Lord Cain was lying in a fetal position on the ground below a bed, tied from hands to feet with hair ribbons and gagged with a pair of stockings. Meanwhile, Iris and Violet stood on either side of him, facing the door, knives pointing straight at Nathan’s heart while Rosalie sat on the bed, one foot on the ground while the other rested on Lord Cain’s neck.
“Good evening, Nathan,” Rosalie said coolly as Nathan lowered his gun and gaped at her. “I believe you have been looking for this man?”
Chapter Thirty-Two
“What is going on here?” Nathan stepped further into the room, letting his eyes sweep over the three Crampton sisters and their hostage.
Hostage! They have him tied up!
Even as his eyes took it in, his brain seemed to be taking a while to catch up.
“Surely you can see what’s going on in here,” Rosalie said, gesturing to her sisters. “We have captured Lord Cain and are ready to hand him over to the authorities.”
“But—youcaptured him?” He couldn’t believe it. “How?”
Rosalie shrugged. “It was actually quite easy. I just needed to use myself as bait.”
Below her, Lord Cain let out an angry growl, but with the gag in, it was hardly noticeable.
“You put yourself in enormous danger,” Nathan gaped. Already the shock was giving way to fear which was fast becoming anger. Howcouldshe? She could have been killed! Or kidnapped!
“But what a fine job you did,” Grove said as he and Lord Redfield followed Nathan into the room. The Lieutenant-Commander looked appreciably around at the three sisters while Lord Redfield’s eyebrows seemed to be disappearing into his hairline. “I have never seen such fearsome women! Even more terrifying than the armed men I have stationed down the corridor!”
“Thank you,” Iris said, sweeping into a curtsy. She grinned. “I think we did a very good job if I do say so myself.”
“Your husband is going to be furious at you,” Nathan snapped. He glared at Violet. “And so is yours. You both put yourselves in grave danger! Not to mention that you risked Rosalie’s life.”
“Our husbands understand that strong, independent women are allowed to put themselves at risk if that is their choice,” Iris snapped. She glared at Nathan right back. “And if you plan to keep your wife, you might as well learn that.”
Nathan flushed. He wanted to argue, but when he opened his mouth to do so, he found he had no words.If you want to keep your wife.His heart suddenly pounded painfully.So, there is a chance I’m going to lose her forever. But there is also a chance of winning her back.
Lord Redfield laid a soothing hand on his arm, and Nathan took a deep breath and let the anger dissipate. He wasn’t really angry, he knew; he was just scared.
At last, he looked at Rosalie. She was watching him with a cautious, wary expression.
“You did well,” he said gently, and he put his gun back into his jacket pocket. “This is a sting worthy of Lizzy ‘Nobeard’ Seacliff herself.”
“Who?” Iris said, but Violet laughed.
“It’s one of those books Rosalie is always reading.”
“It’s my favorite book,” Rosalie pointed out. She pushed away from the bed and stood up, stepping carefully over Lord Cain to cross to her husband. Once she was standing in front of Nathan, she looked up into his eyes.
“Let’s go home,” she murmured. “There are some things I need to say to you.”
Nathan swallowed and nodded. “Can you handle Lord Cain?” he asked, turning to Grove and Redfield. “And Mr. Rilkin?”
“I can,” Grove assured him. “You get the ladies home, and I’ll clean up this mess here.”
As they left the room, Nathan distinctly heard Lord Redfield say to the Lieutenant-Commander, “If this is what marriage does to a man, I think it’s rather a good thing my reputation is too ruined to ever marry.”
Grove laughed, and Redfield added, “That, or I should simply count my blessings that all the Crampton sisters are married, so I don’t have to worry I’ll fall in love with one, and she’ll ruin my life.”
Yes, Rosalie ruined my life, Nathan mused as he ushered the ladies away.I wouldn’t know heartbreak if not for her.
But as he glanced at her, he knew he wouldn’t have it any other way.
The ladies couldn’t stop talking all the way back to their different homes. They seemed pumped up on adrenaline after taking down Lord Cain, and they regaled Nathan with the whole story so many times that by the end, he was sure he had it memorized. Even Violet, who was usually so calm and composed, couldn’t stop talking about how satisfying it had felt to tie Lord Cain up with her hair ribbons.
