Page 33 of The Honorable Rogue (The Notorious Nightingales #5)

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

“ T hey’re here,” Charles said from his position by the door.

He’d tried to untie Ellen, but his fingers were bound too tight. He was now attempting to saw his ropes free by running them over the edge of the wood, but it was hopeless. “I can hear Flora.”

Ellen paced around the small dank room. It was cold, but their anger kept them warm. No one was taking them from those they loved. No one was taking him from Violet.

Nikolai Pavlov had thrown them in there and said if they had no further use for them, they would never leave. Ellen had told him it would be he who was lucky to survive when their family got hold of him. The man had laughed and left.

“Excellent, they’ve made good time, and my panic is rising. Unlike yours, Cousin.”

“I’m scared, Ellen, don’t think I’m not,” Charles gritted as he sawed harder.

“You hide it well. Our stoic Charles. The one who doesn’t need to speak constantly, as we do, and holds his emotions close to his chest. ”

“Do I?” Charles said, regaining his feet.

“You know you do. Apparently, according to your sister, it’s because you learned to hide your pain when you were a child and constantly unwell.”

Thank you, Flora, for sharing my secrets.

“But if you wish for a life with Violet, then you need to learn to be more open, Charles, because women like to discuss their feelings…. Well, some women, that is.”

“And we’re having this conversation now, when our family is about to arrive and there are two unhinged people with weapons not far away?”

“You’re very good at that,” Ellen said, moving to stand directly in front of him.

“What?”

“Deflecting.”

“It’s a skill that’s extremely handy when living with you demonstrative lot,” he muttered.

“I notice you did not deny your feelings for Violet.”

“Your brothers have already questioned me about her, and yes, I care for Violet and told her so today at the games. However, there is the small matter of her dead fiancé to discuss first before we can have a future together.”

“She loves you, Charles. I saw it today.”

“Now is really not the time for this, Ellen.”

“Gray is the same as you. Trying to have a deep conversation with that man is like attempting to collect water with your fingers open.”

“Not easy, then.”

“She’s perfect for you, Charles.”

“I’m not speaking on this anymore.”

Ellen made a clucking sound.

“We are bound in a cell with a madwoman and her son out there somewhere. Plus, our family has arrived, and she could shoot any one of them. ”

“There is that,” Ellen said.

“The insanity streak must be on your father’s side,” Charles muttered.

Ellen snuffled.

We are coming, Charles. Violet, Charles thought. That was her voice. He battled between the need to see her and the wish she’d stayed safe at Crabbett Close.

They heard something hitting the small window above their heads. Charles looked but could see nothing in this light. Clouds obscured the moon, so it was dark in the small space.

There was a cracking sound, and then glass fell at their feet.

“Charles?”

“Violet?” He looked up at the face now in the window. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Saving you,” she hissed. “Stand back.”

“Violet, get out of here at once,” Charles said as his body went cold with fear at the danger she was in. But of course she ignored him and wiggled through the opening.

“You cannot jump that far. You’ll hurt yourself.”

“It’s not that far, and I will be lowered by Mr. Hellion.”

“Call me, Ram,” a deep voice said.

In seconds she was dangling above him, but as his hands were bound, he could do little but hold out his arms.

“Christ.” He took two steps forward, as did Ellen, and together they managed to help her down. “Are you mad?”

Violet was now upright and threw herself at him with a small sob. Her arms went around his neck and squeezed.

“Are you all right?”

“I am.” He pressed his face into the soft skin of her neck and inhaled his woman. “But I’m furious with you for coming in here. ”

“I was the smallest. No one else would fit. They are all out there.”

“Violet—”

“Later we will talk,” she whispered. “But now we have to get you out.”

“And how do you plan to do that when you’re in here, and there is no way we can climb out that small window?” Ellen asked.

“Ellen, are you all right?” Violet released him to hug his cousin.

“I am well.”

“Gray is very worried.”

It was the first time he saw Ellen’s bravado slip. Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away.

“I have these,” Violet said, pulling two pistols out of her pocket. “Also a knife to cut your ropes. Ambrose gave me his.”

She worked on his ropes first and nicked him only once.

“I cut you.”

“You can kiss it better later. Right now, I must free Ellen, and then we need to get out of here.” Charles put one of the pistols in his pocket.

Charles had just got Ellen free when he heard the bar on the door being raised. Taking Violet with him, he stepped to the side so whoever stood there when it opened wouldn’t see them, only Ellen.

“Where is Mr. Thomas?”

Charles kicked the door with his foot and heard the oomph . He then moved to see who he’d hit.

“No!” It was the last word Nikolai uttered, as Charles put his shoulder into him and ran him into the wall to his right. The man’s head connected, and then he was slumping to the floor.

“Nice teamwork, Cousin,” he said to Ellen. “Now let’s go. You both stay behind me,” he said as they stepped outside, closing the door behind them.

“Where is my son?” Miss Bamber appeared in front of them as they reached the path, holding a shotgun.

“He’s not with you?” Ellen asked.

“You!” the woman then shrieked, noticing Violet. “How are you here?”

“I am not the only one. There are people in the surrounding trees with guns pointed at you, Mrs. Bradbury,” Violet said with far more calm than Charles was feeling.

“What have you done with my son!”

“Drop your gun, Mrs. Bradbury,” a voice said, and Charles thought it was Leo.

“Who said that?” She spun, and before he could react, Violet had pushed the woman hard in the back, knocking her to the ground. The shotgun fell with a thud.

“Christ, what is wrong with you pushing an armed woman like that!” His heart was thudding so hard, it hurt. Charles bent to grab Miss Bamber and haul her to her feet.

“Ellen!”

Gray burst out of the trees at a run, and Charles heard his cousin’s sob, and soon they were in each other’s arms.

“We have her,” Mungo said, picking up Miss Bamber.

“Put her in there with her son,” Charles said. He then found Violet. “You”—he jabbed a finger at her—“cannot be so reckless.”

“I’ve been telling her that for years,” her brother said, reaching them.

Charles grabbed Violet and pulled her into his arms, crushing her to him.

“I think you and I should talk, Thomas,” he heard Talbot drawl.

“I know you need time, and I expect nothing from you, Violet,” he whispered in her ear. “But I love you. ”

Her body twitched.

“It’s all right. You don’t have to love me back.”

“Charles.” She eased back to look at him. Her hands cupped his cheeks. “I love you too.”

“But Tobias?” he whispered.

“Sorry to interrupt, but are there more men here?” Alex asked.

“Three,” Charles said, giving her a final squeeze. “Later,” he added, feeling lighter inside than he had in years.

They found the other men in the stables. The brothers were still arguing, which made it easy to walk in and surprise them. They were then bound, taken out to the log cabin, and thrown in with the other two.

“That will be a nice stay for all of them,” Violet said, giggling.

It was such a sweet sound, Charles found himself smiling.

“Come, let us return to Crabbett Close. I will send word for someone to collect them,” Gray said with Ellen’s hand in his.

They walked the path to the front of the castle. It was as she reached the fountain that Charles watched Violet look back at the lions.

“ Look not for doors but seek the beast, as what you seek lies beneath ,” she said softly. “Could it be that the final clue brings you back to here? The place Pavlov loved and lived?”

“We will come back,” Charles said.

“No. Please, let us just look now,” Violet said. She tugged his hand, and they walked back to the statues. There was one that showed signs of being repaired.

“Surely not?” Ambrose said.

“Has the treasure been here the entire time?” Bram asked.

“That’s a huge column it sits on. It would hold a fortune, to be fair.” Gray was bent at the waist examining it now.

“We need to open it,” Violet said .

“I’m quite sure we can come back tomorrow,” Bram said.

“Absolutely not,” several voices objected.

“Come, we will run to the stables and see if there is anything in there to get into that pillar,” Ambrose said.

“My brother, who had no wish to be party to any of this, is suddenly desperate to find out if a treasure lies under that lion?” Violet asked.

“Yes” was all Talbot added before he and Leo ran back to the stables.

“Did she and her son live only minutes away from what she’d been seeking for so many years?” Ellen wondered.

“It is so sad,” Violet added.

“She was left with plenty of money but wanted more and the prestige of living in this castle,” Bram said.

Leo arrived back with a sledgehammer, and Ambrose a crowbar.

“We can’t smash that lion,” Violet said. “It’s very old.”

“We have to get it off, Pixie,” Ambrose warned.

“Try not to damage it too much, then.”

Her brother sighed. Charles, who was now feeling the effects of those kicks to his ribs, stood back and watched as Mungo took the crowbar and eased it under the lion. Leo then whacked it hard with the sledgehammer.

“You hit my hand, and I will maim you,” the Scotsman growled.

It took several minutes, and finally the lion toppled off and into the garden beside it. Mungo then took the sledgehammer off Leo and smashed it into the column.

“It can’t be that easy,” Bram said as a hole appeared.

“It can’t be solid, and yet it supported that statue,” Ambrose said.

Mungo swung the sledgehammer three more times until the hole was bigger.

“There’s wooden framing inside. That’s what held the lion up.” Ram was peering in the hole. “There’s something in there.”

“What?” Violet said, and Charles could hear the excitement in her voice.

Ram dropped to his knees and put his arm in the opening. “I can’t lift it out. It’s too heavy.”

“Stand back,” Mungo said. He then took the sledgehammer and smashed a bigger hole in the column. He and Ram then dragged out four chests.

They all stared at them in silence.

“Someone has to open them,” Charles said finally.

“Violet should,” Ellen said. “She led us here.”

“Oh… really?” She looked at him.

“Really.” Charles nodded.

She dropped to a crouch and reached for the first box. It was locked. Charles watched as she pulled a pin from beneath her bonnet and picked the lock.

“I taught her that,” Talbot said, looking proud. “So be on your guard, and don’t try to hide anything from her,” he added. Charles met Talbot’s eyes, and the man nodded. He returned the gesture before looking back to Violet.

“That’s it,” she said softly, and then the first chest opened.

“Christ,” Mungo hissed.

It was piled high with jewelry. Violet opened the others. They held stacks of gold bars.

“I think we need to take the horse and carriage that was in the stables,” Mungo said. “These will be too heavy to carry by horseback.”

It took a further hour before they were ready to leave, and it was decided Charles and Violet would ride in the carriage with the treasure, as he was injured, and she needed to make sure he did not faint. Bram had accompanied this statement with a wink.

“Violet— ”

“I want to speak, Charles, and I need you to listen,” she said from the seat across from him as her brother rode outside her window as they rolled out of Pavlov’s driveway.

“All right.”

“I loved Tobias very much, but it was the love one friend had for another. We would have lived a happy life, but it was not until I met you that I knew passion. I learned love is painful and so wonderful, it consumes you. I feared letting that in, as I never wanted to suffer a loss like losing Tobias again.”

“I understand, Violet,” he said, taking her hand and tugging her across the seat to his side. “I was scared of loving you too. Scared that if you got sick, I may lose you. Scared that I would get sick and leave you alone.”

“Then we will be scared together,” she said, leaning into him as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“No, we will be brave together,” he said softly, raising her chin.

“I love you, my sweet Miss Althorp.” Charles then kissed her until her brother thumped his fist on the side of the carriage hard.