Engaging the Enemy (30 page)

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Once the carriage had gone and Wilcox had reported that all of Lady Barnet’s servants had been accounted for, Leopold went to check on Edwin and Lady Venables before returning to Mercy’s side. No matter how things went, her friends and family would dislike him. Once they all spotted the resemblance, Mercy would undoubtedly be slighted. He might have wealth enough to make him acceptable to some, but without a title he was far beneath her social circle.

He eased the door to the morning room open and caught sight of Edwin sitting at a small round table with his aunt. Edwin’s face was covered in sticky cream and Lady Venables was dabbing at it ineffectually. The sight made him smile. “Do you mind if I join you for a moment, my lady?”

“Could I stop you?”

“Perhaps, but I wanted a word with you. It’s about Lady Barnet.”

“What about her?”

Leopold eased into a chair. “Did you know that the lady was acquainted so well with my cousin?”

A frown spread over her face. “I did not. She befriended Mercy shortly after her marriage and I must confess I did not like her from the start.”

“Did you think her attachment insincere?”

Lady Venables expression grew grim. “She was always trying to get Mercy alone. She would offer her advice on how to deal with the duke and none of it was to his liking. She even lived here for a time, toward the end of Mercy’s pregnancy, but once the boy was born she wanted nothing at all to do with him. I thought she was more interested in Mercy’s husband, especially when his health began to decline. She was here on the day he died.”

Leopold didn’t like the sound of that one bit. Had his cousin and Lady Barnet been lovers up until his death? If so, then his cousin had had rocks for brains to have dabbled anywhere but beneath his own wife’s skirts. “Lady Barnet has a husband somewhere, correct?”

His companion scowled fiercely. “If you could call it a marriage, then yes, she is married. But Lord Barnet spends his time in London and, when not in parliament, is a great patron of the theatre. I cannot remember the last time he returned to the country with his wife. I cannot remember the last time I saw them together.”

A nasty image was starting to form in Leopold’s mind. Had the attachment been so strong that Lady Barnet sought to drive Mercy from the abbey by frightening her into leaving? But to what end? There was no reason to do so when her lover had died.

It wasn’t beyond the realms of possibility for Lady Barnet to feign poor penmanship and send threatening notes if she’d come to resent Mercy being his cousin’s wife. But to destroy animals so callously, so cruelly and leave them on Mercy’s bed. He wasn’t sure a woman could be capable of such atrocities. He wasn’t sure he wanted to meet them.

In all honesty, Leopold had not taken a liking to Lady Barnet, especially when she suggested that Mercy was not the most ravishing woman in the room. Mercy took his breath away with every smile. It was not particularly nice to criticize a friend before others.

He glanced at Lady Venables. “Well, she is gone for the day with no trouble caused.”

“She has gone, but will be back as surely as the sun rises in the morning.”

“Let’s hope we have a longer absence than that.” He glanced at Edwin, saw a streak of cream remaining on his cheek and grabbed a napkin to wipe it away. “Well, at least she took that scoundrel Shaw with her.”

Lady Venables’ eyebrow rose. “If you are leaving, sir, I think it vastly unkind to fuss about the boy in this way. He will become attached to you.”

“Would you rather have the cream smeared over his face attached to your gown instead?”

A rare smile crossed the woman’s face as she looked upon Edwin. “That is the way of boys. They are messy and unpredictable.”

Leopold grinned. “That we are. Shall we rejoin the duchess? I do not wish us to be separated for long.”

Her smile vanished. She nodded primly, held her hand out to Edwin, and headed for the door. Leopold followed, bemused by Mercy’s younger sister. She was as changeable as the weather. One minute hostile, then the next almost on good terms with him. It seemed to him that she couldn’t work out precisely whether she liked him or not. At least, she didn’t view him as her enemy for the moment. However, it would not pay to relax around her. He could easily offend her without trying.

He glanced up when she stopped suddenly, blocking his way forward. He looked over her shoulder to see Mercy, sitting regally in a high backed chair across the room. She smiled. Yet tears rolled down her cheeks. His heart ached. The poor darling woman. She had so much strife in her life that he wondered if his staying at Romsey might be better. Could he make her life easier?

“Please do take a seat.” She indicated to the chairs opposite.

He frowned. Why was she behaving as primly as her sister? Why had she moved the chair so far away from its usual placement? Leopold moved ahead of Lady Venables. Mercy didn’t so much as twitch at his approach. When he got closer, her eyes slid downward and to the side. He followed where her gaze drifted and saw a pistol digging into her ribs.

“Don’t come any closer. Give me the boy.”

The harsh male request shocked Leopold and then his anger destroyed the shock. While he’d been gone, Mercy had been set upon. If she was harmed, he’d tear strips off the man. He couldn’t place the unrefined accent, but a common thug held Mercy at gunpoint. Behind him, Blythe gasped and he heard sounds of struggle. Leopold flung his hand backward, moving to step between the stranger and Edwin, to stop them advancing further into the room. “Hold him. Keep him safe.”

Leopold approached Mercy. “Show yourself, coward.”

“Oh, I’m no coward,” a deep voice rumbled. “Just prudent. Rumor has it you travel armed. Put it down on the floor, if you please.”

Leopold put his hand in his pocket, and then remembered he didn’t have the piece on him anymore. He’d given it to Mercy for her protection, but it appeared she’d not had time to use it. Was it hidden in her gown?

He withdrew his hand, and spread them wide, palms out from his sides. “I am unarmed.”

A wild mane of tangled blonde hair appeared around Mercy’s shoulder then disappeared again. The man, some years younger than himself Leopold thought, was dressed no better than a common sailor.

“Are you all right, love?”

Mercy nodded, then winced as the pistol was dug deeper into her ribs.

“Get on your knees,” the stranger ordered.

Leopold closed his eyes briefly, his mind sifting through possibilities and strategies. In that position, he’d never stand a chance of getting Mercy away to safety. The stranger would win. He shifted a little to try to get a better glimpse of the man behind Mercy. Although he was mostly hidden behind the chair, Leopold judged him to be of average height and build. If Mercy was out of the way, Leopold would be a match for him in a fair or dirty fight. Except for the scoundrel’s speed when he moved. If he ran, Leopold would never catch him. Leopold wouldn’t make that mistake again. “Who are you? What do you want here?”

The stranger laughed. “Nothing from you. Nothing you’ve got to give would ever change things. Only their deaths can make me whole again. Bring me the boy.”

Not a chance in hell. Leopold shifted his weight subtly from foot to foot. There was no way he would allow Mercy to suffer any more of this when he had the strength to protect her. He met her terrified gaze, let all the love he felt for her show in his eyes, and silently said goodbye.

The only way to stop this was a frontal assault and hope Mercy could flee to safety. There was no other way that he could see. He took a deep breath. “Over my dead body.”

He charged.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Mercy shrieked as Leopold rushed forward, murder in his eyes.

“You,” he growled as he reached her, but then pushed Mercy from her chair as he passed, shoving her to the floor and out of danger. “You bloody little beggar.”

“No, don’t,” the stranger cried out as they crashed to the floor. “You’ll ruin everything.”

A gunshot rang out, making her ears ring, and the sounds around her became muted. Mercy covered her head, but then couldn’t bear not knowing what was going on. She turned around and lifted her head. Leopold had her attacker flat on his back, fists wrapped around his throat.

Mercy glanced around wildly and saw that her son and sister were safe on the far side of the room, huddled behind a large chair, eyes wide with terror. She relaxed for a moment, but then Blythe dragged Edwin into her arms and fled with him, crashing through the door as if demons chased her.

“Mama,” Edwin screamed, struggling against Blythe’s grip.

But Mercy couldn’t follow him. She couldn’t take her eyes off the men longer than a second; Leopold was choking the stranger beneath him and his frantic attempts to gain his freedom worried her. What if the villain fought free? She glanced at the door. They were gone. Thank heavens Blythe had taken Edwin away. She would hide him again and comfort him until Mercy could join them.

“I should wipe the floor with you,” Leopold growled, drawing her attention to him again.

“You haven’t got the bollocks for it,” the man beneath him croaked. “They deserve to die; slowly and painfully for all the evil they have done.”

Leopold leaned closer until their faces were inches apart. “To think it comes to this. I’ll kill you if you harm the boy. I’ll make the old duke proud of the pain I’ll inflict on you.”

“Leopold, no,” Mercy cried out. This was getting out of hand.

“No, King Leopold, don’t kill me.” The man on the floor mocked. His head lifted. “You couldn’t kill me. You couldn’t kill your own brother.”

Brother? Mercy gaped at the stranger. Brother? Who was this? She put her hands on the floor to support herself.

“Oh, I could do that in a minute if you so much as twitch toward the boy.”

The doors burst open and Allen and Wilcox raced toward Leopold. They caught the stranger’s arms and legs and pinned him to the floor. That it took three men to hold him still alarmed Mercy. What would have happened to Edwin if Leopold had not come home before his brother?

Allen leaned down to stare at the stranger. “Bugger me, but that looks like...”

A look of disgust crossed Leopold’s face as he stood. “It is,” Leopold growled. “I’ll get something to tie him up with. Once he’s secure, I’ll decide what to do with him.”

Leopold destroyed the drapes getting the ties, but Mercy was beyond caring. While they wrestled the squirming brother into a chair and bound him to it, Mercy tried to make sense of it all. The stranger wasn’t really a stranger. He had called Leopold brother, which made this man either Oliver or Tobias Randall. Leopold’s long lost family. Mercy curled over in despair. All this time, and the danger had come from within their own family.

After much swearing, Leopold left his captive and lifted her from the floor. He held her in his arms, squeezed gently, and then guided her to a chair set at a distance from the struggling man.

Leopold’s skin was ashen. His dark eyes dim. Desolate. “I am so sorry. I will deal with him and then you will never have to see us again. I promise.”

Mercy caught his hand as his words sunk in. “Who is he?”

He glanced over his shoulder. “This is Tobias Randall, my soon to be dearly departed younger brother.”

Mercy clung to him. “You cannot harm him. Not after you’ve finally found him. Or he’s found you, in this case. Please, don’t do anything rash.”

“I’d like to know why the hell I can’t. Think of what he’s done to you. He’s shamed us all with his actions. I cannot expose the boy to the likes of him. I cannot take a risk with Edwin’s life even for the sake of my brother. We’ll be gone at first light.”

Her eyes filled and tears fell down her cheeks beyond her power to stop.

He brushed them away with his thumb. “Life will be better for you soon, sweetheart. I promise you that.”

Mercy shook her head. “It won’t be.”

“I don’t have any other choice.” Leopold left her, dragged a chair toward his brother and settled into it, sitting backward as he faced his errant brother. “What the hell do you think you’re doing here?”

A chilling smile curled Tobias’ lips. “Getting revenge for us. The duchy must fall to better hands.”

“Fool. The duchy is already in better hands. They are gone.”

“The boy is the last,” Tobias growled.

Mercy trembled at the hatred in his voice.

Leopold shook his head. “The boy is innocent of everything.”

“That will change. The evil is in their blood.”

A harsh bark of laughter left Leopold’s throat. “Not a possibility, although with this stunt, you leave me with doubts about our own purity. What gives you the right to terrify a woman?”

“Rosemary’s tender feelings weren’t spared. They dragged her away screaming blue murder. I never saw her again.”

Leopold’s head dropped low. Mercy wanted to go to him and give him what comfort she could, but she was a little afraid of Tobias Randall. She didn’t want to get too close just yet. “Tell me what happened that day.”

The pain that crossed Tobias’ face broke Mercy’s heart. Any animation that had been there before, even anger, had vanished behind a violent mask of desolation. He drew in a shuddering breath and met his brother’s gaze without flinching. “The carriage wheels broke, two of them at once, and we were pitched to the gutter. Rosemary and I scrambled out first, but Mama was hurt and couldn’t be moved. The grooms were dead on the ground. Papa sent Rosemary and I back to the last village we had passed to get help for our mother. He wasn’t strong enough to lift her out without causing her great pain. When we came back with the blacksmith, there were many horses surrounding the carriage, two men standing on top of it.”