Page 82 of His Sinful Touch

“I want the whole thing, just as you did for Dearborn.”

“It’s no problem. I have the collar and all. Has to be before or after the performance, of course.”

“Of course. You go through the entire ceremony, correct? That’s what you did for Peter and the girl last time, isn’t it? This one’s a canny one—she’d catch any slip.”

“Don’t worry. I’m perfect.”

“Peter drugged her.”

“Yes. Apparently she was reluctant, but it’s not necessary if she’s eager to—”

At that moment there was the smack of a fist meeting skin and bone, followed by a crash. “You worthless bastard!”

Sabrina ran inside and saw Fairfield sprawled on the floor with Alex looming over him. Alex reached down and gripped his shirtfront tightly, hauling the actor to his feet.

“You helped him!” Alex twisted his fist in the neck of the shirt, tightening it and lifting the man onto his toes. “It’s bad enough you stood by while he tried to ruin a young girl’s life, but you actively participated in it. You’re scum, the lowest of the low.”

“Alex, you’re choking him,” Sabrina cautioned.

“Good.” But he let go of the man.

Fairfield staggered back. “What—Why—” His terrified eyes fell on Sabrina. “You!” He backed up until the wall stopped him, his head swiveling between Sabrina and Alex. “I didn’t—I didn’t do anything. I never touched her.”

“I think the fraud you perpetrated was enough. You were an accessory to any crime Peter committed.”

“You can’t.” Fairfield rolled his eyes frantically back to Sabrina. “Miss, you can’t let him—you’ll have to testify, you know. It’ll all come out. The scandal will ruin you.”

Alex heaved a sigh. “Yes, you’re right. I guess it will just have to be because you stole my watch.”

“What? I never!”

“Mmm. Who do you think they’ll believe, you or a duke’s son?” Alex took a firm grip on Fairfield’s arm and started toward the door. “Come along, Fairfield. I’m afraid you won’t be performing tonight, since you’ll be in jail.”

“No! Wait! What do you want? I’ll do it.”

“I can well believe that.” But Alex stopped, studying him consideringly. “I suppose...if you were to write out a full confession, detailing the Dearborns’ nasty little fraud and their participation in it...”

“Yes! I’ll do it. I’ll put in everything. And there was that time when we were at Eton when he—”

“You were at Eton together?”

“Yes.” The man shrugged. “That was, needless to say, before my family disowned me. Very well, let me get out a piece of paper, and I’ll write it all down.”

It was a good while later and Fairfield looked considerably more wilted when he signed the paper and handed it over to Alex, then asked sullenly, “What are you going to do with that?”

“I intend to hold on to it. Consider it a bond on your good behavior in the future. I intend to check in on you from time to time. I’ll know if you have taken up such tricks again.”

“You can’t use it without implicating Dearborn.”

“Yes—if I were you, that might make me a little leery about Dearborn’s actions,” Alex said thoughtfully, and the other man’s eyes widened in alarm. “Indeed, you might want to consider moving to a sunnier clime.”

Alex folded the paper and tucked it into his pocket, then offered his arm to Sabrina. As they went down the stairs, Sabrina asked, “Do you really think that will stop him from doing anything like this again?”

“I suspect so. Oh, I imagine he’ll continue with petty larcenies of some sort or another. But he’s not a brave man, and he’s smart enough to know that if he were caught in anything else of this nature, this paper would guarantee a long term. If he doesn’t flee the country, I’ll have Tom look in on him now and then, just to remind him.”

“I—I guess we have solved our mystery,” Sabrina said somewhat uncertainly as they strolled back down the street to their vehicle. She realized with dismay that her time with Alex must now be over.

“Yes, and you are a free woman,” Alex agreed. “All we need to do now is keep you safe from Dearborn for the next little while, and he’ll no longer have any legal hold on you. I plan to use this—” he patted his chest, where Fairfield’s confession sat in an inside pocket “—to make sure he doesn’t try the same trick again after you’re of age. You will be able to go wherever you want.”