Lord Runthorne's Dilemma: A Regency Romance

by Steele, Sarah-Jane

  Now her stomach twisted again, but not from hunger. She decided she did not want to put a name to the sensation. Instead she straightened her shoulders. This was too important a matter to allow emotion to interfere.

  Unlike her two friends, he was easily found. He was idly knocking balls around the billiard table. When Elizabeth entered, a smile lit his face and she was barely able to keep an answering tilt from her lips.

  “Elizabeth, I have been wondering where you were, we need to speak about what happened.”

  “Yes,” she said, “we do need to speak, but not about that, not now.” She held up her hand. “Please, my lord, this is important.”

  “I am tired of you calling me that, Elizabeth,” he took her hand and placed a gentle kiss on her fingers sending a shiver up her spine. “We will speak of nothing until I hear my name on your lips.”

  Elizabeth snatched her fingers away. “Please, do not ask that, not now.”

  “What is wrong, my dear?”

  Elizabeth sighed. “I wonder, my lord,” she said, more softly, “whether you have seen Charles recently?”

  “Not for some hours,” he said. “Perhaps he is walking in the gardens with Miss Granger. It is a very romantic location.” His smile was intimate and Elizabeth felt her cheeks warm.

  “I doubt it,” she said, with more conviction then she felt. “Mary has not been on speaking terms with him since, well, for some days.”

  “Since you were locked in the maze,” he said. “You must not worry about that, Elizabeth I am sure, now, that that situation was pre-arranged.” He sounded annoyed, not at her but on her behalf. “You have my word that your reputation will not be damaged by the pettiness of another.”

  Elizabeth shook her head. “Nevertheless, Mary took it hard.”

  Now he smiled. “You are so concerned for everyone else, my little love? But you must not worry. Charles and Miss Granger are friends again. They appeared on good terms when I last saw them.”

  Elizabeth ignored, with some difficulty, the flood of warmth she felt at his soft endearments. “Oh,” she said.

  “Oh?” He seemed surprised. “I would have thought you would have been pleased that they had reconciled their differences.”

  “I am, of course, but I have an awful premonition that they may have done something foolish.”

  He racked his cue. “Such as?”

  Elizabeth turned away, not wanting to say out loud what she feared. “You last saw them together some hours ago,” she said, instead. She knew he would understand her. “I have searched the entire house and most of the grounds and have not seen either of them anywhere.”

  His hand was gentle on her shoulder as he turned her back to face him. “Perhaps you just keep missing them,” he said.

  “Perhaps.” Then Elizabeth shook her head. “No, I do not think so.”

  “I see.” He frowned. “I hope you are wrong, Elizabeth.”

  “So do I, my lord.” She leaned into him and his arms circled her, his strength comforting her. She felt him drop a light kiss on her hair.

  “Do not despair, my love,” he said. “I will check in the stables, they may just have gone out for a ride. You should search your friend’s room, to be certain.”

  “Yes, you are right, James.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Oh.” Elizabeth tilted her head and looked up. His arms were still around her, holding without imprisoning her. She only had to take one step and she knew he would release her. Elizabeth placed her hands against his chest. She could feel his heart beating under her fingers.

  She could not push him away.

  “Perhaps you should go, my love.”

  “Yes.” But Elizabeth did not move.

  He smiled. It was a smile that lit his eyes. “I promise, we will continue this discussion later, my love.” He dropped his arms, running his hands slowly from her shoulders to her hands. He raised them to his lips and kissed each fingertip. “But for now,” he said, “time is of the essence.”

  “Yes.” Elizabeth’s voice sounded husky to her ears and she quickly cleared her throat, tearing her hands away. “I will go at once.”

  She closed the door with a slam.

  Fool, her conscience mocked her. One endearment and you are willing to throw away all honour, all sense.

  “Oh, be quiet.”

  ***

  Mary’s room was two doors along from her own. Elizabeth knocked, not expecting a reply.

  “My love. Are you there?”

  There was no answer. She eased open the door. It was still possible that her friend was there, asleep, but, even before she looked at the bed, Elizabeth realised her hopes were fruitless.

  The bed was neat, undisturbed, an island of calm in the chaos of the room. The closet was open and clothes were strewn over the chair and floor. Mary’s large jewellery box was open but empty and the Grecian vase she had inherited from her mother was missing.

  “Oh, Mary, what have you done?”

  Elizabeth’s heart sank. Perched in front of the empty jewellery box was a neatly folded sheet of paper, with her name scrawled across it. Elizabeth opened it, her fingers shaking. She read the few words quickly and sank down onto the neat bed. She could no longer deny it.

  They had eloped.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “No carriages are missing, my lord.” Baines held the horses’ heads as James handed Elizabeth up into his curricle.

  “How about riding horses?” Elizabeth settled her skirts.

  “None missing, Miss.”

  “I am sure they would not have walked.”

  James swung up into his seat. “It is possible, Elizabeth. We can only pray that we will come upon them quickly.” He gathered the reins. “Let them go, Baines. Remember, this is to go no further.”

  Baines sniffed. “You don’t need to tell me that, my lord. Just find them and come back before they are missed.”

  Twenty minutes later Elizabeth was still sitting next to James as he raced his curricle along the narrow country lanes.

  He drove in grim silence, leaving Elizabeth to her thoughts. The sun was warm on her face and the air was delicately scented by hedgerow flowers. The seat was narrow and his long thigh pressed hers through her skirts, but Elizabeth just felt hollow.

  “I have failed her.”

  “That is nonsense,” he said. He shifted, slowing the horses to take a tight bend. “Miss Granger might be young but she is still a grown woman. You cannot live her life for her.”

  “But she is my friend. I should have seen how unhappy she had become, and how desperate.”

  He grunted. “Well, as to that, I have not been much of a friend to Charles recently. I should have known what the idiot was planning.”

  “If they were on foot, we would have found them by now,” Elizabeth said, after a moment.

  “Yes.”

  “Could they have gone in a different direction?”

  “It is possible, Elizabeth, but I do not think so. Charles would have wanted to take Miss Granger somewhere safe as quickly as possible. I suspect he intended to hire a carriage somewhere. The nearest Inn is in this direction.”

  Elizabeth watched his strong hands, handling the highly strung purebreds so easily. The lane widened and James flicked the reins. The curricle rocked as they picked up speed. The birdsong had dropped and there was nothing to distract Elizabeth from the relentless heat beating down. She blinked, focusing on his long fingers. Her vision blurred around the edges.

  “James,” she said. There was a buzzing in her ears, almost as though she was surrounded by a swarm of bees.

  “You must not worry so, Elizabeth. We will find them.” His voice came from a long way away.

  “Elizabeth? Are you unwell?”

  She was vaguely aware of his arm holding her against his side and she allowed her head to rest against his chest. Then she gave in to the dark cloud surrounding her and closed her eyes.

  After a moment, or an eternity, the sound under
the wheels changed from beaten earth to cobbles. Voices shouted. She felt herself being lifted down and carried into a cool room and settled on a bench. A glass was pressed to her lips and she swallowed.

  She coughed.

  “What is that?” she said, when she could finally speak.

  “Brandy,” James said. His eyes narrowed, searching her face. “No, drink it all,” he said, as she tried to push the glass away. “I know you think it tastes foul, but it is bringing some colour back to your cheeks.”

  Elizabeth obediently swallowed the last of the noxious liquid then leaned her head back against the wooden back of the settle. “Oh. I think I fainted,” she said.

  “I think so, too,” he said. He did not sound amused.

  “Please do not.”

  He sat beside her and stretched out his legs. “You were as white as paper,” he said. “Why did you not tell me you felt unwell?”

  “I am all right,” Elizabeth said, knowing that she sounded irritable. “I think I am just hungry and we hardly have time to stop for food.”

  “When did you last eat?”

  Elizabeth shook her head but quickly stopped. It ached too much. “I am not sure.”

  “Elizabeth?”

  “Last night,” she admitted. “But I just have not wanted to eat. I am quite well now.”

  “Stay there.” He stood and strode out of the room, leaving Elizabeth open mouthed at his rudeness.

  He returned after only a moment, followed by a bustling little woman carrying a laden tray.

  “James, we do not have time to eat,” Elizabeth said, although the delicious aromas rising from the tray made her mouth water.

  “Lord bless you, my lady,” the woman said, bobbing up and down, “this’ll take you no time at all to eat. I won’t have it said that a poor lady was turned away from The Swan without a bite.” She placed the tray on the low table next to Elizabeth and bobbed again.

  “One moment,” James said, as the woman turned to leave. “I wonder, have you seen a lady and gentleman pass by today? They may have been walking or they may have hired a carriage from you.”

  The woman stopped, her brow furrowed in thought. “Let me see,” she said. “I was out the back all morning, so I can’t speak for then.”

  “It is more likely our friends would have passed this afternoon,” he said.

  “Well, that’s a little easier, m’lord. I was out front helping my husband much of the afternoon. We do get busy then and Mr Clark gets quite rushed off his feet. Now let me see.” She began to tick off her fingers. “There were no hires but there was the doctor. He stopped for a glass after helping young Mrs Darney with her new babes. Twins, she had. Boys. Like she needs another mouth to feed, let alone two. I don’t know how she manages, I really don’t.”

  “Mrs Clark,” James said.

  “Sorry, m’lord.” Mrs Clark frowned in thought. “Then there was Sid, but you won’t be interested in him. Oh, the Rector passed by in his dog cart and I saw old Lady Carmichael’s carriage pass a little after him.”

  Elizabeth hid a smile. It did not sound as though the little woman had done anything other than watch the road. She nibbled on her bread and sipped her soup. It tasted wonderful and she realised how hungry she had been.

  “You saw no-one else?” James sounded as though he, too, was amused by the woman’s total recall.

  “No-one who would interest you, m’lord,” she said. “Although…” she stopped.

  “Although what?” Elizabeth said, her spoon poised, forgotten.

  “Well, m’lady, it’s odd, but Sid don’t normally pass by. Not when it’s noon time. He always stops for a nip. Today, though, he kept going and he had a fine mort, I mean lady, with him. Her man was with her too. I noticed, because Sid don’t normally carry passengers in his cart. Truth is, most people would rather walk.” The woman’s bosom rose as she laughed heartily.

  James passed over a coin. “Thank you, Mrs Clark,” he said. “It seems we have missed our friends on the road. Perhaps you would wrap up the bread. I think we must be on our way.”

  “Why thank you, my lord,” the woman said. She glanced at the coin in her hand. “Thank you, indeed, my lord. You are most generous.” Her curtsey was deeper now. She quickly gathered up the tray, smiling as Elizabeth finished her soup.

  “It was lovely, thank you,” Elizabeth said and was rewarded with another beaming smile.

  “Come, Elizabeth,” James said, helping her to her feet. “We do not have a moment to waste.”

  “You think the couple in Sid’s cart were Mary and Charles?” Elizabeth fought to keep the incredulity from her voice.

  He shook his head. “I cannot be sure, but it is the first possible sighting we have.

  Elizabeth shuddered. “It sounds awful. What do you think Sid normally carries in that cart?”

  “I dread to think.” His smile was grim. He handed Elizabeth up into his curricle, waiting whilst she re-arranged her skirts. Once she was settled, he passed up the parcel of food from the innkeeper’s wife and swung himself up.

  “What are you smiling at,” he said.

  Elizabeth shook her head, nothing on earth would make her admit that she had been admiring his agility and the way his muscles moved in his strong arms. But, from the gleam in his eye Elizabeth suspected that he was reading her mind.

  Again.

  ***

  Elizabeth woke with a shiver. The sun was low on the horizon now and the heat had leeched from the day. James’ shoulder was hard under her cheek, an oasis of warmth against the evening chill.

  “I am sorry,” she said, sitting upright, putting a little distance between them.

  His eyes softened when he glanced at her. “That is all right, Elizabeth, you were tired,” he said. “There is a blanket behind you, if you are cold.”

  Elizabeth twisted and found the soft blanket tucked away behind the seat. “Thank you,” she said, snuggling into the warm folds.

  His smile was amused. “You are more than welcome.”

  Elizabeth returned his smile with a tentative one of her own. Despite her concerns for her friend, she felt comfortable next to him, not just physically, now she was warmer, but emotionally. Somehow she knew he would make everything right.

  “It’s getting late,” she said into the silence. “Have you any idea how far they could have gone?”

  “The cart was seen a little while ago,” James said. His face was grim. “The farmer did not remember seeing either Charles or Miss Granger, but he recognised Sid. Apparently, the man makes a small living by carting, ah, fertilizer from one farm to another.”

  Elizabeth blinked as she thought about that. She had lived in the country a long time. A slow smile grew on her lips. “Oh dear,” she said. She chuckled. “Mary would not have liked that. She is quite fastidious, you know.”

  “I do not think Charles would have liked it either,” James agreed. “But it is no more than they deserve for causing you so much worry.”

  Elizabeth rearranged the folds of her blanket, grateful for the clean scent. Poor Mary, she thought.

  “What have we here?”

  Elizabeth followed his pointing finger. It was growing darker and the shadows were lengthening, almost hiding the cart that had fallen into the ditch running alongside the road. He pulled his horses to a stop and jumped down.

  “Stay there,” he said.

  Elizabeth pushed back her blanket and climbed down. She was not going to wait tamely in the curricle. She rubbed her arms against the cool air.

  “I told you to stay in the curricle,” he said.

  “Yes, I heard you perfectly clearly, James,” Elizabeth said. “I did not come with you, just so you would have a meek female to order about. Mary is my friend. If she is hurt, I want to help.”

  “I would never think you meek, Elizabeth. On the contrary you are possibly the most obstinate female I have ever met,” James said.

  Elizabeth ignored him and stepped around him so that she could see i
nto the cart. “I do not see anything,” she said.

  A low groan came from the shadows and Elizabeth clasped her fingers. It did not sound like Mary or Charles, but somebody was hurt.

  “If you move one inch from that point…”

  Elizabeth waited to see if he was going to finish his threat. He gave a helpless growl and shook his head before jumping down into the ditch.

  “Just please, stay where you are until I know what has happened,” he said.

  His concern for her was so evident in his voice that she could not deny him. “Of course, James,” she said.

  “Well, I think we have found Sid,” James said, after a moment. There was a rustle and the cart shifted. There was another groan and he reappeared helping a man out of the ditch.

  Elizabeth took an involuntary step back. Once out of the shadows, Elizabeth realised that the man was not as old as she had originally thought. He was lean to the point of emaciation and his hair was sparse, but he still appeared to have most of his teeth if his grimace was anything to go by.

  “I can see a portmanteau and a hatbox in the cart but no sign of Charles or Miss Granger,” he said.

  Sid tried to dart away, but James had him firmly by the scruff of the neck. “I didn’t do nothing,” he said, his voice a nasal whine. “They said as how I could have them.”

  “I find that highly unlikely,” he said, giving the smaller man a shake. Elizabeth had never heard him sound so furious. She hoped he would never have cause to speak to her like that.

  “Please tell me where you left your passengers,” she said, hoping her gentler approach would gain the information they needed.

  “Oh, my lady, you’ve a kindness about you. You have a gentle, pretty face.” Sid tried to touch his brow but James held him firmly. “I had to cut me horse free or she’d have caught herself in the straps. Where will I find another beast? And I got a couple of kiddies at home who’d need their supper.” Sid’s whine grew. Elizabeth instinctively reached into her reticule.