The Lady and the Vixen Read online

  Abbie finally quieted and sat, staring ahead. Tisha looked at Lucy in misery. “We have to talk to my father and get to the bottom of it.”

  She moved forward and placed a comforting hand on Tisha’s back. “I agree. But what if he says he didn’t have a part in any of this? Or what if he admits he did or knows something?”

  Tisha swallowed loudly and released a ragged sigh. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

  “I’d rather not cross it at all.” Lucy rested her forehead on Tisha’s.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Lucy paused in front of the mirror hanging on the wall in the hallway. She tucked her hair back behind her ears and toyed with the ribbons on the bodice of the dress Tisha had lent her. She rarely wore her hair free without any pins, preferring it back in a bun or in a chignon as expected for a woman of her years, but Tisha had requested she keep it down. And so she had. The dress she wore—one of Tisha’s creations—was a cream cotton gown, slotted with dark-purple satin and lace. Something completely different from her lackluster mourning gowns. But since Tisha had torn the bodice of her dress while lost in the heat of their passion yesterday, and she couldn’t go home to change without having questions thrown at her, she had accepted one of Tisha’s handcrafted gowns to wear until she returned home and faced her sister and aunt. As to what she would say in regard to where she had been yesterday and today, she hadn’t a clue.

  Tisha talked with Abbie a few feet away. Mr. McGrath had just returned from his travels and was now in his rooms. Tisha rubbed Abbie’s arm, and Abbie held a handkerchief to her nose and blew into it. Her eyes were swollen and red from her crying fit, and even now she looked ready to burst into tears again.

  “Luce, you look fine.” Tisha came to Lucy’s side. She stared in the mirror and nodded in approval. “I like your hair down. It reminds me of your hair spread across my pillow as I sucked on—”

  “Hush!” She covered Tisha’s mouth. “It isn’t the time for any of that. We must be serious.”

  She drew Lucy’s hand away. Her lips dipped to a straight line. “I was just trying to lighten the mood before we talk to Da. My stomach is jumping something fierce.”

  “We should get it over with, then.” She started walking down the hall but then stopped. “What if Aidan stops by?”

  “Aidan isn’t here,” Abbie volunteered. “I overheard him talking to one of the grooms this morning. He’s visiting the marchioness and staying at her house until the ball.” Her mouth trembled, and tears flooded her eyes.

  “You have to remain strong.” Tisha took Abbie’s hand. “You’ll make yourself sick if you keep crying like this.”

  “I can’t stop. It hurts too much.” Abbie sniffed and wiped her eyes. “Cripes. Let’s do it.”

  Lucy came forward and drew Abbie’s arm through her own. Tisha did the same on her other side, and all three walked to the door. Tisha knocked, and soon after, the door opened.

  A huge smile appeared on Mr. McGrath’s face when he saw Tisha. He opened his mouth but froze, his eyes darting between Abbie and Lucy. “It’s not every day I have three lovely ladies visiting me.” He tilted his head and stared at Abbie. “Darlin’ Abbie, have you been crying?”

  She nodded and blinked, causing tears to roll down her cheeks. “Y-yes. Aidan has broken my heart.”

  He drew her into his arms and beckoned for Tisha and Lucy to enter. Tisha shut the door then went to a cabinet filled with bottles. She selected some glasses and poured a dark liquid in them. Bringing the glasses over, she gave one to her father and kept the other.

  “It’s whiskey.” Tisha took a large sip and held out the glass. Lucy accepted the offering and drank. Her hand shook.

  Mr. McGrath gave his glass to Abbie, who tossed it back.

  “Da, this is Mrs. Lucy Endcott. She’s Colby and Chase Daugherty’s older sister,” Tisha announced in a sharp voice. “I told her about Aidan and how he’s her half-brother.”

  Mr. McGrath stared at his daughter in disbelief. “Why would you do that, Letitia Grace?”

  Tisha studied the floor. “I don’t want Aidan to destroy himself, which he’s in the process of doing.”

  “It’s bad, Teague.” Abbie finished her drink.

  He slapped his knees and rose, walking toward Lucy. Instead of telling her to get out as she expected him to, he gave her a congenial smile and held out his hand. “I wish we had met under better circumstances, Mrs. Endcott.”

  She didn’t know how they would have met under any other circumstances, but she kept her remark to herself and shook the man’s hand. “Your daughter speaks very highly of you, Mr. McGrath.”

  “I think highly of her. And please call me Teague.” He indicated a chair for her to sit on.

  She sat and placed her glass on the floor. Tisha sat next to her. She wanted to take Tisha’s hand for support.

  Teague stood in the center of the room, holding the lapels of his jacket. “Now, ladies, if you would be so kind, tell me what Aidan has done and why it’s bad.”

  “Abbie found out Aidan is going to marry the marchioness and they’ll announce their engagement tonight at the ball,” Tisha offered.

  “Yes, well, he feels it’s the best thing for him.” He stared Abbie, who turned her face away and stared at the wall.

  “We had a fight about it last night. Aidan didn’t appreciate the way I confronted him.” She grimaced and stared back at Teague. Something much like scorn floated in her eyes. “I allowed him to walk all over me and let him be with another woman while he sees me when it suits him. I deserve better than that!”

  “Hear, hear.” Tisha shot Lucy a pleased look.

  “Abbie darlin’, Aidan is set on this path. I’ve tried talking him out of it, but he won’t listen. If you’re worried about Benji and your mum—”

  Abbie shot up from her seat with clenched fists. “There’s much more to worry about than me keepin’ my job! I’ve been with Aidan a long time. He’s told me things he shouldn’t have.” She stepped closer to Teague. “Maybe he’s told you these exact same things, since he trusts you more than anybody.”

  He crossed his arms and lifted his brow. “Just come out and say what you mean, lass.”

  “Da, did you help Aidan kill the Marquess of Macey five years ago?” Tisha asked.

  His eyes widened, and his arms dropped to his sides. “You’re not accusing me of—”

  “Or did you hide the crime so Aidan wouldn’t go the jail?” Tisha’s voice was barely loud enough for Lucy to hear.

  He swept a palm across his face and went to the liquor cabinet. Pouring whiskey in a glass, he took a healthy gulp and hung his head low. Tisha stepped toward him, and he held out his hand for her to stop.

  “Da?” Her voice trembled with emotion.

  Lucy started up from her chair but then Teague turned back around. During the last few minutes, he seemed to have aged. The jolly look in his eyes had vanished, and he frowned.

  “I’ve never lied to you, Tisha, and I won’t now. If Aidan did a thing, I have no clue. He never told me he did. He never came to me before for advice or afterward to brag. You know how much the boy loves to brag about things.”

  “Yes. He does when he drinks,” Abbie inserted. “That’s how I found out what he did. He drank too much one night and trusted me.…” She covered her mouth with a fist.

  “You’re certain about this?” He finished off his drink.

  “As certain as the sky is blue.” She sat on the couch.

  He combed his fingers through his hair. “Damn me. Why would Aidan do this? For what purpose?”

  “We think the marchioness asked him to get rid of her husband. He made it look like a robbery gone wrong. He may have not been the one in the alley with the knife, but may have paid someone to do it.” Tisha went to her father. “He could have used your influence since you have a great deal of respect in this neighborhood and on the streets.”

  “Maybe in Aidan’s mind, by getting rid of the Marquess and marr
ying his wife, he would complete his revenge against my father and my family,” Lucy piped in. “If he has a woman like Irena who has respect and power within the upper crust, he’ll be able to accomplish more on his end. He’s already done enough damage by causing my father’s attack and bankrupting Colby.”

  “Now, Mrs. Endcott, could you be reaching? There’s no proof Aidan had anything to do with your—his father’s—”

  She rose from her seat and drew back her shoulders. She refused to kowtow before this man. “My father read a letter before he collapsed. Colby came upon him and they had a terrible row. Father was not himself and troubled. He mentioned a woman named Maire, and waved around the letter in front of Colby. Before Colby inquired what was in the letter, he left. Soon after, Father was found unconscious on the floor and charred pieces of paper in the fireplace. I believe Aidan sent our father a letter threatening him. On top of Colby’s money issues and his own unstable relationship with Father, it caused his attack.”

  Teague poured more whiskey and drank more than half. He marched past Tisha and to the window. He pushed aside the curtain to look out.

  “I promised Maire before she died I would take care of Aidan, but I failed. I never thought he would take it this far. Daugherty leaving him and his mother really scarred the boy. It didn’t matter I loved and cared for them both.” He lifted his glass, watching the sunlight sparkle off the crystal. “I love that boy as if he was my own, just as much as I love you, Tisha.” He muttered something under his breath and turned around. “Aidan planned on sending a letter to Daugherty. He wanted to force the old man’s hand and set up a meeting. At first, I thought it was a way for him to finally get past the hate he’s held all these years. I don’t know what he wrote in the letter, and unless we ask him, we’ll never know. You’d think the boy would be satisfied with what he’s done, but it’s not good enough for him.”

  “It’s not good enough for any of us.” Tisha sat beside Lucy. “He must be stopped before he goes too far.”

  “He’s already gone too far,” Abbie affirmed from the corner of the couch.

  “How do we stop him? Do we go to the authorities with what we know?” Lucy briefly squeezed Tisha’s hand.

  Teague and ran a palm over his head. “I can talk to some of my chums there and whisper a word in their ears, but it might not do much. We’re going to have to get dirty, ladies, and fight fire with fire. Another obsession of Aidan’s is respectability and approval, especially from the rich nobs who rule the city. What if we disgraced him in their eyes so that not even marrying the marchioness could help him?”

  “How? He’ll still have the support of the marchioness, who’ll defend him,” Tisha said.

  “In order to discredit Aidan, you must discredit Irena also,” Lucy volunteered and lifted her hands to her mouth as an idea suddenly came to her. It was equally disturbing and rash, but it might possibly work.

  “Again, how do we do this?” Frustration lined Tisha’s voice.

  “What if we play Aidan and Irena’s game and threaten blackmail against them? We can say we have proof they were responsible for killing the marquess. They’ll deny it, but if Mr. McGrath makes them believe it, they’ll have no choice but to do what we want. They won’t ever see it coming,” Lucy proposed.

  “It could be dangerous. When Aidan is backed into a corner, he lashes out.” Abbie glanced at Teague. “He’ll feel betrayed by those he loves the most. He may end up hating us all.”

  “But it’s a chance we have to take,” Lucy declared. “My father is dying, unable to speak or even move. Yes, he has done some despicable things in his life and he’s partially responsible for the way Aidan has turned out, but why should his sins fall to his children? If I or any of my siblings had known we had a half-brother, we would have welcomed him to the family regardless of what my father wanted. Aren’t you all sick of the lies and deception?” Her heart drummed, and her face felt damp with sweat. It had been so long since she’d spoken passionately. It appeared she and Aidan had more than a few things in common, but unlike him, she could stop before she ended down a path that would ruin her. It almost happened with Irena—more than once—but she wouldn’t succumb a third time.

  “If we were alone right now, I would kiss you until you couldn’t breathe and wouldn’t stop even if you begged me to,” Tisha spoke from the corner of her mouth and swept her hand across Lucy’s lower back.

  She cleared her throat. She already was having trouble breathing.

  “I’ll handle Aidan and the marchioness.” Teague sat next to Abbie and curved an arm around her shoulder. “I’m a powerful man in my own right and have years managing those who don’t know their place. The marchioness has overstepped her bounds one too many times. If she did ask Aidan to get rid of her husband, she’ll pay. I owe it to Jonas. He was a good man who I’d have counted as my friend if our situations were different.”

  She was curious as to what type of relationship Teague had with the Marquess, if any, based on the respect and affection in his voice. Or maybe he just respected the man? She now felt much better with Teague McGrath on their side even though he must be in deep pain for what he must do in order to stop Aidan.

  “Tonight might get ugly. Do you think you’ll be able to handle it?” Tisha faced her fully.

  Teague and Abbie talked in whispers, every so often glancing at Lucy and Tisha.

  “I’m stronger than I look. If we all stand together, we should be able to take on Aidan and Irena.” She clutched Tisha’s hand in a tight grip. As long as she had Tisha to help her confront Irena, she would be fine. Irena would surely rage when she refused to be her lover, even to save Colby. Irena was used to having anything she wanted, and it still must vex her that Lucy had walked out of her life not once, but twice.

  And then there was Tisha, her new lover. If Irena learned about Tisha and their relationship, Irena would unleash hell.

  “Luce?” Tisha patted Lucy’s hip. “Are you all right?”

  She came out of her musings, observing Teague, who hugged Abbie. He stared ahead, looking troubled.

  “I think your father and Miss Hale need the support more than I do. We should go over the plan for tonight on how to outwit your brother and Irena.”

  “He’s your brother also. It must still come as a shock to hear it.” Tisha watched Abbie and Teague together.

  “On the bright side of all of this, I gained a brother. I’m no longer the oldest in my family,” Lucy joked woefully.

  “And you also gained new friends,” Tisha volleyed back.

  “Would you say you’re my friend?” she asked softly.

  “I’m that and more.” Tisha crossed her arms and lifted her chin.

  She covered a laugh. If they were alone, she would have kissed the woman until they ended up naked again. “Yes, you’re much more to me.” She linked her fingers with Tisha.

  As they discussed their roles for tonight, she kept Tisha’s hand in hers. It gave her the strength and courage she needed.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “Are you certain this is something you want to do? It might backfire badly.”

  Lucy turned away from the carriage window and faced a worried-looking Chase. He tugged on his cravat and yanked on the front of his shirt. Colby sat beside him with his arms crossed. His face revealed nothing. Earlier when she told the twins the intention for tonight, and Aidan was their brother, Chase denied it while Colby remained silent. Chase had argued with her, thinking her mad for believing such a tale. Colby finally spoke up, supporting her then left the house and didn’t return until an hour before they had to leave for the ball.

  “We have no other choice in the matter. If Colby doesn’t pay off his debt to Irena before the end of the month, he’ll be thrown in to prison. I can’t let that happen.” She stared at her lap, fingering the mauve silk of her ball gown. She had borrowed it from Tisha, who was more than willing to lend it to her. Trying it on had been quite enjoyable, especially when Tisha helped her take it o
ff. They ended back in Tisha’s bed, forgetting about what was to come until she had to leave and explain everything to Chase and Colby. Tisha had let her go with a kiss that was more of a welcome than a goodbye.

  “I have a bad feeling about this. If Rue or Aunt Sera knew they would—”

  “Talk us out of it.” She’d chosen not to tell Aunt Sera or Rue anything. With Rue still recovering from her pregnancy, she wouldn’t attend the ball. Aunt Sera would stay at home in case Rue and baby Dinah needed anything, since Freddy was working late to make up time for his absence from the office.

  “What they don’t know won’t hurt them. Right, Lucy?” Colby piped in, sounding weary.

  “Exactly. Tomorrow, we’ll tell them everything.” She smiled, hiding her apprehension and the constant nervous fluttering in her stomach. She didn’t want to consider what would happen if they failed. “We’re not alone in this venture. Mr. McGrath and his daughter will be there, as well as Miss Hale to control Mr. Levett if need be.”

  Colby shifted in his seat and squeezed the back of his neck. “Miss Hale will be there tonight? Why didn’t you tell me earlier she would be in attendance?”

  Why does he sound offended? She hadn’t meant to keep Miss Hale’s role a secret. “I must have forgotten to mention her when I—”

  “You forgot?” He shook his head, frowning deeply. “If it blows up in our faces, she could get hurt.”

  “Hurt? I don’t see how. She knows what Mr. Levett is capable of and could make him see the error of his ways.”

  The carriage came to a sudden halt. He threw open the door and gave her a bitter look as he stepped down. She sat there, confused about her brother’s reaction. Chase held out his hand to guide her out of the carriage. Colby marched ahead without waiting for them.

  Chase looped her arm through his as they walked toward the brightly lit mansion joining groups of people dressed in their best strolling inside. She held him to give her the strength for what was to come.