“How disappointing,” he sighed. But humour tinged his voice, lifting the tension that had hung over them from their encounter with the marquess and his daughter.
Elaine let herself fully relax, ignoring the eyes, ignoring the whispers, paying scant regard to the fun her cousin seemed to be having with Clarissa. And the hope she had dismissed began to bloom again.
A hope for a future with the duke, for a love that would stand the test of time.
***
The air in the dimly lit tavern hung thick with the acrid scent of stale ale and sweat. Michael pushed his way from the door, the floorboards creaking under his boots. Mr. Horton was seated at the same sticky table in the corner, his demeanour noticeably more sober than the last time they’d spoken. The man’s eyes flickered with anticipation and caution as Michael took a seat.
“I’m glad ye could make it,” George said, his voice low. He slid a sheet of paper across the table, the parchment yellowed and creased. “This is what ye were lookin’ for, I think.”
“Where did you get it?” Michael asked cautiously. “I thought you gave me everything you had before.”
“I didn’t remember that I had taken it before I resigned. I thought it would come in handy, ye know. If I needed to blackmail. Maybe it would have if I hadn’t forgotten about it.”
Michael picked up the paper, unfolding it carefully. His pulse quickened as he scanned the contents. It was a letter from Lord Suthenshire dated a month before his father’s trial. It had a list of names that followed a stark message, stating that all the parties agreed that the Duke of Ryewood needed to be “knocked down a peg.” The letter was a clear indication of collusion, the evidence Michael needed.
But what struck him most was the salutation at the top.
To The O.
The O?
His heart raced. This was the proof he needed, the evidence that could expose the truth of Lord Suthenshire’s lies. But instead of relief, instead of satisfaction, Michael felt a wave of unease washed over him. He couldn’t help but imagine how this revelation would shatter the fragile world Elaine had built around her father. And if he revealed it, it would rip her toshreds, betraying her trust in him. She would find out that she was merely a pawn in a vicious quest for revenge.
Was she still?
“What do ye think?” George asked, leaning in closer, sensing Michael’s hesitation. “This is what ye wanted, wasn’t it?”
Michael clenched the letter, his thoughts a tumultuous storm. “You have my gratitude, Mr. Horton.” He brought out the shillings the other man was clearly waiting for, not missing the gleam that lit his eyes. “If there is nothing else…”
“No, no, that is all I have,” George said hastily, pocketing his earnings. “Nice doin’ business with ye, Mr…”’
Michael didn’t answer, simply standing to leave.The letter felt heavy in his pocket. He stepped out of the tavern into the cool night air. Above his head, the stars twinkled brightly, taunting him withthe darkness that still simmered within him.
He had a choice to make, he knew. But he had a feeling that no matter what choice he made, it would change everything—a dance between the longing of the heart and the relentless pursuit of justice.
Chapter Sixteen
“You’re unusually distracted, Michael. I don’t think you have listened to a word I said. What’s weighing on your mind?”
Michael sighed, swirling his port wine. It was the night of his aunt’s ball and Michael found he couldn’t focus at all. He was seated in one of the parlours with Henry, sharing a bottle of wine before the festivities began. As he recalled, Henry had been talking for the past few minutes but Michael hadn’t heard a word of it. Music drifted in from the adjacent rooms, but his mind was far from everything, focusing on one thing for the past two days.
“Do you recall the contact I told you about?” he asked Henry.
His uncle nodded, brows furrowed behind the rim of his glass.
“He contacted me, saying he had something that would be of interest. It turned out to be a letter with a list of names in agreement with tearing down the late duke, implicating Lord Suthenshire. It was exactly what I needed to prove that it was a wrongful accusation and yet it has left me… conflicted.”
“Conflicted? I thought this was exactly what you wanted.”
“It was. It is but…” Troubled, Michael drained his glass. “I have bitten off more than I can chew, coming to care for someone I should not.”
Henry blinked in surprise. “Oh. I see.”
“Exposing him now comes at a cost that I had not previously foreseen. If I do, it will undoubtedly hurt Lady Elaine. I know that. I hadn’t cared before but now…now, I can hardly come to terms with the thought.”
“Ah,” Henry said, nodding slowly. “You are in love.”
