The Convenient Bride

by Winchester, Catherine

  She received excellent tutoring and as she grew, came to despise her mother for her lack of education and resented her father for prohibiting her plans. Angry at what she saw as their attempts to limit her, in 1812, aged 18, she stole her mother’s savings and ran away to London. Unable to gain an audience with the Prince Regent, she sought out his estranged wife, Caroline of Brunswick, who George IV had exiled from Society, although she remained popular with the people. Caroline lived at Connaught House in Bayswater and by buying herself some rather expensive clothes, Mary had been able to gain an audience with Caroline.

  Unfortunately for Mary, while Caroline was sympathetic to her plight, she was the Duchess of Brunswick, daughter of the King of Brunswick and wife of the Prince Regent, so she knew exactly how Society worked and agreed with Lord Ashcroft. Since she considered Richard Ashcroft to be a friend, as well as being a supporter of Caroline in her propaganda campaign against her husband, she offered Mary shelter for a few nights and immediately wrote to her father.

  Lord Ashcroft arrived the following day, embarrassed and incensed by his wayward daughter’s behaviour, and took her home.

  He implemented a number of methods to try and control Mary but her behaviour only got worse with time. No amount of locks and servants seemed able to hold her and she ran away a further four times.

  Until that point, Ashcroft had still harboured hopes that Mary could form a good marriage, and indeed he had offered a handsome dowry to that end but although many men tried to win her hand, none succeeded in turning her head. Befitting her station in life, none of the men were titled but they were all from good families, often in trade. That wasn’t good enough for Mary though and while he tried his best to hush up the scandal, news that she had been discovered in the bed of the Duke of Cumberwich (a cohort of the Prince Regent and a well known rake), the scandal destroyed his hopes for a good marriage.

  By this point she had stolen, lied and embarrassed her family more times that most could count, and finally Lord Ashcroft felt that he had little choice but to send her to a convent in France.

  How she escaped and returned to England was still under investigation but she was next heard of in London, styling herself Madam Marie Poisson, claiming to be 18 years of age and living off the charity of her male friends.

  Her life after that had been a succession of men who courted her and often offered her the position of mistress, but since none would offer her marriage, she refused them all, preferring to keep her options open.

  Mr Pennington believed that she still harboured dreams of marrying an aristocrat, so while she even had an offer to become the mistress of the Marquess of Branton, she refused. It was marriage or nothing, so she had been heard to say.

  In recent years, it seemed that her desire to marry was mentioned less, although she still refused to remain faithful to any one man, unless they were to ask for her hand.

  When her mother died five years ago after a fall, she did not attend the funeral but soon afterwards, residents in Croydon spoke of a young French woman, who asked many questions about Mrs Pond and a few claimed that they had recognised her straight away. Word of this French stranger seemed to have made it to her father and he returned to Croydon, where there was a meeting between the two. No one seemed to know what was discussed but many speculated.

  Mr Pennington seemed to believe that Lord Ashcroft had offered Mary her mother’s house and a monthly allowance. It seemed that Mary, or Marie as she now called herself, had refused.

  Now 69, Lord Ashcroft was in failing health and confined to his bed, so he had refused to meet with Mr Pennington’s associates. His servants however, had confirmed much of what Mr Pennington suspected. It was their belief that Lord Ashcroft kept the house in order, cared for by two local widows, because he hoped that one day Mary would come to her senses and return.

  They spoke of deep love between their master and Sarah, the servant, and despite her wayward manner, they believed that he truly loved his daughter, if only because of how much her mother had meant to him. They all wished that the girl would come to her senses and visit her father before his death, if for no other reason than to cheer him in his final days, but they didn’t hold out much hope.

  Lucy was pulled from her thoughts as she spied a coaching in ahead, and knew that she had to stop and rest Arthur again. This was her second stop, but her fear drove her to a break of no more than half an hour each time. Poor Arthur would be in a state by the time they reached London, but she was sure she could beg or borrow another horse once there.

  After her second break, she rode straight through at a canter until she arrived at her bank. She hoped that May or Donald had already been here and paved the way for her request.

  She should have stopped and donned her riding skirt again but even if she had, her hair was wild from the ride and besides, she was far too worried to observe social niceties at the moment. She walked brazenly into the bank, drawing the eye of everyone present and was quickly ushered into her banker’s office, where she was relieved to see May and Donald.

  “What’s happened?” May asked, observing her odd dress and dishevelled appearance. She pulled Lucy into an embrace while Donald patted her shoulder.

  “I had another letter this morning. I must have the ransom money by the close of business today.”

  May pulled away and nodded her understanding. “We were just discussing that.”

  Lucy handed the second letter to Donald, who was clearly waiting to read it, then turned to her banker, Mr Harris, who seemed unable to look at her as she was presently attired. She sat opposite him as he took his seat behind the desk and began shuffling papers.

  “This says that your next letter will be at your London home,” Donald noted.

  “Yes, I was tempted to go straight there and wait but I knew the money was more important.”

  There came a knock at the door and Mr Harris called, “Come in.”

  “Mr Harris, Sir, there’s-”

  “Just wait a moment boy,” he said to the young clerk. “Now, Lady Stark, I have agreed the terms of a loan with your brother-in-law,” Mr Harris said, keeping his eyes on the papers before him.

  “But Sir-” The young clerk spoke up again.

  “In a moment, boy!” he turned to Lucy. “Due to the amount, we will have to secure the loan on your estate but we already have written consent from your trustee. We are just drawing up the contracts now.”

  “And I can have the whole amount in cash?” Lucy needed to be certain.

  “We do not keep that amount on the premises but we are arranging with other banks to cover the ransom amount.”

  “Thank you, Mr Harris.”

  “My, uh, oh.” He looked up and noticed her clothing again. “My pleasure.” He coughed a few times.

  “How long until I have the funds?” Lucy asked.

  “Sir?”

  Mr Harris just glared at the boy this time, before turning towards Lucy once more.

  “We are doing our best but all I can guarantee is, by the end of business today,” Mr Harris explained. “Perhaps you would like to wait in here.”

  “Actually I must stable my horse and find another.”

  “Where is your horse, Lady Stark?”

  “Outside tied to the railing. I was in a hurry.”

  “That’s what I came to tell you, Mr Harris,” the clerk spoke up again. “The horse is on the pavement and it’s causing some problems for passers-by. I was told to ask if Lady Stark could move it.”

  “We’ll wait at Lady Stark’s house; it’s just two streets away,” Donald told Mr Harris, then he turned to Lucy. “I can take care of the horse and find you a new mount.”

  “Thank you Don,” Lucy looked relieved.

  “Can you bring the money to her house?” Don asked Mr Harris.

  “Yes, I don’t see why not. I’ll bring the money and contract, and perhaps some of our vault guards to make sure I‘m safe.”

  After a few quick handshakes to seal the dea
l, they left.

  Lucy rode in their carriage to the house; Donald drove it while his groom walked Arthur to the closest stables, where he could get a nice rub down and rest.

  All houses must have at least a caretaker or housekeeper in permanent residence, often both, to keep the place clean and get help in the event of any troubles. Presently Lucy’s had rather more activity than that because the redecorating work was being carried out, and workmen were busy papering the hallway and front parlour.

  Lucy didn’t feel at home here for a number of reasons; one, she hadn’t lived here without her parents, two, the workmen made it hard to relax and finally, she was too worried about Max to relax anywhere at the moment.

  She headed straight to the housekeeper, enquiring about any post. There were two letters for her that the housekeeper hadn’t yet forwarded on. One was from an acquaintance but the other was in the same handwriting as the ransom demand. Lucy tore it open and read the contents.

  “What does it say?” May demanded, anxious for news.

  “I can’t tell you,” Lucy said, folding the letter and putting it away.

  “Lucy!”

  “May, I can’t! If I reveal these details to anyone, they threaten to kill Max and Charles. I must go alone.”

  “I can’t let you do that,” Donald informed her.

  “And even if the letter said nothing about telling others, I couldn’t let you come, Donald. You have two young children and you need to be there for them. This isn’t your fight and I won’t endanger you.”

  “It is my fight, Lucy, because Max is May’s brother and Charles is her father. I can’t leave this only to you.”

  “And what if they’re watching us and kill them because you come with me?”

  “Lucy, it’s a bluff, no one is watching us.”

  “It might be a bluff,” Lucy conceded, “but I won’t bet their lives on that and I won’t allow you to gamble with their lives either.” She tucked the letter into her breeches to prove her point. “Now, did you speak with the detective yet?”

  “We haven’t had an opportunity,” May admitted. “We were going to go there after we’d been to the bank.”

  Lucy closed her eyes and nodded. “Well, no matter now. I suppose we should try to have a late lunch while we wait.”

  “We’ll go and see the detective now.” Donald said.

  “It’s too late to do any good,” Lucy argued. “One way or the other, this will all be settled by tonight.”

  “Still, it can’t hurt to go and see him. If something does go wrong, then we’ll be ahead of ourselves and if Charles and Max are back with us by nightfall, then there’s no harm done.”

  Lucy wanted to tell them ‘no’ outright, but she knew that would be an odd thing for her to do and that it might raise their suspicions, so she held her tongue.

  “Fine, but at least stay for something to eat. You have been doing my bidding all day, it’s gone three o’clock now and I can’t send you out again on an empty stomach.”

  “Very well, but just something simple,” May agreed.

  They left after eating some sandwiches and then extorting a promise from Lucy, that she wouldn’t leave until they returned.

  Lucy was anxious for the banker to arrive so to keep herself busy, she headed to the attic rooms, where her parents’ belongings had been stored after their deaths.

  Anyone with any sense carried a gun when they travelled but Lucy’s was just a small, single shot pistol. Her driver was armed, after all, so anything more seemed like overkill. Besides, a larger gun would take up far too much space in her reticule.

  Her father however, used to carry a three barrelled pepperpot gun. It took a little hunting but Lucy finally found the box that he kept it in when at home, and brought it downstairs to clean and load it.

  Due to the design of her riding habit, the jacket flared out over her hips and when she wore one, over the top of her riding skirt as well. As such, Lucy found that she was able to tuck the gun into the small of her back, under the waistband of her breeches, without it being noticeable below the jacket. She took her small, single shot gun and placed that in her riding boot, pleased to see that it too wasn’t visible, though it was a little uncomfortable.

  Thankfully her banker arrived at half past four and after signing the contract he had brought, he happily left the satchel of money with her. Lucy thanked him and headed to the closest stables, where locals kept their horses when they were in town. She bribed the manager five pounds for the use of his fastest horse (which obviously wasn’t his but belonged to another client) and once it was saddled, she slung the large satchel over her neck and under one arm, and then headed off towards the ransom meet.

  Chapter Twenty One

  Charles and Max had just about given up hope of Big helping them to escape when he came in, a long knife in his right hand and the bottle of laudanum in his left. He looked from one man to the other, as if trying to decide something.

  “All right, I’ll ‘elp you, but you better keep your word about not pressing charges.”

  He used the knife and began cutting through their bonds.

  “What changed your mind?” Charles asked, as Big helped him to his feet.

  “The dandified fella came back and I heard ‘em talking. I agreed to a simple kidnap and ransom, I didn’t agree to become party to killing. Don’t matter ‘ow desperate we are, I ain’t no murderer.”

  Once both men were freed, Big stood in front of the door to stop them and handed the bottle of laudanum to Charles.

  “You’d best take a good swig of that before you go. We only found you the first time ‘cos of your cough.”

  Charles did so and handed the bottle back.

  “Now, head left through the trees until you get to the road, then turn right; you’re about a twenty minute walk from the village.”

  “What about the smoke to the south?” Max asked.

  “Farm labourers’ cottages, they don’t have no horses. You’ll be able to get yourself a horse in the village though but your best bet for help is the Bow Street Runners in London, ‘bout ten miles away.”

  “There isn’t a constable closer?”

  “One man ain’t gonna be much help against five. ‘Sides, a fast horse can get you there in no time.”

  “Won’t you come with us?” Charles asked.

  “They’d know somethin’ was up. I’ll stay ‘ere, try and make sure they don’t realise you’re gone for a while.”

  ***

  Donald had realised that Lucy didn’t want them to meet with the detective and he reasoned that the detective must know where the ransom exchange was supposed to be, so after introductions, his first question was, “What property does Madam Poisson own or have access to locally?”

  Mr Pennington looked surprised by the question but began to list her known addresses for the past few years. She had moved a few times, either as her benefactors changed, or she had been asked to leave when her many visitors drew complaints from other residents.

  None of the addresses seemed a likely venue to hold two men hostage though.

  “What about further afield?” Donald asked. “Lovers or friends with homes not far from London.”

  Mr Pennington thought for a moment. “There is her mother’s home. She was basically a kept woman and Lord Ashcroft bought a house near Croydon for her. He was an MP and after his wife died, he would usually stay with her while Parliament was in session. The mother is dead now but he still owns the house.”

  “Where is it?”

  Mr Pennington searched through the papers in the file, then wrote something down on a separate sheet of paper and handed it to him.

  “Here, it’s just south of Croydon.”

  “This has got to be where the exchange is taking place,” Donald noted. “No wonder she didn’t want us coming here.”

  “She’s gone to the exchange alone?” Mr Pennington asked.

  “That’s what the note said to do,” Donald confirmed. “And she was
adamant that I not accompany her.” He checked his pocket watch. “It’s just after four thirty, if the banker has arrived with the money, I'm sure she’s long gone.”

  Mr Pennington nodded. “I have horses we can take; they’re stabled just one street over.”

  Donald turned to May. “You take the carriage back to the house. If Lucy is still there, try to get her to stay; we can handle this.”

  May stretched up on her toes and kissed him gently. “Lucy was right about you having responsibilities. Be careful.”

  Donald nodded. “I will, I promise.”

  ***

  Lucy slowed as she approached the edge of the village, her fear slowing her down. Mentally she went through the possible scenarios in her mind, trying to see every eventuality and she slowed to a stop as she reached the driveway, although she was unable to see the house.

  It didn’t matter how much planning she did, she wouldn’t find out what would happen until she got there but her instincts told her that there would be some kind of double-cross. She wouldn’t trust Marie or Giles as far as she could throw them.

  The letter said that she had to be here by nightfall and she had at least an hour before dusk, so she decided to tether the horse to a tree and approach the house through the woods. She slowed as the house came into view, took her satchel off and, climbing the limbs of a nearby tree, deposited the bag on a high branch, hoping that they wouldn’t look up if they searched the wood.

  With that done, she made her way closer and went around the side of the house, trying to learn as much as she could before she made her presence known.

  No one seemed to be around but the smoke coming from the chimney meant that someone was here.

  At the rear of the house she saw the stables but again, no one was visible. Making her way back to the front, she finally saw movement in the house; two people were looking out, towards the driveway.

  Knowing that time was running out, she quickly made her way back to her horse and approached the house.

  As soon as they noticed her, five people came out of the house, the four men all holding a gun or knife. Lucy stopped the horse twenty feet away.