The Rake's Rebellious Lady

by Anne Herries

  ‘God save us!’ Tom said wryly. ‘You were supposed to be saving me from more injury, brother—not exposing me to certain death.’

  ‘Never fear, Tom,’ he said with a grin. ‘I am here and I shall take the reins if Caroline cannot manage it.’

  Caroline’s face was vivid with excitement. She could feel the wind in her hair as her bonnet blew off, hanging by its ribbons, and she cried out to her brother as they caught up with the vehicle in front of them.

  ‘Go on, Caroline,’ Nicolas urged. ‘Pull out and pass him now. It is easy enough for we are at the crossroads and you have plenty of room.’

  ‘Do you think I ought?’ Caroline asked, knowing a moment of doubt. It had been fun catching the phaeton ahead of them, but she had recognised it and would have slowed up had Nicolas allowed it.

  Seeing her hesitation, Nicholas snatched the reins back from her and flicked his whip over the horses’ heads so that they sprang forward. The other carriage had increased its own speed and for a moment they were wheel to wheel. It was only when Nicolas saw the farm wagon coming from the right of the crossroads that he became aware of danger. It would have been wiser to drop back and let the phaeton have right of way but instead, he shot through and cut across to the left, causing the driver of the phaeton to curse and rein his horses in sharply.

  Nicolas squeezed ahead, though it was only the skill of the other driver that saved them from an accident. Nicolas looked back with glee as he saw that they had left the phaeton far behind.

  ‘It was a pity it was over so quickly,’ he said regretfully. ‘I should have liked to race him for longer. He is no mean whip, Caroline.’ Realising that she was silent, he turned his head to look at her. ‘Did I scare you, puss?’

  ‘No, I was not frightened,’ she said. ‘But…that was Sir Freddie. I wasn’t sure until we caught up with him, for there are other phaetons painted in those colours, but those were his horses and I caught a glimpse of his face as we shot past. He was very angry, Nicolas.’

  ‘He came off all right,’ Nicolas said, slightly shocked to discover who he had almost overset.

  ‘By his judgement, not yours,’ Tom said from behind them. ‘You are completely mad, Nicolas. You should not have encouraged Caroline to drive like that on the open road. And you were reckless to pass him that way. I do not think I should want to be in your shoes when Sir Frederick catches up to us.’

  ‘Well, I dare say he will not, unless I wish him too,’ Nicolas said. ‘I shall let them have their head for a while yet.’

  ‘You will have to rest them eventually or change them,’ Tom said and sat back, closing his eyes again. ‘Besides, it is almost time we stopped for nuncheon. There is an inn no more than five miles ahead of us. I stopped there on my way up and it serves tolerable food.’

  Nicolas glanced back over his shoulder. ‘There is no sign of him. I dare say we shall reach the inn and eat our nuncheon before he catches up to us.’

  Caroline was silent. She did not think that Sir Freddie would allow the incident to go without rebuke, and she was not at all surprised when a few moments later Tom called out that the phaeton was behind them. The driver caught up to them easily, keeping pace whatever Nicolas did in an effort to lose him, but did not attempt to pass. Though there were places that would have allowed it easily had Sir Frederick wished it, for even Nicolas was aware that Sir Freddie’s blacks had the beating of him if their master chose.

  When he turned into the inn yard at Tom’s insistence, the phaeton followed. Nicolas jumped down, assisting his sister and then his brother, who was still not as nimble as usual. Sir Freddie was attending to his horses, speaking to the ostler who had come running. One of the grooms had attended to Nicolas’s curricle, but it was clear that the preferred attention was being given to Sir Freddie.

  ‘You go ahead,’ Nicolas told Caroline and Tom. ‘I had best have a word first. It will not do to come to blows in the inn itself. If we are to quarrel, it may be done out here.’

  ‘But it was my fault in part…’ Caroline began, only to find herself being firmly propelled towards the inn.

  ‘Leave him to it,’ Tom said, a firm hand at her elbow. ‘Nicolas can handle himself, and it is his own fault if Sir Frederick gives him a set down.’

  ‘Oh, but…’ Caroline glanced back unhappily as she saw that the two men were closing on each other purposefully. ‘I do hope they won’t fight, Tom.’

  ‘Well, I know who will feel sorry for himself if they do,’ Tom said. ‘Sir Frederick trains at Cribbs’s Parlour. Nicolas is all pluck, but I think Rathbone is heavier, and has more science, I dare say. He is sure to give Nicolas a bloody nose if it comes to a mill.’

  As they entered the inn, their host greeted them by beaming and welcoming them to his establishment. Tom asked for the private parlour, saying that there would be three of them for nuncheon. However, they had not been seated long before they heard voices and then the parlour door was flung open and Nicolas came in, followed by Sir Freddie. Caroline threw a scared glance at her brother, but was relieved to see that he did not have a bloody nose. He was slightly chastened, but did not seem resentful as he told them that he had invited Freddie to join them.

  ‘I have apologised for stealing the road,’ Nicolas said and grinned, a little shamefaced. ‘But Sir Frederick has been dashed obliging about it.’

  ‘No harm was done, though that was more luck than judgement,’ Sir Freddie said and his eyes glinted as he looked at Caroline. ‘However, it was not a fair race, for I had no idea of what you meant to do. Had I been aware that you meant to overtake me if you could, I should not have allowed you close enough and it would not have happened.’

  ‘Oh, come on,’ Nicolas exclaimed. ‘That is doing it a dashed sight too brown. I shall not believe that you were not aware of me coming up behind you.’

  ‘I did not think that you would be fool enough to try to pass at the crossroads,’ Freddie said with a lift of his brow. ‘If I were to meet you on the road another time, I should be more prepared.’

  ‘Let us make a race of it,’ Nicolas said. ‘We are on our way to Bollingbrook—do you go that way?’

  ‘Yes, as a matter of fact, that is exactly my intention. I have something I wish to discuss with Bollingbrook. I shall be staying at an inn nearby and will call on your grandfather in a day or so. If you are serious about this race, Nicolas, we shall come to terms. Besides, it will be best to rest the horses. I dare say yours are almost blown after the way you pushed them.’

  ‘You are the most complete hand,’ Nicolas said, for he had taken to Sir Freddie at once, despite being given a tongue-lashing in the yard for having risked the health of his sister and brother. He had loyally refrained from telling Sir Frederick that Caroline had been driving until the overtaking manoeuvre, perhaps because he sensed that it would have brought a further tongue-lashing. ‘Yes, I agree. We shall make a wager when you come to Bollingbrook. Here’s my hand on it.’

  He offered his hand, which Sir Freddie took with a wry twist of his lips. He then sat down on the settle next to Caroline and looked at her, his brows lifted.

  ‘Nicolas informs me that you were not in the least scared?’

  ‘No, not of the race,’ she said, ‘but I thought you would be angry because of the way he cut you up at the crossroads.’ She looked at him uncertainly.

  ‘Had he been anyone else, I might have wrung his neck,’ Freddie said lightly, though with a look that seemed to say he meant it. ‘However, I shall hold my hand this time. I suppose that you will want to be a part of this race?’

  ‘Yes, please,’ Caroline said instantly. She was surprised, for she had thought he would forbid it. ‘Indeed, I should!’

  ‘Then we shall have the same wager as before?’

  ‘Yes!’ Her eyes sparkled—she suddenly felt much better than she had since the morning of the balloon ascension.

  ‘Very well, Miss Holbrook,’ Freddie said, a gleam in his eye. ‘If I win, I gain my wish, and, if Nicolas wins,
you shall have what you desire of me—but there is one condition to this race.’

  ‘And what is that, sir?’

  ‘You will be my passenger and not your brother’s. At least then I shall be certain of you ending in one piece. And you will not be allowed to drive!’ He fixed her with a piercing stare, which told her that he was not ignorant of the truth concerning her behaviour earlier that morning.

  ‘Dash it all, sir!’ Nicolas exclaimed. ‘That’s a deal too much! Caroline is my sister, after all, and I would never do anything to harm her.’

  ‘Sir Freddie is in the right of it,’ Tom agreed. ‘You are both too headstrong by half! And I’ll wager fifty guineas he beats you, Nicolas.’

  ‘Fine brother you are,’ Nicolas said with a wrathful eye. ‘I’ll take your fifty guineas, Tom! But as for whose passenger she shall be—that must be Caroline’s choice.’

  ‘Oh, I shall go with Sir Freddie,’ Caroline said happily. ‘For if I win my wager, he must teach me to drive his blacks—’

  ‘The greys,’ Freddie said, ‘and it’s a deal.’

  Chapter Eight

  Freddie had refused to accompany Caroline and her brothers, promising to meet with them again within a day or so. He had no intention of encouraging Nicolas to race him again while Caroline was his passenger. Instead, he put his feet up and thought about the girl he had made up his mind to marry.

  He had been slow to come to his decision, but his mind was set now. She had seemed natural enough and pleased to see him—once she realised he was not going to quarrel with her brother—but he sensed it would not be easy to gain her consent to the marriage. Because of all the gossip in town she had taken it into her head that he meant to make her an offer as a matter of honour, whereas nothing could be further from the truth.

  He would have to think of a way to persuade her… Thinking about the various methods of persuasion that he might use brought a smile to his lips. Some of them would, he was sure, prove extremely pleasurable.

  * * *

  ‘Well, girl, let me look at you,’ Bollingbrook said as Caroline ran to kiss his cheek. His eyes dwelled intently on her face for a moment. ‘You have become an elegant lady, Caroline. I think you must have all the young bucks by the ears.’

  ‘Oh, Grandfather!’ Caroline cried, her eyes bright with laughter. ‘Of course I have not.’

  ‘She has, sir,’ Nicolas said. ‘They were falling over themselves to dance with her when I accompanied her to a ball. I had to fight my way through the crowd to ask her for a dance.’

  ‘That isn’t true—tell him it isn’t so, Tom.’

  ‘Well, it ain’t far from the truth from what I saw,’ Tom said, smiling at his sister affectionately. He looked at his grandfather. ‘And how are you, sir? Feeling a little better, I hope?’

  ‘As a matter of fact, I am,’ the Marquis said. ‘Got myself a new quack. Heard of him by chance and sent for him to call. He prescribed a new mixture, which seems to have helped for the time being at least. But we shan’t talk of me. I’ve had my day. I want to know what you young people have been up to. Caroline, come and sit by me and tell me if you have settled on a beau yet.’

  Caroline moved one of the pretty gilt chairs nearer to his large wing chair and sat down. She proceeded to chatter about what she had been doing in town, which made her grandfather laugh. Seeing that he was in a good humour, Nicolas joined in, telling him about army life, and Tom watched in his own quiet way, letting them have their sway until his grandfather looked at him.

  ‘What of you, sir?’ The Marquis’ eyes narrowed. ‘You don’t look as hale as you did when you were here last. Been overdoing it, have you? What’s the matter with your arm?’

  ‘Tom was hurt,’ Caroline said defensively, for she would not have her brother criticised unfairly. ‘There was an accident with a balloon and Tom’s arm was broken.’ She did not mention her part in the affair, for she thought it best that he should not be told it all. Fortunately, it did not occur to him that she might also have been involved.

  ‘Lucky to be alive, are you?’ Bollingbrook beetled his brows. ‘Damn stupid thing to do. Any fool knows those contraptions aren’t safe. Well, we shall talk later, Tom. Go and rest for a while before dinner. The journey must have done you up.’

  ‘Yes, I think it has to a certain extent,’ Tom agreed and got to his feet. ‘If you will excuse me.’

  ‘Humph,’ the Marquis said as he went out. ‘I didn’t know he had the gumption. Why anyone would want to fly I can’t imagine. Don’t know what the world is coming to!’

  Bollingbrook sighed before looking at Nicolas. ‘Nicolas, get off and find something to do before dinner. I want a few minutes alone with my girl.’

  ‘Yes, sir, as you wish,’ Nicolas said and grinned at his sister. ‘I shall see you later, puss.’ He winked at her as he went out.

  ‘Impudent pup,’ the Marquis grumbled, but in a mild manner that told Caroline he wasn’t truly annoyed. ‘Now then, girl, tell me the truth—have you seen someone that you fancy? If you have, I shall want to look him over. I want to make sure he is good enough for you.’

  ‘I think there may be someone, Grandfather,’ she said, ‘but he hasn’t spoken yet and I am not certain that he will.’

  ‘What’s the matter with the fellow? Ain’t he got eyes?’

  ‘Oh, yes,’ Caroline said and laughed. ‘He is very handsome and a little arrogant at times, I think—but he is also kind and funny and…’ Her words tailed off. ‘I think I may be in love with him, but I don’t want to be if he doesn’t love me.’

  ‘Can’t dictate something like that,’ her grandfather told her. ‘Either you are or you ain’t. I only ever loved one woman, and that was your grandmother. The moment I set eyes on her I knew I had to have her. There was opposition to our marriage from her family, but I wasn’t going to be beaten. I couldn’t have cared less what anyone said or did, she was mine from the moment I saw her.’

  ‘She was very beautiful,’ Caroline said, thinking of Angelica Bollingbrook’s portrait. ‘I wish I had known her, Grandfather.’

  ‘I wish you had too. You are very like her—and you would have loved each other.’ He sighed deeply. ‘Yes, I have wished that she could have known you, all of you.’

  ‘I wish that she might,’ Caroline said.

  ‘Well, well, it can’t be helped,’ the Marquis said. ‘I’ve shut myself off from the world too long, but there’s time enough to repair things. You and your brothers shall not be forgotten, miss, and there’s my promise to you. Run along, now. I shall see you later.’

  * * *

  Caroline was glad that she had come down to visit her grandfather. It was good to be in the country again, and though she had enjoyed the whirl of social activities in London, she thought that perhaps she preferred a quieter life.

  The weather had settled into warm, balmy days and she spent much of her time either walking or riding with her brothers. She had persuaded Nicolas to take her driving in the park and they had enjoyed themselves letting the spirited horses have their head. It was on the morning of the second day after their arrival at Bollingbrook Place that she pulled Nicolas’s phaeton to a standstill in front of the house just as a visitor arrived. She knew at once that it was Sir Freddie, and that he had seen her.

  ‘Well done,’ he said as he handed his reins to his tiger and came to help her down. ‘I see that you have been practising, and perhaps we shall make a whip of you yet.’

  His words of praise brought a flush to Caroline’s cheeks and she gave him a shy smile, looking away quickly as his eyes seemed to penetrate her thoughts. She must not let him see that she was head over heels in love with him!

  ‘Do not encourage her, sir,’ Nicolas begged, grinning broadly. ‘Given the opportunity, I think she would set up her own rig and then we should none of us know what she was up to!’

  ‘Well, I dare say a suitable vehicle would not be so very dangerous,’ Freddie said. ‘Miss Holbrook would not be the only female whip; t
here are one or two notables, such as Lady Cheshire and Selma Hamilton.’

  ‘Now you’ve done it,’ Nicolas said with a look of mock despair. ‘We shall have no peace now until she has set up her own curricle.’

  ‘Oh, I want a phaeton,’ Caroline said, giving her brother a challenging look. ‘Something a little racy with a high-stepping pair to give me a certain touch.’ She peeped under her lashes at Sir Freddie, but he had not risen to the challenge.

  ‘What did I tell you?’ Nicolas shook his head. ‘There will be no dealing with her now!’

  Freddie laughed, but made no further comment as he accompanied the pair into the house. Tom had been reading in the front parlour, but, having seen them through the window, came out to greet Sir Freddie and invite him to nuncheon.

  ‘That is very kind of you,’ Freddie said. ‘But perhaps I ought to speak with your grandfather first?’

  ‘I should leave it until later if I were you,’ Tom advised with a wry grimace. ‘He has his quack with him now and I think there is a little matter of a new dressing. In an hour or two he will no doubt be restored and feeling rather better.’

  ‘Very well, I shall take your advice,’ Freddie said, and glanced at Caroline. ‘When do you intend to go down to Bath?’

  ‘The day after tomorrow,’ Caroline told him. ‘Grandfather wants me to stay longer with him next time, but my mother will be expecting me—and, as she may be planning her wedding, I do not wish to keep her waiting.’

  ‘Shall we arrange our race for then, Nicolas?’ Freddie turned to him with a lift of his brows. ‘We may meet at the Waverly Arms, which is just five miles from Bath, and race to the Abbey. After Caroline has transferred to my phaeton, of course.’

  ‘Yes, a capital notion,’ Nicolas said and grinned at him. ‘But we have not decided a wager, though you have one with Caroline.’

  ‘The race is enough in itself,’ Freddie said, ‘but if you wish for a wager—shall we say twenty guineas to the winner?’