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Page 67
He laughed out loud. “You are your father’s daughter.” And grudgingly he added, “Johnson is a lucky man.”
I looked at him suspiciously. “It’s Lord Tinley now or haven’t you heard.” He looked furtively around the room and then glowered in my direction as I resumed. “You don’t care for my fiancé, do you, Lord Burley. But perhaps you don’t know the whole story of what your family has done to him since the day he was born.”
He was able to reclaim some of his bravado. “To him! Really, enlighten me, Miss Tuner! What has my family done to the murderer of two of my brothers and my father. I would love to hear this work of fiction. I only hope that it doesn’t make me sick to my stomach. Edward is the rightful heir and he can corroborate all that I’ve said about your precious fiancé.”
Then from behind me I heard Edward’s voice, “Afraid not, old chum. Though I must say that I’m surprised that you of all people are defending the family honour. After all, it was you that discovered my mother and your father were carrying on an affair…even before your mother was dead. I believe you said at the time that if you ever had the opportunity you would kill them both. As for your brothers, they got what they deserved whether you’d like to believe it or not. Miles killed Randall to save Colin Turner, but he did not kill Julian and as for your father no one knows who killed him and set fire to his house. However, now is not the time to have this conversation.” Edward touched my shoulder. “Miss Turner, Miles has asked me to bring you to the breakfast room, we have a new guest that he’d like you to meet…it seems you know him.”
“Is it Ramsey?”
He shook his head. “No, alas, we have not come across him yet.”
With hope in my heart I asked tentatively, “Is it over then?”
He shrugged his shoulders while keeping an eye on Lord Burley’s reaction. “For the time being. The gypsies and Captain Bruce are chasing the remnants towards Poole at this point. They will be trapped between us and the villagers who have apparently risen to fight with us. Miles has somehow managed to win their trust and admiration.”
Burley only look bored with the whole discussion.
In the breakfast room Miles was seated facing the door, he was a bloody mess and looked exhausted, the three of the Bruce brothers were there with him and didn’t look much better. Douglas had his arm in a sling and a glass of whiskey in his hand. Maurice was tending to William who was trying to push him away as he examined a nasty gash on his forehead, it was William who caught my eye and gave me a saucy smile. “Miss Turner, what do you think, if this cut leaves a scar would you find me as dashing as my cousin? Perhaps I could entice you to change bridegrooms?” I blushed and shook my head no. He grimaced as Maurice resumed his ministrations. “Oh well, it was worth the try, Mother has been on me about getting myself a wife.”
Miles grimaced and punched his shoulder. “Then do the work and get one yourself and stop trying to steal my bride!”
Then I heard a voice say in a rasping whisper, “Is that you, Miss Hughes? Oh, I’m sorry, it’s Miss Turner now, isn’t it,” followed by a grating chuckle that I remembered too well.
Chapter 48
Prisoners and Victims
I gasped when I heard the voice coming from the man tied to the chair in front of me. I walked around the table to stand behind Miles, leaning against his chair my legs felt like jelly. Facing us was my grandfather’s valet Appleforth. When the General came back from India this man came with him. The general’s previous batman had apparently died of a fever and Appleforth had stepped in to take his place. Once back in Northumberland I had often found him with the general, whispering to him. He was a weasel of a man, who seemed to always be spying on the family and servants, no one liked him. I never knew what had become of him after the death of the General and honestly, I had never even thought to ask, I loathed the man. Yet here he sat grinning from ear to ear like a maniac. “Sorry to interrupt your nuptials, miss, but I must say that I’m not sure the General would have approved of you marrying a bastard…”
Miles jumped to his feet leaning across the table. “Shut your filthy mouth, you murderer!”
I was shocked by the vehemence behind Miles’ statement which must have been clearly written on my face as he bent to whisper to me. “He was the one that killed your grandfather and Lord Burley.”
I glared back at Appleforth, though I had never loved the General I needed to know, “Why?”
Appleforth snorted. “Why…she asks.” Then he laughed. “Good lord, isn’t that a good one. Here I thought you’d be thanking me.”
Miles threatened him with the back of his hand but Appleforth only sneered at him, so Miles grabbed his head and banged it against the table. “I warned you!” Then he called out, “Sergeant!”
A soldier came into the room followed by two subordinates. “Yes, sir?”
“Take him away and put him in the old laundry room,” Miles waved his hand, but the soldier looked confused.
“Beggin’ you pardon, sir, I don’t rightly know where that would be, sir.”
Miles was glowering then his face lightened, “Sorry, sergeant…just ask anyone in the kitchen, they’ll have the key and you can lock him in.”
The sergeant smirked when he looked at Appleforth. “Will he be needin’ a guard then, sir?”
Miles had turned away but looked back at him. “What? Oh, no, it’s very secure. But check for the cat first, he likes to hide in there.”
The sergeant chuckled. “Right, sir.” He motioned for the two soldiers with him to take Appleforth then they walked out with him between them. Appleforth yelled back at us, “Burley and your grandpa both grew a conscience in the end! Men with a conscience are a liability in our business.” Then he started to giggle like a mad man as his voice faded away.
William was standing in the doorway with a look of total lethargy and lack of concern, but he pointed at Miles with the hand that was holding a glass. “You should have gone into the army, cuz, you’re better at it than Derek.”
Miles looked at him with bitter amusement. “You’re really drunk if you think that any bastard son would have been welcomed into an officer’s club.”
Edward poured a glass for himself and Miles and handed it to him. “William, my mother did everything she could to make it impossible for Miles to succeed.” He shook his head then threw back the contents of his glass smacking his lips and considering the empty glass. “She must be turning in her grave now that Miles is Lord Tinley…may she never find peace”
I was stunned. “Edward, what a terrible thing to say about your mother. Surely you loved her?”
Edward bit his lip shaking his head. “No, sister dear, I think not, it was more that I feared her displeasure, that’s not love. My mother was not a woman that allowed people to love her. Aunt Millicent was more a mother to me than my own. Now for the first time in my life I can choose my own destiny and I find that extremely satisfying! So, I raise a toast to the old and the new Lord Tinley, may our lives bring everything that we’ve hoped for…finally.” He leaned into me and kissed me on the top of my head.
I took a seat amongst these men that would soon be my family. “Now what?”
Miles sat beside me and took my hand, “Appleforth will be questioned by Sir Thomas, your father and Derek when he gets back. If Stanhope and his confederates get away, then we’ll continue to look for them. But I doubt we’ll find them among the rabble that ran. I expect they will make for the continent. Sir Thomas made it known recently that we have allies in both Spain and France, so I doubt they’ll go there. That leaves Italy as the most likely place where they can start again.” He sighed pulling me down onto his lap. “As we speak all the warehouses that Sir Thomas has been able to connect to Stanhope, Hopewood, Burley and your grandfather are being seized as crown property. I’m afraid though that even if Derek catches Stanhope, we will have only scratched the surface, there is more to this than meets the eye.”
I was very concerned about what this would
mean for my family and I gazed up at Miles with tear-filled eyes. Then I looked towards the open doorway, through it I could see my father slowly making his way down the stairs. Miles jumped up standing me on my feet and went to him as I followed, “Sir, should you be up and about?”
Father took his offered arm and laughed. “Probably not. I was saving my energy to walk my daughter down the aisle. But it came to me that you might want to look for Ramsey out on the moor before he gets away.” He snorted looking at me. “Your mother winged him from our room and he staggered off in the direction of the bogs.” Miles kissed me quickly then ran out the door calling for Michael, Jacob and Robert to follow him.
“Father, you need to rest, where shall it be, your room or somewhere down here?”
He smiled down at me leaning on my shoulder. “The nearest soft surface where I can recline will do.” With twinkle in his eye he continued, “Tell me, do you think there will still be a wedding?”
I glared at him. “Come with me, there’s a chase lounge in the library, I’ll find you something to read.”
When we entered the library, I had forgotten that Lord Burley was there until I heard him say, “Ah, the Turner patriarch and his offspring! To what do I owe the honour this time, Miss Turner?”
Father looked at him with contempt but moved to recline on the chase beside him. “Well, Burley, on behalf of my future son-in-law welcome to the Rambles. Sorry for your current treatment but I think you can understand his reasoning. In fact, I’m surprised to see you unscathed, let alone alive.”
Burley looked daggers at my father then his face softened somewhat, “I would have done no less under the same circumstances. Be that as it may I came to offer my services which were refused, no doubt with good reason. I’ve been mostly ignored even though I have information that I thought could be of use to you and Sir Thomas.”
Father gave him a rather sardonic look. “Really and what would that be?”
Burley looked at me assessing me, “It’s rather sordid. Turner, are you sure you want your daughter to hear?”
Father looked at me then the door, but I crossed my arms daring him to order me out. “Well, perhaps you should…” Then he saw me bristle. “Alright, my dear, you’ve been a part of this all along but feel free to leave at any time.”
He nodded at Burley who actually coloured as if embarrassed to be speaking in front of me, “Really, I’m surprised that more people haven’t been aware of it, but society is very good at turning a blind eye to unacceptable behaviour as long as it isn’t flaunted publicly. I’m referring to Stanhope’s method of obtaining financing for his smuggling operations. He sought out and exploited people’s weaknesses then blackmailed them. With the General…”
I spoke up. “I know it was his gambling.”
Burley rolled an eye in my direction and laughed. “My dear Miss Turner, most of the Beau Monde gamble to excess, his weakness was opium. He became addicted after serving in India and the Far East. The rumours of his gambling were only a cover for his other appetite. The only person other than Stanhope that was aware of it was Lord Gromley. The old buzzard used that information to ensure that the Abbey would survive and as much money as he could weasel from your grandfather would remain intact for Hughes’ inheritance. I never understood why he did that, he even forced the General to establish your inheritance and that it was to be separate and inviolate. You would think that the bunch of you were Gromley’s progeny.” He wriggled his hands and grimaced with disgust at how tight his bonds were. “Your uncle and mother’s wealth was already untouchable under the bequest of your grandmother and that’s why the General was so desperate for funds. Lord Gormley had him tie up much of what was left before he left for India, so he was essentially penniless when he died.” He looked disappointed at our lack of reaction. “I assume from your faces that you were already aware of that.”
Father I could see was sceptical that the General had indulged in opium and frankly I couldn’t see it either. But he couldn’t afford to ignore whatever intelligence Lord Burley had to share. “And your father? I don’t see him as an opium eater.”
Burley shook his head. “No, it was the family honour that was his trap. Once I was born my father’s attention was focused on two things, moulding me into an image of himself and the other was Lady Shellard, nothing else mattered to him. But he continued to use my mother to assuage his appetites. The products of those unions being my brothers and sisters were irrelevant to him. My mother had influence over Arabella and Marianne and while they lacked a father’s love my mother made every attempt to make it up to them. As a result, she also became rather indulgent of her sons. But once we were off to school she had no influence on us. When at home I was still under my father’s thumb, constantly in his company, learning my responsibilities as the heir. Randall and Julian were cut loose on holidays with money in their pockets and a blind eye turned to their less savoury predilections. They both had a cruel vile streak in them, inherited no doubt from my father and his father before him. They used their lovers abominably and had in fact been banned from the better whorehouses in London. That was when they were introduced to the services of male prostitutes. They required only one thing from them, that they be of equal strength and would fight back. There were some murderous results from these encounters that came to the attention of the Bow Street Runners…my father had to hush them up. Yet Mr Spencer was exceedingly determined to trace the killers of these unnatural beings as if the world wasn’t better off without them.”
My father continued to indulge Lord Burley, but with a cold glare full of contempt for his opinions of his fellow man as Burley continued without a pause. “Stanhope found out about them after Randall and Ramsey Clarke had become lovers in the West Indies. Stanhope backed some of my brothers’ smuggling endeavours between the Indies and America, it was there that he had been introduced to Ramsey Clarke who would whore for anyone willing to pay. Stanhope set him to seduce Randall, not a difficult endeavour and they became unnatural lovers. Seems after that Stanhope decided to move all his financial concerns to the smuggling operations between England and the continent. By then your friend de Bearne had been substantially cutting into his profits in the Indies, so he set Randall up as the face of the operation in England and with Stanhope’s encouragement Ramsey became the exclusive play thing of first Randall and then Julian.”
Father continued to sit back and for all intents and purposes looked like he was resting and while his face was devoid of emotion I could see the tension in his neck and hands when he asked, “How did my valet become involved?”
Burley wasn’t surprised by the question. "Oh, that was through Hopewood, he knew Richards when you were in Belgian. Richards was already as you know involved in smuggling. That’s why you recruited him, wasn’t it, Turner? But it was gold that bought Richards’ services, he didn’t give a fig who was paying him, he wasn’t loyal to you or Hopewood.
“Hopewood was still in the military and oversaw the docks watching for theft and smuggling at the time.” He chuckled. “When he was assigned that duty, he truly was an honourable man. But Stanhope doesn’t believe that a man can’t be corrupted or isn’t hiding something. He got Hopewood roaring drunk one night and married him off to a cooperative whore, all done with witnesses. Then the young woman was spirited away so Hopewood had no recourse but to indulge Stanhope’s demands or risk a scandal particularly since he had his eyes set on marrying a young lady of the Beau Monde. He bought Stanhope’s silence with a pledge that he would turn a blind eye on the docks if Stanhope would not reveal his marital status. Hopewood had been a pigeon just waiting to be plucked and showed his true colours when he didn’t even ask for proof that his wife was even still alive.” He shook his head and sighed. “Stanhope had slit her throat himself once he had her away from town and left her to rot in some ravine to be crossed off as just another causality of war.”
He took a breath with a smug smile, “And that, Turner, is sum of my knowledge.”
Burley chuckled. “My father was smart enough not to trust Stanhope, that’s what cost him his life. The old man kept meticulous records of everything and any information he could glean of his operations in case anything happened to him, other than death by natural causes. Our solicitors were to deliver it to me and I was to decide what was to be done with it.”
Father perked up. “And where are these documents?”
Burley laughed. “Not with me, Turner. I still intend to save my family’s honour for my sisters’ sake and our mother’s memory, they deserve that at the very least. I will not let you destroy my family. If you expect my cooperation, you and Sir Thomas will need to meet my conditions.”
Suddenly my father slumped. “Lissa, I think I need to lie back.” I assisted him to raise his feet to the chase and he fell back, exhausted.
Burley looked at him with actual concern. “Is there anything I can do, Miss Turner?” I glanced at him looking pointedly at his restraints then he coloured. “Oh, yes.”
I tried to keep my voice soft and measured and replied, “No, but thank you, Lord Burley.”
My father sighed as I put a rug over his lap and he closed his eyes and I pulled a chair up beside him. “Lissa, when Sir Thomas is available, I think he needs to speak with Lord Burley.”
Burley then chimed in, “Do you think that I might have these bonds removed?”
Both my father and I said “NO!” simultaneously.
Then Father nodded off to sleep and I took up a book pretending to read while I stared out the window. Lord Burley laid his head back and stared at the ceiling. “You know I believe that Miles will be a better Lord Tinley than Edward ever could be.” He paused, then continued as if he had given the issue some thought. “I envy Edward. He is his own man now, rich enough to do what he wants, when he wants and with no obligations.”