A Reason to Rebel

by Wendy Soliman

  She slumped against her attacker, her energy spent. She was trying to decide whether to make one final bid for freedom by biting the hand that covered her mouth when a voice she would have known anywhere whispered softly in her ear.

  “Estelle, what in the name of Hades were you about to do with that pan?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Alex!”

  Estelle flung her arms round his neck. She was so relieved to see him that she did not care what the others pouring through the cellar door thought of her unorthodox behaviour.

  Alex indicated the butler with his eyes. Bradley and another of his men stealthily approached him from behind, binding and gagging the intoxicated servant before he had time to blink his eyes and demand an explanation for this intrusion into his sacred domain.

  “Are you all right?” Alex held Estelle at arm’s length and examined her face.

  “Yes, I thank you, we are unharmed.”

  “And Marianne?” Mr. Porter’s eyes scanned the room as though expecting her to materialize from some dim recess and hurtle herself into his arms.

  “She is upstairs, unharmed but asleep. My father ordered a sleeping draught to be administered to her.”

  “I must go to her.”

  “Not now, Porter.” Alex’s authoritative tone stopped him in his tracks. “She is safe and better off out of this. Leave her be until we have seen to the rest of the business. Is Cowper here, do you know?”

  “He arrived a few minutes ago.”

  “Then there is no time to lose. Was it you who unlocked the cellar door?”

  “Yes, I thought it might help.”

  “Your intuition served you well. It is stouter than I had anticipated and we have wasted valuable time trying to get it open. We could not break it down without giving ourselves away but I was getting desperate. I knew Cowper arrived at the front lodge some time ago, and I was about to resort to kicking it in when I heard the bolt slide back.” He smiled into her eyes, his expression full of admiration for her quick thinking. “Nice outfit,” he whispered, a wicked lilt to his tone. “It could give a man ideas.”

  “I shall use the pan on your head if you do not behave,” she said severely, unable to keep the smile out of her voice.

  “Is there anyone else abroad?”

  “No, they are all abed.”

  “Good, then let us to it.”

  “Are you all right, Mr. Bradley?” she asked as Alex’s servant came up on her other side. “You appear to have a rather nasty bump on your head.”

  “Not nearly so bad as the master would have given me if we hadn’t found you safe and well, ma’am,” he said with a cheerful grin.

  “Fortunately he has a very thick head and is none the worse for his experience,” said Alex. “Come, all of you.”

  Taking Estelle’s hand he allowed her to lead them into the hall. At a motion from Alex, Matthew turned the key silently in the lock of his father’s study and pocketed it. If things got out of hand neither man would now be able to escape through that door. They all paused to listen to the voices coming from the room, relieved to hear the two men exchanging civilities and the sound of glasses being filled.

  “We are just in time, I think. It does not sound as though they have started discussing the reason for Cowper’s visit yet.” Alex followed Estelle into the next room and cautiously opening the adjoining door a few inches.

  She stripped off the maid’s uniform to reveal her travelling gown beneath it. Impatiently pulling the cap from her head caused pins to fly in all directions and her hair to tumble round her shoulders.

  Alex stared at her with a slow, appreciative smile spreading across his lips that made her blush deeply. “What are you doing?”

  “I have no intention of confronting my father dressed as a maid.” She tried hard to compose her features into an expression of disapproval as he continued to stare at her tangled hair but was aware that her reproachful attitude lacked true conviction.

  “Spoilsport!”

  He relieved her of the apron which she was holding behind her back. His hand briefly made contact with her body, causing her to wince.

  “What is the matter? Are you hurt?” He whispered the words for fear of being overheard by the men in the adjoining room.

  Ashamed and humiliated, she could not meet his eye and stared intently at the floor.

  “You are.” His flirtatious expression gave way to one of fulminating anger. “He did this to you? Estelle, look at me. Tell me who harmed you.”

  Estelle still could not meet his gaze and merely nodded once. Alex paced out his agitation in front of the empty fireplace, clenching his fists and swearing beneath his breath. She had never seen him lose his temper before and wondered why the knowledge that her father had chastised her should cause him such anguish. After all, he knew what sort of man he was.

  Her father’s mocking voice reverberated inside her head, reminding her that Lord Crawley would never make an alliance with a creature of such lowly social standing as her. She had known that, of course. But knowing it and hearing it put into words by a third party was altogether another matter.

  She chanced a glance at Alex’s noble profile. His brow was creased in an expression of concentrated fury, his eyes were as black as obsidian, and he was grinding his teeth as he struggled to control his temper. Her heart swelled with love for this complex yet compelling gentleman who had been part of her life for just a few days but whom she could no longer imagine living without.

  Perhaps her father had been right about Alex’s intentions. If his anger now was anything to go by, he did have feelings for her and meant to make her his mistress. If her father was right about that, then he was right about something else too. She had changed beyond recognition from the person she used to be just a few short months ago. If Alex wished her to live beneath his protection, far from being shocked by the suggestion, she would agree without hesitation. Having a part of him—for as long as it took him to get bored with her—would be far better than being excluded from his life altogether.

  “By all that’s holy, Estelle,” Alex exploded, “he will pay for his iniquitous deeds before this night is out!”

  “Shush!” Estelle, astonished by the outburst, recalled him to the business in hand. “They have settled with their drinks and I think I heard my father ask Cowper what had promoted a visit at such a late hour.”

  They crowded round the slightly open door and listened.

  “Have you been playing it straight with me, sir?” they heard Cowper ask.

  “What the devil are you talking about, man?”

  “So, Mrs. Travis and her sister are missing, are they?”

  “Yes they were, but—”

  “And you were doing everything in your power to find them?”

  “You know damn well that I was. I am in no mood for games, Cowper. You did not come here this late just to talk about my daughters, so out with it, man. What is it that could not wait until a more social hour?”

  “All right then, I’ll say it plain. You have been playing me for a fool, Winthrop. I should have thought you would have known better than to try it, aware as you are of what I’m capable of when roused.”

  “I have had the very devil of a day and I don’t need you coming here with wild eyes flashing accusations, talking in riddles.”

  “You have known all along where your daughters were and deliberately pretended they had absconded so that neither of them could marry me. I would then assume you had done everything in your power to persuade them and feel duty bound to hand over the papers you want so much to possess. And I right?”

  “Not only are you wrong but you are completely out of your mind.”

  “Am I? Then why were your daughters seen together in Ramsgate this very morning entering a solicitor’s office?” Cowper paused. “Nothing to say for yourself, Winthrop? You don’t know anything about it, is that what you would have me believe? Well, it won’t serve and—”

  “Poppycock! The
y—”

  “No, don’t interrupt me, for I know it all and it is useless your denying it. You promised to split your fortune between the two girls if they did as you asked. That is why they attended an out-of-the-way solicitor today, where they were unlikely to be recognized, to sign the papers and seal the agreement.”

  “Do you not know me better than that?”

  “You are very convincing, Winthrop, I’ll give you that. Were it not for the fact that I saw them there myself I might almost be persuaded to believe you.”

  “You saw them there and so did Johnson. He brought them home and they are upstairs now. That is what I was trying to explain to you when you first brought their names into this ridiculous conversation and started on your groundless rant.”

  “Huh, do not think to play me for such a clunch. I have your measure. If the girls are upstairs it is only because you ordered them to come home as soon as their business in Ramsgate was complete.”

  “Indeed it is not. You know nothing about it.”

  “Then send for Mrs. Travis. I will hear it from her own lips that she intends to marry me.”

  “I cannot do that,” said Winthrop with transparent reluctance.

  “Because she is not here. Huh, I thought as much. You are still trying to gull me.”

  “She is here but she is not yet ready to think about marriage.”

  “And I cannot afford to wait. As you know, if we do not register our find at the Patents Office very soon then someone else will beat us to it.”

  “Look, Cowper, I have given you my word that you can have Estelle and I will not go back on it. But if you know anything about women you will also appreciate that they get silly romantic notions in their heads about matrimony and cannot be rushed into it. She will come round in time. You will just have to take my word for it. Besides, she is still in mourning and cannot marry you for another nine months, and if we wait that long Aspdin will definitely steal a march on us. Come man, get your head out of the clouds and remember that which is really important. This discovery will set us up for life.”

  “I am aware that I must wait for her but if I hear Mrs. Travis agree to the engagement with her own lips then I will accept her word for it.”

  “I have already told you, she is not ready to commit herself yet.” The listeners heard Winthrop sigh, as though holding on to his patience by the merest thread. “If I were to give you my assurance in writing that the union will take place, will that satisfy you?”

  “No, Mrs. Travis is of age and you can no longer speak for her.”

  “Calm down, Cowper, and tell me how far ahead Aspdin is with his patent application.”

  “He is almost ready to submit it but is a perfectionist and has a few refinements that he wishes to make before he does so.”

  “Damn the refinements! For God’s sake man, we must beat him to it. Surely you can appreciate that? Cement of the type Aspdin has invented is inspirational. Burning ground limestone and clay together is a stroke of genius. It has created a much stronger finished product than crushed limestone on its own. Think of the demand there will be in Leeds alone, what with the redevelopment of the waterfront. I will be able to undercut the other bidders and produce better buildings as well, which will promote further business. And the requirement for more and cheaper housing will spread throughout the country, you just mark my words. And we can be at the forefront of it all, raking in the money. Come on, Cowper, don’t let your lust for my daughter govern your brain.”

  “I know you are desperate to refill your coffers and set yourself up as a real connoisseur of the arts.” Cowper’s voice dripped with scorn. “But I will not be gulled, do you hear me? If your daughters were not at that solicitor’s office at your specific request, then what were they doing there, uh?”

  “I haven’t a clue since I have never set foot in the place myself.”

  “Really? Then how did the clerk who tipped me the wink know about Travis being helped on his way to the next world?”

  Estelle gasped audibly. She had not wanted to believe that her father and Cowper had actually gone that far. Alex squeezed her hand and quieted her by placing a finger gently against her lips.

  “For the love of God, lower your voice, Cowper,” said Winthrop, sounding shocked. “He cannot have known. He must have made it up in order to trick money out of you. I assume you did pay him?”

  “That does not account for him having invented such a story. I do not believe in such coincidences, so how could he have known?’

  “How do you expect me to answer that?” Winthrop’s voice resonated with anger—and underlying fear. “Only you, I and Sir James know of the scheme. When I purchased Sir James’s vowels from the moneylender I was exceedingly cautious and the purchase cannot be traced back to me. And did you not approach Sir James anonymously? Did he ever learn your identity?”

  “No, of course not. That was part of the deal. He did not care, as long as he got his vowels back.”

  “Well, then. Sir James has good reason to keep his part quiet, so no one could know. They are simply guessing. Someone is trying to scare you into doing something stupid, like confronting me with these Banbury tales. They are trying to drive a wedge between us for some reason that currently escapes me. And you have fallen for the ploy with tedious predictability.”

  “I might accept that,” said Cowper, sounding slightly placated, “but for the fact that the ladies were at that office this morning.”

  “And now they are here and will not escape me again.”

  “But that does not put us any further forward if Mrs. Travis will not entertain my suit.”

  “God’s teeth, man, give her time!”

  “No, I have risked too much for her sake and will have my answer now. I arranged to have her husband killed because you persuaded me—”

  “Travis is no great loss. He was always at me for money and then gambled it away. And his son was no better. He hankered after Estelle too, you know.”

  “The devil he did!” They could hear Cowper pacing out his agitation. “I must know what the ladies were doing at that office this morning. I will not rest easy until that has been explained. Given what’s at stake, I should have thought you would feel the same way.”

  “Lord Crawley is behind this. I would wager everything I own on that fact.”

  Estelle felt Alex tense at the mention of his name.

  “Explain yourself,” snapped Cowper.

  “Estelle was staying with that interfering friend of hers, Mrs. Cleethorpe, and met Viscount Crawley there. I believe, although she will not confirm or deny it, that he was taken with Estelle and offered her a carte-blanche.”

  “And you have not made her tell you if this is true? What sort of father are you? Did the bounder touch her?”

  “That sort reckon they can do as they please with widowed women, but I doubt Estelle would have fallen for such an obvious ploy. Perhaps that is why they were at the solicitor’s establishment. To form a binding agreement before she submitted to his advances.”

  “The blaggard!’ cried Cowper. “If he was here now I would plant him a facer for his impertinence.”

  “Then here is your opportunity, Cowper.”

  Alex, his expression set in stone, moved the curtain aside and stepped through the adjoining door.

  Chapter Twenty

  Estelle followed Alex into the room and enjoyed the sight of her father’s face turning white with shock. Cowper looked equally astonished but was the first to recover.

  “Has…has this person made inappropriate advances towards you Mrs. Travis?”

  “Unfortunately not.” Estelle shook her head, smiling in a secretive manner that implied precisely the opposite.

  “Estelle, return to your room,” said Winthrop in a belated attempt to take command of the situation.

  “I think not.”

  “And you, sir.” Winthrop turned his attention towards Alex. “What is the meaning of this intrusion?”

  “Oh, is that no
t obvious, Winthrop? Well then, permit me to explain. We understood that Cowper was in possession of something you wanted badly enough to offer him the selection of either of your daughters in return. However, we could not begin to think what it might be and so we contrived this little gathering in order to get to the bottom of the matter.”

  “God damn your impudence, sir.”

  “Cement, hum,” said Alex, ignoring the interruption. “I congratulate you on your foresight, Winthrop. This new combination of ground limestone and clay you spoke of will indeed revolutionize the industry, you are right about that. I can quite see why you were willing to sacrifice so much in order to be the first to the Patent Office with the idea.”

  “You have been eavesdropping and yet call yourself a gentleman. Shame on you, sir.”

  “It is not me who is likely to suffer shame, Winthrop. Stealing another man’s ideas for monetary gain is enough to have you transported. But plotting to murder another man because he stood in the way of your ambitions? Tut, tut.” Alex shook a finger beneath Winthrop’s nose. “Whichever way you look at it, there’s no escaping the fact that you are overdue an appointment with the hangman.”

  “I shall deny it, of course, and you can prove none of it.”

  “Oh, but I think we can.”

  At a motion from Alex, Bradley and his colleague moved to subdue Cowper, but he adroitly evaded them and moved towards the door which Matthew had earlier locked. Finding his exit barred, Cowper turned with a growl of rage to face Bradley, only to discover that it was Alex who now stood between him and the connecting door.

  Estelle watched the developing situation with a combination of fascination and dread, surprised that Cowper could absorb Alex’s chilling expression with every outward appearance of calm.

  “Let me pass or it will be the worse for you.”

  “Indeed, I should be most interested to learn how.”

  “Then you will get your wish.” Cowper drew a shiv from his pocket and waved the weapon beneath Alex’s chin.