Page 106 of The Duke and Lady Scandal
To his shock, M’s arms slackened and he stopped kicking. Ben braced his hands on the ground and lifted some of his weight off the man, thinking perhaps he’d lost consciousness.
But then he saw M’s chest heave as he began weeping.
Ben tugged at the mustache and beard, which both peeled off readily. Then he plucked the glasses away and stared in shock.
He was young. Not much older than twenty.
Ben stared up at Alexandra. “I’m not sure it’s him.”
“Stand him up,” she told him.
Ben heaved the weeping young man to his feet and turned him so that the constable who’d approached could clap him in shackles.
Alexandra drew closer. Too close for Ben’s comfort.
“Keep your distance.”
“I’m not frightened of him, but I do have a question.” She looked up at the young man, who stood several heads above her. “Do you still think chaos is its own reward?”
The young man sniffed, straightened up tall, squared his fur-covered shoulders, and looked down at her with a smirk. Not a tear in sight. “I struck fear in their hearts, Miss Prince, and that pleases me. And I did enjoy meddling with you and your detective.”
Sickening laughter burst out of him.
“It’s him,” Alexandra said decisively before turning back to face Ben. “Do you still have doubts that he’s your M?”
“Soon the world will know my name,” the man whispered as if to himself.
Ben felt disgust for the young man, but now a bit of pity too. There was madness in his eyes, a wild sort of instability he’d rarely seen in even the cruelest criminals. It chilled his blood that one so young could be so lost to his own hateful machinations.
“Get a wagon to carry them all back to the Yard,” he told the constable, who still stood awaiting orders.
“Already here, Duke.” The man nudged hischin toward M. “Just waiting to add him to the lot.”
“Once he’s there, I want double watch on him.”
“He knows I’m a slippery one,” M said in a grating singsong voice as the constable led him away.
Ben turned to Alexandra and shook his head in wonder. “Saved by a boot.”
She laughed, and he did too.
“Technically, I didn’t save you.”
“I beg to differ. Take it from the man who had a pistol pointed at his heart.”
“It’s just a cane, isn’t it?” She walked over, bent, and retrieved it. When she examined it further, she gasped. “How clever it is.”
“Not as clever as a boot as deterrent.”
She smiled proudly. “It was awfully good timing on my part.”
“Undeniably so.” Ben reached for her hand.
She clasped his eagerly, and something flickered to life in his chest.
“Deserves a write-up in the London newspapers, if you ask me. TheIllustrated Police News, perhaps.”
“Don’t tease me.” She squeezed his hand.
