Rose Gardner's Florist (The Providence Street Shops #2) - Bonnie Dee Page 0,53

that understood?”

Will held his breath, praying his gambit and stellar acting would do the trick. If he’d assessed the fellow correctly, he would acquiesce to a perceived superior.

Merker had retreated so his back was to the bureau. “She is my ward. I have every right to guide her as I see fit. Any court would agree.”

“Not once they learn you drugged her and tied her up to force her into marriage.” Rose had loosened the ropes and now chafed feeling into Candace’s wrists. “How much did you give her? She’s limp as a corpse.”

Will moved nearer to loom over Merker. “I know that the young lady’s father was your superior and you forged the signature on his so-called will.” He spoke as if it were fact rather than Rumsfield’s estimation. “There was no one to question the legality of the document then, but I am here now to contest the will. Would you truly wish to go against all of my resources in court?”

The man’s gaze darted around, searching for an avenue of escape. The mere strength of Will’s resolve deflated him. “All I ever wanted was to protect the girl, such a darling little thing as a child and now a lovely young lady. But she has become too opinionated in her years away from home. She no longer recognizes that I know what is best for her.”

“Sedating and restraining her sounded like the best cure for that,” Will said dryly.

“Until she came to her senses, yes,” Merker replied quite seriously.

Rose had succeeded in rousing Candace to drowsy consciousness and now called for Will’s help. “Between us we can help her walk. Let us get her out of this horrible place.”

But he was not ready to retreat while Merker feared his threats. Later the fellow might realize his promises of legal action were hollow. “Before we leave, I will have a signed affidavit from you agreeing to immediately relinquish both Miss Sweet and her inheritance. My solicitor will review all documents and finish the matter tomorrow. If you defy me, I swear to have you prosecuted for forgery at the very least—fraud and kidnapping at the worst. Do you understand me?”

Amazing what bluster and authority could do.

Merker was reduced to obsequious fawning. “No need to become involved in a legal battle. As my ward is nearly of age, I will release her inheritance. I have not misused the money, but have, in fact, invested and expanded her holdings.”

“Now all of it is hers, ya right bloody bastard. You’ll not control her any longer,” Rose helped Candace sit upright and slid an arm around her back.

Will exhaled a long breath. It was time to get out of the house before those thugs regained consciousness. But he would not leave without Merker’s concession in hand. Finding some writing paper on the bureau, Will continued to intimidate Merker until the man had written and signed the requested affidavit.

“Let that be an end to it. If you bother Miss Sweet again, there will be the very devil to pay, I promise you.” Will snatched the document from the Merker and stashed it in his pocket, then hurried to aide Rose with woozy Miss Sweet. Together, they propelled her from the room, the walk already seeming to clear the effects of chloroform chased by laudanum from her system.

Will glanced back at Mr. Merker to see the diminished man standing in the doorway like a child whose favorite toy had been snatched away.

They guided her down the stairs, bypassing the sprawled bodies of the two agents who would not halt their progress. Nearly to the foyer, Will observed eyes watching from the entry to the servants’ domain.

At his notice, the door quickly closed. No one came out to impede them.

“Home free,” he muttered after they had exited the house.

Rose drew Candace’s slumped body straighter by tugging at the arm around her shoulders. “I can’t believe you pulled it off. You were magnificent! Anyone would have yielded.”

“I wish I’d tried something sooner and saved the pair of you from a harrowing ordeal,” Will panted as he bundled Miss Sweet into the auto’s back seat. “It never occurred to me to cut straight through legal action for faster results.”

“And you believe what you made him sign will be sufficient for him to leave her be?” Rose covered Miss Sweet with her own coat and smoothed her hair as the woman drifted back to sleep.

“Legally, I believe so. Jennings will sew it up tight. One can only hope