Beth

by Andersen, Maggi

  “I wish Andrew would come,” Jenny said seemingly too distracted to take any notice of what passed between them.

  “If he’s not here soon, I’ll go to Twickenham,” Marcus said. “But I expect I shall meet him on the road.”

  “Would you, Mr. Nyeland?” Jenny said. “I hate to ask it of you, but I would be so grateful. You could take some of our staff with you.”

  “Let’s wait a while longer.” Beth tried to keep her voice from trembling. She did not trust Ramsey. “There could be any number of reasons why Andrew was detained. A horse might have cast a shoe.”

  “Yes, perhaps you’re right.” Jenny sighed. “The whole thing has been so unnerving,” she explained to Marcus. “Travelling back to Castlebridge with the fear William had suffered a serious riding accident. Then finding the letter had not been written by our doctor at all, for there was William, as strong as ever, playing draughts with Barbara. I’m afraid I hugged him, and he hates that.” Her smile trembled on her lips. “He considers himself too old for such displays of affection.”

  A clatter of wheels on the gravel sounded outside the window. Beth and Jenny rushed to look out. “It’s Andrew!” Jenny cried. “He’s home.”

  “There’s a horse tied to the back of his vehicle,” Beth said, turning eagerly to Marcus.

  With a pleased smile, Marcus came to the window. He stood beside her and leaned his hands on the windowsill to peer out as she drew in a breath of his now familiar clean male scent and a hint of sandalwood. “Well, I’ll be! It’s Ramsey’s horse. The one with the four white feet.”

  “Oh, I’m so pleased he has rescued that poor animal,” Beth said.

  A few minutes later, Andrew came in bringing the cool damp night air with him. He ran a hand through his dark hair and straightened his cravat. Then he kissed Jenny’s cheek and joined her on the sofa as the butler hastened to pour him a glass of claret. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

  “Tell us everything, Andrew,” Beth said, breathlessly.

  “Yes, Andrew. What happened with Ramsey?” Marcus asked as impatient for news as Beth was.

  Andrew rubbed a hand across his jaw. “Ramsey is dead.”

  Marcus frowned. “He died of the sword wound?”

  “No. I found the coachman and the surgeon still there when I arrived. After Ramsey declared that his family was cursed, he ran up into the tower and flung himself off it. As they were both unsure how to proceed, I remained to call in the magistrate.”

  “What an extraordinary thing to do,” Marcus said. “Why cursed?”

  “A litany of unsavory happenings within that family, including the aunt’s body in the cupboard which the magistrate, Sir Lionel Carr was extremely interested because that lady has been missing for some years. He intends to write to the family doctor before the inquest is held. Lady Moncrief, who died recently, had said at the time of her sister’s disappearance, that Agnes had gone to relatives in Scotland. Carr and I went in search of some sort of clue as to what happened to her.”

  As everyone spoke at once he held up his hand with a slight smile. “We discovered Lady Gertrude Moncrief’s diary in a secret drawer of her escritoire. She wrote that she pushed her sister down the stairs late one night after an argument. While the servants slept she secreted Agnes’ body in a disused bedchamber with the help of her loyal lady’s maid.” Andrew frowned and shook his head. “Sir Lionel told me that Ramsey’s mother died in Bedlam. It is not common knowledge, but from what Ramsey’s told his coachmen, it appears he was always afraid he had inherited insanity from her.”

  “Dear heaven,” Beth breathed. She sought Marcus’ gaze. She was so glad of his presence so they could hear the explanation together. It seemed as if they were inextricably bound together by what they’d experienced. And the trouble was, she didn’t like to think that it would end.

  “Well that’s a mystery solved,” Jenny said.

  Andrew nodded. “You have an excellent eye for horseflesh, Marcus. I brought the thoroughbred back for you,” Andrew said. “You’ve earned it.”

  “Good of you. My head groom will take the horse in hand. An end, it seems to a dreadful business!”

  “Yes, indeed.” Andrew drew a piece of paper out of his waistcoat pocket. He held it out to Beth. “I found the letter you wrote to Mrs. Grayshott to explain why you left the ball. Ramsey, of course, prevented its delivery.”

  Beth took it and crumpled the paper in her hand. She stared into Marcus’ sympathetic brown eyes. “That’s the end of it, then,” she murmured. She should have been relieved, but instead she felt jittery and unsettled at the prospect of continuing her Season. Would she see him at balls? Would they dance together? Where could it possibly lead them?

  “And a new beginning,” Jenny said, her speculative gaze traveling from Beth to Marcus. “Shall we have champagne at dinner, Andrew?”

  “The finest in the cellar, my love,” he said.

  Close to midnight, Beth climbed the stairs with Jenny leaving Marcus and Andrew to play another game of billiards.

  In the gallery, eyebrows raised, Jenny turned toward Beth. “I suspect you have developed a tender for Mr. Nyeland. And he for you.”

  “What makes you think so?” Beth asked cautiously. She always took Jenny into her confidence, but Beth wasn’t able to voice it. Marcus had made no such declaration. Perhaps he never would.

  “When you partnered him at whist, it was the way you two looked at each other. And then as we left the room I was quite shocked when he kissed your hand and said he’d hoped to see you at Mrs. Johnston’s card party.”

  “I suppose what we have been through has changed us. We can hardly behave like we’ve just been introduced.”

  Jenny tucked Beth’s arm into hers as they walked along the passage to their bedchambers. “No, of course not. It hurts me to think of what the outcome might have been.”

  “Then don’t think of it, dearest,” Beth said. “The children and I are well.”

  She had told Lilly she would do without her tonight. Jenny followed Beth into her bedchamber where she sat in the chintz upholstered armchair. “What will you do if he declares his intention to court you?”

  Beth smiled fondly at her sister in the mirror as she began to remove the pins from her hair. Jenny had been like a mother to her and her siblings after their mother had died, and their father had disappeared into his study among his tomes. “Do you like him?”

  “Of course, I do, very much.” Jenny frowned. “But I confess to being a little selfish.” She sighed. “He will take you away from England. From us.”

  Beth’s chest tightened. “Yes, I realize that. As a diplomat he is sure to travel to other countries.”

  Jenny nodded. “Andrew told me Mr. Nyeland is soon to be sent to Greece. There is some trouble there. He could be gone for quite some time.”

  “Oh.” Beth’s heart sank. “He hadn’t mentioned Greece.” Of course that wouldn’t do at all, even if he should ask her to marry him, which he might not be so keen to do.

  “There will be many gentlemen eager to meet you.” Jenny smiled encouragingly at her in the mirror. “I’ll accept some invitations.” She turned to walk to the door. “We have the Johnston’s card party tomorrow night, the Monfort’s ball Saturday next, and Lady Grahame’s soiree the following week.”

  Beth pushed back her chair, the hairbrush in her hand. “I will not marry a man whose eyes don’t light up at the sight of me,” she declared, her voice catching.

  Her hand on the door latch, Jenny cast her a worried glance. “Of course not, dearest.”

  “And he must make my heart thump when he walks into the room.”

  “Oh, Beth,” Jenny sighed and hurried over to hug her.

  Beth suddenly felt like crying. “Jenny, would you mind if I returned to Castlebridge for a while? My nerves seem to have been more affected by this awful business than I thought.”

  “Dearest! Of course not.” She urged Beth to sit again and took the brush from her, running it smoo
thly through Beth’s long tresses. “I’ll put it about that you are unwell. Nothing too serious, of course. Andrew must remain in London to attend the House of Lords until Friday, but I shall come down with you. We will have a lovely time together and you can put all this behind you.”

  Beth closed her eyes finding the brushing soothing. “There is always much to do. George has been watching for the swallow’s egg he found to hatch. Barbara’s cat Ginger will soon give birth to kittens, and there’s my injured badger. The stable boy, Tom, is good at caring for him, but still…” Castlebridge didn’t hold its usual appeal. It was the prospect of wandering about alone, with William away at school, when he always took such an interest in her animals, that made her feel lonely.

  “You will be much better at Castlebridge,” Jenny said, emphatically, putting down the brush.

  Beth supposed she wouldn’t see Marcus again, if he was off to Greece. This sadness wouldn’t last, she assured herself. Once she’d settled into her routine with the animals, life would go on as before. But somehow it sounded hollow.

  Chapter Nine

  Several days after the dinner party at Harrow Court, Marcus was called into Whitehall to the Minister of Foreign Affair’s office. He found he wasn’t particularly eager to hear Canning’s discussion of his new posting. He knew England supported the Greek rebels against the Turks and Byron’s death a year ago roused tremendous enthusiasm for the Greeks. Cultured Englishmen were great admirers of the classics and saw the Greeks as descendants of the ancient heroes.

  Marcus had no desire to leave England. A certain young lady held him here. Although there had been nothing said between them, he fostered a somewhat foolish hope that when he returned to England, she might not have married and would welcome his suit.

  Beth! How lovely she was, so lighthearted and appealing the last time he saw her when she revealed more of her charms. Her delicious sense of humor and her gentleness warmed his heart. As she seemed to have fully recovered from her ordeal, he had expected to find her at the Johnston’s card party, but she had not attended. Should he draw the conclusion that she didn’t wish to see him again?

  Canning gestured to a chair. “Nyeland.” He rubbed a hand across the bald dome of his head. “Concerning your trip to Greece. You won’t be needed. The situation has changed.”

  Marcus fought to appear dispassionate while he felt like an eager young buck. He doubted Canning would understand such emotion. “I thought it was a fait accompli. What has occurred?”

  “Britain is to join with France and Russia. We will send a fleet of ships to threaten the Turks. We consider it is the best means to stop their cruel treatment of the rebels. Sea-power, mainly British, will achieve far more than diplomacy.”

  A half hour later, Marcus took his leave. His profound relief confirmed his decision to leave the service was timely.

  He put on his hat and walked down Whitehall to hail a hackney. He would visit Andrew who was at the House of Lords where members were debating a bill.

  When he tracked the duke down, Andrew informed him that Beth and Jenny had left London for his estate in Oxfordshire.

  “I am to join them on Friday,” Andrew said, seated at his desk with a pile of correspondence, his secretary hovering.

  “They are both well?” Marcus asked uneasily.

  “Yes, in good health.”

  “Do they intend to return for the rest of the Season?” Marcus pressed. Why had Beth left London? He searched for some confirmation that she would welcome his advances. But was there a flicker of doubt in her eyes when they parted?

  Andrew dismissed his secretary. “Nothing’s been decided.” He gestured to Marcus to sit, then leaned back in his chair. “You are no longer called to Greece?”

  “No.”

  “Then why don’t you go down and speak to Beth?”

  “You are encouraging me to declare myself?”

  “But of course! Did you think I wouldn’t?”

  “I wasn’t sure. You did suggest I might not be a suitable husband for her.” Marcus knew it was one of the reasons he’d held off. He needed to know why Andrew did not seem to encourage the match.

  “Not so!” Andrew rose and came to rest his hip on the corner of the desk. “It’s true, I did have certain reservations. I was unsure whether the life of a diplomat’s wife would suit Beth. But that is no longer the case. I cannot speak for my sister-in-law. Go and see Beth, Marcus. Ask her.”

  Marcus stood. “I shall.”

  Andrew shook his hand. “I wish you luck.”

  Marcus smiled ruefully. “I hope she didn’t leave London to escape me. If so, I might need it.”

  Castlebridge, Oxfordshire

  It was a lovely morning. The sounds and scents of the woodland always filled her with contentment, and a sense of belonging. But since she’d returned, Beth felt unsettled and lonely. She left the woodland path and stepped onto the drive, with Horace, her shaggy brown dog, gray around the muzzle following at her heels.

  Ahead, Andrew and Jenny’s magnificent ancient mansion rose above the closely scythed lawns and the towering trees of the park. Beth carried the soft black and white feathered body of the great spotted woodpecker carefully in her hands. It was a young male, with red markings on its head and neck. The bird had an injured wing. She would place it in a cage with seed and water while she fashioned a brace for the wing. She wouldn’t release the bird until properly healed, or it would become a meal for a fox.

  Beth hurried along, her anxious eyes on the bird cradled in her hands. She did not see the man approach until his boots entered her vision. She looked up. “Why, Marcus!” Her heart thumped with joy. She had missed him and telling herself it was foolish hadn’t helped at all.

  His riding clothes became him, his long legs encased in brown breeches and glossy black boots, his hat and crop in his gloved hands.

  Horace gave a bark and jumped up to place his muddy paws on Marcus’ immaculate clothes. “Get down, Horace!” Beth ordered.

  “You’re a good fellow.” Marcus bent and gently pulled the dog’s ears.

  Straightening, Marcus’ warm brown eyes smiled into hers. “What have you there?”

  “A bird has hurt its wing. It will have to be braced and allowed to heal.”

  “Might I help you?”

  “I could use another pair of hands.” She was pleased that she sounded so calm, so unaffected when her emotions were tumultuous.

  He walked with her along the drive toward the stables.

  “When you left London, I was worried that you might be unwell.”

  “I am quite well, thank you. Have you come to see Andrew? I believe he’s in the library. Or have you already seen him?”

  He laughed. “No, to your first question, and yes to the second. I wish to speak to you, Beth.”

  “Oh?” Beth’s heart leapt.

  “But first, I must tell you of Andrew’s news. He has received word from the magistrate. Sir Lionel Carr writes of what he has learned from Ramsey’s doctor.”

  They continued to walk along the drive to the stables. “Was it enlightening?”

  “I believe so. It is not well known, but Ramsey’s mother died in an asylum. According to the doctor, insanity has blighted every generation. But only the female family members suffered from it.”

  “Then Ramsey did not?”

  “He believed he did and could not be convinced otherwise.”

  “Oh, then that explains his behavior,” Beth said thoughtfully. “I doubt an insane person could carry out such a clever plan.”

  “His behavior was hardly what one might call sound and reasonable.”

  “I think he wanted Andrew or you to kill him,” Beth said quietly.

  “Yes, I believe you’re right,” Marcus said heavily.

  Beth led him to the small shed at the rear of the stables where she worked with animals.

  Marcus opened the door for her.

  In his cage, the badger with a damaged foot, darted about in excitement.
He showed no signs of discomfort. She would release him tomorrow.

  “I was told you rescue animals and now I can see it for myself,” Marcus said as she placed the bird into a large box lined with a soft cloth. After a feeble flutter, the bird lay still watching them with a beady eye.

  “Yes. I want to learn more, but women can’t go to university, so I read all the books on animal husbandry I can find.” She smiled while trying to order her breathing. Marcus seemed so large and male in the small space. And so dear to her. “I fear I annoy the local veterinarian with my endless questions.”

  “Beth,” Marcus said softly. “I’d like very much to aid you in these endeavors.”

  “That might be difficult, Marcus. But I do appreciate the offer.” She turned back to the table searching for a suitable brace. Finding one small enough, she began to apply it.

  Marcus handed her the scissors, and she carefully cut the string. He was going to ask her to marry him. It would be so very hard to say no. After his post in Greece ended what then? Where would they send him?

  “That should be all right,” she said surveying her work. She stroked the bird’s feathery head, and it settled down and closed it eyes.

  Marcus took her arm and drew her around to him. His eyes searched hers. “I love you, Beth. I think I fell in love with you the first time we danced.”

  “We’ve only danced once,” she said aware how inane that sounded.

  “You will need more time to get to know me. I understand that. But I remain hopeful that you will agree to marry me.”

  She should explain why she must refuse him, but the words wouldn’t come. Her mind was woolly with distress. If only she didn’t want to marry him so very much. But she could not endure the sort of life he lived. She was not afraid of going to dangerous places, but her soul needed to be here in England where she could be herself and pursue her interests. And of course, there would be children. She wouldn’t leave them. But her worst fear was that she would be a hindrance to him, that she would hold him back in his career.

  She saw vulnerability in his gaze. His attractive mouth smiled in appeal. “I can’t conceive of a life without you, Beth. Do you feel as I do?”