Page 87 of House of Thorns
Chapter Twenty-Two
Answers
Nicholas leaned against the railing, watching Lady Kendrick from under speculative brows.
Lord Randall had been hovering at her side the entire night, arriving with the woman, sitting by her side, and now, offering her a glass of red wine. He’d played the attentive fool the entire night. A plethora of others had approached the woman, of course. After all, one would expect nothing less from Glasgow’s premiere gossip. Still, while so many had exchanged words, nothing had changed hands.
Deborah made her way through the crowd, her reticule still clutched in her hand.
Then, Olivia arrived. “Nicholas,” she breathed, her green eyes wide. “It’s Lord Randall.”
“Randall?” he repeated.
“The blackmailer. It’s Lord Randall.”
The truth of it struck him, at once. Of course. Such a perfect fit for the man. Nicholas didn’t hesitate. He took the stairs at a run.
By the time he arrived at Lady Kendrick’s side, Lord Randall had left her.
“Lord Nicholas,” Lady Kendrick smiled.
Nicholas nodded and scanned the crowd. There. Near the balcony door.
He caught the man by the shoulder, just as he stepped into the night air.
Lord Randall whirled, raising his cane to strike, but years of brawling and dueling as a rake came to Nicholas’s aid. He ducked and whirled, lifting his leg to execute a vicious kick.
The cane flew from Lord Randall’s grasp as he fell, sprawling backwards onto the balcony floor.
“Are you mad, Blair?” Lord Randall spat, attempting to rise.
Nicholas was there, pinning him down with a booted foot to his throat. “You’ll pay for this.”
“Pay?” Lord Randall hissed as best he could.
“You seek to blackmail your betters, do you?” Nicholas grated. He pressed his boot harder. “Where’s the letter?”
“What letter?” Lord Randall asked, breathing heavily.
“This letter,” Olivia answered close behind.
Nicholas glanced sideways as she stepped into view, holding the silver handle of Lord Randall’s cane in her hands. From it, a roll of paper half protruded.
“A hollow cane,” Nicholas snorted. Of course. The man was a devious one, hiding the letter in plain sight.
Olivia glared. “You think to blackmail my cousin? You will pay, Lord Randall. No one interferes with Deborah’s happiness. No one.”
“She’s ruined,” Lord Randall seethed. “Soon enough—”
Nicholas silenced him with additional pressure to his foot.
“And what is this?”
Nicholas looked over just in time to witness the Duke of Lennox, plucking the letter from Olivia’s hands.
“No,” Olivia gasped, reaching for it.
Her grandfather stopped her with a deadly look, and then, Mr. Timms and his men were pushing their way through the crowd gathered at the balcony door.
“This is the man?” Mr. Timms blinked, surprised.
“Aye,” Nicholas replied with a curt nod. “Take him away.”
“Wait,” the duke hissed, holding up a hand.
Olivia made a strangled noise and again, reached for the letter, but it was too late. Clearly, the duke had seen enough.
Coldly, he approached Lord Randall. “Blackmail, is it?” Slowly, he knelt on one knee and then whispered, “I will ruin you for this, Randall.” Then, he rose to his feet and turned to Mr. Timms. “As Lord Blair says, take this bastard away.”
Olivia closed her eyes. It was over. At last.
