The Reluctant Heiress

by Dilly Court

  Kate shrugged. ‘I imagine that’s a risk you’ve been taking all along.’

  ‘You’re right, of course. I had planned to disband the gang when I had enough money to pay off a loan secured on the house, leaving enough to live on comfortably.’

  ‘It’s none of my business,’ Kate said hastily. ‘You don’t have to worry about me, but don’t think I approve of your deception or your criminal activities. I’ll keep your secret, if only for your mother’s sake. She is such a sweet lady.’

  ‘Thank you, Kate. But before you write me off as a complete villain, I want you to know that the end is in sight for my gang. I plan to close the gaming clubs and pay off all those who’ve been loyal to me, but not just yet. I cannot divulge the reason at the moment, but it will all become clear in time.’

  Kate stood up, reaching for her shawl, which she had draped over the back of the chair. ‘I believe you have good intentions, but you’ll have to forgive me if I doubt your ability to simply walk away. I think you enjoy the excitement and the challenge of pitting your wits against Monks and those like him.’

  ‘Considering how little you know me, that’s quite astute.’

  Kate wrapped her shawl around her shoulders. ‘I really must go.’

  ‘You have an urgent appointment?’

  ‘Not exactly, but I intend to walk to Lincoln’s Inn. I need to ask Perry for advice.’ She smiled as she noted a flicker of anxiety in Harry’s eyes. ‘Don’t worry, Harry. As I said just now, your secret is safe with me. I merely want some advice concerning setting myself up as an official charity. Then I might be able to raise funds for the soup kitchen.’

  ‘I happen to be going that way, so unless you have anything against travelling in my barouche bearing the family coat of arms, I could take you as far as Lincoln’s Inn.’

  ‘I’m not against your title, I just don’t approve of the way you’re going about restoring the family fortunes, and I’m sure your mother would agree with me.’

  ‘Heaven help me if you two were to get together.’ Harry held the door open. ‘If I promise to reform will you accept a lift in my carriage?’

  ‘Yes, but I won’t hold you to your promise. I have a feeling it would be broken before the end of the day.’

  He laughed. ‘You have so little faith in me, Kate.’

  ‘As I said, I hardly know you, but it’s a hot day and I would be grateful for a ride in your barouche, but you must promise to let me alight in Fleet Street. It’s better if we’re not seen together. I’ll walk the rest of the way.’

  Lincoln’s Inn was an oasis of calm with the noisy, rat-infested slums of Clare Market to the west and the round-the-clock bustle of Fleet Street to the east. Kate walked slowly towards the building that housed Perry’s chambers. She was still struggling to equate Harry Trader the gang leader with Sir Harry Lyndon, Baronet, but she knew she must put that aside and concentrate on the more important matter.

  She entered the building that had been her father’s old chambers and was met by Franklin, the chief clerk. He had known Kate since she was a child and he greeted her warmly.

  ‘As it happens Mr Harte is in chambers, as is your father. Would you like me to announce you, Miss Kate?’

  ‘No, thank you,’ Kate said, smiling. ‘I think I’ll give them a surprise.’ She made her way along the narrow, wainscoted passage to the room that her father had occupied before they left for India. It was only three years ago, but it seemed like another lifetime to Kate. She knocked on the door and entered without waiting for an answer. Perry was seated behind the large mahogany desk and her father was standing with his back to the empty grate. Both of them stared at her as if she were a complete stranger.

  Perry was the first to recover. He stood up and walked round the desk to greet her. ‘Kate, this is a pleasant surprise.’

  ‘What are you doing here?’ Sir Bartholomew demanded stiffly. ‘You know you aren’t supposed to interrupt daily business, Kate.’

  ‘I came to ask Perry for advice, Papa,’ Kate said boldly. ‘But I can come another time if you are both too busy to hear what I have to say.’

  ‘Nonsense.’ Perry pulled up a chair for her. ‘Take a seat and tell me how I may be of help.’

  Sir Bartholomew cleared his throat noisily. ‘As my daughter is here now, I think I ought to give her the news I mentioned earlier.’

  ‘Really, sir? I mean it might be better done in the privacy of your home, don’t you think?’ Perry faced Sir Bartholomew with a disapproving frown.

  ‘I think I am the best judge of how to treat my own family, thank you.’ Sir Bartholomew turned to Kate. ‘Take a seat, my dear.’

  Kate knew then that her father must have something momentous to tell her. He rarely used any form of endearment when speaking either to her or to her mother, and he had modified his tone from that of a courtroom judge in an obvious attempt to sound fatherly.

  ‘What is it, Papa?’ Kate sank down onto the padded leather seat. ‘Please tell me.’

  ‘I only hesitate because I know how fond you were of my brother.’ Sir Bartholomew tucked his thumbs under the lapels of his jacket and began to pace the floor. ‘I received a missive from Delhi this morning.’

  ‘From Uncle Edgar?’

  ‘Not exactly. I’m afraid it’s bad news, Kate. Your uncle died in the uprising.’

  ‘Oh, no!’ Kate buried her face in her hands as she tried to assimilate the dreadful news.

  ‘Edgar was well aware that there was going to be trouble, and he entrusted his will into my hands, to be opened only in the event of his demise.’

  ‘Please, Papa, don’t address me as if I were in court. What has this to do with me? All I can think of is poor Uncle Edgar. He was always so good to me.’

  ‘Evidently,’ Sir Bartholomew said drily. ‘He thought so little of me, his only brother, and so highly of you, a mere niece, that he has left you his entire fortune. You are a very wealthy young woman now, Kate.’

  ‘Are you certain that Uncle Edgar has died, Papa? Could there be a mistake?’

  ‘I had a letter from Sir Robert Audley, my dear. I’m afraid it is true.’

  ‘How did it happen?’ Kate asked faintly. She was devastated by the loss of her much-loved uncle, but Ash had been part of his personal guard, and she was desperate to learn of his fate. Surely if he had died she would have felt something – she would have known, wouldn’t she?

  Perry filled a glass with water from a carafe on the desk and handed it to her. ‘Sip this slowly, Kate.’

  Her hand shook as she held the glass to her lips and she drank a little, but set it aside almost immediately. ‘Are you absolutely sure, Papa? Might there not have been a mistake, considering the circumstances? I remember what it was like when we fled.’

  ‘I think you should go home and rest, Kate. I had no idea you would take the news so badly, especially as your uncle has seen fit to make you the sole beneficiary of his fortune. I still find it hard to believe that he would bypass me, his only brother, in favour of you.’

  Kate was quick to hear the note of bitterness in her father’s voice and she gathered her scattered wits with difficulty. ‘I think I will go home, Papa. The walk will clear my head.’

  ‘Nonsense, Kate,’ Perry said firmly. ‘I’ll send one of the clerks to hail a cab and I’ll see you safely home. You’ve had a terrible shock.’

  Sir Bartholomew slumped down on a chair by the fireplace. ‘I wish I’d had such a shock. I mean, of course I’m sorry my brother was killed, but the money would have been very welcome.’

  ‘I don’t know how you can stand there and talk about money when your brother has been murdered,’ Kate said angrily. ‘Shame on you, Papa.’ She walked out of the office without giving him a chance to respond.

  Perry caught up with her in the main office. ‘Franklin, will you send one of your juniors to hail a cab, please? Miss Martin has just received some bad news. I’m going to see her home.’

  ‘Of course, sir.’ Franklin cast a symp
athetic look in Kate’s direction. ‘I am so sorry, Miss Kate. I’ll go myself; the cabbies know me. I send much trade their way.’ He hurried from the building, returning moments later to announce that a cab was waiting on the corner of the square.

  It had been a day that Kate would prefer to forget, with one shock after another. First she had discovered that Harry Trader was a leading a double life and then she had learned that her beloved uncle had been killed in the uprising. Not only that, but suddenly she was an heiress, and Perry had confirmed that it was a substantial sum. Sir Bartholomew had shown him his brother’s will. The sad truth was that she did not want the money, even though it would solve all her financial problems. She would rather have had her uncle safe and sound, and of course that wish must include Ashok. She was desperate to learn of his fate, but the only way to find out would be to travel to India, and that was out of the question with the current state of affairs.

  Kate sat by the window in her bedroom, gazing down at the shadowy gardens, and the clouds of moths that fluttered around the streetlamps like tiny fairs dancing in the gaslight.

  Perry had advised her to take time off from the soup kitchen. He had even offered to lend her money until her funds were available, to enable Jenny and Ivy to continue the good work on their own, if only for a few days. Kate had refused, of course, insisting that hard work would be her salvation, but privately she felt her heart shattering into small shards. She knew she had to go on, even if her life held no meaning for her without Ash. She had hoped that he might come to England looking for her, but now that would never happen. The nagging void inside had turned her into an automaton, similar to the expensive toys that wealthy people brought from France to entertain their guests after dinner. She was a bird in a gilded cage, singing the same song over and over again, or a beautifully dressed doll, who nodded and waved at a given command.

  Jenny came to help Kate undress and her silent sympathy was more comforting than any words. She helped Kate into bed and left the room, returning minutes later with a steaming cup of hot chocolate.

  ‘I lost me dad when I was ten years old,’ Jenny said softly. ‘You never forget them, miss, but it does get easier.’ She backed out of the room, closing the door gently.

  Kate lay in almost complete darkness, allowing tears to fall unchecked. She was crying for her uncle, but she was also crying for her lost love, and for their children, who would never be born. She could not imagine loving anyone as much as she had loved Ashok Patel. His death was not confirmed, but she knew in her heart that he was gone from her life for ever.

  Awaking from a fitful sleep, Kate sat up in bed next morning filled with new-found determination. In the dark hours of the night she had come to the conclusion that to give in to despair was not for her. She would face the future with a brave heart, and she knew exactly how to get her own way. She was out of bed before Jenny brought a pitcher of hot water to fill the ewer on the washstand.

  ‘You’re not going to Cable Street this morning, are you, miss?’

  ‘Yes, of course. I have to carry on. If I mope about at home things will seem worse. At least I’ll have Annie to cheer me with a lovely melody, and Ivy’s little ones to make me smile. Help me with my stays, Jenny. I’ll go to market on my way to Cable Street.’

  ‘Of course, miss. But first you must have some breakfast. You can’t work on an empty stomach.’

  ‘I doubt if many of those who come to us in Cable Street have eaten breakfast. The bread and soup are the only meal that most of them have in a whole day. I’ve lost someone I loved, and I don’t want the money he left me, but I know how I’ll put it to good use.’

  ‘You could buy yourself a house of your own, miss. You would be a woman of means, and you wouldn’t have to depend on any man to support you.’

  ‘I might do that when I return to England.’

  ‘You’re going away, miss?’

  ‘How do you fancy a trip to India, Jenny?’

  Chapter Eight

  Kate stood on the East India Dock at Blackwall, gazing up at the steamship that would transport her to Bombay. It had been a difficult decision to make in these uncertain times, and her parents were totally against her plan to travel to India. They had refused to see her off and it was Perry who had hired a barouche to bring Kate and Jenny to the docks. He was now busy organising porters to carry their luggage on board. Jenny had been keeping a watchful eye on their possessions, but she came hurrying towards Kate with her bonnet slightly awry and the ribbons flapping in the breeze.

  ‘We should go on board, miss,’ she said breathlessly.

  ‘Yes, of course.’ Kate knew in her heart that she was doing the right thing, but she was suddenly nervous. Her excuse for travelling thousands of miles was that she wanted to bring her uncle’s ashes home. He had, so they had been informed by Sir Robert, chosen to be cremated in the Indian tradition. Kate’s parents had done all they could to dissuade her, but Kate was adamant. She could now afford the passage for herself as well as for her maidservant, and she felt she owed it to her uncle’s memory to bring him home. She meant what she said, but she also knew that her real reason for travelling so far was to find Ashok, or at least to learn of his fate. She could have gone through official channels and written to the authorities, requesting that they check the Indian Army records for the fate of Subedar-Major Ashok Patel, but that would take months, and might possibly be ignored as the unrest and fighting continued. The accounts that Kate read in the newspapers were at least two months old by the time they reached London, and she could not go another day without knowing Ash’s fate.

  She had set up a bank account for the soup kitchen, leaving Ivy in sole charge. Ivy was to be paid a generous wage to ensure that things ran smoothly. Kate had said fond goodbyes to Ivy and to Annie, promising to return as soon as possible. Annie had begged Kate to contact her brother, Joseph, as she had not heard from him for many months, and Kate had promised with a heavy heart. It was going to be difficult enough to trace Ashok, let alone Private Joseph Blythe, but she would do her very best. Kate had grown fond of Annie, and had she been fortunate enough to have a sister, she would have chosen someone exactly like Annie, whose sweet nature and gentle sense of humour made even the most miserable days seem brighter.

  Perry came towards them with a rueful smile. ‘Your luggage has gone on board, so I suppose it’s time to say goodbye, Kate.’

  ‘Thank you for everything you’ve done. It was good of you to go to all this trouble, Perry.’ Kate leaned over to brush his cheek with a kiss.

  He clasped her hands, raising them to his lips. ‘You know where to find me when you return. I hope all goes well with you when you reach India, but please don’t take any unnecessary risks.’

  She smiled. ‘I promise.’

  ‘They’re calling for all passengers to board, miss,’ Jenny said, tugging on Kate’s arm.

  ‘I’m coming. I won’t say goodbye, Perry. It’s too final.’

  ‘Have a safe journey, ladies.’ Perry stood aside, allowing them to hurry past him as they made their way to the gangplank.

  ‘If I had a young man who was so eager to please me, I don’t think I’d be getting on that boat,’ Jenny said darkly.

  ‘Perry is a good friend, nothing more.’ Kate negotiated the steep gangplank and was greeted by a steward, who showed them to their respective cabins.

  Jenny opened the interconnecting door. ‘This is nice, miss. I don’t have to walk miles to get to you.’

  Kate took off her bonnet and laid it on the narrow bunk bed. ‘I hope I’m doing the right thing, Jenny. Maybe my parents were right.’

  ‘There’s still time to change your mind, miss. The steward told me there is a bit of a delay before we sail.’

  Kate slumped down on the bunk, shaking her head. ‘We’ve come this far so it would be foolish to walk away.’

  An urgent knock on the door made them both jump.

  ‘Come in,’ Kate said sharply.

  A steward poked his he
ad round the door. ‘There’s a gentleman who wants to see you urgently, miss. He forced his way on board without a ticket, but he says he won’t leave until he’s spoken to you personally.’

  ‘Maybe it’s your father, miss.’ Jenny picked up Kate’s bonnet and handed it to her.

  Kate rose to her feet. ‘I’ll come right away.’ She turned to Jenny. ‘You’d best come with me.’ Kate followed the steward to the upper deck when she was amazed to see Harry Trader waiting for her with a burly seaman in attendance.

  ‘What is it, Harry?’ Kate demanded anxiously. ‘Why are you here, and how did you know that we were leaving today?’

  ‘I’d like a few words with the lady in private.’ Harry slipped a coin into the seaman’s hand.

  ‘Just a couple of minutes, sir. No more.’

  Harry nodded. He took Kate by the arm and led her to the top of the gangplank. ‘Your father was taken ill in court, Kate.’

  ‘But he was all right this morning at breakfast,’ Kate protested. ‘Is this a ploy to make me abandon my trip?’

  ‘No, it isn’t. I know because I was there. One of my men was in the dock and your father was presiding over the case. He collapsed suddenly and was taken hospital. I don’t know any more than that, but I suggest you postpone your voyage.’

  ‘Is it serious?’

  ‘I’m not a medical man, but if I were you I wouldn’t want to take the chance.’

  ‘Has my mother been told?’

  ‘I went to Finsbury Square, intending to speak to you and I was told that you were en route to India. It wasn’t up to me to inform your mother of your father’s illness. You need to come home, Kate.’

  She stared at him in dismay. It was obvious that he was telling the truth – Harry Trader had no reason to lie to her. Although, if she left the ship now she might never again have the courage to defy convention and the will of her parents. But her father might be dying and she could not leave her mother to cope on her own.

  ‘Of course, you’re right.’ Kate turned to Jenny, who was hovering anxiously a few feet away. ‘We’re leaving the ship.’