‘And you, Robin?’ Kitty asked harshly. ‘If we stop you from hanging, will you go quietly into the Army as Timothy Dean?’
‘I will keep my mouth shut, you have my word. I would rather take my chances with Napoleon than spend anymore time with that banshee.’
‘Very well!’ Kitty said firmly and pulled the dagger from her boot and sliced through the bindings on his ankles. ‘Get up on the seat like the gentleman you were supposed to be and I’ll see if we can camouflage you for the trip into London.’
Robin scrambled up on the seat beside his sister. Very carefully he took her hand, even though she still held the knife. ‘Thank you, Kitty.’ He murmured as he closed his eyes, lifted her hand to his cheek and gently held her fingers against his face. ‘I’m sorry for so many things, but I should apologise to you for being unable to curb my youthful curiosity and ask your forgiveness for behaving like a beast.’ He was aware of Kitty’s rigidity. When he opened his eyes and looked in his sister’s face, he could see the horror and fear that he had caused. ‘I’m sorry, Kitty.’ He whispered hollowly.
Kitty was filled with horror and heartache. She eased her fingers from his grasp, replaced the knife in her boot and looked out of the window.He’s my brother!She thought as the agony of sibling fealty fought with the natural urges to throw a murderer to the dogs.Can you watch him hang? After all he murdered your father.She closed her eyes and pictured her father over her lifetime, the intimate moments, when he would read to her before bed and she would sit on his knee and follow the story with him. The day he bought her first pony and the excitement she felt as he lifted her into the saddle for the first time. She recalled the look of devastation on his face when Charles left for Spain and that fateful morning as she saw him and Robin shouting at each other. The look of disgust would remain with her for the rest of her life.But he didn’t know what had happened, only that Harriet Farrington was dead and Robin had killed the Duke in a duel.She tried to justify Robin’s subsequent behaviour as she tried to imagine the emotional turmoil he was experiencing. ‘Robin?’ she said softly and turned her head, looking her brother in the eyes. ‘How many women have you loved? I mean loved, not just had sex with.’
‘Harriet Farrington was the only woman I have ever loved.’ He said softly. ‘Truly loved. I would have died for her,’ he looked at his hands. ‘I would have killed to protect her.’ He sighed then and a snort burst from him. ‘I did kill to protect her, but it was a waste of time, as she was already dead!’
‘I can’t understand why she would kill herself.’ Charles said coldly. ‘You had already promised to protect her.’
‘It’s obvious you have no understanding of the female state.’ Kitty spat vitriolically. ‘She was her husband’s property for him to do with as he pleased and if he was threatening a punishment frame and the cat, I would have killed myself too!’ Kitty sobbed suddenly. ‘Do you envision that it would be any different for me if Rochdale gets his way?’
‘I don’t think...’ Richard started, but Kitty wasn’t finished.
‘How do you know what is going to happen!?’ she suddenly shouted as her fear blossomed into terror. ‘He’s old enough to be my grandfather and once he has the ring on my finger and me at his mercy I’ll be helpless to do anything! He’ll treat me as a brood mare at first and I will be ridden every minute of every day until I produce an heir for him!’ There was no way she could hide the horror of that thought. ‘And then there’s no telling what will happen to me. If I give him a string of girls, I might find myself murdered, as Constance has.’ By this time she was sobbing and the tears streaked down her face.
Charles reached across the carriage, grabbed Kitty by the arms and yanked her onto his lap. ‘Ssh.’ He gentled her and stroked her back as he held her tightly to his chest. ‘Rochdale will not get a sniff of your hemline.’ He murmured. ‘I’ve already told him I’ll see him in Hyde Park with pistols if he doesn’t leave you alone.’ He sighed and rested his cheek on her head. ‘Maybe if you talk nicely to Richard he will go and get a special licence and you can be married as soon as possible.’ He lifted her chin and looked in her eyes. ‘Would you like that?’ Kitty nodded and buried her face in his cravat.
‘I’m sorry Charles.’ Robin muttered. ‘I should have left when father told me to.’
‘Yes, you should have done, and then we wouldn’t be in this mess!’ Charles snapped and tightened his arms around Kitty. ‘Maybe it would have helped if we could have kept our britches buttoned as well!’
Chapter 19
Gordon Blunt, the Earl of Alderney fretted. His footmen had searched everywhere, but still there was no news of Emily. She had been missing since the day before and he was really afraid she’d been snatched and sold into servitude. His little Emily in a harem was a vision he didn’t want to think about, but he also knew it would be very difficult for the people who had snatched her. He was under no illusions what a harridan he’d spawned.
There was a tap on his study door and his butler opened the door. ‘The Duke of Durham is here, My Lord. Will you see him?’
‘Yes, of course. Send him in.’ He said and stood to greet his long time friend. They had shared dormitories at Cambridge. His shock as Charles walked in the door was supreme. ‘Charles?’ he stammered. ‘W...What are you doing announcing yourself as the Duke?’
‘Because I am!’ Charles said sadly. ‘I have a very long and sad tale to tell you.’
‘Does this sad tale concern Emily? Because she’s been missing since yesterday and I’m worried sick!’
‘It does.’ Charles said firmly, ‘and I doubt that she’s missing, just in residence at Grosvenor Square.’
‘Well, sit yourself down and have a brandy.’ Gordon said and picked up a decanter as Charles launched into the tale. He was astonished from the first, interjecting comments and repetitions until Charles mentioned Emily.
‘How could my little Emily instil such murderous intentions on Robin?’ he asked dumbfounded.
‘According to Robin, she was waiting for him at the docks and from that moment on, he lost control of everything.’
‘I suppose if the woman I loved had committed suicide, rather than suffer degradation at the hands of her husband, I would be incapable of rational thought. Emily was very devious to catch him right then.’ He laughed coarsely. ‘I’m not surprised, though, she’s always devious and she always manages to get what she wants no matter how hard I try to deny her. But, Albany was always a vicious bastard and I feel Robin did us a favour. Every paper that came before the house, he would veto. He was the most contrary politician I’ve ever met.’ He was quiet for a moment. ‘Emily did all this?’
‘I don’t think Emily has done anything yet, unless she has already dispatched the Countess of Rochdale.’ Charles said firmly, ‘but she certainly organised the murder of my father and managed to twist my brother around her little finger until it was done.’
‘Well, you came here for a purpose, what do you want me to do?’ Gordon Blunt asked, lifting his eyebrows.
‘I need you to come with us while we confront Emily. She’s still your responsibility and you will need to send her abroad for treatment or something.’ Charles sighed. ‘She’s probably mad and may even be a murderess by now.’
‘Yes.’ Gordon said distantly. ‘If she believes she’s married to your brother, it’s going to be a big shock to find that she’s not.’ He drew in a deep breath. ‘Very well. Let’s get this matter resolved.’
Gordon stood and called for his secretary. ‘Deal with the rest of today’s business. I’m going to be dealing with my daughter and tell the staff she’s been located.’ He strode from the study, with Charles following quickly.
Kitty and Richard watched over Robin in the carriage. The silence between the siblings was profound and Richard was astonished that they didn’t even talk. He tried a little conversation at first and then silence reigned supreme. It seemed an eternity until Charles opened the carriage door and the Earl of Alderney climbed in
side.
‘Hello, Kitty. Robin.’ He said familiarly and sat down next to Richard. He stuck his hand out. ‘You must be Richard Dunsmore. Congratulations on capturing Kitty. I fervently believed she would end up on the shelf.’
‘Thank you.’ Richard replied quietly and shook the proffered hand as Charles squeezed in between Robin and Kitty after telling George his direction.
‘What exactly are we going to do now?’ Kitty asked.
Charles smiled evilly. ‘We’re going to bait the bear in her den.’ He laughed. ‘I’ve told George to go to the mews and we’ll scout the house out before we decide on a course of action. I need to see Havers, first.’
‘You realise this could be bloody?’ Robin said softly, ‘she’s not going to give up quietly.’
‘We’ll see about that.’ Gordon Blunt said firmly.
It only took the carriage a few minutes to travel from the Earl’s residence in Mount Street, to the ducal residence in Grosvenor Square. George manoeuvred the carriage into the mews and stopped by the stables.
Charles leaped from the carriage and ran to the back of the house, avoiding the gardens and following the side path to the scullery door. As he opened the door, the kitchen helper, who was at the large Belfast sink preparing vegetables, almost screamed. ‘Oh! My Lord! You scared me to death!’ she said without thinking.
Charles smiled cheekily and kissed her on the cheek. ‘Don’t make a fuss Betsy, I need to see Havers, can you get Cook to fetch him?’
Betsy swallowed her questions and nodded, turning away to fetch cook.
The cook, a rotund and jolly woman, bustled out of the main part of the kitchen wiping her floury hands on a cloth. ‘Is it true?’ she demanded peremptorily. ‘The Duke is dead?’
Charles looked at the tears threatening and solemnly nodded his head. ‘Yes,’ his voice was suddenly hoarse, ‘he was murdered yesterday.’ All of a sudden it took on a reality for Charles that he’d been able to avoid until that moment. He was a Duke and everything was now his responsibility, including the livelihood of all the staff at all the estates, not just the physical buildings and farms, but everybody. He reached out and clasped the cook’s hands, ‘it was quick. He didn’t suffer.’
‘That’s a mercy, at least.’ She said softly. ‘I’ve sent a footman for Havers. You just wait here in the scullery.
‘Is Emily Blunt here?’ Charles asked.
‘I’ll say, the arrogant little bitch.’ The cook looked at him hard. ‘She complained about my cooking last evening and told me I was only fit to feed the army!’ her voice indignant at the unfair criticism.
Havers arrived and smiled at Charles. He looked haggard and tired. ‘I’m glad your here, Your Grace?’ he fashioned the end of his greeting as a question and Charles again nodded.
‘Yes, Havers, I am the Duke now.’ He smiled wanly. ‘I need to know where abouts that bitch Emily is in the house.’
‘She is at present in your mother’s sitting room. I believe she is answering some mail and accepting invitations on behalf of herself and the Duke.’
‘She’ll never be my Duchess.’ Charles spat. ‘Good, has she brought in any protection or special servants?’ Havers shook his head. ‘Excellent. If you could keep a lookout for her, we can all get into the study and then you can go and tell her the Duke has arrived and is waiting on her in his study?’
Charles ran back to the carriage. More relaxed, because Emily was at the front of the house. ‘Ok, she’s ensconced in mother’s sitting room, so shall we go?’
They followed Havers down the long halls and Charles, just like he did at Mickleton Hall, he opened the study door without knocking and just strode into the room and perched his backside on the edge of the desk. ‘I think you should sit behind the desk, Kitty.’
‘No. I think I should be behind the door, to stop her from escaping.’ Kitty said coldly and Charles just nodded his head in agreement.
‘Robin, sit by the fire.’ He watched his brother sit in the fireside chair, ‘and maybe you would stand beside the fire, Richard?’ Richard nodded and leaned his elbow on the mantle. ‘Gordon, you should be behind the desk.’
The Earl of Alderney had no sooner seated himself than there was a knock at the door and Charles shouted ‘Come in.’
Havers opened the door slowly and announced ‘Lady Emily, Your Grace,’ and stood aside to let Emily Blunt enter the room. She was already talking as she crossed the threshold.
‘I wondered when you would get back Robin.’ She said coldly, fiddling with the hair on the back of her neck. She looked up slowly and was startled to see Charles leaning on the desk.
‘Thank you, Havers. That will be all.’ Charles said smoothly and the butler nodded and pulled the door closed as he stepped back into the hall. Kitty leaned her back against the door.
Charles looked coldly at the petit harridan in their midst. ‘Lady Emily Blunt.’ He spoke like a judge. ‘Maybe you will tell me why you wanted my father dead?’ He watched the play of expressions over her face, from surprise, through fear to fury.
‘What gives you the right to question me?’ she spat viciously. ‘I’m a duchess.’
‘I don’t recollect marrying you?’ Charles queried, ‘and what makes you think you’re married at all?’
‘You are not the Duke.’ She said firmly. ‘Robin inherited the moment his father died.’
‘Robin cannot inherit anything, even the money. Besides the fact that he’s a murderer, my father’s Will is with the Lord Chancellor, as will be all the relevant documents pertaining to the succession.’ He laughed coarsely. ‘I can’t imagine why you would think that Thomas Stafford didn’t make sure his coronet would pass onto the son he had chosen. Robin was disinherited and my father would have been thorough about it. But that will be dealt with in the House tomorrow. Sir Francis Burns has already informed the King and the Lord Chancellor. So really you wasted your time, Lady Emily Blunt.’
‘I’m not going to stand here and listen to these lies!’ she shouted and span on her heel to see Kitty standing in front of the door.
‘Don’t be ridiculous, Emily.’ Robin said calmly, turning his face from the fire and looking at his nemesis at last. ‘It’s over, thank god!’
‘I would have expected more of a Duke?’ she said vitriolically. ‘I knew you wouldn’t be able to see it through. But I’m going to be a duchess if it’s the last thing I do!’ She walked towards the door and Kitty lifted her knife and pointed it at Emily.
‘You ensnared my brother, instigated a dangerous and insidious attack on my person and persuaded him to kill my father.’ Kitty spoke coldly and Charles didn’t like the expression of anger in her eyes. He was sharply reminded of the old adage “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned!” He could see that Kitty could easily lose her temper and then she might do something precipitous.
‘Kitty,’ he said calmly, ‘you should put the knife away and leave this matter to me.’ Charles looked fiercely at Emily. ‘Have you killed Connie Beresford, yet?’ Emily shook her head without taking her eyes from Kitty.
‘I can see you have more backbone than your weak brother.’ Emily said evenly. ‘I’m really glad that you’re my sister.’
‘I’m not your sister and I never will be!’ Kitty spat viciously, the fury flashing in her eyes. ‘Tell me, Emily, did you actually sign a marriage certificate?’ Kitty asked and waited. Emily was quiet and a frown formed over her stunning blue eyes. ‘Of course you didn’t.’ Kitty laughed then. ‘So who is the fool?’
Emily looked sideways at Robin. ‘But there was a vicar and a special license.’ She intoned dully as Kitty’s words began to infiltrate her brain.
‘An actor and a forgery,’ Kitty spat and Charles could see the satisfaction on her face. ‘Did you think my brother would be stupid enough to actually marry you?’
Emily’s face became suffused with rage and a maniacal gleam shone from her eyes. ‘You’re wrong.’ She shouted. ‘Tell her she’s wrong Robin!’ she demanded.
Everything seemed to move in slow motion.
Emily let out a scream of frustration and rage, leaped towards Kitty and grabbed her wrist. Sweeping Kitty’s arm out sideways, Emily turned her back to Kitty’s chest and heaved herself at Kitty. They crashed unceremoniously into the study door and all the breath was knocked from Kitty’s lungs, weakening her hold on the knife. Emily plucked it easily from her fingers at the same time as all the men in the room moved.
Robin stood and dived for Emily, Gordon Blunt stood in shock sending the chair over. Charles lurched away from the desk, making it rock dramatically and Richard jerked away from the fire place.
Of course, Robin was the nearest and he grabbed Emily by the arm and yanked her away from Kitty and Emily span towards him and suddenly Robin was staring down at the knife in his chest.
‘You bitch!’ he spat. ‘You’ve killed me!’ He stared in horror at the expanding bloodstain on his shirt. Emily was still holding the knife and laughing maniacally totally unaware that Robin slowly lifted his hands, clasped them around her jawbone and snapped her head sideways, breaking her neck in one smooth movement. The laughter stopped abruptly and Robin watched the life fade from her eyes as he staggered backwards, he released her body and the hand holding the knife ripped it out of his chest. Charles arrived behind his brother to catch him and lower him gently to the carpet.
‘Quick, Richard! Get some pressure on it!’ he snapped and tore open Robin’s jacket and shirt, exposing his pale chest with the dark blood welling from the wound. Richard yanked out his linen handkerchief and rolled it into a ball, pressing it against the wound.
Kitty leaped to her feet, yanked open the door and called for Havers to send for a physician.
The Theft of a Dukedom Page 24