I have come to the conclusion that

  they are a rare and valuable commodity."

  I told you to shut up, damn you.

  Edgeworth will be here any minute and

  then you will not be feeling so talkative,"

  Isabel hissed.

  Out of the corner of her eye, Victoria

  saw a booted foot slide along the ledge.

  She put down the sack of clothing and

  absently fiddled with the cloak that was

  still draped over her arm. The thing about

  talking is that it will help to pass the time

  until stone vale gets here."

  Your husband is not going to rescue

  you, Victoria. You might as well get that

  notion out of your head."

  Nonsense. Lucas is the most amazing


  man, you know." She smiled very brilliantly

  and in that second Lucas came through the

  window in a shower of glass and shattered

  wood.

  No." Isabel Rycott screamed in fury and

  swung her pistol toward the window.

  But Victoria was already whipping the

  cloak out in an arc that caused it to

  settle over Isabel's head. Isabel screamed

  again. There was a shriek from under the

  cloak and then the pistol skittered along

  the wooden floor.

  Lucas looked at Victoria as he straightened

  and brushed off his clothes. Are you

  all right?" he asked quite calmly.

  Amazing." Victoria ran into his arms.

  I knew you would get here. Where is

  Edgeworth?"

  In the alley. Dead."

  Victoria swallowed. Somehow that does

  not surprise me. What will we do with

  Lady Rycott?"

  A good question." Lucas released her

  and picked up Isabel's pistol. Then he

  yanked the cloak off his victim, who glared

  at him with her glittering, gemlike eyes.

  We don't have a great deal of time to

  make the decision. We must get back to

  the ball before we are missed. I suppose

  the easiest thing to do is simply kill Lady

  Rycott here and now. The proprietor of

  the Green Pig is already fated to discover

  one body in the morning. He might as well

  discover two."

  Victoria was horrified. Lucas, wait. You

  cannot simply shoot her dead."

  I told you, we cannot afford any time

  to think about alternatives. We must be

  gone from here as quickly as possible."

  Isabel stared at him, her eyes full of

  fear. You cannot just shoot me in cold

  blood."

  I fail to see why not. The proprietor

  will no doubt see to it that both your

  body and Edgeworth's are removed from

  his premises and dumped into the river.

  There will be no questions asked."

  No," Isabel choked on a scream. You

  cannot do such a thing."

  Lucas, she's right," Victoria said.

  You care what happens to her?" Lucas

  asked.

  Of course not. But I cannot allow you

  to shoot her down like this. Not only will

  it go against your sense of honor, but I

  do not want you to have to endure yet

  another act of violence. You have had far

  too much of killing in your life as it is."

  You are, as usual, much too softhearted,

  my dear. I assure you my honor is not

  offended by the thought of killing the

  woman who was going to kill you, and

  one more death on my conscience will

  not make much difference."

  It will to me," Victoria said quietly. I