Rose Gardner's Florist (The Providence Street Shops #2) - Bonnie Dee Page 0,52

as he beat his opponent into submission. I might kill him. I might very well kill him. It took that realization to make Will halt his fist in mid-air and allow his fists to go slack.

With his antagonist no longer a threat, Will hurried to face the other enemy. He climbed off the unconscious boxer, and turned to find Rose standing over the man who lay amidst the shards of the broken urn.

She poked at the fellow’s still form with the umbrella and looked up to meet Will’s gaze. “I don’t think he’s dead.”

He nodded. “That’s good. But give him another hit to make sure he stays out cold.”

Rose nodded, delivering a vigorous whack to her fallen adversary.

After that, they both looked toward the stairs. Up there, somewhere, Candace Sweet needed their rescue. Will nudged the boxer with his toe. The man didn’t even groan. Will decided he wasn’t likely to regain consciousness any time soon.

Together, he and Rose headed upstairs.

The house was not overly large and there were not many bedrooms. On either side of the hallway, Will and Rose tested door knobs, all unlocked, no room containing Candace or her guardian.

When a knob would not turn beneath her hand, Rose leaned close to the door. “Candace, are you in there? It’s Rose.”

If she were inside, the young woman was unable to reply, either unconscious or with a weapon held upon her. Not knowing what this Merker even looked like, Will imagined a mustachioed villain from a stage melodrama with a knife to her throat.

You’ve invaded the man’s home. Too late to worry about legality now, Alter-Ego Will pointed out. The lock wouldn’t budge without a key, so Will took his umbrella from Rose and wedged the tip below the bottom pin of one hinge. Many hard taps later, the bolt came free of the hinge.

Will repeated the process with the other hinges, while Rose continued to talk through the door. “Edward Merker, if you’ve harmed Miss Sweet, you will be held accountable. If not, I suggest you surrender her to us now.”

With the hinges freed, Will just managed to pry the door from its frame and pull it open.

The moment there was space enough to fit, Rose charged into the room. “What have you done to ‘er, bloody wanker?”

Will let go of his burden and entered to find Rose facing Edward Merker. The man bore no weapon and appeared a surprisingly average fellow with such nondescript features one would not recall him two seconds after leaving his presence. With thinning, light brown hair and pale blue eyes, he was of medium height and build, clothed in a brown tweed suit.

He might not hold a knife to Miss Sweet’s throat, but the young woman lay on the bed behind him, unconscious and tied to the bedposts.

If Merker was terrified at the sight of them, he barely displayed it, instead adopting a tone of put-upon annoyance as if inconvenient visitors had arrived to spoil his tea time. “I must ask that you leave. You are not welcome here.”

Rose pushed past him to lean over Candace. She felt for a pulse in her wrist, before starting to loosen the knots.

Merker’s composure crumbled at the edges as Will advanced on him. His voice quavered. “The police will be on their way. My butler will have telephoned them.”

“What would you tell them about Miss Sweet’s condition; brought here against her will, sedated, and restrained?”

“A little laudanum to soothe her nerves was necessary. And restraint was the only option lest she hurt herself,” he replied. “I’ve done nothing wrong. It is my duty to care for my ward, a sacred vow to a friend which I have fulfilled for years. She has never lacked for anything, nor will she. I intend to marry her, you see, and continue to protect her from the world—and even herself, if that is necessary, the poor child.”

“Enough!” Will roared so loudly his throat ached. “You will allow her to leave with us, Mr. Merker. And you must swear not to trouble her again.”

“Who precisely are you to make demands?” the fellow adopted false bravado like a rat backed into a corner.

“Lord Carmody. Do you recognize the name?” Adding a title gave his words more authority to cow this fellow into submission. “In addition to acknowledging Miss Sweet’s autonomy, you will relinquish control of her inheritance immediately. No court battles. No diverting the money to hidden accounts. Every penny owed will be released to her this very day. Is