“What do you think happens, you fool? I’ve got a pistol trained on you.”
Kade almost laughed in disbelief. The man truly was an idiot.
“Now, there’s an incentive to hand over the brooch,” he replied. “And you do realize that half the household will be down here within minutes, once they hear the shot. Let’s say you do somehow manage to escape from the gardens unseen. How will you explain your inconvenient absence right at the moment of my murder?”
Morgan gestured with his free hand. “I suppose one might conclude it was the original thief of the brooch, returning for more ill-gotten gains. You, sadly, stumbled across him and were killed in the process. Don’t worry, Kendrick. You’ll go down as a hero. I’ll be sure of that.”
“That’s the most idiotic idea I’ve ever heard.”
Morgan glared at him, and for a rather alarming moment Kade wondered if the bastardwasactually going to shoot him.
“Then we’ll go for a little stroll,” Morgan finally ground out. “You’ll slip on those rocks, bash your head, and take an unfortunate tumble into the pond. A terrible tragedy, but Lady Kinloch did warn you, as did I.”
Kade shrugged. “Slightly better, but while you might fool the others, you won’t fool Charlie or my grandfather—not to mention Johnny.”
That gave Morgan a moment of pause, but then he forced out a laugh.
“As if anyone would believe them. Your grandfather is clearly deranged, and that hoyden of yours is not much better. As for Johnny, he knows better than to talk. After all, I still hold his vowels. He says one word and I go straight to his father. Kinloch will throw him out on his ear, and the boy knows that.”
“Ah, but you no longer hold Johnny’s vowels. I retrieved them this morning from their hiding place under the false bottom of your valise. They are now safely out of your reach, Morgan. If anything happens to me, Lord Kinloch will receive the vowels, along with the rest of the evidence we have against you.”
Morgan froze for several moments, apparently bereft of speech.
“You bloody bastard,” he finally spat out. “I’ve had enough of your interference in my affairs. Get up now and give me the bloody pouch, or I’ll blow your brains out and take my chances.”
Kade let out a dramatic sigh. “All right, you’ve convinced me.”
He stood and untied the strings of the pouch, pretending to fumble a bit as he reached inside.
Morgan impatiently waved his weapon. “Come on, get on with it.”
Kade smoothly withdrew a Deringer pistol and aimed it at his adversary. The small gun was cocked and ready to fire.
Morgan gaped at him for a moment before hissing out a string of curses.
“As you can see,” Kade said, “I don’t have the brooch on me. That is also safely stowed away. So unless we intend to engage in a shootout, I’d say it’s over, Morgan. You have no more cards left to play.”
“Why, you—”
A sudden rush of footsteps on the path interrupted him. Angus skidded to a halt in front of the gazebo, armed with what appeared to be an ancient pair of dueling pistols.
Kade mentally cursed. His grandfather was a terrible shot at the best of times, but in the dark, with an old set of pistols? Disaster loomed.
“Ye canna escape, Morgan,” Angus said, puffing a bit. “Surrender now, or I’ll shoot ye dead.”
Morgan had already dodged inside the gazebo, positioning himself halfway between Kade and Angus, his pistol still trained on Kade.
“Do you really expect me to be intimidated by those?” Morgan said, his tone heavy with sarcasm. “I doubt they’ve been fired in decades.”
Angus gave him a toothy grin. “Let’s find out, shall we?”
“Grandda, I’ve got this under control,” Kade sternly said. “You need to step away.”
“Och, of course ye’ve got it handled. But ye shouldna have pulled the wool over my eyes,” his grandfather replied. “Ye never ken when ye’ll need backup, and that’s what I’m here for.”
One of the large rhododendrons beside the gazebo began to rustle. Lord Kinloch, holding a shotgun, emerged from the shrubbery.
“I’m his blasted backup, MacDonald,” Kinloch exclaimed, jabbing his weapon at Angus. “I’ve been here the whole bloody time.”
