A slight motion caught his attention. Stephen saw the glint of the other guard’s revolver, and he spun, firing his weapon. The guard dropped forward, and a second shot rang out from beside Stephen. A scarlet stain spread across the guard’s heart, his eyes wide with surprise.

“They planned to murder you before you reached the house,” his friend Michael Thorpe remarked, emerging from the trees. “Do you want us to accompany you?”

As a former schoolmate, Stephen trusted Michael to guard his back. Years of military service made it an easy matter for his friend to disappear from view.

Stephen nodded. “Stay out of sight. Likely, they heard the shots, and with any luck, they may believe I am dead.”

He moved toward the tall boxwood hedge surrounding the outer garden, working his way closer to the servants’ entrance. The heavy scent of roses intensified as he reached the house gardens. Thankfully, the hedges provided numerous hiding places.

He counted silently to thirty, waiting for the others to take their places. Outside, he saw a maid beating a large carpet, the dust billowing in the breeze. She stood between him and the entrance. He held his position, waiting patiently for her to return to the house.

She raised the paddle and gave a sound blow to the carpet, attacking it as though it were an enemy. After nearly five minutes of pounding the dust, she set her paddle down and glanced toward Stephen’s hiding place.

Dear God in heaven. It was Emily, disguised as a maid.

Heedless of who might be watching, Stephen crept up behind her. Dragging her behind the hedge, he muffled her terrified shriek. “What the hell do you think you are doing?”

Emily’s face whitened, but she made no sound even when he released his palm from her mouth.

“I told you to stay in London where you’d be safe.” His grip upon her was so fierce, he wanted to throttle her. The very thought of her putting herself in danger was unacceptable. Did she think no one would recognize her?

“You’re not dead,” she whispered, her hand moving to his face. “I thought—”

“You thought I would try to rescue them alone?” He sighed in disgust. “I am not an utter fool.”

He relaxed his grip upon her, suddenly aware that anyone could see them. “Listen carefully. My men are going to surround the house and enter at my signal. You need to leave now and return to the village.”

She was shaking her head. “Not yet. I—”

“He wants us dead, Emily. Both of us. We know too much about his business dealings for him to let us live.” He had to make her understand that Nigel was not a man to be reasoned with.

“Yes, I know that, but—”

“Then you should understand the necessity of staying out of harm’s way. Why on God’s earth you thought to come alone is the most idiotic—”