by Amanda Quick
“I see.”
“Now, then. I seriously doubt that you have come all this way from your estates in the north simply to satisfy your curiosity about a female who wrote you in somewhat forceful terms. You do care about matters here in Upper Biddleton, my lord. Admit it.”
Gideon shrugged, inserting the letter back into his pocket. “I will not argue the point, Miss Pomeroy. I am here, so let us get on with the matter. Perhaps you will be so kind as to tell me exactly what this dark menace is that you alluded to in your letter and why it must be handled with grave discretion?”
Harriet’s soft mouth curved wryly. “Oh, dear. In addition to sounding somewhat peremptory, I did express myself in somewhat sinister tones, did I not? My letter must have sounded like something out of one of Mrs. Radcliffe’s gothic novels.”
“Yes, Miss Pomeroy, it did.” Gideon saw no reason to mention that he had reread the letter on several occasions. There had been something about the spirited appeal for assistance and the lively, if overly dramatic turn of phrase which had made him very curious to meet the author in person.
“Well, the thing is, sir, I wanted to be certain to get your full attention.”
“I assure you that you have it.”
Harriet sat forward again, clasping her hands in front of her once more in a businesslike manner. “To be perfectly blunt, my lord, I have recently learned that Upper Biddleton is apparently being used as a headquarters for a ring of dangerous thieves and cutthroats.”
Gideon’s wry amusement dissolved. He wondered suddenly if he was dealing with a madwoman. “Perhaps you would care to clarify that observation, Miss Pomeroy?”
“The caves, my lord. You must recall the vast array of caves in the cliffs? They lie beneath your lands.” She waved a hand impatiently toward the open front door, indicating the stark cliffs below the rectory that guarded the lands along the coast. “The villains are using one of the caverns in the cliffs above the beach.”
“I recall the caves well enough. They were never of any use to the estate. My family has always allowed fossil hunters and curiosity seekers to explore them at will.” Gideon frowned. “Are you telling me someone is using them for illegal activities?”
“Precisely, my lord. I discovered the fact a couple of weeks ago when I was exploring a new passage in the cliffs.” Harriet’s eyes lit with enthusiasm. “I have made the most promising discoveries in that particular passage, sir. A lovely femur, among other things—” She broke off abruptly.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, no, of course not.” Harriet wrinkled her nose in a small self-deprecating grimace. “Forgive me, my lord. I digress. I tend to do that when I get on the subject of my fossils. You cannot possibly be interested in my explorations. Now, then, as to the matter of the caves being used for criminal purposes.”
“Pray continue,” Gideon murmured. “This grows more interesting by the moment.”
“Yes, well, as I said, I was exploring a new passageway the other morning and—”
“Is that not a rather dangerous pastime, Miss Pomeroy? People have been lost for days in those caves. A few have died in them.”
“I assure you, I am very careful. I use a lamp and I mark my route. My father showed me how to explore properly. Now, then, on one of my recent trips I came across a marvelous cavern. As big as a drawing room. And filled with the most promising formations.” Harriet narrowed her eyes. “It was also filled with what appears to be ill-gotten loot.”
“Loot?”
“Loot, booty, swag. You must know what I mean, sir. Stolen goods.”
“Ah. Loot. Yes, of course.” Gideon no longer cared if she was a madwoman. The lady was quite the most intriguing female he had encountered in ages. “What sort of loot, Miss Pomeroy?”
She frowned thoughtfully. “Let me see. There were some excellent silver serving pieces. Some very fine gold candlesticks. A bit of jewelry. It all appeared to be of the first quality, my lord. I suspected at once that it did not come from around Upper Biddleton.”
“What made you think that?”
“We have one or two houses in the district that boast such excellent pieces, to be sure, but the theft of any items from those homes would have been news. There have been no such reports.”
“I see.”
“I suspect the items are being brought in at night from elsewhere and stored in the caves until the owners have quite given up on locating them. I was once told that the Bow Street Runners frequently apprehend thieves when the villains try to sell the goods.”
“You are well informed.”
“Yes, well, it is obvious some particularly clever villains have hit upon the notion of storing stolen goods in my caves until such time as the furor and concern have died down. The items are then no doubt removed and taken to Bath or London to be sold to various pawnshops and jewelers.”
“Miss Pomeroy.” Gideon was beginning to wonder for the first time if there really was something dangerous going on in the cliff caves. “May I inquire as to why you have not taken this matter up with my steward and the local magistrate?”
“Our local magistrate is quite old now, sir. He could not possibly deal with this situation and, if I may be frank, I do not have a great deal of faith in your new steward, Mr. Crane.” Harriet’s lips pursed. “I hesitate to say this, my lord, but I feel it is possible he is aware of the ring’s activities and is turning a blind eye to them.”
Gideon narrowed his eyes. “That is a very serious charge, Miss Pomeroy.”
“Yes, I know. But I simply cannot trust the man. I have no notion of what made you hire him in the first place.”
“He was the first one to apply for the post when it became open,” Gideon said, dismissing the matter. “His references were excellent.”
“Yes, well, be that as it may, I still do not care for the man. Now, then, on to facts. I have on at least two occasions witnessed men going into the caves late at night. They carried parcels into the caverns, but when they returned to the beach they were empty-handed.”
“Late at night?”
“After midnight, to be precise. Only when the tide is out, of course. The caves are inaccessible when the tide is in.”
Gideon considered that news and found it deeply disturbing. The thought of Miss Pomeroy running about unprotected in the middle of the night was a distinctly unpleasant one. Especially if she happened to be correct in her conclusions about what was going on in the caves. The lady was clearly not well supervised.
“What in God’s name were you doing down on the beach in the middle of the night, Miss Pomeroy?”
“I was keeping watch, of course. From the window of my bedchamber I can see a portion of the beach. After I discovered the stolen goods in my caves, I began maintaining a regular vigil. When I spotted lights down on the beach one night, I grew suspicious and went out to have a closer look.”
Gideon was incredulous. “You actually left the safety of your house late at night for the purposes of following men you suspected to be thieves?”
She gave him an impatient look. “How else was I to learn exactly what was going on?”
“Does your aunt know about this odd behavior of yours?” Gideon asked bluntly.
“Of course not. She would only worry if she found out there were villains about. Aunt Effie tends to fret about things like that.”
“She’s not alone in her reaction. I can fully comprehend her feelings on the matter.”
Harriet ignored that. “In any event, she has enough on her mind right now. I have promised to try to find a way to give my sister, Felicity, a Season, you see, and Aunt Effie is concentrating on that project.”
Gideon’s brows rose. “You are trying to finance a Season for your sister? By yourself?”
Harriet heaved a small sigh. “Obviously I cannot do so on my own. The small pension my father left does not stretch far. I supplement it from time to time by selling a few of my fossils, but there is simply no way I could afford a Seaso
n for Felicity on what I obtain by that method. However, I have a plan.”
“Somehow I am not surprised to hear that.”
She beamed enthusiastically. “I have hopes that Aunt Adelaide can be persuaded to help out, now that her miser of a husband has conveniently passed on to his reward. He accumulated a fortune, you see, and contrary to his expectations, he was quite unable to take it with him. Aunt Adelaide will soon take control of everything.”
“I see. And you are hoping she will finance your sister’s Season?”
Harriet chuckled, obviously pleased with her scheme. “If we can get Felicity to London, I feel certain we can get her married off. My sister is not at all like me. She is actually quite stunning. The men will fall at her feet in droves with offers. But in order to bring that off, I must get her to London. The Marriage Mart, you know.”
“I know.”
“Yes, indeed.” Harriet’s expression turned shrewd. “We must dangle Felicity like a ripe plum in front of the Beau Monde and hope that some obliging gentleman will pluck her from the tree.”
Gideon set his teeth, remembering all too well his own brief experience of the London Season several years earlier. “I am well aware of how the system works, Miss Pomeroy.”
Harriet turned pink. “Yes, I imagine you are, my lord. Well, then, back to this matter of cleaning out my caves.”
“Tell me, Miss Pomeroy, have you discussed your findings with anyone else?”
“No. Once I realized that I could not trust Mr. Crane, I was afraid to mention my observations to anyone else. I was concerned that anyone I took into my confidence might, in all innocence, feel obliged to go straight to Crane. If that were to happen, the evidence could be made to disappear. In addition, to be quite honest, I do not particularly want anyone else in that cavern.”
“Hmm.” Gideon studied her in silence for a long moment as he contemplated what she had just told him. There was no denying Harriet Pomeroy was serious. He could no longer dismiss her as a madwoman or an amusing eccentric. “You are convinced you have seen stolen goods in that cave, are you not?”
“Absolutely positive.” Harriet lifted her chin. “Sir, it is very important to me that you act at once to clear those villains out of there. I must insist you deal with the matter as quickly as possible. It is your responsibility to do so.”
Gideon allowed his voice to become very gentle. Those who knew him well generally ran for cover when he used this particular tone. “You insist, Miss Pomeroy?”
“I fear I really must.” Harriet appeared totally oblivious to the soft menace in his words. “Those villains are in my way, you see.”
Gideon wondered if he was losing the thread of the conversation again. “Your way? I do not understand.”
She gave him an impatient look. “They are in the way of my explorations, sir. I am most anxious to search that cave for fossils, but I have hesitated to do so until the thieves have been gotten rid of. There is a possibility that if I start work in there now with my mallet and chisel, the villains will notice someone has been in the cavern.”
“Good God.” Gideon forgot his annoyance over her attempt to order him into action. Her impetuosity was of much graver concern. “If only half of what you are telling me is true, you are not to even think of going anywhere near that cave again, Miss Pomeroy.”
“Oh, it is quite safe to go there during the day. The thieves frequent the place only at night. Now, then, about our plans to capture this ring of criminals. I have a scheme you may be interested in hearing. You probably have some ideas of your own, of course. It will be best if we work together on this.”
“Miss Pomeroy, apparently you did not hear me.” Gideon got to his feet and took one stride forward so that he was towering over the desk.
He braced both hands on the mahogany surface and leaned over it in what he was well aware was a thoroughly intimidating fashion. Harriet was forced to gaze straight up into his savagely scarred face. Her eyes widened in surprise at his unexpected tactics, but she did not appear unduly alarmed.
“I heard you, my lord.” She started to draw back.
Gideon halted the small attempt at retreat by reaching out to catch Harriet’s chin on the edge of his hand. He realized with a rush of sudden pleasure that her skin was very smooth and incredibly soft. He also realized just how very delicate she was. The fine bones of her jaw felt fragile in his massive hand.
“Let me be quite plain,” Gideon growled, not bothering to conceal his intent behind a polite facade. Harriet Pomeroy would run roughshod over a polite facade. “You are not to go anywhere near those cliffs again until I have had a chance to consider this entire matter in more detail and have determined upon a course of actions. Is that quite clear, Miss Pomeroy?”
Harriet’s lips parted on what Gideon knew was going to be a protest. But before she could voice it, she was interrupted by a shattering scream from the doorway. Harriet jumped and turned toward the door. Gideon followed her gaze.
“Mrs. Stone,” Harriet said, sounding thoroughly annoyed.
“God in heaven, it be him. The Beast of Blackthorne Hall.” Mrs. Stone’s trembling hand went to her throat. She stared in horror and revulsion at Gideon. “So ye’ve come back, ye lecherous, murderous bastard. How dare ye put yer hands on another pure lady? Run, Miss Harriet. Run for yer life.”
Gideon felt his stomach clench in fury. He released Harriet and took a determined step toward the woman. “Silence, you old biddy.”
“No, don’t touch me,” Mrs. Stone shrieked. “Don’t come near me, you monster. Oooh.” Her eyes rolled up in her head and she slid heavily to the floor in a dead faint.
Gideon stared at the fallen woman in disgust. Then he glanced back over his shoulder at Harriet to see how she was taking this. She sat gazing at the housekeeper’s still form in dismay.
“Good heavens,” Harriet said.
“Now you see why I do not spend a great deal of time in the vicinity of Upper Biddleton, Miss Pomeroy,” Gideon said bleakly. “I am not held in high esteem in these parts. There are, in fact, one or two people such as Mrs. Stone, here, who would just as soon see me dead.”
Chapter Two
“LORD, BUT THAT WOMAN IS a constant trial.” Harriet got to her feet and hastened over to Mrs. Stone’s side. She went down on her knees beside the fallen housekeeper. “She usually keeps her vinaigrette about her somewhere. Ah, here we are.”
Harriet withdrew the tiny bottle from a voluminous pocket in Mrs. Stone’s gray gown. She paused to look up at Gideon before holding the vinaigrette under the woman’s nose. “Perhaps it would be best if you were not looming over her when she comes to her senses. The sight of you is apparently what set her off this time.”
Gideon gazed grimly down at the housekeeper. “You are no doubt correct. I shall take my leave, Miss Pomeroy. Before I go, however, I will repeat what I was saying when we were interrupted. You are not to go near the cliff caves until I have sorted out this business of the thieves. Is that quite clear?”
“Quite clear,” Harriet said impatiently, “but hardly a practical command. I must accompany you into the caves to show you the particular cavern that is being used for storing the loot. You are highly unlikely to discover it on your own. Indeed, you could wander alone for years searching for it. I have only just discovered it recently, myself.”
“Miss Pomeroy—”
She saw the glint of determination in his tawny eyes and tried her most winning smile in an effort to overcome it. She reminded herself of how she had been accustomed to handling her father. It made her realize how long it had been since she had been obliged to deal with a man in the house. Men could be such stubborn creatures, she reflected. And this one appeared decidedly more inclined in that direction than most.
“Be reasonable, sir,” Harriet said in deliberately soothing tones. “It is perfectly safe to go about on the beach during the day. The thieves come and go only late at night and only once or twice a month. The tides, you see. There is no
risk involved in my simply pointing out the cavern to you tomorrow.”
“You can draw me a map,” Gideon retorted coolly.
The man was beginning to irritate Harriet. Did he really believe she was going to turn something this important entirely over to him? she wondered. Her precious fossils were at stake.
“I fear that although I can sketch quite well, I have absolutely no sense of direction,” she said glibly. “Now, then, here is my plan. I shall take my usual morning walk along the beach tomorrow. You can arrange to walk out at the same time, can you not?”
“That is not the point.”
“We shall meet in such a casual manner that anyone who saw us would believe it to be an accident. I shall show you the passageway in the cliffs that leads to the cavern the thieves are using. Then we can discuss how best to trap them. Now, if you will excuse me, I really must see to Mrs. Stone.”
“Damnation, woman.” Gideon’s black brows drew together in a ferocious scowl. “You may be in the habit of ordering everyone else about, but you had better not take a notion to issue commands to me.”
Mrs. Stone obligingly moaned at the moment. “Ooh. Oh, dear heaven. I feel quite ill.” Her lashes flickered in a jerky fashion.
Harriet held the vinaigrette under her nose and shooed the viscount out the door. “Please go, my lord,” she said over her shoulder. “I must insist. Mrs. Stone will surely have hysterics if you are still here when she opens her eyes. I shall meet you tomorrow morning around ten o’clock on the beach. It is the only way you will discover the proper cavern. You must believe me.”
Gideon hesitated, clearly annoyed at finding himself forced to concede the obvious. He narrowed his gaze, half concealing his tawny eyes. “Very well. Tomorrow morning on the beach at ten. But that will be the end of your involvement in this matter, Miss Pomeroy. Do I make myself plain?”
“Quite plain, my lord.”
His sidelong, assessing glance held deep suspicion. Perhaps he was not entirely convinced by her reassuring smile, Harriet thought. He stalked past her out of the study and into the hall.