Page 62 of An Unbending Lady for the Desperate Earl
Foster stiffened. “Well, that wasn’t on your note, Thomson.” He glanced at Benedict.
“Lucky for us you brought yourself and nine men, then, even though you only thought you were here to apprehend two culprits.” Benedict gave the shadow of a smirk. For being an investigator himself, Christian sensed he had little love for the constables of Bow Street. And he certainly held little regard for their professionalism.
“Yes… that is lucky.” Foster scowled.
“Did a constable reach Miss Longacre?” Christian desired to diffuse the tension.
Foster nodded. “Of course.”
“That is comforting to know.” Christian took a breath. “Now, we must come up with a plan. We are so close now, and we cannot risk anyone fleeing. There may be more men here than we anticipated, but we must work together to ensure that they areallapprehended.”
Foster arched an eyebrow. “Military man?”
“In my time, yes.” Christian knew how important it was to assert authority in a situation such as this. Even if it meant calling upon some unsavory memories, which he had fought hard to bury.
“Good. You’ll be of value, My Lord.” Foster tipped his head in a lazy bow. “What did you have in mind?”
Christian sighed, already hating what he was about to say. “If we want to make sure that nobody flees the scene, then we must wait until we have the cover of darkness. It is bitterly cold when the sun sets, which means the men over yonder will be more likely to seek shelter in the barn. That means we can get them all in one place and surround the building. That is when we make our move.”
“You want to wait, now?” Benedict snorted. “It’s a wise idea, but I didn’t think it’d come from you.”
“I have had time to think,” Christian retorted. “We will need the night to shroud us if we are to stand a chance of capturing everyone. We have twelve men here, and they have twelve or more there. It seems likely they will still have the greater numbers, which is why we must utilize the element of surprise. That should even the balance in our favor.”
Foster nodded. “Sounds like our best option.”
“You mean, you don’t have one, so you’re happy to go along with the first one you hear,” Benedict muttered under his breath.
“Do you have an alternative suggestion?” Foster shot back.
“No, actually. I agree. It sounds like our best option.” Benedict huffed out a sigh and looked to Christian with an apprehensive eye. “We should rest here and wait for darkness to fall.”
He made it sound so simple. But Christian knew he wouldn’t be able to rest, even though his body ached with weariness. No, he would not be able to sink into any sort of slumber again, not until he had Victoria safely back in his arms.
Chapter 27
“Have you thought any more about my suggestion?” Solomon asked, having returned to the ramshackle office to speak with Victoria. She had drifted off into a fractured sleep, spurred on by the tears that had exhausted her eyes, only to wake to find him sitting opposite.
She blinked in confusion, remembering where she was and how she had come to be here. “Your suggestion? Oh… that one. No, not as of yet. I must have fallen asleep. I didn’t mean to. Goodness, what is the time?”
“Four o’clock.” Her father smiled. “You must’ve been weary, my girl. I imagine you’ve not slept in days, if you’ve been toiling away at this case. You never did know how to rest while you were working. A bad habit that I must’ve taught you.”
“Four o’clock?!” she gasped in horror.How can it be four o’clock? Where are Benedict and Christian?A creeping doubt slithered through her veins that, perhaps, she hadn’t left a good enough trail for them to follow. Or, worse still, her trail had been obliterated by the winds and the rains that had lashed the world last night.
“It’s good to get some rest,” he encouraged. “I didn’t know whether to wake you or not, in truth.”
“I am pleased you did, or I might have slept for a week.” She attempted humor, though it fell flat. Her mind was so very jumbled that she lacked the ability to feel any amusement whatsoever. “Are you cross that I have yet to make up my mind?”
He shook his head. “There is no rush. I’m just eager to hear you agree. I’ve missed having you at my side, through all of this. Over the years, I’ve had many a partner, but you were always the best of them.”
“Not Ben?”
“Ben had his benefits, but he was never as sharp as you. I don’t think there’s anyone alive, man or woman, who has the mind that you have. You always see things that no one else saw, your mind one step ahead of the rest.” He beamed with such tangible pride that it made Victoria’s heart sink. He would be so very disappointed when she turned him down. But this was not what she wanted. She had chosen to be on the side of good, and she wouldn’t switch to the criminal underworld for anyone. Not even her father.
“What if you were to give up this endeavor, once you have delivered the London ladies back to their homes?” Victoria said nervously, not knowing how he might respond.
“Oh, I plan to,” he replied, stunning her.
“You do?”
