by Abigail Agar
“There’s a rumour that Gregory killed Uncle Lawrence,” Jules said in shock.
Lady St Claire sighed, “And yet you are not concerned about the rumour regarding your own virtue?”
“I care not for what society thinks of me, but the rumour about Gregory could be very dangerous,” Jules said softly.
Fredrick nodded his agreement as they sat in one of the sitting rooms. “It could indeed. Let’s just pray that Uncle Lawrence turns up alive and well so that he can stand trial and look like the villain he is.”
“Oh, this is such a morbid thing,” Lady St Claire said with a grimace. “I have no love for the man, but even I do not wish to see him dead, at least not at my son’s expense.”
Jules frowned. “If Boris is involved, then we really do need to find him and Gregory,” she said with worry.
“The Glenwood Estate is quite a ride, and it is also vast. If we get there then we still have to locate wherever Lawrence is holding up, which I guarantee is not going to be at the main house,” Fredrick said reasonably. “We will give him a day, and if he is not back, then I promise I will ride there personally.”
Jules said firmly, “If you go, then I will go with you.”
“Do you recall what happened the last time we went somewhere together?” Fredrick asked with a laugh.
Jules sighed and crossed her arms. She had refused all of Lady St Claire’s attempts to get her to change out of her disguise, so she sat most scandalously on the sofa in her breeches and ample button-up shirt. “That is not funny, Fredrick,” Jules said with a frown.
“You are right. Forgive me, Your Grace,” Fredrick said with a smile, “But I still think you should wait here with Mother. It would be more prudent to do so.”
Lady St Claire interrupted, “I sincerely hope this conversation is all futility in the morning, and Gregory is walking up those steps. I really do not know how much more worry I can possibly contain for your children.”
Jules gave the woman a worried look and put her hand compassionately on her mother-in-law’s arm. “I am so sorry to cause you grief, but he is my husband,” she said softly.
“I know,” Lady St Claire said with a smile as she put her hand over Jules’ hand. “I am very glad that Gregory has found such a loyal wife, but I do wish you were a bit more cautious.”
Jules hesitantly said, “I promise that in the future I will attempt to have more discretion, but I cannot promise that until I know Gregory is safe.”
Lady St Claire smiled warmly and nodded. “I suppose I can live with that.”
***
Gregory was tired of horses and trails. More than that, he was tired of his cousin and his droning voice that seemed never to tire or crack. Boris was still talking, but Gregory had given up listening to the man a long time ago, most of Gregory’s devotion had been put towards simply staying awake.
The woods on the Glenwood estate were dark even during the day, at night they were pitch black enough that they ran the risk of running their horses and themselves into trees or holes. Gregory followed the twisting trail and the outline of his cousin ahead of him. Finally, Boris slowed and waved for Gregory to dismount as well.
Boris whispered, “There’s a small house up ahead where he stays sometimes. I was not sure if we would find him here, but there does appear to be a light on. We should approach cautiously.”
Gregory nodded as it was a reasonable assumption that his uncle might be willing to use some sort of violence to keep from coming back to face the charges that would be brought against him.
Gregory tied his horse to a tree and proceeded to follow Boris on foot through the woods in a more direct route to the house so as not to be seen as they approached.
It took only a few yards into the woods before Gregory spotted the light that had tipped Boris to the fact that perhaps someone was home at the secluded house.
The light twinkled and flickered as if someone had lit a candle or perhaps a fireplace despite the warmth of the evening. Gregory caught himself on a low tree branch and almost stumbled. Boris turned to him quickly and raised his finger to his lips.
“Sorry,” Gregory whispered. He and Boris waited, but there were no noises from the house. Once Boris deemed it safe, they crept through the trees.
The house, despite the light, was quiet as Gregory and Boris approached. Boris peered gingerly into one of the windows. He shook his head at Gregory and waved Gregory towards the back door.
Gregory stepped softly up the steps and took a breath before he twisted the knob. Boris soon joined him as Gregory pushed the door open with a nod to Boris. The inside of the kitchen was dark, and Gregory whispered, “Perhaps they are sleeping.”
“Or reading,” Boris said with a nod. “Let’s go towards the study. That’s where the light was that we saw.”
Gregory followed Boris as the man motioned for Gregory to follow him. There was eeriness to the quiet that Gregory did not like. The silence was too profound. Gregory’s own breathing sounded far too loud, and the crunch of their boots over the wooden floors sounded louder than thunder.
“This does not feel right,” Gregory said softly as he caught up to Boris when the man paused in a doorway.
Boris frowned. “The silence is very heavy, but hopefully that means that Lawrence is asleep and will not be much trouble to overpower.”
“We should go back and have the guards come with us,” Gregory said quietly as he followed Boris.
Boris shook his head. “Has your courage abandoned you, Cousin?”
“No, I have just gotten reacquainted with my senses. I should not have ridden while my blood was hot. Mother and Fredrick were right. This is not a good situation, Boris.” Gregory took a deep breath. “We need to go.”
Boris scoffed, “What if we have already alerted him? By the time someone from London gets here, he could be gone. Besides, we have not even found him yet. Let us at least verify that he is here.”
“Very well,” Gregory sighed softly. “Let’s hurry. It will be a long ride back to London.”
Boris paused, and Gregory pushed past him into the next room. The glow of the candle was a beacon that Gregory softly crept towards. The room door was ajar, and Gregory peered through it. There in the flickering light was a hand on the floor just in view. Pushing the door open, Gregory gasped, “Uncle.”
The man was sprawled on the floor where it appeared he had been ambushed. Gregory knelt to make sure the man was alive but never got the chance. There was a searing pain in the back of his head, and everything went black as Gregory fell forward onto his uncle.
***
“This is ridiculous,” Jules fumed. “Can’t we just go? Gregory should have been home by now.”
Fredrick nodded. “That’s true. He’s had plenty of time to return if there were no complications. We should give him until the morning. We won’t be able to see where we are going at night, and we need to be rested for the ride,” Fredrick said reasonably.
Lady St Claire quickly agreed, “Yes. You should never set out on a journey fatigued. First thing in the morning, you may set out if you wish.”
It looked as if Jules would have little choice in the matter, so she sighed and got up to go to her room. She wished fervently that Sherry had returned with her from the country estate but was also glad that the girl had not been subjected to all the horrors of the last few days. There was a clamour at the door as William rushed to get to it.
Before William reached the door, however, Boris pushed it open and burst into the foyer all gasping sobs. His clothes were tattered and wet. “I rode as quickly as I could,” he gasped out.
“What is the meaning of this?” Fredrick asked as he stepped out of the sitting room where he had been with his mother. Fredrick eyed Boris with distinct disdain that the man seemed not to notice.
Boris shook his head. “Fred, dear Fred, it brings me great sorrow to come here and tell you this,” he sobbed out.
“What is it? Just speak,” Fredrick said with fru
stration and mounting dread. “Where is Gregory?”
Boris put his hands out in defence. “Please do not think ill of me because I bring this news. I am as shocked and disheartened as you are,” Boris said piteously. “We rode out to Glenwood, but on the way back, Gregory became agitated. He became angry, stating that it was my entire fault that all of this was happening. He accused me of being behind the abduction of Her Grace.” Boris shook his head slowly as if trying to understand.
“He said that he had already taken care of Uncle and now he was going to do the same to me. I did not know what to do. I pushed him away as quickly as I could; I saw him fall off his horse, but I dared not go back to check on him. I just rode as quickly as I could home.”
Fredrick stared at the man blankly. “That is the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard. Gregory did not trust you, but he had no reason to hurt you. We have no idea where Uncle Lawrence is or has been,” Fredrick fairly shook with indignation.
“You dare to come in here with such talk,” Jules said as she stepped out where she could be seen at the top of the stairs overlooking the foyer. Boris’ face morphed into shock.
“Your Grace, I had no idea that Gregory had found you. He certainly gave no indication,” Boris said in surprise.
Fredrick snarled, “How do you know who she is? You have never met her.”
“I guessed,” Boris said simply. “Lawrence described her to me, and I just assumed. What other lady would be here, after all? And with such a bold tongue?”
“Tell me where you last saw Gregory,” Fredrick demanded of his cousin.
Boris nodded and said, “Of course. I can show you if you like.”
“No. Just tell me,” Fredrick said dismissively. He had no interest in being alone with the man who may have led Gregory into a trap.
Boris nodded. “As you’ll have it,” he said. “I last saw him as we were leaving a small house in the woods just north of Glenwood Hall. Take the road that bypasses the main estate and goes back into the forest. You will not miss it. I hope he is well, but I do wish you to be careful.”
Jules walked down the stairs and stood at the bottom beside Fredrick. “You need to leave,” Jules said flatly to Boris.
Boris looked between Fredrick and Jules. “I came here out of respect so that you would hear about it before the courts did,” he said as he turned to go to the door.
“What do you mean?” Fredrick asked warily.
William opened the door to let the nobleman out. Boris stopped in the doorway as he looked back over at his cousin and the Duchess of Thornton. “You know as well as I do, dear Cousin, what the penalty is for trying to kill another nobleman,” he said with little emotion. With his words spoken, Boris turned and walked out to his horse.
Jules frowned. “What is the penalty?”
“A nobleman who kills another or attempts to can be stripped of his titles, properties, and even hanged,” Fredrick said quietly.
Jules shook her head. “I am going to go find Gregory. There is no way that what Boris said is the truth. Stay here and do what you can with the courts,” she said as she hurried towards the stairs.
Lady St Claire objected, “No. Fredrick, go with her. I will stay here and do all I can to stall until you return. There will be nothing come of it until tomorrow anyway. I will rest and then deal with what may come. Go.”
“Are you certain?” Fredrick asked the question with concern.
Lady St Claire waved off Fredrick’s worry, “I will be fine. I have a house full of resourceful young men to help me, and I have more than a favour or two that I can call in if I need to. Boris will rue the day that he crossed me.”
“I believe he just might,” Fredrick said with a laugh as he kissed his mother on the cheek then rushed off to gather up his things.
Jules gave Lady St Claire’s arm a squeeze before she too went upstairs to find her coat and gloves. When they returned, Jules had left on her breeches and simply pulled on her riding coat over the top of her street clothes. Fredrick was waiting with his gloves and coat already on by the door.
William said quietly, “Godspeed, Master Fredrick,” as he opened the door for the nobleman.
“Thank you, Will,” Fredrick said earnestly. He patted the man on the shoulder as he passed through the door.
Jules gave William a smile which the man returned warmly. “You look after Lady St Claire, won’t you?” Jules asked softly.
William assured her, “Of course, Your Grace. It shall be my one calling.”
Lady St Claire came to see them off but could barely speak as the tears brimmed up in her eyes. Both Jules and Fredrick endured the woman’s hugs and sobs with good graces.
Jules understood the fear that the woman was harbouring. It was a hard thing to send your children off into the night and not be assured of their safety.
As they finally rode out of the gates of the St Claire manor house, Jules spared a glance back and saw Lady St Claire still on the steps watching them with her hands clasped anxiously over her chest.
Jules took a deep breath and faced forward again. She knew she was doing the right thing, but the right thing could still be a scary prospect.
***
Gregory blinked his eyes open and grunted as pain seared through his head. “What happened?” he asked to the darkness. There was no reply. “Boris?” he tried again.
Feeling around him, Gregory could only go a few inches to each side and forward. The small cramped space was damp, and the air hung heavy with the stench of mildew. “Boris,” Gregory bellowed louder.
His voice went only a short distance as the wall before him seemed to soak up the noise. “What is this place?” Gregory pondered out loud.
It was clear that Boris had gone. Was it Boris who had put him here? Had someone been lying in wait for them? Gregory sighed. For all he knew, Boris could be somewhere bleeding or captured.
There were no noises around him. Gregory sat pondering what this cubby hole was and what purpose it could possibly serve. His hand brushed a piece of leather, and Gregory jumped a bit before he grasped the leather.
It was a bond of some kind. Gregory himself was not tied up, but being free was of little use as the space was so cramped that he could hardly move anyway.
Had someone been in here before? Gregory had little to do but think on it, but his mind was groggy, and something wet stung as it slipped into his eyes.
Gregory thought of mold-lace water and wiped his face as best he could. It was only then that he smelled the iron tang that accompanied blood. The liquid had gotten into his mouth, and he could taste the metal on his tongue.
“I’m bleeding,” Gregory said, and as he moved, he winced once again as the pain seared through his temple. It was then that he remembered the blow that had struck him down as he leaned over Uncle Lawrence.
“Uncle Lawrence,” Gregory mumbled. He had no idea if the man lived or not. He had been struck down before he could discover if the man still breathed and now Gregory was lost in the darkness not knowing how much time had passed or even where he was.
Chapter 15
The roads out of London were teeming with guardsmen. Jules was glad that she had kept her breeches and cap on, as they got stopped several times asking if they had seen a convict.
Luckily they were looking for a female escaped criminal and not a young man, so Jules just kept her head down, and Fredrick did the talking.
By the time they were free of London proper, Fredrick breathed a sigh of relief. “That was quite a bit more of an ordeal than I had anticipated,” he said with feeling. “One would think that they would have thought better of stopping a nobleman.”
“Unless they were told that I might be hiding or being helped by a nobleman,” Jules said with a shrug. “They were stationed right near St Claire Manor, Fredrick.”
Fredrick nodded slowly. “None of this suits me well. It is too much like war here at home. It is very hard to know who your friend is and who is not,” he said with
a deep set frown.
“I know, and I’m sorry,” Jules said softly.
With a snort of laughter, Fredrick said, “You did not create this. No, our family has been under siege for some time but never so openly. First me, then you, and now Gregory has fallen victim to whatever is going on.”
“Do you think it has to do with Boris?” Jules asked softly as they rode along. She gave the horse’s mane a pat as she looked around at the road they travelled. The houses were getting farther apart, and she felt herself relax with every step her horse took.
Fredrick lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “I would never have thought it before, and perhaps it was Uncle’s doing, but I can hardly believe that Gregory attacked the man,” Fredrick said with a scowl.