Part 35 (2/2)
”I wasn't expecting anyone else,” she snapped.
This was not a good time for interruptions. They were moments from settling everything between them once and for all. He stepped to the door and yanked it open. ”Yes?”
Two shockingly large men stood in the doorway, dressed in hotel uniforms. ”Sorry to bother you, my lord.”
”Is there a problem?”
They traded glances. ”You could say that.”
The shorter man shouldered his way into the room and nodded toward the closed bedroom door. ”She must be in there.” He strode across the room, grabbed a chair, and wedged it under the bedroom doork.n.o.b.
At once, Adrian realized these men were not who they appeared. If he hadn't been so angry, he would have recognized the truth the moment he opened the door. Before he could act, the taller man grabbed him from behind and clapped a rag over his face. b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, he knew that smell. He struggled against his captors, but in spite of his best efforts to hold his breath, the chloroform acted quickly and he felt himself slipping into oblivion. And prayed Evie would remain hidden and safe.
And prayed as well he would see her again.
Evelyn counted to ten before leaving the safety of the screen. She had seen everything through the cracks between the screen's panels. The hardest thing she'd ever done in her life was to keep still when they'd dragged her husband out of the room. Every instinct urged her to act but she knew better. She was no match for those brutes. Fortunately, the clothes she had tossed over the screen were those she had brought for the purpose and she was still fully clothed. Now, she needn't waste time dressing.
It was obvious: this kidnapping was real. The distinctive sweet smell of chloroform lingered in the air. It no longer mattered what he had done or how angry she was with him, she was not about to let him disappear from her life or this world forever. One look at the thugs who had taken him told her they would not be gentle and there would not be much time. Determination hardened within her. She would not let Adrian go without a fight. But this battle could not be won alone. She would need her friends.
Whether as Sir or Adrian, her husband had never failed her. And she would not fail him now.
Chapter 24.
She slammed opened the door to Max's office. ”I'm a.s.suming this is not another perverted attempt to ... to ... well, I don't know to what. Adrian has been abducted!”
Max got to his feet and stared. ”Adrian, your husband?”
”Yes, Adrian my husband.” She narrowed her eyes. ”Or should I say Sir, your cohort.”
”I have no idea what you're talking about,” he said in a lofty manner. ”I say, Evelyn, you can't come barging in here, making accusations and-”
”I came as soon as I got your note.” Celeste appeared in the doorway.
Max's eyes widened with surprise. ”Miss DeRochette.”
”Sir Maxwell,” Celeste said coolly.
”Oh, come now.” Evelyn rolled her gaze toward the ceiling. ”You needn't continue this pretense. I know it all.”
”All of it?” Caution sounded in Max's voice.
”All of it,” Evelyn said in a hard tone.
”You told her?” Max glared at Celeste. ”You agreed not to say a word.”
”Did I?” Celeste raised a brow. ”I don't recall agreeing to any such thing. And if I did”-she shrugged-”I lied.”
”That's neither here nor there at the moment,” Evelyn snapped. ”The more pressing problem is my husband has been abducted. I have no idea if the intended victim was Adrian or Sir. The men who took him barely said a word.”
”Took him from where?” Max asked.
”The Langham.”
”Ah yes, Room 327,” Max murmured.
”Indeed.” Evelyn clenched her teeth. ”Who could have done this, Max?”
”And more to the point ...” Celeste said. ”Why?”
”We think it all ties into the theft of the file.” He glanced at Evelyn. ”As you know, it reveals the names of the last three heads of the department. Lord Lansbury was found dead this morning.”
Evelyn's breath caught with fear. ”And the other man?”
”He died a few months ago. Initially, we thought it was due to natural causes; now we are not so certain.” His gaze met Evelyn's and he winced. ”That was Sir George.”
She stared. ”Sir George Hardwell?”
Max nodded.
”My guardian?” Evelyn's voice rose. ”He was a head of the department?”
Celeste gasped. ”Good Lord.”
”I am sorry, Evelyn,” Max began.
”Don't be.” She waved away his comment. ”There was no affection lost between us. I never even met the man. It does, however, explain why I was approached by Lansbury to join the department.”
”He probably knew you'd make an excellent agent,” Max said staunchly.
Even Celeste cast him a skeptical eye.
”What he knew was that working for the department would take care of my financial instability and he could wash his hands of me,” Evelyn said. Odd, she probably should feel some sort of remorse for his pa.s.sing or even bitterness at his treatment of her, but there were no feelings at all for this man who had cared so little about her he never even met her in person. ”That's of no concern now at any rate.”
”We suspect, Adrian and I, that is,” Max said, ”that as the file revealed the true ident.i.ties of the last three heads of the department, whoever is behind this has some sort of grudge against the department or against Adrian, Lansbury, and Sir George personally.”
”That makes no sense.” Celeste shook her head. ”Between the three men that would be a personal grievance that goes back, oh, nearly thirty years?”
Max nodded. ”Which is why we think it's more likely the purpose is to cripple the department or embarra.s.s the government or expose-”
”I don't care! It doesn't matter! What is wrong with the two of you?” Evelyn glared at the others. ”All that matters is getting Adrian back. And I would much prefer to have him back alive.”
”That's exactly what we are trying to do,” Max snapped.
”Evelyn, dear.” A rea.s.suring note sounded in Celeste's voice. ”The more we know about the why, the better we can determine the who. Which will hopefully lead us to where Adrian is being held.”
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