Page 93 of Nothing Compares to the Duke
Rhys reached above him and slammed the door open wide.
He couldn’t see anything. The hall before him was pitch-dark and he scanned every inch for her.
“Bella?” His heart was in his throat as he strode in, pushing open doors. “Bella!”
Desperation clawed at him as he shouted her name. He didn’t give a damn about Radley anymore. Only she mattered.
He heard her cry out and his blood froze in his veins. He kicked the next door open and it slammed against the wall. Inside, Radley stood with Bella, his hand gripping her arm.
Rhys raised a fist and stepped forward to strike the man. All he could see was red and the fear in Bella’s eyes.
“It’s all right,” she said, lifting a hand as if to stall Rhys. “He says he needs to explain.”
But Radley didn’t look interested in explanations. His face was twisted in anger and he seemed to reserve most of it for Rhys.
“There he is,” the man spat. “The infamous Duke of Claremont.”
“Take your hands off of her. Now.”
Bella twisted out of the man’s grasp and Radley had enough sense to release her.
“What is it you have to say, Radley?” Rhys moved closer to Bella.
“Stop right there, Your Grace.” Radley reached for Bella’s wrist again.
She winced in pain and Rhys advanced on the man, striking him with one sharp jab. Bella twisted out of his hold the minute Radley covered his bloody nose with both hands.
Drawing her to the far corner of the room, Rhys wrapped an arm around Bella’s shoulders.
“Are you all right?” He cupped her face in his hands and only breathed easy again when she nodded.
“You see what he did to me, copper?” Radley shouted. “Assaulted in my own home.”
Macadams stepped into the room, glowering like a headmaster come to chastise rowdy students. “That will be enough, gentlemen. You’ll be coming with me, Mr. Radley.”
Rhys wanted to leave the rest to Macadams. Let him put the man in irons. They could ask Radley questions at Scotland Yard. But when he turned to leave, Bella stopped him.
“Wait,” she told Rhys, then turned to Radley. “Why did you take Claremont money?” Bella started to approach the man again.
Rhys wrapped an arm around her waist to stop her. “Macadams can deal with him.”
He could feel the tension in her body and sensed her eagerness to break away.
“I think he has a story to tell and I think you need to hear it.”
Macadams moved past her. “You’re caught, Radley. I’ve a carriage waiting to transport you for questioning.” The old man reached for the steward and the younger man bellowed as if he’d been singed.
“I won’t go,” Radley shouted. “Not until I’ve said my piece.”
“Go on then, man.” Rhys’s impatience for the thief’s nonsense was wearing thin.
Radley shot him a haughty look. “I took money from the Claremont coffers. I admit it.”
“Where is it? And the money you took from the others?” Macadams asked. “We need to recover as much as we can if you have any hope of avoiding the rope.”
Ignoring him, Radley continued glaring at Rhys. “Might regret what I did to other employers, but never to Claremont. He was a heartless wretch of a man.”
The steward’s wrath was like a palpable thing. Anger rolled off him in sickly waves, but Rhys realized the anger wasn’t for him. Radley hated his father.
