The Earl of Morrey (The League of Rogues #13) - Lauren Smith Page 0,78
God’s providence, him they catch,
With a dark lantern, lighting a match!
A traitor to the Crown, by his action,
No Parliament mercy from any faction,
His just end should be grim . . .
* * *
Caroline’s voice ended in a whisper. She looked at Avery. “They mean to blow up Parliament?”
“It is the only way a small band could kill both the king and the lords at the same time, but how?”
“Are there tunnels beneath Westminster?”
“No doubt, but they would be secured, patrolled, even sealed off.”
“Perhaps there is a fox in the henhouse after all?” Caroline suggested.
“So we must assume they have access, regardless.” Avery was speaking more to himself than to her.
“Do you know of anyone who might have the architectural plans of Westminster?”
“Actually, yes,” Avery said as the coach stopped in front of Lucien’s townhouse. “My brother. He enjoys architecture, and I know he has a copy of the plans for it.”
“The same brother whose house we just arrived at?” Caroline straightened as her footman opened the coach door and helped her out. She and the footman then braced Avery on either side as they helped him up the steps to Lucien’s townhouse. When the butler answered, he took one look at Avery and cried out.
The butler shouted up the stairs, “My lord, come quickly!” He then called for one of Lucien’s footmen to go fetch the doctor.
“What is it?” Lucien appeared at the top of the stairs nearby.
“Evening, brother.” Avery chuckled.
The blood drained from Lucien’s face.
“Avery? What the devil?” Lucien met them at the bottom of the stairs and relieved Caroline of her burden. “Follow me,” Lucien urged the footman who held Avery’s other side. Avery was half carried into the drawing room and laid on a fainting couch. But just as Lucien began to ask questions, Avery slipped into unconsciousness.
Caroline slapped Avery’s face hard when he passed out. Lucien shot her a startled look.
“What? It worked before!” she protested. “And we have no time for politeness.” Unfortunately, it did not work this time.
“Do you have smelling salts?” Lucien asked her.
“My lord, do I look like the fainting sort?” She tried not to take offense, but the implication still riled her.
“Apologies,” Lucien muttered and told his butler to fetch some. “Lady Caroline, what happened to my brother?”
Caroline explained that she’d been riding through Grosvenor Square when she saw Avery walk past her in the other direction. She’d been wanting to speak to him about Adam and what else they could do to catch the spies who were after Letty and her brother, so she decided to turn around to wait for him. Her coach headed back the way she’d come, and she’d guessed that the only townhouse she was unfamiliar with was the one he must have entered. Her guess had been right. But after a short time, she’d worried that perhaps he wouldn’t come back out, and her matter was urgent, so she’d decided to knock. But when no one answered the door, she’d realized it was slightly open. Every instinct in her had warned her to be careful as she entered the house in search of Avery.
She explained the horrific scene she’d come upon, the murdered men and Avery wounded on the ground. She relayed all this calmly, but when she caught sight of her shaking hands covered in blood, she realized how taxing all this had been on her, and she sank into the nearest chair.
“I told him a hundred times he would get himself killed.” Lucien stared at his brother with a lost look.
“He has nine lives,” Caroline said. “I’ve never seen a man with so much luck as he.”
“Well, one day it may finally run out.” Lucien went silent as the doctor arrived.
Sometime later, the doctor was done and Avery was bandaged up. The bullet had been removed and sat in a bloody mess of cloths in a bowl. Only then did Caroline and Lucien draw a joint breath of relief.
“My lord . . . Your brother mentioned you might possess the architectural plans to Westminster?”
Lucien turned to face her. “I do. Why do you need them?”
“Because . . .” Caroline twisted her hands in her gown. “The men who attacked your brother plan to blow up Parliament, like Guy Fawkes.”