Ephraim emerged from his chambers after several days of keeping to himself. Having feigned a complaint of the chest, no one had sought to disturb his peace. After the events at the Houses of Parliament, he’d had a lot to think about. Each morning, he expected a letter to come from Lord Rowntree, but nothing arrived.

No news has to be good news…

After all, they had done as Lord Rowntree had asked. A simple task with a large reward. The second half of the funds had yet to appear, but Lord Rowntree had warned that it might take a week, after the fact, for the money to come to Ephraim. Still, the wait was worrying. He had a dowry to pay for. True, he had more than enough from the first instalment, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He did not wish to bankrupt himself on a single payment to the Duke of Bradford.

The house was eerily empty as he descended the stairs. His wife had gone into town with her dear friend, Lady Phyllis, and Adelaide was nowhere to be found. She had mentioned something about visiting with Jasper, which alarmed and comforted him in equal measure. Surely, Jasper would not breathe a word of what had happened? After all, his own reputation was on the line.

Two more weeks, and we shall be out of London until the summer. It cannot come soon enough.

“Your papers, My Lord,” Daniel, the butler, appeared from nowhere. He held out a silver tray with the morning’s post and newspapers upon it.

“Thank you, Daniel,” Ephraim replied. “Might you have some luncheon sent into the dining room? I did not eat much of the breakfast that was sent up, and I am positively famished.”

Daniel dipped his head. “Certainly, My Lord.”

Taking the papers and the letters, Ephraim moved down the dark-paneled hallway and turned right into the dining room. Everything had already been cleared away after breakfast, leaving the room sparse and oddly unwelcoming. Ignoring the strange feeling, Ephraim crossed the floor and sat down at the head chair.

Putting the letters to one side, he started with the newspapers. With a loud yawn, he flipped through the first few pages. Nothing really stood out that grabbed his weary attention. On the fourth page, however, he froze. His eyes darted to a headline in the right-hand corner: Member of Parliament in Unexpected Disgrace.

Feverishly, he continued to read: The Right Honorable Member of Parliament for Bath, Mr. Howard Palmer, was apprehended yesterday on a charge of embezzlement and smuggling. With strong ties to the East India Company, the news has come as a great shock to his fellow investors. He stands accused of smuggling live animals from Western Africa, and embezzling funds from the shareholders of Remington’s Spices.

He is expected to go before the magistrates on Tuesday afternoon. A deputy has been selected to stand in on Mr. Palmer’s parliamentary duties, until this matter can be resolved. That position falls to Gordon Wealdstone, Lord Rowntree, of Greater London.

Ephraim’s heart thundered in his chest as he came to the end of the brief article. He did not know this Mr. Palmer on a personal level, though he had heard the name mentioned at parliament. However, he understood his part in what had happened. The information he had gathered for Lord Rowntree had been used against Mr. Palmer, so that Lord Rowntree might find himself with a suitable seat in the House of Commons.

It was not entirely orthodox for a Lord to gain a seat in the House of Commons, but it was also not unheard of. A temporary position could easily turn into a permanent one. Lord Rowntree was gaining more power, and Ephraim had helped him do it.

For what? he thought bitterly. For the sake of a match you do not agree with? For the sake of a marriage that will only make Adelaide miserable? For a failure that you were responsible for? You were the one who put your family in this mess by speculating against Margaret’s wishes, and now you have made it worse for others, too. You silly, selfish fool.

He flipped through the rest of the newspaper, scouring every page for news of the Marquess of Tavistock. So far, there seemed to be no mention of him. Nevertheless, Ephraim got the feeling that it would not be long until the Marquess appeared on the pages. Lord Rowntree was a master of playing the long game. His patience was his virtue and his most dangerous skill.

Setting it down with shaky hands, he picked up the letters and riffled through them. One stood out. He knew before he even opened it that it had come from the devil himself. It almost seemed as though it had been timed to coincide with the news article.

He opened it out and began to read. With every word, his heart sank deeper into a pit of despair:

I hope this letter finds you well. You did a rather splendid job of dealing with the fellows at the Houses of Parliament, and I have a great deal of respect for your actions. However, I must regretfully inform you that our business agreement is not over. There is one more task that I require from you, before I will release you from the terms of our bond.

I need you to steal a golden scepter from the altar at Westminster Abbey. It belongs to the Archbishop. You cannot fail to see it upon entering the Abbey itself. I shall leave the details to you. However, I require the scepter by the end of next week. That gives you six days. I imagine that shall be more than enough.

Failure to comply with my request will result in harm towards the fairest member of your family. Lady Adelaide is a rather delightful creature. If you cannot deliver these terms, then perhaps we may come to some other arrangement regarding your sweet daughter. I am in the market for a wife.

I shall leave the decision up to you.

Best regards,

G. Wealdstone, Lord Rowntree

Tears pricked Ephraim’s eyes as he read over the letter once more. Part of him hoped the words might change, or that the entire thing was a fabrication, borne of his feverish mind. No such luck. The letter remained solid and brutal in its impact.

You have done this on purpose, you sly dog, he realized. You know that I cannot steal such a thing from the Abbey without finding myself in the dankest cell of a dingy gaol. They shall crucify me for it. It is an impossible endeavor. And yet, he knew he had to do it. He would not sacrifice his daughter’s virtue to a man like Lord Rowntree. He would rather spend the rest of his life incarcerated… which was probably a good thing, considering where the task ahead might lead him.

He understood, in that moment, that he had been woefully entrapped by Lord Rowntree. Evidently, the devil had seen Adelaide and decided she might make a nice wife. The only thing that Lord Rowntree knew was blackmail, deceit, and cruelty. He had applied all three, in an attempt to have Adelaide for himself.

You will not have her, you evil cretin. Over my dead body.

Just then, he heard the front door open and someone come into the entrance hall. He brushed the tears from his eyes and shoved the nefarious letter into his jacket pocket. He did not want his family to see him like this.

“Papa?” Adelaide called, her voice breaking his heart.

“In here, darling!”

She appeared a moment later, her cheeks flushed. “There you are. It is wonderful to see you up and about again,” she said. “Are you feeling much better?”

“Oh yes, my dear girl. I am much more like myself.”

“May I fetch anything for you?” She glanced at the empty table in front of him. “Were you expecting luncheon?”

He nodded. “Daniel has sent for something. Would you care to join me?”

“I am still fit-to-bursting from breakfast,” she replied, with a merry chuckle. “I shall be in the library if you need me. Are you sure I cannot get you anything before I go?”

He shook his head. “No, my dear girl, seeing your face is quite enough.”

“Is something the matter?” Her expression turned solemn.

“No… why would it be?”

She shrugged. “I am uncertain. You seem… out of sorts.”

“It is the last breaths of this darned cold,” he replied quickly, covering his tracks. “My eyes are terribly itchy still, and I feel as though an elephant is sitting upon my chest.” He did not tell her that his eyes itched because they were full of tears, and his chest ached because his heart was shattering before her.

“Shall I have Daniel fetch the physician?”

“No, no, I am quite well,” he assured. “I need an afternoon’s rest and I shall be as right as rain again.”

She hesitated in the doorway. “You would tell me if something was the matter, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course, I would, darling.”

“Only, I know you think you have to protect us from everything this world may throw our way,” she said softly. “And I want you to know that you do not have to face anything on your own… if there is an illness that you cannot speak of, or something else, you must tell us. You shall always have Mama and I by your side, no matter what.”

A wave of emotion crashed over him. It was all he could do not to cry in front of his daughter. Her words had touched a tender nerve, threatening to break the foundations of his strength. For a moment, he wondered if Jasper had said anything to her, but her words were too vague. She didn’t know about the fraudulent activities he’d been up to on Lord Rowntree’s behalf. He would know if she did, for he reasoned he would see the flicker of betrayal in her eyes.

“I know, my dear. I assure you, there is nothing amiss,” he said, recovering himself.

“If there is anything I may do, you must let me know. I hate to see you like this.”

He smiled. “I shall be entirely better before you know it. This luncheon shall set me right, I am certain of it.”

She giggled. “Cook’s beef stew is known to have the most remarkable restorative qualities. Although, she will not tell a soul what she puts in it.”

“I am already looking forward to it, my dear Adelaide.”

“Now, before I go to the library, I shall ask one last time,” she said. “May I do anything for you?”

“No, my dear. Go on and enjoy your afternoon.”

She hurried over to where he was sitting and kissed him gently on the cheek. With a bright smile and roses in her smooth cheeks, she darted back across the dining room and disappeared into the hallway beyond. Ephraim was alone again.

The trouble was, there was one thing she could do for him. And yet, he refused to ask. It pained him all the more to know that she would do it, if only to save her family from wrack and ruin. If he could not steal the scepter from Westminster Abbey, she would be the one to suffer for it. He would hang, yes, but Adelaide and Margaret would be the ones who remained. They would have to endure the scorn that ensued.

You have skillfully manipulated me this time, Lord Rowntree, he thought angrily.

The vile creature had evidently thought it all through. If Ephraim did not wish to go through with the act, then Adelaide would be forfeit—one way or the other. If Ephraim went through with the act and was caught in the middle of it, Adelaide would be forfeit again. She would have nowhere else to turn. Reuben would have no choice but to break off the engagement, to avoid a scandal. In the aftermath, Adelaide’s reputation would lie in tatters… because of him. If Lord Rowntree made her an offer, she would not be able to refuse it.

The only outcome in which Adelaide emerged unscathed was if he could find a way into the Abbey and steal the scepter without getting caught. A tall order, but he had to figure it out. With Adelaide’s future on the line, there had to be a way.