‘But that is true, surely? We are only surmising he is responsible.’
‘Are we, Elizabeth?’
She sighed, knowing she wasn’t going to get a full answer from Dan. ‘I have a house full of secretive men. Do you have any idea how frustrating and worrying that is?’
‘I know it is difficult, but I am asking you to curb your curiosity for a while longer, Elizabeth. This business with the buyers might turn out to be just what we need to put an end to James’s problem.’
‘I’ll try, but I will not tolerate anything that interferes with the smooth running of the estate. So, will you tell me what you want me to do next?’
‘We are going back to your house now. There is no point in visiting the other buyers; Masters will spread the word of our interest. We have to catch these men, because it will be the only way to remove this threat – and the only way to stop Gresham.’
Beth opened her mouth to ask another question, but Dan stopped her by pulling the horses to a halt. ‘Leave this to us. Just wait, Elizabeth.’
She sighed loudly in exasperation. ‘You are asking a great deal, Dan.’
‘Most young ladies would be grateful to be shielded from any unpleasantness.’
‘I am not most young ladies!’
‘Indeed you are not,’ he said, urging his horse forward into a gallop.
Nineteen
‘I thought the ladies would never leave us tonight,’ James exclaimed, closing the library door firmly and locking it. ‘That will stop them coming back in here while we talk. I thought I was going to have to carry Alice upstairs and make her retire for the night. The girls went reluctantly, but they didn’t make a fuss.’
‘What did you expect, James? They want to know what the hell is going on.’
‘So do we, Grandfather,’ Alex said, looking enquiringly at Daniel. ‘Tell us what your plan is, Dan.’
‘To catch these men and make them tell us who is paying them. Once we have proof it is Gresham, we will then be able to have him arrested. And then your promise to Edward will have been honoured, James.’
‘Not good enough!’ James exploded. ‘He’ll receive a mild rebuke and be set free. He’s guilty of blackmail and murder, Dan.’
‘That was thirty years ago,’ Daniel said firmly. ‘I told Edward it would be impossible to charge him with that now. In my opinion, the best we can do is to completely ruin his reputation.’
James was shaking his head. ‘From what I’ve heard, he doesn’t have a reputation of high enough standing to ruin. I won’t settle for that. There must be more we can do.’
‘Why not take his estate from him? It borders the Sharland acres. Be useful for your school, wouldn’t it?’
All eyes turned towards the elderly man sitting comfortably and swirling a large brandy around in his glass.
‘And how are we going to do that, Grandfather?’ James asked softly.
‘Catch these men, like Dan said, persuade them to talk and then make Gresham an offer he couldn’t possibly refuse. Once you have done that, I will take Alice and the girls to London, and we will spread rumours he will never be able to recover from.’
‘You’re a devious old man,’ Alex said, laughing and shaking his head in disbelief.
‘So you’ve said frequently. What do you think, James? Would you settle for ruining Gresham that way?’
James looked up at his friend. ‘What about it, Dan?’
‘I think Edward would approve.’
‘He would. But is it possible?’
‘It’s worth a try. We’ll all have to work together.’ Daniel let his gaze rest on each man in turn. ‘I’ll set out a plan, and you will have to do as I say. Our first task will be to catch these men.’
‘Absolutely.’ Alex raised his glass. ‘You give us the orders, and we’ll obey them, won’t we, Grandfather?’
‘I wouldn’t dream of doing anything else. Just as long as you include me in this, young man,’ the grandfather said to Dan. ‘I have a debt to settle with Gresham as well. If the blasted man hadn’t disappeared, this would have been settled years ago.’
There was a tap on the door, and the handle rattled as someone tried to open it. The men frowned, wondering if the women had decided to join them after all.
‘Your lordship!’ the butler called. ‘Mr Greenway would like to speak with you urgently.’
James hurriedly unlocked the door and opened it. ‘Sorry you couldn’t get in, Jenkins, but we didn’t want to be disturbed. Come in, Henry.’
As soon as the estate manager entered, Alex asked anxiously, ‘Are the pigs all right?’
‘Yes, sir, but Charlie came to me and said those two men are sneaking around again. They came just as the light was fading, and he followed them. They spent some time examining the barns and stables. When it got too dark to see clearly, he lost them. They might still be on the estate.’
‘Ah, hell! Where’s the boy now?’
‘I made him go home, my lord.’
‘Good.’ James sighed with relief. ‘I wouldn’t want him to get hurt. We’ll have to make a thorough search of every building. There’s no telling what they could be up to. It looks as if Gresham has stepped up his campaign against us.’
Dan nodded. ‘That’s what I thought he would do. A desperate man acts in haste and can make mistakes. This could be our chance. We are going to need every man we can muster for the search.’
‘Stanley, the footman, will help, I’m sure. Shall I fetch him?’
‘Please, Henry, but give him the choice. He doesn’t have to put himself in danger if he doesn’t want to.’
‘Understood, your lordship.’ The estate manager hurried out of the room.
Then Jenkins suddenly appeared. ‘I’ll help as well.’
‘Thank you, Jenkins, but I have a very important task for you. These men could be dangerous and I don’t want the ladies to be at risk should they enter the house while we are all outside. I need you and my grandfather to remain here and protect them. There are pistols in the desk drawer if you need them, Grandfather.’
‘You take those, James. Jenkins and I will be all right,’
‘We don’t need them. Dan has guns with him.’
‘Of course he has. How foolish of me to forget,’ the elderly man remarked dryly.
Henry Greenway soon returned with the footman. ‘I’ve explained the situation to Stanley, and he’s eager to help.’
‘Thank you.’ James turned to Dan. ‘What’s the best way to tackle this?’
‘We’ll have to split up to cover as much ground as possible. Move quietly and don’t call out to each other, and on no account are any of you to confront them on your own. Come to me and I’ll deal with them. I’ll stay in the area of the main barn.’
They all nodded agreement.
‘Can you fire a gun, Stanley?’
‘Yes, sir. I’m a reasonable shot.’
‘Right, you have one of mine and Alex the other one. The rest of us can arm ourselves with anything to hand.’ Dan glanced at each man. ‘And be careful! Let’s go.’
‘What is all that noise?’ Beth buried her head in the pillow and groaned.
‘Wake up!’ Helen ran into the room and pulled the covers from her. ‘Please, Beth. I heard gunshots!’
The urgency in her friend’s tone snapped Beth awake and she sat up. ‘Gunshots! Is that what woke me?’
‘Something serious has happened. I just know it!’ An agitated Helen started dragging Beth out of bed. ‘We might be needed.’
Beth opened her eyes wide for the first time and tumbled out of bed, hastily pulling on her clothes.
‘Hurry!’ Helen helped Beth fasten the buttons on her gown. ‘From the noise and activity downstairs, something terrible has happened!’
That wiped away the last of Beth’s sleepiness, and they both ran downstairs.
The scene that met them in the library was unbelievable. Dan, the grandfather and Jenkins were leaning over a man sprawled in an armchair – and there was blood every
where. The man who had been hurt was James, and it looked very bad.
With a cry of distress, Helen pushed them all aside and placed her hands firmly over the injury in an effort to stop the bleeding.
‘Take charge, Helen,’ Dan said quickly. He turned and ran from the room.
‘Stop standing around doing nothing!’ Helen shouted at the men in the room. ‘Someone go and fetch the physician. Now!’
‘That hurts, woman!’ James gasped. ‘Get off me.’
‘Shut up and keep still. Do you want to bleed to death?’
Alice ran into the room and straight up to James, her face bleached of all colour. ‘Stupid, stupid!’ she cried. ‘Why couldn’t you leave this alone? I told you it would lead to dangerous trouble.’
‘Get out!’ he growled as soon as he saw her. ‘I don’t need another female who is going to make a fuss.’
Beth pushed the men aside, ignoring his outburst, and snapped out her orders. ‘Fetch me a pair of scissors, someone, and something to use as dressings. Has anyone gone for the physician?’
‘Yes – Stanley,’ the grandfather replied. He was standing beside his daughter and holding her hand to steady her. ‘He’ll be all right, my dear. I don’t think the bullet has hit anything vital.’
James wiped the perspiration from his face with the uninjured hand. ‘I don’t want a bloody doctor.’
Scissors were thrust into Beth’s hand. ‘I don’t care what you want. Let us tend you, or you are going to bleed to death.’
There was another muttered expletive.
‘And you can moderate your language, your lordship,’ Helen scolded.
‘Oh, for heaven’s sake, don’t go all formal on me. You know my name.’
‘Very well. Keep still, James, and let us cut away your shirt. We do not wish to add to your injuries.’
The scissors slice through the sleeve and across the shoulder of the elegant dress shirt.
‘Oh!’ gasped Alice. ‘That bleeding must be stopped.’
Beth had already made a pad of linen from the shirt and placed it on his arm. ‘All right, Helen, let us both press – hard!’
James clenched his teeth but said nothing.
Ten minutes later the bleeding had almost stopped, and Helen took the opportunity to inspect the wounds carefully, concentrating on what she had to do and not allowing fear for his life to come into her thinking. ‘Whoever did this meant to kill you. There are two wounds, and a bullet might still be in the shoulder.’
‘Then remove it!’
‘That would be extremely dangerous and not necessary now I’m here.’ The doctor hurried into the room. ‘I’ll need hot water, and everyone but her ladyship out of the room. I shall need her assistance.’
‘I shall stay,’ Alice declared.
‘No.’ Beth smiled to soften the refusal. ‘You are already distressed, and this will not be pleasant.’
‘Come, we must leave the doctor to do what is necessary.’ Alice’s father led her, still protesting, from the room.
‘I’ll see the hot water is sent in at once.’ Beth went straight to the kitchen and was not surprised to see the entire staff there, anxious for news and eager to help. Pans of hot water were already bubbling on the stove.
‘Oh, well done,’ she praised. ‘I’ll take one now and come back if more are needed.’
The doctor made her put it on a small table beside James. As she did so, she heard Helen say gently, ‘You may swear if you wish; I shall excuse you on this occasion.’
His fingers closed around Helen’s. Then, with a grim expression, he said, ‘Let’s have done with this, doctor.’
Half an hour later Helen sank to her knees beside the chair and let out a ragged sigh. The bullet had been removed, and James had mercifully passed out. That had given the doctor the chance to stitch the wound and bind it without causing James any more pain.
The doctor checked his patient. ‘There shouldn’t be any permanent damage, but we must watch him carefully and hope he does not take a fever. You may allow the others to come back now; the men can help his lordship into bed.’
‘I’m not going to bed! We still have work to do this night.’
‘Ah, you are awake. I expected you to be unconscious for a while yet.’ Helen wiped his face with a clean, cool cloth. ‘You are a brave man; you did not curse at me once.’
He gave a weak smile. ‘How did you know what to do to stop the bleeding?’
‘I have been tending the estate workers and their families for some years, and I have received instruction from a physician.’
‘I am grateful.’ James tried to move and groaned.
‘Stop that, young man,’ the doctor admonished. ‘You have lost a lot of blood and are going to need to rest.’
James leant his head back and closed his eyes. ‘I thank you for what you have done for me, doctor, and you also, my dear Helen.’
Taken aback that he should call her that, Helen felt his brow in alarm, but he was quite cool.
It was difficult making James go to his bed, but the doctor was firm, and, with Stanley’s help, they practically carried him up the stairs, as he continued to curse under his breath.
‘He always has been fiercely independent,’ Alice said. ‘Even as a young child, he insisted on doing everything himself, and if he didn’t know how to accomplish the task, he persisted until he got it right. He will hate being incapacitated and having to rely on others. Especially tonight. He will want to be out there with them.’
‘He is too badly hurt to be able to do anything for a while, so he will just have to rely on us for a while.’ Helen looked down at her stained gown and grimaced at Beth. ‘We’re both in a mess and ought to change our gowns.’
Before they had a chance to go to their rooms, the front door burst open and Henry Greenway rushed in. ‘They’ve got one man cornered in the main barn. Alex and Daniel are dealing with him. The other one is heading for the stables, we believe.’
‘Let’s go and get him!’ The grandfather actually ran, his age and infirmities forgotten for the moment.
‘Father, come back!’ Alice called desperately, but to no avail. Both men rushed for the back entrance of the house and disappeared.
The footman appeared at the top of the stairs and looked over the banister. ‘What’s going on, Miss Langton?’
‘They think one of the men is heading for the stables. Mr Greenway and Lord Sharland’s grandfather have gone after him. Would you go and help them, please?’
Without a word, Stanley came down, several steps at a time, and ran with great speed to catch up with the others.
Taking a deep breath, Alice took a moment to compose herself and control her fears for her family. ‘I had better check that James is comfortable and ask the physician if he could stay a while longer. We might have need of him again before this night is over. If Edward was here now, I would give him the sharp end of my tongue for placing my family in such danger. I have told them time and time again to leave this in the past, but they would not listen to me.’
Still talking angrily to herself, Alice went up the stairs while the girls watched, not able to comfort Alice in this situation. One of her family had been shot, and the other two were in great danger. What could they do or say?
‘What is happening is terrible for all of us, but for Alice it must be terrifying,’ Helen said, shaking her head in dismay. She studied her ruined gown again. ‘I was going to change into a clean gown, but I think I will wait and see what happens. Let us pray there are no more serious injuries, but this is a dangerous situation, Beth. Our men are determined to catch these villains.’
‘And with no thought for their own safety.’ Beth studied her friend thoughtfully. ‘You have just referred to everyone involved as “our men”.’
‘Did I? Well, I suppose that is how I consider them now. They have become a part of our lives.’
‘Yes, they have,’ Beth admitted. ‘When James began to fill the house, I was determined not to trust or
like them, but slowly my feelings towards them have changed. Not only do I trust them – especially Dan – but I have grown to like them. And Alice is a dear.’
Helen gave a weary smile. ‘How things have changed.’
‘And they will change again, Helen. The time will soon come when they will all leave here, and it is unlikely we shall see any of them again.’
‘That will be a sad time.’
‘Yes, it will.’ Beth forced the disquieting prospect from her head. ‘We can’t stand around doing nothing, so let’s go to the kitchen and see refreshments are prepared for the men. They are going to need something later.’
Cook was already at work preparing enough food for a feast. The large stew pan was already bubbling away, giving off an appetizing aroma. Several large savoury and fruit pies were cooling on racks, and the scrubbed wooden table used by the staff had been set ready for use.
‘We’ll eat in here,’ Cook announced. ‘The men can come in when they’ve done with what they have to do this night. They won’t mind eating in here for once.’
‘That’s very sensible, Mrs Howard,’ Beth said. ‘Is there anything we can do?’
‘Well, if you wouldn’t mind taking a tray up to his lordship. Poor man, he must have plenty of nourishment.’
Beth nodded agreement and couldn’t help wondering just when everyone’s opinion of James had changed. In the beginning they had all viewed him with fear and distrust, but now he was liked and respected. Somehow he had gradually crept into their hearts and minds.
Twenty
Cook insisted that the physician be fed as well, so Beth and Helen took a tray each. They had just reached the bedroom door when they heard soft footfalls behind them and turned in alarm, thinking one of the villains might have entered the house.
‘Oh, Tom!’ Beth gasped. ‘You gave us a fright.’
‘Sorry, Miss Langton.’ His face was aglow with excitement. ‘I got a message for his lordship.’
‘I’m not sure he should be disturbed,’ Helen told the boy. ‘He has been hurt rather badly.’
‘I know, but Mr Edgemont said I was to tell him they’d caught both the men. He might rest easy if he knows that, he said.’
A Debt From the Past Page 18