Page 83 of The Duke of Lies
“Unless you’d rather not. I’d like to find something special to surprise Beau. I’d invite him to come with us, but he is with his tutor. I hope you don’t mind that I didn’t interrupt him to come down to see you.” She didn’t think her father would care one way or the other, and she didn’t want Beau in his presence ever again.
“I’m just surprised.” He rose from the chair and smoothed his coat. “We can take my chaise.”
She bit her tongue before she could ask what else Beaumont Tower had purchased for him. “Splendid. I’ll just fetch my hat and gloves and meet you in the entry hall.” She swept from the drawing room and hurried upstairs, where she found Diana and quickly told her what had transpired.
“I’ll have them find you on Bond Street when they’ve finished,” Diana said. “Don’t worry about Beau,” she said softly, casting her gaze at where he sat drawing a picture. “I’ll take good care of him.”
Verity touched her hand. “I know you will.”
“Who would have thought that between our fathers, yours would be the one to commit a crime?” Diana shook her head in disbelief. “My money would always have been on mine.”
Verity kissed Beau good-bye and dashed back downstairs, where she met her father with a false smile and a belly full of anxiety.
* * *
The burlierof the two Bow Street Runners opened the door of the coach. “Come on out.”
Kit blinked into the bright sunlight as he stepped onto the street. “Where are we?”
“The residence of Mr. Horatio Kingman.”
Kit pivoted and took in the charming façade of the town house. The number twenty-two stared boldly at him from the brick, and the code in the ledger was suddenly clear. He had to assume that Verity, his brilliant love, had puzzled it out.
“Why did you bring me here?” When they’d loaded him into the wagon, they’d only said his presence was required somewhere.
“Your day is about to improve,” the bulkier of the two Runners said enigmatically, leading Kit to the front door, where it was quickly opened by a butler who admitted them inside.
“Follow me,” the butler said nervously as he guided them through the small house to the rear, where a door opened out onto a stone patio. Beyond was a square patch of garden, which was currently in a state of disorder as no fewer than four noblemen dug in the dirt.
Simon looked up from where he wielded his shovel and grinned. “The conquering hero returns.”
“I’m no hero.” Kit looked at his escorts in question, still confused as to what was going on. “Why am I here?”
“We’ll let Lord Carlyle explain.” The leaner Runner pointed to a rather tall fellow standing off to the side of the garden.
Kit edged toward Simon. “What are you doing in Horatio’s garden?”
“Digging for treasure,” Simon said. “Allow me to present Lord Carlyle, a former constable who has graciously provided his assistance today. You will owe him a great deal.”
Kit pivoted toward the side of the garden where Carlyle stood with another man. Judging from his garb, he looked to be a groom. He also looked to be rather defeated given the downward cast of his eyes and the slump of his shoulders.
“We aren’t digging for treasure, of course,” Carlyle said evenly. “We’re exhuming the body of Rufus Beaumont.”
Kit sucked in a breath and turned his head toward the…grave. “How do you know he’s there?”
Carlyle indicated the man beside him. “This is Luton, Mr. Kingman’s head groom. Six and a half years ago, he arranged for a criminal organization known as the Blades—whose symbol we found in your former steward’s ledger—to intimidate the Duke of Blackburn. It seems Mr. Kingman didn’t like the man’s rakehell behavior and sought to ensure he changed his ways.”
Kit could understand Horatio’s motivation but wanted to clarify the man’s intent. “Intimidate him or kill him?”
“Apparently the objective was to intimidate, but according to Luton, the Blades claim he changed his mind and asked for them to kill him. They’ve been extorting money from Mr. Kingman ever since.”
“Why would they bury him here?” Kit suspected he knew the answer, but wanted the full story from Carlyle.
“To ensure Mr. Kingman’s compliance. If he failed to meet their demands, they needed only to point the authorities to the garden for proof of the man’s crime. And as I’ve explained, he had motive.”
“I had motive too.” Kit gestured toward the groom. “Will this man’s story be enough?”
“I believe so. Which is why I asked the Runners to bring you here. You can’t very well have murdered the duke. You’ve never even been to London, have you?”
