A Perilous Marriage

by Kelly, Isobel

  “Why would he come after us again if he wants money? He must know he won’t get it from either of us, so what can he hope to gain?”

  Richard thought carefully about his answer. He didn’t want to frighten her, but she was too intelligent to be fobbed off with platitudes and excuses. “An option is to kidnap you, perhaps hoping I am so obsessed with you I’d pay a fortune to get you back, which is true. I would pay all I have. Except that shot was meant to kill one of us, so my guess is he seeks revenge. Someone with that kind of purpose in mind has a vicious brain. I'm convinced he won't give up until he is stopped. I believe the first time I met the man I sensed evil in him. Lucie, I have tried to protect you from someone like him. Always take care. Don’t ever give him a chance to capture you.”

  Her gaze was sober as she looked at him. “Thank you for telling me. I truly want to make this marriage work, and I like to know details. I promise I will be a true wife and try to do what you say, but I also hate to be ruled. Grandmama rarely gave me ultimatums unless someone else had riled her beyond bearing. I agree we are facing a dangerous man, and it behoves both of us to stay safe, not only me. That shot was meant for you, and I would be equally devastated if you were hurt or killed. Anything I can do, I will.”

  “Thank you too, my dear. It is all I ask for now.”

  * * * *

  Richard dismounted and, going to Lucie’s horse, checked the girth and stirrups. “We are going to ride high in the hills, and with some ways very steep, I don’t want your saddle to slip,” he explained. “It was fortunate you were riding astride with that mad dash across the meadows. It enabled you to keep your body low. With the climb we have to do now, you are far safer straddling Carley than otherwise, so even though I know it is conventional for a young lady like you to use a side-saddle, you will feel more in control and comfortable.”

  She smiled down at him. “Still taking care of me, my dear husband?”

  “Always.” He grinned back. “Let’s go.” He swung up onto Jamal and turned away from the lake towards the distant hills. “Follow me, and watch the trail as we ascend. It will get rocky soon, and we don’t want the horses to lose their footing. We shall lead them when we get higher.”

  He set a swift pace, and soon, they were climbing high into the hills. The day had turned warm, and Lucie was glad of a cooling breeze as they came to the top of a high ridge and paused to see the rolling landscape of bracken, gorse and heather. Sheep roamed the area happily, able to graze on the steepest of hills. They stopped by a small pool of water in the lee of some trees and allowed the horses to drink.

  “This is wonderful, Richard. I never dreamt that places like this existed. We could be the only humans on this earth. It is so wild-looking and free of people.”

  “True. I’ve thought that quite a few times when I travelled in Canada—which is equally wild and free of people—and cast my mind back to my youth. When I was a boy, I escaped the noise of home to come up here and explore. Especially when my father was searching for me to beat me for some sin or misdemeanour I had committed. I would eventually get caught, but during the beating, I’d think of this place and be comforted."

  “Did it happen often?”

  He gave a grimace. “Unfortunately, too often for my comfort. He was not a patient man and had a temper that was easily aroused, seemingly without too much provocation. I often wondered later whether he was merely a frustrated man or if he had something in his history that made him so vitriolic. In the end, I could not take more of his oppression, and my love of exploring took me away and I never saw him again.”

  “Oh, how sad,” she said, her voice full of sympathy.

  “Not really. He was his own worst enemy and likely died with everyone hating him. I’ve lost no sleep over it. Anyway, the day is too fine to think of things long past. I’ll show you where I used to hide, and we shall stop to eat.”

  He turned off the track towards a side gully and led the way down through a tight cleft, just wide enough to take the horses, until it opened out to a narrow sloping valley with the granite, glacial hillsides looming high on either side. A small stream ran down one side of the path in a gulley, and the other side was covered in a coarse grass with clumps of gorse and brambles here and there. He dismounted and helped Lucie off too. “We’ll walk from here on. It’s not far, and the horses can have a breather. It’s amazing really. It hasn’t changed much since the last time I was here, years ago, though the trees have grown a bit taller. I used to come up here in late summer and feast on the blackberries.”

  His face lit up with memories, and he looked happy. He pointed to a flat area which lay much further off to one side, and leading the horses, they scrambled over the rocky area and up onto a wedge of turf that lay in the full sun in front of a few spindly aspen trees and clumps of birch and rowan intermingled with gorse and bracken. A granite cliff lay directly behind and sheltered the spot from the harsher winds from the north.

  “This is the picnic place, sweetheart. Now we can eat.” Richard pulled the saddles from the horses and turned them loose to graze. He spread out a blanket for Lucie to sit on. The basket of food was soon opened and its contents eagerly surveyed. The fresh air had given them an appetite, and ham and venison pie, hard boiled eggs, cheese, a loaf of bread, and a jar of honey was fine fare indeed. Two sturdy glasses were soon filled with wine, and they set to with enthusiasm.

  Finally, Lucie gave a sigh of repletion. “I cannot remember enjoying anything better. It must be the air. I never eat this much for lunch, no matter how hungry I am. This is quite the best day since we have been here, don’t you agree?”

  “I really do. Now, before you fall fast asleep, let me show you one of my secrets. I have never brought anyone else here at all, and never will.” Foraging in the basket, he pulled out a small lamp and a tinder box and, to her surprise, took her hand and pulled her up and immediately kissed her deeply. “I trust you never to say a word of this, my love. It will be our secret from now on, for I’m certain no one else knows it exists.”

  Still holding her hand, he walked to the trees and, searching amidst them, held back the bushes. “Come through here and wait.” He edged through himself, and pulling back a huge clump of gorse, he exposed a low opening in the cliff. Bending down, he crawled through.

  Lucie heard him striking the flint, then he called, “Come on through, Lucie, it is clear and your skirt will save you from the prickly gorse.”

  She hesitated. She had never liked confined spaces or deep cupboards as a child, and the thought of crawling into what seemed to be a hole in the ground filled her with terror. What was in there? Spiders, or heaven forbid, rats? Or could there be wild animals?

  “Lucie, what are you waiting for? Hurry up! It's all right, I assure you.”

  She shuddered but knew she had no choice but to do as he wanted. So, bending down and half crawling, she edged her way through the opening and, with deep relief, found she could stand up straight on the other side. Staring around in the dim lamplight, she saw she was in a vaulted cavern which was much larger than she had supposed.

  To one side of the cave, a stone ledge held what looked like a bundle of rags or what could be blankets long rotted away by insects, and on the other side, a stone surround held remnants of ash and charcoal. A tin circular hood fastened to the wall behind lay over it to give a semblance of a proper fireplace. An old kettle and a few dishes sat off to one side. The cave seemed to stretch a long way back, and it was hard to see where it ended in the dimness of the lamp.

  “Was this your place of refuge?” she said, feeling dazed, almost shocked, at the bareness of the cave where he had been forced to seek a place of safety.

  “Yes. When things got too bad, I would spend a night or more up here, even once a week. I’d get whipped for my absence, but the peace was more precious than the pain.”

  “You had a very hard and unloved childhood…it is a wonder you are not very bitter.”

  He shrugged. “It toughened me up,
I guess. The world overseas is not a secure or reliable place to roam if one is soft. Yet one gets used to it, and instincts play a big part. Strangely, I was reluctant to come back to England and even more reluctant to accept the earldom. Yet I have discovered a treasure that fills me with joy. Aunt Eleanor handed me you, my dear, and if I had stayed in America, I would never have been so gifted.”

  She shivered. “And I might have had to accept a stranger or even Tasker.”

  “You are chilled. Come out into the sunlight and get warm. No more talk of the past. We are here now and will face the future with courage.” He doused the lamp and left it on a ledge with the tinder box. “I might come back at some time. There are still things to explore in the cave. It goes a long way back, and I remember the beginning of a tunnel...”

  “What about that fireplace and the hood? Did it fill the cave with smoke?” she asked as she crawled through the opening.

  “Amazingly, there is a hole at the back that leads to the surface. The smoke gets drawn up but disperses in the current of air above so no one would guess there is a fire below. I took great pains to keep the place secret, and even my brothers never knew of it.” He laughed. “I had many a fight with them as they sought to make me to tell where I disappeared to. I got crafty at evading them when they tried to follow. Sadly, they are gone now, and I wish I could will them back. They were good fellows.” He gazed at his watch and at the angle of the sun.

  “We will sit for a short while before we head back to the village by dusk. We shall take a roundabout route and hopefully won’t see those villains again, though it is possible they will guess by now we are not returning the same way. Still, can’t help that. At least we shall return to a crowded part of the village and should be safe.”

  * * * *

  He watched while she packed away the remaining contents of the basket. “Still some wine left. We will drink to a lovely day out and many more to follow.”

  They clinked glasses and drank. After taking the glass from her, he pushed her back on the blanket and said softly, “Are your courses over?”

  She blushed and said, “I finished yesterday.”

  “Tut, madam! You did not tell me.” He pretended to frown. “I demand a forfeit!”

  “What—here and now?” She smiled. “I rather like paying them.”

  With the sun waning, it was too chill to divest themselves of all their clothes, but it did not take Richard long to make sure they were both satisfied with the last hours of their picnic.

  Back on the horses, he lost no time in guiding them a different way down to the village. As they were walking slowly down the high street, Walter Ellis spotted them and came over at a run. “I tried the inn, milord, but I was told you were out for the day,” he said, looking up at Richard who had stopped Jamal and was holding him steady on the rein.

  “Thing is, a chap asked if we could offer him work at the house. I didn’t like the look of him so I said no, we had enough labourers. He wasn’t happy with that reply and grunted he could do a better job than some of them layabouts, and took himself off. I had a funny feeling about him, and I’ve commandeered more watchmen for the nights. It will mean more wages, milord. Did I do right?”

  “You did, Walter. I commend your action. What did he look like?”

  “Scruffy individual—fiftyish, I thought. Balding, broken nose, hard looking, probably no worse than any vagrant looking for work, but in view of your warning...”

  “Yes, quite,” Richard interrupted, giving a sideways glance at his wife.

  Walter got the message and looked somewhat sheepish. “Sorry, milord...”

  “Don’t be concerned, we both know what the situation is. I’ll see you tomorrow as usual. Keep a good lookout, and if you see that man again, let me know. Send a man over to the inn to collect the horses and see they are well cared for. We’ve had a long ride today.” He nodded and urged Jamal forward, followed by a silent Lucie.

  She was glad to get up to her rooms and order a bath to warm up. She felt chilled with the thought they were still being followed, even though she knew Richard was taking care. The thought of the morning’s episode came back with a vengeance. A shot that could have killed either of them was terrifying. And add to it a possible threat to the house that she was already getting to care for… Her life had been peaceful and regulated for so long during her growing years, but now, she felt cast adrift in a never-ending stormy sea of danger.

  She dressed simply for dinner and made Mary brush her hair out and gather it in a ribbon behind her head, leaving it free to fall down her back. When Mary protested, saying she could make a better job of it, she said, “No.” It was a short and emphatic no, and Mary didn’t say another word.

  When Richard emerged from the other room, dinner was already being set out on the table. He glanced at Lucie’s face and paused a moment but did not speak. He merely held out his arm ready to escort her to the table. As she sat down, he bent and passed his lips lightly over her forehead. “It has been a long day, my love. We shall eat and sleep soon. Tomorrow will be better.”

  After dinner, Richard was busy reading a number of despatches from Arnold Rigby so Lucie retired to bed and was asleep by the time he joined her. Sliding in beside her warm body, he cuddled her close but did not wake her. On their return journey, he’d silently debated the wisdom of taking her back to Ashbury Mead and maybe having far greater protection from people who knew her, or undertaking to guard her thoroughly at Clun.

  Deciding she was safer with him, as well as being reluctant to lose the benefit of their personal relationship which was gaining strength day by day, he thought he would leave things as they were. He had plenty of men to call on, and with the added advantage of many of the villagers keeping watch, he felt the best plan was to stay in Clun and hunt for the man he felt sure was Tasker. He had known at once it wasn’t a poacher’s stray bullet which had nearly winged him and was relieved that whoever it was had unwittingly disclosed where they were encamped. Whether they would remain until his men searched was debateable, but hopefully, they could be tracked to their next camp site. Certainly, they would not risk coming into the village again, and the one who seemingly had ventured close would be noticed at once as Walter would soon be passing his description around.

  At least all was well at Ashbury Mead, according to the news from Rigby, who had also enclosed a letter from Rowten which Richard left until last to read. That, too, indicated life had resumed its familiar routine. Gossip in the village had died down, and Tasker’s house was empty of people. Rowten had sent one of his trusted gamekeepers to quietly inspect the area but with firm instructions not to break in or show any sign of the visit. He had come back with the news the house was indeed shuttered and empty and the stables bare, and apart from a farmer who rented some of the outlying fields, the estate was deserted. Rowten promised to keep a watch and would let Richard know if there was any change.

  He also mentioned that the harvest was proceeding as usual and asked if Milady Lucie was intending to return for the annual festival, it being a notable event in the late duchess’ calendar and looked forward to by all the local people.

  He lay awake for some time, thinking about this, and found it difficult to make a decision on whether he should let Lucie see Rowten’s letter. He knew she would want to return, and he could hardly blame her. Her life, until now, had been entirely taken up with all the events of the estate and the village, and like the duchess, she would have been counted as an essential part of any festival or occasions. Should he change his mind and take her back?

  He was torn with proceeding with the hunt for his nemesis or accompanying his wife back to Ashbury Mead. There was no way he would allow her to travel on her own. He could barely let her out of his sight as it was. Perhaps, he wondered, could he enrol people to find Tasker far more quickly rather than just waiting for him to emerge?

  Chapter Fourteen

  It was disappointing that only minor indications of movement were found a
t the scene of the shooting by local hunters, but no camp or traces of a long stay. It looked as though it had only been picked as a place which overlooked the meadow and the back of the manor house, perhaps for a preliminary survey. The men agreed with Richard that the gun had been fired impulsively, and his prompt reaction to put distance between them and another bullet had warned the shooter it was useless to try again.

  The possibility of it being a poacher was at once discounted. They knew the poachers in the district and the type of game they went after, and that scenario simply did not fit. Despite the fact the hunters covered a great deal of ground in the search, they found only a slight trail of perhaps two people—which petered out a short distance from the edge of the woodland—and no trace of any other camp site.

  “Where the hell are they?” Richard growled impatiently as he stood by the stables the next day, talking to Walter and the three villagers who had volunteered to search.

  “I don’t think they are still in the woods. With more than a few farms in the area, they are likely holed up in someone’s barn. The farmer may not know or maybe is being held a prisoner.” Aaron Buckler, who had led the hunt in the woods, put in a word. “I know three likely farmers, but they all have wives and children. We dursent go marching in to investigate in case we put them at risk. If your opponent seeks your death, then he won’t be shy of taking someone else’s life.”

  “Heaven forbid! I don’t want anyone to suffer on my account. And all of you must take the greatest of care. If I am being stalked, then it is by a man who is a villain who wouldn’t worry about hurting anyone if they got in his way. If you are right about the farms, Aaron, then we must investigate each one by night and by stealth. I am competent in woodcraft. I learned from an Indian in Canada. I just need a companion to point the way who is equally competent in secrecy. We do not want this news to get out in the town and alarm people. Apart from scaring the womenfolk, it might alert the men we are after. It should only need two of us to investigate any likely places.”