Page 41 of I Never Forget a Duke (The Night Fire Club #1)

A dele wanted to get some kind of a present for Hugh.

The legal issues keeping him in town were clearly adding some stress to his life, and the weather in London had been unusual for summer—not too hot, but a great deal of rain—which was probably adding to how tense he felt.

But what did one buy for a man who had everything?

Lady Louisa accompanied her to the shops and knew just where to go to find gifts befitting a duke.

Adele had been at a bit of a loss; she’d been frugal most of her adult life, and in particular when handling the Countess of Sweeney’s money, so she was not sure which shops had finer quality items. They’d had a nice day out, shopping and chatting, and stopping for ices.

It had been a long time since Adele had a female friend whose company she enjoyed so much.

But as they approached their last stop, Adele had still not found a gift she thought appropriate for Hugh.

They headed to a shop on Savile Road where Louisa had been instructed to pick up an order for her brother.

When they arrived, the tailor brought Louisa to a side room to wait while he wrapped up a jacket.

Adele examined a display of cufflinks in front of the store while she waited.

She spotted a set of emerald cufflinks that were such a smart match for her wedding necklace that she knew at last she’d found a wonderful gift for Hugh. She called a clerk over.

“May I take a closer look at these?” she asked.

The clerk gave her a long look at her. Daisy had done up Adele’s hair in a fashionable style that day, and Adele was wearing a fine walking dress from her trousseau, so she was not her normal plain self today. But perhaps she had not quite grown into her status as a duchess.

The clerk said, “Of course, my lady,” with reluctance in his voice.

She wondered if she should correct him. What was the social protocol on this?

She leaned over the cufflinks and examined them closely. Conversationally, she said, “I am looking for a gift for my husband, the Duke of Swynford. Do you think these would do?”

The clerk’s whole demeanor changed. He stood a little taller and the scowl vanished from his face. “Oh, yes, Your Grace. As you can see, the clarity on these emeralds is quite good. Each emerald is thirty-four carats. An emerald of this size is quite valuable.”

Adele knew cufflinks like this would be quite expensive, but she had no idea what a reasonable price would be.

She haggled with the clerk a little, knowing better than to accept the first offer.

Probably she was still getting swindled, and she felt odd about spending the duke’s money on a gift for him, but she arranged for the purchase.

As the clerk wrote up the purchase, a man behind her said, “Hello, Your Grace.”

Adele turned. The man standing next to her was familiar but she could not immediately place him. “Hello, my lord.”

“Do you recall who I am?”

She squinted at him and tried to remember, but she could not. “I apologize, my lord, but I do not.”

“I’m George Baxter. Lord Collingswood. You’re husband’s cousin. I was at the wedding breakfast.”

“Oh, yes, of course. I apologize. I’ve met so many people in the last month that is nearly impossible to keep them all straight.”

“Naturally. I wonder if I might have a word with you.”

“Can it wait until I complete the purchase of these cuff links for my husband?”

“No, I’m afraid not. Will you step outside with me please?”

Something in his tone set off all of Adele’s alarm bells. She looked for Lady Louisa, who was absorbed in conversation with a tailor in the other room. “What is the urgency?” she asked.

“It is about your husband. Something has happened to him. Will you step outside?”

Adele was reluctant to go with this man, but something very well could have happened to Hugh.

Had his assailant returned? Was he injured?

Perhaps Collingswood also did not want to call attention, and this was why he was asking her to step outside.

He did seem agitated, so this could have been a matter of some urgency.

Adele did not think she could ask him to leave or ignore him.

“Is everything all right, Your Grace?” asked the clerk, perhaps sensing that something strange was occurring.

“Yes,” she said, not wanting to make a scene. She stepped close to the clerk and said, “I am going to step outside to have a conversation with my husband’s cousin for a moment. I shall be back in a few moments.”

“Of course, Your Grace.”

Adele tried to make meaningful eye contact with the clerk and lowered her voice. “If I do not return promptly, please alert my friend. She is collecting an item in the next room.”

“Of course, Your Grace.” His tone was cheerful, but she met his gaze and he seemed to understand.

Likely Collingswood merely wanted to give her some inane piece of information he didn’t want the clerk overhearing.

As far as Adele knew, Hugh was not close to this cousin.

If Hugh were in real danger, how would Collingswood know about it?

She figured she could listen to whatever he had to say so that he’d go away, then she’d get the cuff links and go home.

“I really must insist you come with me, Your Grace,” said Collingswood.

With a last long look at the clerk, Adele followed Collingswood outside.

*

Hugh was nearly done. Contracts were signed, money had been exchanged, and for his trouble, Hugh now owned a patch of land adjacent to Swynford House that was as yet undeveloped and had previously belonged to a long-dead relative.

Happy to have the ownership of said land finally decided, Hugh wanted to get out of London so he could start planning what to do with the land.

He was about to dismiss his secretary when he heard a commotion downstairs. He intended to ignore it for a moment, but curiosity got the better of him. “Let is investigate the noise, shall we?” he said to his secretary, Killingworth.

When he got to the foot of the stairs, he saw Lady Louisa in a great state of agitation. Hodges was trying to calm her, but she was frantic. “He took her! She’s gone!” she said when she spotted Hugh.

He knew instantly something terrible had happened to Adele. He ran to Louisa.

“What happened?” Hugh asked. “Where is Adele?”

Louisa’s face crumpled. Hugh’s heart began to pound.

“You’d better start at the beginning,” he said.

Louisa nodded and took a deep breath. “We were in Mr. Pembroke’s shop on Savile Road.

I left her near the front of the shop so I could pick something up for my brother.

I was gone not a few moments and Adele was right in my line of sight…

until she wasn’t.” Louisa started to cry. “Oh, Your Grace, I am so sorry.”

“What happened?” Hugh’s fear was palpable. “Do you know where she went?”

“A man came and asked to speak with her outside. Before they left, she told the clerk to alert me if she did not come back. I think she knew this man was dangerous, and the clerk said he was being quite forceful. Once they were outside, the man ran off with her.”

“Who was the man?”

“The clerk overheard him tell Adele he was your cousin.”

“Collingswood,” Hugh said, and then something hit him quite suddenly.

Collingswood was broke. There had been trouble at his Jamaica plantation.

He’d been part of the fight for the parcel of land Hugh now owned; it was Collingswood who had been instrumental in sending in his lawyers to quibble about some loophole in the law.

Collingswood was in town, which was unusual, and he’d been sniffing around Hugh’s social circle.

It was perhaps Collingswood, Hugh’s heir until he and Adele had a child, who had the most to lose from Hugh’s recent marriage.

He had a vision that struck him so hard he had to lean against the wall. As he walked home from the Rutherford ball, someone crept up behind him. He turned just in time to see in his peripheral vision that it was… it was Collingswood who had hit him over the head.

And now he had Adele.

Collingswood likely wanted to get Hugh’s attention. To get Hugh’s title.

That had been the intention, hadn’t it? Collingswood had hit Hugh over the head and left him for dead on a London sidewalk, likely imagining he’d fall victim to a robber or pickpocket or succumb to his injury or the elements, because he was too cowardly to do the deed himself.

And now Adele was the only impediment between Collingswood and the Swynford dukedom, or that’s how Collingswood must see it.

Which meant her life was in grave danger.

Hugh gasped.

He started to head for the door, but Hodges put a hand on his arm. “Before you go storming off into the London night, Your Grace, perhaps you should call for some help.”

Hugh saw the wisdom of that. He took a deep breath.

Then he turned to Killingworth. “Go to Lord Waring,” said Hugh.

“If he is not at his residence, he will be at the club.” Hugh thought about that for a moment, trying to think of every possibility.

“Or he may be at the Marquess of Beresford’s house off Berkley Square. Do you think you can find him?”

“Yes, Your Grace. I shall see to it right away.”

No longer able to stand, Hugh sank onto the bottom step of the staircase. He looked up at Lady Louisa, who still looked distraught. She swallowed and said, “We will find her. We will get her back.”

“Yes. We will. We must.”