Instant Attraction

Chapter 20

             “He’ll be fine,” Oliver whispered to her as they watched the boy. He came with Amanda and Jamie to insure their safety from others even though they were now certain the intended target was Cheyenne. Two of Devlyn’s armed footmen had also accompanied them to look after Amanda and Jamie.

            “All parents worry,” she whispered back, “we just try not to show it.” Oliver chuckled. “Wait until you have children.”

            “That won’t be for sometime to come,” he replied. “I have no plans to marry.”

            “Not until the right woman comes along,” she teased him. “Then we shall see.”

            “I’ve avoided the leg-shackles until now,” he answered her grinning.

            “Like I said wait until the right woman comes along.”

            “Are you ready?” she heard Jamie holler down at them.

            “We’re ready,” Oliver shouted up to the boy.

                                                                *                   *                *

            “Meeting here was not a good idea. If I don’t return soon they will miss me.”

“I want more money,” he said.

            “What do you mean you want more money? We agreed on five thousand pounds, which I already given you one thousand pounds of it. I will not give you more until she is dead.”

            “I want double what we agreed on and I want five thousand pounds in the next two days or I won’t kill her. I’m the one taking all the risks while you sit by a nice cozy fireplace, all safe and sound making everyone think you’re a civilized person.” He was taking a chance asking for more but he was, after all as he said, the one taking all the risks.

            “I need more than a few days to get that kind of money. I have on me only the four thousand pounds to pay you hidden in a safe place.”

            “How many days?”

            “Not until after Christmas. If I left now they would all become suspicious of me and I cannot afford for that to happen.” Where would the money come from and if the money was obtained how much more would this person ask for? If only that woman had died in London as she was supposed to. If only Wolverleigh had died in America as first planned then none of this would be happening now.

            “After Christmas then,” he said and turned to mount his horse.

            He had one foot in the stirrup when he felt the blade enter his back. The pain took his breath away and he felt himself falling to the ground.

            “I cannot trust you any longer. No one! No one tries to double-cross me!”

            “I…” was all he said before his life’s blood drained from his body.

            “Now I must either do it myself or wait until we all return to London.”

                                                                *                  *                *

            “Well, Your Grace, do you think this is the one we should cut for the Great Hall?” Ramsey asked Tony.

            “It looks like a nice one to me,” Devlyn told Tony.