‘Now you jest,’ she retorted. She could not imagine Colonel Northcote being very much afraid of anything, never mind an old lady who was probably in her dotage.
Colonel Northcote was enjoying himself so much that he did not relish returning his refreshing young charge to her aunt. Etiquette dictated, however, that he could not detain her the whole evening so instead, he satisfied himself with inviting her out for a drive the next day. Sophie looked almost uneasy at his invitation and to his chagrin she refused him.
‘I am sorry Colonel, but I have promised to accompany my aunt on a shopping trip to Newcastle tomorrow so I am unable to oblige you. Your offer is indeed very kind.’
Not to be off, he offered to call on her aunt and uncle at Chalcotte Grange in the near future and at a time that would be more convenient. ‘Perhaps if the weather is clement we can take our trip then,’ he added.
Sophie smiled but was non-committal. He was handsome, attractive and appeared charming, and his close proximity to her treacherous body pervaded her senses. Had he been any other than a Northcote, she would have readily accepted, but she could not rid herself of the injustices perpetrated by his brother and he felt a subtle change in her demeanour as he held her in his arms.
‘As you wish Colonel. I am sure my aunt would be delighted to see you. She will be eager to hear anything you can tell her of my cousin Sebastian. She is always anxious for his welfare. I doubt, however, that she would approve of me driving out with you,’ she lied, in the hope of putting him off. She knew that her aunt would be delighted at the prospect and would do everything she could to promote a match, but she could not allow her attraction to this man to develop into anything deeper than it already was.
The Colonel frowned. Her reticence perplexed him. He was not used to being refused and although she was very polite, and had not said as much, he recognised it as the rebuff it was meant to be. She had not realised her obvious blunder and that tomorrow was a Sunday, certainly not a day for shopping in Newcastle. He was used to being fawned over by every unmarried female he met who saw him as a desirable catch. He knew himself to be a man of good address and except for his disfigurement, tolerable to look at, so what possible objection could the chit have. Her cool reserve piqued him and it made him even more determined to overcome Lady Trevarren’s objection.
The music ended so regretfully he returned her to her aunt and offered to procure them both some refreshment. His intention of remaining in their company a little longer, however, was not to be. As he returned and handed them both a glass of ratafia, the first footman tapped him on the shoulder and whispered something in his ear.
He bowed politely. ‘You must excuse me, ladies, something has come up that requires my attention.’
He walked off with the footman, his head bent in earnest conversation. ‘What do mean, there is an altercation in the study? What is this all about, Thomas?’
The footman was apologetic. ‘I do not know, my Lord, but the Earl is holed up in the study with Mr Pendlesham and there is a terrible commotion going on. I thought I should inform you in the case of trouble, sir. It sounds quite serious.’
The footman stopped in his tracks. ‘My Lord, I fear there may violence. I would suggest that you go prepared. I shall go and inform the under-footman and we will be at your service if you need us.’
‘Thank you, Thomas but I doubt it is anything that I cannot handle. You would be best employed returning to your duties.’
Thomas obeyed him and the Colonel stalked off to his room to collect his pistol before making his way toward the study. The footman had not been mistaken. The sound of a raised voice emanating from the study was disturbing. It was only the music from the orchestra in the ballroom above that drowned out the noise in the study directly beneath it.
Harry stalked purposefully into the room and stood to face the antagonists. His brother was standing behind his desk, his demeanour unruffled, but his adversary, Mr Pendlesham, stood facing him with clenched fists and a face flushed with rage.
The Colonel stepped forward. ‘May I know what is going on here?’ he demanded, putting himself between Mr Pendlesham and his brother.
‘Perhaps you should ask your brother, Winstanley, here. He is a damned thief and a cur!’ retorted Pendlesham angrily.
Colonel Northcote turned to his brother for enlightenment and he obliged him. ‘Mr Pendlesham claims that I have sold him a diamond necklace, and claims that the stones are paste, and I have assured him that when that necklace left my possession it was perfectly genuine.’
‘Claim! Claim!’ burst out Mr Pendlesham. ‘I have had the necklace valued by no other than Rundell and Bridge in Ludgate, London, and they have confirmed that it is an imitation. There is no doubt about it, and I want the money that you have extorted from me returned.’
‘And I have told you,’ repeated the Earl, ‘I sold you a genuine piece and I even gave you the certificate of authentication with it.’
Mr Pendlesham was getting increasingly agitated and looked as if he was about to burst a blood vessel. ‘That means nothing. No doubt you bought the necklace along with the certificate, had a copy made and sold the counterfeit to me along with the original documentation. You are unprincipled, sir!’
As the Colonel listened to this dangerously fierce disagreement, a vague recollection occurred to him and he stepped in. ‘Wait a moment. Are you the Mr Pendlesham that I read about in the Newcastle Journal last week? You have just lost a fortune in bad investments and found yourself in Queer Street?’
Mr Pendlesham saw the imperceptible smile on Winstanley’s face as he absorbed this useful bit of information for the Earl had not known. The man blustered indignantly. ‘And pray what has that to say to anything? It does not alter the fact that Winstanley is a thief and has cheated me out of a considerable amount of money.’
‘I think it has everything to say about the matter,’ quipped the Earl sarcastically. ‘You lose all your wealth and find yourself having to sell your newly acquired necklace. You have a counterfeit made up and then come here claiming it is a fake so that you can get the value of it twice over. Very clever, but I assure you, it will not work.’
‘That is a preposterous allegation,’ protested Mr Pendlesham. ‘I can assure you that I have done no such thing! No, you Winstanley are the villain in this affair. Only a devious mind such as yours could conjure up such a scenario. You are a crook, my Lord!’
The Earl just bowed his head. ‘Then I suggest that you have proof before you come here with your accusations. This interview is at an end, sir.’
Mr Pendlesham was not quite finished, but the Colonel stepped forward menacingly. ‘You heard the Earl. If you do not leave quietly, I will have no alternative but to evict you forcibly and believe me, I am perfectly capable of doing so.’
The Earl nodded approvingly at his young brother and then turned back to his unwanted visitor. ‘Now if you will excuse me I have guests to see to. It may have escaped your notice but we are entertaining. The Colonel here will show you out.’
Mr Pendlesham had no option, but to leave. The Earl he thought he could deal with, but his brother, Colonel Harry Northcote was of another calibre. At six foot, two inches and a veteran soldier, he did not relish the idea of coming to blows with him, and besides, he could not be sure if that was a pistol he saw hidden inside his jacket.
Mr Pendlesham made for the door and turned to the Earl. ‘I will leave as requested, but believe me, you have not heard the last of it. You will pay for your villainy, Winstanley.’
The Colonel escorted Mr Pendlesham to the door. There was no necessity to ring for Thomas and the under footman, as Mr Pendlesham reluctantly did his bidding. Even so, the likes of the portly Mr Pendlesham would have posed no problem for Harry. He returned to his brother who was just leaving the study to return to his guests in the ballroom.
‘And pray, Rupert, what was all that about?’ he asked in irritation.
Lord Northcote raised his hand. ‘Forget the wh
ole thing, Harry. The man is obviously deranged. As you say, he has fallen on hard times and wishes to make me his scapegoat. Well, I will not have it. Thank you for your assistance, dear boy. Mind you, I did not know that the man was rolled up. That was a smart bit of thinking, Harry.’
‘I Rupert, read the newspaper,’ he quipped mockingly.
‘Ah well,’ the Earl replied. ‘No doubt I would have got rid of him eventually, but your timely intervention certainly speeded up the process. Do not let it spoil your evening. Come let us get back to our guests.’
The Colonel had no objection to that. In fact, there was one guest he was very much in favour of getting back to.
*****
Sophie had watched Colonel Harry Northcote walk away with the footman. He looked as if he was going to be engaged for a good while. If she was to make any attempt to find her mother’s brooch, it should be now. She turned to her Aunt. ‘Aunt Caroline,’ she sighed. ‘I fear I have another headache coming on. I think I must retire.’
Her aunt looked at her in frustration. ‘Not again, Sophie. I am having such a good time.’
Sophie laid her hand on her Aunt’s arm and smiled. ‘Oh, I do not want to go home. It is just a small headache. I am sure that after I have spent a few moments in the quiet of the ladies room, I shall feel much better. If you just escort me there and leave me for a while you can return to the ballroom, and it shall not interfere with your enjoyment.’
Her aunt looked a little hesitant but then agreed. Having arranged to come and collect her in half an hour, she left Sophie in the ladies room. There were only two other ladies there. One was helping the other to sew up a tear in the hem of her ball gown. Sophie smiled at them, made a pretence of arranging her hair and then retreated back onto the landing. The room that had been allocated as the ladies restroom was located on the lower floor and no one else was about. As she walked past, she could hear an altercation coming from the study. It peaked her interest a little, but she had more important things to attend to.
Walking along the corridor she peeked into each of the rooms until she came upon what she thought was the countess’s bed chamber. She knew that she only had a few minutes, but it was worth a try to get her beloved brooch back. She walked across to the dressing table on which stood a jewellery box. She rifled through it, but it only contained an assortment of inexpensive trinkets. She quickly opened cupboards and drawers in the hope of finding a jewellery case, but to no avail. The brooch was nowhere to be found. She sighed. She was probably on a fool’s errand because such a valuable piece would probably be kept locked in a safe and there was no sign of any safe here. That would probably be kept in the Earl’s private office and if it was, she would have no chance in retrieving the brooch tonight. Still, she had a few minutes and she must persist.
*****
Having returned to the ballroom, the Colonel scanned the room looking for Lady Trevarren. He could not see her but found her Aunt chatting to a tall lady in a plumed turban. The Colonel strode across to lady Wyndholme and greeted her once more. ‘Please accept my apologies for my abrupt departure, lady Wyndholme. There was an urgent matter I had to attend to.’
Lady Wyndholme nodded and smiled. ‘Apologies are not necessary, I assure you, Colonel. This is a positively charming ball and I am sure you have a lot to see to.’
The Colonel, still unable to see Sophie in the crowds, inquired of her. ‘I see you have mislaid your niece in the crush or is she dancing the cotillion with some charming admirer at this moment?’
‘No, No, She is not mislaid at all,’ she replied, waving her fan vigorously. ‘She has a slight headache and has just gone to the ladies room for a few minutes. In fact, I should really be going to collect her to escort her back to the ballroom. Thank you for the reminder, Colonel.’
The Colonel retreated keeping out a watchful eye, but when lady Wyndholme returned, she was alone. She looked agitated and was scrutinising the crowd as if searching for someone. Concerned by her obvious anxiety, he made his way back to her side. ‘Is there something amiss, lady Wyndholme? Can I be of assistance?’
Lady Wyndholme, not wanting to say anything that would risk Sophie’s reputation, procrastinated a little and faltered. She looked around the room for her husband, but he was nowhere to be seen. The Baron, only tolerating such functions, was inclined to seek out a quiet corner, which was invariably the billiard or the card room and he had been absent for this last hour.
The Colonel reassured her, correctly assessing that indeed something was very wrong. ‘You can rely on me, lady Wyndholme. There is obviously something distressing you and Lady Trevarren appears absent. Are you sure I cannot help you?’
‘Oh dear,’ she lamented. ‘She was not in the retiring room when I went to collect her. Oh, where is that tiresome child! I do hope she has not gone off and got herself into some compromising situation. Her Papa had a strong influence on her, you know and he did not always conduct himself as he should. I do not always think that she is quite aware of the way she should behave. Oh, where is that husband of mine when I need him?’
The Colonel comforted her. ‘Your niece is quite charming and her behaviour has been faultless. You worry too much. Do not concern yourself, lady Wyndholme, I shall be discreet and go in search of her. No need to worry the Baron just yet, for she cannot be too far away.’
Sophie’s aunt waved her fan vigorously and thanked him. She would have something to say to Sophie when she found her, and hopefully she had not got herself into trouble.
*****
Having carried out a thorough search, Sophie realised that she was running out of time and her aunt would soon return to the retiring room to seek her. She made for the door, but as she reached for the handle, the door opened. She looked up in dismay. Lord Harry Northcote stood on the threshold eying her with suspicion.
‘So here you are, Lady Trevarren.’ He glanced around casually, but a slight frown marred his handsome face. ‘May I ask you what you are doing in the Countess’s bedchamber?’
Sophie having recovered from her surprise gave a plucky smile. ‘I am looking for the ladies restroom and I have lost my way, Lord Northcote. Can you direct me?’
The Colonel stepped further into the room, turned and locked the door. Putting the key in his pocket, he patted it and then proceeded to perch himself on the corner of a large French dresser. ‘Now, why do I not believe you?’ he replied with guarded eyes. ‘You see I have just left your aunt, who assures me that she left you in the ladies room not half an hour ago. You know exactly where the restroom is, so I must assume you are looking for something else. I would not have put you down as a thief, lady Trevarren.’
‘Of course, I am no thief!’ she retorted. ‘Here you can look in my reticule if you do not believe me. You will find nothing there.’
‘Perhaps I shall,’ he replied regretfully, reaching for it. ‘It really grieves me to look into a ladies purse. It is against all my principals, but I really feel that I must.’
He took her reticule and made a cursory glance at the few meagre contents and handed it back.
‘Now if you are satisfied,’ she muttered, ‘please let me out of here!’
She reached for the locked door, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. ‘No, I am not satisfied. For all I know, you may have a small valuable item concealed about your person, and I mean to find out.’
Sophie gasped in realisation and tried to pull her wrist free. ‘You cannot possibly be serious,’ she stammered, wriggling to free herself from his grip.
‘Oh, but I am, you adorable urchin. You are not the first little rogue to surprise me since I returned home. Now stand still and it will be over with quickly.’
Sophie stood in humiliating silence as he smoothed his large hands over the contours of her body. Her heart fluttered as his hands slowly brushed over the curves of her breast, waist and hips making her feel suddenly weak at the knees. He grinned knowingly. The worst was to come as he knelt down on the floor and slowly
ran his large hands up each leg to the top of her silk stockings, deliberately feeling every inch of the way until he came to the soft warm flesh of her upper leg. She suddenly felt flushed and she could not tell if the cause was mortification or something else. She looked down on his dark head and did not know whether to succumb to tears or hit him. Her humiliation won the day and as he rose to his feet, she gave him one almighty slap. ‘Now are you satisfied!’ she snapped furiously.
He reeled slightly but did not retaliate. He just grinned. ‘Entirely my little urchin. So if you are not here to steal anything, then why are you here?’
‘It is no business of yours,’ she retorted. ‘Now if you would kindly unlock the door, I shall leave and I shall forget your boorish, indecent behaviour.’
Colonel Northcote perched himself back on the dresser and swung one long shapely leg. ‘Now there you are mistaken, lady Trevarren. It is very much my business. Here you are in my sister-in-law’s bed-chamber and you say it is none of my business. It is in my power to expose you or let you go. One thing is certain, I am afraid you are not leaving until you give me a satisfactory explanation.’
‘This is preposterous,’ she snapped, gritting her teeth. ‘You cannot mean to keep me here. What if we are discovered alone together? My reputation will be totally destroyed. You cannot be so insensible.’
The Colonel considered for a moment. ‘Oh, it will not come to that. The door is locked and if they send someone to break it down, we can always hop over the balcony.’
Sophie looked aghast. ‘Hop over the balcony, wearing this gown. Are you quite mad?’
He laughed. ‘Oh, something tells me that you would have very little trouble, but if all else fails I can always go first, and I promise, I will catch you.’
Sophie plonked herself on the nearest chair and folded her arms defiantly. ‘I suppose I could always scream for assistance and claim that you abducted me. My uncle would force you to marry me. And then you would be in the basket.’
Harry was completely unmoved. He looked at Sophie thinking that she was quite adorable when she was angry, but no argument was going to detract him from his quest to discover what she was up to. ‘Well Lady Trevarren, I can think of worse fates. You could try of course, but despite my large frame, I am still surprisingly agile. I have not survived in the Peninsular because I am a slow wit. I doubt you would get very far. Believe me, my little urchin, the last thing you want to do is make me angry,’
Lady Trevarren and the Emerald Brooch: A Regency Romance and Murder Mystery Page 3