Chapter 4 #2
“Trust.” Louise wrapped her arms around herself. “That’s a luxury I can’t afford.”
“Then fake it. Convincingly.” He turned to leave, then paused. “Breakfast is at nine. My aunt prefers to eat in the morning room. It catches the best light.”
“We’ll be there.”
“Lastly,” he looked back at her. “Whatever schemes my aunt concocts, and she will concoct them, try not to encourage her. She has a romantic imagination that needs no additional fuel.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Your Grace.”
“Louise?” Emily’s sleepy voice interrupted them. “Are you coming to bed?”
“In a moment, darling.”
He left them then, but paused in the hallway, listening to Lady Louise’s soft voice as she settled her sister for the night.
Through the door, he heard Emily ask, “Do you think Father would be angry that we’re here?”
“No, darling. Father would want us to be safe.”
“The duke seems very stern.”
“He’s … complicated.”
“But not mean?”
“No. Not mean.”
Aaron moved away before he could hear more.
In his study, he poured himself a brandy and stood at the window, looking out at the gaslit square.
Tomorrow, he would visit Bragg and make it clear that Louise and Emily were off-limits. He would set inquiries in motion to find George.
As for tonight … he had two refugees under his roof, and a growing certainty that his carefully ordered life would never be the same.
A scratch at the door interrupted his brooding. Buttercup padded in, a biscuit still clutched in his mouth and settled by the fire with a contented groan.
“Traitor,” Aaron muttered. “She’s been here five minutes, and you’re already smitten.”
The dog’s tail thumped once, twice, then stilled as he fell asleep.
Aaron envied him for the simplicity.
Outside, snow fell again, covering London’s sins in temporary white.
Somewhere in this city, Lord Sulton was hiding. Somewhere, Bragg was plotting his next move.
But here, in Calborough House, Lady Louise and her sister slept safely for the first time in God knew how long.
Aaron raised his glass to the window in a mock toast to the chaos he’d invited into his life.
Dawn had barely touched London’s rooftops when Aaron’s carriage rolled to a stop outside a nondescript building in Southwark.
The establishment bore no sign, no indication of the business conducted within. But Aaron had made inquiries before retiring the previous night, and his sources were reliable. This was where Silas Bragg held court.
He descended from the carriage and addressed his driver without turning. “Wait here. If I’m not out in thirty minutes, fetch the magistrate.”
“Your Grace—”
“Thirty minutes.”
The door was unlocked. Aaron pushed through into a narrow corridor that smelled of stale tobacco and last night’s gin. A heavyset man dozed on a stool near the entrance, a cudgel resting across his knees. He jerked awake at Aaron’s approach, reaching for his weapon.
Aaron didn’t slow his stride. “I’m here to see your employer. You can announce me, or you can try to stop me. I wouldn’t recommend the latter.”
Something in his tone penetrated the man’s sluggish brain. He scrambled off his stool and disappeared through a door at the end of the corridor.
Aaron followed at his own pace.
The room beyond was larger than expected, furnished with a gaudy attempt at respectability. Bragg sat behind a mahogany desk that had seen better days with a cup of tea steaming at his elbow. Two more brutes flanked him, their hands resting on pistols tucked into their belts.
Bragg’s expression cycled through surprise, wariness, and finally a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Your Grace. What an unexpected pleasure.”
“I doubt that.” Aaron stopped in the center of the room, making no move to sit in the chair clearly intended for supplicants. “You know why I’m here.”
“Do I?” Bragg spread his hands in a gesture of innocence. “I’m a simple businessman. I have so many dealings, it’s difficult to keep track.”
“Then allow me to refresh your memory. Last night, you attempted to use Lady Louise Burrows to entrap me. You threatened her sister, a child of six, to ensure her compliance.”
Bragg’s smile thinned. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean. Lady Louise and I have never met.”
“Don’t.” Aaron’s voice dropped to something quiet and cold. “I have no patience for games, and you have no talent for them. You sent that woman into a private room at White’s with instructions to compromise me. When that failed, you had your men ransack her home and terrorize her household.”
“Accusations without proof are dangerous things, Your Grace. Even for a duke.”
Aaron reached into his coat. Both guards tensed, hands tightening on their weapons. He withdrew a folded document and tossed it onto Bragg’s desk.
“The deed to the Sulton debt. Eight thousand pounds, paid in full. You’ll sign it over as settled, and you’ll add a written statement that you have no further claim against Lord Sulton or any member of his family.”
Bragg didn’t touch the document. “And if I refuse?”
“Then I’ll make it my personal mission to destroy you.
” Aaron held his gaze without blinking. “I know about the warehouse in Limehouse where you store goods that never passed through customs. I know about the three magistrates whose gambling debts you hold. I know about the girl from the milliner’s shop who disappeared last autumn after she refused your advances. ”
The color drained from Bragg’s face.
“You built your empire on secrets and leverage.” Aaron leaned forward, planting his hands on the desk. “Did you think you were the only one who could gain such things?”
Silence stretched between them. The fire crackled. One guard shifted his weight, leather creaking.
“You’re bluffing,” Bragg said, but his voice had lost its confidence.
“Try me.” Aaron straightened. “Sign the document. Write the statement. And understand this clearly, if you or any of your men go near Lady Louise, Lady Emily, or anyone in their household ever again, I will not come here to negotiate. I will come to collect.”
Bragg’s jaw worked. His gaze flicked to his guards, but whatever he saw there offered no reassurance. Aaron waited, letting the silence do its work.
Finally, Bragg pulled the document toward him. He read it with exaggerated care, though Aaron suspected he was merely buying time to compose himself. Then he took up a pen, signed his name with sharp, angry strokes, and added a brief statement beneath.
“There.” He shoved the paper across the desk. “Satisfied?”
Aaron picked up the document, verified the signature and statement, and folded it back into his coat.
“One more thing.” He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small purse.
He tossed it onto the desk, where it landed with a heavy clink.
“That’s for your silence. The ton need not know about Lady Louise’s visit to White’s.
If I hear even a whisper of gossip connecting her name to last night’s events, our next conversation will be considerably less civil. ”
Bragg’s hand closed over the purse with reflexive greed. “You have my discretion.”
“I have your fear. That will suffice.” Aaron turned toward the door, then paused. “The gaming hell I shut down three years ago. You blamed me for your losses, I understand.”
Bragg said nothing, but hatred flickered in his eyes.
“You were cheating your patrons with loaded dice and marked cards. I simply ensured the authorities became aware.” Aaron’s lips curved into something that was not quite a smile. “If you want someone to blame for your misfortunes, I suggest a mirror.”
He walked out without waiting for a response.
After the unpleasant air in Bragg’s lair, the cold, clean morning air was a welcome sensation on his face. The driver visibly relaxed when he saw him coming.
“Home,” Aaron said as he climbed into the carriage. “I have other matters to attend to.”
He settled against the seat as the carriage lurched into motion, allowing himself a moment of grim satisfaction. Bragg was handled. The immediate threat neutralized.
Now came the harder task of finding George Burrows before his stupidity destroyed what remained of his family.