pistols, that they were also well known for being quite deadly. Bottom line, you didn’t cross a Malory without ending up very sorry for it.
Anthony wasn’t paying attention to the two younger men as he glanced over the note, then tossed it on the table in front of Boyd. “Tomorrow!? Do they really think I can’t get my hands on a fortune today? I’d drag my banker from his bed if need be.”
Boyd picked up the note. It was much more detailed than the first note had been. It mentioned the place, the time, the date, and, lastly, that the fortune was to be delivered by someone other than a family member, and that Anthony wasn’t to be involved or to come anywhere near the place of the exchange. That was stressed twice. They might not know the family well, but it sounded as if they did know Anthony Malory. There were also a number of misspellings, though that wasn’t necessarily pertinent.
“Do you even know how much money they want?” Jeremy asked his uncle.
“A fortune is a fortune. I’m not putting a price on my daughter’s life.”
“Quite right.” Jeremy nodded. “Who are you going to send to make the exchange?”
“I’ll go,” Boyd offered immediately.
He was ignored, or perhaps just not heard. He was clearing his throat to say it louder when Anthony said, “I’d send Derek, but he’s visiting his father at Haverston this week.”
“What about Uncle Edward?” Jeremy suggested.
“No, my brother’s up north on business.”
“There’s no reason why—,” Boyd tried again, but he was again ignored.
“I suppose I could send for Derek. There’s time enough for him to get back to London before tonight.”
“No need for that,” Jeremy said. “I’ll go.”
Anthony snorted at his nephew. “From a distance, you look just like me. You ain’t going.”
Jeremy grinned, but then said, “Well, damn, where’s m’father when he’s—”
Boyd stood up in annoyance, interrupting loudly this time, “Have either of you heard a word I’ve said? I’m perfectly capable of handling this.”
Anthony stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. “No offense, Yank, but I’ve heard you’re a bit of a hothead.”
“Since I’ve been provoked a number of times in the last few minutes and haven’t lost my temper, that speaks for itself, doesn’t it? Besides, I’ve grown very fond of your daughter since Jack has been in my care.”
“Did you just call my sister Jack?” Jeremy said with a raised brow. “Thought you and all your brothers hated the name m’father gave her.”
“No, we just hate your father,” Boyd said with a tight-lipped smile.
Jeremy chuckled. Boyd wasn’t amused. “Look, I might be the youngest of the Anderson brothers, Anthony, but I’m thirty-four years of age and even your own brother trusted me with the care of his daughter. That note says you can’t personally make the exchange, and I’m sure you’re not going to let your wife go or trust this to a servant or someone you don’t know personally. And the rest of your family appears to be out of town. So I’m volunteering. Much as I’d like to put my fist into whoever did this, and believe me, I’ll be glad to help you track them down afterwards, I think getting Judith safely home first is more important.”
Jeremy pointed at the note Boyd had returned to the table. “The meeting place is the first crossroads south of the town of Northampton. Do you even know where Northampton is?”
“No, but even us Yanks know how to follow directions,” Boyd replied drily.
Chapter Six
K ATEY STOPPED for the woman once Judith was huddled under a blanket on the floor. It wasn’t a matter of choice. The woman’s coach nearly ran them off the road in her effort to get them to pull over. Then she climbed down from the driver’s perch of her coach and stood next to theirs, windswept and wild-looking, belligerently demanding to search it.
“I think not,” Katey indignantly told the woman through the
Anthony wasn’t paying attention to the two younger men as he glanced over the note, then tossed it on the table in front of Boyd. “Tomorrow!? Do they really think I can’t get my hands on a fortune today? I’d drag my banker from his bed if need be.”
Boyd picked up the note. It was much more detailed than the first note had been. It mentioned the place, the time, the date, and, lastly, that the fortune was to be delivered by someone other than a family member, and that Anthony wasn’t to be involved or to come anywhere near the place of the exchange. That was stressed twice. They might not know the family well, but it sounded as if they did know Anthony Malory. There were also a number of misspellings, though that wasn’t necessarily pertinent.
“Do you even know how much money they want?” Jeremy asked his uncle.
“A fortune is a fortune. I’m not putting a price on my daughter’s life.”
“Quite right.” Jeremy nodded. “Who are you going to send to make the exchange?”
“I’ll go,” Boyd offered immediately.
He was ignored, or perhaps just not heard. He was clearing his throat to say it louder when Anthony said, “I’d send Derek, but he’s visiting his father at Haverston this week.”
“What about Uncle Edward?” Jeremy suggested.
“No, my brother’s up north on business.”
“There’s no reason why—,” Boyd tried again, but he was again ignored.
“I suppose I could send for Derek. There’s time enough for him to get back to London before tonight.”
“No need for that,” Jeremy said. “I’ll go.”
Anthony snorted at his nephew. “From a distance, you look just like me. You ain’t going.”
Jeremy grinned, but then said, “Well, damn, where’s m’father when he’s—”
Boyd stood up in annoyance, interrupting loudly this time, “Have either of you heard a word I’ve said? I’m perfectly capable of handling this.”
Anthony stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. “No offense, Yank, but I’ve heard you’re a bit of a hothead.”
“Since I’ve been provoked a number of times in the last few minutes and haven’t lost my temper, that speaks for itself, doesn’t it? Besides, I’ve grown very fond of your daughter since Jack has been in my care.”
“Did you just call my sister Jack?” Jeremy said with a raised brow. “Thought you and all your brothers hated the name m’father gave her.”
“No, we just hate your father,” Boyd said with a tight-lipped smile.
Jeremy chuckled. Boyd wasn’t amused. “Look, I might be the youngest of the Anderson brothers, Anthony, but I’m thirty-four years of age and even your own brother trusted me with the care of his daughter. That note says you can’t personally make the exchange, and I’m sure you’re not going to let your wife go or trust this to a servant or someone you don’t know personally. And the rest of your family appears to be out of town. So I’m volunteering. Much as I’d like to put my fist into whoever did this, and believe me, I’ll be glad to help you track them down afterwards, I think getting Judith safely home first is more important.”
Jeremy pointed at the note Boyd had returned to the table. “The meeting place is the first crossroads south of the town of Northampton. Do you even know where Northampton is?”
“No, but even us Yanks know how to follow directions,” Boyd replied drily.
Chapter Six
K ATEY STOPPED for the woman once Judith was huddled under a blanket on the floor. It wasn’t a matter of choice. The woman’s coach nearly ran them off the road in her effort to get them to pull over. Then she climbed down from the driver’s perch of her coach and stood next to theirs, windswept and wild-looking, belligerently demanding to search it.
“I think not,” Katey indignantly told the woman through the
Similar Books
