All the Things You Never Knew - By Angealica Hewley Page 0,59
that openly. Even as a close friend, he still hides away certain things. I never truly know of what he thinks or what he’s suffering.”
So Leon and this Lord Longsword are not just friends but are close friends.
“I figured so,” Rose answered in agreement. “He attempted to tell me three times but never manage to.”
His lordship laughed at her remark and clucks his tongue. “That’s Heartily, all right. Fails at every verbal attempt. Was he stuttering? He tends to do that when he’s trying to say something that he can’t reveal.”
Rose rubbed her forehead to think. “I can’t really recall,” she said. “But he hesitates a lot and never gets the message across.”
“I’ll just take it as a yes, then.”
“Perhaps, yes,” Rose agreed. She rather likes this Earl of Leon’s. He probably was being honorable to come and inform her that day of Lord Lansing’s acts at that…that Phillipa’s whorehouse. It shows the similarity Leon and him shared in their friendship.
“But you two did get things set out straight, did you?”
She beamed at yesterday’s memories and exclaimed, “Oh yes. Most certainly.”
“That’s good then.”
“Is something wrong?” she asked him when she saw a bit of darkness in his eyes.
“Well, Lady Rose,” he said, his light mood dimmed. “I’m afraid something bad has happened to Leon.”
That brought a sudden tight knot to her chest.
“Something bad happened to…Leon?”
“I don’t know what, but I returned this morning from a trip to get back one of our friend and found a note.”
He reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a paper, handing it to her.
Rose took it and opens it up to skim over it briefly.
It reads:
We have your bastard friend in captive. If you want him alive, you must bring his garnet jewel of the Sacred Cave of Treasure in exchange. Limit of three days. If you can’t do as then bid farewell to your dear friend.
requested,
Islington
Rose gasped, and dropped the letter at the thought of Leon dying. He had just been with her last night.
Why are all this rising up so fast?
“No,” she shook her head. “What do we do, m’lord?” she asked
full of concerns. “Who has him captive?”
“No name was mention, but Islington has got to be where Leon’s at since it’s what was signed at the bottom of the letter.”
“Where exactly in Islington? These abductors have got to know how to be more specific,” she said, bending down to pick up the letter from the ground. “And what’s with the garnet jewel of that cave?”
“I was going to ask if Leon mention it to you at all,” Longsword replied, looking at her.
“He never told me about any jewel or cave,” she answered. “How are we to get it for them in exchange for Leon’s life?”
The earl shrugged and turned to look at the scenery in the distance. “I don’t know either,” he sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. “But I was thinking,” he turned back to her and said again, “I was thinking perhaps you can get the Marquess of Lansing to tell you where Leon is, not directly, but try to extract some clues out of him. You can do that, can you? I suspect Lord Lansing to be part of this since…”
“Since Leon beat him near death,” Rose finishes when the earl hesitated to say the words.
“So Leon told you?”
“Yes,” Rose nodded. “He did, which I’m totally grateful for. And thank you, my lord, for telling me about Lord Lansing’s presence at that…brothel. I’m most grateful to know of his wicked side and black heart. Saves me from agreeing to an unfaithful marriage of cheats and lies.”
“Your gratitude’s my pleasure,” Lord Lansing bowed formally in front of her.
“So,” she went on. “Back to Leon’s case, I’ll try to go see that despicable Lord Lansing and pull some things out of him. I have to go save my husband.”
“What?” Lord Longsword’s eyes widen in astonishment.
Darn it! She didn’t mean to be so carried away with the thought of marrying Leon to be calling him her husband already. Oh well.
“Leon and I are to be wedded,” she explains. “We agree to it yesterday.”
“Really?” The earl was still shocked.
“Yes,” she answered. “You must help me save him, m’lord. If I lose him again this time, I shall die.”
The earl gave out a sigh of resignation and nodded his head in agreement.
“I will,” he said. “Leon’s my friend. And if he’s to marry you, I would do anything I can to get him to the altar.”