CHAPTER 22
Early the following morning, Graeme paced the length of the meeting room at Solomon’s. Only Jenkins and Fielding were currently there. “I promised Niall I would save them,” Graeme said. They’d called a special meeting upon Graeme and Fielding’s return from Scotland. At the moment, Vanessa and Dougal were tucked safely away at his townhome.
Jenkins nodded gravely. “His family and their safety are a priority. He was one of us.”
“Let me go,” Fielding said, coming to his feet. “I know The Raven better than anyone here. I can find his hiding place. I’ll find them and bring them out safely.” He met Graeme’s eyes, and his glance spoke of friendship and trust. “You helped me once. Let me help you this time.”
Graeme nodded. “Thank you. Now I can go and find the other stones to the Kingmaker.”
“Don’t forget that he cannot put the Kingmaker together without that third stone. If you don’t find him first, he’ll be in touch with you,” Fielding said.
“Of that you can be certain,” Jenkins said.
“Manipulative bastard,” Graeme said, then paused and glanced at Fielding.
He held up his hand. “Relation or not, you speak the truth about that man. There is no love lost between us.”
There was a moment of silence before Jenkins spoke up. “Niall was a good man—and I wish he had come to us with this matter so that we could have assisted him. I am to blame, too,” Jenkins said. “Instead of sending you to spy after him,” he said to Graeme, “I should have called him here and inquired about his well-being.” He placed a wrinkled hand on Fielding’s shoulder. “Go and find his family. The club will see that they are protected and cared for from now on.”
With that, Fielding slipped out of the room.
“I’ll send messages to Nick and Max, and I have no doubt that they will rush to your assistance,” Jenkins said.
“Have them meet me outside of The Raven’s estate in thirty minutes,” Graeme said. He turned to go, then paused. “Don’t blame yourself about Niall. I expected the worst; I doubted him as well.” Graeme shook his head. “I could have forced him to tell me, but I didn’t. But we will not fail him now.”
Vanessa had waited long enough. It was time to face her family, although she really had only come here, to her family’s London townhome, to dig through her father’s books. If she managed to do so without alerting her family to her presence, all the better.
More than likely she would have to summon Jeremy to locate the information she needed. In his telegram, it had certainly sounded as if he’d found something useful. Was it so wrong to hope that he’d conveniently left it waiting for her in her father’s study?
Her mother was alert and roaming the house, instructing the servants, sounding very much as if they were preparing for a party. Splendid.
Vanessa rounded the last corner that led to her father’s study and found no one else about. Quickly, she slipped through the open door and silently closed it behind her. She started with the books he kept behind his desk in the special case, as this was where she’d instructed Violet to look. If Jeremy had, in fact, found something useful, then chances were, it was here.
“Vanessa? Darling, is that you?” her mother said from behind her.
Vanessa whirled around to face the older woman, who stood with her hand clasping the soft yellow material of her bodice.
“Hello, Mama,” Vanessa said.
Her mother’s eyes rounded, her eyebrows lifting slightly. “That is all you can say to me?” She stepped forward. “Do you know how I have worried for you?”
“I am sorry about leaving the way I did. But I left behind a note, and I believe you received another one while I was gone,” Vanessa said. She made no move to walk to her mother, although the urge to fall into her arms weighed heavily.
Her mother straightened. “The one announcing your marriage.” She nodded, her features pensive. “To a duke, nonetheless. Well done, my dear.” But Vanessa found nothing in her mother’s tone that even hinted at pride. Evidently, though Vanessa had, in fact, married quite well, even that was not good enough for the woman.
“Mother, I really do not have time to discuss this right now.” She motioned behind her. “I’m looking for something in Father’s books. It’s quite important.”
“Yes, it is always important,” her mother said and turned to leave. Something in her tone gave Vanessa pause. It was not annoyance or impatience, but rather sadness.
Vanessa exhaled slowly. “Wait, Mama.”
“If you think I can help you with your little quest, then I’m sorry to disappoint you. But then, I never did know what to do with you.” She gave Vanessa a weak smile.
“I beg your pardon?” Vanessa asked. “I’m not certain what you mean.”
“You’ve always been so much your father’s child,” her mother rolled her eyes heavenward, “even though that stubborn fool never realized it.”
Vanessa balked, unable to believe her mother’s harsh words. The woman had never even looked askew at Vanessa’s father, let alone spoke of him in such a manner. Out of nowhere, a giggle formed, and Vanessa clapped her hand over her mouth.