Page 42 of I Never Forget a Duke (The Night Fire Club #1)

L ark was grateful that he and Anthony were at least mostly dressed when Hugh’s secretary came storming into his house.

That had not been true but half an hour before, when Anthony had been under Lark on the settee in Lark’s sitting room, calling the names of every god he knew.

Now they were having a post-coital drink and idly discussing going to the club for dinner, but all of that was interrupted when Killingworth rushed in.

“His Grace sent me to fetch you, Lord Waring.”

“What could he possibly need with such haste?” Lark asked, although he’d already set his glass aside. The jittery nature of the man’s stance told Lark it was urgent.

“The duke’s cousin, Collingswood, abducted the duchess while she was out shopping today.”

Lark was instantly on his feet. “Return to the front door and tell my butler to ready my coat. I will go with you to the duke’s house.”

“How can I help?” asked Anthony.

Lark turned and saw the sincerity on his face. He was touched that Anthony would want to help with a matter he had no stake in, aside from knowing the people involved. Lark said, “Go to the club and fetch Caernarfon and Fowler and meet me at Swynford’s house. With all possible haste.”

“Will you not go to the police?”

“Let me determine what Hugh intends to do first. Likely he plans to storm the gates.” Lark paused in the doorway. “I have been guessing for the last few days that it was Collingswood who hit Hugh over the head, but I didn’t know how to prove it. I hate that I’m right.”

“Are you suggesting he kidnapped the duchess in order to gain Hugh’s title?”

“Yes, that is my best guess. He did not succeed in killing Swynford because Swynford is a large man with a thick skull. The same cannot be said for the duchess.”

Anthony nodded, likely understanding how high the stakes were. “I always thought he was a snake. I shall go to the club at once.”

Lark wanted to kiss him goodbye and wish him luck, but he was conscious of Killingworth standing there, so instead he just murmured, “Godspeed.”

After Anthony left, Lark stood in the middle of his sitting room for a long moment, trying to gather his thoughts and his nerve. Then he followed Killingworth to the front of his house, shrugged into his coat, and left for Hugh’s house on foot.

Hugh was in a state when Lark arrived.

He paced around the foyer of his house, close to pulling out his hair. He kept saying, “He’s got her,” over and over.

Lark understood that Hugh had sent for him to be the level head because Hugh was incapable, and this was also the moment Lark understood that Hugh really did love his wife.

“All right,” said Lark. “We need to take a few deep breaths and make a plan.”

“How can you… how can I… what if he does something to her? If he touches one hair on her head, I will kill—”

“Hugh, go sit.” Lark pointed through the open door of the red sitting room. “Your fretting will just make everything worse. If we want to get her back, we must think through this rationally.”

Hugh stared at Lark with fury in his eyes for a long moment, then pressed his lips together and nodded. He walked into the sitting room.

Lark needed help, but he sat down to try to figure out what was going on. “Your secretary said Collingswood abducted Adele while she was out shopping. How do you know—”

“Letter for you, sir,” said Hodges, walking into the room.

Lark intercepted it before it reached Hugh’s hand and ripped the envelope open.

This at least solved part of the mystery.

“What is it?” asked Hugh.

“Have you recently purchased a tract of land adjacent to Swynford House?”

“A distant cousin willed it to me. I’ve had to sort out a number of issues with various solicitors, which is what has detained me in London past the end of the season. A number of relatives challenged me for the land, but it was clear from my cousin’s will that—”

“Is it in your possession now?”

“Yes, as of today.”

“Well, Collingswood wants it.” Lark turned the letter to show Hugh. “He’s essentially holding Adele ransom in exchange for this piece of land.”

“A consolation prize, perhaps,” said a voice behind Lark.

He turned and saw that Anthony had arrived with Owen and Fletcher in tow.

Anthony walked forward. “You said to fetch Caernarfon and Fowler, so here they are. I did some thinking on the way. Collingswood is losing money he doesn’t have on his Jamaica estate each day, so what is it he wants more than anything?

He wants the dukedom, of course, but he didn’t have it in him to actually kill Hugh.

What’s the next best thing? Land. What Collingswood really wants is money and power, and the best way to achieve that on this godforsaken island is to acquire land. ”

Lark nodded and looked at the letter. “I thought Collingswood might have taken Adele to prevent Hugh and his wife from producing a new heir to the dukedom, but I believe you are right. He may view the title as out of reach now, so he’s resigned to give that up.

But he’s betting Hugh will give up the tract he just acquired in order to get his wife back.

The land in Kent is probably worth more than the Jamaica estate, which he could sell and use the profits to build some grand estate in England. ”

“That is logical,” said Fletcher. “A simple exchange. Adele for the land.”

“Let’s do it, then,” said Hugh. “I am happy to sign that land over to him if that’s what it takes. Adele is more important than expanding Swynford House.”

Lark patted Hugh’s shoulder. “Let’s not be hasty.”

“Hasty? He has her, Lark. He’s got Adele. He could harm her, or—”

“The good news is that she’s worth more alive,” said Anthony. “He’s banking on you making that trade, Hugh. It’s all over the gossip rags that you married below your station because the marriage is a love match.”

“It is?” Hugh looked almost pleased by that, despite the circumstances.

Anthony smiled. “It is. Collingswood is a spineless coward, which means he doesn’t have it in him to harm her. Instead, he’ll use her to bargain with you for the land.”

“I just said I would agree to his demand,” said Hugh.

“What if you could get her back and keep the land?” asked Lark.

Hugh frowned. “How do you propose we do that?”

“I have an idea,” said Owen, walking into the room.

“Leave it to the Welshman,” said Fletcher, a little sarcastically.

Owen didn’t look offended. In fact, he grinned. “Several hundred years of the Crown trying to take our land will do that. My father’s family may have been loyal to England, but my mother’s family is lousy with rebels. I’m named for Owain Glyndwr, you know.”

“You’ve mentioned,” said Fletcher. “Stop trying to give us history lessons.”

Owen rolled his eyes. “Listen, here’s my plan.”

*

Adele sat in the parlor of a rather shabby house with her hands tied behind her back.

The rope was rubbing blisters into her wrists.

She’d spent the last few minutes alone in the room, trying to work out how to get out.

With her hands bound, she couldn’t get the leverage she needed to stand.

Even if she could get out of the house, she didn’t know where she was; Collingswood had tied a blindfold over her eyes once she was in his carriage.

He’d threatened to harm Hugh again when they’d been standing on the street. He’d grabbed her wrist and ordered her to come with him or he’d shoot Hugh this time instead of just hitting him on the head.

Adele was shocked to recognize the carriage as the one Hugh had been thrown from the night he’d landed on the Sweeneys’ doorstep. The truth of what must have happened clicked for her.

She’d gone with Collingswood so that he would not further injure Hugh.

Hugh had acted recently like his memory was completely intact, but she knew that he still hadn’t recovered everything he once knew and, worse, his short-term recollection was faulty sometimes, too.

It hadn’t interfered in anything they’d done together, and Hugh’s staff had quickly worked out a quick way to help him remember things without making him feel like a fool, but Adele continued to worry about that head injury.

Collingswood had clearly been the cause of the injury that still plagued her husband, but as she wished no further harm to come to him, she had gone willingly with Collingswood.

Now she wondered what he intended to do with her.

Worse, she was starting to feel dizzy. She and Louisa had intended to stop for tea after the visit for the tailors, and Adele had not eaten much that day.

Collingswood stormed into the room. “Where is that idiot husband of yours?”

Adele pulled at her bindings. Her hands were tied quite well; the knot seemed solid. She sighed. “Why do you think he will come here?”

“Because the scandal sheets say he is besotted with you. I sent him a letter saying I’d give you back to him in exchange for a tract of land he recently gained possession of.”

So that was his game. “Why do you think he is not fetching the police? You did kidnap me after all.” Adele was quite impressed with how reasonable and calm she sounded, despite the churning going on in her belly.

“You came willingly. And I told him not to.”

“Oh, well. Unassailable logic.”

Before she knew it had happened, she felt the sting of his hand slapping her face. She nearly toppled over onto her side but managed to stay sitting upright.

“He’ll come,” Collingswood said. “Those imbeciles he spends time with, Waring and his other school chums, will likely come with him.”

There was a knock at the door.

“Ah, there they are now.”

Adele squirmed against her bindings again. She watched Collingswood leave the room. Did he not have servants? It didn’t appear so; she hadn’t seen a soul except for Collingswood since they entered this house.