bit stern, but then I believe most of them are, don’t you?”
Ivy touched her brother’s cheek briefly, then placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder and hurried them up the path to the front door.
They got Jackson up the stairs and onto a bed. The effort had cost him. His breath was now choppy, and his pallor increased.
“He will need washing,” Rory said, pulling up the covers.
“It will be taken care of.” Ivy entered with her aunt. Clearly she’d told the woman what had happened.
“Hello, darling boy.” Jackson’s aunt kissed her nephew’s cheek. “Everything will be all right now.”
Jackson managed a weak smile. He was then fussed over, and the tears in his old friend’s eyes told Rory he was exactly where he’d dreamed of being as he lay there in that filthy bed chained up like an animal.
“I will leave you now, as I wish to visit the magistrate,” Rory said once he knew he was no longer needed. “But I must caution all of you not to leave the house under any circumstances.”
“Of course.” Ivy didn’t look at him, just muttered the words.
Rory accepted the embrace from Ivy’s aunt. She held him tight as she thanked him for bringing her nephew home.
“I will send word when I have any news, Ivy,” Rory said, as he wanted her to look at him.
“Thank you.” She focused on his necktie. “We are extremely grateful.”
He was reluctant to leave, but forced himself to do so. Hailing a hackney, he gave directions to his brother’s townhouse, then sat back to digest what had happened today.
He’d saved Jackson, faced down a pistol-toting brothel owner, and kissed Ivy—and lord, what a kiss. Surprising how it was the kiss that had affected him the most.
“Do you know the location of my eldest brother, Gilbert?” Rory said to the butler upon entering the townhouse.
“Your brothers are in the earl’s study, Mr. Haddon.”
“Excellent. Have food brought there, please.”
He walked through the house he knew intimately. Every painting and step, every rug and room, he’d entered thousands of times.
“Where have you been?” Joseph asked as he walked into this study.
“It is a long story, and I need a brandy to tell it.” Rory fell into the chair next to Charles. Joseph sat behind his desk across from them.
“Did you order food?”
“I did, and enough for you also,” he told Charles.
“Wonderful, now speak.” Joseph rose to pour the brandy.
After the first mouthful, he told them everything.
“You went into that building with only a footman!” Joseph roared. “You should have taken us with you!”
“I have pointed out that I went to call upon Miss Redfern as promised, but she had received the note. There was no time to send word to either of you.”
“You should have bloody well made time! Even now you could be lying in a pool of blood or worse!” His eldest brother was now pacing.
“What is worse than lying in a pool of blood?”
“You,” Joseph jabbed a finger at Charles, “shut up.”
“Sit, Joseph. We need to discuss this,” Rory said. “I am here safe, as are the Redfern family.”
“Again I must ask why you feel the need to help Miss Redfern?” Joseph fell back into his seat. “And I’m not finished yelling at you; I am merely taking a break.”
“She was desperate and clearly has no one else to turn to.”
Joseph looked at him. “So you have already said, but it’s my belief that you like her a great deal.”
“What? No… well, yes, she’s a nice lady, but nothing more than that.” Suddenly his necktie was strangling him. “You’re always waxing on about us being kind. This is me doing that.”
“I agree.” Charles stared at him too. “He likes her. Who would have thought that mousy Miss Redfern would capture the handsome Rory Haddon’s interest?”
“She’s not mousy.” And those worlds should have stayed inside his head.
“And he’s defending her. Interesting.” Joseph was relaxed now and looked smug.
“There is nothing interesting about it.” Strangely, even his boots felt tight now. “The point is, we need to help them, as I fear retribution. If as that vile woman at Le Plaisir says, vengeance will be hers—”
“Very dramatic. What is she like? I’ve heard stories, but of course have never been there.”
“I should hope not.” Joseph now glared at Charles.
“She’s beautiful. Stunning, actually, and cold as ice.”
“Ah, one of those.” Charles nodded. “There are rumors she has control of some powerful men.”
“She alluded to that, actually. Said it would not be wise to take her on, as we’d never win.