Regency Romance: Loving The Reluctant Viscount (The Fairbanks Series - Love & Hearts) (Historical Regency Romance & Mystery)

by Jessie Bennett

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because he was looking for something in particular at the Dowling Estate.”

  Allan’s heart began to race. “You believe he is going to the Dowling Estate tonight to retrieve this certain item? Does he know where it is?”

  “Yes I believe that’s where he’s gone. And I don’t believe he knows where it is.”

  Allan was suddenly jumping up from the bed, pushing the sheets to the end of the bed.

  “Allan, you mustn’t go over there and fight with him. He is a dangerous man and will not hesitate to kill you.”

  “You don’t understand, Emiline,” Allan growled. “Janelle went to stay there for the night. If he doesn’t know where the elephant is and plans to search, the lady could be in serious danger.”

  His heart raced as he pushed her from his room so that he could dress. Janelle’s name continuously raced through his mind. He had to get to her as quickly as possible.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  STEVEN’S SEARCH

  STEVEN’S SEARCH

  Steven stared at the house from a distance. It looked dark. The Lady Dowling had been gone for several days. The only people in the house were a couple of servants. He had no intention of searching the servant’s quarters.

  He was determined to find the elephant. It would be the turning point for him. He would use the money to move on, to disappear from Europe altogether. He planned to hide out in the United States. He would not take Emiline along with him. She had become a dead weight, a burden on his shoulders. No longer the vibrant spirit he had met in Rome, Steven had no more use for her.

  He moved across the grass to begin looking for a way inside. One of the double glass doors on the veranda opened easily. He thought how ignorant the servants were for not securing the place. Lady Dowling had put her trust in the wrong person to protect her valuables.

  It was to his benefit and he smiled at the thought, slipping in through the door. He closed softly it behind him.

  He held up the lantern so he could see what room he was in. He recognized it as one that he had already searched and moved quickly to the door. The hallway was empty and quiet. He passed through the door, leaving it ajar.

  He went room to room on the first floor, walking slowly. He looked closely at everything that was on display. He felt confident Emiline had never told anyone about the elephant. They would not know to hide it from view. He did not see the object in any of the rooms.

  He stood at the bottom of the wide staircase, hesitating before going up to the rooms on the second floor. Most of them would be empty bedrooms. He assumed a few others would be used for other purposes.

  He stopped at the first door to his left and went in. It was plainly decorated. It was obvious to Steven that no one had used the room in some time. He closed the door after shining his lantern around. It would not be in this room.

  He tried three more rooms but saw the same plainly decorated bedrooms, empty of people and items on display.

  The fifth bedroom door stood closed in front of him. He opened it and shined the lantern in. With a hammering heart, he withdrew the lantern and held the door slightly open. Lady Janelle was sleeping in the room, curled up under a blanket.

  Steven’s mind whirled. She might know where the elephant is. He would easily escape after he forced her to show him its location. He thought quickly about how he should approach her about it.

  He pushed the door open and went directly to the bed. She did not immediately wake up. The light from the lantern on her face made her look like a young girl. Steven scanned her face in the darkness. She was a beautiful woman.

  He reached up and pulled on the hanging drape by her bed. It came down in his hand. It was made of a thin fabric, sheer and soft. He set the lantern down and wrapped one end of the drape around his right hand and the other end around his left hand.

  He pushed Janelle’s shoulder so that she was lying on her back and pressed his hands down on the bed so that the drape was across her throat. She woke with a start. Her eyes widened when she saw him. Her hands flew to her throat and she pulled on the drape to loosen it from her neck. She was trying to talk but the constriction would not allow her to do so. He lifted up slightly.

  “Good evening, Miss Janelle.” He said in a low, amused voice. “You have something I want. You will tell me where it is.”

  Janelle tried to breathe. After he loosened the drape, she began to pant rapidly. “Lord Miner. I…”

  “You don’t know what I am here for yet, miss. Don’t you want to know?”

  “I…I…”

  “Are you finding it difficult to breathe? To speak?”

  Janelle nodded, reaching up to push on one of his arms. He let up a bit more and the lady began to squeak. He placed one hand over her mouth forcefully and lowered himself so that he was very close to her. When he spoke, she could feel his hot breath on her cheek.

  “You will not make a sound, do you understand? You will be quiet or I will end your life. I am looking for something. You will tell me where it is. After I retrieve it, I will leave and you will never hear from me or see me again. Do you understand me?”

  Again, Janelle nodded, closing her eyes. “Wha…Wh…” Her throat felt bruised and swollen. She swallowed painfully. “What is it you are looking for?” she finally asked, breathlessly.

  “I am looking for an elephant made of gold. It has a gem in its belly that is worth a great deal of money. I want it. Where is it?”

  Janelle’s mind raced as she mentally searched the house for such an artifact. She panicked when she realized she did not know where it was. She could not recall ever having seen an elephant in her father’s collection of artifacts from overseas.

  “My…mother keeps…my father’s artifacts…in the library.”

  “I searched there. I did not see it.”

  “You…you…”

  “Yes, I took the other statues. And you are blessed tonight, my lady.”

  Janelle looked at him confused, her throat burning. “Blessed…”

  “Yes. I had Emiline with me last time I was here. She helped me steal those statues I took.”

  Shock ran through Janelle. Emiline was the other thief. Her behavior around Steven was now perfectly understandable, though they truly seemed less than friendly nearly all the time.

  “Emiline.” She murmured. Her eyes filled with tears. Allan’s sister. “Allan…”

  “Do not concern yourself. Allan is not involved with me. He is a fool for neglecting to realize that his sister and I have been working together for nearly three years.”

  Steven reached down and pulled Janelle up by the hair on top of her head. “Get up, my lady. You will help me find the elephant. Do not make a sound. Even if the servants hear you from their quarters, they will not get to you in time and I will be gone before they find me.”

  Janelle’s eyes filled with tears. Steven pulled her toward the door as she reached for her robe. “You have no need of that. It will only get in the way.”

  His words sent a fresh sensation of chills over her entire body.

  “I have searched downstairs but perhaps it was not thorough enough. We will go back to the library. You will search this time.” He gave her the lantern and placed both hands on her arms to direct her as they went out into the hallway and down the stairs.

  Janelle continued to mentally search the library and the house for the elephant. She was sure she had never seen such an item before.

  “What color…is the gem?”

  Steven frowned. “That does not make a difference. You cannot see it when you look directly at it. You must pick it up to see it.”

  He reached out in front of her and pushed open the door to the library. “Go in.” He said, squeezing her arm so hard she was sure it would leave a mark. She stepped into the room, holding the lantern in the air, hoping beyond hope that someone was up and in the room. But there was no one. The servants were sleeping and
she was alone.

  She was angry with herself for having come back to the house without Allan or a protector of some kind. They had all assumed Steven was gone, having made off with the golden statues. They had not realized the depth of his depravity. She shuddered when he touched her. She didn’t like the way he looked at her, much less when he put his hands on her body.

  “I…I don’t know where it is.”

  “That’s why you are going to search this room.” He walked around with her, leading her to a table where many of her late father’s artifacts were displayed. She held the lantern up and shined it over the surface of the table, scanning each of them. They brought back vivid memories. Her father had told her a story to go along with each artifact he had. She and her sisters and brother had grown up listening to them, absorbing each tale with excitement. It had given her brother the wanderlust. Her mother would soon meet up with him.

  She searched her memory for a story about an elephant. In the deep recesses of her mind, she remembered.

  The elephant was kept on a high shelf out of the way. When her father had procured the elephant, he had been in the last part of a trip through Africa. The elephant had been a gift from one of the natives.

  “What is it?” Steven asked in a hushed, excited voice. “Have you remembered? Do you know where it is?”

  Janelle hadn’t realized she’d stiffened when she remembered where the elephant was. Her eyes instinctively moved up to the shelf where it sat. She didn’t need to the lantern to know it was there. Steven followed her eyes.

  “That’s why I did not see it!” He exclaimed. He almost let her go but grabbed her back to him, holding the piece of drape around her throat to guide her. “Walk with me, miss. Now.” He growled.

  He dragged a nearby stepping stool over, forcing Janelle to bend over so he could keep pulling her by the drape around her neck. “Get up there. Get it down for me.”

  She stepped up on the three-step stool and reached into the darkness for the elephant. She felt around the shelf until she ran her fingers over its distinctive rough edges. She had to stretch a bit to get her fingers around it.

  She pulled it down and for a split second, thought of hitting Steven over the head with it and running away. But she fumbled with it in her hands and nearly fell off the stool. She caught herself with one hand on the shelf, steadied and stepped down, shoving the heavy elephant toward him.

  He wrapped one hand around it, gazing at it. He pulled on the drape, making Janelle choke. Her hands went up to the cloth and pulled to loosen it. “You aren’t getting away just yet, miss.” Steven’s eyes flashed in the lantern light.

  Janelle felt tears pouring from her eyes. They were not the result of her fear. She was angry. She wanted to lash out at him and hurt him. But the drape around her neck was cutting off her oxygen and she feared she might faint at any moment. She did not want to do that. Steven would surely take advantage of an unconscious woman in a night dress. She fought to stay alert.

  He jerked the draped, pulling her toward him. She managed to beat at him weakly with her fists but he just laughed.

  “You are no match for me, Miss Janelle Dowling. You are no match for me.”

  Janelle strained against the drape, forced herself to stay as alert as possible. As the moments ticked by, she was finding it more and more difficult. Fear began to overwhelm her, eliminating her anger.

  Allan, she called to him in her mind. Allan, Allan, Allan…

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  ALLAN’S PERSONAL JUSTICE

  ALLAN’S PERSONAL JUSTICE

  Shawn felt himself being shaken. He opened his eyes, alert immediately. Allan was standing in front him, dressed as if he was ready to go out. Shawn looked around in confusion.

  “What…Lord Gray…what is…”

  “Your Grace, we must get to the Dowling Estate. Emiline has just informed me that Steven has gone there in search of a specific artifact. We must go over there now.”

  “Janelle is there.” Shawn said, already getting out of the bed, grabbing the tinder box and lighting his lantern.

  “Yes. We must go there as quickly as possible.”

  “Let me get dressed. Meet me in the barn. Saddle two of the horses. Bring them to the front of the house. I will be there as soon as I can.”

  Allan was out the door before Shawn finished speaking.

  He was waiting outside when Shawn came bursting through the door, pulling on a light overcoat.

  They pushed the horses to a gallop. Along the way, Allan told Shawn what Emiline had told him. Shawn was mortified by the information.

  “I suspected him for the theft at the vicarage.” He admitted. “I should have questioned him earlier on. Do you think he is dangerous?”

  “Emiline seemed to give that impression, my lord.”

  “Then we must get to the estate and save Janelle from him.”

  “I hope we are in time.”

  “Yes.”

  Allan dismissed thoughts of Janelle being harmed. His heart thumped in his chest violently and he leaned forward, wanting his horse to go faster. He thanked God the Dowling Estate was not far from Worthington Manor. When they were within eyesight of the estate, he wanted to jump from his horse and run the rest of the way. He resisted the urge, knowing the horse would get there much faster than his own two feet.

  They both stopped in front of the main steps leading up to the house and jumped down.

  “You go up to her room. I will search downstairs.” Shawn directed.

  Allan stopped him just before they went in. “I do not know which room is hers.”

  Shawn nodded. “I will go up to her room. You search downstairs.”

  The two men ran into the house, separating at the stairs.

  Allan lifted his lantern high, shining the light into the first room he came to. There was no one there. He turned and called out Janelle’s name. There was no response. Fear ran through him. He moved to the next room and then turned back to go to the library.

  He threw open the door to the library and immediately spotted the lantern in the corner.

  “Janelle? Janelle! Are you here?”

  He heard shuffling near the lantern and stopped in shock when movement caught his eye behind the large desk the light was sitting on. Shadows played off the wall of books behind the desk and then Steven stood up, pulling Janelle up to her feet.

  “Let her go, Lord Miner! You will not leave here alive if you harm her.” Allan took three large steps in their direction.

  “You will stop right there if you want her unharmed.”

  “You have done enough. Let her go. Take what you want and go. Give her to me.” Allan continued his forward motion.

  “Stop, Lord Gray!”

  Janelle’s eyes were barely open. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. Allan’s heart felt like it was being ripped from his chest. He stopped moving forward. He lifted his hands.

  “Please, Lord Miner. Take what you want and go.”

  “I do have what I want.” Steven sneered. His eyes fell to the gold elephant he’d placed next to the lantern. “It seems I have what you desire, as well.” He snatched the elephant and pressed it against Janelle’s chest. “Carry this!” He demanded. He picked up the lantern and held it out in front of them.

  She wrapped both arms around the elephant, her eyes focused on Allan. He could see her pleading with him without words. Her breathing was labored, the drape held tightly around her throat. Steven kept himself behind her, pulling her as he backed toward the door. He held the drape tightly around her neck and proceeded to move her with him, making a wide circle around Allan.

  “When I am outside, you can have her. Come along. Come along.” Steven let out a low, wicked laugh, taunting Allan.

  He had left the door open. He didn’t avert his eyes when he saw the door swing open more and a figure come through.

  “Just let her go.” He lifted his hands in a stop motion. “Let her go,
Lord Miner.”

  The lantern in Steven’s hand swung back and forth. He laughed again. “I told you, I’m going to. When I get outside.”

  Allan could see Shawn on the other side of Steven. As the light moved back and forth, Shawn was in the light and then in the darkness. Each time the light shone on him again, he was closer to Steven. When he had almost reached them, Allan’s eyes moved for a split second, focusing on him. Steven noticed, turned and pushed against Janelle in his surprise. Shawn reached out and grasped Janelle’s hand.

  Steven loosened his grip on the drape and Shawn yanked the woman to him. Janelle immediately dropped the elephant and wrapped her arms around Shawn. Allan was immediately on the thief, his hands around Steven’s throat. Steven turned abruptly. Allan caught an elbow to the cheek, knocking him away. He was upright again in less than a second, throwing himself in Steven’s direction.

  “Allan! Allan!” Janelle’s voice sounded tight and painful. She went to move forward but Shawn held her back.

  “No, Jan, you will get hurt.”

  Janelle reached out with both arms. “Allan!”

  Allan didn’t look at her. He was concentrating on the man in front of him. Steven looked confused momentarily. Allan realized he was trying to decide whether to grab the elephant and try to run away or fight with him. He decided he would not leave it up to Steven. He lunged for him and they collided. Steven was knocked back and they both fell, Allan pushing himself up off Steven, balling up the man’s shirt in his left hand and punching him with the right three times in quick succession. He drew back to punch him again but stopped when he noticed Steven was no longer conscious.

  Without thinking twice, he reached over and grabbed the long piece of fabric Steven had been holding around Janelle’s neck. He grabbed Steven’s shoulder and turned him over to his stomach, pulling his hands behind his back and wrapping the drape around Steven’s wrists.