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“I think there’s an alley to the side,” Dunford returned. “Come on.”
The two men strode to the corner of the building and stopped short, peering quietly around the corner. A male figure was standing toward the back of the building, anxiously looking up at a window. “Have you found it yet?” they heard him call out softly.
Alex and Dunford pulled back. “Our dear friend Lord Edward,” Dunford mocked.
“Who I am going to throttle just as soon as I’m done with Emma,” Alex muttered menacingly.
“Wait here,” Dunford said quickly. He moved like lightning, and before Alex realized what was happening, Dunford had his hand damped tightly over Ned’s mouth. Alex quickly went to join them.
“Is Emma inside?” he demanded.
Ned nodded his head, his blue eyes wide with surprise and a healthy dose of fear.
“What on earth possessed you to wait here while she went inside?”
Dunford didn’t release his hold over his mouth, so Ned couldn’t answer, a circumstance for which he was exceedingly grateful since he hadn’t the slightest idea what to say. He had been wondering the very same thing for the past ten minutes, feeling like a fool while Emma was prowling around in the house.
Alex continued his interrogation. “She’s looking for the voucher, isn’t she? How on earth do you expect her to find a slip of paper in there?”
Once again, Dunford didn’t let go of Ned’s mouth, so the young man did the only thing he could do to get himself released. He licked Dunford’s hand.
Dunford jumped back, thoroughly disgusted. He started to wipe his hand on his coat, then thought better of it and wiped it on Ned’s coat.
“I couldn’t very well answer his questions with your hand over my mouth,” Ned explained tightly.
“Well?” Alex demanded.
“I don’t know. I suppose we were just hoping we would get lucky. This was all her idea.”
“I’m sure it was.” Alex had no doubts that Emma had cooked up this little scheme. He’d have to keep a tighter rein on her once they were married. “You shouldn’t have gone along with it, however.”
Ned gave him a condescending look. “Have you ever tried to stop her when she’s got her mind set on something? She would have come over here alone if I hadn’t accompanied her.”
“I’m going in,” Alex declared.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Ned said hesitatingly.
Alex leveled an icy stare at the younger man. “Your judgment so far has not proved impeccable.”
Ned gulped and stepped back.
“Dunford, will you give me a leg up?”
Meanwhile, back in Woodside’s study, Emma had finished her inspection of the bookcase and was just about ready to give up on the study altogether. It looked as if she would have to venture out into the rest of the house, after all. She was not terribly excited about the prospect.
She was just about to lean out the window and give Ned an update when she suddenly remembered the hairpin she’d left on the desk. She certainly did not want to leave any incriminating evidence lying about. Although she supposed it didn’t really matter. Once Woodside realized that the voucher was gone, he would know who had taken it. He wasn’t stupid. After all, he had managed to swindle Ned out of ten thousand pounds. Emma supposed one had to have some degree of intelligence to cheat with such proficiency.
All the same, Emma didn’t want to leave anything that Woodside might be able to take to the authorities, so she went back over to the desk and reached for the hairpin.
That was when she saw the snuff box.
It was sitting atop the desk, highly ornamental, as if it had been imported from Asia. “Oh, please God, please God, please God,” Emma chanted, forgetting completely about the hairpin. She shut her eyes in prayer as she lifted the lid. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes. A small piece of paper folded several times over lay inside. Barely able to breathe, she unfolded the note.
I, Edward William Blydon, Viscount Burwick, pledge to pay Lord Anthony Woodside, Viscount Benton, the sum of ten thousand pounds.
Below that, Emma saw Ned’s familiar signature. It was in that moment of supreme relief that Emma realized just how quickly her heart was beating. “Thank you, Lord,” she breathed, placing the lid back on the snuff box and setting it back into place.
“Ned!” she called softly. “I foun—” She whirled around just in time to see Alex vault through the open window, landing on the carpet with pantherlike grace. “You!” she choked, stepping back in shock.
Alex’s mouth settled into a grim line. “You, my dear lady, have some explaining to do.”
Chapter 18
Emma’s mouth fell open.
“However,” Alex continued mildly, “I don’t think this is the most appropriate place. Did you get that blasted voucher?”
“Actually,” she replied archly, “I did.” She waved the note in his face.
“In that case, I hope you’ll excuse me as I throw you out the window.” Alex yanked on Emma’s arm and pulled her across the room.
“Wait!” Emma exclaimed. “My coat! I left it tucked against the crack under the door. And I’ve also got to get my candle.” She scurried across the room, picked up her coat, and quickly wrapped herself in it. “Some prowler you are,” she muttered.
Alex viciously grabbed the taper off of the desk and blew out the flame, but not before he shot a murderous glare in Emma’s direction.