Page 57 of Dangerous Games of a Broken Lady
Jasper offered a sympathetic glance. “I know that it must.”
“Had he not threatened the security and happiness of Adelaide, I might have defied him,” Ephraim continued. “But I cannot risk so much for my own mistakes. It would be cruel of me.”
Jasper’s eyes brightened suddenly. “There is an alternative.”
“There is?” Ephraim sat up in surprise.
“Let us pretend that we are going to steal this item that he has requested,” Jasper said. “When we tell him of our failure, we may gauge his reaction. If it is dangerous, I shall spirit Adelaide away into the countryside, where he cannot find her. I shall send word to the Duke of Bradford of our whereabouts and have them married without delay. As soon as she is wed to him, there can be no threat. The Duke is almost as devilish as Lord Rowntree—he will not cross such a man.”
“And if it is an entrapment? If he has men stationed to apprehend us?” Ephraim had been pondering the possibility on the walk over from Belgravia.
Jasper cast a sad smile in his direction. “I shall linger on the outskirts and allow you to go into the Abbey alone. He will undoubtedly have spies watching the building, even if they are not there for entrapment purposes. If you are apprehended, and your reputation falls into ruin… I will marry Adelaide before Lord Rowntree has the opportunity to swoop in.”
“You would… you would do that?”
He nodded. “I would not see Adelaide ruined by that man. If it meant marrying her, I would do so without complaint. She is my dearest friend—surely, we could find some semblance of happiness together, in the years that might follow.”
“But what of your hopes for Miss Green?”
“There have been some complications in the matter,” he explained sadly. “I adore her, true, but that pales in comparison to the duty I feel towards you and your family. I would protect Lady Adelaide, if you fell from grace. You have my word on that.”
Ephraim felt a rush of gratitude for the fine young man before him. “You are a prince amongst men, Jasper.”
“I thank you for your kind words, My Lord.”
“So, you will help me in this endeavor?”
He nodded. “I will. I confess, I do not want to, but we are in too deep to retreat now. I have made certain promises to you in the past, and I intend to keep them. Besides, I have already involved myself in the blackmail of two members of parliament.”
“Have you seen the newspapers today?”
“I have. I do not think it will be long before we see the Marquess of Tavistock brought to ruin, alongside his fellow member. It looks to me as though Lord Rowntree desires to have both of Bath’s parliamentary seats in the House of Commons. However, he seems to be biding his time. To scandalize them both at once would alert suspicions.”
“I thought the same thing.”
“This way, he can weasel into both seats without anyone casting aspersions upon him. Bath is one of the most important seats in the nation. He has chosen purposefully. So many of us enjoy the high season in Bath. If he is the parliamentary voice there, then he has all the power.”
Ephraim shuddered at the thought. “Well, we cannot stop him on that front. That is already done. Perhaps, he wishes to ingratiate himself within the courts for apprehending the thieves who might steal such a valuable item. Either that, or he wishes to return the item and have himself hailed as a hero.”
Jasper nodded. “Which direction he may take remains to be seen. We will not discover his intentions until you have set foot inside the Abbey. I am sure of that.”
“As am I.”
“Now, do you have a plan in mind? How long has he given you for this task?”
“Six days.”
Jasper whistled through his teeth. “My goodness… a tall order, indeed. The scoundrel.”
“My plan is to go under cover of darkness,” Ephraim said. “I thought Friday may be a good time. We can hide ourselves in one of the chambers within the House of Lords and linger there until midnight. As soon as the buildings empty, I may sneak into the Abbey and pretend to retrieve the scepter. As you say, his spiesmustsee me enter the church. You can remain in the chamber. If I return, you shall know that I was not apprehended. If I do not, you must go to Adelaide immediately and take her far from here. My wife, as well.”
“We shall have to race any messenger he may have,” Jasper warned. “It would be prudent to take horses and leave them outside the parliament walls.”
“Agreed.”
“As soon as I understand what has happened, I will ride like the wind and take your family far away from London,” Jasper promised. “Even if you are not apprehended, I will do so. For Lord Rowntree will target them instantly. If he desires Adelaide, he will stop at nothing to have her. The only thing that may protect her is marriage.”
Ephraim tapped his chin. “Might the Duke of Bradford agree to an earlier ceremony? This week, perhaps?”
