Charity

by Deneane Clark

  “It’s a keep,” he corrected her absently. From far away, he finally heard something that sounded like applause. This was followed by a louder cheer. Curious, he turned toward the stairs that led to his mother’s solar. She never entertained guests.

  He took the steps two at a time. Mercy looked at her sister, shrugged, and followed.

  He walked into the solar unnoticed by anyone except Sebastian, who leaned against a far wall, his arms folded across his chest. The rest of the household, staff and all, were gathered in a tight knot around a small table at which his mother and Niles were seated facing one another. He drew near and, because of his height, was able to look over the throng to see what was going on. It was a bit of a shock.

  The unlikely pair was playing at a strange game, wrestling with their thumbs. He watched in astonishment as his mother deftly avoided having her thumb pinned by the stocky, powerfully built valet time and time again, until at last she managed to maneuver herself into position. With a cry of triumph, she smashed down on his thumb while the crowd counted gleefully to three, and then she threw up her arms in victory. Everyone cheered. Niles looked disgusted with himself.

  “I’m telling you,” crowed Lewiston. “She can’t be beat!”

  Just then, Mercy walked in with her sister and brother-in-law, and she let out a screech of delight when she saw Sebastian leaning against the wall. Everyone stopped and turned toward the door.

  Sebastian groaned. “Sweet mother of—”

  “Mercy!” cried Charity. She extricated herself from the throng and ran across the room to give her sister a hug. “My goodness, you’ve grown even taller since we left for London.” She stepped around to hug Matthew and Amity, too, smiling happily at having rejoined some of her family.

  “What’s going on here?” Lachlan looked balefully around.

  All the servants suddenly remembered they had duties they should be attending and scattered. Mercy watched them go with an irreverent grin. “Quite a talent you have there, Ashe. Are you going to frighten small children for your next act?”

  Charity slipped arms around her husband’s waist, thrilled that he had returned. “Your mother has the most formidable thumbs in all the land,” she declared, before she remembered she was mad at him and pushed him away. “And why did you not tell me you were leaving?”

  “I decided to save myself the hassle of hearing you argue that you did not need a doctor in residence.” He peered around. “Had I known you’d turn my home upside down in less than a week, I’d have taken you with me.”

  “Actually,” put in Matthew, “she probably doesn’t need a doctor just yet. But it couldn’t hurt,” he amended hastily when his wife swatted his arm, cheerfully resigning himself to the fate of being carted all over the island whenever an Ackerly sister became pregnant.

  Lachlan leaned down and kissed his wife on the cheek. “Forgive me?”

  Too pleased to remain angry, Charity laughed and nodded. “You might want to rescue your cousin over there,” she pointed out. Near the window, Mercy was chattering away at her hero, Sebastian, her hands waving wildly in the air as she apparently filled him in on everything that had happened since they last met. He appeared dazed.

  “So, that’s basically where we are now.”

  Lachlan and Sebastian were circling the perimeter of the keep, just beyond the walls, and the marquess had brought his cousin entirely up to date on the events transpiring since they’d arrived in Scotland.

  “I think you and Niles may have hit upon something. There may indeed be a connection between the accident that killed your father and the ones you’ve experienced. It seems too much of a coincidence otherwise.”

  “If he was killed while riding . . . that would almost certainly point to Lewiston.” Lachlan shook his head. “I just can’t get my mind around that, him killing his father. He’s always been adamantly opposed to inheriting. If you’ll recall, I even offered to abdicate once I learned that Andrew Kimball was not truly my father. He flatly refused.”

  Sebastian nodded. “It doesn’t seem to add up. Perhaps your mother? She’s always been bitter that you inherited.”

  The marquess raised his eyebrows. “I got an earful about that from my wife. Charity decided that Mother was hurt by me as a child when I chose to spend time with Gregory and my father instead of her. She actually pointed her finger and told me to apologize.”

  Sebastian shook his head. “Ackerly logic.”

  Lachlan laughed.

  “Spend enough time around them and you’ll see what I mean. They see the world differently than any other people I’ve encountered. The only one who seems to have any sense at all is Patience, but she rarely leaves Pelthamshire.”

  They stopped walking near stone steps that led up to the drawbridge. Lachlan was thinking about his mother. “If it turns out Charity is right, then it’s possible Mother did resent me but has now had a change of heart. Although, that wouldn’t explain why she would want to remove my father, unless her prime motivation was for Lewiston to inherit. Then she would, through controlling him, regain her former position in the household . . . ?”

  “I don’t know.” Sebastian shook his head. “This feels male. The footprints you found were male, and it would have taken someone strong to saw through that axle. If we can find a connection between your father’s death and the attempts on your life, then I think we really need to look at Lewiston. If not him, it might be that Anthony Iverson has indeed made his way to Scotland and is attempting to hurt you and Charity both.”

  “Shh.” Lachlan suddenly held a finger to his lips. “Did you hear that?”

  Sebastian shook his head.

  The marquess listened again and then quietly climbed the stairs to the drawbridge. He’d heard a distinctive scuffling sound, rather like a boot on gravel. The duke followed. Cautiously they looked around the corner and down the drive that led to the keep.

  Coming toward them, clad in men’s riding clothes, was Mercy Ackerly. Both men sighed and straightened.

  “Hullo, Ashe,” the young woman said in a pleasant tone, then smiled up at Sebastian, her eyes filled with adoration. “I came to see if you wanted to go riding with me,” she announced, and then, before the duke could accept or decline, she turned back to Lachlan. “You’ll let me ride Apollo, won’t you?”

  The two men eyed each other over the top of her curly auburn head. “No,” said her brother-in-law, before reaching out to ruffle her hair.

  Mercy scowled and ducked away from his hand. “When are people going to stop treating me like a child? I’ve just turned sixteen, after all.” She tossed her head, turned on a heel, and stalked off toward the house, her long legs quickly eating up the distance.

  “She’s getting tall,” remarked the duke, a fond smile playing about his lips.

  Lachlan grinned. “Well, she’s ‘just turned sixteen,’ you know. Before you know it she’ll be on the marriage market and you’ll be a doddering old man wishing you’d had the foresight to arrange the marriage before the Town dandies began crowding her dance card.” He laughed and pointed to Sebastian’s temple, where a short swath had begun to show on each side. “You’re already turning gray.”

  “I blame that on the fact that my friends persist in marrying Ackerly women.”

  “You can only blame yourself, old man. If you hadn’t tried so hard to mow poor Mercy down with your coach three years ago, none of us would ever have met them. And it’s not as though you discourage her adoration.”

  Sebastian acknowledged the accusation with a reluctant nod. “Eh, the urchin amuses me. I admire her spirit.”

  They walked toward the house, following Mercy. “Well, you’re going to have to set her straight soon,” said Lachlan, “or you’ll end up hurting her when she makes her debut and realizes you’ve never had any intention of offering for her or anyone else.”

  Their voices faded as they drew farther away from the drawbridge. When he was sure they’d gone, Lewiston emerged from the shadows beneath
the structure and climbed the steps. He peeked around the corner and then quickly drew back his head. Amity and Charity were walking down the drive, arm in arm, deep in conversation. They strolled across the drawbridge and up the hill toward a little glade without noticing him. Their timing was perfect. Other voices were speaking, these in his head. They demanded he act.

  He bent over, picked up a sizeable rock and tested its heft in his hand. It would do. He peeked inside the walls one last time and then followed at a short distance behind the sisters. It wouldn’t be long now until his brother and his meddling friends figured out everything. The time to move was now.

  Thirty-two

  No, I had absolutely no idea what was going on,” said Amity. “From Scotland, Matthew and I went straight to his home in Rothmere, and sent a note to Grace and Faith telling them what we’d done and where we were. Faith replied soon after, but she simply said that you ran off with Lachlan, and that they were happy for both of us. She didn’t even mention the trouble with Anthony Iverson!” She gave her sister a curious look. “Do you know what became of him?”

  “All Lachlan knows is that he apparently left London after Trevor, Gareth, Jon and his grace confronted him at a ball. It will be interesting to see if he turns up in London next Season.” Charity’s face glowed cherry red from embarrassment. “I was such a foolish girl, but Lachlan was wonderful. He took care of me and then asked me to marry him the very next day.” Her chagrin faded, and she smiled at the memory. “Actually, he told me to marry him and then dared me to say no.”

  “And you finally realized you loved him and said yes, and now you’re living happily ever after.” Amity sighed with the beauty of it all.

  Charity snorted. “Um, no. I actually did refuse him.”

  “You did not! After everything you’d both been through to be together?”

  “Oh, you know me. I was stubborn.” She smiled wryly. “But he convinced me, and now here we are.” She pressed both hands to her flat abdomen. “Can you believe I’ll be having a baby?”

  They reached the crest of the hill and stopped, standing arm in arm for a quiet moment. Charity pointed down at the village. “I like to come up here in the morning because Ashton looks like a pretty jewel nestled in these green, green hills. I can’t wait for you to meet Father Bartholomew and some of the villagers.”

  “You seem more peaceful and happy than I’ve ever known you, Charity.” Amity grinned. “I’m so glad.” She punched her sister playfully in the arm. “Now if you’d have just listened to me after he kissed you that first time.”

  Laughing, Charity turned to hug her sister. Her eyes widened. “Lewiston?” she said in confusion, and then screamed when he raised his arm and brought a rock crashing down on the back of Amity’s head.

  Her sister crumpled to the ground. Charity stood rooted in place for a moment, staring down at Amity, and then she looked back up at her brother-in-law. When he started toward her, she turned and ran in the opposite direction, down the hill and away from the keep.

  With an angry snarl, Lewiston dropped the rock and gave chase.

  Lachlan and Sebastian walked into the solar, still hashing out the situation in low voices. Niles stood in alarm when he saw them. “Where are the twins?” he asked.

  Lachlan gaped. “They aren’t here?”

  “No. They said they wanted to take a walk, and when I looked out the window, the two of you were standing near the drawbridge talking to Mercy. I told them to go ahead, thinking you’d accompany them on their walk.”

  Lachlan stepped over to the window and looked down at the wide courtyard. The girls were nowhere to be seen. He followed the drive with his eyes and then let them rove up the hillside where he knew Charity liked to take her morning stroll. Nothing. Then he saw it: a motionless scrap of pale pink near the crest of the hill.

  “Matthew!” he bellowed, and sprinted out of the solar and down the stairs. Niles and Sebastian were hard on his heels, and the doctor joined them, looking confused.

  “I’ll saddle the horses,” called the duke. He ran toward the stables while the other three men ran across the drawbridge and up the hill.

  Lachlan got there first and knew instantly that it was Amity. He knelt and felt for a pulse, thankfully finding one, then stepped out of the way as Matthew arrived. Turning in a circle, Lachlan searched out any clue as to where Charity might have gone.

  Sebastian rode up on his big black stallion, leading Apollo. Lachlan swung up into the horse’s saddle. “Can the two of you get Amity back to the keep?” he asked the men without mounts.

  Niles nodded. Matthew was gingerly feeling the bump at the back of her head and glanced at the bloody rock on the ground. “Go,” he said to Lachlan. “Find your wife.”

  “Let go of me!” Charity clawed at the hand that half-covered her mouth while Lewiston dragged her toward the small cabin situated on the bluff. She kicked and struggled and dug in her feet, but because of her petite size Lewiston was able to make steady progress.

  They reached the small structure and he opened the door, pushing Charity inside ahead of him. She stumbled and then rushed back at him, arms flailing. “What have you done?” she shrieked. The image of Amity falling to the ground was a terrible one, and she slapped at him in renewed fury.

  Lewiston grunted and caught her wrists. He dragged her over to a table and grabbed the coiled rope he’d left atop it, binding her hands behind her back. “Your sister is still alive. I didn’t hit her that hard.”

  “Bastard,” she spat.

  His eyes flashed. “No, my lady. That distinction belongs to your husband.”

  “Is that what this is about? You want to be the marquess?”

  “Shut your mouth, Charity. You understand nothing. I’d have left you completely alone until we found out if that brat in your belly is male or female, but it turns out I may need you as a bargaining chip.” He backed her away from the table and pushed her down into a wooden chair.

  The second he let go of her, she tried to stand and run. Lewiston sighed and pushed her back down. “If you’re going to make this difficult, I’ll just go back and finish off that sister of yours.”

  She glared at him but stopped struggling, knowing he could get to Amity before she could. Lewiston grabbed the end of the rope that dangled from her wrists and began winding it around her ankles. He then tied the rope to one of the chair legs and took a step back.

  “I don’t suppose you’ll sit here quietly while I go see what’s happening at the keep, will you?” he asked. He hoped no one else had found Amity yet.

  She stared at him in astonishment and then found her voice. “Of course I will,” she said. Unfortunately, her eyes must have been burning with fury.

  He shook his head. “There’s entirely too much fight in you. Mother should never have interfered in Lachlan’s relationship with Beth. At least that one was easy to manipulate.” He untied his cravat and tugged it from around his neck. “This will have to do,” he said. He covered Charity’s mouth, tied the gag behind her head, and then left the cabin.

  As Charity heard the key turn in the lock, she immediately began struggling to get free.

  Thirty-three

  Matthew and Niles struggled through the front door, carried Amity across the foyer, and laid her on a large sofa near the fire. Eloise and Mercy stood nearby, watching, their hearts in their throats.

  Niles began to pace. He wanted to get out and help Lachlan and Sebastian but knew he couldn’t leave the dowager and Mercy here unprotected, especially since Matthew was busy trying to revive Amity.

  “What happened?” Mercy matched his steps.

  “Charity’s missing. His lordship and his grace are on horseback looking for her.”

  Mercy ran to the window, but on the ground floor could see nothing past the keep walls. She wrung her hands helplessly.

  On the sofa, Amity moaned and tried to sit up. Matthew placed a hand on her shoulder. “Shh. Lay back, darling.”

  “My head hurts.�
�

  “I’d imagine it does.” He laid a hand on her cheek.

  “I don’t know what happened.” She opened her eyes in alarm. “Where’s Charity?”

  “They’re looking for her, love. Do you remember anything?”

  “No,” she said. “We were just talking. She showed me the village.” Amity closed her eyes. “Then she turned around and got this horrible look on her face . . . and then I woke up here.”

  Her eyes, filled with panic, flew open. She sought her husband’s hand. He took it, and she glanced past him to the other occupants of the room. Mercy and Niles were pacing like caged animals and Eloise hovered near, a frightened expression on her face. “Wait,” she said. She looked around again. “Where’s Lewiston?”

  Niles and Mercy eyed one another.

  “Charity said his name just before I blacked out,” Amity explained.

  “I’ll go,” said both Niles and Mercy, then turned to glare at one another. “Stay here!” they said again in unison.

  Niles grabbed at Mercy’s arm. “You are not going out there. The marquess would have my hide, and his grace would finish off what ever’s left.”

  “How well do you ride?” asked Mercy. When the valet’s face fell, she tossed her head in a gesture of triumph. “Someone has to quickly tell them it’s Lewiston,” she said. “It’ll be tough to even find them if you can’t keep your seat.”

  As she spun and left the room, Niles stared after her. He turned back to the sofa and its occupants. “Is she always like this?”

  “Yes,” said Amity and Matthew.

  Lewiston watched Mercy fly across the drawbridge on horseback and knew it was over. They’d found Amity, or she had managed to make her way back to the keep and likely told them it was him. At the very least, his absence would now have been noted. His only option was to find Lachlan and use Charity as bait to get his brother to the bluff. After that, it would be a simple matter of pushing both of them over the edge.