“I’ll meet with them in my study,” Gerald said. “I’ve been anticipating their return.” He turned to his father and Banbury. “Will you join me as well?” The two men nodded and followed Gerald to his study.
“What’s the word on Grom?” Gerald asked, after Wright, Bowles, and Jones had joined them.
“According to Captain Livingston of the Regent’s security contingent, Grom confessed to quite a bit; however, the man insisted that he was forced to participate because Stiles had abducted his twelve-year-old sister, threatening to sell her into slavery,” Wright said.
“Indeed. Stiles inadvertently substantiated Grom’s story when baited, so that was added to Vern Stiles’ growing list of evil deeds and there is a sense of urgency where the girl is concerned,” Baron Jones began. “The Prince Regent’s men are working with the authorities in Lisbon. Reportedly, she is outside the town, perhaps in a nearby village, hidden in a house or a barn somewhere. The reason we know this is that the local authorities believe there is a connection between the abduction of Grom’s sister with the abduction of several other girls in the area. Evidently, at least ten girls have gone missing, in recent months, one of whom is the granddaughter of a powerful nobleman in Portugal. The authorities in Lisbon have already been searching and we have every reason to believe that they will recover the girls soon.
“Stiles is working with a pirate by the name of Blackjack Owens,” Bowles said. “They’ve worked together before. Stiles, as you know, was working on board my ship. He kidnaps girls from nearby towns and villages of whatever port where our ship docks and then keeps them, prisoner, in a remote location. Once he captures enough girls, usually ten or twelve, he transports them to Blackjack Owens, and they sell the girls on the black market. It’s heinous. And we’ve been trying to stop this for some time. Stiles has always been one step ahead of us. But now, we’ve got him,” Bowles said in a grim tone.
“Are you saying that that was the reason why Stiles had Grom try to kill you in Portugal?” Gerald asked.
“He knew we were onto him,” Bowles said. “We were following him to see if he could lead us to where he waskeeping the girls. When Stiles found out about my inheritance, he thought he could kill two birds with one stone so to speak. His intention was never to actually become the new Viscount, but to try to steal as much as he could from the coffers and then join up with Blackjack again.”
“And was Grom involved in all these despicable crimes? Banbury asked.
“No,” Bowles replied. “We found no evidence of this. Stiles was working on his own with Blackjack for many years. Grom had been his own man, working onboard various ships for several years. Because of his size and strength, he was always in demand.”
“Grom had a good reputation up until he met Stiles,” Wright added. “He was always known as a gentle giant.”
“Until Stiles joined the crew of my ship, The Merry Maid,” Bowles said. “Likely, Stiles found out about Grom’s sister and kidnapped her into forcing Grom to do his bidding.”
“And, while Grom denied trying to kill Selena, or physically harming her in any way, he acknowledged that he was forced to be a party to what happened to Lady Fleur—as he was the one who obtained the poison,” Wright said.
“That, alone, could get him the noose, although he risked his life to stop Stiles’ attempt to kidnap Selena and burn the barn,” Bowles said.
“We all know Vern Stiles is capable of anything,” Gerald acknowledged. “When he came across the betrothal agreement and realized that Selena was an heiress in her own right, he clearly thought he could his hands on a treasure by forcing her to marry him. He knew that he couldn’t keep up the charade forever. There were bound to be people who knew what the real Bowles looked like, but by kidnapping Selena and making for Gretna Green, he thought he’d landed his Golden Goose.”
“Thank God you got to Selena in time, son,” his father said.
Gerald nodded. They were lucky indeed, but he would never allow himself to fall into that kind of trap ever again. Selena and his family were the most important people in his life. He would always do everything in his power to protect them.”
“What will happen to Grom?” Banbury asked.
Mr. Jones cleared his throat. “They indicated that the Regent may consider his attempt to stop Stiles from kidnapping Miss Bowles. They will also take into consideration the man’s previous upstanding reputation and the fact that Stiles kidnapped his sister and coerced him.”
Wright turned to Gerald. “Would you object to Bowles and I speaking on behalf of Grom to the Regent?” he asked.
Gerald paused and took a deep breath. “I believe both of you and I trust your judgment. I think the true evil force at work is Stiles.”
Bowles nodded. “I agree. I thank you for your support in this matter.”
“Where are Stiles and Grom being held?” Gerald asked.
“The Prince Regent’s men are transporting Mr. Grom Dugan to the Tower today, along with Mr. Vern Stiles. Both men are heavily chained, as to avoid any chance of escape. There was another witness to Stiles’ treachery—one who is willing to testify. During their initial search for Lord Bowles, the Prince Regent’s men questioned some of the workers at a nearby bar and a barmaid spoke up. It seems she knew the two of them well and spoke up. According to her testimony, she was tired of Vern Stiles’ threats and whenever he was in port, he made lives, including hers, miserable with his treachery. And while I find her willingness to testify against such a vile man unusual, considering his tendency for vengeance the man exhibits toward those who cross him, her testimony may be the final nail in hiscoffin. Stiles will be in solitary confinement until his trial. With almost certainty, Stiles will soon see his last. His fate is sealed at the end of a noose. His list of crimes is a mile long.”
“I absolutely agree,” Banbury said. “He is too dangerous to be considered even for transport to Australia.”
“I think we owe ourselves a brandy, after all of this,” Gerald’s father said pouring them each a glass.”
A thoughtful hush fell over the room as everyone took a quiet sip of their drinks.
“That is all I have to report for now,” Mr. Jones said, breaking the silence. “Thank you for the brandy. I shall keep you all posted on any developments. Now, I must take my leave, gentlemen.” He inclined his head and left.
“Damn,” Gerald said, blowing out a breath. “What a twisted web.” Gerald wanted to share everything he’d found out with Selena. He’d promised to always tell her the truth. But given what she’d been through, he would have to tread carefully. The last he wanted was to add to her pain.
~*~
Chapter Twenty-two
