“But . . . but that’s where I left him,” Phipps said.
“Apparently he didn’t stay put.”
Gwyn and Joshua entered, and Sheridan explained the situation.
“So he’s quite possibly alone with Vanessa,” Gwyn said.
“Yes.”
Sheridan turned for the hallway, but before he could march down it to his study, Joshua grabbed his arm. “We have to be smart about this. Remember the plan. We have no reason to believe that Bonham suspects anything. He’s been with all of us socially many a time. We might still find him chatting with Vanessa.”
“That’s what worries me. I told you, she thinks he’s simply a bad accountant. At worse, she suspects him of being an embezzler.”
“If she has even considered the possibility that he’s embezzling, she will hide her opinions. You need to learn to trust your wife, Sheridan. She has good instincts.”
Even knowing his brother-in-law was right, Sheridan could hardly keep from barreling down the hall and into his study with guns blazing. “It’s not her I distrust. Bonham didn’t get this far along—fooling everyone he came into contact with and killing those who caught on—without being both perceptive and deceptive. It has proved a deadly combination.”
Worry knit Gwyn’s brow. “I’ll go stay with Mama.” She turned to Phipps. “Where is my mother just now?”
Phipps was eyeing the two men with blatant curiosity. “The last time I saw her, my lady, she was in the music room.”
“Thank you, Phipps,” Gwyn said and headed for the stairs.
Perhaps Joshua was right, and everything would be fine. So why did Sheridan have this instinct telling him Vanessa’s life was at stake?
Joshua turned to Sheridan. “Ready?”
Sheridan checked the loaded pistol tucked into the fall of his trousers, and the other in the tail pocket of his coat. “Ready.”
“Give me a few minutes to get into position.”
With a terse nod, Sheridan watched as Joshua headed for the closest door leading out into the courtyard garden. He waited as long as he could bear it, then walked down the hall to his study. The door was closed, damn it.
Pasting a look of nonchalance to his face, he carefully lifted the door handle and opened the door.
He walked in to find Bonham holding Vanessa’s arm and they both stood behind the desk, looking down at something. The minute the arse saw Sheridan, he thrust a pistol to Vanessa’s head. “Your wife already took me for a fool. So I suggest you do not.”
Sheridan’s heart damned near stopped right there. “I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said hoarsely. He stared into Vanessa’s frightened eyes and gave her a speaking look he hoped she understood.
I won’t let him hurt you. I’d rather die first. I love you.
God, how he wished he’d said the words sooner.
“Pull the door to,” Bonham said. “I don’t want some servant witnessing our conversation.”
Sheridan did as Bonham said, although he itched to throw himself across the desk and get his hands around Bonham’s throat instead. But Bonham’s position meant he could shoot Vanessa with deadly accuracy, while Sheridan risked hitting her if he fired a shot. Given the bodies the man had left behind him, Bonham wouldn’t hesitate to do it, either. Sheridan couldn’t endanger her.Wouldn’tendanger her.
That was why when Sheridan saw Joshua appear through the glass of the French doors behind Bonham, it was not a relief. “What do you want?” Sheridan said. “I won’t let you take her.” He shook his head as if to emphasize the words, and Joshua nodded to show he understood Sheridan’s signal that it wasn’t safe to shoot Bonham. Yet.
“You have no choice,” Bonham said. “She’ll be fine as long as you don’t follow us. As soon as I get clean away, I’ll release her. You have my word.”
“The word of a thief. What good is that?”
“I knew it!” Bonham hissed. “Your wife denied the possibility that you had caught on to my financial indiscretions, but once I saw her notes, I knew she was lying.”
“I didn’t catch on to anything,” Sheridan said. “Vanessa did. She’s a clever sort, my wife.”
“She’ll be adeadclever sort if you don’t let us leave. Now!” He started dragging her around the desk, while Sheridan’s heart dropped into his stomach.
