Page 46 of Only Pleasure Will Do

“What happened, ladies?” Reginald spoke to Daphne, whose cheeks showed streaks of tears.

A gentleman knelt before the injured girl, tending to her arm. He turned around at the interruption and started. “Dalbury, by God. Are you a ghost? The newssheets said you’d been killed.”

“Dr. Pritchett.” Dalbury stepped forward, a smile touching his lips. “Still among the living, I’m glad to say. What’s going on?” Then to the patient, “Jenny, are you all right?”

Still sobbing, Jenny shook her head.

“She took a ball through the arm, Dalbury.” The physician continued to wipe away the blood that seeped from the angry-looking wound. “She’s lost a bit of blood, but it went all the way through. If I can get the bleeding to stop, she’ll likely be just fine.”

Reginald drew closer, fearing the worst. “Who did this, Jenny?”

“Mr. Redmond.” She sobbed again. “I’d come down early this morning to go to the privy, and when I came out, Mr. Redmond was standing on the porch, holding a pistol to Madam Vestry’s head.”

Rage mixed with stark fear streaked through Reginald. He’d known from the beginning that Redmond had wished to kill Maddy. Now he would do it, and Reginald was powerless to stop him.

“When he saw me, he turned and fired at me. I jumped aside, or he’d have killed me.” Jenny winced, her face pale as Pritchett wound a bandage tightly around her arm.

“Did you see anything that can tell us where he’s taken her?”

“They got into a fancy black carriage with an older gentleman in it. He was a customer of mine a while back. Lord Edgemont.”

“Edgemont.” Dalbury stilled. “He’s returned from Scotland, then. How could he condone this behavior in his son? Why would they take Amorina, unless to turn her in to the authorities?”

“When did this happen, Jenny?” Reginald fought to contain his excitement. Perhaps Maddy was even now at the station.

“Early, sir.” Jenny flinched as Pritchett tied off the bandage. “Sun wasn’t up but a little bit. Middling bright I’d say.”

He’d take a guess at seven o’clock. “Then we should go to Bow Street.” Reginald rose, something like relief spreading through him. “If they’ve taken her there, the Runners will hold her—safe, thank God—until I arrive and tell them truth—that you and Katarina were not killed in the blast.”

“They don’t know that, do they?” Dalbury’s face grew grim. “No one knows. The damned broadsheets all say I’ve been killed.” He stared bleakly into Reginald’s face. “And that’s what Edgemont believes too. That Amorina has killed his godson.”

“Christ.” The implication in Dalbury’s voice was clear and chilling. “He’s not going to turn her over to the authorities, is he?”

“Probably not. Edgemont can be a hard, vindictive man. His son is very like him in that respect.” Dalbury headed for the door. “We’ve got to find him and show him I’m alive. That’s the only thing that will keep him from carrying out the justice he thinks she deserves. The justice his son is trying to force on her for her part in saving Katarina last year.”

“Where does he live?” They’d reached the yard and unhitched their horses.

“In London, he usually stays at the townhouse in Mayfair. We’d better try there. Even now it may be too late.” The marquess swung up onto his chestnut stallion and tapped his flank. The horse shot away down the cobbled lane.

Anger raging through his body, Reginald vaulted into the saddle and pushed Marlow into a dead run. Edgemont and Redmond had better hope they’d not been hasty in meting out a punishment to Maddy. An officer of the court didn’t take the law into his own hands, but in this case, he was a gentleman first, an officer second, and the courts be damned.

The wrath of God was about to descend on their heads and no court in the land could help them if they’d in any way harmed that woman.