He opened it and swung a leg over the sill. A second later he lowered himself into a shadowed room full of cabinets, crates, and bones. He quickly realized that this was not the chamber Harriet had told him about.
Gideon took down a candle from a wall sconce, lit it, and made his way out of the dusty room into a short dark hall. The door of the chamber at the end of the hall stood open.
As soon as Gideon stepped into the dark chamber he knew he was in the room where Harriet had been attacked. A cold fury burned in him as he checked each aisle of tall cabinets. She had been trapped in here by Morland. He had hunted her down as though she were a helpless doe and then he had attacked her. Only Harriet"s own cleverness had saved her.
Gideon"s hand clenched around the candle. He was very nearly as furious with himself as he was with Morland in that moment. He should have made certain Harriet had never been in this sort of danger. He had not fulfilled his duty as her husband. He had not taken proper care of her.
He found the aisle where Harriet had thrown the stone down on Morland. The chunk of rock lay on the floor. A section of it had broken off. Tallow dripped on the imprint of a strange spiny sea creature as Gideon knelt down to examine the site of Morland"s defeat.
There were dark spots of dried blood on the floor. Gideon rose to his feet and did a quick survey of the rest of the chamber. There was no sign of Morland.
Gideon found a few more dark spots in the dust as he left the room and started back down the hall. He followed them straight back to the window where he, himself, had entered. When he held the candle up he could see a b.l.o.o.d.y fingerprint on the windowsill. Morland had climbed out of the house via this route. That explained why the window was unlocked.
So much for Harriet"s fears that she had killed the b.a.s.t.a.r.d. He had obviously been spry enough to sneak out of the house after he picked himself up off the floor.
Gideon smiled coldly to himself as he snuffed the candle. He was just as glad Morland was not dead. He had other plans for him.
Twenty minutes later, Gideon walked up the steps of Morland"s small townhouse and announced himself to the housekeeper who answered the door. She gawked at his scar as she wiped her hands on her ap.r.o.n.
"He"s not at home to anyone," the woman muttered. "Told me so himself, not more"n half an hour ago. Right after he came home. Been in an accident, he has."
"Thank you." Gideon stepped forward into the hall, forcing the startled woman aside. "I shall announce myself."
"Now, look here, sir," the housekeeper grumbled, "I was given my orders. Mr. Morland ain"t feelin" at all well just at the moment. He"s restin" in the library."
"He"ll be feeling a good deal worse when I"ve finished with him." Gideon opened the first door on the left and knew he had guessed correctly. He was in the library. There was no sign of his quarry until Morland spoke from the other side of a wing-back chair that faced the hearth.
"Get the h.e.l.l out of here," Morland growled without looking around to see who had entered the room. "G.o.ddammit, Mrs. Heath, I left orders I was not to be disturbed."
"But that is precisely what I intend to do, Morland," Gideon said very softly. "Disturb you. Greatly."
There was a stunned silence from the chair. Then Morland heaved himself out of it and spun around to confront Gideon. Brandy from the gla.s.s in his hand splashed on the carpet.
Morland no longer looked like an archangel. His carefully styled blond hair was in disarray. There was dried blood on his forehead and a feverish expression in his eyes. He set down the brandy gla.s.s with trembling fingers.
"St. Justin. What in the name of the devil are you doing here?"
"Do not trouble yourself to play the gracious host, Morland. I can see that you are not feeling at all well. By the bye, that is a rather nasty gash you sustained on your forehead." Gideon smiled. "I wonder if it will leave a scar."
"Get out of here, St. Justin."
"She was afraid she had killed you with that chunk of stone, you know. Harriet is quite strong for a female. And it was a rather large stone, was it not? I saw it on the floor in that chamber where you tried to attack her."
Morland"s eyes were wild. "I don"t know what in b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l you"re talking about and "I have no wish to know. I demand that you leave at once."
"I shall leave just as soon as you and I have taken care of a small matter of business."
"What business?"
Gideon arched a brow. "Did I not explain? I require the names of your seconds, of course. So that mine can call on them to arrange the details of our meeting."
Morland was speechless for a few seconds. "Seconds? Meeting? Are you mad? What are you talking about?"
"I am challenging you, naturally. I would have thought you would be expecting it. You have, after all, insulted my wife. What else can a gentleman in my position do, but insist upon satisfaction?"
"I did not touch your wife. I don"t know what you are talking about," Morland said quickly. "If she says I insulted her, she is lying. Lying, do you hear me?"
Gideon shook his head. "There you go, insulting her again. How dare you accuse my wife of lying, Morland? I shall most certainly have to have satisfaction now. I cannot let that pa.s.s."
"d.a.m.n you, St. Justin, I am telling you the truth. I never touched her."
"Yes, I know," Gideon said patiently. "The fact that she saved herself from you is all well and good, but that does not make up for the insult. As a gentleman yourself, I am certain you understand perfectly well what my duty in this matter is."
Morland stared at him, his expression a mixture of fury and desperation. "She is lying, I tell you. I do not know why, but she is lying. Listen to me, St. Justin. We were friends once. You can trust me."
Gideon studied him. "Are you actually suggesting I take your word over that of my wife?"
"Yes, d.a.m.n you, yes. Why should you trust her? She was forced to marry you because you compromised her. I know all about it. The gossip was all over Town while you were gone."
"Was it really? Well, the gossip does not much matter now, does it? I married the lady. In Society"s eyes, that takes care of everything, as we both know."
"But you cannot trust her," Morland said. "She does not love you. No more than Deirdre did. How could any woman want you, with that ruined face of yours? Your wife was forced to accept your offer of marriage just as Deirdre was forced into it."
"I am surprised you would bring up Deirdre"s name," Gideon said softly. "After what you did to her."
Morland"s mouth worked for a few seconds, but no sound came out. "After what I did to her? What the devil are you talking about now?"
"She told me the name of her seducer that night she came to see me," Gideon said. "She flew into a rage when I refused to fall for her scheme. I thought it rather odd, you see, that she had suddenly found me so overwhelmingly attractive she could no longer wait until marriage."
"She hated the sight of you. "
"Yes. She made that quite clear the night I turned down her very generous offer. She was very angry. In her rage she told me a great deal about you, Morland. How you loved her but could not marry her because you were inconvenienced with a wife. How you had suggested she seduce me after she discovered she was pregnant. How you and she planned to continue your affair after her marriage to me."
Morland wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Deirdre was lying."
"She was?"
"Of course she was," Morland screamed. "And you knew it. You must have known it. Otherwise you would havea havea"
"Challenged you six years ago? To what purpose? It was you she wanted and she had given herself to you willingly. She made her choice. And as she made it plain she could not bear the sight of me, why would I bother to challenge you over her? Killing you would have accomplished nothing."
"She lied." Morland clenched his fist and slammed it against his chair in a gesture of enraged frustration. "d.a.m.nation, they are both lying."
"My wife does not lie," Gideon said quietly. "And I do not tolerate insults to her. Name your seconds."
"I am not going to name any seconds," Morland said thickly.
"Ah," said Gideon, "I see you are too unsettled from your recent wound to think of the names of two men who can be trusted to handle the details of our encounter for you. Very well, I shall give you some time."
"Time?" Morland was suddenly very alert.
"Certainly. You shall have tonight. I shall send my seconds to call on you first thing tomorrow morning. By then you should have thought of two names. Good evening, Morland. I look forward to our meeting." Gideon turned toward the door.
"Wait." Morland moved forward with a jerky motion. His hand struck the brandy gla.s.s and it toppled to the carpet. "I said wait, d.a.m.n you. You cannot challenge me. Think of the gossip."
Gideon smiled. "I a.s.sure you the thought of gossip does not trouble me. I have had six long years to grow accustomed to the worst that Society can offer in that regard. That reminds me, I almost forgot something."
Morland straightened in increased alarm as Gideon walked back to him. "What is this? Stay away from me, St. Justin."
"I believe that to be strictly correct about this, I am supposed to slap you across the face with my glove, am I not? Allow me."
Gideon bunched his hand into a tight fist and slammed it straight into Morland"s jaw.
Morland crumpled to the floor with a m.u.f.fled groan.
Gideon stood over him. "I apologize for very nearly overlooking the formalities. When one has been out of Society as long as I have, one occasionally forgets all the little things that are expected of a true gentleman."
The next stop, Gideon decided, would be his clubs. Morland was not the only one who was obliged to come up with the names of two men who would handle the details of the challenge. Gideon also needed seconds. And as he did not possess a single close friend in Society, the choice was limited.
Fortunately Harriet had acquired several friends.
Gideon found young Applegate sitting in the main room of his St. James Street club. Fry was with him. They both looked up warily when they realized Gideon was advancing on them.
"Good evening, gentlemen." Gideon sat down and helped himself to a gla.s.s of claret from Fry"s bottle. "I am pleased to see you here. I need a favor."
Fry"s eyes widened in alarm.
The gla.s.s in Applegate"s hand trembled slightly, but he looked at Gideon with a resolute expression. "If you have come to issue your challenge, sir, I am ready."
Gideon smiled. "Nonsense. My wife has explained the little matter of her abduction. I am quite prepared to let bygones be bygones."
"I say." Fry squinted. "You are?"
"Certainly. I would like to discuss a completely different matter with you."
Applegate frowned in confusion. "What is that?"
Gideon leaned back in his chair and surveyed Applegate and Fry. "I am certain you will both be extremely distressed to learn that my wife has been insulted by Mr. Bryce Morland."
Fry and Applegate glanced at each other and then back at Gideon.
Applegate scowled. "Never did like that fellow. What did the b.a.s.t.a.r.d say to her?"
"The exact words are neither here nor there," Gideon murmured. "Suffice it to say that I consider the matter a grave offense and intend to seek satisfaction. I require two men who can be trusted to act as my seconds. Would either or both of you care to volunteer?"
Applegate blinked and looked at Fry, who looked equally taken aback.
"I say," Fry muttered.
"You have issued a challenge to Morland?" Applegate asked cautiously.
"I had no alternative under the circ.u.mstances," Gideon explained. "Matter of honor, you see. The man insulted my wife."
Applegate"s frown intensified. "Cannot have Morland running about insulting Lady St. Justin."
"My sentiments exactly," Gideon said.
Fry"s whiskers twitched. "Always thought Morland was a bit unsavory. Something entirely too smooth about rum. Not surprised to hear he"s stepped over the line."
Applegate nodded soberly. "Yes, there have been occasional rumors about him. Mostly concerning the rather unpleasant habits he indulges when he visits the brothels. Mere speculation, of course. Still, one cannot be too careful of his sort."
"I intend to make certain he does not bother my wife again in future," Gideon said. "May I have your a.s.sistance?"
Applegate drew himself up and squared his shoulders. He appeared dazed, but there was a dawning enthusiasm in his eyes. "Never done this sort of thing before. Generally concentrated on fossil toes until now. But I expect I can handle it. Certainly, sir. I would be honored to act as your second."
"So would I." There was a suppressed glitter in Fry"s eyes. He flushed a dark red. "I say. Honored, sir. You may leave all the details to us. We shall call upon Morland first thing in the morning."
"Excellent." Gideon got to his feet. "I am in your debt, gentlemen."
The notion of having the Beast of Blackthorne Hall in their debt was clearly a stunning one for both Fry and Applegate. Gideon left them sitting there with expressions of astonishment on their faces.
Out on the street in front of the club Gideon hailed a pa.s.sing carriage, gave the address of his townhouse, and vaulted up inside the vehicle.
He contemplated the darkened streets while he went over his preparations. He did not doubt the loyalty of his seconds. Applegate and Fry would clearly do anything for Harriet. They had proven that when they had kidnapped her and risked the wrath of the Beast of Blackthorne Hall.
He was also quite certain that they would be unable to keep quiet about their roles as seconds. He had seen the excitement in their eyes. Neither had ever dabbled in the manly art of the duel. They were accustomed to thinking of themselves as men of science, not men of action.
Being asked to serve as seconds in a matter of honor had clearly given them both a new image of themselves.
Morland was quite right. The gossip about the challenge would be all over Town by breakfast tomorrow.
Which was just what Gideon wanted.
He alighted from the carriage a few minutes later and made his way up the steps of his townhouse. Owl greeted him at the door.
"Lady St. Justin requests that you go to her immediately, sir," Owl said with a foreboding expression.
"Thank you, Owl." Gideon handed over his hat and gloves. "Where is she?"
"Her bedchamber, I believe, sir."
Gideon nodded and started up the stairs, two at a time. When he reached the landing he turned down the hall, stopped in front of Harriet"s door, and knocked once.
"Come in," Harriet called instantly.
Gideon opened the door and sauntered into the room. Harriet leaped toward him.
"Thank heaven you are home at last," she breathed as she hugged him tightly. "I have been so worried. Did you find the body? What did you do with it? How are we going to get rid of it?"