To Taste Temptation (Legend of the Four Soldiers #1)(91)

“About a half hour.”

“By herself? Did she walk or take the carriage?”

“She left in a carriage, sir, with Lady Emeline and Mr. Thornton.”

The butler turned away to hang up the cloak and hat, completely unaware of the effect of his words. Sam stared, his gut freezing into ice at the thought that his sister and his heart had somehow climbed voluntarily into a carriage with a rapist and murderer. But of course it couldn’t be voluntary. He hadn’t told Rebecca of his suspicions regarding Thornton, but Emeline knew of them. Why would she leave with Thornton knowing—

“What have you done with her?”

Sam whirled at the voice in time to be shoved roughly against the wall. A picture crashed to the floor, and Vale thrust his horribly bruised face at him. “Emmie came here over an hour ago. Where is she?”

Sam quelled the urge to simply punch the other man in the face. He’d already done that, and it hadn’t made matters any better. Besides, Vale cared for Emeline as well. “Emeline and Rebecca have left with Thornton.”

Vale sneered. “What rubbish. Why would Emmie go anywhere with that popinjay? You’ve got her hidden somewhere.” He propelled himself away from Sam and stood, legs spread wide in the hall. “Emmie! I say, Emmie! Come out at once!”

Wonderful. His only ally was a fool. Sam turned away, starting for the front door. He hadn’t time to convince Vale of what was really going on.

But another voice stopped him. “It’s true, my lord.”

He swung around to see Vale staring bemusedly at O’Hare the footman. “Who the hell are you?”

O’Hare gave a bow, sketchy enough to almost be insolent. “Both Miss Hartley and Lady Emeline got into Mr. Thornton’s carriage.” He looked past Vale to catch Sam’s eye. “I didn’t like the way he stood so close to Miss Hartley, sir. I think something was wrong.”

Sam didn’t bother asking why O’Hare hadn’t stopped Thornton. In this country, a servant could be turned off without reference—or worse—for such an act. “Do you have any idea where they were headed?”

“Aye, sir. Princess Wharf in Wapping. I heard Mr. Thornton give the direction to the coachman.”

Vale looked bewildered. “Wapping? Why would Thornton take them to a wharf?”

“Wharves mean ships.”

Vale’s eyebrows shot up. “You think he means to kidnap them?”

“God only knows,” Sam replied. “But we haven’t time to stand about debating the point. Come on, we’ll take your carriage.”

“Hold on, there.” Vale grabbed his arm. “What’s the hurry? How do I know that you’re not hiding Emmie here? Or—”

Sam twisted his arm downward, breaking away from the other man. “Because Thornton is the traitor, and he must somehow know that I’ve found him out.”

Vale’s shaggy eyebrows snapped together. “But—”

“I’ve told you, we haven’t the time,” Sam growled. “O’Hare, do you want to help with this?”

The boy didn’t even hesitate. “Yes, sir!”

“Come on.” Sam was out the door and running down the steps without stopping for Vale’s consent. He’d take the waiting carriage even if the other man insisted on staying behind and debating all the possibilities.

But as he made the carriage, he found Vale beside him. “Princess Wharf, Wapping,” the viscount called to his coachman. “Fast as you can.”

All three men piled into the carriage.

“Now,” Vale said as he settled across from Sam and O’Hare. “Tell me.”

Sam had his eyes on the window. Thornton’s carriage had left long ago, but foolishly he still strained to catch sight of it. “MacDonald took Thornton’s place during or shortly after Spinner’s Falls.”

“You have proof?”

“That a soldier we knew six years ago across the ocean is impersonating a different, dead soldier? No, I don’t. He’s probably killed any proof there was.”

O’Hare shifted beside Sam. The young man hadn’t spoken since they entered the carriage, but his face was worried. The carriage slowed to a roll. Shouts came from the street ahead.

Sam barely kept himself from pounding on the carriage’s roof. He turned to O’Hare. “There were two redheaded soldiers, you see. One was Thornton; one was MacDonald. No one paid attention to them until MacDonald was put in chains and brought back for trial.”

“What had he done, then?” the footman asked.

Sam looked at Vale.

Who pursed his lips and nodded once. “Raped and murdered a woman.”

O’Hare’s face whitened.

“I can understand how MacDonald could’ve switched identities with Thornton in the chaos after Spinner’s Falls, but what of when he came home to England? Surely Thornton had family?”

“A wife.” Sam shook his head. “And she died soon after he came home.”

“Ah.” Vale nodded thoughtfully.

“But what does he want with the ladies now?” O’Hare burst out.

“I don’t know,” Sam muttered. Was Thornton insane? If his guesses were right, the man had murdered two women that they knew of. What would such a man do with the women of a man he considered his enemy?