Or what if Jamesdidgive him what he wanted? That would be even worse.
Violet didn’t want to be the reason that Farrell won. Her husband had been willing to sacrifice himself to keep her safe, and she felt the same way about the duchy—she wasn’t going to be the reason that people were forced to work for the gang, that they had to pay them so their thugs would not burn down their businesses or houses, or that dogs continued to get killed in fights. And that was as far as her knowledge went. What about the horrors she was not even aware of?
“I have to find a way to escape,” she muttered to herself.
But when she opened the door, she saw at least five bodyguards gathered around a fire and drinking beer.
“Do you need something, Yer Grace?” one of them asked, looking up at her.
“N-no, nothing,” Violet stammered. She turned on her heel and closed the door behind her.
There will be no escaping.
She didn’t sleep a wink that night. Not only was she terrified for herself, but she was distraught at the thought of her mother, sister, and husband looking all over for her.
They must be worried sick.
Worst of all was the guilt. Because now Violet knew that her husband had been right—it had been a mistake for her to come here, and she had talked him into it. Now she was certain that he was blaming himself, and she wished, with all her heart, that she had listened to him.
“We should fetch the constabulary,” Lady Carfield said. She was sitting across from James at a table in the inn’s dining room, where all of them had gathered as they waited for Farrell’s second letter. “They will be able to help us.”
“The local constabulary are in Farrell’s pocket,” James scoffed, without looking at his mother-in-law.
He couldn’t bear to look at her. Couldn’t bear to see the disappointment and blame that he was sure were there, to know that he had let her down so completely and lost her daughter to a man such as Farrell.
“And there isn’t time to ride to London to alert the Bow Street Runners,” he added. “I’d have sent Lochs if I thought he would be able to get there in time, but it would only make us more vulnerable when we confronted Farrell.”
“Do you think Violet is all right?” Rosalie squeaked from the end of the table, where she was sitting with her legs up in front of her and her arms wrapped around them.
It was an unladylike position, but no one seemed to care. Not with Violet missing.
“Of course, she is, my dear,” Lady Carfield declared at once. “Farrell promised he wouldn’t harm her.”
The letter in which Farrell made this promise was currently sitting on the table in front of James. He looked down at it. Yes, Farrell had promised not to harm his wife, and James believed that the man would keep his word.
Even Farrell isn’t that reckless. He knows he isn’t that powerful.
But that didn’t mean Violet was safe. Things went wrong all the time in situations such as these.
Of course, he didn’t say that to his mother and sister-in-law.
Just then, there was a sound of hoofbeats outside, and then several disjointed voices. Seconds later, the door to the dining room burst open and Grimsby walked in, holding up an envelope.
“It’s from Farrell,” he announced, handing it to James.
James tore open the envelope, his hands shaking slightly as he did.
“We’re to meet him at the dog-fighting ring in four hours,” he read slowly. “For the lunchtime bout.”
“Four hours!” Lady Carfield cried hopefully. “Surely that is enough time to get to London.”
“No,” James said, “it isn’t. Anyway, we need to have both guards here, in case things get ugly. Although under no circumstances are you and Miss Rosalie to be present. I will not risk anything else happening to your family.”
“But…” Lady Carfield looked dismayed. “My daughter is in danger! I must be there for her!”
“No,” James repeated, this time with such emphasis that he knew it left no room for argument. “No one else will come to harm because of my… ill-laid plans. My arrogance. You will go to the house of a local farmer I trust, and you will wait there until I return with the Duchess. Is that understood?”
Both Lady Carfield and Rosalie nodded.
