Chapter 7
“It has been a week and that damn Frenchman has yet to make an appearance,” James Shaw growled.
Assembled at the residence of Lord and Lady St. Aldwyn, Belle understood James’s bitterness.A week of torture. She bore his frustration as her own, but for entirely a different reason. Every night Westfield came to stay under her roof. And even though he retained his distance after that first night and left her alone without any further intrusion on her privacy, it somehow felt worse knowing he was only a few feet away from her—and completely unaffected by her presence.
She, on the other hand, had barely slept. Something that was evident from the dreadful dark circles forming beneath her eyes. Another reason for her disheartenment was the mercenary’s lack of communication. Had he succeeded? Had he failed? Or perhaps he was badly injured, unable to send word? She hadn’t told anyone about him, so he could not have backed off, may even still be on the hunt. This lack of knowledge was the source of her overwrought mind.
I should never have paid him the entire amount.
Who is to say he even bothered to complete his task? Now, in the midst of uncertainty, Belle admitted she should have been smarter about the payment. Paid him only once proof of his success was delivered.
Like Edgar’s head on a proverbial silver plate.
The grave countenances of her friends were a further source of her restlessness. They were suffering, even if only emotionally, because of her. Their fear and concern lay heavy on her mind.
“He is cautious. Perhaps he senses that something is brewing?” Belle offered.
They were all seated in the drawing room, all distracted by their own thoughts. Well, all except for St. Aldwyn, who comfortably reclined on a chase and flicked through the daily paper.
Jo’s husband seemed to love trouble nearly as much as Jo.
Evelyn and Grey were the only ones noticeably absent from the group.
“A distinct possibility,” Derek agreed. “He will keep his distance until he is certain that he is not walking into a trap.”
“It may take weeks before he decides to make a move if that is the case,” Jo argued.
“I don’t like it either,” Belle murmured. “Weeks of watching our every step. We are bound to make a mistake under such scrutiny. We may already have.”
“I agree.” James regarded Belle with somber eyes. “We must lure him out. Bait him into crawling out of his dark hole.”
“No,” Westfield said forcibly. “It is too dangerous to use her as a carrot.”
Belle had half a mind to roll her eyes at his sharp command. Could the man be any more arrogant?
“If he does not make a move soon, we may not have any other choice,” Derek murmured.
“It’s all right,” Belle said in a low voice, her eyes locking with Westfield’s steely ones. “I anticipated this from the start. It was inevitable that I’d be the lure. And I want to help. This is my mess.”
“No, it’s not all right,” he bit out. “Someone has to be the voice of reason and draw a line. If it were up to you, you would march into a trap with nothing but your guilt as a guide and they,” he jabbed a finger at the Shaws, “would let you.”
Belle blinked, certain she’d just been insulted. The careful hold on her temper started to slip. Even if she did die, at least she would die aiding the people she loved and, if she were lucky, that miserable excuse for a man will not pollute the earth’s air anymore with his presence.
“It may mean your life, Belle,” Westfield pressed.
She inhaled deeply, shivering as her name rolled off his tongue. Before she could stop herself, she blurted, “Well at least I shall die fabulously dressed.”
Jo snickered but flushed when Westfield shot her a heated glare.
“This is no laughing matter,” he growled. “We will not use a lady as bait.”
Belle stood and rested her hands on her hips. “I was the one who assisted in his escape, so I will be the one to lure him back out.”
When no one contradicted her, Westfield threw his hands in the air. “This is bullshit! Do you know what he did to her?” Westfield growled at the room’s occupants.
“Westfield, no!” Belle exclaimed in horror.
“Do you know what she had to go through to get that piece of paper away from him?”
