“So, let’s head off to London,” Rupert suggested. He was glad that he was already packed and ready to go. He drained the last dregs of his ale and dropped his mug on the table, as eager to give chase as his colleagues were. Although everyone was tired and hungry, they were all aware that there wasn’t a moment to lose if it they wanted to stop Fornier from heading back to France with valuable information.
A week later, Rupert sat in a booth at the rear of Whites and watched the assorted patrons as they arrived and left the exclusive gentleman’s club. He had just left Harry and Marcus at an old abandoned warehouse in London’s dockland where they were keeping watch for any sign of Fornier or his contacts, and he now rather wished that he was there with them.
The rather austere property was busy with many of London’s highest nobility enjoying the plush leather seats and the amiable atmosphere that was heavily laden with pipe and cigar smoke. At one time in his life, Rupert had visited Whites frequently and had felt at ease there. Now though, he felt as though he was in a different world to the one he had grown accustomed to.
While the urge to leave was strong, he also knew that Whites was the last place Fornier or any of his French colleagues would even consider venturing into. For the time being at least, it was safe to relax and enjoy the wonderfully fragrant brandy at his elbow.
A few minutes later, he eventually gave in to the yawn that threatened and, not for the first time, thought about the wonderfully warm and comfortable bed that awaited him at his lodgings. The only good thing about staying in London was the plethora of accommodation that was readily available to the weary traveller and he had spared no expense in purchasing something that provided him with a few extra home comforts. When another yawn loomed he pushed away from the table and made his way to the door with his thoughts firmly locked on getting some much needed sleep.
It was only when he was on the doorstep that he glanced up when he became aware that someone was blocking his path. His gaze was immediately captured by John Weatherby’s and his world drew to a stop. He studied the older man and nodded warily at him when John called a polite greeting.
“Are you coming or going?” Rupert asked quietly as he nodded to the highly polished doors behind him.
“Going,” John replied solemnly.
When John made no attempt to extend the conversation, Rupert studied the road before them. He wanted to turn around and walk away but something kept him rooted to the spot. His recent conversation with Jacob lurched into his mind and he silently contemplated what to do.
“How are you?” he asked indifferently. He didn’t really care how the man was. From the look of the expensive cut of his jacket and the healthy glow to his cheeks he was in fine fettle.
“Very well, thank you. Yourself?”
Rupert nodded and frowned at the passing traffic. He was aware that John was studying him but neither man broke the silence. At one time in his life Rupert would have made his excuses and walked way, but the last four years had changed him almost beyond recognition. He was now not the kind of man who shied away from anything. So why wasn’t he saying the words that hovered on his lips?
“How is Thea?” His voice deepened huskily. Just saying her name brought about a fierce ache in his chest that made him suck in a deep breath to steady himself.
“She is fine,” John replied as he studied the many, many changes that had happened to the man beside him. “You are one of Sir Hugo’s men now, aren’t you?” The respect in John’s eyes was plain to see and surprised Rupert a little.
Rupert nodded but didn’t expand on his work given that they were standing outside where anyone could overhear. He watched the occasional carriage trundle past and wondered if he should invite the older man back into the gentleman’s club so that they could talk more privately.
“I wasn’t aware that you knew Sir Hugo,” Rupert murmured quietly. As far as he was aware nobody knew who the Star Elite were apart from a handful of people in the War Office.
“We are old friends,” John replied obliquely. He studied the changes the four years had wrought upon Rupert and felt the heavy weight of guilt grow a little heavier. It broke his heart to admit it but he had, on more than one occasion, bitterly regretted the actions he had taken all those years ago when he had lied to protect his battered and bruised niece.
“Does Thea reside at Weatherby House now?” He had no idea why he felt so driven to know. A part of him hoped that her father would have done at least one decent thing for her in his life and left her the house because she was his only child. On the other hand, the thought of her being stuck in that huge house with nobody but her waspish mother to keep her company chilled him to the bone.
“No, she refused to even consider going back there. She was in a bad way after the accident as you know. I didn’t think it was fair to inflict Frances on her too.” His lips quirked wryly and he shared a knowing look with the man who should have been Thea’s husband by now.
“She needed to be moved far away from that awful woman.” It was all he could think to say. The myriad questions that tumbled through him were difficult to make sense of and he didn’t know quite where to start. “Where is Thea now?”
When John didn’t immediately answer, Rupert wondered if he would have to punch the information out of the older man and only just held on to his patience when John merely studied the traffic for several long moments in thoughtful silence.
John sighed and turned to stare sightlessly at the passing traffic. The way that Rupert had continued to call by the doctor’s house daily while Thea fought for her life had haunted John and, to this day, continued to poke at his conscience with ruthless efficiency. Not for the first time he had wondered whether he had been wise to support Thea’s desperate cries not to allow Rupert to see her in such a way, especially now that she was scarred for life and unable to walk again. John’s own personal need not to distress Thea any further had driven him to accommodate her wishes. However, he couldn’t help but wonder where the couple would be now if Rupert had been allowed to see Thea. She may have found the happiness that had so far eluded her and Rupert would most probably never have joined the army, or gone on to work with the Star Elite.
John had enough contacts in Whitehall to know that all of the men of the Star Elite were held in the highest esteem and had a reputation for dealing with matters not only discretely, but with diligence, attention to detail and ruthless efficiency. There wasn’t anyone in the War Office who wouldn’t move heaven and earth to provide the men with anything they asked for.
He couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if he gave Thea and Rupert a little nudge in the right direction. Rupert’s interest in Thea was evident given the speed of his questions about her, and the intent look in his eyes while he waited for an answer.
“Are you busy for a while?” John asked as he watched a carriage pull to a stop directly in front of him and glanced over at the man who should have been his family by now.
“No, I was just heading back to my lodgings for the night.”
“Why don’t you come back to Ridings with me? I have a few things I need to discuss with you.”
It is about time she joined life again, John thought to himself as he climbed into the carriage and settled down against the squabs. He didn’t need to look behind him to know that Rupert had climbed into the carriage as well and had taken a seat opposite. Even if Rupert didn’t wish to see Thea again, John just had to clear his conscience and at least appease the man’s curiosity.
By the time Rupert was seated in front of the roaring fire in John’s lavishly decorated study, his curiosity was at boiling point. He watched John place the decanter of brandy onto the small table between them almost too carefully. The deep frown on the man’s face warned Rupert that he was gathering his thoughts and deciding what to tell him and what to keep a secret.
A ripple of unease swept through him as he waited. He had learned from his time in the Star Elite that it was sometimes best to sit back a
nd wait for information to come forward willingly than to poke and pry and get people annoyed in order to glean whatever information he wanted.
“Where is she, John?” A single, horrifying thought swept through him for one brief moment. He had to take a breath and remind himself that John had confirmed earlier that Thea was fine.
John sighed and leaned back in his chair to study the man before him. The years had brought about a maturity and inner strength that was defined in the breadth of his shoulders and the straightness of his spine. It was the inner wisdom in Rupert’s eyes though that warned John that the years had taken their toll in a way that was more than just physical. Their once youthful glimmer of mischief had long since been replaced with a hardness that had been brought about by the things the man had seen and done. John hated to even think what those things were, but had heard enough about the Star Elite’s latest fight to rid the country of a ruthless gang of French spies to know that their skirmishes were often bloody and brutal.
“She lives in my old hunting lodge in Leicestershire. As you know, the injuries she sustained in the accident were severe. They have taken a long time to heal and she has had a mammoth battle to even get to the point where she can manage to live with them. However, she still refuses to join society. I have sent her many invitations to visit me here but she has refused all of them. She is very independent and reluctant to accept help from anyone other than her maid, Tilly.” His frustration rang clearly in his voice.
“There is just Thea and Tilly in the house?” Rupert wanted to ask if she was married. The question hovered on his lips and he wondered if John could read it in his eyes.
“No. She has a housekeeper, Agatha. Agatha’s husband, Bertie looks after the grounds and does the fetching and carrying for the ladies.” John sighed and downed his drink in one fortifying gulp. After refilling both goblets, he settled back in his chair. “I don’t know if I would cope as admirably as she does, I can tell you.” There was a wealth of meaning in the man’s words that warned Rupert there was more to the story.
“Has she managed to walk again?”
“Yes she has,” John replied to Rupert’s immense relief. “Most days she only has a slight limp, but still struggles to manage anything other than a steady walk. However she is up and about.”
Rupert lifted his brows at that and studied John carefully. “What about Weatherby? Why did she not move there, even for the short term? I know her mother was there but, given the nature of Thea’s injuries, and the fact that house is big enough to accommodate both Thea and Frances without either of them needing to even set eyes on each other, surely it would have been a better option than allowing her to live by herself with nobody but staff to support her?”
John shook his head slowly. “She loves the house but I think she believes that if she did return, her mother would reappear and demand to live there too and Thea has had enough to contend with.”
“Would she manage the stairs alright? I mean, she can walk but is she able to go up and down the stairs freely?”
“She can manage stairs perfectly well although takes her time, obviously,” John replied with a smile. “I think that emotionally she didn’t want any more aggravation from her mother and returning to Weatherby, which is a big house for someone to live in by themselves, would leave her vulnerable.”
“Her mother would prey on Thea’s vulnerability.” It wasn’t a question. Frances would have no hesitation in milking any opportunity to fleece Thea and remain at Weatherby if she could get away with it. “Where is Frances now?”
“I packed her off to a small house in the Cotswolds. It isn’t the large, grand house she is used to but it was the only one on offer,” John reported dryly. It was good to be able to confide in Rupert, and have his curiosity. It showed that the man still had an interest in the family, and where there was interest there was hope.
“That must have pleased her immensely,” Rupert sighed ruefully and shared a knowing look with John.
“She was just like a bear with a sore behind when I forced her out of the main house. I informed her that it was far too big for one person to live in. Even if she could afford to remain there, which she couldn’t, it was my house and I wasn’t prepared to allow her to reside in such splendour given the way she had treated Thea. I give her a small stipend and insisted that she reside in the Cotswolds and start to live within her means.”
Rupert sucked in a breath through his teeth at the thought of the woman’s reaction to such a travesty and his suspicions were proven correct at John’s next words.
“She fought it and argued vociferously for the right to stay but, eventually, I got her to move out while Thea was still recovering. At first I thought that she had given up relatively easily and disappeared off to the Cotswolds as instructed. However, to my consternation, as soon as I moved back to London, Frances moved back into Weatherby. I received a letter from the very confused butler there who was struggling to understand what was going on. I had to pay a return visit and oversee the house being closed down to ensure that Frances understood she was no longer welcome to reside at Weatherby. I also threatened her with trespass if I found her in the house again. Unfortunately, because Thea was bored at the time, I told her all of this without thinking. I think it has been part of the reason why she has not wanted to return. I have ensured that Weatherby is Thea’s but she refuses to reside there because I think she feels Frances will get wind her opening the house up again and turn up on the doorstep with her suitcase.”
“Why Leicestershire? I mean, what is the connection with that part of the county? I know you had a hunting lodge there, but Thea could have chosen somewhere closer to London.” Rupert mentally cursed. He had been in Leicestershire only last week. For all he knew her house could have been one of the cottages in the nondescript little village he had been standing in. He had been in the same county as her and hadn’t known it. He took a sip of his drink and studied the fire in the hearth for several long moments.
John leaned forward in his chair. “What are you plans for the future?”
Rupert studied the man carefully. Was he asking what Rupert’s plans were with regards to Thea? Or was he asking just to make conversation?
“I have some work to carry out here and then will move on to wherever my next mission takes me. After that, I am not entirely sure.”
“Have you ever considered leaving the Star Elite, and, say, taking up something mundane like running an estate?”
“Have you been speaking to my father?” Rupert drawled almost ruefully only to frown at the searching look John gave him.
“Only last week actually. He is keen for you to at least visit Bainbridge Hall again, Rupert, but has Bainbridge running like clockwork as you know. Even though you are obviously determined not to take over running the estate, you are still the man’s son and he wants to see you.”
Rupert frowned and thought over their conversation carefully. He wondered if he had missed something but hated to ask John, a veritable stranger, if his father was in good health. If he was any son at all, the least he could do was gather that particular piece of information for himself. It galled him to think that he had no idea what had happened at Bainbridge while he had been away, and couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to him over the last four years; to his capacity to think and feel anything for anyone beyond himself. Had his time in the Star Elite just exacerbated his emotional isolation?
“I have a job to do here before I think about returning home,” Rupert replied coldly. Deep inside though, he knew that John was right.
Although he had been cast out of his own family who had happily declared him the black sheep of the family, John Weatherby had proven himself to be anything but a down and out wastrel. Through his ownership of a chain of cotton mills in Yorkshire, he had made himself a veritable fortune which had been invested wisely, and had turned him into one of London’s most generous philanthropists. If he gave advice, Rupert needed to listen to it.
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�I know, I am not suggesting for one moment that you put everything to one side with the Star Elite and head home. I am just recommending that you consider returning to Bainbridge for a visit. After all, your father is not getting any younger.” John sighed and placed his elbows on his knees. “We all do things we regret, Rupert. God knows I have made my fair share of wrong decisions and have hurt people I care about by doing so. I know I am prying, and you are at liberty to tell me to mind my own business if you want to, but I just don’t want you to take anything for granted, that’s all. Make peace with the past and you will find the future will open up a whole host of opportunities for you that you never considered possible.”
Rupert wondered if he was talking about Thea, Bainbridge, or himself.
“I will consider it before I take on my next mission,” he relented, and smiled carefully to hide his concern. Why did John want him to go to Bainbridge? It wasn’t as if the man had a long history with the family. If he hadn’t met John through his association with Thea, Rupert would never have known he existed at all yet John had said that he was a friend of his fathers. Why had his father never mentioned it?
Now, here he was, sitting in the man’s study, drinking fine brandy and having lectures on what to do with his own family. It should irk him. If anyone else of his acquaintance had had the temerity to interfere in his family business they would have been told where to go. With John however, he found it impossible to find the will to be angry at him. The man had been the key reason why Rupert hadn’t been able to gain access to Thea after the accident. Rupert shouldn’t even be speaking to him let alone taking advice from him. However, Thea was too damned important to him to turn his back on John completely.
“Well, I am going to bid you goodnight. I have a lot of work to do in the morning.”
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