Page 86 of A Duchess to Unravel
“I have to go,” he grunted, then stalked toward the door.
“Alistair, wait,” Dominic insisted, running up beside him. “Think first, where would you go?”
“I dinnae know!” Alistair bellowed, “But I willnae find her standing here!”
“Find her we will,” Everett stated, suddenly appearing quite sober despite his copious drinks. Gone was the drunken fool from moments before and now in his place stood a man prepared to do anything to help.
Alistair clasped a hand on each of their shoulders, fighting for a moment of calm. They were right. He wasn’t going to accomplish anything by running off without a plan.
“Everett, go fetch the constable and go with them to the country house,” he commanded. “Take a physician as well, I want anyone who was injured to be examined. Especially Norma.”
Everett gave a single nod, then took off.
“Mr. Mackenzie,” Alistair said, turning to the head butler next, “Is Lord Briarwood aware?”
Mr. Mackenzie shook his head.
“I dinnae believe so, Your Grace,” he replied. “The kitchen boy, Travis, rode straight here.”
“Then he needs to know what is going on,” Alistair replied, turning then to Dominic.
“I will handle Tristan,” Alistair commanded, “There’s some things he needs to know, and they need to come from me. In the meantime, Dominic, you are the only other person who knows what William looks like. I boarded him on a ship to the Americas, but he must have come back. Go the gaming hells, the clubs, see if anyone has seen him or knows where he is residing now.”
“I shall,” Dominic stated, “But Alistair, are you sure you want to handle Tristan alone? When he finds out the truth of how you and Theo met, that you kept the stalker issue from him, he might very well kill you.”
Alistair gave an absolute nod.
“He may,” he agreed. “And if that is what he wishes, I shall give him the opportunity. But we will find and save Theo first.”
Even though Tristan was a much smaller man than Alistair, the punch he threw at Alistair’s face had him stumbling backward. Alistair did not raise a hand or his voice as Tristan stalked toward him, his face a mask of pure rage.
“I knew you were no good for her,” Tristan snarled, raising his fist again. “I knew you would not protect her!”
Alistair had only spent a second to throw on a shirt before he saddled his horse and rode at a hard gallop to London. He’d made it in half the time, left his heaving, quivering steed in the hands of Tristan’s stable boys, then knocked on the door, looking no doubt, like a mad man.
He’d barely waited until Tristan came to receive him before spilling out the entire truth. How Theo and he first met. The man that had caused them to be introduced. The threat said man had left for Theo that had caused her to lean into her marriage toAlistair. He hadn’t been able to get to the part where he’d found her stalker before Tristan had thrown his first punch.
“I thought I had taken care of it,” Alistair explained, feeling a warmth trickle down his now-split lip. “I paid him off. I put him on the ship myself. He acted so cowardly I thought for certain he would not come back. I was wrong, and you have every right to be mad at me.”
Alistair stopped talking, waited for the second punch. Yet instead of throwing his fist at him again, Tristan unfurled his hands and wrenched hold of Alistair’s lapels.
“You should have told me,” he seethed, his blue eyes a mixture of fear and rage, “You should have let me know that Theo was in danger. Don’t you understand? She is all I have left!”
Tristan’s voice rose to a shout as he said the last, and shoved Alistair away from him.
“I know!” Alistair growled, righting himself, “But don’t you understand? She is all I have left too! My family gone. I never thought I could care for someone the way I do her and I hurt her! Then she was taken before I got the chance to make it right!”
He dared to move closer to Tristan, risking another assault.
“You can rage at me all you want. I deserve it. But trust when I say you will never be as enraged as I am. Iknowthis is my fault,Tristan, but I will make this right! What we need to focus on now is getting her back.”
Tristan growled as he pushed his chest against Alistair’s. Stepped back, turned around, and rubbed his face. Then whirled on Alistair again, a finger raised.
“Wewillget her back,” Tristan demanded, his eyes wild. “But once we do just know I am going to thrash you within an inch of your life, do you understand? And if she is not quite all right? Ishallkill you.”
“And I will not stop you,” Alistair replied, knowing he deserved the man’s threats.
Tristan let out another growl of rage, but he nodded.
