Page 72 of Lady Louisa and the Carriage Clock
“Are you all right, Louisa?” Lord Wycliffe made to move toward her, his gaze intent on her face as she could only nod in response.
“Stop right there,” Lord Kettering said, pointing his gun at the viscount.
“This makes no sense,” Cecil replied with a frown. “What can you hope to accomplish? I’ve already alerted Lord Sidmouth that the clock identifies you as the third founder of the RA, Lord Kettering.”
The other man chuckled. “That’s where you’re wrong, Lord Wycliffe.”
“Give me the gun, darling,” his wife said, her voice coaxing. “I know you don’t like the sight of blood.”
Kettering handed over the gun.
“Before you kill me,” Cecil said to Lord Kettering, “I need to know who murdered my brother.”
The man replied with a shrug, “I have no idea.”
“It was no one of any importance,” Lady Kettering said with a low laugh. “One of two men who we sent to take care of a problem and then were killed for the effort. Wycliffe was a threat, so he was neutralized. It’s as simple as that.”
There was a long silence. Louisa watched the emotions race across Cecil’s face: surprise and then anger.
Just then, a disturbance could be heard downstairs.
“Get down there!” Lady Kettering jerked her head at the masked man. When he had gone, she waved the pistol at Cecil. “Come closer, Lord Wycliffe, and sit next to your little friend.”
Cecil walked to sit beside Louisa on the old settee. “It will be all right, Louisa.”
“It won’t be all right, Lord Wycliffe,” Lady Kettering replied, shaking her head.
“As I said, you’re wrong. I’m not one of the founders,” Lord Kettering said musingly. “My wife is. She and I grew up near Lord Daventry. We were all playmates as children.”
“Shut up, darling,” his wife said in a steely voice.
“Don’t you want to take credit for your misdeeds, my dear?”
She turned to her husband, careful to keep her body half turned towards Louisa and Cecil. “You’re going to take all the credit, my love. Even with the clue pointing to me as Venus, these two assumed you were one of the founders. Nobody suspects me, only you.”
Lord Kettering looked confused, then alarmed by her words. “I’ll tell Sidmouth the truth!” He took a step away from his wife.
“My dear, I’m going to kill you along with our two guests. When someone arrives to put out the fire our lackeys set, I will be home in Mayfair.”
“You can’t kill me!” The man’s face turned purple with rage.
She raised the gun and aimed the weapon at his chest. “I have to.”
Lord Kettering looked at Cecil. “There’s a ledger in our home. In my study. It lists the names of all RA members and proves that my wife is one of the founders of the Rogue’s Alliance.”
Kettering then rushed toward where Cecil’s gun rested on the floor, and his wife shot him. Clutching his chest, he stumbled toward the lady, falling and bringing her to the floor with him. They rolled over once, twice, until they fell into the gaping hole in the floor. A moment later, a crash could be heard downstairs.
The viscount jumped to his feet and retrieved his gun. “Stay here, Louisa. I’ll return in a moment.”
She nodded and remained where she was. Cecil disappeared from the room, and for a while, there was silence. Then, a cacophony of sounds met her ears.
What was going on?
* * * * *
Lady Kettering had been wrong. Cecil always carried two pistols. Seated next to Louisa as he was, he would have to push her out of harm’s way when he made his move.
The scuffle between husband and wife had negated his plan.
