Page 57 of Stolen By the Rakish Duke
“I can’t believe you found me,” he said, his voice hoarse as he looked over Beatrice’s shoulder to meet Leo’s gaze. “How did you?—”
“Your fondness for Thornfield wasn’t as forgotten as you might have hoped,” Leo cut in, stepping forward as Beatrice released his cousin. “Though it took my wife’s remarkable memory to bring it to light.”
Philip’s eyes widened. “Wife? Then you two?—”
“Married, yes,” Leo confirmed, clasping his cousin’s hand firmly. “Though I would have preferred to find a duchess under less dramatic circumstances.”
Philip winced, guilt washing over his features. “Leo, I’m so sorry. I never meant to put either of you in such a position. But when I overheard Westbury that night…” he trailed off, glancing nervously at the window.
“Perhaps we should move away from the windows,” Beatrice suggested gently, placing a hand on his arm. “And you can tell us everything.”
Leo had to fight to rein in the urge to peel her hand off his cousin’s shoulder. Had to remind himself that he had been her friend first and, if not for his cousin, he would not have been so close to her at all.
Still, it was a terribly hard thing to do. He decided to look around to distract himself.
The cottage’s main room was simply furnished: a wooden table with three mismatched chairs, a worn settee before a small hearth, and shelves bearing the basic necessities for living.
Philip gestured toward the table, moving with the nervous energy of a man who had spent too long looking over his shoulder.
“I should have come to you immediately,” he sighed as they settled around the table. “But after what I heard atthe Gilded Lion, I was afraid that involving anyone else would only put them in danger.”
“So, you chose to abandon your bride at the altar instead?” Leo couldn’t keep the edge from his voice, though he softened it when Beatrice placed a gentle hand on his arm.
“I know how it must seem,” Philip said, running a hand through his unkempt hair. “Cowardly. Dishonorable. But Beatrice, you must understand. When I realized what Westbury was involved in, that he might have seen us…”
“Anna told us what happened,” Beatrice revealed. “About Westbury’s conversation with the manager ofthe Gilded Lion.”
Philip nodded, his brow creasing. “It wasn’t just gambling.The Gilded Lionis merely the facade of his enterprise. He was discussing shipments, bribes to customs officials, profits that no legitimate business could generate. When he mentioned eliminating someone who had become… problematic, I knew I had to get Anna away from there.”
“Yet you left her behind without a word,” Leo pointed out, watching him flinch at the accusation.
Philip’s face crumbled, his jaw tensing tightly. “I thought she would be safer if we separated,” he said, misery evident in every line of his face. “I sent a friend to check on her, to make sureshe was all right. When he returned, saying she’d vanished, I assumed—” His voice broke. “I assumed the worst.”
“She’s alive,” Beatrice said quickly, reaching across the table to grasp his trembling hand. “And safe. Leo installed her in one of his properties in London.”
Philip’s head snapped up, his eyes wide as they landed on Leo. “She’s safe?”
“As safe as anyone can be while Westbury remains free to operate,” Leo replied. “Though she’s been terrified for your safety.”
A tremulous smile broke across Philip’s face, transforming him momentarily back into the carefree young man Leo remembered.
“Thank God,” he whispered. “I’ve been torturing myself with visions of what might have happened to her.”
“We need to end this,” Leo said, leaning forward. “Westbury must be brought to justice. With your testimony about what you overheard, combined with Anna’s corroboration?—”
“No!” Philip blurted, the word sharp enough to make them both flinch. “You don’t understand the reach the man has. He’s not just some crooked nobleman dabbling in vice. The connections he mentioned, the officials he’s bought… half the magistrates in London might be in his pocket.”
“Then we go above them,” Leo countered, feeling the familiar rush of determination that came with a clearly defined challenge. “The Home Secretary. The Prime Minister. The King himself, if necessary. Westbury is powerful, yes, but he is not untouchable.”
Philip shook his head, fear etched into his features. “He threatened Anna directly. Said he’d kill her if she spoke to me again. What do you think he’d do if I testified against him?”
“He threatened her because he feared what you both know,” Beatrice spoke, her steady tone pulling both men’s eyes to her. “That fear is our advantage, Philip. It means he knows his position is vulnerable.”
Leo admired his wife’s insight. Where he saw only obstacles, she saw opportunity.
“Beatrice is right,” he agreed, meeting her eyes briefly before turning back to Philip. “Westbury’s threats betray his weakness, and I promise you thatno onethreatens my family without bearing the consequences.”
Philip looked between them, doubt warring with hope in his expression. “Do you truly think this is a good idea?” he asked softly.