by Anne Herries
‘Conveniently out of sight,’ Jared said. ‘We have only his word that it happened, Hester. The doctor told me that he was hardly bruised. He could have fallen deliberately and sent his horse off in a panic.’
‘In order to make us believe that he was a victim,’ Hester said. ‘Surely not? He has been so concerned about all this business. I cannot think it—and why would he wish to kill you and blame Mr Grant?’
‘A man convicted of murder could not inherit the estate. The duke would be able to break the entail—and leave the estate to you as he wished.’
‘And if I married…’ Hester shuddered at the thought. ‘Oh, that is too horrible! It cannot be right. No one could stoop to such depths!’
‘I may be misjudging him, of course.’ Jared looked at her oddly. ‘The agent I employed gave me the facts, but that proves nothing. I was looking for some clue that my great-grandfather knew the truth about the child actually surviving, but as yet I have found nothing.’
‘But what made you suspect him in the first place?’
‘You remember that I told you someone attacked me in London?’
‘Yes, of course. It was not Mr Knighton!’
‘It may have been he who paid to have the rogue attack me,’ Jared told her. ‘I fought him off and persuaded him to tell me who had paid him. He did not know the name of the man, but he said he knew where the man went after leaving him. He took me there to show me—and that was to Lady Ireland’s house. I asked you who had called that night and you told me Mr Grant had left his card; it is possible that Mr Knighton also called but you did not know.’
Hester stared at him, struggling to remember. ‘Yes…he did,’ she said after a moment. ‘I did not find his letter until later, after you had asked me. I should have told you, but I forgot about it. I did not think it important.’
‘You could not have known, Hester,’ Jared said. ‘The rogue who tried to attack me that night has been working for me since then. He told me that the man who had paid him was at this house, which meant that it could be Knighton or Grant. However, my instincts told me it was unlikely to be Grant, and when I was informed of Knighton’s tenuous link with the Shelbourne family…’
‘Yes, I understand why you think that he may be concerned, but…’ She shook her head. ‘It is too dreadful to contemplate. Mama’s cousin through marriage. She would be so distressed if it were true.’
‘Yes, I am sure she may be fond of him,’ Jared said. He looked at her strangely. ‘Perhaps you are too, Hester?’
‘I have always thought him reliable, someone we could turn to if need be,’ Hester said. ‘But as a husband—no, I should never agree to marry him. You must know that I could not?’
Jared gave her his lazy smile, got up and came round the table to where she was standing. He reached out, drawing her close, gazing down at her anxious face. ‘I have upset you, Hester. Forgive me. I should have kept my thoughts to myself until I was certain.’
‘No, I prefer to know what you are thinking,’ she said. ‘If he paid someone to attack and murder you…’ A shudder ran through her. ‘How could he! The wicked man! Oh, I do not know how I shall ever face him again.’
‘But you must, my dearest one,’ Jared said. He leaned forward, brushing his lips over hers. Hester trembled, gazing up at him, a question in her eyes. ‘What I have just told you is all supposition. I cannot prove any of it. I have no documents, nothing except the word of a rogue, which would be dismissed in a court of law.’
‘Mama should ask him to leave! If she knew you suspected him, she would never wish to see his face again.’
‘But she must not know,’ Jared said. ‘Much as I love your dear mama, Hester, she could never keep a secret. You, on the other hand, have a wonderful command of your emotions. You seldom show what you are thinking—except when you are overcome by anxiety or anger—and I am hoping that you will help me by playing your part a little longer.’
‘What are you going to do?’
‘I must find some way to provoke him into attacking me,’ Jared said. ‘I had thought it would be safe while Mr Grant stayed away, but after this afternoon…’ He looked at her anxiously. ‘You must be careful too, Hester.’
‘Why? Surely if I am a part of his plan…’ Her eyes opened wide. ‘Yes, I see. You think that he might turn on me if I refused him?’
‘What kind of a mind must a man have to kill others for revenge for something that happened so long ago? Yes, I think he might harm you if you made him angry, and that is the one thing I could not bear, my very dear Hester.’
‘Oh…’ She smiled at him a little uncertainly. ‘I think I understand.’ Her heart was racing wildly, for the way he looked at her seemed to promise so much. ‘Thank you.’
‘We must keep our feelings to ourselves for the moment,’ he told her. ‘If Knighton suspected something between us…’
‘Yes, I do see that,’ Hester said. ‘You may rely on me. I shall be the same as always when I speak to him.’
‘Good. I may be mistaken, but we shall see.’ Jared touched her cheek once more. ‘I think we had best join the others or we shall be missed. Please go ahead of me, Hester. I shall follow in a few minutes.’
‘Yes, of course.’ She turned and left the library. As she approached the drawing room where they assembled before dinner, she saw Mr Knighton walking towards it from a different direction. Her throat tightened and she was aware of a surge of disgust, which she had to fight to overcome.
‘Hester,’ he said as he saw her. ‘I am so glad of the chance to speak to you alone. This is a bad business, you know. The builder assured me that there was no danger of any masonry falling for the moment and that the work was precautionary rather than urgent—and that means it must have been tampered with.’
Hester swallowed hard. How false he was! Had Jared not told her what he suspected, she might not have noticed, but the signs were there—his caring tone was assumed.
‘Surely you cannot think it?’ she said. ‘Who would do such a wicked thing? Someone could have been badly hurt.’
‘It must have been Grant,’ he replied with an air of concern. ‘It is hard to believe—but if the viscount were killed in an accident…’
‘Mr Grant would inherit the title and the estate,’ Hester agreed, because it was true. ‘But do you think him the kind of man to do something like that, sir? Surely as a man of the cloth he would be above avarice?’
‘His calling may not be a true one,’ Knighton said, shaking his head. ‘I agree that it seems unlikely, but who else could have done it—and why? Mr Grant is the only one who could benefit from Viscount Sheldon’s death.’
‘Yes, that is true,’ Hester agreed again. His manner seemed just as it ought, and yet she sensed something hidden. Had it been there before or was she only aware of it now that her eyes had been opened? ‘What do you think we should do, sir?’
‘I think the viscount should tell him he is not welcome here.’
‘Perhaps,’ Hester said. ‘But there is no proof of what he did—unless you are prepared to say in a court of law that you saw him near the stairs before the masonry fell?’
‘Yes, if necessary I should be prepared to stand up in court,’ Knighton replied, a gleam in his eyes. ‘The viscount was shot at and so was I, though I do not see what he hoped to gain from that, unless it was because he was afraid that you would refuse his proposal in my favour.’
‘Mr Knighton!’ Hester said, taken aback. ‘You have not proposed to me.’
‘But you knew that I meant to? You must surely have known.’
Hester fought the surge of revulsion, taking a deep breath. ‘I have thought, perhaps, and of course I am flattered—but you must give me more time, sir. There is so much to think about for the moment. Will you wait until after the ball and speak to me then?’
Knighton frowned, and then looked at her fondly. ‘Of course. You have had a shock today and you must have so much to do, but since you know my intention now, please promise me yo
u will consider it and give me your answer after the ball, Hester?’
‘Yes, of course I shall,’ Hester said forcing herself to smile. ‘I think we should go in now, sir. Mama will be waiting—and here comes the viscount.’
She went ahead of them, hearing the greeting between them. Jared’s voice was casual, giving no sign of the emotion he must be feeling. She lifted her head as she went into the drawing room, knowing that she must continue to be careful.
Her mother turned to look at her. ‘I was just thinking of sending for you, Hester. Where have you been?’
‘I was talking to Mr Knighton,’ she replied and kissed Lady Sheldon’s cheek.
‘It is odd that Mr Knighton thought he saw Mr Grant this afternoon,’ Lady Sheldon said. ‘He is not in the house and I have heard nothing from him. I expected that he would write to tell me when he is arriving. His behaviour is discourteous and it is not like him.’
‘I dare say he will come tomorrow,’ Hester said. ‘He came quite unexpectedly last time, did he not?’
‘Yes, I suppose he did,’ her mother said, her brow wrinkled. ‘It is inconsiderate, Hester. The house will be full of guests soon and if he isn’t coming, his room might be used for someone else.’
‘We have plenty of guest rooms,’ Hester said. ‘Do not worry, Mama. I am sure he will turn up sooner or later—’ She broke off as Jared and Mr Knighton entered the room, but avoided looking directly at either of them. Had she done so, she would have seen that Mr Knighton was looking distinctly annoyed about something.
‘Well, now that we are all here, we should go in,’ Lady Sheldon said, standing up. ‘Cook sent word ten minutes ago that she was ready to serve.’
Hester had hoped that she might have another opportunity to be private with Jared that evening, but he lingered over the port and then the two gentlemen went off to play billiards. The ladies decided to retire early since they would be having late nights once the guests for the ball started to arrive. Hester’s mind was seething as she prepared for bed and she felt that she would never sleep. However, after some tossing and turning she did sleep.
Waking early to hear the birds singing outside her window, Hester dressed for riding and went downstairs, heading for the stables. She had decided that she would not remain shut up in the house, but she would take the precaution of asking one of the grooms to accompany her.
Her ride was uneventful, but refreshing, and she had a pretty colour in her cheeks when she returned to the house to take breakfast. She discovered that Mr Knighton was at the table, though there was no sign of Jared.
‘You have been riding,’ Knighton said. ‘I hope you took a groom with you, Hester? You cannot be too careful in the circumstances—though in the light of what Viscount Sheldon told me last night, things have altered.’
‘Oh…’ Hester was careful not to look at him, helping herself to bacon and scrambled eggs. ‘What was that, sir?’
‘Has he told you that he has a son? A bastard, it seems—but he intends to make him legitimate so that he can inherit the title if he should suffer an accident.’
Hester’s hand froze in mid-air, the shock running through her. ‘Cousin Jared has a son?’ she asked incredulously and turned to look at him. ‘I have not heard of this before.’
‘I dare say he would not think it fit for a lady’s ears, Hester. He must have had him hidden away, but now he intends to adopt him and make it legal—at least, that was what he told me last night, though as he was in his cups I could not say for certain.’
Hester swallowed hard. The knowledge that Jared had a son he intended to legalise was shocking. It was not so unusual for a gentleman to do that, but it must surely mean that he had some fondness for the boy—and it was a little hurtful that he had not told Hester of his intention. However, she maintained a cool indifference as she asked, ‘Why does that alter things?’
‘If Mr Grant imagines that killing the viscount means he will inherit, he will be disappointed. Unless he were to kill him before it could be done, of course.’
‘Yes, I see,’ Hester said. She took her seat at the table. ‘It was a good thing that Mr Grant was not there to hear it last night, sir.’
‘Yes, that is true, though he may learn of it some other way, Hester. These things have a way of becoming common knowledge, you know. If any of the servants heard him last night, it will be all over the house by now.’
‘Yes, if they heard him, that would be the case,’ Hester agreed. She got up to pour herself a dish of tea, her back towards him. ‘But if he told you in confidence…’
‘Oh, he was three parts to the wind,’ Knighton said. ‘Anyone could have heard in the next room—and one of the footmen was there, for I called him to help me get the viscount up the stairs.’
‘I see…’ Hester frowned. ‘I have never seen Cousin Jared drink to excess before.’
‘I dare say there is much you have not seen of him,’ Knighton said with a sneer. ‘He has been on his best behaviour so far to make an impression, I’m sure.’
Hester held back the angry retort that rose to her lips. She must be careful! Besides, there was some truth in what he said, because she did not know Jared well. Instinct told her that there must have been a reason for his behaviour that night and she frowned as she ate her breakfast in silence. She did not look up as Mr Knighton excused himself from the table.
He was clearly annoyed by what he had been told—as he must be if Jared was right about his intentions. A boy child legitimised would be another hurdle to surmount, another accident to arrange, though the child would not inherit if the documents were not signed. Hester was still frowning as she left the room, her thoughts in some confusion. Why on earth had Jared got so drunk that he had revealed something of that nature to a man he believed his enemy? Surely it was the last thing he wished him to know, for it would place the child in danger.
She was walking upstairs, intending to change into a morning gown, when the answer came to her. Of course he had not been drunk; it was merely a part of his plan to reveal the story to Mr Knighton. He wanted to force him into making an attack sooner rather than later. She smiled and shook her head, because she was not even sure that Jared truly had a bastard son—that might be a part of his plan too.
Hester changed into a pretty green morning gown. She had decided that she would begin to wear colours again and she dabbed a little perfume on her wrists, going downstairs just as the door was opened in the main hall. Two very fashionable ladies had arrived, one of whom she knew as Lady Raven. The other lady must be Lady Mallard—Jared’s guest. She was a lady of perhaps just over Hester’s own age, not in the first flush of youth but very attractive with pale blonde hair showing beneath her stylish hat. She was stripping off her pelisse, handing it to the maid who waited to take it, when Hester reached the bottom of the stairs, and she turned to look at her, her eyes appraising her frankly.
‘Miss Sheldon,’ Lady Raven said. ‘May I introduce you to my sister, Lady Selina Mallard.’
‘Lady Mallard.’ Hester dipped her head slightly. ‘I am happy to make your acquaintance. Viscount Sheldon told me he had invited you.’
‘There you are,’ Lady Raven said, smiling at her sister. ‘I told you he would not forget. She was afraid she might not be expected, Miss Sheldon, and almost did not come.’
‘Yes, you are expected. Your room will be ready for you. Shall I send for the housekeeper or take you up myself?’
‘Perhaps we should speak to Lady Sheldon first?’ Lady Raven said. ‘I am sure she must wish to know immediately her guests have arrived.’
‘Mama is not yet down,’ Hester said. ‘She is in her apartments, but will be down in an hour or so. I shall tell her you have arrived. If you would like to make yourselves comfortable, I shall order tea in the green sitting room—which is at the back of the house. I shall send Mrs Mills up to make sure you have all you need and she will direct you. If you would like to follow me, ladies.’
She led the way up the stairs and
turned to the east wing, where the best guest rooms were situated. The ladies had come a day sooner than expected and Lady Sheldon would be upset that she had not been there to greet them, but it could not be helped.
After showing the sisters to their bedchambers, which were side by side, Hester went back to the main building to tell her mother. Lady Sheldon was immediately flustered, throwing back the bedcovers in a panic.
‘Oh, Hester,’ she exclaimed. ‘I did not expect anyone before this afternoon.’
‘Which would have been much better for everyone,’ Hester said. ‘I told them you would be down in an hour, Mama, and that I would order refreshments in the green parlour. I am sure they must wish to change, which will give you plenty of time.’
‘What should I do without your good sense?’ Lady Sheldon said and rang for her maid. ‘You said Lady Raven and Lady Mallard—I hardly know Lady Mallard. I believe she lives in Paris?’
‘She is Cousin Jared’s guest,’ Hester said. She was conscious of a little ache in her breast, because the lady was so very beautiful, but she dismissed it. Jared had seemed to be saying he cared for her the previous night and she must not allow jealousy to sour her judgement. However, she could not help wondering if Lady Mallard could possibly be the mother of the bastard son…if there was one, of course. ‘I believe he met her in Paris.’
‘He has a house there, I understand,’ Lady Sheldon said. ‘And I think some kind of business, though I am not certain of that…but he must have a business to afford all those repairs, do you not think, dearest?’
‘Cousin Jared is quite wealthy, Mama. I have not asked how that came about. I did not think it my affair.’
‘You are perfectly right,’ Lady Sheldon said serenely. ‘I am content that he should have decided to stay here, and he has had everything done that we could wish for.’
‘The new furniture is arriving for the west wing today,’ Hester said. ‘I must go and find him if I can, tell him that his guest is here.’