The Artisan and the Duke

by Abigail Agar

  Jules hurried on towards the St Claire family home buoyed now by the thought of Fredrick being okay. Surely that meant that Gregory had indeed come looking for him and Jules.

  She smiled and ran the rest of the way not even bothering to look at anything or anyone as she raced along the streets like a madwoman.

  ***

  When Fredrick arrived at the Mason Hall, there were guardsmen everywhere, and his heart sank. He dismounted his horse and approached the two guardsmen outside the door warily. “Good evening,” he said with a smile to the two guards. “I was just coming to call on the Guild Master. Is there some issue?”

  “No, Sir,” another guard said as he emerged from the building. “We had just been informed that an escaped fugitive might be hiding inside.”

  Fredrick frowned. “I do hope everything is settled now. I doubt very seriously that the Mason Guild would hide criminals,” he said scandalized.

  “Everything is fine, and we were just leaving. Apparently, the tip was just rumours. Good day, Sir,” the guard said graciously as he dipped his head and walked down the steps past Fredrick. The two guards outside the door, followed by several others spilled down the stairs behind the lead guard.

  Fredrick watched them all clamour onto a waiting wagon and only then did he turn and go up the steps. A grey-haired man met Fredrick at the door. The man eyed Fredrick warily, “Can I help you, Sir?” the man asked as he eyed Fredrick’s nice clothes.

  “I am Fredrick St Claire, His Grace’s brother. He is away at the moment and could not come himself to collect Her Grace,” Fredrick explained.

  The man looked confused. “I don’t understand. Did you not see her along the way?”

  “No,” Fredrick said worriedly. “I spoke to Tom and then came straight here, but I saw no one save a guard or two along my route here.”

  The man sighed heavily, “I sent her toward your manor house over an hour ago. You should have passed her on the way. Forgive me, Sir. I am Charles Foster, the Guild Master here.”

  “It is nice to meet you,” Fredrick said then he looked around. “I will head back at once and pray that I see her along the way. Perhaps she merely took a different route than I.”

  Master Foster nodded, “I wish you good speed. I fear the guards did not really believe that Her Grace was not here. They may be out looking for her as we speak.”

  ***

  Jules was almost to the manor when two men hailed her from across the street. She hastened to keep moving, but she heard one of them call out, “Stop there!”

  Running would only make them give chase, but Jules saw the lights of the manor house just ahead. She saw the gate and sighed wearily. She stopped and turned towards the two men. “Is there a problem?” she asked trying to stamp down the fear that crept up with every step the men took towards her.

  The guardsmen stopped near her, and one of them said, “We are looking for an escaped criminal. Where are you headed?”

  Jules looked between the men. She decided to try and play it off. Perhaps they were not even looking for her. “I am expected at St Claire Manor,” Jules said as she gestured towards the large house across the street. “If I’m late, His Grace will have my head,” Jules said urgently hoping that they would believe her just some servant of the St Claire household.

  The guardsmen looked at each other. “Odd thing that. We have reason to believe that the criminal that we are looking for might be headed for the St Claire home. What did you say your name was?” the taller of the two guards asked suspiciously.

  “I didn’t,” Jules said and then hastily added, “It is Henry Miller.”

  The other guard said to his friend, “Aren’t we looking for a woman? This is clearly a boy.”

  They eyed Jules for a moment. Jules had already begun to get ready to run for the manor when there was a familiar voice. Fredrick shouted over, “Hello there. Is there some issue?”

  The guardsmen looked around at Fredrick. “No, Sir,” the taller guard said hastily. “We were just asking this boy some questions.”

  “They are looking for a criminal and decided to harass me about it,” Jules said.

  Fredrick shook his head. “You had better get on to the manor. I will set this gentleman straight,” Fredrick said as he nodded his head towards the manor behind Jules. Jules dipped her head in thanks then took off at a run across the street. “Now, about this search for a criminal and how you thought it necessary to impede one of our servants about it, I think His Grace would find that most interesting,” Fredrick said with absolute sincerity. He eyed the two nervous guardsmen.

  Finally one of the men said, “Our apologies, Sir. We were merely asking the boy if he had seen anyone suspicious.”

  Fredrick took a deep breath and said, “Do not let it happen again.”

  The two guardsmen assured Fredrick that it would not as they hastened to leave. Fredrick watched them for a time and then went to join Jules at the manor. She was waiting outside the manor by the steps when he rode up.

  “You’re okay!” Jules said with relief as Fredrick dismounted. No sooner had he landed on the ground than Jules embraced him.

  Fredrick smiled and patted Jules on the back. “And I am so grateful to see you unharmed, at least for the most part. Come inside, and you can catch us up on your misadventure,” Fredrick said as he ushered Jules towards St Claire Manor.

  Chapter 14

  Gregory waited impatiently for Boris to be ready to leave. He gave the maid that came through the room tidying up a smile despite his mood.

  The timid woman bobbed her head at Gregory and left the room as quickly as she had entered it. Gregory was beginning to wonder if Boris would ever be ready when the man finally came into the sitting room to collect Gregory.

  “Ah, there you are,” Boris said as if Gregory was somehow not exactly where Boris had left him.

  Gregory intoned, “Yes, here I am. Are you ready to go?” Gregory stood up and eyed Boris expectantly.

  Boris nodded, and they were finally able to make their way back out to where the horses were waiting. Once they were mounted, they made good time across London and swiftly out the other side.

  Boris had insisted that they ride instead of using a carriage as the roads up to the old estate were sometimes not the best this time of the year.

  As the country grew lusher and the houses sparse, Gregory began to wonder if perhaps he had been wise to come out with Boris on his own. Fredrick and their mother had both been against the idea, but here Gregory was, and there was no use second guessing it now. He followed along with Boris as they rode in silence.

  “The ride takes a few hours, so we will need to stop and eat while the horses rest,” Boris said with a smile.

  As much as Gregory wanted to remind his cousin that he was not here to enjoy himself through a leisurely ride, his cousin had a point about resting the horses. It would do little good to get there only to have run the horses too ragged to return.

  The day, despite Gregory’s foul mood, was a pleasant mixture of clouds, sun, and a breeze that felt just cool enough to take the harshness out of the warm summer day.

  ***

  Jules sat out on the stone terrace with an assortment of fruits and cured meats on the table in front of her. She was starving, so between bits of her tale, she took large bites of all the delicious offerings. Lady St Claire and Fredrick watched her patiently. “I swear that I set out with David with the sole purpose of finding Fredrick, only I was so tired that I fell asleep in the saddle,” Jules said as she frowned.

  “I hold no grudge against you, Your Grace,” Fredrick assured Jules. “I think it was boldly foolish of you to even attempt to find me, but that’s exactly what I expect of my brother’s bride. You are both far braver than is healthy for you.”

  Jules paused as she picked a cherry out of a dish. “Where did you say that His Grace has gone?”

  “He has gone with his cousin Boris to see if they can track down Uncle Lawrence,” Fredrick said with a shr
ug. “He should be back by tomorrow at the latest. It is quite a ride out to the estate where they think he might be, after all.”

  Lady St Claire pursed her lips and added, “I told him not to go with that Boris. His mother was always too fond of Lawrence for my taste. Even with her having no real relation to the man, she found that she had to take him on as some sort of pitiable creature she had rescued from the cold.”

  “Well, she always was a bit of an odd duck,” Fredrick said quietly. “She just stays up at Glenwood and never really leaves. I never held that against her, actually kind of envied that.”

  Lady St Claire said with a sigh, “Being a hermit is not something to aspire to, Fredrick.”

  “Neither is being at every gala, Mother,” Fredrick said with equal certainty. “Speaking of that, are you not joining society this week?”

  Lady St Claire fanned herself with a silk fan she held in one of her hands. “Fredrick, you know very well that this late in the season all the get-togethers are more for the courting pairs than any of the rest of us. I have little interest in seeing who has been matched up this year,” Lady St Claire said and then added, “and I should think you would have better manners than to even suggest I might want to socialize while all of this is going on.”

  “I do apologize, Mother,” Fredrick said with a frown. He tapped his fingers on the table and added, “Isn’t Cousin Boris courting this year? Could have sworn that Gregory had told me he was when he gave me Boris’ message of goodwill earlier in the year.”

  Lady St Claire inclined her head and said, “He was courting one of the daughters of the Marquis of Dorchire. I have not seen him out at many of the events this year, though. Perhaps she soured to him or him to her. It does happen.”

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, but is it that the two of you somehow suspect that Boris is not to be trusted?” Jules had listened as long as she could without learning anything, and her mind was supplying her with all the horrible things that could be happening to Gregory at the hands of the man.

  Fredrick shrugged and said lightly, “We do not know what extent Boris is involved, but it was Gregory’s decision to go with him. I trust my brother’s judgement in most things, and I am forced to do so now.”

  “We could go after him,” Jules suggested.

  Lady St Claire looked scandalized. She said urgently, “You’ve only just gotten in from your ordeal. Would you so soon set off on another?”

  “If my husband is in trouble then yes,” Jules said firmly. She placed down the piece of fruit she had been nibbling on while listening to Fredrick and Lady St Claire talk.

  Jules shook her head. “What would you have me do? Sit here and work on my needlepoint? Now that I know that Gregory was working tirelessly to find me, I could not in good conscience think of leaving him on his own. I am surprised that you would have me do so,” Jules said to Lady St Claire.

  The older woman looked down at the table and said quietly, “I would have to do what I had not the courage to do. I should have gone looking for my husband the moment that Lawrence returned without him. I was petrified to leave the boys. I let the men handle it.”

  “I understand why you did what you did,” Jules assured the woman. “I do not think I would have left my children alone with a man that I suspected had harmed my husband. You did the right thing, and you could not have helped your husband.”

  Fredrick said quietly, “She’s right, Mother. You held this family together a long time after Father’s death by your will alone.”

  One of the chambermaids came scurrying out the sliding doors and said while holding her hands up clasped together to plead forgiveness, “Pardon the interruption, Sir St Claire, but there is a man at the door asking to see you.”

  “A man?” Fredrick asked in puzzlement. Fredrick took his leave of Lady St Claire and the Duchess with a dip of his head before he followed the maid back through the kitchens and towards the main entrance hall.

  The maid whispered, “He would not give me a name, Sir. He just kept saying that he would not leave until he saw you.”

  Fredrick thought that very odd indeed, and his stomach sank as soon as he saw the man. It was an old acquaintance of his that he had not grown reacquainted with since his return from the war for a good reason. The man gave Fredrick a bright smile, “Fred.” The man’s voice held relief that Fredrick did not trust.

  Fredrick nodded to the maid, “The gentleman and I will be in my father’s study.” The young woman curtseyed and quickly was off to her other chores. Fredrick eyed his unwelcome guest and asked the man to follow him to the study.

  ***

  “I thought your brother was the one who inherited the title,” Samuel said with an appreciative sip of the whisky that Fredrick handed him.

  Fredrick nodded and agreed, “He is. Why would you be puzzled by that?”

  “Does he let you often drink from his liquor stocks?” Samuel asked with amusement.

  Fredrick sighed. “Yes, he is my brother. We both live here. Which brings me to my question, why are you here, Samuel?” Samuel Teagan was a man who loved gambling and money more than any Fredrick had met thus far.

  He knew that if the dark-haired Samuel had landed on his door with his clothes shining with crispness unnatural to the gambler, that Samuel had something up his sleeve.

  “My fine fellow, I’m here to beg your forgiveness. I know that we parted on unpleasant terms before you left to fight in the war. I also know that is probably why you have not sought me out since your return,” Samuel said, his eyes just for a moment going to Fredrick’s disabled leg. “So I thought I would come and do the right thing. I just want to end things on a note of kindness.”

  Fredrick eyed the man for a moment before he asked, “You need money, do you not?”

  “Fred, I don’t know why you would think that,” Samuel said with indignation, but the fury died out of the man’s eyes. “I got into a bit of trouble with the guards. My parents, wealthy as they are, have snatched the purse strings very tight. I fear that I may end up in one of the workhouses before long.”

  Samuel had always been in one scrape or another, yet Fredrick frowned at the man, “Your clothes do not speak of poverty and desperation, Sam. Perhaps you should change before you start your career as a beggar.”

  “You always were a self-righteous blowhard, Fred,” Samuel said with a laugh. “I guess some things war can’t even tame. I don’t really need the money, this is true. I just wanted to test the waters.”

  Fredrick sighed, “Consider them tested.”

  “Fair enough, old friend,” Samuel said. As the man stood, “While I’m here, I should probably tell you that there are some quite odd and awful rumours floating around about your brother and his wife. I daresay that there might be more who believe them than do not.”

  Fredrick narrowed his eyes at the man and asked, “What sort of rumours?”

  Samuel frowned and pursed his lips out in thought. “Have you really not heard?”

  “I have heard that my brother’s wife was guilty of adultery, which is a false allegation,” Fredrick said quietly. “What have you heard, Sam?”

  Samuel sighed heavily, “I heard that your uncle was dead, and your brother killed him. I also heard the rumour about his wife, but I am never interested in the romance nonsense that enthralls most of the society women. I am glad to hear that it is a false rumour and can tell people so.”

  “I would appreciate that,” Fredrick said before he added, “as far as we know, my uncle is alive. My brother and our cousin Boris are actually out looking for him right now. He’s been missing for sometime, and we have become most worried about him.”

  Samuel nodded, “Yes, I have noticed the old man not being around the clubs and such. It lent a little credence to the rumour actually although I don’t know how bloodthirsty I would consider His Grace. He never seemed that ruthless, and it would be an absurd thing to do with how beloved the old man is with the Lords.”

  “Yes, it would be,
” Fredrick agreed before he assured Samuel, “my brother is one of the most even-tempered people I know. I doubt very much that he would harm the man outright.”

  Samuel raised his shoulders in a shrug. “Rumours spread faster if they are lies, or so I have found,” he said with a smile. “It was actually nice to see you, Fred.”

  “Be well,” Fredrick said as he rose and reached over to clasp the man’s hand. “I am glad to see you better than when I saw you last.”

  Samuel chuckled and agreed with a nod, “Aren’t we all?” As they released the handshake, Samuel gave Fredrick a little salute and then was quickly out the door.

  ***