A Murderous Masquerade (Unrivalled Regency Book 2)

by Williams, Jackie

  Anne’s eyebrows dipped slightly. She had assumed that Giles’ body would be buried either at White Briars or in the tiny cemetery at Ormond.

  “Why there? He had barely taken up residence.”

  Charlotte gave Anne a gentle squeeze.

  “Trust me, please. The family vault at Caithwell is the only place that he will rest peacefully and, well I already asked Geoffrey. He has agreed to take him there directly after the...the, well, just after.”

  Alexander suddenly strode into the room. He glanced between the two women before speaking directly to Anne. It was clear that he had heard at least part of their conversation.

  “Yes, do as Charlotte suggests. Go to Caithwell. As the expectant wife of the rightful Lord, your residence is of paramount importance. Until the babe is born you have the right to remain in your husband’s home. Only if the child is a girl can you be forced from the estate by the next rightful heir. I have checked the situation with Carter and he assures me that Caithwell is yours until that date. I suggest that you leave here immediately. I don’t suspect it will be long before your father and brother attempt to stake their claim. It would be advantageous for you to already be in residence. Callum and Craddock will accompany you both and Geoffrey will remain there with you until your claim can be certified with the necessary people. I would come too but I cannot possibly leave Lily and she is unable to make the journey herself, what with possibly having only days to go before our child is born.”

  Anne’s eyes had widened. She dashed the tears away from her eyes with the back of her hand, gathered her nightdress around her and made for the door.

  “You are right. I hadn’t even considered it. We must make haste before anyone else thinks that they have a claim before us. Charlotte, Sarah will help you pack your trunks. We are going home.”

  Geoffrey drove the horses towards Oakley. He could only hope that Charlotte knew what she was about because he could see some serious flaws in her plan. Her instructions had been clear enough, but he wasn’t sure if he could do as she asked. He didn’t know why he had agreed. It must have been something to do with the way she had come to ask him the favour.

  His mouth had fallen open at the sight of her as she ran across the cobbled stable yard just a few hours previously and he had quickly forced himself to turn his back. Dressed in a pair of men’s breeches and a loose fitting lawn shirt, she had stunned him into submission with her deliciously outlined curves and luscious glimpse of her cleavage as she professed to want to exercise Lightning.

  Pretending to muck out the already spotless stables had seemed like a good plan until she climbed up on one of the rails between the stalls and sat astride the wooden partition as she outlined her idea of escape for Giles. It wasn’t until he had been nodding enthusiastically that he realized he was trapped and could not now deny her.

  He’d been partly furious because it was a completely mad plan that could see him gaoled himself, and partly because even though she was only seventeen, his traitorous body just wouldn’t listen to his head. She was too young. Way too young, even though he knew that some maidens married at sixteen. And she was the daughter of a Lord. He said it over and over in his head as he tossed the fresh hay about the stall, just to convince himself that she was so far out of his reach as to be similar to wanting gold to appear out of the air.

  However, she had insisted that her plan would work if he could hold up his end of the bargain and the truth of it was that he just couldn’t deny her sparkling blue eyes as they pleaded with him to save her cousin. He’d sent her off with a gruff agreement and a sharp word about her apparel. He may not be her guardian but he would be damned if he was going to let her go out in public dressed like that. The thought of another man even laying his eyes upon her shapely form sent him into a raging lather.

  He whipped up the horses. There was a definite lightening of the sky and he needed to be in place well before the execution. That was if he was allowed in the area when the hanging happened at all. He hoped that his position as Alexander’s friend would sway any opposition that he might encounter.

  He had a strange relationship with the nobility of the town. He was one of Alexander, Duke of Ormond’s closest friends, but he was also Alexander’s steward, stable man and general all round helper. Where Alexander and Lily as well as Giles and Anne treated him as one of the family and the Ormond staff deferred to his fortunate position, the general populace of Oakley certainly did not.

  They didn’t overtly ignore him and they were never outwardly rude, but there was always a slight distance. If he walked into the Bear and Dragon, a sudden silence came over the bar. Men stopped talking to their neighbours and looked down at their ale and the women leaned forwards a few more inches as though he might have more coin to spend than the usual type of customer.

  As he passed into the square, he raised his hand to Davies, a man his father had known and liked even though he held the role of executioner in the town. Davies returned the salute and stepped down from the scaffold to meet him.

  “Gates said you was coming for the body. Poor sod has had it unlucky. That bloody Earl Lavender? Whatever he’s called, he’s been extremely friendly with a lot of people recently. Strange for someone who comes from so far away? Been a lot of gentry here-a-bouts these last couple of weeks. Odd how they was all called to give evidence at the trial.” He scratched his bald head. “Your Duke’s chum has been had over if you ask me.”

  Geoffrey glanced up at the platform that stood high above him and shuddered. At least Alexander had been granted that small boon. Giles would drop through the platform into a small room below and not suffer the indignity of the actual hanging being in public, though the initial drop would be.

  Geoffrey rubbed his forehead and blew out a frustrated breath. He couldn’t understand how things had come to this. He wanted to shout from the rooftops that Giles was innocent, but he knew that it wouldn’t change a thing.

  “I don’t know anything about who gave evidence at the trial. All I know is that this is all wrong, but there’s nothing I can do about it. The Duke gave me instructions to bring the body away from here as soon as the doctor pronounces life extinct. I was going to get the carriage backed up to the door, if you don’t mind. I don’t want to be hanging around after it’s done. Alexander was quite adamant that Caithwell shouldn’t be the subject of any undignified behaviour.”

  Davies nodded in agreement.

  “Yes, the poor sod don’t deserve any rough treatment, not that any of the folks here would do that anyway. He was well liked here-a-bouts. Most folks feel right sorry for him and Lady Anne. She’s a good sort and always has been. Everyone thought they made a handsome couple and after the announcement at the ball, well, it seems like a crying shame, what with it being her family an’ all. I ‘spect she don’t know who to believe...” He signalled with his thumb over his shoulder. “The doctor is already in there. He wants to get it over and done with too. The sooner it’s all over, the better if you asks me.” He swivelled quickly as the gaol doors banged open and a slightly unsteady Giles was prodded towards the steps of the scaffold.

  The sound of his own boots tramping on the cobbled square rang loud in his ears. Louder than they should. He wanted to press his hands to his ears but they were tied behind his back. He pulled on the rope that bound them and thought that he felt it give just a fraction. He pulled in a deep breath, expanding his chest to its fullest and pulled harder.

  Nothing happened.

  There were several steps in front of him and he hesitated for a moment as he stood at the bottom, looking upwards. A noose swung from the beam above the platform at the top of the steps. He narrowed his eyes in confusion as someone prodded him in the back. He glanced over his shoulder. Nate, his guard for the last four weeks, gave an apologetic grimace and lifted his chin towards the scaffold.

  Giles looked back at the rope loop.

  “For me?” he queried of Nate. No harm in checking, just to make sure.

 
Nate’s cheeks flushed, but he gave a quick nod of his head.

  “Sorry, me Lud, I wish it could be different. If it makes you feel any better, we’ll do it quick. Davies ties a good knot; you won’t feel a thing.” He bounced up on his toes and then back onto his heels as he encouraged Giles up the steps with another quick prod.

  Davies came forwards and positioned the rope over Giles’ head.

  Giles gave an involuntary shudder. This couldn’t be happening, could it? Surely he had just married Anne. She was to have his child. A great lump rose to his throat as the rope slithered around his neck, tightening uncomfortably as the man he assumed was Davies secured the noose. He glanced upwards and felt his stomach lurch as a thick snake wound around his neck hissed into his ears. What in God’s name was going on?

  He caught sight of Gates snorting and snuffling something ineffectual and irrelevant to the small herd of oversized swine that had gathered in the square and he wondered if they would feed his body to them after it was all over. He cast his gaze back to the magistrate who now sported a wet pig’s snout that twitched up and down as he spoke. The pigs below him nodded as if agreeing with something Gates had said.

  Giles snorted back at them all, wondering how on earth he had arrived in such a ridiculous dream before he closed his eyes and let himself become swept away with thoughts of his wonderful wife.

  The woman he loved; the most beautiful, caring woman in the whole world. The woman who was his wife! Anne!

  Her name was on his tongue and her beautiful naked body in his mind as the trapdoor gave way below his feet and he fell into the blackness of oblivion.

  Holy God! He’d only just arrived in time. He ducked into the small space beneath the scaffold and nodded at the doctor as he pushed past him.

  “What in the devil’s name are you doing?” Doctor Leven frowned at Geoffrey.

  Geoffrey grunted non-commitally and looked up at the underside of the trapdoor. Jesus, this was going to be difficult. He’d had no time to look at the length of the rope Giles would be swinging from and no idea if he was going to be able to catch the man. At well over six feet tall and brawny with it the new Lord Caithwell was going to weigh a ton as a dead weight.

  He didn’t have time to wonder over the madness of Charlotte’s idea when there was a sudden creak. The wooden door fell away above him, swinging low and nearly cracking him on the head. Giles came through at the same time and Geoffrey threw himself at the man’s legs, balancing precariously as he caught him.

  Giles jerked to a near stop in his arms but slithered downwards due to his weight and the relentless forces of nature.

  Geoffrey clamped his arms harder around the man’s thighs as Giles began to jerk around.

  “Cut him down!” Geoffrey hissed at the doctor as loudly as he dared.

  Doctor Leven looked appalled.

  “You wish me to go against the law? You ask too much, Sir!”

  Geoffrey’s gaze darted to the doorway. The Doctor’s tone had been much louder than his own muted hiss, but the small crowd that had gathered was cheering and covered the sound of his voice. Geoffrey wanted to scream. Giles was dropping lower, gulping and gasping for air as the hangman’s noose strangled him slowly rather than breaking his neck as it should have done.

  “For the love of God! The man is as innocent as a babe! His wife is with child and his young cousin relies on him. I swear on my own mother’s life that he’s not done a thing wrong. Let him down!” His desperate plea looked as though it was going to fall on deaf ears, but then after several more second’s pause the doctor moved forwards and grabbed hold of the knife lying beside the ricks of hay. He took one more look into Geoffrey’s pleading gaze and severed the rope.

  Both Giles and Geoffrey fell in a tangled heap into the hay ricks. Geoffrey rolled Giles onto his back and scrambled off the man. His fingers worked at the noose, pulling and loosening the rope as quickly as possible, but Giles’ lips had already turned a strange shade of purple.

  “Jesus, don’t tell me he’s dead! He can’t be!” Geoffrey pressed his ear near to Giles’ mouth. He could feel no breath and hear no sound.

  The doctor was suddenly leaning over his shoulder. Geoffrey glanced up as the man raised his eyebrows.

  “Stand aside. Let me feel for a pulse.” Geoffrey skittered back on his heels and stared at Giles’ motionless body as the doctor placed two fingers at the base of Giles’ neck. He gently pulled back Giles’ jacket and loosened his cravat and shirt before leaning forward and placing his ear to Giles’ chest. He held up his hand just as Geoffrey was about to speak and lifted his head. The look on his face told Geoffrey everything that he didn’t want to know. He fisted his hand at his sides and blinked back the tears of anger and disappointment that threatened to spring into his eyes.

  “Dear God! How am I ever going to tell Anne and Charlotte that I failed? How am I ever going to look at his child and tell him that I wasn’t strong enough to save his father from such a barbaric end?” Bitterness spread through him, eating at his soul. Charlotte had relied on him, placed her faith in him and he’d repaid her trust by failing so spectacularly that he didn’t think he would ever be able to look her in the eye or at himself in a mirror ever again.

  Doctor Leven stared down at Giles and puffed out a slow breath.

  “I’m sorry. I can tell that you knew this man to be innocent of any crime. I should have listened to you sooner.” He staggered upwards and almost fell into Gates as he blundered in through the door and around the backed up cart.

  “All done, doctor?” he asked, rather too jovially for Geoffrey’s liking.

  Doctor Leven stared down his nose at Gates.

  “Yes, I’m all done here. You’ll be happy to know that the prisoner is well and truly out of his misery. Where are the papers for me to sign?” He turned Gates back in the direction he had come and followed the man outside.

  Geoffrey gulped in air that felt thicker than mud inside his lungs. He took one look back at Giles, and fell to his knees beside the body.

  “Forgive me,” he whispered as he knelt for several minutes before staggering back to his feet and went to bring the cart towards the door. Silently he unlatched the back of the cart. He opened the lid of a sumptuously lined coffin and lifted Giles’ limp body inside with as much care as he could muster. He stared at the man’s plaster like face and said a short but heartfelt prayer over the body before he closed the heavy lid lay and covered the oak box with a thick blanket. He made sure that the whole thing was secure before he brushed the hay from his breeches and climbed back up into the driver’s seat. A few moments later he was on the road to Caithwell where, instead of the joyous reunion that Charlotte was expecting, Giles’ body would be made ready for burial.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The journey to Caithwell was long and uneventful. Anne’s maid remained silent and Anne was thankful for the quiet that enveloped both her and Charlotte. Her mind still couldn’t accept the enormity of what had happened. Giles could not be dead. She thought she would have felt some connection break, something pull away from her, but that hadn’t happened. She suspected that her baby was keeping her level headed when all she wanted to do was scream.

  Charlotte had given her some hope that this wasn’t a plan based on greed and pride, but Alexander’s book told a different story. Her own family were involved in Giles’ murder for the sake of a few pounds. Their greed and pride knew no bounds. She could see no other reason why both her father and brother were against their match. They needed Giles to die a bachelor, unwed and with no legitimate offspring to clutter their horizons.

  She kept the marriage certificate securely in her reticule. If her father did have the gall to knock at her door, she wanted the right paperwork with her to back up her claim. She only hoped that Callum, Craddock and Geoffrey would be up to the task of keeping her and Charlotte safe.

  Glancing out of the carriage window, she could see the sprawling mansion as they made their way along the drive. Char
lotte stared out over the house and a slow smile came to her lips. The roof looked as though most of the tiles had been replaced and there was a man working in the overgrown garden. It appeared that Mrs. Downham had things well under control. The man kept doffing his cap and nodding vigorously as Charlotte’s cook punctuated her words with prods of her bony finger to his chest.

  Charlotte let out a sigh.

  “It feels good to be home. I know that this is a sad day for all of us, but I am still relieved to be here on familiar ground. It looks as though some of the work that Giles ordered has been carried out already. At least there now look to be more tiles on the roof than in the garden.”

  Anne nodded in agreement, though she had never been to the place before. It looked to be a graceful if unloved building. The evening light took most of the rough edges off though it was obvious that the house needed some love and attention.

  “The works needed appear to be extensive.” She nodded towards the crumbling wing.

  “We stopped using that end of the house a while back. I think Giles wants to bring it back into order eventually...I mean, that he wanted to...Oh Anne! I am sorry.” She broke off as tears filled the emerald green eyes of the woman at her side.

  Anne shook her head and wiped her eyes.

  “I have to stop this. I have to be strong. I cannot appear weak in front of my father.” She spoke with gritty determination and Charlotte reached over to squeeze her hand.

  “You won’t be alone in this, Anne. I will be with you if he calls. He won’t take what is rightfully yours.”

  Anne squeezed the young woman’s hand.

  “This is your home, Charlotte. I am here only because I married your cousin. If our child is a boy Caithwell and the title will be his, but he will never turn you from your own home. Even though Giles has left you White Briars, you are to consider this yours as well. I would love for you to be my companion for the foreseeable future.”