Page 57 of Her Daring Earl
A knock at the door signaled Hastings’ entrance, which was like clockwork every morning.
“The post has arrived, my lord,” the butler said, placing it on Fitz’s desk, and Fitz nodded his thanks, although he resolved to ignore it for now.
Until a letter sitting on the top caught his eye.
His name was scrawled across the middle of it in large, thick black handwriting. It was simply handwriting, and yet he couldn’t help but consider that it appeared sinister.
“Do you mind if I open just one?” he asked Levi, gesturing to the stack of papers.
“Go ahead.”
Fitz sat behind his desk, finding his letter opener before slicing open the seal, one which he didn’t recognize.
He unfolded the paper, his heart already racing faster as the words jumped off of the page toward him.
Lord Fitzroy,
I know you believe that hiding in the country will keep you and your family safe. But do not become comfortable, for I will find you, no matter where you hide away. You will have to return to London at some point, will you not? Or else all that you have worked for will come to naught.
And which is worse? To die or to die without a legacy?
It’s your choice, my lord.
May the best man win.
The letter fell from his fingers to the desk in front of him, and he looked up in surprise to find that Levi was already there, picking it up and reading it, his senses honed from his years at war.
He looked up sharply at Fitz, who stood in silence, unsure of what exactly he was supposed to do.
“We must go find Hastings and ask where this letter came from,” Levi said, already beginning to solve the problem.
“From the post,” Fitz said woodenly. “I was so sure that there was no actual threat. That it was over.”
“And now you have a wife and a child on the way to think about – not to mention a mother and seven unmarried sisters,” Levi said grimly, understanding the gravity of the issue before Fitz himself even did. “This is a serious matter, Fitz, and one that you must address.”
“What do I do?”
“You have to make a choice. Do you trust this detective you hired to continue to look into the matter, or do you return to London and see what you can find for yourself? It is someone who has issues with your politics. Who could you have angered to such an extent?”
“A great many people, I suppose, if they knew what I was doing.”
“Do many people know?”
“Not that I’m aware of. But you know how people talk.”
“Do I ever.”
“I will consider my next steps.”
“May I make a suggestion?” Levi inquired, to which Fitz nodded. “Ask your wife. See what she has to say about it.”
“I do not mind doing so, but Eliza can be… rather reckless. How can I protect her if she will not make the right decision for herself?”
“I suggested that you ask her opinion,” Levi said. “You do not need to ask her tomakethe decision.”
Fitz nodded. “True.”
“I do not think I can leave you with this hanging over your head.”
