“I hope you will give some thought to what I have said, and I hope that I haven’t caused any offense by being so bold as to issue advice.”
John rose and held his hand out in a friendly gesture. There was an almost companionable atmosphere between them as Rupert walked into the hallway. Given the lateness of the hour, John himself accompanied him to see him out and stood beside the front door while Rupert quickly donned his cloak.
As John opened the door, the loud gunfire that broke the silence changed both of their lives once more.
CHAPTER FOUR
Rupert spun around at the sound of the loud bang. He rushed to the door where John was staring blankly down at the growing red stain on the left side of his chest. His years of training immediately snapped into place and, within seconds, he yanked John out of sight of the road and slammed the heavy door closed to protect them from the gunman outside. John all but slumped into his arms and began to groan as he was carefully lowered to the floor.
Rupert cursed his lapse of attention. The procedure for opening any door was something he had learned from his early days with the Star Elite. It had been rank stupidity to allow John to see him out; even though he owned the house. Now, thanks to Rupert’s pre-occupation with the emotional draw of the past, Thea’s only surviving relative of note had been shot and badly injured.
Movement in the hallway behind him drew his attention. Argus, John’s butler, still dressed in his nightshirt, was hurrying toward them.
“Get some water and blankets,” Rupert demanded harshly. “If you are alright for a minute, I am going to get a doctor. Stay inside and lock the door behind me. When I come back I will knock three times. If you don’t get three knocks then don’t answer the door.” He didn’t wait for the butler’s nod of agreement before he pushed to his feet and raced out of the door. As he flew down the steps to the pavement, he caught sight of a dark, nondescript carriage turning slowly out of the end of the road. He glanced up and down the empty street but it was too late to race after the carriage. It would be out of the area before he even got to the end of the row of large town houses. Besides, John needed help, and quickly.
The hour was late and it took far too long to get the doctor to answer his door. By the time he returned to John’s house with the doctor in tow, the growing pool of blood the butler had failed to stem covered a large area around John’s unconscious body. The gravity on the doctor’s face said everything and together, the men carried John up the stairs to the master bedroom in worried silence.
Having fought on battlefields, Rupert was no stranger to death and destruction, and had seen more than his fair share of injuries, primarily gunshot injuries. However, he still struggled to control the shaking in his hands as he helped the doctor dig the bullet out and held the wound closed while the wound was sewn. It was nearly dawn by the time the Doctor Malder shook his head sadly at Rupert and washed the last of the blood off his hands.
“If he has any relatives, I would suggest that they pay a visit.”
“I don’t know where she is,” Rupert sighed. He should have pushed John for the details while they had been in front of the fire. Now, thanks to the man’s reluctance; well, both of their reluctance really, he faced a race against time to find her before John succumbed to his injuries. When the doctor pulled some laudanum out of his bag, Rupert moved toward the bed.
“John? Can you hear me?” He leaned over to look down into the man’s pale face.
John’s lids fluttered before slowly lifting to reveal eyes that were filled with pain. “Thea,” John whispered, in a voice that was reed thin.
“Where is she, John? I need to go and find her.”
“She lives in my hunting lodge in Leicestershire.” He gave Rupert the address and sighed. “You need to go to Bainbridge as well. Please Rupert?” John swallowed and moaned low in his throat as the world began to swirl around him. His hands fumbled and groped around until he caught Rupert’s hand and gave it a warning squeeze. “Promise me that you will go to Bainbridge and speak to your father.”
“I will, I promise. Right now though I need to find Thea and bring her here. She will want to see you.”
“Your father will tell you,” John replied gently. “Promise me that you will go. I need to see her.” His rambling words trailed off as he began to slide into unconsciousness. The doctor put the laudanum onto the bedside table and took a moment to check John’s breathing.
“I don’t know where this Bainbridge is, but I think you need to get there quickly. Get this Thea, who is so important to him, and bring her back here as quickly as you can.”
A muscle ticked in Rupert’s jaw as he nodded once before he stalked out of the room. Having committed the address to memory, he mentally began to map out what he could remember of the county of Leicestershire and calculated that it would take at least two days of hard riding to get there.
He bumped into the worried butler in the hallway. “What’s your name?”
“Argus, sir. I am the master’s butler and have been for the last twenty years.”
“Can you tell me, Argus, if the master had any enemies?”
The butler shook his head solemnly and carefully placed the dirty water bowl on the hallway table. “The master is well respected throughout London,” he replied with pride. “He is a good man and has many friends and associates who hold him in good standing. As far as I am aware, there isn’t anybody who would wish him ill.”
“I am going to arrange for my boss, Sir Hugo, to arrange for someone to keep a watch on the house. Until we know for certain who shot Mr Weatherby, I think it would be best if you refused to answer the door to anyone. Remove the knocker and close the shutters please. I am going to leave you a note to send off to the War Office as quickly as possible.”
The butler nodded briskly. Rupert could read the question in the man’s eyes but the butler was too well trained to ask. “I am going to head off to Leicestershire to find Thea and bring her back here, but it will take me three or four days at least. Meantime, only answer the door to the doctor. If my colleagues turn up, they will tell you that they are from an organisation called the Star Elite. Can you remember that?”
The butler nodded. “The Star Elite? Yes, sir, I can remember that.”
“They should show you a letter with the War Office’s wax seal on it. Don’t let anyone into the house if they don’t show you this letter. Now, get that note dispatched as quickly as you can.” He didn’t wait to see the efficient butler pick the note up and hurry off to find his cloak; he was already heading out of the door.
Within the hour, Rupert was heading toward the outskirts of London at a steady canter. Despite having sent a note via the butler, he stopped by the War Office anyway and had relayed events to his boss, Sir Hugo, who agreed to put Marcus into the house to keep watch while Rupert was away. It was now of paramount importance to the Star Elite that they do everything within their power to ensure that the person responsible for the shooting was identified and brought to justice, especially if the gunman was French and Rupert had been the intended target. Assured that everything was going to be put into motion back at Ridings, Rupert raced to find the past.
In deference to the fact that he had no idea who the intended victim was, his circuitous route to Leicestershire meant that it took him twice as long as it should have done to get to the address John had given him.
Afternoon sunshine beamed down on him as he rode between the tall stone pillars that bracketed the driveway to the hunting lodge like open arms beckoning weary travellers closer to the stone mansion that sat overlooking miles of empty countryside to the front and to the rear. A low mist hung in the air that gave the place an air of enchantment that captured the imagination and made him quicken his pace in order to bring his long journey to an end.
Although John had been adamant that Thea was at home, he couldn’t help but wonder if it had been such a good idea that he came in person. He should have sent a note, but had never stopped to consider h
is actions. He had thought of nothing but getting to Thea and being the one to deliver the sad news in person. Now that he was here, he wondered if he would be welcomed. Still, there was nothing he could do about it now. He gave himself a mental shake and cast aside his doubts as he dismounted and stalked toward the door. He knocked and stood back to wait for it to be answered. As he waited, uncharacteristic nerves settled over him as he tried to settle his thoughts into what he was going to say to her.
Thea yawned and shifted uncomfortably against the stiffness in her leg. She wished now that she had moved to the chaise before she had fallen asleep. She had not slept at all well last night and it had seemed to require too much effort to even attempt to fight the fatigue that had swept through her after her afternoon walk.
“Mistress? There is a gentleman here to see you,” Tilly announced quietly from the doorway.
“Pardon? To see me?” She stared at Tilly in consternation and mentally ran through whether she was expecting anyone. She hardly ever got any visitors and, as far as she was aware, the grocer wasn’t due until the end of the week. “Who is it, Tilly?”
“Mr Rupert Samuels, ma’am.”
Thea’s eyes grew wide at the same time that her stomach dropped to her toes. She barely got the chance to absorb Tilly’s news before Rupert appeared in the doorway.
As soon as he laid eyes on her all of the years they had been apart suddenly melted away. She didn’t appear to have aged one bit and was, if anything, more beautiful than before. She had a maturity about her now that was simply breath-taking. He opened his mouth to speak only for his pounding heart to lock firmly in his chest and prevent anything other than a brisk nod. For a few brief moments words failed him. What was he supposed to say? Good afternoon? Thank heavens I found you again? I have some bad news for you?
Thea swallowed and stared at him. Their eyes met and held for several long moments across the length of the sitting room, which faded into the background as the air thickened with awareness. A small voice warned her that she needed to mind her manners. She should rise and sketch a quick courtesy, but she couldn’t bring herself to move. She daren’t move in case the spell was broken and this turned out to be all a dream. Was he really there?
Her heart pounded in her ears as the minutes ticked by. The years had made him harder, edgier somehow. The small grey hairs at his temples gave him a rakish charm that befitted his more angular features that maturity had brought him. The youthful arrogance had gone and been replaced with someone who was watchful, leaner, and considerably more handsome. Her stomach lurched as the memories of the last time she had seen him came flooding back and her heart wept for all of the years that had passed since she had been able to even speak his name.
Rupert moved into the room, all the while searching the familiar features of the woman who had haunted his every waking hour since the day that they should have married. She was even more beautiful up close. Her wonderful blue eyes stared steadily at him and were shocked and filled with curiosity. His heart ached for everything they had lost and he wanted to reach out and just hold her, if only she would let him. So many emotions cascaded through him that he struggled to put a name to them all. There were so many questions that he didn’t know what to ask first. He studied her for several moments longer than was polite, and was aware of the cautious scrutiny of the young maid who was standing just inside the doorway watching them.
Thea felt physically sick. Her heart ached at the sight of him standing so close. She wanted to get up and leave, to run and keep on running until she was far away from him, but she couldn’t. Her body wouldn’t let her. It hurt to physically have him so close yet it was wonderful at the same time. He was so big, so solid, before her that she yearned to reach out and touch him just to see if he was real.
“Hello Thea,” he growled in a voice that was considerably huskier than usual.
“Rupert.” Her attention was drawn to Tilly, who was watching them avidly. “Would you care for some tea?”
Rupert turned to the young maid. “If you please, that would be nice.”
As soon as the maid left, Rupert closed the door and turned toward the woman he had yearned to see. He was aware that she hadn’t made any attempt to stand and wondered if it was just too painful for her. “How are you, Thea?”
“I am fine, thank you. Please take a seat.” She waited until he sat on the end of the chaise closest to her. “I am a little surprised to see you in such an out of the way place as this.”
“I am here for a specific purpose,” he replied quietly. He struggled to tear his gaze away from her. Several dark curls had escaped the bun at the back of her neck and they bobbed against the smooth skin of her cheek as she talked. He itched to touch one to see if it was as soft as it appeared and clenched his fists in an attempt to keep his hands still.
Thea frowned and sat upright. “Are your parents alright?” She took advantage of the opportunity to scour him from head to toe but couldn’t see anything amiss. Indeed, he looked wonderfully hale and hearty.
“I don’t know,” he sighed in all honesty. “I haven’t been back to Bainbridge in some time.” It was on the tip of his tongue to admit that he had left his ancestral home at the same time that she had vanished out of his life but was reluctant to discuss the past just yet. He remained silent while Tilly deposited a tray of tea things on the small table between them.
As soon as the maid had left the room, Thea rose and poured. The sight of her standing tall and straight warmed him to his core and he felt a wave of relief wash over him that rendered words impossible. Although her movements were slow, they bespoke of an elegant grace rather than painful awkwardness. She handed him his tea cup with a hand that shook slightly but he made no reference to it because if he was honest, he was just as shaken.
While she settled into the chair opposite, he took the opportunity to try to remember the words he had rehearsed on his journey there. He had considered various ways to tell her about her uncle but, now that he was here, he found himself extremely reluctant to break the news. Still, the memory of John looking pale and lifeless against the pristine white sheets of his bed were enough to prompt him to say what he needed to say so that they could start to make plans to leave. As soon as she was in London they would have plenty of time to discuss the past.
He knew one thing for certain, now that she was back in his life he had no intention of walking away from her a second time. Just seeing her again, feeling the impact she had upon him was more than enough to assure him that she was still very firmly a part of his life. She just didn’t know it yet.
“I am afraid that I have come with some news, Thea,” Rupert announced quietly and placed his cup on the table with far too much precision. He sighed and moved to kneel before her. The gravity on his face must have forewarned her that she wasn’t going to like what he had to say because she started to frown at him. He carefully picked up her delicate hands in his and studied the contrasts in her pale skin against his tanned, work-roughened fingers as he savoured the feel of her so close.
“I have had cause to be in London recently and met with your uncle.”
“Is he quite well?” She whispered and stared into his eyes searchingly. Up close, the thick fan of her lashes against her pale cheeks held him captive. He had never seen such long lashes on anyone before; why had he never noticed that about her before?
“I am afraid that he has been injured, Thea.” He felt rather than heard her gasp and clutched her fingers tighter in an attempt to reassure her. “He was alive when I left London, but he was poorly.” He didn’t want to say at death’s door. “He was asking for you.”
Thea swallowed and felt a wave of sickness sweep through her. She didn’t seem able to draw her horrified gaze away from his wonderfully familiar features. The stoic support in his steady gaze held her calm and she found herself clutching his fingers in return.
“When? How?”
“A couple of days ago,” he replied. “He got shot I am afraid,
but we don’t know who by or why.”
“Shot?”
Rupert nodded. “I don’t know if you are able to travel, but I think it would be best if you came to London with me. I have arranged for a carriage for you. How long will it take you to pack?”
Thea swallowed and tried to absorb his words. Her uncle had been the only person in her life who had ever given her any support. He had battled with her parents to be allowed to see her when she had been a young child and had been her stalwart supporter throughout her recovery after the carriage accident. Thankfully, he was now her guardian and since the death of her father, had done everything she had ever asked of him. Although he resided at Ridings, his home in London, and she lived in the countryside in Leicestershire, they had remained close and corresponded often. To think that he was now injured and all alone filled her with horror and brought back her own personal trauma with sickening clarity.
“I can be ready within the hour,” she whispered. She began to mentally run through the list of things she would need to pack only to stop and frown at him. “Can Tilly come with me? She is my maid.”
“Yes, if you want her to. I will have to ride my horse back because he doesn’t like being tied to the back of carriages. Having someone in the carriage to talk to will help to pass the time.” He didn’t add that he also needed to be on horseback to be able to double back and make sure that they weren’t either followed or ambushed on their journey to Mayfair. “I need to go and fetch the carriage but will be back within the hour. You will need to make sure that there is enough food packed so that you can eat on the way because I should like to only stop when we need to change horses.”
She nodded but barely registered his words. As soon as he pushed to his feet, she rose to see him out but realised too late that her movement brought them so close that they were almost touching. He made no attempt to move back though, or release his hold on her hand. He kept his eyes firmly locked upon hers and dipped his head to place a gentle kiss on her fingers.
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