Chapter 22
It didn’t take Lizzie long, and only the payment of a pair of gloves, to find out from a maid at Catie’s friend’s house where the meeting was to take place.
Unsurprised that the gossip had spread that quickly, she hired the first hackney carriage she could find, promising extra payment if the driver hurried.
She had him stop a block away from the secluded park and ran as stealthily as she could, sneaking up behind a hedge to where she could see Quinn pacing.
One of the Amberly’s carriage horses was tethered a few feet away, looking uncomfortable in its saddle and disgruntled to be out at such an hour.
Quinn was alone and she called softly to him before stepping out from behind the hedge, drinking him in as he turned. He gave her a delighted smile when he recognized her and her heart beat faster. She grabbed his hand and squeezed.
“Any sign of them?” she asked.
He shook his head, dropped her hand, and resumed pacing. She pulled him from the grassy clearing to shield him with the tall hedge.
“If they arrive and see you, they may be spooked,” she explained, pulling the horse out of sight and tying it to a branch of the shrub. It seemed so unhappy to be out of its cozy stall, she doubted it would do anything rash like try to bolt away.
“Aye, that’s clever,” he said, heading for a small marble bench. She followed him and they sat down, peering through the shrubbery at the clearing. “Thank ye for coming,” he said a bit shyly and she nodded, feeling suddenly shy as well. “How did ye find the place?”
“Bribed a maid. I’m afraid the gossip’s gone wide. It may be best to let them be done with it.” When he scowled, she tried to explain. “Once they’re married, it won’t matter how they came to be.”
“It matters to me,” he said darkly. “And it may matter to the wee lord as well. She has to be married properly to gain her inheritance.”
Lizzie’s stomach rolled over. If there was no money to save the Hollingsborn properties, Catie would be ruined as well, and stuck in a miserable marriage. She didn’t think Edwin would be so kind and loving once he realized there was no money coming to him.
Before she could answer, they both noticed movement from behind a copse of stubby trees that grew along a brick wall on the far side of the clearing. A man made his way around the wall into the park.
“Ah, here he is,” Quinn said, his low voice laced with menace.
His face had a wicked grin of anticipation that would have normally set a flock of butterflies fluttering in her stomach, but in this instance sent a shiver of dread down her spine. Quinn was going to beat the hell out of Edwin Hollingsborn, and from the look of it, quite gleefully.
He stood up and charged around the hedge, and without knowing what else to do, she ran after him.
“Wait, Quinn,” she said, grabbing the arm that was about to smash the kid into the dirt. She stepped forcefully in front of Quinn, realizing it wasn’t even Edwin who’d arrived.
“Oliver? What are you doing here?” She looked back at Quinn, who still looked undecided about hitting him.
Oliver stood his ground and kept his eyes on Quinn as he answered. “I heard about the dastardly plot to harm Catriona’s good name.” He glanced quickly from side to side and slid back the edge of his jacket to reveal a pistol strapped to his breeches. “I came to protect her honor.”
Lizzie turned back around to see Quinn stomp off, pinching the bridge of his nose as a long string of oaths left his mouth.
“Bloody, bloody, bleeding hell,” she said, stamping her foot.
Quinn turned around, his jaw slack at her outburst. She shrugged at him and he clapped his hand over his mouth, probably to keep from laughing. The entire situation had gone well past ridiculous.
He walked back to Oliver, making a courtly bow.
“My thanks to ye, lad, for your service to my sister. I am in your debt.” He reached over and neatly grabbed away the pistol, examining it with a distasteful look before strapping it to his belt.
“I dinna want ye to harm anyone,” he said apologetically. “Let that be upon me, aye?”
Oliver slumped with apparent relief to be rid of the thing and nodded. “Where’s Catie?” he asked.
“She hasna arrived,” Quinn said, pacing some more.
“Or we’re too late,” Lizzie said glumly.
“I dinna think so. Amelia told me the time they were to meet. We’re actually a wee bit early.”
“Early?” Lizzie asked, something not right about that. She had more questions but a carriage rounded the corner with the Hollingsborn crest on the side.
“The daft walloper has come in his own carriage,” Quinn said incredulously.
They stepped into the shadows and waited for it to pull to a stop. Edwin got out and whistled a bird call, then looked around expectantly.
Lizzie tried to hold Quinn back, but he burst forward, followed by an eager Oliver. Edwin jumped half a foot in the air and made an undignified sound when he realized they were not Catie.
“No, please, it’s all fine,” Lizzie cried, running to get in between them. “You’ve stopped the elopement. There’s no need for violence now.”
“Yes, that’s so,” agreed Oliver.
Lizzie had to admire his good sense and felt sorry she hadn’t thought him a serious suitor for Catie. One more thing she’d done terribly wrong.
Quinn grumbled and shook his head, his deadly glare never leaving Edwin. “What about Catie’s reputation?” he asked.
Edwin cleared his throat and drew himself up to his full height, still quite a ways below Quinn. “Her reputation wouldn’t be an issue if you’d only given your consent. She wants to marry me.”
Lizzie sighed tiredly, not sure she could stop a fight if the idiot kept opening his mouth and letting such nonsense out. Why hadn’t he fled back to his carriage? Did he still think he’d be leaving with Catie when she showed up?
“She doesna know what she wants now that ye’ve filled her full of lies,” Quinn said.
“Ye may rest assured she shall be informed of your debts. Do ye know Catie may not come into her inheritance if the terms of her marriage are disagreeable to her guardian?” He glanced sidelong at her and she swore she saw the hint of a wink, even in the dark.
He resumed his serious look and took a warning step toward Edwin.
“Ye are aware that I am her guardian, lad? I dinna appreciate being lied to or have someone try to steal my sister’s fortune. ”
Edwin took a step back, looking wildly from Quinn to her.
“I didn’t want to.” He pointed at Lizzie and her blood froze.
“It was my mother and her who planned it. She was going to get a tidy sum after the wedding took place.” He narrowed his eyes at her.
Having tossed her into the hole he was currently trying to climb out of, he seemed to revel in throwing more dirt on her.
“It’s not the first match she’s benefited from.
That’s how my mother knew to approach her. ”
Quinn turned to her, his eyes begging her to tell him it wasn’t so.
She choked back her useless excuses, knowing all he wanted to hear from her was that Edwin’s words weren’t true.
And she couldn’t say that, so she kept quiet.
She watched with agony as Quinn’s expression changed from hurt disbelief to intense disgust after she made no effort to dispute the accusation.
Even sweet Oliver looked at her as if she was something unpleasant on the bottom of his shoe.
It was all out now. She was ruined. No one would hire her, she’d have no place to go. None of that mattered if Quinn forgave her, if she could make him understand. She gasped and reached out to him, but he neatly sidestepped her.
“Catie said her brother was taking her home tomorrow,” Edwin continued. “She was extremely specific about this time and date. But I learned he had no plans to leave tomorrow. Did you tell her that to force the match, when you knew he didn’t approve?”
Lizzie’s vision clouded. She shook her head, only registering that Catie had insisted on this particular date, and a time that would interfere with her getting to Belmary House and meeting Lord Ashford.
Bits and pieces that hadn’t made sense on their own all dropped into place.
The missing letter, Lew being called away.
Quinn conveniently finding the note with more than enough time to race here and stop it.
And the final, most telling thing of all, the thing that made her double over in shock. Catie still hadn’t arrived.
Catie had taken her letter from Lord Ashford, Catie had sent Lew on a wild goose chase.
She’d orchestrated this entire thing to get them to this spot at this time, so she could go to the future in Lizzie’s place.
Lizzie sat down hard on the ground. Oliver glanced over at her stonily. Quinn didn’t even flinch.
“Catie’s not coming,” she said. Where was she right now? How would she survive? A marrow-deep cold settled over her as she realized everything was lost to her now. Quinn hated her. She’d never get home.
“It seems she doesn’t love you after all, Hollingsborn,” Oliver sneered. “You may as well leave.”
“Aye, ye’d be wise to go,” Quinn said.
Edwin didn’t have to be told a third time, and slunk back to his carriage.
Lizzie stood up, shaking all over, feeling as if she’d been wrung out. “Quinn,” she said. “I have to talk to you, alone.” She looked at Oliver, who shook his head at her sadly.
“I have nothing to say to ye, Miss Burnet,” Quinn said icily. “Not after your part in all this.”
“Please, I tried to stop it. I tried to warn you about his character.” She couldn’t believe she was defending herself. It seemed the least of her worries now that Catie was alone in who knew what time— Lord Ashford had warned it was a tricky portal— but she still stupidly wanted him to love her.
“I dinna have time for this.” His sharp tone and hard eyes almost knocked her back to the ground. “I must find Catie.”
“Please allow me to help you,” Oliver offered. Quinn nodded gratefully and made to follow him.