Page 43 of Enlightened

“To be frank,” Murdo interrupted, “there’s not much you can do. He’s her husband, and that gives him all the power. If he gets her away from London, you’ll have no chance.”

“Murdo!” David hissed. Euan’s face had paled at Murdo’s words, and he looked like he was about to vomit.

“I’m sorry to be brutal, but we have to be realistic here,” Murdo replied. “MacLennan won’t be able to sort this out for himself. Only someone who moves in Kinnell’s world has a chance of getting close to her now.”

“Someone like you, you mean?” Euan asked.

Murdo nodded.

“And—and would you be willing to help Lizzie?” Euan asked with painful humility. “I’m not too proud to beg. I’d do anything to get her away from him. Pay you anything. Name your price.”

“I don’t want your money,” Murdo said, sounding insulted. “I’ll do what I can to help Elizabeth—for David’s sake.”

Euan nodded slowly, his gaze shifting between them assessingly. “All right, then,” he said at last. “I—thank you. I’ll take whatever help you’ll give and be grateful. Do you have any ideas what to do?”

Murdo paused, considering. “I know some things about Kinnell,” he said carefully. “There may be some threats I could make. I doubt Kinnell would admit me to his home, though, since he knows I’m associated with David. Which means I need to engineer a public encounter, and soon. What do you know of his habits?”

“Nothing,” Euan admitted. “My first instinct was to go straight to his house—to stick a knife in the bastard, or at least see what I could find out—but I have to assume he knows about me and daresay he’d take great pleasure in setting his dogs on me. And that won’t help Lizzie.”

“You’re right there,” Murdo replied. “He’d love the chance to set his men on you. He isn’t one for carrying out his own dirty work. Even when he was boy, he preferred to have his friends hold his victims down.”

Murdo had been one of those victims, one of the younger boys at the school they’d both attended. David shivered to think of that.

“I’ll ask Liddle,” Murdo said, crossing the room to ring the servants’ bell. “If anyone can find out how Kinnell spends his time, it’s him.”

A few minutes later, the butler entered the room.

“My lord?”

“Mr. Liddle.” Murdo smiled. “I need some enquiries carried out—quickly and discreetly. Do you suppose you could do the necessary?”

Liddle didn’t react any differently to that pronouncement than he did to any other instruction Murdo ever gave him. Nor did he write any of what followed down or repeat any of the details back. He merely listened, nodding occasionally.

When Murdo was finished, Liddle said, “Sir Alasdair’s house isn’t far from here. An hour should be enough for me to get the information you seek, my lord. Shall I have some refreshments sent up while you wait?”

“Have a tray sent up for Mr. MacLennan,” Murdo said without seeking Euan’s opinion. “Mr. Lauriston and I have already eaten, and we will need to tidy ourselves up, so that we’re ready to go out. We hope to track down Sir Alasdair tonight.”

“Very good, my lord,” the butler said and withdrew.

“A mere hour?” Euan said, frowning. “To find out the man’s habits and report back?”

“Mr. Liddle is a quick worker. He knows practically every servant in London,” Murdo said, “and is owed favours by most of them.” He laid his hand on David’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s make ourselves more presentable while Mr. MacLennan has something to eat.”

“I don’t want anything,” Euan said. “How can I eat when I know what Lizzie must be going through?”

“You have to keep your strength up,” Murdo said firmly. “You have to be ready to act and if you neglect yourself you’ll be less able to do that. Think of Elizabeth.”

“All right,” Euan muttered unhappily. “I’ll try.”

David followed Murdo out of the drawing room and up the stairs to their respective bedchambers. Both of them were in dire need of a shave. David’s sparse auburn whiskers merely looked untidy, but Murdo’s dark beard grew in so quickly he looked as disreputable as a pirate.

When they reached the top of the stairs and Murdo went to turn away towards his own chamber, David detained him. “You told Euan you were helping him for my sake.”

“I did.”

“Why?”

Murdo gazed at him for a moment. “I knew you would do anything to help him,” Murdo said. He shrugged. “And I wanted to help you.”