Page 65 of The Last Chance
Fear crept into his heart like a malevolent spirit out to destroy every shred of hope. It choked the breath from his lungs. It taunted him and left him feeling as helpless as the night his stepmother barged into his bedchamber with hired thugs and threw him and his brothers out.
“Aaron.” His name was a terrified whisper from Joanna’s lips. She scrambled to sit up, grabbing his arms, clinging to him as if afraid to let go.
“Should I fetch Miss Lovelace?” Flynn called from beyond the door, his grave tone adding to Aaron’s torment. “I can send Delphine.”
“No. Pour Daventry a drink. I’ll fetch her.” Aaron waited to hear Flynn’s retreating footsteps before helping Joanna to her feet. “Take a breath. We’ve prepared for this. I’ll not let them take you.”
She fell into his arms, holding him tightly, her fingers sinking into his flesh as she anchored herself to him. “What if we’re too late? What if I must leave with Mr Daventry now?”
The scenario played out in Aaron’s mind. “I’ll restrain himand tie him up and we’ll make a hasty escape.” It would be a fight that would alter his destiny.
She looked at him through teary eyes. “But you would be arrested upon your return. I can’t let you do that. I can’t let you sacrifice everything you’ve worked hard for, everything you’ve achieved.”
I’ll leave with you, he wanted to say.
But the bonds of brotherhood were an anchor, as strong as the iron chain that held it secure. Abandoning his family was not an option.
You could marry Rothley, he thought to suggest, but the words burnt like acid on his tongue.
Aaron brushed a lock of hair from her face and cupped her cheeks. “You’ll not hang for a crime you didn’t commit. I have a boat waiting and a crew willing to sail at a moment’s notice. Sigmund has agreed to accompany you and remain with you indefinitely.”
Tears slipped down her cheeks. “I don’t want to leave.”
“You must. You have no choice. I shall keep your club open in your absence.” And there would be a war. No more tiptoeing in the shadows. He would sweep through thetonlike a tempest of destruction, forcing his foes to their knees. “I shall do everything in my power to bring you home again. Ignore what I say to Daventry tonight. He cannot know of our plan.”
Her hands moved over his back as if memorising every muscle. “How has it come to this? Why are we being punished when we’ve suffered more than most?”
He wished he knew the answer.
“One day, it may all become clear.” He exhaled deeply. “I need to find a shirt while you straighten your skirts. Then we’ll ask Daventry about the warrant.”
They dealt with the tasks silently amid a heavy cloud of despair.
Aaron led Joanna to the drawing room where Daventry was pacing, not lounging in the chair, casually sipping brandy.
“I thought we had another day until the magistrate called us in for questioning.” Anger infused Aaron’s tone, though it wasn’t Daventry’s fault they were in this predicament.
Daventry came straight to the point and confirmed their worst fears. “The Thames Police received an anonymous letter informing them of Miss Lovelace’s unpleasant history with Lord Howard.”
Aaron’s pulse soared. Who was this anonymous devil causing havoc with their lives? “They cannot arrest her on hearsay.”
“It proves she had a motive for murder.”
“It proves nothing.”
“The letter was quite detailed,” Daventry said, trying to be delicate. He turned to Joanna. “Your acquaintance with the maid, Lucia, has been called into question. A witness places Lucia at the pawnbroker’s shop with Lord Howard. It’s been suggested you were in cahoots to snare him in a trap. Lucia lured him to your house because he believed she was the opera singer Madame Rossellini. Lucia stole the murder weapon while at Mrs Flavell’s party and together you conspired to kill him.”
A chill swept over Aaron. They were dealing with a master manipulator. “It’s supposition. None of it is true.”
“It’s enough for a jury to convict her of murder.” Daventry looked uneasy. Was he out of his depth for the first time in his professional career? “Finding your father’s watch in Howard’s pocket doesn’t help matters. It’s thought she might have been trying to frame you.”
“That’s preposterous,” Joanna cried, dashing tears from her cheeks while Aaron’s family looked on. “Everything is being twisted to suit the villain’s purpose. I would never hurt Mr Chance.”
An unwelcome thought entered Aaron’s mind. One certain tooffend the woman he might lose for good. “Could Rothley be involved? He’s obsessed with the death of his friend. Marrying Miss Lovelace would ease his guilt, but he knows he must force her hand.”
“Even Rothley couldn’t save her from this.”
Joanna’s nostrils flared. “It’s not Gabriel.”
