A Lady in Danger: A Suspenseful Regency Romance

by Eliza McGrey

  “I am, yes,” Lord Redmire said. “Our afternoon sessions will be starting soon.”

  “Well, please do say hello to my husband for me,” I said, trying to be as innocently coy as possible, fluttering my eyelashes at him. I let out a small laugh, too, hoping to make it convincing. “Tell him I’m pining for him.”

  Lord Redmire’s face split into a grin, but as I looked, my blood ran cold. It was not a kind look. It reminded me far too much of the way that Richard would look at me when thoughts of visiting me in the middle of the night filled his mind.

  “It would be my pleasure to pass along your message,” Lord Redmire said. He tipped his hat to both Henry and I. “Enjoy the rest of your picnic, but take care; it looks as if it might rain.”

  I tipped my head back and saw there were thick, roiling clouds encroaching on the sky from the east. “Thank you for your concern, my Lord. Have an enjoyable afternoon.” And I curtsied to him.

  He turned and then headed along the road, disappearing behind a tall hedge.

  My knees gave way and I managed to catch myself on the ledge of the fountain. My hands trembled as I gripped the stone, looking up at Henry.

  “What did he see?” Henry asked, his face as pale as the clouds in the part of the sky where the sun still shone brightly.

  “I have no idea,” I said.

  Henry’s eyes were fixed on the spot where Lord Redmire had been standing. “He couldn’t have seen anything. He would have said something…surely.”

  The lump in my throat was constricting. “I hope you’re right…” I said.

  “We should get you home,” Henry said, not meeting my eye. “I’m sorry, Lady Nash. This is my fault.”

  “Don’t apologize,” I said. “We have nothing to fear. It seems that our time has come, Henry. We are going to have to move soon.”

  He looked up at me at this, finally meeting my eye once again. “Are you certain?”

  “Do you think we can keep up this charade much longer?” I asked. “We are going to have to step forward eventually.”

  Henry put his hands on his hips. He looked as if he had aged ten years in the last few moments.

  “For your sister,” I said.

  His jaw clenched at those words. “Not just for my sister…but for your sake as well.”

  Chapter 12

  Henry and I agreed not to meet again before we had finished writing the story Henry wished to publish in the newspaper. He was correct that it was the best way to get as much news out as possible, and would be much harder to immediately trace back to me. There were many servants in and out of the estate on a daily basis, and with how I had enchanted Richard, he would likely suspect me the very last. And that point, it might be too late for him to do anything about it.

  I returned home and spent the rest of the afternoon hours pouring over my notes and compiling the words I wrote, striving for them to be as accurate and informative as possible. I wanted to leave nothing out, and didn’t want to leave anything to question. It was as if I had discovered a

  I hardly noticed the time passing. It wasn’t until there was a knock on the study door that I even raised my head from my work. Fear flooded through me as I realized all of the information I had spread out across the surface of the desk.

  “One moment,” I said, hoping that it was Isabelle, who would listen to me, and not Mrs. Brian, who would enter regardless.

  The door remained shut and that was all the information I needed.

  I managed to hide away most of the important information, anything that might be incriminating upon first glance. I left the books on the table. There was nothing compromising about them. And I wasn’t entirely sure that Isabelle could read, anyway.

  “All right, you may come in,” I said, rising to my feet and standing beside the shelves that were off to the side of the desk.

  Isabelle stepped inside and looked around. “Is everything all right, my Lady?” she asked.

  I kept my face as blank as possible. “Yes, of course. Why do you ask?”

  Her eyes widened, realizing she had asked a rather inappropriate question. “Oh, nothing, my Lady.”

  “What can I help you with?” I asked. “I’m rather busy in here reading a riveting story. Would you care to hear about it?”

  “No, my Lady,” she said, curtsying. “I came with a message.”

  “What sort of message?” I asked.

  “Colonel Nash has just arrived home, and he is expecting you to join him for dinner,” she said.

  My stomach dropped. “He is?” I asked. “Of course, yes. I shall just…” I turned around, away from Isabelle, and felt my face flush. Richard had never demanded my appearance at dinner. That seemed strange. Was it possible that he somehow found out about my writing already? Had Mrs. Brian spied on me at all during the day?

  “Shall we get you dressed for dinner?”

  “Yes, let’s,” I said. I allowed her to whisk me away to my room where I chose one of Richard’s favorite dresses. I made the choice very intentionally. If I could bewitch him, then perhaps if he was mad about anything, he would forget about it.

  I anxiously waited for Isabelle to finish tying me into the dress, fixing the ribbons, and pinning my dark hair at the back of my neck with the silver pins Richard had given me for Christmas.

  My knees were weak as I followed Isabelle from my room. I feared that I might stumble down the stairs, and clung onto the railing as I tried my very best to keep my head high and my posture straight.

  Richard was standing down in the foyer. I saw him standing near the door, looking out through the open doorway.

  “There you are, darling,” Richard said, gesturing for me to come over. “Come, come. We are having guests for dinner this evening.”

  My stomach twisted in knots. Richard’s eyes appeared cool while his smile was wide.

  The ice in my veins became even colder as I recognized the man standing on the doorstep.

  Lord Redmire, with a woman on his arm.

  “Lord Redmire,” I said, curtsying to him, sweeping my gown out around me in as ladylike of a gesture as I could. “What a pleasure.”

  “Yes, after a long day of meetings and attending to business, I thought it would be wonderful to have an evening of good food and good conversation among friends,” Richard said.

  “It was incredibly kind of you to invite us, Colonel,” Lord Redmire said.

  “Yes, allow me to introduce the fine women joining us this evening,” Richard said. “Lady Nash, this is Lady Redmire.”

  Lady Redmire was stunning, and likely only a few years older than I was. Her blonde hair was so pale it was almost silver, and her eyes were so green they were like precious gems. She was staring up at Lord Redmire with nothing short of pure adoration.

  “What an honor it is to meet you, Lady Redmire,” I said with a wide smile.

  “The pleasure is mine,” she said in a misty voice.

  Lord Redmire’s gaze was on me, and I chanced a glance at him. My stomach twisted in knots as I saw a scathing, serpentine look creep up his face. There was a dangerous glint in his eyes as he smirked down at me.

  My heart began to beat rapidly. Had he spoken with Richard? What had he said?

  “Well, we shouldn’t linger here in the doorway like peasants,” Richard said, gesturing down the hall toward the dining room. “Dinner awaits, and we have a delicious meal of roasted pheasant and a delectable assortment of cakes for dessert.”

  “That certainly sounds wonderful,” Lady Redmire said, grinning lovingly up at her husband. Could she not see the way he had been looking at me? Even with my back turned, I could feel the heat of his stare.

  Richard extended his arm to me and smiled down at me. I couldn’t read his gaze; was he angry? Patiently waiting to strike?

  I smiled hesitantly back up at him and slipped my arm through his. His muscles were firm and solid beneath my fingers. He had never once hurt me, nor had he ever tried to. But what would he do if he found out what I h
ad been up to?

  In that moment, I hoped against all hope that whatever happened to Henry’s sister had nothing to do with the Colonel after all.

  The dining room was filled with some very enticing aromas; the spiced fowl, the herbed potatoes, the freshly baked bread. In the center of the table, there sat a beautiful torte, decorated with candied fruits and dollops of fresh cream. It looked almost too perfect to eat.

  I would have been far more excited for the meal had I not been fearful for my life, waiting for Richard to speak. It was as if he was waiting for the right time, and everyone else in the room knew what was happening apart from me.

  Richard released me to the servants who pushed my chair in as I sat down. I was grateful to sit. I wasn’t certain how much longer my legs would be able to carry me. I was doing my very best to remain composed, keeping my head high and a smile firmly on my face. Perhaps I was reading into this all after all. Perhaps it was nothing more than a dinner.

  We were served our first courses, a creamy soup with fresh herbs from the garden. Something simple, and I was glad for how small the portion was; I wasn’t sure what all I could fit in my upset stomach. It didn’t taste right as I spooned some onto my tongue. There was the obvious touch of cream as well as the fresh vegetables, but everything tasted bitter and like ash in my mouth.

  Richard and Lord Redmire began discussing some business, and I listened carefully. Nothing they spoke of made much sense to me, and they spoke of people that I was unfamiliar with. It made very little sense to me.

  “So, Lady Nash, how was your day today?” Richard asked, turning his attention toward me after a few minutes.

  The knots in my stomach tightened further. I looked up at him and smiled. “I had a very pleasant day today,” I said. “I read a great deal, as I always love to do. I enjoyed a new wonderful tea that Mrs. Brian was kind enough to fetch for me from town. It was positively delicious. Oh, and I also saw that my rose bush had finally begun to bloom in the observatory. I was starting to worry that it might have died in the cold this winter.”

  Richard nodded his head, but I could see he was dissatisfied with my answer. “I see. I also hear that you spent a some time this afternoon at the park down the street.”

  I swallowed nervously, forcing myself not to glance across the table at Lord Redmire, who was sitting directly across from me. “I did, yes,” I said, my smile growing wider. “I thought I had discussed that with you this morning before you left?” I knew it was an outright lie, but I knew that I wouldn’t be allowed to lie about the fact that Henry had been with me. If I could perhaps seduce him with my fluttering eyelashes and pouting lips, maybe he would concede and believe that I was telling the truth.

  “Not that I can recall,” he said, rather patiently despite the dangerous flash in his eyes.

  I giggled into my hand and smiled playfully at him. “Oh, silly me. Yes, I received a letter from my cousin. You know, Jonathon? Not to be confused with my father’s friend’s son, Lord Jonathon. I know, it was very confusing for my family growing up as well. Anyway, he has been staying in London, as you know, and he was so very thoughtful. He knew that you would be working a great deal more these coming weeks and has offered to ease my boredom by spending some time with me so you do not have to worry about me.”

  “How very kind of him,” Richard said, but the coolness in his tone contradicted the words he had spoken. “You know, Lady Nash, I have been hearing a great deal about this cousin of yours, but have never had the pleasure of meeting him.”

  It was as if a violent storm was trapped inside my chest. There was a rushing in my ears and my mouth had gone dry. “Oh, I know, my darling. But it isn’t your fault you are so busy. Isn’t it kind of Jonathon to offer to keep my company?”

  “I would very much like to meet this cousin of yours,” Richard said, his eyes narrowing. There was no joy in his words, no trace of kindness. “In fact, I insist upon it. Could you arrange for us to meet tomorrow?”

  Tomorrow? That soon?

  My blood ran cold as I nodded, trying to look as innocent as possible. “Of course, darling. I’m sure he will be delighted to hear that you have the time to meet.”

  The sneer that appeared on his face as he returned his attention back to Lord Redmire had made my blood run cold. Henry and Lord Redmire meeting would not end well. He would recognize Henry the moment he saw him. Richard must have known more than he was letting on.

  And then he would truly know about everything I’d found out about him. At that point…who knew what he would do to keep his secrets safe and hidden.

  Chapter 13

  The moment I was able to extract myself from Richard’s side, I did. I feigned tiredness, promising that as soon as I rested a little, I’d come to visit him in his rooms. That seemed to cheer him up, for he had pinned me to the wall with a passionate kiss that was both eager and overly forceful. I was certain I’d have a bruise in my arms from where his fingers had squeezed into my flesh.

  Nervously, I made my way to my own room where I made Isabelle promise me she would not bother me. I pulled some parchment and some ink from the side table where I’d been keeping them for notes. I hastily scrawled out a message.

  He knows. We have to move on this now.

  I stared around the room. What were we going to do? Henry would be able to write up a message and deliver it to the newspaper by the morning, but Richard would certainly know who it was I’d been meeting with, if he didn’t already.

  No, we needed to lie low. Not only did we need more concrete information, something truly undeniable, but we also needed to put some space between us and this request of Richard’s to meet Henry. I was going to need to make up a story about him leaving London, but promising to be back in a week or so. Hopefully that would be enough to buy us some time without seeming too suspicious.

  I rose from the desk and made my way to the small chest of drawers I’d been keeping some questionable information in. It was mismatched information. Names I hoped to come across in the letters I’d read, some names of towns. There were even a few addresses, most of which I’d figured out to be places where the war meetings were held or where the battles had taken place. One, though, still hadn’t made any sense to me. I had never seen mention of it anywhere, and no matter how many books about the city of London I paged through, the address remained a mystery.

  I lifted the small corner of parchment with the address scribbled upon it. Maybe it meant nothing. It was so innocuous after all.

  My heart skipped a beat. But what if that was the point? I’d found it hidden among other items, such as letters and that silver locket. Richard surely wouldn’t have hidden it unless it was important.

  I had to see what it was. If Richard had, in fact, hidden some information away in another place, then maybe this place would hold some more answers for us.

  I hurried back to the letter I’d been writing. Meet me at this address as soon as you can. And be careful.

  I didn’t sign it. He would know who it was from. I addressed the letter to Lord Jonathon and put down the place where he told me to write to if I ever needed him.

  I composed myself again before calling out for Isabelle.

  “Yes, my Lady?” she asked, opening the door and stepping back into the room.

  “Yes, Isabelle, could you please see that this letter is delivered as soon as possible?” I asked, passing her the sealed parchment.

  Isabelle glanced down at it. “This late, my Lady?” she asked.

  “Yes,” I said curtly. “Colonel Richard asked me to send for him as soon as I could to see if he could join us for dinner tomorrow.”

  Isabelle gave me a curious glance. “Wouldn’t it be best to wait until morning – ”

  “Yes, it needs to be sent tonight,” I said. “Also, would you please be a good girl and fetch me one of your maid dresses? You and I appear to be roughly the same size, and a cloak should cover the difference.”

  Isabelle looked at me as if I’d grown an
other head. “But your attire is far nicer, my Lady. Whatever would you want a maid’s outfit for?” she asked.

  I moved very close to her and laid a hand on her shoulder, looking straight into her pretty brown eyes. “If you have any loyalty to me, you will do as I ask and not ask questions,” I said to her more firmly than I would have preferred. “Please,” I added hastily. “It’s very important.”

  Isabelle stared at me, almost frightened, for a moment or two before nodding and curtsying quickly before scurrying from the room. She returned only a few moments later with a black and white dress draped over her arm.

  “Here you are, my Lady,” she said. “Shall I help you into it?”

  “Please,” I said. “And the letter?”

  “I gave it to the footman, and he was off with it before I’d closed the front door,” she said.

  “Good woman, not taking it to Mrs. Brian,” I said.

  “This seemed far too delicate of a matter to trust to Mrs. Brian,” Isabelle said. Was that a note of amusement I detected?

  She helped me into the dress and when I stood in front of the mirror, I hardly recognized myself. I turned to Isabelle. “You are not to speak of this to anyone. Not even the Colonel. If he asks you where I might be, tell him that I had taken ill and wished for him to keep his distance as to not catch whatever it is I might have. Lock the door to my washroom, and to complete the effect, please pick up some of the manure from the stables and have that place stinking. That will ensure he will not come traipsing in there to drag me off to his bed.”

  “But my Lady,” Isabelle said. “Where are you going?”

  I stared at her. “Hopefully somewhere I can find some answers,” I said. “Say a prayer for me.”

  With the address clutched in my fingers, I ignored Isabelle’s protestant whispers that followed me to the door. I slipped out and started down the hall. I was pleased to see that the few the servants that passed by my didn’t recognize me at all.