Page 25 of Noble Scoundrel

He crossed to sit at the foot of the bed. His nose wrinkled in distaste. “What is that awful smell?”

“A poultice Mr. Hale insisted on applying to my injuries. Hopefully, the smell will dissipate soon.”

With a nod of assurance, Frederick noted, “I knew he’d be the right person to help us.”

“It was a good decision to bring us here,” she acknowledged, “but now we need to be returning home.”

When her brother straightened his spine, she realized they were about to have an argument.

“Maybe we shouldn’t?”

Katherine arched a brow. She had no idea what her brother was suggesting exactly, but she could see by his manner that he was completely in earnest.

“What do you mean? Of course we should go home.”

Her brother’s eyes darkened. “There were a few details about the initial kidnapping I didn’t relate to you. I couldn’t properly fit them into the puzzle, so I left them out until their existence made more sense.”

She’d suspected he’d been holding something back. “And now they do?”

He nodded. “The abduction by the criminal gang was clearly random. But the first pair I encountered that night—the men who locked me in the cupboard—their motive was very different. They had not been part of Bricken’s gang,” he continued. “Their manner of dress, their dialect, their modus operandi...all different, not to mention the distance I walked after escaping them. They operated in a different neighborhood from Bricken. A different territory.” He paused. “I didn’t mention this before, but while I was locked in the cupboard, I was able to listen in on much of their conversation.”

Despite the dread rising inside her, Katherine remained still and patient. Frederick often took his time explaining something, but only because he felt every detail to be important. Most often, it was.

“After they’d gotten me to the inn, they’d sent a message to someone. They were awaiting his arrival when I escaped.” His expression hardened and for a moment he looked a great deal older than his years. “Kit, the abduction wasn’t random. Someone had hired them to take me. Me, specifically.”

In the days since she’d gotten Frederick back and heard his initial telling of what had happened, Katherine had done her best to make sense of it all. Although she’d come to the same conclusion about the encounter with the criminal gang, the only explanation she’d managed for the initial kidnapping was that it had been for ransom. Anyone who’d glanced at Frederick would have recognized his affluence. The two men who’d come upon him alone at night had likely just seized upon the opportunity.

But what her brother just said strongly contradicted that theory. “And today,” she noted, “was another attempt.”

Frederick nodded. “I believe so. But I cannot figure out who would do such a thing and what exactly they’d hope to accomplish with my abduction. Although it could have been as simple as a targeted kidnapping for ransom, there is a possibility my death was their ultimate intent.”

Katherine’s heart dropped like a stone to her stomach before rising again to get caught in her throat. The idea of anyone wanting her uniquely clever, compassionate brother dead was unbelievable. It couldn’t possibly be true.

“Why would they have gone to the trouble of taking you captive?” she argued. “Wouldn’t it have made more sense for them to have taken care of the...task right away if that was their intention?”

She couldn’t believe they were actually discussing such a possibility.

Frederick, bless him, didn’t seem bothered by the subject any more than he would have been by any puzzle he hadn’t yet solved. “I thought of that as well. The only answer is that the person who hired them wanted to be an eyewitness to my demise. Perhaps for assurance...or because the matter is of a personal nature.”

Katherine shook her head in fierce denial. “No one on earth could have such cause.”

Dark solemn eyes met hers. “Our guardian.”

As their late grandfather’s younger brother, the Marquess of Warfield wasn’t only their guardian, he was also the next in line to inherit the dukedom and would undoubtedly benefit the most from Frederick’s death.

“But Warfield has been abroad for years and has made it quite clear that he has no intention of ever returning to England.”

Frederick’s gaze became troubled and wary as his expression tensed with frustration. “If it’s not him, then what else could possibly be gained by such actions? And who else would have cause to instigate them?”

Katherine suddenly recalled the image of the tall man in the black greatcoat and top hat. How he’d seemed to be watching them only moments before they were set upon in their carriage. Had his interest been a simple coincidence or could the dark stranger be linked to the attacks?

When she’d seen him, she’d had a subtle sense of recognition, but he was far too young to be the marquess.

“If it’s not a play for the inheritance, then what could the motivation be?” Frederick asked quietly as though voicing his thoughts without realizing it. “I suppose we cannot ignore the possibility that you are the true target. They might have taken me to get to you for some reason.” He made a sound of frustrated disgust as he shoved a hand back through his tousled hair. “There are too many unknowns. Too much that doesn’t make sense.”

Katherine placed her hand on his shoulder to draw his focus back to her. “Listen to me. Whatever is behind this threat, we will sort it out together. Haven’t we always done that? No problem has ever been too great for the two of us.”

Her brother stared at her for a long moment, and she was reminded of the fact that, although he was more intelligent than anybody she’d ever met, he was still just a boy who had gone through a great deal over the last several months.

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