When she saw that he was not, her eyes widened and she could not contain a gasp of astonishment. Fear, ice-cold and pernicious, stole through her.
“Surprised?” he said, in a silky voice. A glimmer of a smile played over his lips. “Good, I like to surprise people. But I don’t like to be crossed. Now you know my secret, we will return to the question of our marriage.”
“I don’t care who you are,” she flung back, her mind working furiously, “I’m not going to Gretna.”
“You will when I tell you what will happen if you refuse.”
“Your threats don’t frighten me.”
“No? I thought that might be your response. Your spirit is admirable, if ultimately futile, and I’ll admit you have nerves of steel. Still, there are less violent ways to get to you do my bidding.” He sat down again and pursed his lips, watching her. “You really do care about Olivia, don’t you?”
“Olivia?” said Sophie, thrown by this sudden change of tack.
“What about her?”
“I did not lie when I said there was a matter that affected her. You, my dear Sophie, are to be the arbiter of Olivia’s fate.” He crossed one booted leg over the other and, swinging his quizzing glass to and fro, he continued, speaking slowly and dispassionately. “Should you refuse to do as I say, I will send word to some of my men. They were watching you earlier and informed me of your visit to Lincoln’s Inn. They now await my further instructions. If you will not do as I ask, they will be told to snatch Olivia at the first opportunity and do as they wish with her. No doubt they’ll find it a pleasure despite being well paid for their exertions. They’re rough fellows with no finer feelings…she’ll be half dead by the time they have finished with her.”
Stunned and appalled Sophie clutched the chair to stop her hands from shaking. She gave him a look of acute loathing. “No,” she murmured at last, a catch in her voice. “Even you could not do such a thing to your own sister.”
His lips drew back in an almost demonic sneer. “Perhaps not. But Olivia is not my sister.”
Chapter 15
“She is only my illegitimate half-sister.”
Sophie stared at him uncomprehendingly, reeling from this new revelation. Her head swam and she felt sick. She swallowed and dragged in a deep breath, knowing she must not faint.
“W-Why should I believe you about this when the rest of your life appears to be a lie?” she whispered.
“That is your choice, but it’s true all the same. Olivia is the result of my father’s liaison with a local woman. His marriage to my mother was one of convenience, arranged by their parents when they were in the cradle. There was no love between them. I was still in short coats when my father began to look elsewhere. Weak, pathetic creature that he was, he could not choose a mistress from his own circle and instead brought shame on us by falling for a governess in the employ of the local squire. Worse still, the fool became besotted with her. He claimed they were in desperately in love and refused to give her up, even when she was carrying his child.”
“How do you know this?” said Sophie.
“I discovered some of it myself and my mother told me the rest. During the summer when I was sixteen, my father went to London. He only allowed me into his study when he was present— said I couldn’t be trusted among his private papers—so while he was away I decided to search through his desk and came across a bundle of letters hidden in a secret compartment. Curious as to their content, I read them. They were love letters.”
“Good grief, have you no shame?”
“None whatsoever,” he said, with a shrug. “Afterward, I went to my mother. Of course she already knew about the affair and was pleased I now knew about it too. She did not care for my father, never had, but she was extremely bitter. Not because he had taken a lover—after all, she had taken one first, enjoying a string of lovers from the time I was six months old and liked them all far better than my father—but for taking a governess as his mistress. She deemed it an insult.”
“But what happened? How was such an affair conducted without suspicions being aroused?”
“My father set the woman up in a secluded cottage some miles away. She was considered a beauty, and sweet-natured too.”
“There must have been gossip—”
“The affair was effectively hushed up. The governess left the squire’s household before her condition became obvious. Thereafter she lived a reclusive life until the child was born, telling anyone who asked that her husband was a soldier away with his regiment. My father continued to visit her secretly and, when she died giving birth to a puny, squalling seven-month daughter, he was heartbroken. After that, he refused to send the child away, demanding she be brought up within the family. A weak-willed fool generally, he was intransigent in this matter. He said he could not bear to be parted from all that he had left of his love.” Peregrine’s sneer grew more pronounced. “Love! With a governess, no less! Snivelling hypocrite! He should have turned the woman off when he found out she was enceinte.”
“How can you be so heartless?” she murmured. “There was a child involved, an innocent who did not ask to come into the world. I can’t condone what my uncle did, but Eudora took lovers first. If she hadn’t, then perhaps he would not have looked outside the marriage for comfort.”
Perry swung his quizzing glass back and forth. “He was weak,” he continued inexorably. “I had always disliked him for that and once I found out the truth, I hated him. He wanted Olivia declared his ward by saying she was an orphan from a distant part of the family, but my mother preferred to pretend the child was an offspring of the marriage.”
“I don’t see why she would do that.”
“You’re such an innocent!” he mocked. “She did it because she had discovered she was with child by one of her lovers. She took to her bed until she could find a way of getting rid of it. As it turned out, there was no need. The child was stillborn and it was an easy matter to pass my father’s brat off as their child who had been born early after a difficult pregnancy. Only a few close servants knew the truth and they received handsome bribes to hold their tongues. My father agreed to it because he doted on Olivia. She was always his favourite.”
“I knew that, but never suspected anything like this lay behind it,” admitted Sophie. “Did my parents know? No, I see they couldn’t have. Our families weren’t close and I only discovered how badly you treated Olivia when I came to live at Ludstone.” Her startled gaze flew to his. “You always resented her and Uncle Cecil, but I thought it was because you were not his favourite. It all makes perfect sense now.”
“Then you will appreciate I have no feelings towards Olivia. Her fate is a matter of complete indifference to me.”
She flew from her chair and went to stand over him, rigid with fury. “But it is not a matter of indifference to me!”
“I suspected it wouldn’t be.”
“I don’t care about her parentage; I have grown to love her as a sister!”
“Then you know what to do. Come with me and not only will the secret of her birth remain safe, but she will be safe. Refuse and she will be—” He shrugged. “Well, we need not discuss the details.”
“You vile, despicable—”
She had drawn back her hand to strike him, but he caught and held her wrist.
“Don’t show your claws to me!” He got to his feet, still holding the pin in one hand while forcing her arm down with his other. Then, he jerked her roughly towards him. “Well, Sophie?” he inquired, his queer, mirthless smile returning. “Will you come with me now willingly, or must I send the message that will seal Olivia’s fate?”
Sophie itched to drag her nails down the sneering face above her. She despised feeling helpless, but he was malicious enough to do what he said and for now at least she had to comply. She could not be responsible for Olivia’s abduction and rape. Perry knew it too, he had known it all along and that was why he had no need to resort to force. He had contrived a far more reliable method o
f getting her to do his bidding. The best she could hope for was to get away before they reached Gretna. One whiff of rebellion now and he would send the message anyway. She could not risk it.
She pulled away, chafing at her wrist. “You seem to have thought of everything. I’m left with no choice. I must go with you for Olivia’s sake, but I will hate you every day of my life!”
“We should enjoy an interesting marriage then,” he drawled. “I am overcome by your acceptance of my offer.” Perry gave another flourishing bow and patted his pocket. “Meanwhile, I will keep hold of the Star. You had best have some tea after all. A long journey lies ahead and you would be wise to take refreshment while you still have the chance.”
The next half hour was the most excruciating Sophie had ever experienced. She schooled her voice into one of deceptive mildness and appeared accepting of her fate, while in reality planning her escape. She did not expect many opportunities; Perry was too watchful. He had admitted to a form of madness and Sophie could easily believe it after what she had witnessed today. The thought flitted through her mind as to her aunt’s reaction when she heard of Peregrine’s secret life.
Eudora was a proud woman, always mindful of society’s opinion, and the revelation her son had been living a double life as a notorious thief must prove shocking, but Sophie was more concerned about Olivia. Learning the truth about her birth could have terrible consequences. Livvy had little enough self-esteem as it was. It had been eaten away over the years by Peregrine and Eudora and the confidence she had recently regained could be swept away forever by this devastating secret.
A knock at the door jolted her back to the present.
She watched as her companion rose to his feet, slipped the key into the lock and opened the door. The servant in the doorway confirmed Perry’s curricle was ready.
“Bring it around to the yard at once.”
The man went to do as he was bid and Peregrine observed curtly, “Make ready to leave. There no time to waste if we are to get to the Green Man.”
Sophie was about to ask for another cup of tea—anything to delay leaving —when there was a clattering of hooves in the yard outside, followed by the grating of wheels on cobble-stones. When she heard a man’s voice demanding that someone attend to his horses, Sophie’s attention became acute. She strained her ears and when the new arrival repeated his request in a more imperative tone, she was at once astonished, relieved and overjoyed.
Unheeding of Peregrine’s presence, she uttered a cry of delight, flew over to the window and wrenched open the casement.
“Theo!”
Outside, Theo had just sprung down from his carriage. He turned to see Sophie leaning out of one of the windows and hailing him in an urgent voice. His face set in forbidding lines, he grabbed his whip and ran inside.
He walked through the hallway, pushing unceremoniously past the landlord who had bustled forward to greet the new arrivals. It took but a moment or two to locate what he thought was the right room and, when he did, he flung open the door and surveyed the room briefly before his piercing gaze found her.
She was still looking out of the window, only turning round when she heard the door open. He stalked over, tossing the whip aside as he went.
“My crazy little hellcat!” he exclaimed a little unsteadily, before folding her in a crushing embrace.
Sophie, unable to comprehend how he came to be here, flung her arms around him.
“How on earth did you find me?” she said, into his shoulder.
“We went to Lincoln’s Inn. Another hackney driver overheard Sloane’s instructions to the jarvey who had brought you here.”
“I-I had no thought of anyone coming, least of all you,” she admitted, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I’m sorry to have inconvenienced you again, but so glad you have come!”
“Inconvenienced me? What nonsense is this—?” he began. Then, suddenly aware of her tears, he pulled out his handkerchief and began to dry her cheeks. “Dash it, Sophie, please don’t cry, and don’t apologise—I’d hand over my last guinea to help you out of a scrape again.”
“You would?” she said quickly, looking up at his smiling, softened face. “Oh, if only—” Recollecting, she gasped and peered over Theo’s shoulder. “Perry—he’s gone! The coward! He must have slipped out of the room when he realized you had arrived.”
She poured forth all that had happened and Theo interspersed the recital with suitable exclamations, observing when she had finished,
“He’s an even bigger scoundrel than we suspected!”
“He is indeed,” said another voice.
Sophie looked over to the doorway where Lucius Grey now stood, his figure silhouetted against the light from the passageway beyond.
“The man is a coward and a villain,” he said grimly, taking a step forward. “He will answer to me for his actions.”
Theo saw Grey’s arrival had astonished Sophie as much as his own had done. Grey’s demeanour was as collected as ever yet there was a glint of savage determination in his eyes and Theo felt Sophie give an involuntary shudder at what she saw in his hardedged features.
“I’ll take the curricle and follow Sloane,” said Grey. “He can’t have gone far.”
“I’m coming with you,” declared Theo.
“Perhaps you had best remain here.” Luc’s gaze rested for a moment on Sophie. “You must have a great deal to discuss with
Miss Devereux.”
“I have, but I have a score to settle with that fellow too and I intend to help catch him.”
“Very well.” Giving a curt nod of acknowledgement, Grey turned on his heel and went out.
“What is he doing here?” asked Sophie.
“I’ll explain more later, but Luc works for Bow Street. He’s been following Peregrine for months and knows he’s the Bath Fox.” Theo uttered a deep sigh and ran his fingers through his dishevelled locks. “It’s a deuced nuisance, but I need to go with him.” He gripped Sophie’s shoulders, saying, “Will you wait here until I get back? You’ll be quite safe…I’ll ask one of the servants to stay with you.”
“Go!” she urged. “If there were enough room in the curricle, I would come too—I’d like to witness Perry cut down to size—but you and Mr Grey don’t need the distraction of me.”
He planted a swift kiss on her lips. “As I observed once before, you’re not a girl for swooning, are you?”
“I suppose not.” Looking bewildered, she flushed and stole a glance at his face. “You must think me tiresome though. Once again you’ve come to my aid. I-I don’t know what to say.”
“Then don’t say anything, at least until I get back.” A smile of tender amusement curved his mouth. “Tiresome? No. Adorable…yes.” He took some coins from his pocket and pressed them into her palm. “Use this to secure the parlour for the rest of evening. I’ll return as soon as I can and don’t go anywhere until I get back.”
Blushing deeper at the warmth in his voice, Sophie found herself returning his smile.
“Theo,” she murmured, as he turned to leave, “you might need this.”
He swung back and she handed him the whip she had picked up from the floor and which he had discarded earlier. He took it from her, gave a lop-sided grin and left.
A quick interrogation of the ostlers revealed Peregrine’s carriage had turned out of the inn courtyard towards Islington Green and the Great North Road beyond. Theo and Luc set off in pursuit and fortunately suffered no delay at the turnpike. The keeper, hearing their approach and bellowed instructions to open up at once or suffer the consequences, had emerged from one of the twin octagonal lodges which, along with the double gates, marked the entrance to the turnpike. After deftly catching the coins tossed in his direction, he opened the left gate without delay, allowing their carriage to sweep through without checking its pace. Luc gestured at the road ahead with his whip.
“There’s the rogue, a little way in front of us!”
Theo peered into the distance. “
Yes I see him, but it looks like he’s taking the right hand road at the Green. That’s odd. He should bear left for Highgate. Where the deuce is he going?”
“I don’t know, but wherever it is, we’re following,” said Luc, raising his voice to be heard over the thundering hooves of his greys.
They passed Islington Green, a charming spot surrounded by houses and tall trees with the church spire clearly visible against the late afternoon sky, but they had no time to appreciate its attractions as Peregrine’s carriage veered suddenly right and disappeared.
Luc urged his horses on. “He’s turned down Queen’s Head Lane.”
Theo threw his companion an admiring glance. “You know this area well then.”
“In my type of work, it’s advisable to know the haunts of thieves and highwaymen,” said Luc, with a wry grin.
“Is that what Queen’s Head Lane is?” asked Theo.
“No, that’s the curious thing—at least, not in recent times,” he replied. “Highgate and Finchley Common offer richer pickings. There’s nothing but a few cottages in Queen’s Head Lane and open land beyond. It doesn’t make sense for him to take that route.”
They sped down the lane, much to the disgust and alarm of several of its inhabitants, who, out for a leisurely afternoon stroll, had been sent scurrying out of the way by first one, then another, sporting curricle bearing down on them. Peregrine’s carriage was out of sight, but the tell-tale cloud of dust it sent into the air as it sped on was still visible.
But by the time they reached the narrow lane running at right angles to Queens Head Road, there was no sign of the carriage.
“Which way now?” Theo demanded.
Luc hauled his team around in an expert fashion. “To the right! Now I know what he’s doing. He’s not heading for the Great North Road at all. He’s heading back to the city. This is Frog Lane and it leads to the Islington tunnel which is being constructed on the new Regent’s canal. Sloane can cross there and get back to London. Blast him for a conniving scoundrel! We need to hurry or we’ll lose him.”
Three Secrets and a Scandal (Regency Secrets and Scandals Book 2) Page 21