Page 78 of Black Widow

“We could try and gather a group of men with axes,” Clarke said, speaking for the firsttime.

“I doubt you’d find enough that wouldn’t run for cover if they saw such a thing in the flesh—or clay as it were,” Lord Worthingsaid.

“We only need a few bravesouls.”

Amelia swung to face him. “A few? My Lord, we need anarmy.”

“Which conveniently we have,” he pointed out. “Between the two of us we employ enough servants to make a stand against a besieging army, but we won’t need them to fight. I have something else inmind.”

He glanced at Mrs. Spencer, unsure if he could trust her enough to detail his plans in herpresence.

She seemed to understand his reservations. “What about me? Are you going to have me hung? Or burned at the stake?” she askedbluntly.

Gideon and Amelia exchanged a glance. Part of him wanted to absolve the witch. If not for Sir Clarence, she wouldn’t have ended up on this twisted path. But if he was reading her reactions correctly she had taken some pleasure in casting her nefarious spells. She wasn’t remorseful for the damage she had inflected—only for gettingcaught.

Amelia watched him with her hands folded in her lap. Like the others, she waited for hisdecree.

Despite being a former spy, Gideon had never had to decide a person’s fate before. He had been a soldier in a way, one who carried out the orders and directives of his superiors—even when he’d been forced tokill.

As an earl, he would eventually make decisions that would profoundly affect the lives of hundreds of people, but this was the first and most direct application of the power of histitle.

He made eye contact with Clarke, who seemed to understand hisdilemma.

“You can’t stay in England,” he saidfinally.

Mrs. Spencer paled. “You’re having metransported?”

His nod was short and sharp. “A woman of your abilities will survive well enough on her own in the colonies or Australia. I will even provide you with a small sum to get started—but you can’t stay here. And don’t even think about trying to evade the authorities. Through your actions, you caused the death of at least one innocent man, perhaps more if we investigate what you and Clarence got up totogether.”

She opened her mouth, her gaze shifting between him and Amelia as if to remind him that he had her now because Martin was gone, but she wisely chose not tospeak.

“I want to leaveimmediately.”

Naturally. So long as the wild golem was at large, she’d be safer putting an ocean between her andit.

“As you wish,” he said before signaling to the others that it was time todepart.

He had a trap tobait.

Chapter 29

“This will never work,”Amelia said, lacing up her loosest corset on Gideon’stiger.

“You’re supposing this creature has good eyesight,” Gideon pointed out. “We don’t know it does. And it only needs to be convincing for a fewmoments.”

He patted John on the arm. “Don’t worry. You’ll not be in any realdanger.”

Young John nodded stoically, putting up a brave front that Amelia saw through. The poor boy wastrembling.

They were at Lilywood Cottage, Gideon’s small property in Devon. It lay a few miles away from the ruins of the Abbey, where Gideon had laid histrap.

“Now, tell me again your role so I know you’veunderstood.”

John’s arms hung awkwardly at his sides. He looked so ill at ease in her gown Amelia wanted to tell him she would be the lure in their scheme, but she knew better than to try. Gideon refused to allow her to take part, and she was tired of arguing withhim.

The entire ordeal had been so draining that Amelia had spent most of the time since arriving in Dorsetsleeping.

John recited his instructions as if they were a school lesson. “I keep my wig and cloak on at all times and don’t show too much of my face at any of the windows. The men outside will light torches all around. At your signal, they’re going to fall back and pretend they’ve seen it somewhere off the grounds. Ifitcomes the men hidden in the house will run out with their long hammers, forcing the creature to one of the weak spots in the floor. I must stay on the other side of one of these so it will try to cross and fallthrough.”

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