Page 55 of Redemption of a Marquess

“Do hurry, sir,” Miss Stone said. “I am very afraid that he will hurt her.”

“That is unlikely,” Valan said. “It is me he wants to hurt.”

“Would he go so far as to try and force her to marry him?” Peigi asked, but before he could answer, she added, “I am going with you. My presence will hamper him.”

“You surprise me, Peigi.”

She gave him a haughty look. “Why? You think I don’t have a brain.”

“Nae, my dear. I simply seldom see you use it.” He started toward the door.

“Should I come, as well, sir?” Miss Stone asked.

“If Peigi comes, you come.”

A commotion sounded in the hallway and he reached the door as it was flung open. Jeanine entered, accompanied by Mr. Potts and Baldwin.

“I am sorry, sir,” Baldwin said. “Mr. Potts insisted on escorting Miss Matheson to you.”

“Begging your pardon, sir,” Mr. Potts said, “but the young miss was not agreeable to returning home. Miss Stone was very clear that we should see her home if she came out of Lord Gordon’s mansion.”

Valan took in the hair that had come loose from Jeanine’s soft chignon, her torn sleeve, and a handful of envelopes wrapped in a bow that she gripped. Her mouth was set in a mutinous line.

“When she came out of the alley behind Lord Gordon’s house we hurried to pick her up, but she didn’t want to come with us,” Mr. Potts went on. “We had to force her into the carriage.”

Valan looked sharply at him. “Is that when her dress was torn?”

Mr. Potts drew himself up. “We would never harm a hair on the lass’ head. She came out of Lord Gordon’s home looking like this.”

Valan looked at Jeanine. “Is that so?”

“Mr. Potts kidnapped me,” she said.

“I was under the impression it was Gordon who kidnapped you,” Valan said.

Her lower lip trembled, then fury flashed in her eyes. “He tried to kidnap me. But I brained him with a poker and escaped.”

“Brained him with a poker?” Valan repeated in shock.

She nodded.

“Am I to assume you killed him?”

“Unfortunately, his head was too hard for me to kill him that easily.”

“I must admit, I am much relieved,” Valan said.

“He deserved to be killed,” she said with heat.

“I quite agree,” Valan said. “Only, you shouldn’t be the one to kill him.”

Her eyes lit. “Will you kill him, Grey?”

He frowned. Your love of violence concerns me, my dear.” He looked at Baldwin and said, “I will not need my bay, Baldwin.” Then, to the driver, “I owe you a great debt, Mr. Potts”.

“Harry deserves as much credit as I do, my lord.”

“Harry?” Valan asked.