Page 46 of The Duke and the Darkness

“You’ve heard the same rumors I have, I’m sure.” The wooden chair squeaked angrily beneath his weight as Devlin shifted on it. “Horrender’s back and rebuilding his business.”

Caxton set down the gin without taking a sip. He played with the cards in his fingers, turning the ace of spades across his knuckles, again and again. “That’s all they are so far, too, only rumors and grumblings. Nothing known for certain ’bout who or what…or why.” He nodded at Peyton, then let the card fall from his fingers to the table. “You think it’s a good idea bringing her here?”

Peyton stiffened. “I can hold my own in a fight.”

His lips curled faintly as he looked at Devlin and jerked a thumb at her. “Does she know about the old business?”

“She knows enough,” Devlin answered and rested his arm across the back of her chair, like a territorial guard dog. “Horrender,” he said, moving the conversation away from Peyton. “Do you think he’s returned?”

“Can’t say for certain.” He spat on the floor. “Haven’t seen him with my own eyes if he has. But someone’s been contacting the old players and trying to start up the businesses again, following in his footsteps. If not Horrender, then one of his cronies and one high up enough to know where the bodies are buried.”

Peyton knew he didn’t mean that figuratively.

“Why now after all these years?” Devlin pressed.

Caxton shook his head. “The wars are over, laws are changing, and the old guard is gone. You think anyone in Whitehall cares a damn what happens to us rats?” He scooped up the coins from the center of the table and stacked them in front of him. “A new brothel opened in Wapping just this past month, run by Horrender’s old manager. The same with a second in Clerkenwell. A store front opened on Petticoat Lane, fencing the same kinds of goods as before. And I’ve heard children have started to come and go, just as they used to.”

Devlin stiffened, not so much that Caxton or anyone who happened to be watching would have noticed. But Peyton knew. Shefeltthe change in him.

“Don’t mean it’s Horrender, though,” Caxton considered, rolling one of the coins over his fingers the same way had the ace. “Could be one of his lieutenants who’s finally feeling his oats enough to try to put the businesses back together. A man whothinkshe’s Horrender.”

“What do you think?”

He nodded at Peyton. “I think it’s no coincidence that of all the tasty bits you could have brought along tonight, you broughther.”

Peyton felt her blood run cold. “What do you mean?”

Caxton palmed the coin and leaned across the table. “I know who you are, lass,” he told her, his raspy voice low so the drunks around them wouldn’t overhear. “That is, I know who you’re related to. You’re the spitting image of Eleanor Chandler. That means you’re one o’ her kin.”

“How did you know Mrs. Chandler?” she asked carefully, keeping her voice even, her face blank.

“I worked for her husband.” He set the coin spinning on its edge and leaned back in his chair. “I collected his money.”

No, that couldn’t be possible…What this man was saying, what Devlin had told her—she wanted to scream!

Yet she only stared across the table at him, not moving a muscle, refusing even to blink.

“So who areyouto Mrs. Chandler?” Caxton leveled a hard gaze on her, and she prayed he couldn’t see her relief that he hadn’t assumed the truth. “Sister? Niece? Cousin?”

She ignored the weight of Devlin’s hand slipping down to her shoulder in silent warning and answered, “Something like that.”

“If you’re thinking of tryin’ to gain any money from the old business, you’re mad to try it.” Caxton took a long sip of his gin. “Whatever information you might have about Charles Chandler’s role with the business won’t do you a lick of good. The man was the devil with money. The best I’ve seen when it comes to hiding it and brushing away all traces of where it came from. That’s why he and the old dukes made such a good partnership.”

Her stomach roiled sickeningly, and she thanked God that in the dim light of the cellar Caxton couldn’t see the blood seep from her face. Her chest felt as if a raw wound had been sliced into it, but her foolish heart somehow kept beating.

“If there’s any blunt left, you’ll never find it.” Caxton leaned forward again, his eyes boring into hers. “And if Horrender has returned and you plan to blackmail him, God help you. I’ve seen what that man’s capable of.” He slipped a finger under his neckcloth and pulled it down so she could see his throat and the long knife scar that ran from ear to ear. He traced a finger across the scar to follow the path of the blade. “He’ll do worse than this to you, pet. Count on it.”

Pushing his neckcloth and collar into place, Caxton leaned back and signaled to his two fellow card players that his conversation was over and to return to their game.

“Take that tasty bit home now,” Caxton ordered Devlin. His cold eyes swung to Peyton. “And forget everything you know about the old business, lass, if you want to grow old yourself.”

He turned back to his cards and coins, dismissing Devlin and Peyton completely.

Devlin stood and took Peyton’s arm to help her to her feet. She didn’t have the strength to pull away and leaned against him as he led her out of the cellar and back to the surface, then out of the tavern to the waiting carriage. She heard his muffled orders to the driver, all of her numb as he opened the door and helped her inside, then sat across from her and closed the door.

She deflated against the squabs and stared down at her hands as they rested on her lap, trembling unstoppably. The blood pounded so hard through her ears that the echo of it drowned out the noise of the horses’ hooves over the streets and the turning wheels beneath them. She couldn’t think, couldn’t feel—could barely remember to breathe!

She squeezed her eyes shut to block out the terrible realizations that swarmed over her, threatening to consume her. Her father hadn’t been an innocent victim of the attack. He’d been part of the evil. He’d worked to make it happen, hadn’t said a word to stop it before that night, and even then…