To Catch A Thief (Saved By Desire 2) (23 page)

“He is a bit more than that,” Barnaby replied crisply. “We work for a branch of the War Office, as you have been told. You have been caught stealing quite considerable amounts from people of wealth within the village, and murdering innocent individuals who happen to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was here to investigate your contact, Roland Myers, who led us to you. Any connection he may have made with Sophia is purely a personal matter between him and Sophia.”

“Sophia was just waiting for her father to let her know what to do about your finances before she returned home. She had every intention of just handing the matter over to him to deal with given how arrogant you are. You just don’t listen to reason and are not prepared to hear anybody else’s point of view or the voice of wisdom. You are nothing short of an arrogant, disrespectful, and the most contemptuous human being I have ever set eyes on,” Jeb declared coldly. “I am glad Sophia will be rid of you. She deserves better. The matter of your finances is irrelevant now because you shall not need money where you are going. Your meals, home, and days will be decided for you. As far as I am concerned, you can go to Hell. It is nothing less than you deserve.”

Before Delilah could respond, Jeb stood back to allow Marcus and Joe to secure the woman with a rope and lead her toward the door.

“Where am I going?” she demanded from the doorway.

“To jail,” Barnaby replied with a smirk. “It’s the closest thing to Hell we can send you to.”

She looked at Jeb. “I don’t regret any of it.”

“I don’t believe you do,” Jeb declared coldly and nodded to Marcus and Joe. “Get her out of here.”

“God awful woman,” Barnaby muttered as she disappeared from sight.

Jeb took a seat at the table.

“I am going to arrange for the Squire’s body to be moved,” Barnaby reported. “Are you sure it’s the Squire?”

Jeb nodded. “I am sure. He was killed this morning from the look of him. He was probably on his way here for some reason. I doubt he usually visits the woods here. There is a larger one closer to his home. He has no reason to be in the area.”

“Why kill the Squire? The ball is certain to be cancelled,” Barnaby murmured thoughtfully.

“It gets him nicely out of the way, doesn’t it? I mean, with the Squire gone the house is going to be thrown into chaos. There will be a flurry of people in and out of there to pay their condolences, and undoubtedly guests attending the funeral whenever that is arranged. I am sure that at some point during the mourning period those jewels are going to be stolen,” Jeb said thoughtfully.

“Why dump his body so close to this house, though? Why not leave him in the woods closer to his home?”

Jeb pushed to his feet and began to pace. “I think we are being warned. Bamber followed me from London. He knows we are here and are investigating him. I think Bamber killed him to get him out of the way. I am not sure if Bamber knows we have Roland yet, or whether he is sending us a message to tease us that he has strangled Samson and Balgravia.”

“Do you think he is leaving us his calling card? He could be taunting us to catch him. I mean, Belgravia was left in woods and was strangled.”

Jeb nodded. “I think Bamber is the killer, and he is playing a careful game of cat and mouse with us. The similarities between the deaths are just too striking to be ignored.”

“Myers could be his accomplice,” Barnaby mused. “I mean, Balgravia was moved after his death. Bamber wouldn’t be able to move a man all by himself, not someone of Balgravia’s size anyway. He had to have help.”

Jeb shook his head. “I think Myers has been living around these parts somewhere. We need to interrogate him to find out where he lives. Right now, all I am interested in Sophia.”

He looked toward the ceiling longingly and wished the Hell the doctor would appear.

“You care a lot about her, don’t you?” Barnaby murmured. He took a seat at the table and watched Jeb nod.

“I didn’t expect it, I will be honest with you,” Jeb whispered. “But now that it has happened I cannot help but be delighted. I think I have wanted to settle down for a long time, but the circumstances just haven’t been right. It is safe to say that my work for the Star Elite needs to continue for the time being, but Sophia has to be my priority. She is too important to me to lose. I will quit if I have to, just to be with her.”

“It won’t come to that,” Barnaby assured him. “I think it is going to take some time to get to the bottom of this investigation and put Sayers behind bars, but we can do it. If you are sure that you want to see this through to the bitter end then I am immensely grateful to you. We could use your help, but if you want to leave us then I completely understand. However, it is possible to have both you know. Look at Archie, Christian, Sir Hugo, Simon, and all of the others. They are all happily married with a tribe of children, and they still work efficiently. You can have it all. It just takes a little juggling, that’s all.”

“And one heck of an understanding wife,” Jeb smiled.

“That too, but if you keep your wife busy with children then she won’t really notice you are gone all that much,” Barnaby retorted with a smirk.

Jeb shook his head but conceded that Barnaby may well have a point.

“I am pleased for you,” Barnaby assured him with a grin. “Now all you have to do is persuade her that you a likeable man.”

Jeb smiled. “I am a likeable man.”

He knew his friend was trying to lighten his worry but couldn’t shift the fear and anxiety riding him. He wouldn’t until could be sure that Sophia was going to survive.

“I think we need to decamp to the Squire’s house once we are sure Sophia is alright. We need to inform his wife about his death, but also warn her about the intended theft. I think it would be best if, for the time being, we sent her to stay with relatives. Then, once someone does try to steal the jewels, we can hopefully capture Bamber, and close this part of the investigation.”

“Then it is back to Sayers in London,” Jeb murmured, partly to get confirmation from Barnaby that was where they were going to go next.

He had no doubt Sophia wasn’t going to want to stay in this house indefinitely, and he couldn’t expect her to go all the way to London to stay in some hotel while he worked. Neither could he contemplate her returning to Hooky in Buckinghamshire. He knew Hooky hoped to be here by the end of the week in three days hence. That being the case, Jeb could remain in Framley Meadow until Hooky arrived. Hopefully, Sophia would be at Briggleberry recuperating, and getting to know his father a little better by then.

Thankfully, the doctor chose that moment to appear in the kitchen. Jeb shot to his feet and turned to face him, his heart in his throat.

“Well?” he demanded without preamble.

Used to dealing with fraught relatives, the doctor recognised the look on Jeb’s face and immediately offered him a placating smile.

“She is well enough given what has happened to her. She has bruising on her throat, and there will be some soreness there for a while yet, and considerable markings. Other than that, she should make a full recovery after a period of convalescence.”

“Can I see her now?” he demanded.

Before the doctor could reply, he stormed through the house, raced up the stairs, and swept into Sophia’s room.

The last thing he expected was to find her propped up in the bed plucking absently at the bed sheets across her lap.

“Jeb,” she whispered tearfully as soon as she saw him.

Within seconds, he had her settled in his lap and held her close while she wept into his shoulder.

“I am sorry, Sophia,” he murmured over and over. “I am sorry. I am sorry. I am sorry.”

When she had calmed down, she leaned back so she could look up into his face. “It’s not your fault.”

“I should have protected you better,” he said softly.

“I lived with her and she has never given me any reason to fear for my life. She has been nothing but surly and mean, but I didn’t think she would try to kill me,” she replied.

“Don’t even think about that woman now,” Jeb ordered darkly. “She is on her way to jail and won’t ever be released.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, relieved that Delilah wasn’t likely to walk into the room.

“It was too close, Sophia. If we hadn’t turned up when we had we -” He couldn’t finish his sentence. The words lodged in his throat and he couldn’t even croak them out.

She stroked his too pale cheek gently. “What is it? What aren’t you telling me?”

She knew from the way he sighed that there was more. The tension running through him was palpable. There was also a lot she needed to say but, from the gravity on his face, his news was considerably more important.

“I love you,” he whispered.

He captured her gasp with his lips and clung on with everything he possessed. His hand reached up to cup the back of her head, but she had no intention of pulling away. She couldn’t. This was what she wanted. He was what she had lived for.

“I love you too,” she replied when he found the strength to lift his head.

“Thank Heavens for that,” he replied with his first smile of the day.

“There is more you are not telling me.” In spite of his smile, and their kisses, he still had not relaxed in her arms. She sensed he didn’t want to worry her because of her injury, but she didn’t want secrets between them. She started to suspect that she knew what was wrong, though, when his gaze kept returning to the marks around her neck.

“They will fade,” she promised him.

“It makes me livid to think of what she has done to you. What she might have succeeded in doing.” He shook his head and rested his head against hers for a moment. “God, my life would have ended with yours if you had been stolen from me.”

“I am here. I don’t plan on going anywhere for a while,” she whispered.

“Good. See that you don’t.” He cemented his warning with another very thorough kiss.

Reeling beneath the force of his devotion, Sophia snuggled against him in contentment.

Jeb had never felt anything so wonderful. To hear her heart beating so steadily against his chest reassured him she was indeed going to be alright and, for the first time since entering the gardens, he began to relax.

“Did Delilah kill Mrs Banks and Tabitha?” she asked.

She could remember nothing about her ordeal, but was relieved by it more than worried. Right now she didn’t want to think about it. The sooner she could put it all behind her and move on with her life the better she would heal, both emotionally and physically.

“No. That was the man we saw her arguing with, or her boss. Either way, it wasn’t her.” Jeb looked down into her face and knew instinctively what she was really asking; when he was going to leave her alone again. There was a silent plea in her soulful eyes that made him hold her tighter.

“We have work to do in the village yet. There is a list of people, Myers, the man you saw Delilah arguing with, has working for him. Once we have their details we can start to arrest them and stop them stealing. We also need to capture his boss, a man called Bamber, from stealing the Squire’s jewels. Once we have done that, we need to interrogate Myers and Delilah, and get as much information out of both of them as we can.”

“Then you will move on to London,” she whispered, dreading the moment.

“Not really,” Jeb replied and surprised her.

She jumped and leaned back to look up at him. “Really?”

Jeb nodded. “My father asked me to come here to help catch the thief. Given that the thefts from large houses sounded similar to the work we are doing in London, I agreed. I needed a break and some time to decide what I want to do with my life. I love my work for the Star Elite but of late, several of the men in the unit have found wives and settled down to matrimonial bliss. I had wondered if it is time I did the same even before I met you.”

He looked at her and gave her such a winning smile that she blinked and stared at him in awe. He was truly a remarkably handsome man when he smiled like that. She wished he would do it again, as often as possible. Her heart fluttered with sheer joy and she smiled back.

“Then I met you and knew for definite that I wanted to settle down, but only with you.”

“I am glad you did,” she replied with heartfelt fervency.

“So am I,” he whispered. “You have made me reassess my life and what I want from it. While I have always been happy to spend as much time as I need investigating crime, I want more out of life. My father has been on at me for years to settle down and spend more time at Briggleberry. But, because I haven’t shown any interest in the place, he has employed an excellent man of business, Philip Everson. He is adept at working the estate, albeit with my father. They are happy with the arrangement at the moment but need additional help now that Algernon has purchased yet more land in the hopes of increasing the estate’s crop yield. I think it is time to settle down at Briggleberry, and give them a hand, and hope to work for the Star Elite when I am needed.”

“You work is very important,” she admitted with confidence. She now had first-hand experience of just how crucial men like Jeb were to people’s safety.

“My life with you is more important,” he murmured. “I will quit if you really cannot abide the prospect of a life with me working with them.”

He couldn’t resist it when she looked up at him. Keeping his gaze locked on the warmth within her eyes he kissed her with all of the fierce emotion that swept through him. In deference to her recuperating state he didn’t allow matters to go too far, he just left her with no misunderstanding as to just how important she was to him.

Sophia’s hand shook when he gently kissed her fingers and rested their clasped hands on his chest. She didn’t quite know what to say to him. She felt she knew him quite well in a lot of ways but then not at all in others. Still, after what had happened today she was aware that life was a very precious commodity indeed, and it could be snatched at a moment’s notice. Not just by your own mistakes but by other people’s reckless acts of unconscionable cruelty. It was only the foolhardy who wasted a precious moment of happiness available to them, and she was no fool.

“I don’t want you to quit unless you want to. It is quite evident you enjoy your work and are good at it.”

“Are you sure?” he asked with a frown. He hadn’t expected her ready compliance.

“I am sure,” she replied.

“I can work for a local branch of the Star Elite. To begin with, my job here will involve tidying up and working on Bamber’s network of thieves, as I have told you. After that, the men who have married have all settled in the areas they want and work with local magistrates on county crime. You know; thefts and the like. There is no reason why I cannot do the same.”

“Like Delilah’s stealing, you mean?”

Jeb nodded. “Hopefully without the connection to Sayers, though.”

He slid down onto the bed until he lay facing her. “What on earth were you doing outside?”

“I got your note,” she replied.

“Note?” Jeb looked down at her. “What note?”

Sophia stared at him for a moment then dug into her pocket for the parchment.

Jeb read it. “This isn’t my writing, Sophia. I wouldn’t send you a note to meet me anywhere like this, not when I had already told you to remain inside. I would call upon you here, you should know that,” he chided softly. “It is my responsibility as a gentleman to keep you safe, and that means not asking you to compromise yourself in any way by venturing out alone.”

“When I saw your name, I just thought you wanted to see me again.” She felt a little foolish. “I had hoped.”

“I do want to see you again. All the time. But I would call by here to see you and not send that.” Jeb shook his head. “Does the writing look familiar to you?”

“It’s not Delilah’s.”

“Are you sure?”

Sophia nodded. “Yes. My aunt’s writing is a lot more curved than that. She also tends to splatter ink everywhere. This is far too neat and tidy to be from her. Whoever wrote this has a precise mind. Look how carefully these letters have been formed.”

Jeb studied the neat rows of writing and knew she was right.

“Who would want to send me on a merry chase like that?” Sophia continued. “I mean, Delilah was the one who attacked me, but she didn’t write the note. It just doesn’t make sense.”

Jeb thought about the threat that had been made against Sophia by Myers, and suspected that it had been Bamber who had shoved it under the door. Bamber was already in the area, Myers had said so, and was the one responsible for the Squire’s untimely death.

Had he also been trying to lure Sophia out of the house so he could kidnap her like Myers had said? Jeb suspected he had but had been pre-empted by her spiteful aunt.

He didn’t tell Sophia any of this for fear of frightening her even more. Instead, he knew he had to relocate her to Briggleberry, and place her under the watchful eyes of the staff while he went after Bamber.

“I know.” He briefly told her about Bamber’s intent to steal the Squire’s jewels. “He is the man who has killed the Squire this morning.”

“The
Squire?”
She turned to stare at him in disbelief. “The
Squire
has been killed?”

Jeb nodded. “By someone who is quite ruthless. He killed Mrs Banks and Tabitha as well.”

“I think this village has seen enough of death and destruction,” she whispered with a shiver.

“I know. It will be over soon, I promise.”

“Just stay safe,” she whispered.

She couldn’t help it. It was terribly wanton of her, but she captured his head in her hands and tugged him down. He was happy to accede to her demands, and set about proving to himself that she really was alright.

The rest of the world seemed a lifetime away when she was wrapped in his arms. Nothing could touch them where they were. She wished they could remain there until the danger had passed, but Jeb was a man of action. Someone who sought to ensure justice was served and, after what had happened to her today, she could now appreciate why.

“Nothing is going to happen to me. I promise,” he whispered and meant every word. “Now that I have you to come home to I am not going to do anything to compromise our future happiness.”

“I am sure your father will be delighted to have you back in the family fold,” she replied with a smile.

“I have to confess that my remaining within the village depends on you.”

“Me?” She tipped her head back to look up at him.

“Yes, you.” He dropped a lingering kiss onto her lips. “I have received a letter from your father to say he should be here by the end of the week.”

She jerked and looked at him with a broad smile. “He has replied? He is coming?”

Jeb grinned. He was starting to relax now that the shadows were disappearing from her eyes. “Yes. He said that he has written to you before. I think Delilah has intercepted the letters and kept them from you. He has said in his note that if you have no luck then Delilah is to leave the house and make her own way in life. It is probably why she hid them from you.”

“It’s a bit late now,” she murmured. She looked at him appreciatively. “You were right to suggest he write to me via Briggleberry. Thank you.”

“You are most welcome,” Jeb said. “It is quite fortuitous really because for the time being, you need to make Briggleberry your home too. The doctor has informed me that you are not well enough to travel for the time being. You need to be looked after. The staff at Briggleberry can take care of you while I am helping the men find Bamber. When Hooky arrives, I have to have a very necessary conversation with him.”

“Oh?” Sophia’s heart began to thump heavily in her chest.

She knew her heart was in her eyes but could do little about it. Her love for him was growing in leaps and bounds by the hour, but she knew it was in safe hands with Jeb.

“I am afraid our short courtship will have to take place at Briggleberry while you recuperate. As soon as Bamber is no longer a threat to anyone, and work eases off a little, I fully intend for us to make our relationship permanent. I need to ask your father’s permission.”

Sophia wanted to scream that she was ready now but knew, deep inside, that he was giving her time to get to know him – the man, not him – the rescuer. It would be foolish to rush into anything, especially when she was still reeling from the fright she had just had. However, she knew, even now, even on such a relatively short acquaintance, that Jeb was the man for her.