The Star-Crossed Bride (22 page)

Hesitantly, Valentine nodded. "She has been quite willing to do what was needed, so far. She has good reason to see Granbury hang."

"Good," the duke said, as if that answer was all that was needed to see the man hang in fact.

"Why do you ask?" Emily spoke up, puzzlement plain on her features.

In a matter of moments, they had laid out their plan. Instead of Valentine leaving the anonymous blackmail notes in Granbury's room, as he had been doing, Nan would leave the newest demand — insisting upon a meeting with him by the castle's pond.

"What good will that do?" Emily interrupted.

The duke raised a finger to silence her questions and continued to explain. "We will arrange for Granbury to see her, but not be able to confront her."

Miranda added, "He will have to do something, then. Once he thinks he knows who is blackmailing him, he will act, I am sure of it."

"No doubt he will," Valentine agreed. "But it is the very nature of his actions that worries me most. I don't like asking Nan to put herself in such danger if we can help it."

"I don't think we can help it." Miranda sighed. "I have thought about it and Nan is the most logical person."

"Why can't we arrange to have him discover me delivering the note instead?"

"Think about it brother — and forget your honor while you do. Finding Nan, and not being able to confront her right then will force his hand."

Miranda leaned forward. "We know what kind of man he is. What do you expect he will do if he thinks it is Nan who is blackmailing him?"

"He will think he can deal with her threat himself. But would he feel any differently if he were to discover that a footman was leaving the notes?"

"What?" Her expression revealed momentary confused. "I had forgotten your disguise. Perhaps it might work — "

"No. It will not. Even though you are dressed as a footman, you are a man, and a well-built one at that. He would likely be warier of a man, even a servant." The duke added, with a frown, "Worse, he might take a second look and realize that you are not a mere footman."

Valentine acknowledged what they said, but he felt strongly that Nan should not take such a risk if he could do it instead. "As to my being a male servant, I can tell you that a footman does not command a great deal of respect." He glanced at Emily and added with a smile, "except among the maidservants belowstairs, of course."

"I suppose that has made the masquerade bearable for you," Emily answered. Her smile held not one jot of jealousy. If he didn't know better, he would have sworn that she exhibited definite signs of a young woman well pleased with herself in regards to her husband. So she had not feigned her pleasure for his sake, then. It was a heady thought, but also terrifying. For the first time he fully realized that she was not going to be the most docile wife he might have wished for.

"Bearable or not, it is just a masquerade," he said dryly. "And to risk unmasking you before we are ready is foolishness." He added, "We will minimize any danger to Nan, of course. It is good that she knows the risks better than any of us, seeing that her sister was one of Granbury's victims." Quickly he went on to outline the plans he and Miranda had come up with after reading the letter Valentine had given them and realizing that there was little time to waste.

There was shelter enough for both Valentine and the duke to hide in the shrubbery near the pond and offer Nan protection against Granbury. "What is Nan's excuse supposed to be for asking to meet with him?" Emily asked.

"The blackmail notes have only threatened to expose him if he does not break the engagement and leave. Why is that to change?"

"The new note can ask for money." Miranda said.

"He will not pay — " Valentine began.

Miranda interrupted him. "No, he will not. The point is not that he will or will not pay — not even that he will or will not leave because of the blackmail notes. The idea is to provoke him to attack Nan for her audacity in blackmailing him in the first place."

Emily frowned. "We cannot ask Nan to put herself in such danger without reward. What good will it do to have the duke catch the marquess attempting to murder a maid? He could just deny it."

"You suggest that the duke of Kerstone would tell a lie?" Miranda sounded amused at the very possibility.

"Hush, Miranda, the question is a good one," the duke said with a frown that Valentine felt certain was threatening to turn into a smile. "That is the dangerous side of the venture. We must make him show his hand just enough to make it clear his intention is to kill the maid. And there must be enough evidence for everyone to believe it."

Emily protested, "But we cannot let her be hurt — "

"No. No. We will not." Valentine saw the way the duke's brow furrowed. He grasped Emily's hand and waited until she looked directly at him to say, "I swear, I will not let her be hurt."

It was a tricky plan, borne primarily of desperation and daring rather than common sense and careful thought. But the outcome was worth the risk. If they caught Granbury in the act, as it were, he would not be able to escape justice. "You promise?"

"Yes. The plan is risky, but we will let him go rather than risk her life. I promise you that." After discussing the fine details until dawn began to make its arrival known, the four were as satisfied as they could be with the time they had remaining. It was a dangerous plan, but what was not, when Granbury was involved? Valentine stood, a signal that the duke and Miranda should leave. "I will speak to Nan this morning."

"No," Emily objected.

"But I will see her belowstairs — "

"I will see her here," Emily pointed out with irrefutable logic. "I will have ample private time, with no threat of being overheard by the other servants."

"Especially since you, my dear brother, are still being watched by that eagle-eyed butler due to your transgression with my luggage yesterday." Miranda laughed, and when he scoled at her reminder, she laughed harder.

He kissed Emily swiftly and set her aside without listening to her protest as he followed the others out of the room. He was being watched more carefully. It would not do to be discovered in a clandestine meeting with "his betters." He wondered if he would be released from the extra attention today. Surely some other servant would cause the scrutiny to turn their way? He could hope so, at the very least. As he crept down the stairs to resume his role as a humble footman, he could not help an optimistic thought. At long last they might be able to end the charade — the endless charades, as it were.

Nancy swallowed nervously, the brush in her hand catching jerkily in Emily's hair despite her obvious efforts to keep her movements smooth. "They'll be right there? If I make so much as a peep?"

"Valentine has promised he will not let the marquess hurt you, Nancy," Emily soothed, wishing she could think of some other way to make this work without putting Nancy at risk. "And I give you my solemn vow, as well." When the maid still looked doubtful, she added, "The duke of Kerstone has told me that he pledges to see you through this without a scratch."

"Did 'e now?"

"Yes." Emily nodded, wincing in regret when the brush caught and pulled at her hair again. "He is very grateful for your help in this matter."

Apparently the word of a duke was good enough for Nan because she nodded her head smartly. "I guess the risk is worth it to avenge my little Nellie. She didn't deserve what 'e did to her, she didn't." The maid worked the brush silently for a while. Then she said softly, "Maybe she was a bit spirited, and not as good a girl as she should 'ave been, but she'd 'ave settled down in a year or two, given a chance." Another silence.

Emily was just about to suggest that Nancy stop brushing when the maid whispered, "'im doing what 'e did took 'er chance to settle away from 'er, didn't it?"

"Yes, Nancy it did." Her voice was sharper than she had intended, not out of a lack of sympathy, but simply because of the painful brushing. The maid put the brush down with a sharp rap, and met Emily's eyes in the mirror. "I'll do it. Tell the duke I'll do it. For Nellie. But you've got to promise me something."

"Anything," Emily agreed, realizing the courage it took for Nancy to put her life in danger like this.

"If something 'appens to me — "

Emily shook her head. "Nothing will happen to you, I promise you, we — "

Nancy tutted. "Promises don't mean nothing when you face the devil, my lady. Just you remember that should you find yourself at the altar with 'im at the end of the week for some reason."

The thought made Emily shudder and the maid patted her shoulder and said sympathetically, "Be glad you've got a 'usband already and can't be made 'is wife against your will." She added solemnly, "If I don't see the end of this, make sure that devil 'angs for my murder."

"We don't intend for it to come to that," Emily said unhappily. Nancy was right and there was no sensible way to deny it. If Granbury were the devil it seemed he was, none of them would be safe until he'd been brought to justice — maybe not even until he 'd been hanged, cut down, and buried.

The maid said softly, "Just promise me you'll see him 'anged come what may. I'll die to see my sister's death avenged, but I don't want to get myself planted for nothing. That cowardly murderer has to get all the comeuppance 'e deserves."

For the first time, Emily realized the full import of what they were trying to do. "He will, Nancy, he will." There was a certain lack of conviction in her voice. Three weeks ago, all she had been concerned with was breaking an engagement. Now she was trying to unveil a murderer, avenge the death of her maid's sister, and bring a man to a justice that would surely see him dead.

Hearing the doubt, the maid put her hand on Emily's shoulder. Her fingers bit down against bone in her agitation, but Emily did not protest at the pain. "Promise me, my lady." Nancy's eyes were wide and focused directly on Emily. "I need to 'ear it from your lips. Everyone says the duke of Kerstone would never lie. That 'is 'onor is so great 'e'd die 'imself before 'e'd break 'is word."

"Everyone says so," Emily agreed. "And I believe he lives up to what people say about him, unlike most heroes."

Nancy nodded. "But I don't know 'im. I 'aven't served 'im for three years day in and day out. I know you will keep your word if you give it. You and that young man of yours are two of the finest people I've ever met."

Emily spoke slowly, to keep any quaver out of her voice. "I promise you, Nancy, that Granbury will soon be brought to justice. And I promise you that you will not suffer for your part in helping bring him to that justice."

Nancy said resolutely, "I can stand that. Just so's I know 'e ends up at the end of a rope."

Emily stood up and, for the first time in her life, embraced her maid. "It is enough that you have lost your sister; none of us will allow you to lose your own life as well. But if anything were to happen to you, we would not let him escape punishment."

"Thank you, my lady." Nancy quickly hugged her in return and then stepped away, putting the proper distance between them again.

Emily felt the promise she had just made like a weight on her heart. She only hoped that she would not have cause to need to keep it. And she wouldn't — if Valentine and the duke would do their part to keep the courageous maid safe from Granbury's wrath.

"What must I do, then, my lady?"

Emily handed her the note that Valentine had written. "This is the blackmail note you are to deliver." The missive itself was an innocuous-looking square of stiff cream stock. It was the words that were written upon it that put them all at risk.

The note trembled in Nancy's hand. "You must be seen, but not caught."

"What if 'e knows I didn't leave the others?"

Emily sighed. "The duke and Valentine have thought of everything. The handwriting matches those of the other notes Valentine left in the marquess's room." They had taken great care so as not to rouse the man's suspicions that he had two blackmailers — or, as clever as he seemed to be, that a trap was being baited for him. A keen awareness of the dangerous mission they embarked upon with this one step made her voice sharp as she said, "You must follow my directions exactly, Nancy. All our futures, perhaps our very lives, depend upon it."

The tension was pulled tight inside him as he crouched in the maids' closet, waiting to intercept Granbury before he could confront Nan for leaving the note. Kerstone, Emily, and Miranda all lurked nearby as well. They were not leaving any possibility for this part of the plan to fail.

Exactly as scheduled, Nan appeared, looking nervously right and left. She had the note in her hand, visible to anyone who would be observing her. Valentine wanted to applaud her ingenuity. They did not want to make it difficult for Granbury to jump to the conclusion that Nan was the blackmailer.

The marquess had made one aspect easier for them. His schedule was precise to the degree of obsession. Exactly at two o'clock in the afternoon he returned to his room to change his clothing. His valet, as precise as his master, had the clothing already chosen and set out, so he returned to the room scant minutes before his master was due to arrive. By two-thirty the pair were ready to depart the room. Valentine's routine had been to deliver the notes just before the valet arrived.

In order to make certain that the note would be found only by the marquess, he had tucked it into a pocket of the change of clothing. Unfortunately, that would not work if they wanted Nan to be discovered. So they had devised a slightly different method to deliver the note this time. The hapless valet had suffered a tumble down the servant's stairs not twenty minutes ago. Though he was not seriously injured, his knee had managed to become painfully twisted-enough to throw his entire schedule, as well as that of the belowstairs staff, completely off.

While the cook was running for ice and a maid was seeing to the cut on his forehead with rubbing alcohol and a sticking plaster, two footmen had been required to remain available to help the incapacitated man up to his room when he was pronounced as fit as household remedies could make him.