Page 91 of An Unexpected Earl

“But those charges have nothing to do with how Howard was blackmailed,” Pearce added. “I’m certain of it.”

“Coincidence?” Clayton laid down his cue and came forward.

Pearce shrugged. “When you do as many illegal things as Howard, it’s only a matter of time until you get caught.” He dropped heavily onto a nearby settee. “I believe Varnham when he said that he’s pressing charges because he wants to rout out corruption in Parliament, that he discovered Howard’s illegal activities on his own. I don’t think he has anything to do with blackmail or even knew that it was happening.”

But his brother was a different matter.

Pearce frowned into his glass. How many men in those chambers last night belonged to Scepter? And where did Arthur Varnham fit into this?

“We can’t allow Frederick Howard to be put on trial,” Marcus said quietly as he fetched the decanter of cognac and a glass for himself. “If Howard testifies, he’ll try to use the blackmail as justification for his actions.”

“It’s the only viable defense he’ll have in the courtroom,” Merritt agreed. “But he’s damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t, because that defense will also bring to light all the illegal things he’s done.”

“Potentially exposing his connection to Scepter in the process.” Marcus grimly filled his glass and set the decanter on the low table between the men. “So he either won’t say anything, in which case we’re right back where we started with no leads or new information—”

“Or he tells everything he knows, including about Scepter,” Pearce interjected, “and we’ll lose our advantage on them.”

“I can’t officially be part of this conversation,” Clayton reminded them, taking a seat across from Pearce. “If Howard’s committed crimes against the government, I’ll have to notify the Home Office.”

“Andunofficially?” Merritt countered as he flopped onto the sofa next to Clayton.

“I’ll do everything I can to keep Howard from testifying,” he muttered, “including breaking him out of gaol myself, if necessary.”

“I don’t think we’ll need to worry about that.” Merritt passed up the cognac for one of the green apples piled in a bowl on the table. “As soon as Scepter learns that he plans on testifying, they’ll make certain he can’t implicate them.” He shined the apple on his jacket sleeve. “He’ll be found dead in his cell by morning.”

Pearce couldn’t let that happen. Amelia would be devastated. For all that her brother was a criminal, she was still dedicated to him. “We have to find a way to get him to safety before Scepter gets to him first.”

“Agreed. And make him tell us what he knows.” Marcus swirled the cognac in his glass. “But how?”

“Too bad the prison can’t burn down,” Clayton mused. “He could conveniently escape in the confusion.”

Pearce added with a touch of sarcasm, “Where’s a good riot when you need one?”

A beat of silence, then—

“I can get us a riot,” Merritt said casually, kicking his feet onto the table and biting into the apple. “How big do you need it to be?”

All three men turned their heads to stare at him. And blinked.

He paused midchew to mumble around the bite of apple, “What?”

Clayton looked at him as if he’d just sprouted a second head. “Whatexactlyis it that you do at night when you’re not here?”

Merritt grinned and sank his teeth into the apple for a second bite.

The iron hinges of the outer courtyard door screeched, followed seconds later by the bang of the inner door as it opened. All four men jumped to their feet, with Merritt reaching for the knife in his sleeve and Clayton for the pistol beneath his jacket.

“Brigadier!” The shout echoed from the short entry hall.

Merritt and Clayton both dropped their hands away from their weapons, the sudden tension in their bodies vanishing.

McTavish hurried into the main room and halted, then stared in surprise at the transformed old building.

“Bloody hell,” he spat out and turned completely around in a circle to take in the octagonal room around him. “What is this place?” Then his gaze fell on the men, and he snapped to attention. “Sirs!”

“At ease, McTavish,” Pearce ordered. Unease settled like a weight onto his chest. “Why are you here?”

“This arrived at the house.” He held out a sealed note. “The delivery boy said it was urgent. So I came looking for you.” He slid a cautious look at the other men before lowering his voice and adding, “Thought it might have something to do with last night’s visitor.”