Risking the Detective (The Bluestocking Scandals Book 6) Page 16
“Bennett,” she said, trying to keep the relief from her voice. “Would you please escort out my… visitor?”
She nearly choked on the word, but she had no idea how to describe him.
While tall and thin and not at all menacing, Bennett was, at the very least, another presence in the room.
“With pleasure,” he snarled. “Come, Maxfeld.”
He walked over and grabbed his arm, but Maxfeld shook it off. “I will go willingly. No need to escort me out like a woman.”
Madeline snorted, but Bennett thankfully didn’t let go, and wrenched Maxfeld out of the office and away from Madeline.
When they left, she sank into her chair, relief filling her. She didn’t know how long she sat there, stunned at the entire affair, until Bennett returned.
“Madeline, are you all right?” he said, crossing over to her, and she nodded shakily.
“I think so.”
“I can hardly believe he would show his face here,” Bennett snarled. “And of course, he would come when one of your Runner friends was absent.”
“He did that by design,” Madeline said, twining her fingers together, wishing that she could be stronger, that she didn’t always have to rely on others to fight her battles for her. “Thank goodness you came when you did.”
“Of course,” Bennett said, sitting down across from her and leaning forward, staring at her intently. “Madeline, you know that I will always be here for you.”
“I know,” she said with a small, forced smile, for he only further proved that she could not stand on her own. “I appreciate it.”
“I had a thought,” he continued, rubbing his temple as though he was unsure of whether or not he should say it aloud, but she encouraged him to continue. “Your father has always believed that you are the best person to continue to look after this business when he is finished with it.”
“Yes,” she replied, suddenly wary as to what Bennett was about to propose.
“However, there have been… occurrences that have arisen since he left to Bath.”
“Yes, there have been,” she acknowledged, but then couldn’t help but add, “Although most have not been under my control.”
“A fair point,” he said, lifting a finger. “However, you know they always say that you’re only as strong as your leader.”
“What are you trying to say, Bennett?”
“I’m trying to say that while you may be more than capable, a woman will never be fully respected to run a business. It is no fault of your own, but that is just the truth.”
Madeline said nothing, becoming more irritated with him as he spoke.
“What I am proposing is that we, perhaps, partner together. I can be the face of the business. I will negotiate, take meetings, discuss projects with clients. You can do what you do best — keep the ledgers, ensure the business is running smoothly, and create the sculptures that you love so much.”
Madeline tapped her quill pen on the table. She hated to admit it, but his offer was tempting. She had missed sculpting, and she obviously was struggling to have anyone believe that she, as a woman, could effectively run Castleton Stone.
“So would we be partners, then?”
He hesitated, tilting his head to the side.
“Well, I would likely need to be in command. You could be… an assistant of sorts.”
Madeline pushed herself back in the chair so that every inch of her spine was connected to the back of it.
“Oh, would I?”
“Yes,” he said with a nod and a smile, seemingly pleased with himself. “Similar as you are now for your father. I think it would be quite an effective arrangement.”
Madeline held her tongue. She was pleased she had never been the type to say exactly what she thought, although in that moment she wished she knew the right words to tell Bennett what he could do with his idea.
“I will take what you have suggested, and I will think on it,” she said calmly. “But ultimately, this is my father’s decision.”
A flash of panic crossed Bennett’s face. “Yes, but if you suggest it to him, then—”
“Thank you, Bennett,” she said curtly. “You may go.”
A footstep from the hall caught her attention, and she turned to find Drake lounging in the doorway.
“You,” Bennett said, standing abruptly. “Have you been eavesdropping?”
“I am awaiting my turn to speak with Miss Castleton,” he said smoothly, but Madeline could tell that there was turmoil lurking behind his eyes.
“Very well,” Bennett said, narrowing his gaze at first Drake and then Madeline, as though he suspected something, although what, she had no idea. He left with one final glance over his shoulder, and Drake crossed the room and shut the door behind him.
“What are you doing?” Madeline asked, standing up and placing her sweaty palms on the desk in front of her. “Georgie is set to return at any moment.”
“She’s not,” Drake said. “When she realized she had been set up, she returned, found you here with Bennett, and then sent a boy to fetch me to come.”
“I am glad that I was deemed important enough to leave whatever had you occupied,” Madeline said, but then instantly regretted her words. “I’m sorry. I had no right—”
“No, you did,” Drake said with a sigh, rounding the desk to stand in front of her. He lifted his hands to wrap them around her upper arms and his voice was nearly hushed. “I have neglected you, and for that, I am sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” she shook her head. “You have much else that requires your attention.”
He lowered his hands, as well as his head so that she could no longer see his expression. “I believe I know who murdered my parents.”
“You do?” she said in shock, suddenly feeling ridiculous for even suggesting that her trouble was worth his time. Thoughts of Maxfeld fled at his revelation.
He nodded slowly. “It seems my father was involved with a smuggling ring. He tried to get out, but the organization feared that he would talk. So, one night, they killed him — and my mother too.”
Madeline couldn’t help her jaw from dropping open. “You didn’t know that he was involved?”
“I didn’t,” he said, shaking his head. “My uncle did. My aunt too. She was the one who sent me the satchel, and who finally encouraged my uncle to tell me all that he knew. If only he had done so earlier.”
Bitterness leaked into his tone, but Madeline welcomed the sharing of his emotion and she grasped his hands in hers. “I’m sure he thought he was protecting you.”
“That’s what he said.” Drake laughed sharply. “You all sound the same.”
“Drake,” Madeline said slowly, “people have been protecting me my entire life. I know this might not be what you want to hear, but it does mean that you are loved.”
“There is more,” he said, ignoring her, obviously still unwilling to navigate his own emotions.
“Yes?”
“I believe your cousin is involved.”
“What?” she gasped, nearly unable to comprehend just what he was saying. “In the smuggling ring?”
“Yes, the smuggling ring,” he said with a nod. “The pendant you said he had — it’s the pendant that every member receives. It’s the pendant required to enter their headquarters — which is right next door.”
“Next door?” she echoed, “To here?”
“The timberyard,” he said with a nod, spreading his fingers out on the desk, and Madeline closed her eyes as she tried not to notice how big and strong they were, tried not to remember what they felt like upon her skin. “It is a front for the smuggling ring. They use the docks at night.”
Madeline shook her head, unable to take in all that he was saying. “It couldn’t be,” she argued, even though she knew that Drake had no reason to lie to her. “I would know. My father would know. And as for Bennett—”
“The man who wants to take your job, who wants to run the business instead of you?”
“I was waiting at the door,” he countered. “Neither of you heard me. But it only proves his part in all of this. He wants Castleton Stone, Madeline. And I believe he wants it for its proximity to the smugglers. Your father may not have known about it, but you would have found out eventually. Especially with me around at the moment.”
He gave her a small, sad, half-smile that said more than his words ever could.
“At the moment?”
“Until this is solved,” he said, turning away from her, shutting her out. “Then I’ll be out of your life.”
Madeline opened her mouth and then closed it again. She was desperate to cry out to him, to tell him not to leave her, but what could she possibly say? They had no understanding. No reason to be together. And yet—
“It… it doesn’t have to be goodbye,” she said, her words just above a whisper. “I mean—”
He turned around quickly, any thought or feeling he might have had wiped clean from his features. “When you came to me last night, Madeline, I was clear that I could not give you a future. We had a moment in time together. A moment that I will always remember, yes, but that’s all it was. It cannot be more, do you understand?”
“But…” Madeline swallowed the lump in her throat, blinked back the tears that threatened, “why?”
“There is no room in my life for a woman,” he said, with a shrug of his shoulders. “Not even you.”
He looked her in the eye. “I made love to you because I thought you understood. Because I thought you were the same — that you didn’t want anything beyond what we could have for that one night.”
“I—” her voice was hoarse, but she forced herself to say what she felt, even though the realization of her feelings arose as she spoke. “I thought that was what I wanted. I really did. But you… you have stolen a piece of my heart, Drake.”
When he met her eyes then, his were dark, glassy, and she couldn’t tell whether he was angry or upset or frustrated, but all she wanted was the return of the man that had held her close, who had told her he would take care of her and be everything she needed.
“Why are you being like this?” she finally burst out, flinging her hands to the side.
“I’m only being honest, Madeline,” he said, his words stark and void of emotion. “Isn’t this what you want? Someone who will treat you like a grown woman? Someone who doesn’t pity you, but respects you enough to tell you the truth? That is what I am doing. You were naïve about Maxfeld, yes. I thought you had learned from it. But if you refuse to see the truth about your cousin, then perhaps you are the ignorant little girl everyone thinks you are.”
Madeline stared at him, her mouth and eyes both open wide as shock invaded. Finally, she caught hold of her senses.
“I am currently running Castleton Stone. How many women do you know who find themselves in such a position?”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Yes, and how well has that been going?”
Madeline couldn’t breathe. It was as though Drake had taken a knife and plunged it deep into her stomach before twisting it and holding it in place.
She set her jaw.
“Get out.”
He inclined his head. “I’ll remain here to catch Bennett in the act. Then I will go. I will—”
“I said get out,” Madeline said through clenched teeth. “That means get out of my office, get out of my factory, get out of Castleton Stone. You are not welcome here any longer. I made a mistake coming to you, but that will be the last one I will ever make. I will send payment to Bow Street.”
“Madeline,” Drake’s voice softened somewhat, “I will make sure that—”
“Leave,” she said forcefully, needing him gone before she lost all control. “Leave now.”
He stared at her for a moment longer before finally nodding at her, turning on his heel, and walking out the door.
Madeline followed him, slammed it behind him, and managed to make it to a chair before she folded over and let the tears fall.
Chapter 21
Drake’s heart had been ripped from his chest.
And he had done it to himself.
He wished he hadn’t had to push it so far. He wished that he had been able to break things off cleanly, without hurting Madeline to such an extent.
But it had been necessary. He needed her to stay away from him. And so he had used the words he had known would work. The words that would keep her away. But also the words that had completely broken her, and him in turn.
He hadn’t known it was possible for this pain to ever invade again. It was why he kept everyone away. Why he had tried to shield himself from Madeline. But somehow she had broken through the walls he had so carefully constructed, finding her way in.
Now, he didn’t know how he could live with himself, knowing what he had done to her.
But it was better than living in a world without her in it — which was most certainly a possibility if they stayed together.
“Drake!”
He turned around quickly to find Georgie running after him. She was wearing her trousers and jacket today but with her hair visible behind her, her feminine features and apparent curves, there was no mistaking her for a man.
She caught up to him, still in control of her breath despite her sprint. “What happened?” she asked.
He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s over,” he grunted, looking off into the distance, unable to meet Georgie’s shrewd, knowing gaze. “I told her that what we had was a moment in time and that there could never be anything more between us.”
“She wanted there to be?” Georgie asked, lifting her eyebrows, her gaze interested although not judgmental, which he appreciated.
“I’m not sure if she knows what she wants either,” he muttered, looking away, down the docks in front of them. “But I can’t have her near me. I had to push her away… as much as it hurt both of us.”
“What exactly did you say?”
The sounds of workers across the street, unloading cargo from the ships, reached them and Drake took a breath as he watched them, considering how much simpler his life could be if he had a job like that, but also aware that every person held their own troubles, their own issues, and nothing was ever perfect.
“I told her that she was naïve. That she wasn’t fit to run Castleton Stone.”
Georgie’s mouth dropped open. “You didn’t.”
“I had to,” Drake said, his words anguished, and Georgie’s expression softened, as though she realized now just how much it had hurt him to say what he did.
“Georgie… my mother was murdered because of my father’s involvement this gang. She was associated with him, and it killed her. You know better than anyone how much danger we find ourselves in from day to day. Now that I am looking into my parents’ murder, there is just as great of a chance that whoever killed them will come after me, and in turn Madeline. I can’t have her involved. I can’t put her at risk.”
“It seems to me that the woman is something of a survivor.”
“Yes, she is. But she doesn’t need to be put in any more danger because of me.”
Georgie was silent for a moment, heaving a sigh as she placed her hands on her hips and looked off into the distance. “Well, then, I think you know what you must do.”
“Which is?”
“Solve this murder. Take down this smuggling ring. You know I will help you. Marshall will too. Then you can go back to Madeline.”
“I don’t think she’ll have me.”
“You can do nothing but try.”
He nodded. “Let’s focus on the first bit. Here is what I am thinking.”
He then pushed Madeline as far from his mind as he could, while making a plan with Georgie.
“Will you keep an eye on Madeline while I find Marshall? She doesn’t want any of us around anymore, but I would feel better if you were here.”
“Of course,” Georgie said with a nod. “She’s
a stronger woman than you think, though, Drake.”
“I know she is,” he said, fervor in his voice, “and if anyone needs to learn that it’s her.”
“I’ll keep an eye out,” Georgie promised. “See you tonight.”
Madeline didn’t know what to do with herself. She couldn’t stop thinking about Drake, about all he had said, and all of his accusations.
She had thought that he was the one person who understood. She had thought that no matter what else, he would be there for her, supporting her. She had thought that he had believed in her.
She had been wrong.
When the numbers on the ledgers in front of her wouldn’t stop swimming through her watery eyes, she finally threw the cover of the book shut and abandoned it completely.
There was only one thing to do when she felt like this, one thing that would bring her some solace, and hopefully some peace.
The other artists greeted her with a smile when she arrived at their corner of the factory. She forced a returning smile to her face, but they seemed to sense her mood.
If there was ever anyone who understood that she didn’t always want to talk but rather had to work things through with her hands, it was these people before her.
Thomas said nothing. Instead, he rose, walked over to the back of the factory where the vats of clay were stored, and set a heap of it on the table in front of Madeline.
She looked at it for a moment.
“This isn’t the usual clay.”
“It’s your new formula.” Clark, who had long been with Castleton Stone, said from behind her. “You left your notes out the other night. I know how hard you’ve been working on it, so… I thought we should try it.”
His smile was both hesitating and conspiratorial.
“You should be the first to sculpt with it,” Thomas said with a serious nod, and Madeline could only blink.
“Thank you,” she said, before her focus turned to the stone itself.
She didn’t know how long she sat there and stared at it, until she grabbed an apron and wrapped it around herself.
Thomas gave her no instructions, no special orders. He seemed to know that she needed to create something for herself, even if she didn’t know what that was going to be quite yet.