“Aye, m’lord,” Pilling said, pointing at a doorway behind the high counter where the inn ledger lay. “Beyond my office is a storeroom with a sturdy lock.”
“Good. I will want to speak to them in a moment, before they are taken to the roundhouse to be charged with assault.”
He handed Madeline’s pistol to James, who promptly assumed custody of the one conscious prisoner. Then Rayne gestured at the two unconscious thugs before addressing the proprietor.
“Take care of those other two, if you please,” he directed Pilling. “I suggest you bind them securely. And fetch damp cloths for her ladyship and her brother as soon as you are done.”
“Certainly, m’lord, right away.”
“Meanwhile, I intend to commandeer your office for a short time, unless you object?”
“No, no, m’lord, no objection a’tall. Whatever you wish.”
Rayne lent a shoulder to the injured Gerard and helped him limp behind the counter and into the inn’s small office. Madeline followed reluctantly, aware that Rayne wanted privacy in order to question her brother about his alleged criminal activities.
There was only one chair behind the desk, and Gerard sank into it gratefully before accepting Rayne’s handkerchief to stanch his nosebleed.
Rayne, however, gave him no time to relax. “I suggest you start explaining, Ellis,” he commanded the moment Madeline had shut the door behind them.
“Explain?” the younger man hedged.
When a muscle in Rayne’s jaw hardened, Madeline quickly broke in. “He already knows everything, Gerard, so you may as well be completely honest.”
Rayne’s glance connected with hers briefly before he returned his piercing attention to her brother. “I have heard your sister’s version of the tale. Now I want to hear yours.”
Gerard eyed Rayne cautiously, as if determining how much he could leave out. He must have concluded that prevaricating would be perilous to his welfare, for he grudgingly launched into a narrative that confirmed Madeline’s entire story, acknowledging his theft of the priceless necklace and the subsequent events that had led to his being assaulted by three of Ackerby’s henchmen.
When he concluded, Madeline couldn’t help voicing her distress. “Gerard, how could you steal like that?” she murmured in dismay.
Shifting his glance to her, Gerard hardened his jaw. “If you mean to read me a lecture, Maddie, you needn’t bother. I would do it all over again.”
“But the necklace does not belong to you.”
“No, the Vicomte and Vicomtesse de Vasse are the rightful owners,” he said fiercely. “There is a miniature of Madame la Vicomtesse wearing the necklace for her betrothal portrait. It was her prize possession, and she intended for her daughter to inherit it one day. Moreover, I only took the necklace, not any of the other jewels that were stolen from them.”
“What other jewels?” Rayne interjected.
“The vicomte owned an invaluable collection of family heirlooms. The third baron—the current Lord Ackerby’s father—stole it all.”
“That is a serious accusation, Ellis,” Rayne observed.
“Yes, but it is true,” Gerard insisted. “Like many other aristos, the de Vasses were forced to pay exorbitant sums to be smuggled out of France at the height of the Revolution, but they still had a fortune in jewels remaining when they arrived in England. Shortly after they settled in Chelmsford, their home was robbed and all the jewels disappeared. Then several years later the collection resurfaced in the possession of Ackerby’s father. It could never be proved that he orchestrated the theft, but he clearly obtained the jewels through illicit means and profited immeasurably from the crime. When confronted by the de Vasses, though, the baron refused to honor their claim and merely chided them for leaving their valuables unattended.”
“That still does not entitle you to take the necklace,” Madeline said tersely.
“I was only standing up for justice, Maddie,” Gerard argued. “With Maman’s history, you know all too well about the plight of the émigrés. Those who were not guillotined by the revolutionary government or murdered by the rabble were left homeless and penniless, including Lynette’s parents. After watching most of their family and friends beheaded and losing nearly everything they possessed, they came to England in hopes of beginning a new life—only to have their future shattered when their sole means of support was stolen from them. It’s not right that Ackerby should be allowed to keep their only legacy.”
“So you decided to rectify matters by taking the law into your own hands?” Madeline demanded. “By stealing from the late baron’s son? How can you justify such self-serving logic? Even if his father was guilty as you say, this Lord Ackerby had nothing to do with a crime that happened many years ago.”
Gerard scowled. “I cannot believe you are taking Ackerby’s side!”
“I am not! I only want to keep you out of prison, or worse.”
Her brother’s features lost some of their fierce belligerence. “It is not merely that I want to inveigle my way into the good graces of my new bride’s parents, Maddie. It is that I can’t bear seeing Lynette so desolate. She has cried herself to sleep every night since we eloped, knowing she is estranged from her family. Whatever love she has for me will swiftly die if I cannot win their forgiveness and reunite them.”
Madeline hesitated, sympathizing yet not wanting to accept Gerard’s claim that his theft was justified. “If Lynette truly loves you, she will put your life over her parents’ material gratification. You could have been killed today. She is unlikely to be any happier if you are hanged—or if you both must spend the rest of your lives hiding out in France as fugitives.”