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He opened his hazel eyes wide and she could see her question had him off tilt. He responded to her in astonished accents, “And what, then? Did you expect me to ravish you just outside our hostess’s ballroom?”
She nearly laughed, but bit her bottom lip and answered, “Don’t be hipped, sir. I only meant that if you were going to bother stealing a kiss, you should not then set the lady adrift, should you?”
He did not have the opportunity to respond to this however, for at that moment a commotion of some size took place in the ballroom and the noise that ensued made its way outdoors.
Chapter Eleven
VERN HAD WAITED only long enough for his sister and Georgie to leave the house before he took the laudanum potion Star had left him.
He drifted off, but was not yet in a deep sleep when he heard the sound of heavy footsteps just outside his door.
He frowned as he roused himself and began to sit up. His door opened wide and Vern reached for and found the gun he kept under his right side pillow. He placed it in his lap beneath the quilt, cocked and ready.
The candle on his nightstand was low, nearly spluttering off. He waited a long time, for the footsteps had stopped, he thought just outside his door.
He made a decision and carefully, quietly and in his nightshirt, made his way across the room to the hall door. He planted himself against the wall and waited. When the door opened, he was certain it would partially obscure his presence.
He had done this just in time, for his door did indeed open slowly, and Vern got a good look at the intruder. Hell and Fire, here was trouble!
A large dark ominous shape filled the doorway.
Vern watched as the brute of a man surveyed the empty bed and Vern stepped forward, choosing to take him immediately by surprise.
“Farley!” Vern growled as he stood his ground, his gun steady in his hand and aimed at the man’s back. “Hands up, turn slowly and tell me what in hell do you want here and how dare you come into my home uninvited!”
Farley was taken aback as he slowly raised his hands and cautiously turned around but he grinned a toothless grin. “Aw, now young lord…” he started to drop his hands, but Vern motioned with his gun and said, “Oh no, up, keep those hands of yours up, where I can see them.”
“Aw now flash, Oi waited fer yer sis to be off, now didn’t Oi?” Farley said his hands high. “All Oi want is a bit of conversation.”
“Put both your hands on your head. That’s right…just like that. Now tell me why I shouldn’t shoot you as an intruder and be done with you.” It occurred to Vern that was what he should do. Kill the scoundrel. No one would blame him for killing a thief who had broken into his home. However, cold-blooded murder of even such as this one went against the grain and he found himself reluctant to do it.
“Ye don’t want to do anything that will get ye or yers killed, that’s why. And m’lads, they would be vengeful, they would.”
Vern was fairly certain that Farley’s men worked with him because it was expedient. None of them felt any loyalty to the man and he knew it. He said on a low note full with the promise of a threat, “Get out of my house, you blackguard, now!” He felt sick to think he was the one that had brought this evil into his home. What a complete and utter fool he had been.
“So Oi will, when ye give over whot Oi wants to know.”
“It’s finished Farley. I have nothing left to tell you.”
“But flash, Oi ain’t ready to put an end to our partnership. It’s been a good thing fer me and the lads.” He eyed Vern. “And it’s been good fer ye as well.” He stood and pointed a finger. “Oi hear there is a ball tonight…right? Yer sister is there, at that ball.”
“What the bloody hell does that mean?” Vern felt his insides, shaken with certain fear. Farley was getting careless. Greed would get him caught and if he was caught, Vern had no doubt he would be pulled in.
“All the smarts and their pretties will be there, dressed…banged up to the nines, Oi’d wager and sporting their sparklers for all the world to see, eh?”
“Rot in hell, Farley!” Vern growled.
“Methinks Oi might, but before Oi do Oi mean to enjoy meself right here on earth, what say ye’ to that?” Farley’s grin displayed his distorted lips and his missing teeth.
Vern stepped forward, his eyes full with the dislike and fury he felt, “You’ll not go near that ball tonight. I’ve counted you many things Farley, but I have never thought you a fool. Are you…a fool?”
“A fool, is it? How can ye say that, flash?” Farley had stepped backward, bumped into a wall cabinet and leaned back against it as he crossed his arms. “Oi don’t think ye be clear on this. Me men know jest whot to do at sech a bang up affair and whot hour to do it in.”
“You’ll be dead, because now I don’t have a choice and your men will be surrounded before you can get out of the place. Some of the swells, as you call them, know how to shoot and their firearms are never far.”
“Is that so, flash?” Farley shook his head. “Oi don’t think so. Whot Oi think is that ye don’t want yer name dragged into this. Ye have naught to fear on that stand, fer as long as ye be helping me, Oi won’t bring ye into it.”
Vern’s face fell. He was in trouble. He didn’t care about scandal for himself, but it would ruin his sister’s chances of ever making a match of it and having a decent life.
