“You insolent pup. You don’t understand!” Alex felt him remove the pistol from her neck and saw him begin to point it at Gavin. In his anger, he had loosened his grip on her and she had enough space to move, but only to make a single attempt at saving them both.

Without pausing to consider the possibility of failure, Alex lifted her foot and slammed it down on her captor’s instep with every ounce of her strength, spinning away from him as he doubled over in pain. She heard the report of the pistol and time stopped as she looked to Gavin, who was rushing forward with a roar, his face the portrait of anger.

He tackled his already off-balance uncle, bringing him to the floor and sending the pistol spinning across the room before landing two quick blows to his face. Alex turned to find something heavy that she could use to subdue Sewell but was interrupted by the door bursting open as the Duke of Worthington and Will rushed in, the Baron Montgrave quick on their heels, holding a pistol.

Taking in the scene before them, Will and the duke rushed to pull Gavin off his uncle and to restrain the older man, who squealed in protest.

“Montgrave has a pistol!” Alex announced to the room at large, alarmed.

“And thank goodness he does. We might have needed it,” Gavin said as he approached her, concern in his eyes. “He’s on our side, Alex.” Taking her into his arms and running his hands over her extremities to find any wounds she might have incurred, he spoke softly to her, “Are you well? Did the bullet hit you? Did he hurt you?”

“I’m fine,” she said, pulling away from him, embarrassed that he would be touching her so intimately in front of the room full of men. “Our side? He is?”

“Yes, my lady,” the baron spoke up, from where he was tying Sewell’s wrists behind his back. “You see, I have been working with the War Office to root out a network of French spies operating out of Essex, which we came to believe was related to the earl’s death. I also knew Sewell from the war. Even then, he vilified his brother and talked of ruining the Blackmoor name. I never thought he would have the courage to do it, but when I heard from you that he was here, I had a feeling he was involved. Of course, I had no idea that the two situations were related until Lady Vivian told me everything this afternoon.”

“But Ella saw you in the gardens at the Salisbury Ball! Discussing the robbery at Blackmoor House! Before it happened!”

“Did she? I am impressed, my lady. My informant and I had no knowledge of our being followed.”

“If there is one thing women excel at, Baron, it is eavesdropping. Would you care to explain how you were able to discuss the future?” She still didn’t trust this Frenchman.

“In fact, we were discussing the robbery as it was in progress, Lady Alexandra. I left the ball immediately and headed straight for Blackmoor House. Of course, you and Lord Blackmoor were close behind me, so it was he who entered the house, ending Sewell’s search before I was able to do it myself.”

Alex turned to Gavin. “But you didn’t believe me when I told you about your uncle!”

“No, I didn’t.” Gavin appeared just as surprised as she was. “And I didn’t know any of this either. Although I’m rather unclear about why I wasn’t apprised of my uncle’s wrongdoings.”

“We didn’t want to upset you unnecessarily,” the duke interjected. “We didn’t have any proof of Sewell’s involvement in either of these crimes.”

“Until now,” Gavin said, retrieving his father’s book from where it lay at their feet. “Alex has uncovered everything,” he said with pride in his voice, handing the volume to the duke and congratulating Alex with, “Very well done, by the way.”

Alex ignored the flash of pleasure she felt at his praise, and turned her questions on the baron, “But I saw you skulking around Blackmoor House!”

“That I am able to answer. You were not supposed to see Montgrave,” Gavin interjected as the duke and the baron pulled Sewell to his feet. “You were not supposed to become involved at all. In fact, didn’t you promise me that you were going to stay as far away from Sewell Hall as possible this weekend?”

She ignored his attempt to redirect her attention, instead exclaiming, “You knew? You knew Montgrave wasn’t a threat and let me go on believing he was? You didn’t tell me? What else did you know? What else didn’t you share? Need I remind you that it was I who found your father’s messages, I who uncovered the connection between the espionage and the murder, I who discovered the book here, I who saved your life just moments ago? Where were Bow Street and the baron during all those times?”

“Alex, calm yourself. We decided it was best you not know.”

“Who decided?” Alex said shortly, her ire rising.

“Alexandra,” her father interrupted, “contrary to what you believe, there are some situations in which young women should not participate.”

“Like this one, for example,” Will added, attempting to be helpful. “Vivi and Ella put everything together as far as what was happening here, but we came to rescue you. They stayed at the manor.”

“I rescued us!” Alex protested, meeting Gavin’s gaze. “Tell them!”

“Indeed. She did. I have a feeling my uncle might well be nursing a broken foot,” he told the duke and baron, who seemed to have little concern for the pain their prisoner might be suffering.

“Truly? Well done, Alex,” Will said, surprised. “Well, in any event, there’s a reason we left Vivi and Ella behind.”