“Come in…” she returned.
Maddy eased her way into the room. She could not miss her friend’s gaunt look. It wasn’t like Juliana to look sickly. She had noticed some small changes in the last sennight. The Duchess had been sick morning, noon, and night. Her waist was expanding and yet she was surely losing weight. Maddy was very sure that her friend was with child.
“Your Grace, I know you’ve been sick as of late. Do you think you might be enceinte? All the signs are there. You’ve been sick. You haven’t had your courses in quite some time. And your clothes are not fitting you correctly.”
“I have not considered it, Maddy. Perhaps I should call for the doctor to make sure I am well enough to carry a baby. Can you send word to the Duke’s man to fetch the doctor from town?”
“I surely can, Your Grace. First, let’s get you ready for the day.” Maddy left to search for an appropriate gown for Juliana to wear for the day.
Juliana sat up on her bed, waiting for Maddy to help dress her. Thoughts of having Marcus’s child skipped through her mind. Pictures of holding the little one flashed before her eyes. She touched her stomach where a baby might be growing inside of her.
Though Juliana was deep in thought, she noticed Maddy approaching her bed. As always, the lady’s maid helped her dress, and then Juliana shooed Maddy out the door to look for Smith.
* * *
It had not taken Maddy long to find the duke’s valet. He was in his room as she had assumed, polishing the duke’s shoes and boots. She couldn’t help but admire the man in front of her, but she really needed to stop staring—she had a job to do.
“Smith, just the man I was looking for…” Maddy said.
“What can I do for you, Maddy?” Smith replied.
“Her Grace needs a physician. Would you be so kind as to procure her one?”
“Is something wrong with her?”
“Juliana may be with child. I didn’t have permission until recently to ask that a doctor be summoned. I worry about her health. She hasn’t been able to keep any food down and has lost much weight.”
“Very well, I will summon the physician myself to stop any rumor from getting started.” Smith dropped the boot he was working on and strode out of the room.
* * *
The physician was examining Juliana when Marcus arrived at the Grange. Smith, standing outside the Duchess’ room, told Marcus that Doctor MacKenzie had been summoned. MacKenzie was the best doctor in the area, and perhaps in the whole of England, Scotland, and Wales. The reason he had been summoned, Smith told him, was some sickness that had laid low his wife. Smith then relayed to him that it might be beneficial to him if he let the doctor do his examination and then explain what was going on. Marcus wasn’t keen on letting a doctor examine his wife without him present, but he decided to take his man’s advice.
It wasn’t long before MacKenzie showed his face in Marcus’s office.
“Well, Mac, what is wrong with Juliana? I need to know,” Marcus asked, a grimace crossing his handsome face.
“Juliana is fine, my friend. The wee bairn she is carrying is causing a lot of grief.”
“What was that, Mac? A baby?” Marcus gasped.
“Your wife is healthy, and the baby is doing well, also. Juliana needs to change her diet. I already had Smith tell the cook about the changes, I hope you don’t mind.”
“Of course I don’t mind. I’m in shock. When? How?”
“I am assuming that you know the how and the when, Marcus. But, I am sure there will be a happy event in the next seven months.”
Marcus counted back and realized that it had been at least two months since they first had sexual congress. It was in the middle of this realization that Mac tapped him on his shoulder.
“You do have a wife upstairs who is in great need to tell you the news herself. I have advised her to stay in bed for the rest of the night. I will stop by in a week to follow up with Her Grace. Until then, please refrain from overtaxing her. She is in a very delicate state.”
Marcus nodded and ran up the stairs to visit his wife. Smith was no longer guarding her door. He heard faint whispers as he opened the door to Juliana’s bedchamber. He was surprised by how sickly she looked. He hadn’t seen her in two weeks. It took only two weeks for Juliana to transform into a fraction of herself. This worried him greatly. Juliana was slight to begin with, and her petite frame spoke of how she had missed too many meals. Her protruding ribs and belly made Marcus wince.
“Marcus! I did not know you were back,” Juliana exclaimed.
“I am here, darling. Mother is alive and well in London. I arrived just as the doctor was examining you. I hope you are all right?” he asked worriedly.
“Oh, darling! I have some good news. You are going to be a father!” Juliana shouted with joy.
Marcus looked her in the eyes in wonder. He had heard about her condition from the doctor, but there was something special about hearing his beloved wife say the words. He knelt by her bed, took her hand in his, lifted it to lips, and kissed it.
“Juliana, I will keep you and the baby safe…I promise,” Marcus said with urgency.
“I know you will, love. Now, come up here and love me,” Juliana replied huskily.
Back in London
Bethany received a letter from Marcus telling her about Juliana’s condition. She was not surprised that the happy event would happen sooner rather than later. The news made the current situation even more urgent. They needed to apprehend whoever was behind the murders. On her front, the man who had kept his wily eye upon her for the last two weeks was on the top of her list of suspects. At the very least, the confounded man knew something about the situation. It was not her job to apprehend and question the man. The longer he tailed her, the more she felt the danger close in.
She had not stepped foot outside the house since the departure of Marcus, Juliana, and Minerva. Cabin fever was starting to settle in. She needed to get out of the house. She stood up from the chaise and rang for the carriage to be brought around. She also asked that a couple of footmen attend her on her outing to Whitehall. She wanted to have a chat with her son’s commander. She knew who he was, but her son was not privy to that information.
The carriage stopped at the steps of the giant building that housed the War Department, along with anything to do with intelligence. She walked into Lord MacKinoch’s office. The man didn’t know that she was there when he turned from his meeting with operatives newly returned from France and the colonies.
“Gentlemen, I understand you are being debriefed but I have something to speak with your illustrious leader about. If you wouldn’t mind coming back in a couple of hours, I would greatly appreciate it,” she said with all the gusto that her title warranted her.
The two agents bowed and stepped out of the room. Bethany stood with her shoulders squared as she relished the idea of putting the leader of the Rakes under her thumb.
“Ioan, it has been a while, hasn’t it?” Bethany asked.
“Bethany, it has been a while. I hear there is good news to report.”
“There is but this is not a social visit, my Lord. There has been a man watching me for over two weeks. When are you going to do something about that?”
Ioan MacKinoch, the Duke of Dumfrees, was taller than most men. His hazel eyes spoke of years of experience in intelligence. His once black head of hair was now streaked with gray. He was just a year or two older than Bethany but the years as the lead of the Rake’s had taken its toll on him.
“Someone is watching you? Why didn’t you come to me when the Duke left town?”
“The man watching me follows me everywhere. Look out the window. The man reading the newspaper across the street. Yes, that man has been following me and watching me for the last fortnight. I want you to do something about this man, Ioan. He has Marcus worried, and I’m getting worried, as well. After Anne died, I haven’t felt safe. Please help me with this, my Lord.”
* * *
Ioan looked acros
s the street at the man who had been following his best friend’s wife. Even though Gerard had been gone for years, Ioan still looked after Bethany as he had promised his friend many years ago.
“Bethany, I know you are scared, but if this man knows anything about the current string of murders, we need to keep him close. I know he scares you, but you were trained to handle a man like him. If you feel the need to leave Town, you can certainly do so. But I would rather you stay where I can keep an eye on you.”
“Are you serious? You may have promised Gerard that you would look after me, but I will not take your answer if that is the best you can do for me. Can you not send men to guard the house? Or outriders?”
“I could, but then I would worry about you. You know what I’m talking about. You’ve lived through this before. My conscience will not allow me to take chances with your life. You are no longer an agent for the Crown. I can’t take men away from the colonies and France to keep guard. I can speak with some of my contacts at Bow Street, but I’m afraid they will be of no help. There is one other option…”
“What is it, my Lord?”
“Bethany, if I’m going to help you, please refrain from ‘my Lord-ing’ me. You know my Christian name. Please use it,” Ioan said as he continued to ponder his idea.
“What are you thinking, Ioan?” Bethany asked. She noted the brief hesitation in his reply.
“I’m thinking that I will take a week or two away from the office and spend some time with a dear friend.”
“Who is this ‘dear friend’ you are talking about?”
“You, my dear. You.”
* * *
Meanwhile, back at the Abbey
Minerva had been missing for a week, Juliana and Marcus had realized but this was nothing new. Minerva had her own missions to accomplish. But, Jacob was worried, which was finally how the two lovebirds found out that Juliana’s twin was absent from meals. Jacob would spend hours each day searching for Minerva, with no results. Searches were conducted every day—again, with no results.
Jacob morosely stalked through the library. This had been the last place he saw Minerva. They had fought over her hearing people hiding among the shelves. He had searched the room, many times since then and found nothing. Nothing suggested that anyone had been in the room with her. Yet, he had a gut feeling that she had been right. And, now, she was missing. That part of him that he couldn’t live without.
He sat down in one of the many chairs in the room. This room used to be calming to him when he came here when he was just out of short pants. The younger him loved the smell of old leather and vellum. Now, it was a stark reminder of what he’d lost.
“What will I do now?” Jacob said to himself.
“You can get off your arse and help with the investigation,” said Marcus as he strode into the room.
“I thought you were locked away with your beautiful wife. I didn’t want to walk in on something I didn’t want to see,” replied Jacob as he struggled to compose himself.
“I was for nearly a week, my friend. Juliana feels her sister’s disappearance keenly, as well. She must stay calm. I’m not sure how to keep her from doing something stupid.”
“Tell her to stay in bed!”
“I think you do not know women, my friend. You just don’t tell women to do things. They will do what they want anyway.”
“Well, I will be doing something useful. I think I will take a trip into Town.”
“How is that helpful? You are not thinking clearly, my friend. Going into Town will only cause more upheaval, which we do not need. Stay here. I will call off the search parties. Minerva is trained to handle herself and can protect herself sufficiently.”
“Marcus, I don’t disagree with you, but these men are dangerous. They have been finding their way into this house. What are we supposed to do? Stand by and watch all we’ve worked for go to hell? If I go to Town and consult Whitehall, maybe, just maybe, we can find Minerva and our targets.”
Marcus looked at his friend. He knew the odds were in favor of the unknown men trying to infiltrate their ranks. He had a feeling that something big was going to happen. He needed to have Jacob with him. Juliana was not able to help him in this manner. He wouldn’t let her, even if he wanted to. The need to protect his unborn child and wife was paramount. He would worry about Minerva later.
“Jacob, I know what you must be feeling. I would feel the same way. But, we need to protect those within the walls of this house. We must find out where these people are coming in, and who is helping them. I need your help. I need you to be able to help when I need it because Juliana is in no shape to do so right now.”
Jacob nodded. “Very well, Marcus, I concede to your point. Where do you keep the drawings of this house? We should probably start there.”
“The drawings are housed here in the library…”
Marcus ran to the cabinet where all of the historical documents were housed. He searched through the papers and realized the drawings he needed most were missing…
Back in London
Bethany sat in her private sitting room. She was awaiting Lord MacKinoch’s visit. What she wasn’t expecting was a visit from Minerva. How she came to be in Town was beyond her. This put a damper on her plans to catch up with the Leader. Minerva now took priority over Ioan.
“Minerva, what are you doing here? You are in danger.” Bethany asked the younger woman.
“Your Grace, yes, I know. I found some information that I thought Whitehall needed to hear. I’m doing this to help save my sister and your son.”
“You are in luck, girl. The Leader will be here soon to help deal with my situation. Hopefully, he will get here before my shadow realizes you are here.”
“That man hiding in the brush is watching the house, isn’t he? I noticed him when I was finding my way to the house. Since I came dressed in rags, he isn’t suspicious of me. Or, at least, he wasn’t. He may be now.” Minerva spotted the man looking through the window.
Bethany was about to scold Minerva when a maid brushed through the door and into the room.
“Your Grace, a Lord MacKinoch is here to see you.”
“Bring him up, Grace. We have an unexpected guest that he needs to see. She is here regarding a sensitive subject. Will you please bring tea and a small repast on your way back with His Grace?”
“As you wish, Your Grace. I will do as you ask and escort the gentleman to you,” Grace said as she curtsied to Bethany.
“Your Grace, who is Lord MacKinoch?” asked Minerva, slightly confused.
“Lord MacKinoch is also known as the Leader. He is from Scotland and is a duke. Not a lot of people know who he is or even his identity. You will need to be able to keep that secret. Under no circumstances are you to give that information to a single soul. His Grace won’t like it and it could be potentially dangerous to all operatives. He was once close to the old duke and me. We are still close friends. Hence his coming here to start surveillance.”
“Your Grace, why did you tell me this? If I am captured, the people behind this can—and probably will—get the information from me. I am strong, Your Grace, but not strong enough to withstand a great amount of torture.”
“I realize this, my girl. But you know ways to counteract said torture. You know how to respond to your captors. You learned that with Lady Anne. Do you remember that training?” Bethany asked.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Then, my girl, that’s all that needs to be said.”
* * *
A couple of minutes passed. Grace, the maid, escorted Lord MacKinoch to Bethany’s private sitting room. Ioan had not expected a young woman to be sitting with Bethany when he arrived. The young woman looked like someone he had met before. He was sure of it.
“Ioan, have you met Lady Minerva Hatfield? She is the identical twin sister of the new Duchess of Dunsbury, Lady Juliana,” said Bethany.
Ioan knew he had seen her before. Another close friend, the Earl of Dumbrey, had been m
urder several years previous. He’d had twin daughters, one of which barely survived a carriage accident. The other had gone into the spy business. He was her contact in Whitehall. This must be that twin.
“Lady Minerva, it is an honor to see you again,” he said as he picked up her hand for a kiss. “I knew your father. He was a great man and I miss him. I sincerely mourned his death.”
“Thank you, sir. He was a great man. I miss him dreadfully. I don’t know about Juliana, but he was everything to me. It is nice to see you again, sir. We haven’t talked in a while. I did not know your identity until Her Grace told me. Unfortunately, sir, I have information that cannot wait.”
“Very well, my lady. What information do you have? And why are you not still at the Grange with your sister and her husband?” Ioan asked sternly.
“Sir, the Grange has been infiltrated. Our enemy is closer than we thought. I found a secret chamber and passageways in the walls of the house. As far as I know, sir, none of the original drawings has these rooms on them. I’ve seen and heard a man and woman speaking, but they are gone before I knew it. I traced them to Town. They may have some of the servants on their payroll, sir. I know of at least one that is hiding at the house. The problem is that he is a trusted friend of the Duke’s and his family.”
“Who is this person, my dear?” asked Bethany.
“I will not say until I am sure of his deception. I do not think it is safe for me to remain at the Grange. This person already believes that I know something. I need to disappear. It will hurt Jacob and Bethany, but I have to go into hiding.”
“Very well, my lady. I will be as you say. I believe you may be correct. I will send a couple of more agents out to the Abbey. I will handpick the agents myself. I will also place you here in the dowager’s household to keep an eye and ear out for what may be coming in the next day or two. I will, as well, place several agents here to protect the two of you. I will visit every couple of days, too. Does that seem reasonable?” Ioan asked.
A Rake for Juliana Page 13