He hadn’t finished speaking before the boy had taken to his heels and disappeared in the direction of home. Stephen listened to the rapid thuds of the boy’s feet on the ground for several moments before he raked one large hand through his hair and swore. The last thing he had expected was for the curious boy to turn up in Dinnington’s kitchen gardens. He was only glad that he had been the one to find him and not Humphrey, or Will. As it was, he had been left with no choice but to instil some fear into the young boy and, hopefully, make Dinnington a scary place for the lad to be.
Stephen had no idea what was going on right now, but was fairly certain that something was afoot. There was a heightened tension within the house and lots of whispered conversations between Levant and his man of business. Sometime in the early hours of the morning, Stephen had managed to get an opportunity to search the man’s papers in his study and had learned that Levant had recently received a ridiculously large sum of money from someone listed only as A. There had been two large payments to Levant since, along with details of several low payments Levant had made for various properties, all within the county of Cornwall. He knew that Levant had practically stolen the land and properties from their owners, but how? With menaces?
It was evident that Levant was either working for someone who was giving him money to purchase the land and houses, or was doing some work for someone and earning himself a significant regular income. He had not been able to find anything out about the unknown A and, as far as he was aware, none of the French spies the Star Elite were after had an A in either their surnames or first names. Still, Stephen had a gut feeling that everything was linked in some way. Until he could prove that Levant wasn’t a killer, he couldn’t allow Prudence, or her siblings, anywhere near Dinnington.
He disappeared through the trees, and was so lost in thought that he didn’t bother to stop and look back. If he had, he would have seen two shadowy figures leave the sheltered protection of the trees on the edge of the woods and hurry after Robbie.
Several minutes later, he stopped at the sound of loud protests coming from someone through the trees. He melted back into the shadows, and listened.
“Please, I have said that I will sell you the house, but I don’t have the deeds. They belong to my brother, see? I cannot sell you his half. I need him to sign the paperwork over to me.”
“Your brother was here only yesterday, he could have signed it then.”
Stephen crept quietly forward until he could see a stout man on his knees, practically begging Levant to listen.
“He wouldn’t sign them. The stupid man said the property had to remain in the family but I argued with him. I begged and pleaded, but he wouldn’t sign. I am going to go and visit him at his house tomorrow and force him to sign the papers. I can, if you just give me two more days.”
“I gave you two more weeks a month ago,” Levant declared coldly and roughly pushed the man’s grasping hands off his breeches. He glanced at Humphrey, his face impassive. “What do you think, Humphrey? Does he deserve any more time?”
Humphrey slowly shook his head. “It seems to me that he has had plenty of time. If his brother wouldn’t sign the papers yesterday, why would he sign them tomorrow?” He frowned at the logic behind that and wondered if he had it right. Still, the boss didn’t seem to object.
“If you just give me one last chance, I promise you that I can get him to sign.”
Levant studied the man for several moments and slowly withdrew a paper from his jacket pocket. “You gave me your half. I paid you a handsome penny for it, too. All I needed was your brother’s half too, and you could have disappeared to live in peace. Never mind, I am sure that your brother will sell to me too once he realises who his business partner is now.” He snorted disparagingly at the man on the floor who began to weep quietly once the realisation of his fate appeared to dawn on him.
Humphrey studied his boss and waited for his instructions. Levant stared into the darkness for several moments as though weighing up his options. Several moments later, he shook his head sorrowfully and nodded toward the scurrying movement in the trees as the man ran for his life.
“Simpson has to go,” Levant said quietly. “Deal with it.” His cold words echoed around the trees. Levant didn’t bother to wait to see if Humphrey would follow orders, or indeed explain how Humphrey was to ‘deal’ with the unfortunate Simpson. Instead, he quietly turned and melted into the darkness.
Humphrey seemed to relish the prospect of what was to come and, with a feral grin on his face, lumbered through the bushes as stealthily as a charging bull.
Stephen watched Humphrey vanish and then turned to stare after Levant. He had no idea where Charles Taylor was, but had no doubt that he would be around somewhere; silent; watching, just as he always was. With this in mind, Stephen remained perfectly still for several moments and, sure enough, Taylor broke his cover several feet away to follow his boss. Unfortunately, by the time Stephen did manage to hurry in the direction Simpson and Humphrey went, both men had vanished. Cursing his luck, he had no choice but to head back toward Dinnington and wait for his own orders.
Lurking behind the solid bulk of the stable block, he watched the door close behind Taylor, and waited. He had no idea where Simpson had gone but had no doubt that the man would wind up dead at some point over the next day or so. There was little Stephen could do except start a hunt of his own and hope that he was in time, but then what? What if he broke his cover at the same time? What if he did save Simpson, and Levant found out about it? Humphrey was thick but he was also hard and ruthless, and had a fierce determination to carry out his boss’ orders to the last detail. Stephen knew that to stop Humphrey from killing Simpson, Stephen had to take the hit man out himself, but was it worth it? In all conscience, he couldn’t risk breaking his cover because he now had Prudence and her family to keep an eye on, and he couldn’t do that if he had to go into hiding.
It was an unfortunate set of circumstances that he pondered over as he made his way toward Cragdale Manor. He heaved a sigh of relief at the sight of the closed shutters and tightly locked doors. Someone had evidently seen him last night and had been sufficiently unnerved to ensure that anybody watching the house wouldn’t be able to see very much of the people inside tonight. It was enough to forewarn Stephen that he had to be careful in that regard too. With a sigh he cast one last, lingering look at the house and made his way back to Dinnington.
Prudence paused outside of Robbie’s door and placed one palm on the cold surface. She could hear her brother weeping quietly inside and wasn’t altogether sure whether it was because of the scolding she and Eloisa had just given him, or the fright that the handsome stranger had issued.
In all of her life, Prudence had never been as terrified as she had when she had caught sight of the man towering over a clearly horrified Robbie. She had no idea what her brother had been doing on the Dinnington estate, or who the unknown Will was, but she was going to find out in the morning. Right now, she was so angry; so scared, that she wasn’t sure whether to hug Robbie and cry with joy that he was alive and well, and back at home where he was safe, or scold him even more for his ridiculous and immature escapades.
“Do you think that he will be alright?” Eloisa murmured quietly from beside her. It was rare for Robbie to cry at all but, if it was because of the fear that the man had instilled in him, then Eloisa could only be grateful to the handsome stranger. The man had done more in one evening to put Robbie off Dinnington, and the unknown Will, than Prudence and Eloisa had managed to do over the last several weeks.
“I think he is just scared.”
“I don’t mind admitting that I was scared too. That man was fierce.” Eloisa didn’t add that he was also the most handsome, if scariest, man she had ever seen.
“Robbie has to understand that he is trespassing though. Men like Ludwig Levant don’t take kindly to trespassers on their estates. The last thing we need is for Robbie to be found there. We would never hear the last of
it from Levant, even if he allowed the boy to return home and didn’t hold him to ransom in exchange for the house,” Prudence replied darkly.
Eloisa looked at her in horror. “He wouldn’t do that, surely to goodness?” She shook her head in denial, even as her common sense warned her that she was foolish to dismiss the possibility of such an occurrence so readily.
Ludwig Levant had recently become increasingly sinister in his ‘offers’ for the house and Prudence. Was he capable of holding a boy to ransom? Eloisa couldn’t deny it, but had to admit to herself that anyone who hired someone as menacing as the handsome stranger, certainly had secrets to keep.
“He has to stop trespassing, Eloisa, it is as simple as that,” Prudence replied wearily. She felt as though she had the weight of the world on her shoulders and wondered where it would all end.
It was already late and there was still the fires to stack up, and mother to check on before she could go to bed for the night. She suddenly felt as though there weren’t enough hours in the day to fit everything in, and wondered how people coped when they had to go out to work as well. Still, for the time being that wasn’t a problem. She had the issue of her somewhat creepy neighbour to think about, and how she was going to avoid his continued visits.
“What do you think that we should do about Ludwig?” Eloisa asked when Prudence continued to stare blankly at the wall. “I mean, we cannot continue to have his regular visits. The man just doesn’t take no for an answer. Someone has to do something to put a stop to him.”
“How do you propose we do that, Eloisa? I mean, we can hardly threaten him, now can we? You saw that man tonight. Would you want to meet him anywhere in daylight, let alone in the dark? It is coming up to winter soon, when the nights will start to draw in and most of our evening activities will have to be done by candle-light. What then? I think that we cannot take matters into our own hands.”
“But we cannot simply sit here and continue to wait for Levant to drop by. He threatens us, Prudence, and will eventually lose patience, especially when he doesn’t get what he wants. What if he decides to find out who owns the house and goes to Uncle Bernard? What if he sees mother wandering around the gardens in her night gown?”
Prudence kept quiet. She knew that it was likely that the handsome stranger had already seen their mother wandering around the gardens last night, but didn’t tell Eloisa that. The worry in her sister’s eyes was bad enough, she couldn’t add to it. The fact that Levant hadn’t made a visit to boast about Agatha’s condition today suggested that the handsome stranger had not told his boss yet. Levant was the kind of man who wouldn’t wait to take advantage of being armed with such news, and would have been around at Cragdale straight away, whatever the time of day, or night.
“We have to go and see the magistrate,” Prudence sighed and studied her sister closely.
Dark circles underscored her sister’s beautiful brown eyes. Worry frowns marred her beautiful alabaster skin and there were deep grooves on either side of her mouth where there should have been dimples. Prudence felt a fresh wave of disgust toward her sire for the predicament his selfishness had landed them all in. She wondered why the man had ever considered that abandoning his family was an adequate way to behave.
In that moment, she was very glad that she had the responsibility of the family to take her time. It gave her the perfect excuse to avoid the rather dubious intentions of any male, and risk leaving herself open to such callous and self-centred rejection. She quickly closed out all thought of the handsome stranger and gave Eloisa a dark look before she turned toward their mother’s room.
“I’ll check on mother, if you can make sure that everywhere is locked up downstairs? Then I think I am going to get an early night.” She looked at the weariness on Eloisa’s face once more. “I suggest that you do the same. Tomorrow, we will go and tell the magistrate what Levant is up to, and see what he has got to say about it all. Then we will decide how we are going to deal with our odious neighbour the next time he pays a visit.”
Eloisa didn’t get the chance to reply. She watched the door to their mother’s room close behind Prudence and, with a sigh, savoured the silence for a several long moments. It was rare to find the opportunity to be by oneself at Cragdale. There was always someone around who was chatting or banging pots, or making things. She had never really considered before just how hectic everyone’s lives were, and wasn’t sure whether she liked it or not.
Eventually, the silence brought about a sense of disquiet that she wasn’t altogether comfortable with. Taking the time to think made her look at shadows that she would rather not even acknowledge were there. With a shudder, she quickly closed her thoughts out and drew her shawl tighter around her shoulders before she hurried downstairs to close up the house. She then did just as Prudence had suggested and headed off to bed.
Hopefully everything would look a little brighter in the morning.
CHAPTER FOUR
It didn’t.
Rain lashed relentlessly against the window panes when Prudence opened her bedroom shutters the next morning. The grey clouds that lurked over the house matched her darkened mood. She stood and stared out of the window for several moments, and wondered if she would ever find any peace while the family remained at Cragdale. It wasn’t just Levant who posed a problem; it was the daily responsibility of running such a huge house, with only meagre funds and luck on her side that weighed heavily on her shoulders.
By the time she headed off to see the magistrate later that morning, her mood was even darker than the sky. It was bad enough that Robbie had sulked throughout the morning, but her worries were exacerbated by the fact that they had been forced to lock their own mother in her bedroom and leave her alone in the house. To do so, even for a short while, disturbed Prudence greatly, but none of her sisters had wanted to remain at home to look after mother, and Prudence couldn’t bring herself to argue with them. Not only did she need the moral support, but they had a vested interest in what was discussed. Cragdale Manor was their home too, after all, and she couldn’t object to their opinions or interest in what could befall the family. Besides, it made her feel bolder to have someone beside her, even if it was her younger siblings.
They were all soaked to the skin by the time they reached the magistrate’s house on the outskirts of Marchwell. Although it was a relatively short walk, the path took them directly over the cliff-tops and afforded them no protection from the weather whatsoever.
Prudence was visibly trembling by the time she knocked on the ornate front door of the town house and stood back to wait.
“Prudence, come on in, dear,” Mrs Bridges urged as she beckoned them inside. “Oh dear, me, now, you are soaked. All of you. What a state you are in. Are you here to see the master? Oh, indeed, of course you are now. There then, if you just wait here for a minute? I will tell him that you are here.”
Prudence opened her mouth to speak only to close it with a snap as the housekeeper disappeared into a side room. She lifted her brows at Eloisa, who merely shrugged and sniffed inelegantly as she lifted her sodden bonnet off her head. They were all painfully aware of the large puddles they were creating on the highly polished floor, but there was little they could do other than mumble apologetically when Mrs Bridges re-appeared.
“Please come on through. This way, that’s it. Don’t bother about the mess, now. Come along, before you catch a chill.”
“I am so sorry for the mess,” Eloisa murmured, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
“Don’t you worry about it, my dear, Molly to wipe it up. I will be back in a moment with something nice for you.” She didn’t say what the something ‘nice’ would be, but the woman’s complete disregard for the disruption their unannounced appearance had caused helped to ease their anxieties, and they all visibly relaxed as they walked into the drawing room.
Given that the family always bought anything they needed from the nearby larger town of Brumpton Marches, they were not up to date with the lates
t news and gossip. As a result, they had not been aware that the old magistrate, Mr Bloombury, had been replaced by the rather handsome, and considerably younger, man who stood to welcome them.
“I am sorry to interrupt you, sir. We are looking for the magistrate, Mr Bloombury,” Eloisa announced hesitantly. She cast a nervous look at Prudence, and lapsed into silence, for once glad that she wouldn’t have to converse with this startlingly debonair man.
“I am the magistrate for the area now. Mr Bloombury retired to the country several months back. Please, take a seat.” He waved casually toward the very expensive brocade chairs that were scattered around the room.
Prudence gave Robbie a look that warned him not to move, and shook her head. “I think that given the state of us, it is better if we don’t, but thank you anyway.”
“It is just furniture,” Rufus replied gently. “I am sure that it will dry. Please, take a seat. I don’t like to stand on ceremony.” He seemed to sense that he wasn’t winning them over, and this was emphasised by the fact that nobody moved. Persistent to the very core, he once again waved toward the chairs and smiled encouragingly. He had no idea who they were, but had no intention of allowing them to leave the house until he knew what they had arrived, somewhat unexpectedly, for. In all of his life he had never seen such an interesting gaggle of ladies who were, by far, the complete opposite of the rather vapid young misses he usually encountered. Intrigued, he smiled at the young boy and watched him hesitantly sidle toward a chair.
“I am sure that Mrs Bridges will be back soon with something warm to ward off the chill. Meantime, I think you need to tell me how I can help you.” He moved to stand before the fire and held his hands behind his back in an amiable stance that was accompanied with an encouraging smile.
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