The Black Moth: A Romance of the XVIIIth Century

by Georgette Heyer

  CHAPTER XXVI

  MY LORD RIDES TO FRUSTRATE HIS GRACE

  My lord yawned most prodigiously and let fall the _Spectator._ His eyesroved towards the clock, and noted with disgust that the hands pointedto half after five. He sighed and picked up the _Rambler_.

  His host and hostess were visiting some miles distant, and were notlikely to be back until late, so my lord had a long dull evening infront of him, which he relished not at all. Lady O'Hara had tried toinduce him to accompany them, promising that he would meet no one heknew, but he had for once been prudent and refused steadfastly. So mylady, after pouting crossly at him and assuring him that he was by farthe most obstinate and disagreeable man that she had ever come across,not excepting her husband, who, to be sure, had been quite prodigiouslyannoying all day, relented, told him she understood perfectly, and evenoffered to kiss him to make up for her monstrous ill-humour. Jackaccepted the offer promptly, waved farewell to her from the porch, andreturned to the empty drawing-room to while away the time with twonumbers of the _Spectator_ and his own thoughts till dinner, which wasto be later than usual to-day, on account of an attack of vapours whichhad seized the cook.

  His thoughts were too unpleasant to be dwelt on everything in his worldseemed to have gone awry. So he occupied himself with what seemed to hima particularly uninteresting number of the _Spectator_. The sun hadalmost disappeared, and very soon it became too dark to read; no candleshaving been brought as yet, my lord, very unromantically, went to sleepin his chair. Whether he would have eventually snored is not known, fornot more than a quarter of an hour afterwards the butler roused him withthe magic words:

  "Dinner is served, sir."

  Carstares turned his head lazily.

  "What's that you say, James?"

  "Dinner is served, sir," repeated the man, and held the door wide forhim to pass out.

  "Faith! I'm glad to hear it!"

  My lord rose leisurely and pulled his cravat more precisely intoposition. Although he was to be alone, he gave his costume a touch hereand there, and flicked a speck of dust from one great cuff with hiselegant lace handkerchief.

  He strolled across the old panelled hall to the dining-room, and satdown at the table.

  The curtains were drawn across the windows, and clusters of candles ingraceful silver holders were arranged on the table, shedding a warmlight on to the white damask and the shining covers. The footmenpresented a fish, and my lord permitted a little to be put on his plate.The butler desired to know if Mr. Carr would drink claret or burgundy,or ale? Mr. Carr would drink claret. A sirloin of beef next made itsappearance, and went away considerably smaller. Then before my lord wasspread an array of dishes. Partridges flanked one end, a pasty stoodnext, a cream, two chickens, a duck, and a ham of noble proportions.

  My lord went gently through.

  The butler desired to know if Mr. Carr would drink a glass of burgundy?He exhibited a dusty bottle. My lord considered it through his eyeglassand decided in favour. He sipped reflectively and waved the ham away.

  Sweetmeats appeared before him and a soup, while plump pigeons wereuncovered at his elbow.

  One was whipped deftly on to his plate, and as he took up his knife andfork to carve it, a great scuffling sounded without, angry voices beingraised in expostulation, and, above all, a breathless, insistent appealfor Mr. Carr or Sir Miles. My lord laid down the knife and fork and cameto his feet.

  "It appears I am demanded," he said, and went to the door. It was openedfor him at once, and he stepped out into the hall to find Mr. Beauleightrying to dodge the younger footman, who was refusing to let him pass.At the sight of Carstares he stepped back respectfully. Mr. Beauleigh,hot, distraught, breathless, fell upon my lord.

  "Thank God you are here, sir!" he cried.

  Carstares observed him with some surprise. Mr. Beauleigh had been sovery frigid when last they had met.

  "I am glad to be at your service, sir," he bowed. "You have commands forme?"

  "We are in terrible trouble," almost moaned the other. "Betty bade mecome to find you, or failing you, Sir Miles, for none other can helpus!"

  Carstares' glance grew sharper.

  "Trouble? Not--But I forget my manners--we shall talk more at ease inhere." He led Mr. Beauleigh into the morning-room. Beauleigh thrust apaper into his hands.

  "Diana went riding this afternoon, and only her horse returned--withthis attached to the pommel! Read it, sir! Read it!"

  "Diana!" Carstares strode over to the light, and devoured the contentsof the single sheet, with eager eyes.

  They were not long, and they were very much to the point:

  "Mr. Beauleigh may haply recall to mind a certain 'Mr. Everard,' ofBath, whose Addresses to Miss Beauleigh were cruelly repulsed. Heregrets having now to take the Matter into his Own Hands, and trusts tofurther his Acquaintance with Mr. Beauleigh at some Future Date, whenMiss Beauleigh shall, He trusts, have become 'Mrs. Everard.'"

  Jack crumpled the paper furiously in his hand, grinding out a startlingoath.

  "--insolent cur!"

  "Yes, yes, sir! But what will that avail my daughter? I have comestraight to you, for my sister is convinced you know this Everard, andcan tell me where to seek them!"

  Carstares clapped a hand on his shoulder.

  "Never fear, Mr. Beauleigh! I pledge you my word she shall be found thisvery night!"

  "You know where he has taken her? You do? You are sure?"

  "Back to his earth, I'll lay my life; 'tis ever his custom." He strodeto the door, flung it wide and shot clear, crisp directions at thefootman. "See to it that my mare is saddled in ten minutes and BlueDevil harnessed to your master's curricle! Don't stand staring--go! Andsend Salter to me!"

  The footman scuttled away, pausing only to inform my lord that Salterwas not in.

  Carstares remembered that he had given Jim leave to visit his Mary atFittering, and crushed out another oath. He sprang up the stairs, Mr.Beauleigh following breathlessly.

  In his room, struggling with his boots, he put a few questions.

  Mr. Beauleigh related the whole tale, dwelling mournfully on theexcellent references for Harper he had received from Sir Hugh Grandison.

  Jack hauled at his second boot.

  "Tracy himself, of course!" he fumed, adjusting his spurs.

  "Pray, Mr. Carr, who is this scoundrel? Is it true that you know him?"

  "Andover," answered Jack from the depths of the garde-robe. "Damn thefellow, where has he put my cloak?" This to the absent Jim, and not theDuke.

  "Andover! Not--surely not the Duke?" cried Mr. Beauleigh.

  "I know of none other. At last!"

  He emerged and tossed a heavy, many-caped coat on to the bed.

  "Now, sir, your attention for one moment."

  He was buckling on his sword as he spoke, and not looking at the otherman.

  "Tracy will have borne Di--Miss Beauleigh off to Andover Court, sevenmiles beyond Wyncham, to the south-west. Your horse, I take it, is notfresh," (he knew Mr. Beauleigh's horse). "I have ordered the curriclefor you. I will ride on at once by short cuts, for there is not a momentto be lost--"

  "The Duke of Andover!" interrupted Mr. Beauleigh. "The Duke of Andover!Why, do you think he purposes to marry my daughter?"

  Jack gave a short, furious laugh.

  "Ay! As he married all the others!"

  Mr. Beauleigh winced.

  "Sir! Pray why should you say so?"

  "I perceive you do not know his Grace. Perchance you have heard of DevilBelmanoir?"

  Then the little man paled.

  "Good God, Mr. Carr, 'tis not he?"

  Carstares caught up his hat and whip.

  "Ay, Mr. Beauleigh, 'tis indeed he. Now perhaps you appreciate thenecessity for haste?"

  Mr. Beauleigh's eyes were open at last.

  "For God's sake, Mr. Carr, after them!"

  "'Tis what I intend, sir. You will follow as swiftly as possible?"

  "Yes, yes, but do not wait for anything
! Can you reach Andover--intime?"

  "I reach Andover to-night," was the grim answer. "And you, sir? You knowthe road?"

  "I will find out. Only go, Mr. Carr! Do not waste time, I implore you!"

  Jack struggled into his riding coat, clapped his hat on to his head, andwith his Grace of Andover's sword tucked beneath his arm, went down thestairs three and four at a time, and hurried out on to the drive, wherethe groom stood waiting with Jenny's bridle over his arm. Carstares casta hasty glance at the girths and sprang up. The mare sidled andfidgeted, fretting to be gone, but was held in with a hand of iron whileher master spoke to the groom.

  "You must drive Mr. Beauleigh to Andover Court as fast as you can. It isa matter of life and death. You know the way?"

  The amazed groom collected his wits with difficulty.

  "Roughly, sir."

  "That will do--Mr. Beauleigh will know. Drive your damnedest, man--SirMiles won't mind. You understand?"

  Jack's word was law in the O'Hara household.

  "Yes, sir," answered the man, and touched his hat.

  On the word, he saw the beautiful straining mare leap forward, and thenext moment both horse and rider were swallowed in the gloom.

  "Well I'm--darned," exploded the groom, and turned to fetch thecurricle.

  Across the stretch of moorland went Jack at a gallop, Jenny speedingunder him like the wind, and seeming to catch something of her master'sexcitement. Low over her neck he bent, holding the Duke's sword acrosshis saddle-bows with one hand and with the other guiding her. So hecovered some three miles. He reined in then, and forced her to a canter,saving her strength for the long distance ahead of them. She was insplendid condition, glorying in the unrestrained gallop across the turf,and although she was too well-mannered to pull on the rein, Carstarescould see by the eager twitching of her ears how she longed to be goneover the ground. He spoke soothingly to her and guided her on to thevery lane where Diana had ridden that afternoon. She fell into a long,easy stride that seemed to eat up the ground. Now they were off thelane, riding over a field to join another road, leading west. A hedgecut them off, but the mare gathered her legs beneath her and soaredover, alighting as gracefully as a bird, and skimming on again up theroad.

  Her responsive ears flickered as he praised her, and pulled her up.

  "Easy now, Jenny, easy!"

  She was trembling with excitement, but she yielded to his will andtrotted quietly for perhaps another half-hour.

  Carstares rose and fell rhythmically in the saddle, taking care to keephis spurred heels from her glossy sides. He guessed the time to be aboutseven o'clock, and his brows drew together worriedly. Jenny was made ofsteel and lightning, but would she manage it? He had never tested herpowers as he was about to now, and he dared not allow her much breathingspace. Every minute was precious if he were to reach Andover before itwas too late.

  Assuming that Tracy had captured Diana at four, or thereabouts, hereckoned that it should take a heavy coach four hours or more to reachAndover. Jenny might manage it in two and a half hours, allowing forshort cuts, in which case he ought to arrive not long after the others.

  He was tortured by the thought of Diana at the mercy of a man of Tracy'scalibre; Diana in terror; Diana despairing. Unconsciously he pressed hisknees against the smooth flank and once more Jenny fell into that long,swift stride. She seemed to glide over the ground with never a jar nor astumble. Carstares was careful not to irk her in any way, only keeping aguiding, restraining hand on the rein, and for the rest letting her goas she willed. On and on they sped, as the time lagged by, sometimesthrough leafy lanes, at others over fields and rough tracks. Not fornothing had Carstares roamed this country for two years; almost everypath was familiar to him; he never took a wrong turn, never swerved,never hesitated. On and on, past sleeping villages and lonelyhomesteads, skirting woods, riding up hill and down dale, neverslackening his hold on the rein, never taking his eyes off the roadbefore him, except now and then to throw a glance to the side on thelook-out for some hidden by-path. After the first hour a dull pain inhis shoulder reminded him of his wound, still troublesome. He set histeeth and pressed on still faster.

  The mare caught her foot on a loose stone and stumbled. His hand heldher together, the muscles standing out like ribbed steel, his voiceencouraged her, and he made her walk again. This time she did not fretagainst the restraint. He shifted the sword under his bridle hand, andpassed the right down her steaming neck, crooning to her softly beneathhis breath.

  She answered with a low, throbbing whinny. She could not understand whyhe desired her to gallop on, braving unknown terrors in the dark; allshe could know was that it was his wish. It seemed also that he waspleased with her. She would have cantered on again, but he made her walkfor, perhaps, another five minutes, until they were come to a stretch ofcommon he knew well. It was getting late, and he pressed her with hisknee, adjuring her to do her best, and urging her to a gallop, leaningright forward, the better to pierce the darkness ahead. A gorse bushloomed before them, and Jenny shied at it, redoubling her pace.

  With hand and voice he soothed her, and on they sped. He judged the timeto be now about half-past eight, and knew that they must make theremaining miles in an hour. Even now the coach might have arrived, andbeyond that he dared not think.

  Another half-hour crept by, and he could feel the mare's breath comingshort and fast, and reined in again, this time to a canter. He was offthe moor now, on a road he remembered well, and knew himself to be notten miles from Wyncham. Five more miles as the crow flies.... He knewhe must give Jenny another rest, and pulled up, dismounting and going toher head.

  Her legs were trembling, and the sweat rolled off her satin skin. Shedropped her nose into his hand, sobbingly. He rubbed her ears and pattedher, and she lipped his cheek lovingly, breathing more easily.

  Up again then, and forward once more, skimming over the ground.

  Leaving Wyncham on his right, Carstares cut west and then north-west, onthe highroad now, leading to Andover. Only two more miles to go....

  Jenny stumbled again and broke into a walk. Her master tapped hershoulder, and she picked up her stride again.

  She was almost winded, and he knew it, but he had to force her onwards.She responded gallantly to his hand, although her breath came sobbinglyand her great, soft eyes were blurred.

  At last the great iron gates were in view; he could see them through thedusk, firmly shut. He pulled up and walked on, looking for a place inthe hedge where Jenny might push through.