Brotherhood 02 - Broken Promise Read Free Page B

my son to do what he did.”
    The earl rose, then stepped close to Austin’s desk. “Find Miss Flemming—or Lady Fledgemont, if my son had the good sense to marry her—and bring her here so my wife and I can provide for her.”
    Austin rose. They were of an equal height, he and the earl, and there was a look of honesty in the man’s eyes. “Society will never accept her,” Austin said as a warning. “She’ll always be an outcast.”
    “I have no intention of throwing her to the wolves, if that’s what concerns you. I only want to talk to her. I want to offer her a place to live, either in London or in the country. I want to provide for her so she never goes without.”
    Austin evaluated Penderly’s offer. He still had his doubts, and he wanted to be sure before he agreed to bring Miss Flemming back to London. Society may not be the only wolves the lady might have to face.
    “I didn’t seek you out because you were with my younger son when he died,” Penderly continued. “I don’t want you to feel obligated because of what happened to Jarrod in France. I came to you because you have a reputation for finding people who don’t want to be found.”
    Austin raised his brows. Guilt consumed him and he turned from Penderly’s gaze. He was responsible for what had happened in France. He was responsible for Jarrod Dunstan’s death. He’d pulled the trigger that ended Dunstan’s life.
    Austin turned back. “I’m not in the habit of finding people who are missing. I find criminals who are desperate not to be found.”
    Penderly paused. “Perhaps that wasn’t an accurate comparison. But I’m desperate. My son would still be alive if I had reacted differently when he told me he wanted to marry Miss Flemming. I can’t live with the guilt any longer.”
    The expression on Austin’s face must have altered. Penderly obviously misinterpreted the meaning. His next words said as much.
    “I know, Captain. You have no idea what it’s like to wish something in your life had never happened, but believe me, the regrets that haunt me are not something I wish on anyone. I have nightmares that the woman Gregory loved is going without food and shelter, that she is unable to provide for herself. I can’t sleep because it’s my fault she’s alone in the world. I need to know that she’s all right.”
    Penderly braced his hands atop Austin’s desk and leaned forward. “I’ll pay whatever you ask. The nightmares are getting worse. I’m haunted continuously. I have to find her, make sure she isn’t lacking the essentials to live.”
    The air left Austin’s body. He knew what nightmares were like. Knew the oppressive fear that accompanied them. Knew the desperation.
    He would find Collette Flemming and bring her back. If he could release Penderly from the dreaded nightmares that haunted him, he’d do it. If he could do one thing to repay Penderly for the son he’d taken from him, he had no choice but to do it.
    “Where did your son and Miss Flemming make their home?”
    The relief he saw on Penderly’s face gave Austin a moment’s respite. But only a moment’s.
    No matter what the outcome, the end result would still be the same. It was his fault Penderly’s youngest son was dead, and nothing he did would bring him back.
    …
     
    Austin stood in the small churchyard cemetery outside the village of Wakemoor and stared at the wooden marker at the head of the grave.
    Gregory Wallace Dunstan—Viscount Fledgemont
    1826-1857
    Beloved Husband
    “The Earl of Penderly’s nephew was here after Lord Fledgemont died and said there would be a stone coming to mark the grave.”
    Austin looked at the portly vicar who’d shown him to the graveyard. There was a solemnity about the wrought-iron fenced area, a peacefulness that overshadowed the sadness.
    “Did you perform the ceremony for Fledgemont?”
    “I did. All the surrounding area showed up for the service. To pay their respects, you know.”
    “Was Fledgemont well