“Brought this upon you, I am afraid,” Mr. Ramsay spoke over her. “In truth, I had no desire at all to see you involved. It would have been better for us all.”
“Involved?” She was shaking, her eyes flicking to his waist as if she could see the pistol beneath his coat. “Involved in what? What are you talking about?”
“I see that His Grace did not speak to you, after all,” Mr. Ramsay sighed. “I suppose that is not so surprising. My fault, really. I am entirely too trusting.”
“What are you?—”
“Your husband is who’s to blame,” he snapped. “The arrogant, self-serving, piece of filth not worth the title he flaunts as if he did anything to earn it!” He was shaking suddenly, angerburning in his eyes. “And he is who I meant to hurt. All he had to do was do as I told him, and none of this would have happened. But he is selfish, caring only about himself. And now he leaves me no choice.”
“I don’t understand…” Helena scooted back, not liking at all how angry he was becoming.
“He thinks he can trick me,” Mr. Ramsay scoffed. “He really thinks I am so stupid! But he is the fool! He is the one who will suffer.”
“Mr. Ramsay, I do not know what you think my husband did, but I can assure you that?—”
“I don’t want to hear it!” he cried. “I gave him a chance. All he had to do was play along. Your manuscript, your silence! And I would have left the two of you alone. Frankly, it was more than he deserved.”
“My manuscript…” Helena had no idea what he was talking about.
“But no, he could not even do that. So concerned is he about his image—the price of failure, as he sees it.” He laughed maniacally. “Now, he will lose everything.” His eyes flashed. “Everything.”
She swallowed. “Please, just tell me what… What do you need? If I can speak to my husband, perhaps I can help?”
“The time for speaking has passed,” Mr. Ramsay said. Then, he hammered his fist against the roof of the carriage, and it started to move.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Somewhere the Duke cannot find you,” he sneered. “And once he realizes that, once I break him, I will make it known to all that he is as vile a creature as I see him. He will lose the orphanage. He will lose his marriage. He. Will. Lose!” he spat, his teeth bared, his eyes hungry for revenge. “And only once he is on his knees, begging for mercy…” More laughter. “Then and only then will I be satisfied.”
“Please….” Helena begged, her voice shaking. “You don’t have to do this. Let me talk to him. Let me?—”
“I don’t want to do this,” Mr. Ramsay cut her off. “The Duke forced this upon both of us, and now he will suffer the consequences. And, I am sad to say, so will you. Alas, that is the cost of doing business.” He sat back in the carriage and exhaled, calmness washing over him. “I suggest you get comfortable, Your Grace. You will have quite a few days ahead of you.”
CHAPTER 35
Sebastian felt his blood run cold as he read the letter.
His hands started to shake. His legs started to tremble. The foyer started to spin, and he very nearly collapsed to his knees as if the roof was caving in on him. The only thing that kept him from doing so was the anger that erupted inside his belly like a fire sweeping through a dead forest and setting the world ablaze.
Your Grace,
I have your wife. For now, she is unharmed. But that can quickly change if my demands are not met. Demands that you yourself are the cause of, make no mistake about it. I did not want things to go this far, but I can only be pushed so hard before I snap.
Enclosed is an address. You are to meet me there this evening at midnight. You are to come alone, because if I catch even a whiffof foul play, the worst will happen. Do not test me. Do not try me. I am through playing games, and I will not hesitate to do as I must.
There was no name. There was no return address. But Sebastian did not need one to know from whom the letter came.
He read it a second time, and then a third. On the fourth reading, he crumpled the letter in his hands and let it fall to the floor at his feet. Anger built like a silent storm. His body was shaking so violently that the ground beneath him threatened to crack.
It was all Sebastian could do not to throw his head back and roar his fury to the heavens.
He did no such thing. Only because he knew it would do him no good.
Propelled by a sudden rush of energy, he stormed out of the manor as if he meant to jump on his horse and ride for his wife. But once he stepped outside, he paused, stumbled, and realized quickly that he had no idea where he should go.
Next, he turned and started for his study, thinking to write a letter for Giles and the Bow Street Runners to meet him as soon as they could.
He was halfway up the stairs when he dissuaded himself of that notion. Mr. Ramsay had instructed that he meet him alone. Andas Sebastian was quickly starting to learn, Mr. Ramsay was not a man to be taken lightly.
