tore open the note, his eyes quickly scanning the contents.

It was from Milly.

You said I did not trust you with the truth before. Said you would have helped me. Well, I am asking for that help now. Meet me at the cemetery, you know where.

He armed himself and left the house. Looking skyward, he saw the day was not far advanced, as it had been the morning four years ago when she had left him. He rode through the streets to the cemetery, and tethered his horse.

He had handled everything badly after he had made love to Milly. He should have told her what lay in his heart; instead he had been brusque and said nothing. In fact, he had behaved earlishly, as Charles had accused him of doing. He had been a coward, hiding his emotions behind the man he had always been, but no longer.

He felt his heart beat faster in his chest as he walked through the gates. This time it would be different; she would never leave him again. Not now, not with his love for her consuming him.

“You came.”

She appeared in front of him as before, cloaked and with her face concealed by the hood.

“Surely you did not doubt that.” Joseph stepped closer. He cupped her cheeks and kissed her hard. “I love you, Milly. Not the gentle love of before. This hurts. It is both light and dark, and fills every place inside me. I would not survive were you to leave me now.”

She sniffed loudly and he watched as the first tears fell.

“I should have told you that day after we made love. Forgive me.”

“Oh, Joseph.”

“Oh, Joseph, I love you too?” he asked.

“How can you doubt it?” Her words were angry now. “It consumes me, this love I feel for you. ‘Tis most unpleasant.”

He rested his forehead on hers as he laughed.

“God, you are wonderful. Never leave me, Milly. Promise me that if nothing else.”

“I promise.”

Their kiss was soft and lingering.

“Now explain yourself, woman. Why am I here and not in my bed, dreaming of you?”

“I could not speak of it at my house, in case my aunt should overhear. I had no wish to frighten her.”
“Overhear what?
“Him, that man who drove me away. He confronted me yesterday.”

“Where?”

“I-I received word about a woman. She was supposedly alone, and in desperate need of my support. I went, and he was there. He grabbed me, and I recognized him as a man I saw at the opera that night.”

“God’s blood. Don’t tell me you went alone to see her.”

Her silence was confirmation of her guilt.

“Christ, Milly!”

“Now is not the time for that. I escaped, no more need be said on the matter. Now it’s time to get this fiend who is behind our torment, and punish him.”

“Amen,” Joseph whispered as he pulled her into his arms and held her close. He breathed in the woman who was now his life. His one and only love.

“He told me that I was repayment of a debt and that he had waited four years for me. H-he said he would hurt you and my aunt if I did not yield.”

“But you did not run this time. Instead, you came to me. Good girl.”

“I don’t want to be parted from you again. I realized that last night as I lay in my bed thinking about you. I could not bear it, Joseph.

“We will never be parted again, love. I promise.”

He eased back and held her before him, his eyes running over the features he now knew as well as his own. She was his now, to hold and protect, his to love.

“No!”

He heard a gunshot, and then Milly’s anguished cry. Suddenly fire burned through his shoulder.

“Joseph, don’t leave me!”

“Milly.” He tried to reach for her, but instead fell to the ground. His head connected with a stone, and then he knew nothing.

 

Joseph woke slowly. He was cold, and yet fire burned in his arm. Rolling over, he attempted to gather his wits.

“Milly!” With the return of his memory came ice-cold fear. He remembered her desperate cry for him, but he could do nothing but slump to the ground.

Dear God, where was she? Struggling to his feet, he braced himself on her mother’s grave. Someone was going to pay for this! Pay dearly, and with their life. He would not live without her again.

After inhaling several deep breaths, he felt his head clear. He touched the arm that burned, and his fingers came away sticky with blood.

“I will find her,” he whispered to Milly’s mother. Then he walked to the entrance, his legs suddenly steady. Monty was thankfully where he’d left him. He managed to climb on, using the wall, and then they were galloping along the streets he had ridden this morning.

The weak sun had risen higher, which told him the day was advancing toward midmorning. He believed Milly would be safe until he reached her, had to believe that the man responsible would not harm her after four years of waiting.

He could not ride after them, as he did not know where they’d gone, and was not foolish enough to do so in his condition, no matter how much the idea of delay chafed him.

“Stay strong, my love.”

Would she believe him dead? Had she tried to rouse him? Joseph could only imagine the terror that gripped her at leaving him.

“I’m going to kill you,” he rasped softly. “Kill you for her pain, and mine.”

He rode up to his front door, and dismounted. The fire in his shoulder merely spurred him on. He would have Milly in his arms by nightfall, Joseph vowed silently.

“Wake my brothers, and send word for Lord Thurston to come here at once. Send word to Bow Street to a Mr. Brown, and have him come as fast as he can. Tell him the situation is grave.”

“At once, my lord.” His butler’s eyes passed over him. “You are injured, Lord Ellsworth?”

“I am, but I have no time to call for a doctor. Have Mrs. Trotts brought to my rooms, and tell her I have been shot in the arm.”

Gilbert paled, but he rallied.

“I will see to it at once, my lord.”

“Lord Ellsworth, I must speak with you urgently.”

Turning on his heel, he watched the form of Mr. Spriggot appear through his front door. He had hired him on his return to London, to investigate the man who had forced Milly to run four years ago. He had wanted someone to pay for her pain and suffering.

“Follow me then, sir, as I have no time to stand still. Lady Millicent is in danger, and I must prepare to go to her.”

He walked to his rooms with the man on his heels. There, he found Nibbly.

“Clothes, Nibbly, and washing water. Mrs. Trotts is about to appear, as I have a bullet in my arm that needs tending.”

Made of sterner stuff than Gilbert, Nibbly merely nodded, then started moving.

“Speak, Mr. Spriggot.”

He eased out of his jacket, and looked down at his red sleeve. Blood was dripping off his fingers and onto the carpets, so he threw down his jacket and dripped on that instead.

“I have thoroughly investigated the affairs of the late Marquess of Lawrence, Lord Ellsworth. I found only one name of concern, and that was a Mr. George. It seemed he had several business dealings with Lord Lawrence, and then a large sum of money was passed from him to Lord Lawrence.”

“Mr. George,” Joseph said. “Why is it I know that name?”

“What has happened?” His brothers burst into the room, with Charles in the lead. Rory was alert and dressed. Charles wore a robe and appeared sleepy-eyed.

“Milly has been taken. We were at the cemetery.”

“Christ, Joseph, is that blood?” Rory moved closer.

“It is, and I need you to help me remove my waistcoat and shirt, as here comes Mrs. Trotts to look at it.”

“My lord.”

The woman was stout and capable and had been his cook for more years than he could count, and his father’s before that. She carried a small box, and behind her followed a maid with a pot of boiling water and rags.

“If you’ll please sit.”

He did so.

“Go and dress,” he directed Charles. “Then retrieve my pistols, and the money from the drawer in my study. It is locked and here is the key.”

After he had left he addressed Mr. Spriggot. “I have little time to waste, as I need to find Milly. So speak, sir.”

Surprisingly, he felt calm. She would be safe until he got to her, he had to believe that, and he also knew he had to be prepared to save her. Riding in alone and injured would help no one, so prepare he would, no matter how much he hated the delay.

“I located this Mr. George. He has a large gambling establishment known simply as George’s. It is frequented by many, some of whom are nobility. He is a man with a great deal of wealth, none of which he attained through fair dealings.”

“I have heard of him,” Rory said. “He has a fierce reputation.”

Mr. Spriggot nodded. “Indeed he does. There have been many reports of people simply disappearing, and all the information I could glean pointed to Mr. George.”

“And this man has Milly,” Joseph growled.

“I need every man in this household who is strong and can fire a gun, Nibbly. See they are armed and ready to leave soon. Have Gilbert call my carriage, they will travel in that.”

Mrs. Trotts dug out the bullet and stitched his arm, and then doused it in alcohol, which made him curse. She then pasted something over that and bandaged the lot.

“Now then, my lord. You’ll drink this to stave off infection and ease the pain.”

“But it will not make me tired?”

She shook her head, and held out the cup. He drank it, then dressed. Minutes later, he was in his front entrance as Louis arrived.

Rory filled him in as they all mounted. His footmen climbed into his carriage, and soon they were off.

“We will get her back safe, Joseph,” Louis said.

He did not reply; instead he focused on the woman he loved. Without her, his future would be bleak. When she’d left him last time he had hurt, but this time he would be broken.

 

Milly lay on a soft bed, beneath a blanket. She had woken a few minutes ago, but as yet had not moved for fear she would empty the contents of her stomach. She felt nauseous and unsteady.

“Joseph.” The whisper was agonized. Was he dead? No, she would not allow herself to believe it, no matter how still he had looked. She had tried to evade the men who held her, to go to his side, but could not. When the order had come to finish Joseph off, she had screamed and kicked, using anything she could to escape. She had made so much noise that they had left the cemetery before someone heard her. At least in that she had succeeded. They had not shot Joseph again.

He would come for her, she had to believe that. Had to believe she would see him again, because they had come too far to be stopped now, just when their happiness was within their grasp.

“Please be alive, my love.”

Easing upright, Milly swung her legs to the edge of the bed. Breathing slowly allowed her head to settle enough so she could look around the room she was in. They had drugged her to get her inside, and she had been unable to do anything to stop them.

It was large and ostentatious. Bawdy was another word for it. Red walls, trimmed in gold, and the fourth was a mirror. Thick rugs covered the floor, and the furniture consisted of two chaises, upholstered in red, with gold and black legs. A black desk sat under the window.

Pushing off the bed, she got to her feet, bracing a hand on the bedpost.

“Bastard,” she hissed as her head spun. “I’ll make sure you pay for what you have done to us.”

Anger gave her strength. Walking slowly around the room, she found water and splashed it over her face. Feeling steadier and stronger, she continued to walk. The windows showed her a view of the street below, and she did not recognize anything. A large brick building stood opposite, and down the street, several stores, but again, none she had frequented.

Below her, several well-dressed men entered the building she was in.

“Where am I?”

Moving to the door, she tried the handle but it was locked, as she’d known it would be. The next thing she did was search for a weapon. Anything to arm herself for a chance to escape. She would not hesitate to maim, if it gained her release, and she could find her way back to Joseph.

The sound of footsteps had her hurrying back to the bed. Lying on it, she pulled up the blankets and closed her eyes.

“She still sleeps. Are you sure you did not give her too much?”

The voice was gruff and not that of the man at the cemetery.

“He’ll not be pleased if she does not wake soon. He’s plans for her.”

One of the men laughed, and it was not a pleasant sound.

“I know all about those plans. He’s been hatching them for years.”

“Four years is a long time to wait for a woman, but I’d say this one’s worth it. She’s a looker all right.”

The voices receded, and Milly heard the key turn in the lock. Climbing off the bed, she moved to a delicate chair and picked it up. Lifting it high, she threw it down on the rug. It didn’t make a loud noise, but it achieved the desired effect, and she had a weapon. Gripping the leg, she moved to the door once more.

This time she was fighting for what she wanted, and that was a life with Joseph. No one would stop her.

 

George’s gambling establishment ran the length of three warehouses, and over several floors. A large sign had the name on the front, and beneath stood groups of men about to enter.

They had ridden grim-faced across London and left their horses a short distance away, not wanting to alert anyone they were approaching.

“I’ve been inside this place before.”

Joseph looked at his younger brother. “I beg your pardon?”

Charles waved a hand. “I did not lose my shirt, so calm your fears, brother. It was with some friends, and we merely wished to see what it was about. It is indeed an impressive establishment. George’s offers everything. Woman, wine, and gambling, and a truly superb cut of beef.”

“Food,” Joseph grunted. “I should have known that was the draw for you.”

Looking up at the façade, he knew she was inside. He could feel her? Was that even possible? Was she so much a part of him now that he knew when she was near?

“No risks, Joseph.”

“I will risk what needs to be risked for her, Louis.”

“I understand that more than most, as your sister is my life. But, for this to succeed, you must think with your head, not your heart.”

Joseph nodded. There was sense in the words, however, he was driven by his heart to get to Milly.

“Mr. Brown, if you will take my footmen and go to the rear of the building, there will be a way inside. Please find it.”

“Very well, my lord.”

He watched the men leave. They wandered to the end of the building and then disappeared.

“I want none of you endangered,” Joseph said to his brothers. “Take no risks.”

They all nodded.

“And now we will enter through the front door.”

“He’ll recognize us,” Rory said.

“Yes, but not immediately, one hopes,” Louis said. “Especially if he believes Joseph dead or badly wounded.”

“Good evening, gentlemen.”

The man on the door nodded, but did not appear to recognize them. Was it possible that George had not put his men on alert? Did he believe Joseph dead?

Inside was grand on every scale, and a hive of noise and industry. Calls were made, bets laid, and women moved around providing encouragement or handing out drinks. Voices rose and fell as they moved deeper onto the floor. Joseph looked for doors or a way upstairs, and found it to his right.

Heading that way, he wove through the patrons, after signaling to Charles to stay and keep watch. He made the first floor, and then the second, before they were spotted.

“This floor is not for gambling. Please return to the lower floors.”

“I think not.” Rory moved forward, and before the man could react he was crumpled to the floor.

“What the hell was that?” Joseph asked his brother.

“I learned that a few weeks ago from a man I met. He is from China. Handy type of fellow.”

Shaking his head, Joseph took out his pistol and stepped over the fallen man.

They met two more men, and took care of both. After checking rooms and not finding Milly, they moved up to the next floor. Reaching the top step, he heard a moan. It was the sound a man in pain made. He ran in that direction and found an open door. Stepping inside, he saw Milly. She held a chair leg in her hand, and had already felled one man. Another was advancing on her.

Joseph raised his pistol as she saw him, and lowered it on the man’s head.

“Joseph!” Dropping the chair leg, she launched herself at him. He caught her. “I knew you would not be dead. I would have felt it!” Joseph held her as she sobbed into his chest.

“It’s all right now, love.” His relief at finding her safe was absolute. “Come now, we must leave here before more men come.”

She lifted tear-drenched eyes to him.

“I am so glad you are not dead.”

“As am I, sweetheart.” He kissed her, hard and swift.

“I don’t know where I am.” She stepped back, but only far enough to clutch his hand. “Are you hurt? I saw you fall?”

“My shoulder, but it is all right—”

“He shot your shoulder. I shall kill him for that!” Her blue eyes spat sparks on his behalf.

“I think there may be a queue for that, my sweet.”

“He is a cur, Joseph, and has meddled in our lives for far too long.”

“I wholeheartedly agree with you, Milly. However, I believe now would be a prudent time to leave... with some haste.” Louis spoke the words over his shoulder.

“Oh yes, forgive me. I am just so happy to see Joseph.” Her smile was blinding.

“Retain that thought, love. Now put on your cloak, and we shall leave.”

She did quickly, and then took the hand he held out to her.

The hallway was clear, and they made it down the first set of steps. Reaching the end of the second, he found four men with pistols raised. The man in the front was the one he wanted.