Page 74 of When a Lady Desires a Wicked Lord
“You say Bertram sent you?” Colton focused his gaze intently on the youth.
“Yes, sir, he did.” The young man produced a folded missive. “He says I’m to give these to you.”
Colton took the neatly creased squares of paper from the messenger. A muscle in his jaw ticked as he offered a quick perusal. When he handed the first leaf to his wife, her complexion went as white as the crocheted doily on the side table.
“This is not what I had hoped.” The softest of quivers marked her words.
Bloody hell, what was going on?
“There has been a development… Our driver, Bertram, located another witness—one of Alex’s neighbors.” Jennie Colton extended the letter in her hand to Benedict. “She was able to offer a description of the man who led her into the carriage.”
Dark-haired male. Approximately thirty years of age. Average height. Stocky physique.
Benedict quickly took in the woman’s account of the bastard who’d taken Alex away. The neighbor’s casual observation noted that she’d appeared to be under duress, that her movements had been stiff and awkward as she’d walked to the carriage. He had not escorted her of her own free will. He’d coerced her into entering that coach.
A mental picture formed. Suddenly, the truth became clear. “Edward Nelson.” The name sounded like an epithet as it left his mouth.
Colton nodded somberly. “The man does fit the description, though we have no proof.”
“What reason would he have to take her away?” Jennie Colton asked, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes.
Benedict met her concerned gaze. “The map.”
Colton nodded solemnly. “Nelson has financed Raymond Stockwell’s recent ventures. It stands to reason that Stockwell is indebted to him. This may be his way of repaying the debt.”
“Nelson is an unscrupulous criminal. Kidnapping would certainly not be out of the question.” Jennie Colton poured brandy in a crystal glass and took a sip. “But why would he take her away? If he’s after the map, searching her residence would be a logical move. But the place was not ransacked. As a matter of fact, Mrs. Thomas, her housekeeper, reported that nothing appeared to be out of place.”
“There was no sign of a struggle,” Colton said. “That is positive. He had no cause to injure her.”
“Not yet.” A grim tone infused Jennie’s slightly trembling voice.
God above, had Professor Stockwell’s own son conspired against him? The thought had occurred to Benedict in passing, but he’d dismissed it, unable to consider that a son would turn so viciously against his father. Had Raymond Stockwell been involved in this deadly plot?
Had he orchestrated the killings?
Had he ordered the murder of his own father?
The possibility plowed into Benedict like a brutal, bare-knuckled punch to the gut. Anger melded with fear for Alexandra. Why would Nelson force her to leave? It didn’t make sense. The map was somewhere in her home. Why hadn’t he searched for it?
Did the conspirators believe she’d given it to him?
“I have to go after her.” Benedict turned to Colton. “Nelson must believe I have the map.”
Colton’s eyes narrowed. “Where is it?”
“I have no bloody idea. She did not give it to me.”
“Most likely, Alex hid it somewhere in her study,” Jennie Colton said. “When she spoke of it to Matthew, she was adamant that the treasure—if there is, indeed, a lost tomb—should not be used for an individual’s gain.”
Benedict’s mind raced. Somehow, he had to convince Nelson to release her. Could he deceive him into believing he had the map?
“Do you know if they took the Pharaoh’s Sun?” he asked.
Jennie shook her head. “I cannot be certain. The locked drawer in which she’d secured it was empty, but that does not mean she turned it over. We don’t know what’s become of it.”
“There is a second message,” Matthew Colton said, his tone grim. “Evidently, her captor has issued a ransom demand. The note is unsigned, but he has designated a meeting place. An exchange is desired. He demands the map.”
“We can offer a convincing forgery. After all, they haven’t seen the actual document.” Jennie’s voice displayed courageous hope.
