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“Coleman has my Annie in that cursed place,” said Stubbs. “Her uncle committed her to gain control of the property she was to inherit from her late father. My good, kind Annie who is no more mad than you, milady.” He lowered his head to his fists. “Trapped in that pitiless place.”
“So Mr. Coleman is the one who hired you?” asked Patrick.
“Didn’t have to pay me,” Stubbs said. “Just promised me he’d let Annie go free if I cooperated. He doesn’t know everything about what you’re doing, Your Lordship, but he has suspicions.”
Nick’s stomach lurched. Coleman knew? “So you were sent to spy on me.”
“I was under instructions to interfere in any way possible. I was to steal, turn your other servants against you, force the duke to gamble away money, I was supposed to discredit you. I—I’m sorry.”
He raised his head, and his brown eyes were so bleak and hopeless it made Nick angry enough to leap from his chair and ride straight to the Yellow House and send Coleman to hell.
Stubbs hung his head. “I didn’t know the duke would gamble you away, honest I didn’t.”
“How could you have known?” Patrick said. “It sounds to me that you were only a pawn and cannot be held responsible for anything you did under coercion.”
“You mean you won’t have me arrested?” Stubbs asked.
“Of course not,” Alice exclaimed. “You are quite safe here, Mr. Stubbs. And you are welcome to stay as long as you need.” She took his huge fists in her small ones. “My husband and his friends will rescue your Annie. And you’ll have your happy ending.”
The belief in his ability to dispense happy endings stirred something in Nick’s heart, but he didn’t have time to examine his feelings. “We’ll see what we can do.”
“You have to hurry,” Stubbs said. “That’s why I’m here. Coleman promised he’d set her free, but he laughed in my face. Said I was a drunkard and I’d die before I had a chance to marry Annie. I’ve only been drinking because I was so hopeless. And Annie will be feeling the same. You must hurry. Please. If Coleman finds out I’ve spoken with you he’ll harm Annie.”
Alice put an arm around Stubbs’s shoulder. “We’ll save her.” She turned to Nick, her eyes filled with such an unwavering belief that he drew himself up like a soldier before a commanding officer, attempting to appear worthy of the mettle that shone in her gaze.
“I’ll send for Lear,” he said.
“And Dr. Forster,” Alice whispered. “I know Mr. Stubbs has been overindulging in spirits, but there’s a deathly pallor to his skin that I don’t like.”
Nick nodded. “I’ll send for the doctor as well.”
Alice stood. “March, show Mr. Stubbs to a guest chamber.”
“I will not!” said March indignantly.
“I’ll sleep in the stables, milady,” Stubbs said, rising and shuffling his feet awkwardly. “’Twill be a sight more comfortable than the places I’ve been resting my head.”
“You’ll have a chamber,” Alice said, staring March down.
“Would you like to see the duke?” Alice asked Stubbs. “He asks about you sometimes. He remembers you fondly.”
Stubbs squashed his hat in his hands. “I couldn’t speak with him, milady, not after what I did.”
“Come,” Alice said, holding out her hand. “I’ll show you to his chambers. No protests now.”
She placed a hand on his arm, and what choice did the man have? When Alice set her mind to something, there was nothing to do but follow.
When they were gone, Nick turned to Patrick. “It seems we may have another delivery soon.”
Patrick nodded tersely. “There’s no time to send word to Hawkins to help us free Annie. Stubbs thought she was in immediate danger.”
“We must move swiftly.”
