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Charles swallowed hard, forcing down his anger. “And you then tried to do whatever you could to get him to tell you the whereabouts of the cipher.”
“So we could destroy it,” Leadsom answered quickly. “So you could never decipher what was written in that book.”
“But you did not succeed,” Lord Watt answered triumphantly. “He did not tell you, even though you tried to threaten his daughter and tried to injure her. And now you are to face the penalty for what you have done. I would not claim that as much of a victory.”
Silence fell across the room, broken only by the occasional flurry of words from Lord Leighton. Charles glared at Leadsom, his whole body consumed with anger. This man had brought harm to Lord Leighton, had worked in conjunction with a traitor, and even now, when he was captured, he seemed to glow with the pride of what he had done. It was all he could do just to remain standing instead of launching himself at the fellow.
“You do not have the cipher,” he grated, as Leadsom’s gaze turned to him. “What is Hogarth intending?”
Leadsom said nothing for some minutes, looking steadily back at Charles in the dim lantern light. Then, he sighed, turned his head away, and began to speak, as though he could not bear to look at the man to whom he was speaking.
“Hogarth knows of your attachment to Lady Esther. He will use her to his own advantage.” He swung his head back around and looked steadily into Charles’s face. “You will have Lord Leighton give him the location of the cipher, else Lady Esther will come to a rather unfortunate end.” He began to chuckle, his teeth white in the gloom – and Charles could take no more.
“Where is she?” he roared, leaping forward and dragging both Leadsom and the chair up from the floor, his hands tight on Leadsom’s collar. “Where has he taken her?” He gave the man a shake, hearing the chair scrape on the wooden floor as the bound Leadsom began to gurgle. “Tell me! Tell me this moment or it will be all the worse for you!”
“Westbrook.”
Lord Watt tugged on Charles’s arm, forcing him to let go. Leadsom, who was now a shade of purple, sagged back in his chair, gasping for air as Charles glared at him, his anger still running like lava through his veins.
“I think you should tell Westbrook where Lady Esther is,” Lord Watt said mildly. “There will be more punishment meted out for you if you do not, Leadsom.”
“I am not…afraid…of pain,” Leadsom said hoarsely, still dragging in air. “I will not be intimidated!”
“You will speak,” Lord Watt said again. “Else there will be a good deal of pain, Leadsom. So much, in fact, that you will beg for the gallows before the end.” His tone lowered, his brows furrowed, and he took a few small steps towards the bound man. “This is your last opportunity, Leadsom. Consider your next actions carefully, for they may very well affect what is left of your life.”
This, Charles noticed, seemed to have a profound effect on Leadsom. He swallowed once, twice, and then a third time, his eyes roving from one to the other. The silence was almost unbearable, with Charles’s hands curling into fists as he waited with impatience.
“Stutton Hill.”
“Just outside of London,” Charles said, taking a step forward. “Where?”
“He-he has a small cottage there. So small you can easily miss it. Covered in ivy and the like.” Leadsom shook his head, his lip curling in disgust – perhaps for himself and his willingness to betray Lord Hogarth. “He’s likely got her there.”
Charles did not hesitate but hurried from the room at once, stepping back outside into the squalid air. Just as he did so, three other gentlemen came forward, having just stepped out of a carriage that was lit by lanterns and looked entirely out of place in what was a very poor part of London.
“Brandley, I need your carriage,” Charles said quickly, seeing that it was ready and prepared. “Lord Leighton is within. Have him taken to his townhouse and send for a doctor at once. I shall return with Lady Esther and Lady Ware presently.” He said nothing more but strode past the three gentlemen, who merely nodded and hurried on inside.
“Oh, and ensure that Leadsom does not escape,” Lord Watt said quickly, hurrying out after Charles. “He is a wily fellow, and I would have him face the gallows rather than find a way to escape.” His jaw set hard as he pulled himself up into the carriage, his expression furious. “Hogarth, then,” he muttered, as Charles rapped on the roof and shouted where they were to go. “Can you believe it?”
Charles swallowed and turned his face away, realizing that he had not expected it and certainly could still not quite believe it. Lord Hogarth had always been an excellent gentleman – at least, as far as he had known him, but now to hear that he had been working for the French and using The King’s League to learn as much as he could about their dealings was utterly sickening. At the same time came a deep, frantic fear that Lady Esther would be either injured or close to death. Lord Hogarth was a hard man, and he did not think he would hesitate when it came to hurting another.
“We will find her,” Lord Watt said gently, as though he knew what Charles was thinking. “Have no doubt, old boy. We will find her. Justice will be done.”
“But we still do not have the cipher,” Charles muttered, knowing that such a thing faded in place of Lady Esther’s safety. “If Lord Leighton does not return to us, does not recover, then…” He shook his head with sorrow.
“We will succeed,” Lord Watt answered. “I will not have any fears from you, Lord Westbrook. You are the strongest of men, the most courageous in spirit.” He leaned forward, his face illuminated by the dim light of the carriage lanterns. “Do not lose your fortitude now.”
“I will not,” Charles grated, focusing his mind on Lady Esther. She was courageous, determined, and wise in her actions. He knew that about her well enough, and he had to trust that she would put such accolades to use when surrounded by such a man as Lord Hogarth. Yes, she would be afraid—terrified perhaps—but he had to believe that she would find her courage and speak up in the face of it. His heart ached for her, his arms desperate to hold her close and to know she was safe. Closing his eyes, Charles leaned against the squabs and tried to think only of her. She was to be his bride, his one and only love. He had never felt anything such as he did for Lady Esther, and to know that she was in danger now tormented him with such agony that every second seemed like an hour. Lowering h
is head into his hands, Charles began to pray silently, praying that they would be able to find Lady Esther and Lady Ware and that both of them would be safe. If they were not, then Charles did not know what he would do.
Chapter Fourteen
“My lord, I did not mean to injure her, I—”
“Return to your seat.”
Esther could hear voices, could hear what was being said quite clearly, but it seemed to be coming from very far away. Her eyes were heavy as she struggled to open them, feeling herself almost weighted to the ground.
