Page 98 of A Rescue by the Rakish Duke
She took the card he wrote the information on and then left the townhouse, walking fast but not fast enough that Marston would see that she was merely reining her fear in.
She mounted Daisy. Her original plan was to ride toward Greyvale right after gathering information about Montrose, but she was exhausted. Things had also changed when Marston said that there would be a meeting at the warehouse this afternoon. She couldn’t miss that. So, she headed for Damian’s London residence instead.
What would Damian think when he saw her riding the same mare she had an incident with? What would he think of her gathering information on Montrose’s movements and whereabouts?
Excitement surged in her veins. Perhaps the end was near.
Chapter Thirty
“Now, we know what the warehouse is like. They’ve seen us and have accepted our presence,” Damian whispered.
After Evan mentioned just how close he was to becoming like his father, he focused on solving the Montrose problem once and for all. He decided to go to Greyvale and beg for Gwendoline’s forgiveness after everything had been resolved.
It was nighttime when Damian and Evan arrived at the docks. The only source of light was the pale moon, and yet it was clear to Damian that the place was a hive of illegal activity. He lurked in the shadows in his plain black cloak. Evan did the same.
So much depended on this moment.
Even though he had lost most of the documents, Damian pieced together all the information. His anger might have helped himlearn the facts by heart. He had managed to disguise himself as one of Montrose’s smuggling partners.
He sent Montrose a message, hinting at a possible lucrative opportunity. He promised a shipment of rare goods, which were supposed to raise profits. With this new opportunity, Montrose was supposed to do better than any other rival. Damian had set the bait, and how he waited in a dockside warehouse.
The place was cold and damp. The warehouse was a tough place to navigate, labyrinthine with its crates and barrels. They were stacked up to almost the ceiling. There were so many places to hide illicit things.
Damian knew that it was the perfect means to smuggle goods, and Montrose would certainly fight to keep his control over it.
“Now what, Your Grace?” Evan whispered back.
“We come at the agreed time. We will have a few of your men hiding in the shadows. I will either come in disguise or you will. If you know a man with a good head on his shoulders, we can let him do the talking. He will pretend to meet about the generous offer.”
“We can do that,” Evan agreed. “I will draw a map of this place for my men to follow. They will know what to do.”
“All right then. I’m going to leave for Greyvale,” Damian said as they exchanged glances.
It felt like they had a lot to do. Then, when it was time to execute some of their plans, Damian had found himself sitting in his recently fixed study, thinking of Gwendoline.
They had been happy. It wasn’t pretend.
Evan’s words echoed in his ears.
“You are beginning to act like your father.”
In the present, Evan smiled at him and bid him good luck. “Take care, Your Grace. Your duchess awaits you. If you don’t come back in time for tomorrow’s meeting, I will be here with our men.”
Damian nodded.
He had just made an arrangement to meet with Montrose, but the latter wanted to meet tomorrow. The next possible meeting would be in a fortnight, and Damian couldn’t wait that long. He would have to see Gwendoline, ask a maid to pack her a bag quickly, and then they would be off to London. It would be a tiring but doable trip.
It would be worth it because, in the end, she would be with him.
What would he be if he had nobody? His victory over Montrose would be for nothing, and he would wonder if he had won at all.
It was almost sunrise when Damian’s carriage passed through the gates of Greyvale. His back ached from exhaustion, as if he had been carrying things on it.
The fatigue seemed to evaporate as something else threatened to take over. Something was wrong. He could feel it. As he neared the house, the feeling heightened.
He quickly stepped out of the carriage as soon as it rolled to a stop. He scanned the estate grounds as if they could give him instant clues as to what was happening or what had happened there. There was nothing. The place might look gloomy, but it appeared peaceful.
Then, there it was. Tension in the air. Damian grew up with it enough to recognize it. His father thought that he was merely being like his mother. Insane. Unreasonable. His father could only take facts, and he only kept things that were of value to him.
