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Falcone raked his hands through his hair as he paced back and forth across the office. Ralston, Kincaid, and Colebourne watched him with wary expressions, unsure of his erratic behavior. He hadn’t slept because he had seen to Melody’s welfare. After he settled her in a safe house with a nurse to care for her, he had sat by her bedside and spent the hours watching her suffer from the pain racking her body.
Fear consumed him now that he saw the destruction Lady L left in her wake. He had heard the rumors of the brutality she ordered from those who betrayed her. However, he thought people had embellished the rumors. It frightened him to think of Eden ever falling victim to Lady Langdale.
“Why have they not arrived?” Falcone demanded.
“Patience, Falcone. They shall arrive soon,” Ralston stated.
Falcone halted before Colebourne. “You knew, didn’t you?”
Colebourne gave a slight nod. “I heard rumors, but I had no proof.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Falcone accused.
Colebourne sighed. “I hoped she would have met her demise by now.”
“Now she has the weapons at her disposal.” Falcone started pacing again.
Ralston growled. “Weapons? Rumors? What is Falcone not saying?”
Colebourne tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair. “We will explain once everyone arrives.”
“We will not have to wait anymore. Their carriages have pulled up now,” Kincaid said from his stance by the window.
Worth rushed through the door, followed by Worthington, Dracott, and Ravencroft. Worth sat on the edge of his desk, while Worthington took the chair. Dracott and Ravencroft settled on the sofa.
“Explain yourself, Falcone. What did you learn last night?” Worth demanded.
“I learned how deranged Lady L actually is. We must bring the abuse of her power to an end before she destroys any more innocent lives,” Falcone declared.
“Who has she harmed now?” Ravencroft demanded.
Falcone glared at him, irritated at how Ravencroft and his brother were now included in the investigation. And Worth and Ralston didn’t trust him enough to explain their reasons. “A prostitute from Tabitha’s brothel hovers between life and death as a result of her cruelty. Lady L has left her beaten and bruised. If, God forbid, she lives, she must endure a lifetime of nightmares filled with the horrors she suffered at the hands of brutality.”
Dracott and Ravencroft exchanged a look. They had a clear picture of what Falcone described.
“Lady L discovered the girl aided you with information,” Ravencroft stated.
“Aye,” Falcone answered. “I do not know where to begin.”
“Tell us what happened last night,” Worth encouraged.
“I made my rounds again like we discussed. More of our peers showed acceptance of my return. I ended my evening at Tabitha’s brothel to see if my contact had learned any more information. But as I waited, it became apparent something was amiss. Tabitha never followed her girls into the parlor, and my contact never joined them. Suddenly Lady Chesterton materialized in front of me.”
“Lord Chesterton’s new bride?” Ralston whistled. “I held no clue to the depths of his depravity.”
Falcone stared at Colebourne. “Oh, there is more to the marriage than we imagined.”
Colebourne pinched his lips. “Continue.”
Falcone tightened his hands into fists. “She offered her services for the evening. When I declined, she made it clear how it would be in my best interest to follow her upstairs. I followed her to a bedchamber, and Lady L sat waiting for the meeting she requested. She wasn’t very pleased we hadn’t met sooner. Lady L then delivered the terms of our agreement.”
“Which were?” Kincaid asked.
Another gentleman involved in the investigation who struck a nerve with him. His enemies surrounded him, even though they all held the same agenda of capturing Lady Langdale and ending her reign of terror.
“A favor for a favor. What else?” Falcone replied, his tone laced with sarcasm.
Worth sighed. “And the favor she requested of you?”
Falcone spun toward Dracott and Ravencroft. “Can you guess who accompanied Lady L to her meeting?”
“Our mother,” Dracott replied with no emotion.
“Yes. And the favor demanded was for me to introduce Lady Ravencroft back into society.”
“No!” Ravencroft growled.
Falcone shrugged. “It is not an option.”
“Then make it so,” Ravencroft demanded.
Falcone shook his head. “I cannot.”
“She has already made this demand before. We decided it was not the best direction to lead the investigation,” Worth explained.
“Which I would know if you trusted me with the secrets surrounding Dracott and Ravencroft,” Falcone accused.
“And as I explained to you, all in due time.” Worth stood. “We must think of how to outwit her.”
“It’s not an option, as I stated before.”
“What have you not shared with us, Falcone?” Ralston asked.
“Lady L has knowledge of Eden’s appearance at the masquerade party and of our time spent alone in a bedchamber.” Falcone added the next part in revenge for Worth keeping him in the dark. “The topic we discussed at length yesterday.”
“Did this occur before or after the scene you caused in the park?” Worthington snarled. His calm attitude was a warning of his barely controlled fury.
Falcone smirked. “Before.”
Worthington stormed over to Falcone, glaring at him while he addressed his brother. “How dare you endanger Eden for this cause? We agreed how she may aid your cause as long as she never became entangled in a scandal. Now, not only is her reputation in shreds, but Falcone has ruined her virtue.”
Worth ran his hand across his face. “It was supposed to be a simple operation. She was to go in, learn some information, and Falcone would escort her out. However, Chesterton stopped them, insisting they stay in the bedchamber he had prepared for Falcone’s return. They couldn’t deny him because Lady L watched to see if Falcone had fallen back into his life of sin.”
Worthington grabbed Falcone by his lapels and growled. “None of that gave Falcone the right to lay his hands on our sister.”
Kincaid, noticing the escalation of a fight, pulled Worthington away from Falcone and inserted himself between them.
Falcone smoothed the wrinkles from his suit coat. “Your sister is a very persuasive lady.”
Kincaid swung around and smashed his fist against Falcone’s cheekbone. Falcone stumbled back from the assault, slamming against the wall. He shook his head to clear his disorientation and, with a roar, went after Kincaid. He drew his arm back and connected with Kincaid’s chin, knocking the viscount’s head back. Ralston and Worth pulled the two of them apart before they landed any more blows.
Colebourne pounded his cane on the floor. “Enough. Everyone, take a seat. We are not Neanderthals. We are gentlemen who must work together as a team, not as opposing forces. A gentleman doesn’t need to solve his issues with his fist, but with his sharp mind. Now is the time to demonstrate such.”
Falcone shook off Worth’s hold and stalked to the corner of the office. He took up his usual stance against the wall. As he fought to control his temper, he realized he deserved the punch for degrading Eden. He saw the reason for Worth or Worthington to avenge Eden’s honor, but for Kincaid to do so pushed Falcone over the edge. His dislike for the viscount simmered too close to the surface for him not to strike back.
“We will discuss your actions in more detail tomorrow evening after my mother’s dinner party,” Worthington growled.
Falcone smirked. “With pleasure.”
“I will finish what I assume to be correct in the meeting Falcone held with Lady Langdale. She insisted you escort Lady Ravencroft to a few affairs by showing the ton how you support her return to society. She then will keep silent and prevent any rumors of your time alone with Eden. Am I correct?” Colebourne asked.
“Yes,” Falcone answered.
Colebourne nodded thoughtfully. “This is another of her ploys she plans to attempt with our peers. She used the secrecy of the masquerade party to wear a disguise to attend. While she roamed the party, she gathered her blackmail on everyone who attended. Lady L filled the party with her own people, and they drew everyone into her web of destruction. She plans to destroy every peer with the knowledge of their secrets, bleeding them dry. If not, then every one of them will face their own scandal.”
Ralston sat forward in the chair. “How do you have knowledge of her plans?”
“Lady Chesterton,” Falcone supplied
Colebourne inclined his head. “Yes, the lady supplied me with the details.”
“Why have you kept this information to yourself?” Worth inquired.
Colebourne released a weary sigh. “Because I hoped you would’ve captured her before she implemented her plan.”
“We have no choice but to agree,” Worthington said.
“You must reconsider. You do not understand the destruction our mother will invoke if the ton accepts her return,” Ravencroft argued.
Dracott interrupted his brother’s argument with his own. “Perhaps we can use her to trap Lady Langdale. You know how vain Mother is, and once she steps back into a ballroom, she will forget what she pledged to Lady Langdale. The more people who welcome her back, the more her allegiance will sway to our side.”
Colebourne beamed. “Yes. Excellent idea, my boy. Worthington, how soon can your mother and Evelyn arrange a ball to celebrate Noel’s and Maggie’s marriages with these two fine gentlemen?”
“At least two weeks. What do you have planned?” Worthington stated.
“Hear me out, gentlemen. Why not use the ball to entice Lady L to proceed with her original plan where she required the blueprints? This will draw her away from her blackmail scheme. Invite the most influential peers in society who will display their wealth. With this ball, Lord Falcone will only have to escort Lady Ravencroft once to fulfill his promise.”
Colebourne focused on Ravencroft and Dracott. “Since you gentlemen have denied your mother access to your lives, she will think of herself as the queen when she appears on Lord Falcone’s arm. Meanwhile, Lady Langdale will infiltrate her people into the fray when Meredith needs to hire extra servants.” He paused, wondering if his plan drew their interest, then continued. “Kincaid, your men will of course also blend in as servants. We will prepare to capture her crew one by one. Once we do, her power will diminish and the ones we caught will reveal her hideout, leading us to end her destruction.”
“My only stipulation is that Eden will never learn of this plan,” Worthington demanded.
“Worth should never have allowed her to take part in this investigation,” Falcone snarled.
“On that, I will agree with you,” Worthington said.
Worth looked at Ralston. “Do you think it will work?”
Ralston shrugged. “It is our best option.”
The other gentlemen agreed. Dracott and Ravencroft offered their advice on what Lady L might attempt and how they could switch their mother’s loyalty. Everyone agreed about how the ladies within Worthington’s and Colebourne’s families would play their parts by inviting Lady Ravencroft to tea or some other function during the ball. Her newfound popularity would draw her interest away from her duties for the night.
Now Falcone understood why Worth had allowed Ravencroft and Dracott to help with the investigation. It still stung how they had never trusted him with their stories. But then, every gentleman held their own secrets they kept closely guarded. He couldn’t fault them for their privacy.
As they formulated their plan, a sense of relief overwhelmed him. They would succeed in the capture of Lady L and her cohorts. With the shift in their investigation, he wouldn’t have to worry over Eden anymore. However, he took pleasure at how Eden would strike her fury at Worth once she learned how her brother had removed her from her duties.
His gaze roamed the office. Every gentleman regarded him with their dislike of his actions today. But he didn’t care because he had succeeded with his revenge, even though it was for the sake of Eden’s reputation. He made a promise to himself to redeem his actions by loving her fiercely for eternity.
That was, if she ever forgave him.