Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
“Another bullseye, Stonewynn?” Theo commented playfully. “Isn’t it getting tedious watching you make the same shot? We need more excitement here. A little more uncertainty.”
There were a few scattered chuckles after Daniel made another shot that had the arrow hitting dead center. At the moment he finally admired his own work, the arrow was still quivering. The fletching made quite a contrast against the red ring.
He knew that many more activities were going on in Redmoor Hall. However, the lawn felt like the center of the party only because archery was a more taxing activity.
Masculine camaraderie echoed in the air as gentlemen conversed, shared strategies, and pulled at their bowstrings.
Still, he could not help but wonder what the ladies were doing at the studio.
He had caught Lucy looking out the window at them.
She was probably wondering about the strange man who had bought her a dress, even though she had explicitly said no.
“Repeat performances? That is what we call practice, Barton,” Daniel retorted. “You must try it sometime. Your practice is focused more on handling your fourth and fifth glasses of port.”
Even as he said those words in jest, his hand was already reaching for another arrow to loose. The action had become fluid and mechanical.
Yes, it was easier to do something you had been practicing for. Something that you were comfortable with. It certainly was more comprehensible than dealing with a lady who wanted to see more of the world. The more she protested, the more she seemed imprisoned.
His brothers-in-law, Alasdair and Dominic, were quite occupied in guiding the younger lords who still needed lessons in coordination. They were probably trying to save a passing servant from becoming the target.
It meant that Daniel was in the company of his other brothers-in-law, Adrian and Richard. His best friend Theo was, of course, there. Although apparently, they had caught the attention of one more gentleman.
“Step aside, Your Grace,” a voice interrupted the familiar banter. “Let someone else give it a try.”
The voice was different from Theo’s playful one. Instead, there was a hint of a challenge in it. It was clear that it was coming from someone who was not part of the immediate group.
Daniel turned to see Joshua Coulson standing expectantly and somewhat arrogantly a few feet behind him.
He could not help but scrunch his nose at the sight of the Earl wearing a neat suit while his sister was always wearing old dresses from Seasons ago.
His buttons and shoes shone from careful polishing. Everything was in fashion.
Still, he watched Joshua with curiosity.
The man looked more like a scholar who frequented libraries and argued in Parliament, not someone who would engage in a sport, even one that was as mild as archery.
The Earl seemed to be confident enough, drawing the string back slowly while his posture remained rigid.
His eyes were narrowed as he measured the distance between his arrow and the target.
Then, he let the arrow fly.
It did not hit the center, but it notched so close to Daniel’s, perhaps about an inch or so. It was a good shot, remarkably so. Earlier, Daniel had not given anyone a chance to perform quite as outstandingly as he had, but Joshua seemed capable of giving a good game.
“Well done, Marsleigh!” one lord exclaimed in surprise.
“A few more of that and you may give Stonewynn a run for his money!” another one remarked.
“To be fair, you were making it rather dull,” Theo muttered, giving his friend a smirk.
“It’s a good game, Marsleigh,” Daniel said begrudgingly, giving an approving nod.
Instead of smiling and thanking everyone for their praise, Joshua maintained a serious expression. There was a spark of something else there—a sharp kind of competitiveness. It was in his flinty eyes, the hard set of his jaw, and his rigid posture.
“It’s obviously not what I was aiming for,” he remarked smoothly. “But sometimes, being close enough could get the job done. What do you think, Your Grace?”
“Ah. Well, I always prefer hitting the target,” Daniel replied.
It was an honest reply, but it was also a response to what felt like a threat and a challenge.
His voice dropped dangerously low. “You must hit the heart, and not just pretend you’ve reached close enough.”
“Now that’s not about archery,” Theo muttered under his breath.
Meanwhile, Joshua gave Daniel a smug look before rejoining the others.
Daniel wondered what that was all about, but then his gaze drifted back to the studio’s French doors.
Through the glass, the ladies were intently working in front of their easels. He quickly found Lucy. She was gripping a charcoal stick in her hand, her brow furrowed.
It was as if a lot hinged on her work and the result would not only be something to hang on the walls of her bedroom.
Even from a distance, Daniel could not help but notice how devastatingly beautiful she was, despite her drab clothes.
He was still at a loss as to why she was not wearing the dress he had bought her.
The dire state of her wardrobe didn’t seem to be caused by poor finances, but by something else.
“Careful,” Theo murmured near his ear. Daniel didn’t even notice his friend’s approach. “You are staring at her, and not as a polite duke would. You are doing it like a predator about to pounce.”
Daniel grumbled in annoyance. “I was merely wondering what it must be like, cloistered inside while the rest of us are enjoying the fair weather.”
“Ah,” Theo teased. “You mean it’s a fine afternoon for a scandal, and possibly even a fight. The Earl of Marsleigh has keen eyes like a hawk, and I wonder if his hit was merely a display of that. Don’t give him a reason.”
He did not have to elaborate on what kind of reason. Daniel understood completely, but he didn’t want to give his friend the satisfaction of
knowing that he was right.
He forced his gaze away from the studio. As he did, he met Adrian’s eyes. With a silent understanding, the two men moved away from the others and walked toward the edge of the terrace, where no one would hear them.
“I needed to speak with you in private,” Daniel said, inwardly beating himself for stating the obvious.
“I’ve guessed as much,” Adrian replied dryly. “You do look like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders, Daniel. Is it a big secret?”
“Well, I visited Valentine St. Clair,” Daniel revealed. “After you gave me his address.”
“Mmm. Well, I am not surprised that you did. The man certainly offers quite a number of unique services. However, I hear he’s quite popular as of late.”
Daniel quickly thought of Lucy. Their first meeting might be unfortunate.
However, he now wondered if he was meant to pull her away from not only a potential scandal but also from something she might regret for the rest of her life.
The thought of her meeting a male escort and soliciting his services made possessiveness surge through him.
He reminded himself that he did not own her or her decisions. No matter what the ton said about propriety, Lucy had the right to discover what it would be like to chase her pleasure.
A different kind of heat flared within him then.
“Well, he gave me a name,” he explained.
“I must admit I did not think a visit to someone like Valentine would result in something tangible enough. But yes, he pointed me to a fire specialist, a Moses Gordon. Apparently, he can make arson and other types of accidents happen without leaving proof of his involvement. He operates mostly in a warehouse near the Shoreditch docks.”
Adrian frowned, reminding him of his past in the underworld. The Duke of Wolfcrest took these matters seriously.
“I’ve heard of Gordon and the warehouse. However, I didn’t know that he was working for someone powerful.”
“It looks like it. Gordon might have committed the crime, but he did it at someone’s bidding.
Someone from the ton must have wanted Kenneth dead,” Daniel gritted out, his knuckles whitening as he clenched his fists.
“I always knew that my family was not killed by accident. They were murdered, and Gordon was merely the assassin. I want to know who the mastermind was and what his reasons were.”
“Mmm. So you’re suggesting that a peer hired a common thug to burn your family alive,” Adrian murmured. “It means that this whole thing is madness. It’s dangerous. You might be walking into a trap each time you follow a hunch. After all, this peer may have been constantly watching your movements.”
“I know that I am right about this,” Daniel insisted.
“I was there. It must have been Gordon’s shadow I saw.
He could also be working with more thugs.
I will not rest until I have answers. I need to know who gave the order.
That man should not be allowed to continue living in society. He is a menace!”
Adrian tilted his head, studying him. Daniel could tell that he was trying to gauge his willingness to follow the trail with or without help.
“I still believe it’s a trap,” he said. “Gordon will make sure that he has men posted at places they will expect you to be.”
“I have no illusions that it will be easy. I need to be smarter than him,” Daniel replied. “If he is watching my movements, I must find out where he goes. Who he is meeting at the warehouse and who leaves it. I know that I can’t just strike.”
Adrian sighed heavily. Daniel almost expected him to raise his hands in surrender.
“I don’t want you floating in the Thames.
Daphne would never forgive me for being involved in this.
She would also grieve you for the rest of her life.
Here I was, enjoying having a brother-in-law who no longer hates me and can actually hit a target several times. ”
Daniel chuckled at that. He could not help it.
The Brightons were very close, and Daphne was certainly more sensitive than the rest. It was still somewhat surprising to him that a rule follower like Daphne married a former gambling hell owner like Adrian.
“I know some men,” Adrian said. “They can help you. They are discreet and mostly invisible when they want to.”
“Can they stalk Gordon’s haunts?”
“I will arrange a meeting with them. You can tell them what you want and expect. They can get you the necessary information before you put yourself in danger.”
Daniel truly appreciated Adrian’s help. He knew that his brother-in-law had severed ties with the underworld after he had fallen madly in love with Daphne.
“Just promise me to be careful,” Adrian added, his expression dead serious.
“I will,” Daniel said, but somehow both of them knew it was a lie.
They ended their conversation with nods of acknowledgment and returned to the lawn.
Earlier, Daniel’s aim was easier and lighter.
When he picked up his bow again, his vision was more blurry, and his mind was reeling.