Page 49 of Code Name Duchess
She may take pleasure and comfort, knowing that her uncle will one day soon pay for his part in the scheme. His debt is still owed, and we will come collecting.
His plan, it must be said, was sound. If not for the unfortunate turn of events involving the authorities, everybody involved would’ve gotten what they wanted. You and Miss Keating would’ve been reunited with your siblings, and Mr. Keating and I would’ve split the ransom money—as was his plan.
Have I said too much? Were you, Miss Keating, not aware that this was your uncle’s plan? That it was his idea to elicit a ransom from His Grace? My dear wife always says, dirty deeds made in the dark one day come to light. But as I said, Mr. Keating’s debt will be paid one way or the other.
Please give my warmest regards to Mr. Henderson and his incapable Bow Street Runners. It is always a pleasure to outwit them at every turn.
The letter was signed with his name, Elton. Winnifred stared at the letters as they danced before her.
“My uncle? Am I to understand that my uncle was involved in all of this?” She looked up at Seth, who stood and stared at her stony-faced.
“It seems that way, Winnie. I can see no reason why Elton would implicate your uncle if he were entirely innocent. It does make sense. He asked Leo for money time and again, and Leo refused. And it was he, was it not, who suggested taking money from the business to pay for the ransom?”
Winnifred head nodded up and down slowly in agreement.
Seth is right. This is precisely the kind of thing my uncle would be involved in. Thus far, the family has always paid his debts. Whenever he came calling, my father tended to all of his needs. And Leo carried on the tradition. Until he decided that it was too much, we could not continue to pay for Uncle Ezekiel’s poor judgment. It is ironic—it seems we ended up paying the ultimate price anyway.
“That is why he lied to me about knowing Elton. That is why he came here earlier, so distraught about the exchange going wrong. Because he knows that they will still go for him. They may have killed Leo and not received a ransom, but they will come after my uncle and get what he owes them.”
She shook her head, mortified at the idea that her uncle would come here for selfish reasons and not because he was genuinely worried about Leo.
“He will not get away with this.” Seth said, determination in his voice. “The actions he took are punishable by law. And we will make sure that he answers for his crimes. I will make sure this happens.”
Suddenly Winnifred felt a wave of rage overtake her. She raised her head at Seth and narrowed her eyes.
“He will pay. I will make him pay. I will go to Clerkenwell right now, and I will watch them take him away and lock him up. I will watch him when he realizes that his partner in crime has sold him out.”
She curled her hands into fists, stamping a foot on the marbled floor as her face turned redder and redder.
She knew perfectly well that the feeling of rage was the only thing keeping her from crumbling to the floor with the knowledge that her brother was dead. But she could not think of that. She knew the moment she stopped, the moment she pushed away from the anger, there would be nothing left but misery. She would not be able to do anything, she would not be able to do so much as move. Now, she could not allow herself to think about Leo’s fate. First, she had to avenge him.
* * *
Victoria stared up at the canopy above her bed, the special tea containing laudanum on the nightstand by her bed, but she hadn’t drunk it yet. She knew the moment she did she would be taken away into a peaceful, soft version of this world where she would not have to think about her brother.
Initially, this was exactly what she craved—an escape. She wouldn’t have to consider her actions, she would not have to think about her uncle’s cruel words.
Everything would be silent and soft and sweet. But now, Victoria wanted to delay that glorious feeling, for she did not feel she deserved it at all.
I don’t even deserve Winnifred’s kindness. The kindness I hadn’t expected, and if it had come at a less vulnerable time, I might have had to fight her on it, and told her that I could speak for myself and I did not need my older sister to stand up for me against my uncle. But I am weak. I am the weakest I have ever been. All I could do was stand and allow my uncle to tell me how foolish I have been and how I had ruined everything. Because I know that I have. And then there was Winnifred, defending me. Me. The sister she despised hours ago.
She curled her fingers around her blanket and tucked it closer against her chin. She wanted to hide from the world, and at the same time, she did not. In addition to feeling as though she did not deserve release, she did not wish to be in an altered state of reality when the letter came announcing her brother’s fate.
Surely, they would have to hurry. The gang would be eager to make another exchange attempt. They would want the money. And she needed to be clear-headed for this. Not that she would be able to do much—she had been entirely honest when she told her sister she was in no condition to take any actions on her own. Too overwhelming was the sense of guilt she experienced at her role in the undoing of her sister’s carefully laid plan.
She wished herself away when suddenly her door flew open, and Winnifred raced in. Her sister’s face was red, and her hair stood up on the side of her head.
“Winnie? What has occurred?”
Her sister said nothing. Instead, she handed a letter to Victoria. Her heart sank immediately, for she knew what it was. The answer from the gang leader, Elton. Hurriedly she picked it up and scanned it, and as the words sunk in, she realized the truth, and her heart broke.
“He is dead? No, it cannot be. Not my brother. It has only been hours since Vauxhall Gardens. They cannot mean it. This must be a ruse of some kind.”
“There is no reason for them to lie. Leo is gone. At the hands of our uncle! Our uncle, Victoria. We must bring him to justice, and we must do it now. Before our grief overtakes us.”
Victoria sat on her bed and stared at the letter, which she had placed on her legs. She shook her head. “No… No, no…”
Winnifred jumped on the bed and shook her hard, so hard Victoria could do nothing but limply raise her head and stare at her sister, who glared at her with determination in her eyes.
