Page 40 of An Enchantress for an Earl

Chapter Fifteen

Violet squirmed when Villeham tried to move her, and he tightened his grip, even though his attention was all on the men battling in front of him. If she could keep him unbalanced… he grunted with annoyance, and released her mouth, raising that hand, and she realised with horror that he intended to hit her.

“Stay still, woman. Or I will make certain that you suffer for your disobedience.”

Even as he spoke, Lord Merryfield threw another blow at the forger, who stepped back to avoid it, and caught his feet in the bindings which he had dropped in the doorway. Lord Merryfield’s blow hit him at the same moment, and he went down, flailing, hitting his head hard against the doorframe. For a moment, he still tried to move, then his eyes closed, and he crumpled completely to the floor, unconscious.

As he did, the sound came to her of the front door being flung open. She did not know who it might be, but regardless, when Lord Villeham startled at the sound, and loosened his grip, she took full advantage, spinning towards him fast.

He, having expected her to pull away rather than turn towards him, was taken completely by surprise, and that surprise gave her all the time she needed to bring her knee up hard, just as Thorne had taught her, years before.

Lord Villeham’s eyes widened, and he emitted the most peculiar sound, half scream, half gasp, and completely released her.

She stepped back with alacrity.

And as she did, Lord Merryfield stepped past her, and delivered one very efficient blow to Lord Villeham’s jaw, resulting in him, too, dropping completely unconscious.

“Well, that was efficient, I do say, m’boy. Here I am with three men to help, and you’ve knocked both of them out for us.”

Lord Merryfield turned to where Lord Setford and Lord Canterford stood in the doorway, his face clouded with confusion. Setford’s men set about tying both Villeham and the forger with the discarded bindings as he spoke.

“Lord Setford?”

Violet stepped up beside Lord Merryfield, and slipped her arm through his, looking up at him with a broad smile.

“Yes, Lord Merryfield. Lord Setford has a rather unusual… role… beyond the responsibilities of his Barony. You may now count yourself amongst the select group of people who know that he is also the Spymaster for the Crown.”

“Oh. And… you are here because?”

Merryfield’s question was directed at Setford. Violet saw the look on his face – the one that she usually caused him to wear, the one that meant that he was mentally rearranging his perception of the order of the world, and not very happy about it.

“I am here because we suspected Lord Villeham of being involved in forgery, and have been waiting for a chance to catch him with the evidence.”

“I… see.”

Violet spoke now, rushing in to explain, and to give Lord Merryfield time to assimilate what he had just heard.

“When Villeham left the demonstration, I overheard him whisper to Lord Harmonton that he was going to take the sample note straight to ‘his man’. I knew that there was no time to waste – that if I didn’t follow him, I could not be sure that you would have a man in place to do so, and we might lose the chance to discover the location of the man who actually did the forgery. But… I do apologise… I ran out after him with no real plan, and I am obviously very poor at sneaking about, for he noticed me, and captured me.”

Lord Merryfield brought his other hand around, and patted her arm where it curled through his, as if to reassure her. The touch sent heat through her entire body.

Lord Setford regarded her calmly.

“Perhaps, dear lady, telling me, or Canterford here, before you ran after Villeham – or at least on the way past us - would have been wise?”

“It would, I’m sorry.”

Lord Merryfield looked down at her, and spoke again, sounding still somewhat puzzled.

“But… Lady Violet, how did you know that Villeham should be followed? How did you know what he meant, when you overheard him?”

Violet felt her cheeks colour.

“Because I… ah… I have previously… overheard… two of his secret conversations with Lord Harmonton, and reported them to Lord Canterford.”

“Overheard?”

“At Balls. You may remember that time when I came in from the terrace, rather precipitately, and nearly collided with you? That was after hearing the first of his conversations. You would be surprised what one can overhear at Balls, if gentlemen think you a typical woman with little in her head but frivolous matters.”