Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
Hector knew something was wrong before he even stepped through the door. The note had been brief. Too brief.
Urgent enough to pull him from the gentlemen’s club without a second thought, but lacking the details his contact usually provided. Still, there had been no reason to question it. The man had been cautious from the beginning.
A message like that could only mean something important had surfaced. Something regarding Strachan. Something they could finally use.
The carriage stopped outside the government offices, and Hector stepped down before the footman had fully opened the door.
He moved quickly through the corridors, ignoring the curious glances from those who recognized him. His mind was already racing ahead.
Perhaps Strachan had moved. Perhaps the warehouses had revealed more than expected. Perhaps they finally had enough evidence to bring him down. The possibilities had barely formed before he reached the familiar office.
He knocked once.
“Come in.”
Hector entered. The man behind the desk looked up in surprise.
That was the first warning.
“Hector.” Edward Hale stood up to greet him. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
Hector frowned. “You sent for me.”
The man’s brow furrowed. “I did?”
The silence that followed felt unnatural.
Hector stared at him. “Your note.”
“My note?” The man’s confusion deepened. “I have sent no note.”
For several seconds, Hector did not move.
He simply looked at the man before him, waiting for the explanation that would make everything make sense. A mistake. A misunderstanding. Anything. But the man’s expression remained genuine.
He had not written to him. He had not requested a meeting. A cold sensation moved through Hector’s chest. “When was the last time you contacted me?”
“Three days ago.”
“And you have learned nothing since then?”
“Nothing that required your immediate attention.”
The room seemed to narrow. Hector thought of the note. Meet me immediately. It concerns Strachan. Come alone.
Come alone. The words echoed. Not a request. A trap. His blood turned cold. Jane. He did not allow himself to finish the thought. He turned sharply.
“Hector?”
He was already moving.
“What happened?”
But Hector was gone.
He barely remembered crossing the hallway. Barely remembered stepping into the carriage. The only thought that remained was Jane. He had spent weeks believing he could protect her. Believing he could keep danger away from her.
And now... now he had walked directly into whatever Strachan had planned.
The ride back to Sunderford House felt impossibly long. Every second was a second wasted. His fingers tightened around the edge of the carriage seat. He refused to imagine what could have happened.
Jane was clever. She was brave. She had survived more than most people ever knew. But Strachan was not like the others. He was patient. Calculating. And he knew exactly where to strike.
The carriage finally pulled to a stop. Hector was out before the footman could announce him. He entered the house with enough force that several servants turned toward him.
“Your Grace?” The housekeeper hurried forward.
“Where is the duchess?”
The woman immediately looked troubled. That alone made his heart drop. “Your Grace...”
“Where is she?”
The housekeeper hesitated. “Her Grace received a note earlier today.”
Hector went still. “A note?”
“Yes. From Lord Zachary.”
His jaw tightened. “Continue.”
“She said it concerned matters regarding the estate accounts. She went to his townhouse.”
For one terrible moment, everything stopped. The note. The false meeting. Zachary. Strachan. The pieces fell into place with horrifying ease.
“How long ago?”
The housekeeper blinked. “I believe two hours; perhaps a little longer. Your Grace, I was going to explain that she—”
But Hector was already turning. He did not wait. Did not ask another question. Did not allow himself to think.
Two hours. Two hours in Zachary’s townhouse. Two hours with a man who had already proven he valued power more than family. And a man like Strachan had found exactly the weakness Hector feared. He had gone after Jane.
The front doors opened as Hector reached them. “Your Grace?” The footman stepped forward.
“Prepare my carriage.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And send a rider after Ambrose.”
The servant froze.
Hector’s voice lowered. “Tell him it concerns Strachan.”
The footman nodded quickly and hurried away. Hector stood on the steps, staring toward the street. Strachan had remained just beyond his reach. A shadow. A name whispered in rooms where powerful men pretended not to fear him. But now he had made a mistake.
He had touched Hector’s family. He had taken Jane. And for the first time in years, Hector felt something far more dangerous than anger. Fear. Not for himself. Never for himself. Fear for her.
The carriage arrived.
Hector climbed inside without hesitation. “Zachary’s townhouse,” he ordered.
The driver snapped the reins. As the carriage surged forward, Hector closed his eyes for only a moment.
He saw Jane standing before him in the training alley.
He saw her smile. He heard her laugh. He remembered the way she had looked at him when she told him she believed in him.
And now she was somewhere with a man who would use every ounce of her courage against her.
Hector opened his eyes. His expression hardened. He had spent his entire life protecting those he loved. He had failed to stop Evan from disappearing. He had failed to see what was happening with Colin. He would not fail Jane.
Not today.
Not ever.
The carriage raced through the streets of London. And Hector was coming for her.