“Sir Carter.” The head groomsman acknowledged.
“I apologize for the interruption of your duties,” he said as he walked briskly toward the main entrance. The man trailed behind him. “I will require a fresh horse immediately. Once Prime recovers, someone must take the animal to Blake’s Run.” He pressed a coin into the man’s hand. “I will speak to Lord Worthing briefly and then be on my way.”
The groom shook his head in the negative. “Lord Worthing departed late yesterday, Sir.”
Carter frowned. He had not time for a social call, but he could not simply order the Earl of Linworth’s staff about without some sort of explanation. Fortunately, the main door swung wide, and Eleanor Kerrington, Lady Worthing, motioned him into the house. “Other than the servants, few are awake at this hour.” As if she had been expecting him, she slid her arm through his. “Come join me in the morning room.”
He had no time for a leisurely breakfast. “You must forgive me, Lady Worthing, but time cannot be spared. I would not have called at Linton Park if I had not required a fresh horse.”
The viscountess ignored his protest, and so Carter had walked with her to where breakfast awaited. It was difficult for a gentleman to refuse a lady, even when his mind screamed for his abrupt withdrawal. “Ah, I am an indulgent mother, Sir Carter. My darling Amelia is producing her first teeth, and so I mean to introduce her to something more substantial than gruel.” She gestured to where Worthing’s daughter rested in a small cradle.
Despite the adorable countenance of Amelia Kerrington staring up at him, Carter’s frustration rose quickly. “Please, Lady Worthing…” he pleaded.
Once they entered the room, Kerrington’s lady excused her servants and closed the door. “Tell me how goes the investigation?” Her eyes spoke of her own anxiousness, and Carter knew instant regret of not recognizing the lady’s ploy.
“Which investigation?” he asked. He could not imagine Kerrington sharing Realm business with his wife, but the viscountess had been present at more than one Realm rescue, including her own. She would hold some knowledge of her husband’s role in the organization.
Her countenance scrunched up in dissatisfaction. “Your brother sent word to Linton Park yesterday afternoon. He sought James’s assistance with a disappearance.”
Carter’s heart slammed hard against his chest. “What sort of disappearance? A kidnapping?” Could Ransing have executed another form of revenge? Since he had made the connection between Dylan Monroe and the Dymond family, Carter had expected the worst. “What has occurred? Is it Lady Hellsman?” Law would be devastated.
“No. It was my brother’s former friend, Mrs. Warren.” A punch in his gut would have been kinder. “I thought you brought a message from my husband.”
Carter forced himself to concentrate on her words. “Kerrington is with Law?”
“Of course. James left immediately upon receiving the message.”
Instinctively, he presented her a bow of respect. “I must depart,” he said distractedly. “Please forgive my lack of manners, Lady Worthing.” With that, Carter was striding toward where the groom held a waiting horse. He had promised Simon he would protect Lucinda Warren with his life, and once again, he had been found wanting.
He had pushed Lord Worthing’s horse to its limits and had been rewarded by reaching Blake’s Run in record time. Tossing the horse’s reins to one of the younger grooms, Carter was on the ground and running, mounting the main steps two at a time. Mr. Malcolm barely had released the door’s latch before Carter burst into the interior. “Law! Arabella! Anyone here?”
Carter looked up to find his mother descending the main staircase. The scene was so commonplace that for a few seconds he had forgotten his parents had recently been on the Continent. “Mother, thank God!” He raced to meet her. “Tell me Lord Worthing and Law have located Mrs. Warren.”
His mother extended her hands to him, and Carter instinctively entwined their fingers. “I am pleased you have arrived. This situation is most unusual.”
“Forgive my manners, Baroness, but where is Law?” he demanded.
“Your brother, Lord Worthing, the earl, and several others have set out to locate Mrs. Warren.”
Carter scrubbed the road dirt from his cheeks with his handkerchief. “Do you know when they departed? Where they meant to search?” Exhaustion tugged at his senses, but Carter’s work was not complete.
“Bella could tell you more than I,” his mother admitted. “She is in her sitting room. Lawrence has ordered his wife to bed. He fears for his health.”
Carter kissed his mother’s cheek. “Thank you for not chastising me for bringing danger to your doorstep,” he whispered. The Baroness Blakehell was always his foundation. If he could find a woman of the same nature as Fernalia Lowery, Carter would consider himself a fortunate man. His mother was a dangerous lioness when the world “attacked” her family, but she was a loving, gracious, supportive female in other times.
“Nonsense,” she said affectionately. “Now, go speak to Arabella. Lady Hellsman will be thankful you have arrived; our Bella has prayed for your safe return.” She continued down the stairs. “I assume you will require a fresh horse,” his mother said with a knowing smirk.
“Yes, please.” Her businesslike manner eased some of the tension knotting Carter’s shoulders. “And ask Cook for some bread and cheese. I am starving.” He did not wait for his mother’s acknowledgement: The baroness was a doting mother. She would see to everything necessary. Within seconds, Carter was tapping on Bella’s exterior door.
“Come.” Carter slipped into the room. His brother’s wife looked up in anticipation. “Thank Goodness, you have come. The messenger found you in good time.”
“What messenger?” Carter crossed to sit beside her.
“Law sent a rider to Suffolk to locate you,” she explained. “If you hold no knowledge of a Blake’s Run messenger, how did you know to come?”
Carter shook off the question. “I have no time for a long retelling. Simply know I have discovered Mr. Monroe holds connections to Viscount Ransing. I rode to Derbyshire because I feared for Law’s safety, only to discover from Lady Worthing that a monumental occurrence had driven Lady Eleanor’s husband to my ancestral home.” He caught Bella’s hand. “When we finish, I wish you to approach the baron and baroness regarding shoring up Blake’s Run’s defenses until this madness is complete. I suspect Ransing has planned something devious.”
“Whatever you say, it will be done.”
Carter nodded curtly. “Now apprise me of what has occurred.”
For the next several minutes, Bella explained how the earl’s illness had delayed Charleton’s departure, how Charleton had sought Bella’s assistance after he and Mrs. Warren had argued, how Bella had discovered Mrs. Warren’s absence, and how they had sent for his associates, including Worthing, Godown, and Lexford, to assist with the investigation. “Lord Worthing says there is no possibility Mrs. Warren climbed down the makeshift rope. The knots remained securely tied, but not pulled taut from the lady’s weight. The viscount assured your brother someone draped the rope off the balcony as a ruse.”
Carter’s mind was six steps ahead of Bella’s explanation. “Then why leave a note?”
“Lord Godown says the intruder is offering you a challenge you cannot refuse.”
Carter agreed with the marquis’s estimation. “I had best trail the others,” he said as he stood.
Bella followed him to her feet. “Bring Mrs. Warren back to us. My friend must be terribly frightened.”
Carter swallowed his own fears. He thought of how he had left the lady behind in Belgium–how he could have insisted on Merriweather’s retrieving “the boy”–how he had been so consumed with his own survival he had forgotten his promise to the youth until after Merriweather had escorted Carter from the field. He made no promises this time. “Please pray my best will be good enough.”
Bella trailed behind him. “Simon and I will do just that.”
He brushed his lips across his cheek. “Take care of yourself and the child. I will bring Law home safely.”
Tears of anxiousness flooded her eyes, but his sister in marriage’s voice remained steady. Arabella Lowery remained incomparably strong in the midst of chaos. “I want both Lowery brothers together under Blake’s Run’s roof.”
Within another quarter hour, Carter was following the trail left behind by seven horses. He was uncertain as to the identity of the other two riders, but he assumed one was the family steward. Mr. Beauchamp was an excellent hunter, and the man knew the land better than anyone in the neighborhood. It was odd. In the half hour he had spent at Blake’s Run, his father had not sought him out, if for no other reason than to charge Carter with Law’s care or to accuse Carter of delivering scandal to the baron’s door. The knowledge of Blakehell’s lack of interest in the turmoil only proved how removed from Carter’s life his father remained.
Lucinda had concentrated her efforts on deciphering where her abductor had taken her. She knew when they had departed the untended country roads and had moved along one of the turnpikes. No longer violently jostled about in the small box, she had accessed what she could do to escape.
She began with inspecting the latched opening only to find it secure. Next, she pushed against each of the boards above her head and the ones on her left. None gave even an inch. Unable to turn to address those on her right, Lucinda reluctantly accepted the fact she could not manage an escape while still in the box. Therefore, she must keep her wits about her when she reached the planned destination.
Her abductor had said he had held Mr. Warren’s acquaintance; yet, Matthew had passed some four years prior. If a connection existed between her late husband and her captor, it was one of long duration. The man had also claimed knowledge of Sir Carter, but not necessarily the baronet’s acquaintance. Lucinda held no doubt the “lover” to whom the man referred was Sir Carter. To the best of her knowledge, Mr. Warren and the baronet had had no prior connection. Sir Carter was some four years junior to her husband, and so an acquaintance similar to the one Matthew Warren held with Brantley Fowler was an unlikely possibility.
Then what connection did they possess? Even she had not known Sir Carter until that fateful day in Belgium. Therefore, a connection between the two could not have existed. She was the only link between Sir Carter and Mr. Warren, which meant her abductor thought Lucinda held information regarding Matthew Warren’s actions–actions that would have piqued Sir Carter’s interests. Now, all she had to do was to determine what deception Captain Warren had practiced right under her nose.
For a brief second, Lucinda had experienced the shame of her foolish naiveté, but she quickly placed her blame on hold. She would have plenty of time to berate her actions, or lack thereof. Instead, she replayed every interaction she had had with Sir Carter. She would focus upon what the baronet had said of his investigations. Somewhere in Sir Carter’s most casual speeches were hidden clues to this madness.
He had ridden hard and had overtaken his brother’s search party, which had rested their horses while studying a map of the land. He slowed his horse to a walk so as not to surprise them. Kerrington had heard Carter’s approach before the others and had looked up. “Reinforcements,” he had said to Godown and Kimbolt, and the other Realm members came forward to greet him.
Carter dismounted swiftly, and although his body ached from the pounding it had taken in the saddle, it was encouraging to know these three men had interrupted their lives to support him. He extended his hand to Kerrington. “I am pleased to discover you here.”
Kerrington clapped him on the back as he accepted Carter’s gesture. “We prayed you would receive word to join us. We are in a quandary as to what has occurred. Apparently, someone has taken Mrs. Warren from your father’s estate, but we do not understand the ‘why’ or the ‘wherefore.’ Hopefully, you can share some details, which will explain what we face.”
Carter frowned, “I am not certain I am as knowledgeable as you assume. Let us refresh the facts and see what develops.” He stepped past Kerrington to greet his brother, Charleton, and Mr. Beauchamp. Finally, his eyes fell on the last rider, his father. Carter schooled his expression. “Thank you, Sir,” he said simply.
As if his actions should have been self explanatory, the baron declared, “I could not permit harm to come to Lawrence.”
Carter swallowed the bitterness rushing to his throat. “Whatever your motives, Sir, I am proud to ride at your side.” With that, Carter returned to where Kerrington gathered the others about a small opening. They sat upon fallen tree trunks, large rocks, and the ground. The familiarity of working with his Realm brothers assisted Carter’s concentration. “Perhaps you might quickly tell me what you have discerned, Worthing. I am aware of how Lady Hellsman came to discover Mrs. Warren’s disappearance.”
Kerrington quickly summarized what Carter had previously discerned from Lady Hellsman before adding, “There were signs of a struggle: water from the basin on the carpet and fresh marks on the door face.”
“Anything else of note?”
Law explained, “The message left behind speaks of your ignoring what must be a current investigation.”
“Other than the search for Simon’s family, Mrs. Warren and I hold no connections.” He held each man’s steady gaze to permit him the truth of his words.
Lexford asked, “Is it not a fact the attempts on Mrs. Warren’s life began after she assumed guardianship of the boy?”
“Your question holds merit, but I am still unconvinced the child is the key to solving this madness,” Carter responded. “We must be overlooking an important clue.”
Kerrington asked, “I understand protocol, but could you not share a bit upon what cases you have been pursuing?”
Carter knew Lord Worthing would not ask unless he was certain a connection existed, but Carter did not relish breaking confidences. He hesitated, choosing his words carefully. He held no qualms on discussing the matter with his Realm brothers, but Carter had always carefully hidden the dangers of his position from his family, who looked upon him as nothing more than a glorified clerk. He would not have them worry unnecessarily. “In Suffolk, we have been searching for Murhad Jamot among a local smuggling ring. Dylan Monroe and I cornered Jamot and his contact in a Lincolnshire inn, but Monroe was wounded, and Jamot escaped.”
The marquis’s countenance darkened. “That does not sound of you, Lowery. How did the Baloch manage to slip your grasp?”
Carter paused again. “Jamot held Mrs. Warren prisoner?”
It was the earl’s turn to frown. “What pray tell was my niece doing at a disreputable inn, and why would you place Lucinda in danger?”
Carter fought the urge to squirm. He would prefer the others would not know how much his heart had ached to see her again and how frightened he was when he encountered Jamot holding Mrs. Warren as his prisoner. “While I was in London, Mrs. Warren received a letter from someone who forged my hand. It asked her to meet me at The Rising Son Inn, stating I had discovered Simon’s family. As the lady had no knowledge of my script, and as I had been actively searching for the boy’s family, Mrs. Warren had no reason not to believe the message.”
The marquis summarized, “Someone knew of your assisting the lady and used that information to usurp your efforts. The move was not coincidental. Have you discovered the identity of the forger?”
Again, Carter would prefer not to disclose all the facts until he knew the truth. Reluctantly though, he said, “Swenton brought something suspicious to my attention: Mr. Monroe is in close proximity whenever there is a sighting of Murhad Jamot. The baron’s observation has led Pennington to take Monroe into custody. We believe Monroe is the letter’s author.”
Kerrington’s scowl lines deepened. “Why would Monroe involve Mrs. Warren if he is in Jamot’s pocket?”
Carter swallowed his pride. “Perhaps Monroe thought if Mrs. Warren and Simon were present, I would forsake my investigat
ion in order to protect the lady.”
Law asked, “Was it not in Suffolk that Mrs. Warren received her death threat?”
Charleton demanded incredulously, “What threat of death?”
“The note of which my brother speaks was a barely literate attempt at intimidation,” Carter explained.
Lexford stretched his legs and poked a stick at a clump of grass, but Carter recognized the viscount’s disguise of nonchalance. Aidan Kimbolt had latched onto the incongruity in Carter’s story. “Was it Jamot who shot Monroe?”
“No. An elderly gentleman. Well dressed, but likely not of the aristocracy.” He spoke to Kerrington in hopes his former captain would realize the predicament in which Carter found himself. His position with the Realm required he keep his silence on certain matters. “The man who followed Mrs. Warren in London described his employer in a similar manner. I have attempted to disregard the possibility Mrs. Warren has become involved in some grand scheme, but…”
Kerrington finished Carter’s thought, “But we could be walking into some sort of trap.”
The earl sputtered, “You think my niece practices treason!”
“The lady spoke quite eloquently on the oppression of the Corn Laws and the government’s suppression of the poor,” Law stated defensively.
It did Carter well to have his older brother defend him; he had always admired Lawrence Lowery’s strength of conviction, but Carter could not permit any of the group to malign Lucinda Warren. The woman had quite thoroughly engaged his heart. “Mrs. Warren said no more than what half the country says daily. However, I do believe Mrs. Warren possesses information, which has placed her in danger.” His decision made, Carter added, “I know of no connection between Mr. Monroe and Mrs. Warren other than my former assistant taking note of my genuine concern for her and the boy.”
The marquis’s countenance held puzzlement. “What are you not telling us regarding the lady and Monroe?”
Realm 06 - A Touch of Love Page 27