Once she held the threaded needle in her hand, she directed Mr. Hamden to hold the wound closed with his fingers. Absorbed in her work, she forgot how she abhorred his nearness to her, how he had tried to harm her, and perhaps began to trust him just a little. At last, she sat back and examined the small row of neat stitches. “Now we wrap his leg and let him sleep.”
“Very good work, Miss. Hill,” Mr. Hamden said with a small grin. “As good as any surgeon.”
“I am impressed,” Archie commented from the foot of the cot. “I expect I picked the right candidate for the job as our physician.”
Blushing under their praise, Cornelia bound Mr. Saxon’s leg in fresh linen. “People in the circus tend to injure themselves rather often. I have had the practice.”
Rising, Cornelia stretched her back, hearing it pop. “I will sit with him the rest of the night.”
Archie shook his head. “There is nothing more you can do right now, and a groom can watch him just as easily. I’d like it if you would return to your rooms. You’ll need the sleep if you’re to look after Norris.”
Cornelia met his deep brown eyes with a small quirk of her lips. “Very well. What of you? I am guessing that this person set the horse loose in order to kill you. What will you do to protect yourself?”
“Why am I not dead then?” Archie asked, his brow furrowed. “If that was the case, then why shoot only once? I made a fine target under the torchlight.”
“Perhaps this was meant to frighten you, My Lord,” Mr. Hamden offered.
Archie shook his head, his wild hair tumbling over his brow. He raked it back, impatient. “They tried that and it didn’t work. I think she is right, this was an attempt to kill that went wrong. But why?”
“With your death,” Cornelia said, her tone soft, “your estate is wide open and vulnerable, as am I. I would be forced to leave, and thus the buyer can seize me more easily.”
“You don’t think Barrett Hill was the one behind this?” Archie asked her.
“Yes, he is quite capable of murder,” she replied, gazing at him, her hands clasped in front of her to still their trembling. “He needs to get you out into the open and kill you, thus either he or the buyer used Bucephalus as a lure. They will try again.”
“She is quite right, My Lord,” Mr. Hamden interjected. “You must not expose yourself by going out of this house until these people are caught.”
“You’re asking me to skulk inside my own house?”
“Yes.”
Pacing the confines of the small room, Archie grumbled under his breath. “I don’t like it. It sounds like cowardice to me.”
“It is not cowardice to fall back in a strategic retreat,” Mr. Hamden said. “It gives you an opportunity to outflank your enemy.”
“Then it’s high time to start some flanking maneuvers.” Archie paused, eyeing Mr. Hamden. “Any ideas?”
“By you remaining indoors,” Mr. Hamden replied with a small grin, “your enemies will have to get inside to either kill you or take Miss Hill, or both. We may be able to trap them, lure them inside with you in a secure location, and fall upon their rear.”
“As Mr. Caine discovered,” Archie said, resuming his pacing, “they intended to secret themselves in the tunnels inside the walls. They’ll be difficult to observe and control if they go in there.”
“Perhaps not. If our goal is to bring them to a place where we have the advantage, then we merely wait.”
“What sort of place did you have in mind, Mr. Hamden?” Cornelia asked. “If we are to wait days for them to find out where I or Lord Rochester are, then that might become quite awkward.”
“The garden is the most vulnerable to being invaded, and yet can conceal a multitude of men, Miss Hill,” Mr. Hamden replied. “We might set our trap there.”
Archie shook his head. “Why would they not simply find out which rooms she is staying in and seize her when she is within them?”
“Firstly, they would be forced to expose themselves to a potential witness, and get past me, My Lord. Her rooms do not connect to the tunnels. They will be listening to servants’ talk to enable them to locate her. If we direct that gossip to chat about how often you and her sit in the garden at night, they may decide that is far easier.”
“That is a bit of a stretch, Mr. Hamden.”
“How will we even know they are inside the house?” Cornelia asked. “With all the doors locked and patrols both inside and out, they may not be able to get in.”
“Oh, they will get in all right,” Mr. Hamden replied with a grin. “Any criminal worth his salt can pick locks and evade detection. We’ll know they’re here when food from the kitchen goes missing.”
Snapping his fingers, Archie pointed them at Mr. Hamden. “Exactly. The tunnels open into the kitchen for servants to come and go more easily. I’ll have Mrs. Bannister intentionally leave food on tables as though someone forgot to put it away. If and when it vanishes, she can report it to me and we’ll know.”
“Will these men not get suspicious of that?” Cornelia sat down beside Mr. Saxon and lifted his eyelids to inspect his condition. “Especially when the servants gossip about little save you and I in the garden?”
“Not if the talk is of you getting above yourself, Miss Hill,” Mr. Hamden answered easily. “You are different from the rest of us and a commoner spending time with His Lordship in the garden. We select a few trustworthy footmen and maids to make complaints about it all over the house.”
“Just when the household comes to accept her, we must foment jealousy and anger toward her.” Archie shook his head. “I don’t like it.”
“Those that respect her will defend her, My Lord,” Mr. Hamden stated firmly. “And those that are complaining will understand why we asked them to do this. Her reputation will not be harmed, I assure you.”
Cornelia met Archie’s gaze with a smile. “I am certainly used to being derided. Dealing with it for a good cause will not harm me.”
Archie eyed Mr. Hamden. “And you’re certain these men can be captured when they try to seize her?”
“Yes, My Lord. They will no doubt try to kill you first, as you are protecting her. We will be on them like bees on honey when they do.”
Chapter 24
Edgar found James in the inn’s common room, nursing a tankard of ale, and crossed the mostly vacant tables toward him. Waving at the tavern wench, he sat down in the chair opposite James. As the girl approached, he pointed at the pewter mug. “Two more of those,” he ordered.
James eyed him speculatively. “What did he say?”
Blowing out an exasperated gust of breath, Edgar replied, “We are to get inside that house no matter what. He has also added to his orders – we are to kill Rochester at all costs.”
“Kill an Earl?” James shook his head. “I don’t know, Edgar. That’s harsh. We aren’t getting paid enough to murder the man. Especially a peer.”
“Yes, we are. He is willing to pay us five hundred quid each for the task.”
James drank his ale, his brows hiked. The wench returned with two tall foaming tankards, and accepted Edgar’s coin in return. “I can retire on that much,” James murmured when she had gone.
“So can I. And I plan to. Take my earnings and buy a small plot of land.” Edgar drank his ale with a grin. “Find a willing wench to cook and clean, live out my days in peace.”
James chuckled. “You? Sitting on a porch the rest of your life? I can’t see it.”
“Of course you can. Because you want the same thing.”
“So when do we do this?”
Edgar hunched his shoulders and leaned over the table, glancing around for anyone close enough to listen to their plans. “We go today, and hide somewhere until dark. We dodge His Lordship’s men, and get into the house when almost everyone is asleep. Then we wait for our chance.”
“How do you explain how Rochester knew we were coming before?” James asked. “He might set another trap for us.”
“I don’
t know how he knew,” Edgar admitted. “But this time, we’ll be more cautious, we’ll watch from hiding to see if he’s setting another trap.”
James glanced around the common room just as Edgar had. “Well, no one can listen to us here,” he commented dryly. “I expect we can catch His Lordship by surprise this time.”
“Indeed we will. Finish your ale, we need to be on the road soon if we want to get there just before dark.”
* * *
Keeping to the trees and thickets, Edgar and James made their slow but steady way to the manor house and outbuildings belonging to the Earl of Rochester. They saw no one until they reached the center of the estate, and circled around the low hills to approach the house from the western side. Grooms exercised mares and stallions in the stable yard, their foals bounding like deer in play.
On their bellies atop a hill, half hidden behind a thicket, Edgar and James watched the activity below. “From here we have a good vantage point,” Edgar said, his voice soft. “We should be able to see the grooms walking about when they pass in and out of the window lights.”
“What door do we enter through?” James asked, peering at the house. “That one?” He pointed.
Edgar nodded. “Probably. It looks like it might open near the kitchen. From there, we can get into the tunnels easily enough.”
“What if the cook notices the missing food?”
“Servants in these big houses are always in and out of the pantries throughout the night,” Edgar replied with a wry grin. “They get hungry for the better stuff. The cook won’t notice.”
“Good. I’m already needing something to eat.”
“Don’t be too eager,” Edgar warned him. “We have to wait until the house settles down.”
The sun slowly set behind them as the grooms finished their work in the stables and went inside for their meals. Footmen and maids went into the house, and the small groups of two and three men began their nightly rounds. “See?” Edgar murmured. “They pass against the lights and we can see them. Now we time it just right to slip in between.”
Creeping down the hill and keeping their bodies low to the ground so they wouldn’t cast a silhouette against the starlight, Edgar and James moved from shadow to shadow. Drawing ever closer to the house, they hunkered down near the garden wall, silent, hidden deep within the darkness. A trio of three men passed them by, and did not raise the alarm. With hand signals, Edgar indicated they were to get to the door.
As James watched for any approaching patrol, Edgar worked the door’s lock with a slender tool. He heard the latch spring open, and silently pushed the door just enough to permit them to enter. As silent as ghosts, Edgar locked the door again, and led the way to the kitchen. The glow of the banked hearth fire showed them the way, and gave them enough light to see by.
On the far side of the huge room with its many ovens and stoves, tables and pots, the kitchen staff slept on pallets, their snores covering whatever small sounds Edgar and James made in crossing the room. On a few tables sat bread, cold roasts, cheese and even a bottle of wine. Edgar grinned. No doubt the staff forgot to put the items away before going to sleep.
Grabbing the food by the armload, Edgar pointed to the opening to the tunnels, a dark narrow doorway that led deep into the house. Leaving the still hot kitchen behind, Edgar breathed easier the deeper they went into the walls. He stopped at a spot several yards from the kitchen, and set his load down. Pulling a torch from his belt, he lit it with his flint and steel.
“We have to be as quiet as possible,” he murmured as they sat down. “They can hear us as easily as we can hear them.”
“Now we just listen for the servants to talk about where the wench’s quarters are?” James stuffed roast into his mouth and chewed hungrily.
“That’s right. No doubt they are jealous of His Lordship’s favor toward her, and servants live by gossip.”
“So we find the wench. How do we plan to kill Rochester?”
“We’ll have to plan carefully,” Edgar replied, eating nearly as fast as James. He uncorked the wine bottle and drank, then handed it to James. “Move fast. Kill him, then while everyone is standing over him shocked, we grab her and run.”
“And collect our pay, and retire.”
“Exactly, my friend.”
“I almost wish Ralph were here,” James commented. His eyes gleamed. “But then we’d have to share, and I don’t much like that.”
“His Lordship will send him to gaol,” Edgar answered with a quick nod. “I feel bad for him, but he should have known better than to run toward the damn grooms and not away from them.”
“He panicked, I expect.”
“He did indeed. Now we’ll have to sleep in watches. We can’t risk snoring like those blokes in the kitchen, nor can we risk a servant passing through to find us. I’ll take the first watch, as I’m not very tired.”
James belched. “Thanks, Edgar. How’s your arm?”
“It still aches something terrible, part of why I can’t sleep. Get some rest and I’ll wake you in a few hours.”
* * *
Leaving his quarters, Archie started down the hallway toward the staircase when he saw Latham hurrying toward him. “Good morning,” he said cheerfully.
Latham bowed. “Good morning, My Lord. How did you sleep?”
With a grin, Latham handed him a slip of paper. Archie read, The rats have taken the bait. “Ah, yes, I slept quite well, thank you. I am on my way to see Norris. Would you care to accompany me?”
“I would indeed. Are you any closer to discovering who shot him last night?”
Walking down the stairs side by side, they speculated on who may have been behind the attack, unconcerned about being overheard as this would be a conversation the men in the tunnels would expect. Upon entering the chamber where Norris had been taken, Archie found Cornelia already inside with her maid and Mr. Hamden.
Mr. Hampden rose to bow as Cornelia curtsied. Leaving the door open and walking into the room, Archie asked, “How is he?”
Cornelia gestured toward Norris. “You should ask him.”
“Feeling as though my leg were on fire, m’lord,” Norris replied as Archie stepped forward. “But happy to be alive and on the mend.”
Archie looked him up and down with approval. Norris’s eyes were bright as was his smile, and his color appeared normal. “Good. I am very glad to hear it.”
“I will give him herbs that will combat infection,” Cornelia said from her chair beside Norris. “That is his greatest enemy, but thus far he has no fever and his wound is not inflamed.”
Latham ambled forward. “We can speak freely here, My Lord, as long as we keep our voices low. The tunnels do not pass this room, but there is an opening further down the hall.”
“Right.” Archie glanced at Cornelia and Mr. Hamden. “We have company. Either Hill’s henchmen or the buyer’s thugs are currently inside the house. Mr. Hamden, you do not leave her side for even a moment. I trust you are armed?”
“Yes, My Lord.”
“Cornelia, you will do as Mr. Hamden suggests to ensure your safety. The servants are busy complaining, quite loudly, regarding the time we spend in the garden each evening. Thus, we will begin sitting outside after supper. Latham, you will organize the toughest, stoutest footmen I employ and arm them with staves. I wish to capture these men alive, if possible.”
“Right. As these rats will need to wait until after dark to move, and cannot see but only hear, I will have them in place just as the sun goes down.”
“Now we must be careful in our communication,” Archie went on, his eyes on Nancy, who cringed under his regard. “No one speaks of anything save the most casual of topics, and if anything important needs to be said, we write it down and not speak it aloud. Are we all understanding this?”
Nods of agreement greeted his question. “Good. Cornelia, you should be safe enough here, as they will not hear you from this room. With luck, these little rodents will make their move this evening, a
nd we can catch them in our trap. Latham, I expect you will organize your men discreetly, and when you do, I’d like a word with them.”
“Of course, My Lord.”
With a grin, Archie rubbed his hands together. “We are finally outflanking our enemy. This is so exciting.”
Cornelia laughed. “I am so happy you are enjoying this.”
“Getting ahead of our enemy, yes, I am enjoying it. I’ll enjoy it even more when we have these buggers in chains.”
He glanced at Nancy. “See to it Miss Hill, Mr. Saxon, and Mr. Hamden have the food and beverages they need.”
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