Chapter 26
Twenty-Six
“I am glad you suggested a stroll,” Finn said.
“After our tumultuous day, we earned it,” Owen replied.
They were walking along the village square.
The sunset striped the sky with vibrant colors.
A murder of crows occupied the green, gathering on the branches of the massive tree and nearby stones, cawing their claim.
The shops were closing, and the scent of cooking wafted from the open windows of the cottages.
After exchanging greetings with several villagers, Finn and Owen turned onto a quieter street.
“We should be proud of our progress.” She exhaled. “Even though now we have another clue to solve.”
The group had mulled over the latest riddle.
How could they find whatever F. P. had hidden without searching?
What lies needed to be examined to expose the truth?
If it concerned Langdon Pearce, they could not dispel those lies without proof…
which brought them back to where they started.
They’d gone in circles, to no avail. Finally, they’d decided to reconvene after a good night’s sleep.
“I can practically hear that mind of yours buzzing like a bee.” Owen smiled, drawing her arm through his.
“Remember, there is a plan in place. Tomorrow, James and Evie will continue looking through the parish records to identify F. P. The rest of the group will work on the clue. I must leave for Thymehill, my patron’s estate, to oversee the work on the gardens, but I shan’t be gone long.
We will solve the clue in due course. For now, let us enjoy the evening before we part. ”
Finn was torn. Time was running out for Iris.
Although the finding of the ring was progress, she was wary of sharing it with Carver.
It would feed, rather than appease, the bastard’s greed.
Like her solving of the initial clue, it might prompt him to “motivate” her to finish the job.
To get Finn to do his bidding, he would have no compunction about hurting Iris… or Owen and his family.
Finn’s stomach knotted.
Luckily, the group had decided to keep the ring a secret for now.
To Finn’s amazement, Miss Letty had relinquished the ring found on her property with no qualms. “To think, my spa may play a role in ending the curse,” she’d said happily.
Her bewildering generosity had led to a flicker of hope: would the Harringtons react the same way if Finn told them about Iris?
Yet giving up a ring was not the same as yielding a priceless parure.
In Finn’s experience, munificence had its limits—especially as it pertained to helping a woman they would see as an opium-eating gang leader.
On the remote chance that the Harringtons might be willing to part with the jewels, she would be entrusting Iris’s life to their discretion and judgment.
One leaked detail or wrong move, from them or anyone in their household, could spur Carver into deadly action.
How could Finn trust virtual strangers to do right by Iris? The Hawks flew together because they’d never been able to rely on anyone else. Finn couldn’t risk asking for help and destroying the very thing that had helped her gang to survive.
Xenia and Lord Ethan had taken the ring for safekeeping. Finn would send Carver a note about the new clue without mentioning the ring; hopefully, the sign of good faith would buy her time to find the rest of the jewels. Getting her hands on what Carver wanted—the full parure—was her only leverage.
She’d begin again tomorrow. For now, she was spent. Although Owen’s absence would be short, she was going to miss him and did not wish to waste what precious time they had.
She squeezed his arm. “You’re right. Let’s talk of other things.”
They did, chatting like ordinary folk. He described how the gardens at Thymehill were taking shape. He made her laugh when he told her about the owner, Baron Sangerton, and his insistence on the “very best” of everything—including the water in the newly constructed pond.
“What is the best water, I wonder?” she asked playfully.
“It is ordinary water from a nearby lake.” Owen’s smile was rueful. “Which Sir Joseph is charging double for.”
She grinned. “A fool and his money are soon parted. I wonder who Sangerton is trying to impress with such exclusive water?”
“He still hasn’t revealed the name of his influential guest.” Owen gave her a dry look. “Given his obsession with the quality of the water, do you suppose his guest might walk upon it?”
She burst out laughing.
“I do not know how you deal with bluebloods,” she said, her lips twitching. “Oops, I forgot. You are one.”
“My family may be aristocratic, but we aren’t snobs.”
Hearing the slight edge in his voice, she knitted her brows. “I was jesting.”
“Were you?”
They’d arrived at the church, and he steered her through the gate.
The memory of their first meeting here flitted through her head.
So much had changed since then—she had changed.
In ways she wasn’t ready to examine. In silence, they walked amongst the mossy stones and sat on the bench beneath the yew.
The last time, the dark had obscured the hilltop vista, but now she admired the sunset in its last throes, fearlessly splashing the sky with its vibrant hues.
Seeing Owen’s taciturn profile, she sighed.
“You cannot deny that you and I are from different worlds,” she said.
“Why does that matter when we have formed a connection?”
Beneath the brim of his hat, his eyes were stormy.
“I am in love with you, Finn. With you—the clever, fierce, and loyal woman I know you to be. I do not give a farthing about who your family was.”
“That’s just as well. Since I could not tell you.”
“Must you make light of everything?”
Seeing his frustration, she released a breath.
“I am sorry. You deserve better—”
“Here we go again,” he muttered.
She frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Every time I bring up our relationship, you tell me I deserve better. I am tired of it. There is no one better—not for me. I want you and only you.”
To her horror, a tear escaped. For once, Owen didn’t offer her his handkerchief or wipe it away. Instead, he stared at her stonily.
“What do you want from me?” she said quietly.
“The truth. As I’ve said, I am willing to wait for you to be certain of your feelings. But if you do not care for me, then you must tell me now. I would rather know how you feel than hear excuses about why a future between us is impossible.”
Finn was at a fork in the road. She should take the right path: tell him that she had no feelings for him and put an end to what could never be. In other words, she should lie, a skill she was more than proficient in. But she…couldn’t.
Swallowing, she said, “It is not an excuse—”
“It is. My family holds you in high regard, and I think you reciprocate those feelings. If you are worried about my parents, I can assure you that nothing would make them happier than knowing that I intend to follow the family tradition and marry for love.”
“Marry?” she whispered.
Another tear leaked, which she could no more control than the joyful leap in her chest.
“Where did you think this was headed?” He looked exasperated. “I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know that you are not ready for a proposal, but I hope that someday soon you will be. When that time comes, I intend to make you an offer—one you cannot refuse.”
Crikey. The honor he wanted to bestow upon her was beyond her wildest dreams. Desperate longing rushed through her. There had to be a way for them to be together, and she would figure it out—later. For now, she gave him everything she could.
“I do care for you,” she said shakily. “So very much.”
The relief that blazed across his face was too much to bear. She threw her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his, communicating in the only way she could what he meant to her.
I love you. You are everything I want. I will find a way to be with you—and save Iris.
He groaned her name, and the kiss ignited as it always did for them.
Need ran molten in her veins as he pulled her onto his lap, his lips searing her throat.
He murmured endearments that made her heart sing.
When he slipped his hand beneath her skirts, stroking a path up her leg, she let her head fall back against his shoulder.
She was mesmerized by the ferocity of his regard—by the love in his gaze.
“I have something important to ask you,” he said.
Her pulse raced. “I…I am not ready for—”
“Not that.” He rolled his eyes. “When the time comes, I will do that properly on bended knee. Not with you on my lap making me harder than Berkshire flint.”
“Oh. Then what is your question?”
“Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the fair?”
How could anyone resist this man?
“I wish I could,” she said softly. “But I will be working all day.”
Spiritualists were sought after at fairs, and she couldn’t give up the profit. The money wasn’t enough to mollify Carver, but the Hawks needed an emergency cushion. In case they had to do a flit—but she didn’t want to think about that now.
“What about in the evening?”
She decided to treat herself. “I could take a few hours. But Tansy will probably want to come.”
“Then we shall bring her. Fairs are meant to be enjoyed by the little ones. Invite the others, too.”
“That is generous of you,” she said softly.
“If you think that is generous, wait until I give you my parting gift.”
“I don’t need a gift—”
“Just a little something to remember me by.”
Smiling into her eyes, he slid his hand higher, caressing her through the slit of her drawers, where she was wet and aching.
“I’m hardly going to forget you,” she said breathily.
“Even so. Keep your eyes open.”
She couldn’t look away if someone paid her to.
“I want you to see the man who loves you,” he said huskily. “Who is going to make this sweet pussy weep with pleasure.”
She did, and he did, and when bliss exploded through her, all she saw was him.
The confrontation happened when Finn came down for breakfast. She’d been expecting it; after returning from her walk with Owen, she’d steeled herself for a fight. But Caleb had left to play cards with some local lads, and she’d felt as if her sentence had been commuted.
Now she would have to pay the piper. Everyone was seated at the kitchen table, Caleb at its head. At the sight of her, he stopped buttering his toast with his dagger and stabbed it into the table. The gesture was dramatic, unnecessary, and entirely him.
“We need to steal the ring,” he announced.
Blooming hell, it wasn’t yet seven in the morning. She hadn’t even had her tea.
Finn took the seat at the opposite end, smiling gratefully when Nell brought her a steaming cup. She took a long drink before speaking.
“We are not stealing the bloody ring.”
“I knew you would side with the toffs,” Caleb shot back. “They have more blunt than they know what to do with. The ring means nothing to them. Meanwhile, Carver is going to kill Iris if we don’t give him what he wants.”
“Giving Carver the ring is like pouring blood into shark-infested waters,” Finn said.
“It does not appease the shark and makes it more vicious. It isn’t the ring Carver wants—it is the entire parure.
The sight of that emerald ring will make him more rabid, not less.
He will put more pressure on us to find the rest, and he’ll do so by hurting Iris. ”
Nell cleared her throat. “Are you certain? You are not saying this because, um, you’ve grown fond of the Harringtons?”
Et tu, Nell?
Yet Finn couldn’t blame Nell for saying what the others were thinking.
“I do like them,” she acknowledged. “How could I not? They’ve been kind and welcoming—and they’re decent folk. They care about the village and want to fix old injustices.”
“And they serve good food,” Tansy said, chewing on her toast.
“You haven’t mentioned Lord Greenfingers,” Caleb said mockingly. “I think his interest in you goes beyond the bloody curse.”
“It’s true that he and I have an attraction.” There was no point in denying it. “However, Iris comes first. I would not sacrifice her well-being for anyone—for any reason.”
“We should just take your word for it?” Caleb inquired.
“People in love are known to be fools. Take my ma. Fell for a rich bloke and when he didn’t want anything to do with her bastard, she discarded me like an old shoe.
Fat lot of good that did her. Tired of her, didn’t he, and left her with nothing.
Aye, that’s how she ended up being a pathetic, used-up old whore. ”
Despite Caleb’s harshness, Finn felt a twinge of empathy. She knew his story and the reason for the chip on his shoulder. She remembered when Iris had brought him into the gang—how prickly and distrustful he’d been. It was a scary thought, but he’d come a long way.
“You could end up that way too, Finn Kidd,” he said with a sneer. “Unless you’re wiser than my ma and use your brains instead of spreading your thighs like a trollop.”
Her compassion fizzled.
“I am not your mother,” she bit out. “I am your leader, and you will heed my decision. All of you will. Under no circumstances is Carver to learn about the emerald ring. I will send him a note today telling him about the progress we’ve made with the clues.
That should buy us more time. When we have the full set of jewels, then and only then can we safely barter for Iris’s return. Do you understand?”
Everyone around the table nodded except Caleb.
“Do you wish to challenge me?” she asked coolly.
“What is the point?” He shoved his chair back, glaring at everyone around the table. “We’re not Hawks, we’re bloody sheep. Everyone does as you say. So be it: Iris’s blood is on your hands, Finn. You better not be leading her to slaughter. You better know what you’re doing.”
He stormed off.
Finn gripped her teacup. The surface rippled, and she realized her hands were trembling.
I hope I know what I am doing too.