by Anne Millar
“I will shoot you, Horsley.”
Even to her own ears the threat sounded unconvincing, and Judith recognised how it could only encourage him to think she was wavering in her resolution. What point was there in threatening him with the very act she had come there to commit? So she pulled the trigger.
The duelling pistols had never been used in anger and it was many years since they’d been fired at all. John and Jeremy had taken them one afternoon for target practice and been thoroughly chastised for it by their father. Judith had never herself fired either pistol. So a misfire was a distinct possibility. But the weapon fired as it was built to in a roar of burnt powder and smoke. Designed for accuracy at a range of thirty feet she could hardly miss at only ten. Yet she did.
It would have been difficult to tell which of them was the more surprised. As the smoke eddied away it was Theodore Horsley who recovered more quickly. Judith was still looking down at her shaking hands in disbelief when he stepped forward and tore the pistol from her grasp. “Now you’ve..” She never did hear what he meant to say for the noise of the door opening stopped him.
“Get out!” The footman who’d dared to investigate the highly unusual occurrence of a gunshot in the house backed out of the room far more quickly than he’d come in.
“Well Judith, do you have any other little surprises for me before we settle to our fun?”
The resurgence of his confidence was more odious than before, coming as it did after his craven reaction to being threatened with the pistol. Her contempt must have shown on her face for Theodore Horsley lost any trace of mock joviality.
“Oh yes, Judith I still intend to enjoy myself with you. Your little taste of excitement only sharpens the appetite I find. And it’s not as if I’m dealing with a innocent virgin is it? Though you’d have been quite happy to pretend to that and let me have Stainford’s leavings for a bride if you could have got away with it.”
She was guilty of that all right, in that one matter he had the right of it, but Judith didn’t care. She couldn’t care because she was truly frightened of what Horsley was capable of doing. Beyond the lust in his face he was out of control, deranged by his resentment, and she knew her ordeal was not going to end with rape.
It was going to begin with it though, that was clear from the way he stepped right in front of her and so close. “Not so proud now Miss Hampton?”
She couldn’t think of anything to say and for the first time in her life Judith thought she might be about to faint. Theodore Horsley didn’t even give her time for that, instead he pulled her up and toward him by the lapels of her tightly buttoned riding habit.
“Let’s see what you’ve got, my dear.”
As Judith backed away he wrenched the jacket down and apart, spilling buttons all over the floor and tearing through the cambric of the shirt she wore beneath it.
“Very nice, Judith. Now let’s see the rest of that tight little body of yours.”
Chapter 22
Judith couldn’t help herself. She still couldn’t believe her shaking hands had caused her to miss, and her will seemed frozen by the horror of what was happening. She watched as though she were a spectator as Theodore Horsley stretched out his hand to continue stripping her. That changed when the footman came bowling back into the room. Judith snatched her riding habit closed as fast as she could, her shame compounded by the presence of another man in the room. Not that she need have worried, the wretched fellow was in no condition to notice anything that was happening as he went careering through the delicate furniture of the room. As the servant finally subsided to the floor in a heap of matchwood the door that had swung closed after his entrance came splintering back on its hinges.
“Judith.” She could have wept to hear Thomas’ voice with its promise of safety and comfort, but emotional nonsense like that could wait. She needed to think how to resolve this mess. If Thomas had a pistol perhaps she could use that and she wouldn’t miss this time. The only thing was she needed both hands to clutch her riding habit properly shut and she wasn’t too sure her legs would obey a command to move.
“Judith. Are you all right?” He was standing in the doorway looking more frightened than she’d ever seen him. He hadn’t lost his taste for foolish questions though. Of course she wasn’t all right. How could he possibly expect her to be all right? Only pride stopped her biting some sarcastic reply back at him, with Horsley and a servant in the room she couldn’t allow herself free rein to tell Thomas Stainford off. So she had to content herself with glaring at him.
At least Thomas was prevented from renewing his meaningless enquiry by the footman scrambling to his feet. To stand there swaying, cringing abjectly when Thomas turned his eye on him, and pathetically grateful when Wright slipped past his master to shepherd the man out of the room. “You too, Sir Theodore.” This time Wright’s invitation met a very different reaction.
“How dare you, man. This is my library.”
“Leave him, Wright, if you please. Sir Theodore has some issues to settle.”
Judith almost opened her mouth to protest Thomas’ assumption of control before she subsided. She couldn’t really pretend things had been going that well before he arrived. So she watched silently as Wright closed the door behind him. Without saying a word Thomas’ man conveyed the impression that there would be no interruptions. That left the three of them to face each other and it was Theodore Horsley who leapt into the void.
“This between my betrothed and I does not concern you Stainford.”
The words were bold enough but it didn’t take much perception to hear the fear behind them. To Judith they were still a provocation she could not thole. “We are not betrothed. You said so yourself.” That was less dignified than the effect she would have wished for, but her pride would not allow Thomas to think for one moment that she wanted to be here.
“I’m glad to hear it.” Thomas had an awful tendency to sound pontifical on matters which were none of his concern but his sentiment still warmed her. “In which case Horsley, you have to explain your insult to Miss Hampton.”
As Thomas’ glance lingered on her torn clothing she saw every trace of levity leave his face. Judith couldn’t help drawing her habit tighter round her though she was already decently covered.
“Nothing you haven’t done yourself, Stainford.”
If that was supposed to establish the two of them as men of the world who need not quarrel over something as trivial as a woman it missed its mark. Judith took a step forward herself in her fury at being reduced to the status of an object but Thomas was far quicker. Judith saw his fist clench as he closed on Horsley and the backhanded swipe he delivered to the man’s head left its victim felled like a tree.
“You are a filthy little man, Horsley and I stand ready to give you satisfaction for that blow. Or the same again if you dare say one more word about Miss Hampton.”
Judith felt truly confused by her reaction. Only a few minutes before she’d been frightened to death, fearful for herself and of what Horsley was about to do her. Now she knew herself excited by Thomas’ vigorous defence of her, excited and yet frightened too, and sorry for the piteous Horsley who was lying bleeding and crying on the floor of his library. The man was clearly incapable of coherence, indeed he looked to be bereft of his wits. Yet he was still the evil man who had schemed and planned to reduce her family to ruin, the man she had come here to kill in order to end his menace.
“Give me your pistol, Thomas. I have to kill him.”
The look of shock that greeted her demand rocked Judith. She’d expected Thomas to draw the weapon and pass it to her without arguing, not to stare as though she’d committed an unpardonable error.
“If he needs to be killed Judith, I will kill him for you. But I promise you you are safe, I will not allow him to hurt you. No one will hurt you.” He was obviously at a loss but determined to go on. “What did he do to you?”
He couldn’t have crystallised all her anger and frustration more effe
ctively if he’d tried to. Would the two of them ever understand each other properly? “Nothing.” That clearly wasn’t true and needed further explanation. “He tore my clothes. That’s all Thomas.” Why was she explaining herself to him like this. It wasn’t her fault and it wasn’t his business. “Will you give me your pistol?”
“No, Judith. As I said if he has to be killed I will kill him, not you. But I want to know why.”
He couldn’t know what his intransigence could cost and she couldn’t begin to explain here what lay behind this: her family’s shame and debts because of her brother’s stupidity; the secret of Charles’ nature and Jane’s betrayal; how Horsley had woven it all together to his own ends. It simply wasn’t capable of speedy clarification. But Thomas Stainford was standing there in his pride expecting her to do just that.
“Why did you follow me here if you weren’t going to help?
“Forgive me Judith, I thought I might have been of service to you.”
Which he patently had been, it was only thanks to him that she was standing here in some kind of control instead of writhing helplessly under Horsley.
“Horsley bought John’s gambling debts.”
To blackmail her with. The piece dropped into place for Thomas with Judith’s admission. That was why she’d agreed to the betrothal, Horsley had manipulated the Hamptons as he’d tried to use Charles to manipulate Thomas. Thomas came close to putting his pistol to Horsley’s head there and then. It would be fitting payment for the malice and poison he’d brought to their lives. Only the wretchedness of the blubbering wreck at their feet stayed his hand.
“There’s more Thomas.” He could hear Judith’s sweet voice waver as she continued. “He knows of Charles’ nature. Jane told him. He threatened to reveal that unless your brother did as he was told. Charles wanted to end his estrangement with you and see you reinstated as heir.”
“You’ve been busy.” He didn’t mean the words as any sort of rebuke but he could see Judith stiffen as he spoke. Before he could explain himself Horsley stirred at their feet.
“I helped John by lending him money and Charles too. I gave his wife money to keep her quiet.”
Horsewhipping was the obvious solution for Horsley, immediate, painful and violent enough to satisfy the anger Thomas felt for the man’s treatment of Judith. It just didn’t go far enough, for unless he killed Horsley the man had the power to wreck the lives of Judith’s family and his own brother. Whatever he said now when he was helpless Horsley was a snake who would never cease to scheme and plot once he felt safe from them. Maybe he had misjudged Judith and her solution of shooting the wretch was the only way.
A single look at her white shaken face told Thomas she didn’t have the resolution left to do it even if he gave her a pistol, It told him too that he could never let her be in such peril again. Horsley had to be dealt with.
“You will take up your appointment in St Petersburg, Horsley. And you will take John Hampton with you as aide. His debts will be settled, but there will be no further money.”
Judith glared at him in alarm and Thomas could see in her eyes that she did not believe he could fix this thing. Well it would be a pleasure to prove her wrong.
“Horsley will want his money, Judith. And the status that comes with his diplomatic posting. He is the sort of crawling thing you can pay off. Unless you wish to ask me for satisfaction, Horsley. That option is still open to you.”
The hatred in Horsley’s face told that he would have done that if only he dared and Thomas thought to push his point home. “Be assured if one word of scandal over my brother circulates I shall have no hesitation in blaming you and demanding satisfaction. That will end with your death and I shall be glad of it.” Judith was nodding quite savagely and he presumed her agreement. “We both shall be.”
“In case you think you think you might manage to evade the blame let me warn you.” Judith sounded remarkably resolute for someone who had been through such an ordeal and Thomas couldn’t help the swell of pride in her that came upon him. “Charles Stainford is a decent man who does not deserved to be used as a pawn by you. As far as society is concerned you yourself are now a man cast off by your betrothed. If you give me cause I should not hesitate to inform any who express an interest that your own aversion to women was the reason.”
Thomas nearly chuckled out loud. Judith’s bravery was remarkable, not a thought for her own name, just for Charles. He couldn’t let her do it of course but Horsley didn’t need to know that so he kept quiet. Which was as well for she hadn’t finished.
“Is that clear Sir Theodore? You deserve no more than a bullet in the brain for your foul nature and the next time you provoke me I shall not miss. Do you understand that sir?”
Thomas knew he had to take her away then for if she stayed much longer anger would get the better of her and she’d be demanding his pistol again. In any case all the defiance in Theodore Horsley had been quenched, it was as much as he could do to raise his head and nod to confirm his understanding. That was a man who understood how easily he could meet his death at their hands.
Thomas took firm hold of her arm and scooped up the duelling pistol lying on the floor. Its walnut handle and ten inch barrel clearly matched the description given by Mrs Rogers. A thing of beauty that Lord Hampton would be loath to lose. Wright was guarding the door with an insouciance that belied the fact that six or seven servants were facing him and clearly desirous of going to their master’s aid.
These backed away smartly enough at sight of the pistol in Thomas’ hand and there was no problem in gaining egress from Horsley Hall. Only in helping Judith onto Sherbery as she tried to mount while clutching her habit shut to preserve her modesty. In the end he hoisted her into her saddle by main strength. They trotted away down the drive in apparent harmony with Wright trailing them by several paces. Thomas couldn’t rid himself of the feeling that Judith was only biding her time before she exploded into fury again. That would be a pity, this was the closest he was likely to be to her as his departure for Spain loomed.
Judith was simmering. She was grateful to Thomas for his rescue of course. She shuddered as she contemplated what would have happened without him. Yet Theodore Horsley had been left to create trouble anew when he recovered his nerve. She would never get another chance to finish him, he’d never allow her close enough. Which was fine as far as it went since she never wanted to see the man again, but John still had his debts round his neck. Thomas had said Horsley would be paid off but not how it would be done. By selling Oakenhill?
And there was still Jane with all her airs and extravagances. And her needs. Charles was vulnerable until settlement was made with his wife. Thomas couldn’t be expected to think of that, he would be off to Spain with his battalion in pursuit of glory. Again. Leaving her here to cope with everything falling around her ears. No chance of marriage either, no man was going to step in to help her. It was bad enough to be ruined in secret, but the furore over her cancelled betrothal to Horsley would make her notorious throughout county society. Fine words to threaten Horsley were well and good but it was always the woman who ended up smeared by rumour.
Her body was misbehaving too, shaking and cold by fits. Silly when all the danger was left behind and she and Thomas were cantering along, Sherbery eager to show how he could keep up with Swiftsure. With the sun blazing she should be feeling warm not chilled.
“Why didn’t you let me kill him? Or do it yourself if you felt that was your chivalrous duty?”
Thomas didn’t even check his animal, let alone turn to answer her.
“Aren’t you going to answer me? Why did you come after me if you weren’t going to side with me?” She knew she was being unfair, he had taken her side and he was entitled to expect gratitude for his service instead of a rant.
“You seemed quite pleased to see me when I arrived Judith. Or did you have matters under control?” His eyes rested on her torn habit for just a second longer than was comfortable, no doubt to remind
her of the predicament from which he had rescued her. That was irritating enough, but even more annoying was the strangest desire she felt to let go with the hand that clutched her jacket shut and let it fly open.
“I am grateful for your arrival. I intended to kill that beast and I missed.” It felt odd discussing her attempt, albeit a failed attempt to commit murder. Odd but secure.
“In a way that was a great pity Judith, the man deserved your vengeance. But I should hate to see you hang.” Just when she was reassured that he approved of the mission that had taken her to Horsley Hall he had to remind her of the penalty for murder. The man could make any sentiment sound mean spirited. “Had you fired that pistol before? It is a beautiful weapon.”
“It is my father’s. I must thank you for retrieving it. He would be most sorry to lose it.” One minute she was raging at him, the next remembering what she owed him. He could be considerate when he chose.
“What will you tell your father?”
That started a whole other chain of thoughts. Somehow she would have to persuade father that a broken betrothal was a good thing. Then John would have to be told he was to accompany Horsley to St Petersburg. At least there was no need to pretend with him, she owed no consideration to his feelings. The question was whether he would go. Yet what choice did he have, without funds or any position?
“How will John’s debts be settled?” It nearly choked her to ask Thomas when he was being so uncommunicative, but she needed to know. Then Judith realised she was answering a question with a question. “I will explain to father that I did not wish to marry Horsley.” She thought that sounded completely unconvincing. The reason being that it was completely unconvincing. “He will be relieved for me.”
“The first thing he will ask is how John’s debts will be met.” He was tying her in knots, turning her own question back on her without answering it, making it into her fault.