Scandal Becomes Her

by Shirlee Busbee

  “Nothing!” He forced a smile, for once wishing that Elizabeth was not quite so intelligent. “I did not realize that I was ‘hovering’ over you. Put it down to expectant-father nerves.”

  She hooted. “You?”

  He nodded shamefaced. “I find that the thought of impending fatherhood has made me most protective.”

  “As if you were not before.” When he offered nothing more, she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss on his cheek. “Very well, I will not tease you further, but do please try to curb your, er, protectiveness.”

  Elizabeth probably suspected that there was more to it than that, but she appeared to accept his explanation and Julian was relieved. Keeping Nell out of danger was hair-raising enough, but if he was faced with two determined damsels…

  Smiling at Elizabeth, he said, “Will you call it ‘protectiveness’ if I escort you back to the house?”

  She wrinkled her nose at him, but allowed him to walk her back to the house.

  Though Julian, Charles and Cesar took turns watching the Dower House, there was no further sign of the man in the cloak, and as the days passed, Charles grew disgruntled.

  Accompanying his stepmother and brother one day when they came to call on the ladies of Wyndham Manor, Charles paid his respects and then inquired after Julian. Informed that Julian was at the Dower House, Charles decided that listening to his stepmother prattle on about Raoul as an infant, and watching Raoul flirt with Elizabeth was not to his liking, so he excused himself and set off to find Julian.

  He found him outside wandering around the back of the house, specifically poking around the parts of the old foundation that had been incorporated into the new kitchen wing.

  “What are you doing?” Charles asked as he walked up.

  Julian started. “Must you creep up on a fellow so?” he demanded testily.

  Charles’s eyebrow rose. “I didn’t realize that I was ‘creeping’ up on you.”

  “You weren’t,” Julian admitted. “I think it is the thought of our cloaked stranger creeping about that prompted my comment. I apologize.”

  “None needed.” Charles nodded to the foundation that had appeared to hold Julian’s attention. “What are you looking for?”

  Julian hesitated. Keeping Nell’s secret was playing havoc with his instincts to let Charles and Cesar know what they were up against and he struggled with a way to give them a hint without revealing all. An idea occurred to him and he said, “I’ve been thinking about the way that Cesar said that our man disappeared—as if by magic—that night. Granted the house was in darkness, but what if there was a secret stairway or a secret compartment?”

  “Have you been reading one of those gothicky novels from the Minerva Press?” Charles asked suspiciously.

  Julian grimaced. “No. But think about it. If there was a secret passage, it would explain how he just seemed to disappear.”

  Charles did not appear convinced, but he shrugged and said, “Very well. Where have you looked so far?”

  “Everywhere,” Julian replied disgustedly. “I’ve spent the past week sticking my nose into every crevice and cranny I can find. You see me reduced to kicking at the foundation.”

  “Then you’ve overlooked it,” Charles said, adding dryly, “if it exists.”

  “It does,” Julian said grimly. “It has to—it is the only explanation.”

  Watching Raoul pay court to Elizabeth was not one of Nell’s favorite pastimes, either, and this afternoon was no different. He’d been at the house nearly every day this week and his courtship of Elizabeth was becoming quite marked. Whether it was because Nell would pity any young woman saddled with Mrs. Weston for a mother-in-law or simply because she wished to see Elizabeth established with a gentleman with more to offer than Raoul Weston, she could not say. Raoul was handsome and personable, but he was not a landed gentleman, and while he had a generous allowance from his mother and would one day inherit a large fortune from her, Nell would have preferred a gentlemen who already had his own estate, and perhaps…a title? She smiled to herself, understanding for the first time her father’s desire to see her settled with a man of means and position.

  Nell was not sorry to see the Westons leave and with her first really genuine smile of the afternoon, she bid them goodbye as they drove away at a smart pace in a small closed carriage. Shortly afterward, Lady Diana and Elizabeth left on a visit to the squire’s wife.

  After waving Lady Diana and Elizabeth away, Nell realized that except for the servants, she was alone in the house. Some of her terror following the latest nightmare had faded but she remained uneasy. Today was no different and she suddenly wished that Julian had returned or that she’d gone with Lady Diana and Elizabeth. Which is ridiculous, she decided firmly, her spine stiffening. She was perfectly safe. And she had no intention of doing anything foolish. Chiding herself for being silly, she turned toward the gardens, reminding herself that there were a dozen servants within the sound of her voice.

  It was a lovely day for a stroll in the gardens and walking down the steps Nell entered by a path at the right side of the house. After several minutes of wandering through the neatly maintained grounds, she found a stone bench near a small pool shaded by some willows and sat down, enjoying the sound of the bees and the scent of lilacs and roses that perfumed the air. The gentle murmur of the insects and the warmth of the day had a drugging effect and before she knew it, Nell’s head drooped and she dozed off.

  She woke with a start and nearly jumped out of her skin when she discovered Mrs. Weston sitting beside her on the bench.

  Patting her hand, Mrs. Weston said, “Ah, I did not mean to startle you, petite.”

  Fighting off the remaining vestiges of sleep, Nell sat up straighter and murmured, “I must have nodded off for a moment.” She frowned. “Did you forget something?”

  Mrs. Weston smiled and said, “Mais oui! It is so fortunate that I spied you sleeping here in the garden and did not have to have your so-proper Dibble announce me.” The smile faded and with those shiny black cobra eyes fixed on Nell’s face, Mrs. Weston said, “And now, ma amie, before anyone discovers that I have returned, I think it is time that we were going, don’t you? This has been postponed long enough.” Her voice hardened. “Ten years too long.”

  Horror washed over Nell as comprehension struck. Her voice hushed, she said, “It was you that day! You were the one who hit me in the back of the head.” Her eyes widened. “And that means…” She swallowed, unable to say the words aloud.

  Mrs. Weston stood up. “We shall have time to talk later, but for now, you shall come with me quietly or I shall shoot you.”

  Nell rose slowly to her feet, her eyes on the small pistol held in Mrs. Weston’s hand. Only one thing was clear to Nell: She was not going anywhere with Mrs. Weston. Not, she thought sickly, as long as she was alive. And if she could keep Mrs. Weston talking…

  “Why?” she asked. “Why did he kill John?”

  Mrs. Weston looked impatient. “Because my eldest stepson was a fool and determined that my son marry some unwashed farmer’s daughter. The little slut had been stupid enough to get with child and thought to entrap my Raoul.” Her face darkened. “My Raoul. My son! Married to a common farmer’s daughter.”

  “And he killed his brother for that?” Nell demanded incredulously.

  “It doesn’t matter,” snapped Mrs. Weston. “Enough! Start walking toward the back of the garden. He is waiting there for us with the coach.”

  Her feet rooted to the spot, as much from fear as from sheer determination, Nell said, “No. Not until you answer some questions.”

  Mrs. Weston’s fingers tightened on the pistol and Nell feared she’d be shot where she stood. Better that, she thought wildly, than to be torn apart by Raoul Weston…the Shadow Man.

  Confronted by Nell’s obstinate stance, Mrs. Weston found her attitude unexpected and she appeared uncertain as to her next move. Glaring at Nell, she said, “Raoul didn’t mean to kill John. Raoul was only goin
g to talk to him, to make him see that he was carrying honor to a ridiculous degree. But John would not have it. He spouted some nonsense about not having another such as the Old Earl in the family. He swore that Raoul was going to do the honorable thing and marry her—or he’d tell their father. They came to blows and John…died.”

  “And me? You tried to kill me—and nearly succeeded.”

  “What else could we do? You had stumbled into something that was none of your business. We could not leave you alive to tell everyone what you had seen.” An expression of hatred crossed Mrs. Weston’s face. “That you lived is a miracle. That you reappeared in our lives, married to my nephew was beyond bad luck. The agonies Raoul and I have suffered, fearing that you would remember something and recognize him. You should be dead and done with and this time we shall not fail.” She took a step forward, motioning with the pistol. “You either walk to the back of the garden or I’ll shoot you where you stand.”

  Growing up in a household of males had some advantages, Nell thought savagely as her fist came up and she socked Mrs. Weston with as pretty a right hook as there ever was.

  Mrs. Weston rocked back on her heels and went down like a sack of cabbages.

  Despite the clumsiness of her pregnancy, Nell was on her like a tigress on an ox and she tore the pistol from Mrs. Weston’s grip. The pistol held firmly in her own hand, she struggled to her feet.

  Breathing heavily, she stood over Mrs. Weston’s prone form long enough to see that the woman was out cold. Nell was turning to run to the house when the world exploded in her head. As everything went dark, she thought, Raoul, I forgot about Raoul…

  Chapter 22

  Nell woke with a blinding headache in pitch-darkness. Dizzy and disoriented, she groped to make sense of her situation. She was lying down and as she struggled into an upright position she puzzled over the fact that her hands were tied and that she was lying on the floor…on a stone floor…and then she knew. She knew.

  Fear clawed up her throat and with a low whimper she fought it back. She was in the dungeon. The Shadow Man’s domain.

  Fright blasted any lingering dizziness from her brain and sitting on the floor she awkwardly scooted as far back as she could. Only when her back touched a wall did she stop.

  For a moment, she wondered why she’d not been gagged…But then she realized—because it doesn’t matter. Because, like those other poor women, I could scream until kingdom come and it wouldn’t make a parcel of difference. No one can hear me.

  Terror churned in her breast, but she vowed not to let it overcome her. Concentrate. Concentrate on getting free. At least then you’ll stand a chance. Against two? A shudder went through her. In her nightmares it had been only the Shadow Man…Raoul. Pray God that his wretched mother doesn’t come with him.

  Working at the ropes that held her hands together in front of her, she listened intently for any sound. Think, she told herself. Think. Raoul hit you. He and his mother have brought you to the dungeon. But how long ago was that? What time is it now? How long have you been here? And where exactly in the dungeon are you?

  She gnawed at the ropes to no avail. The knots were tight and after several fruitless moments she gave up. Head back against the wall she stared into utter blackness.

  You’re in the dungeon. But where? Struggling to her feet, keeping her back to the wall, she traversed her prison, gasping in surprise when she reached the iron bars. From her nightmares, she vaguely remembered that there were two small cells that faced the main area. She was in one of them.

  Further, cautious exploration gave her the dimensions of her cell. She calculated that it was less than eight feet square with three stone walls and the bars across the front. It was also empty—there was nothing in it that she could use for a weapon.

  Defeated for the moment, she slumped against the wall near the bars and began to gnaw again at the knots that kept her hands tied. Freeing her hands wouldn’t help her situation, but it would certainly make her feel better and at least she would not be completely helpless. With renewed vigor her teeth bit into the coarse rope.

  While her teeth were busy with the knots, she considered a timeline. It had been late afternoon when she had been taken. The greatest danger to the Westons had been getting her from the garden into the coach, but once that was done they were safe.

  She frowned. Julian had been at the Dower House so she doubted that they’d headed immediately for it. No. They’d wait until he had left. It was unlikely that they’d risk moving her from the coach to the house until it was dark, so several hours had to have passed.

  By now the alarm would have been raised, and a trickle of warmth ebbed through her. At this very moment Julian was looking for her and he would move Heaven and Earth to find her. That thought comforted her and energized her efforts to free herself.

  A thrill passed through her when she felt one of the knots loosen just the faintest bit. Feverishly she worked at the knot and a moment later it came undone. It took her several more minutes, but eventually, she managed to free her hands.

  Feeling more confident, she stood up again, one hand touching her belly where her baby grew. More than her own life was at stake, she reminded herself. Julian would come for her. She knew this. All she had to do was keep herself and their baby alive. Julian would raise the alarm and people would be looking for her.

  Nell was not wrong. Coming home from the Dower House, Julian had been greeted by Lady Diana and Elizabeth who’d returned only moments before from their visit to Squire Chadbourne’s. Leaving them in the front parlor, he’d gone in search of his wife, thinking she was napping in her bedroom. Not finding her, with increasing anxiety, he’d raced through the house looking for her, eventually enlisting the entire household in the search. When a search of the house, the grounds, the gardens, even the stables produced no sign of Nell, Julian had been like a man possessed. Fighting back his own fear, the nausea that roiled in his gut, he’d ordered nearly every man, woman and child on the estate to start looking for Nell, keeping only Lady Diana, Elizabeth, Dibble and a skeleton staff at the house.

  Lady Diana was quick to organize a chart to keep track of all the search parties and their locations. To Julian she said, “All information must come here. We need to know what is going on everywhere so that we can get word of changes to the others as soon as possible.” She smiled gently at Julian. “Never fear. We shall find her. I am sure that she has just wandered off farther than she meant to and will, no doubt, when we find her be much embarrassed to have caused such a fuss. Do not worry, my lord.”

  That part of the operation under way, Julian had sent word to Charles, the squire and Lord Beckworth that Nell was missing and that he desperately needed their help in finding her. In a matter of a few hours an army of volunteers from the outlying areas had been gathered and had joined the search. Unwilling to trust anyone for fear he could be talking to the Shadow Man himself, he kept his terror tightly leashed. No one seeing his grim face, however, had any doubts that there was something very serious afoot.

  Charles and Raoul answered the call immediately and were among the first of the neighbors to arrive. After Charles told Raoul to join the group of people just leaving to search the north woods, and that he would catch up with him as soon as he’d seen Julian, he bounded up the steps and into the manor. Inside he nearly collided with Julian in the entry hall. Having done what he could at the house, Julian was preparing to leave to begin his own search. Charles took one look at Julian’s face and grasping his arm, said calmly, “Do not fear. We shall find her. She has probably simply gotten lost in the woods.”

  His voice full of suppressed fear and rage, Julian said, “Yes, we shall…and if anything has happened to her…” He took a deep breath. “This is connected to the man in the cloak,” he said flatly. “I am on my way to the Dower House. We must find how he disappeared so easily even if I have to take that damn house apart brick by brick.”

  Charles frowned. “You think that he has abducted her?�
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  “Yes. Believe me when I say that Nell would not have wandered off—not willingly.” Julian ran a hand through his disordered hair. “I cannot explain everything to you right now, but there are reasons, good reasons why I believe that this is true.” He closed his eyes. “Charles, if you love me, do not ask questions, only know that my wife is in danger of losing her life and that the only way to find her is to find the trail of the man in the cloak.”

  Charles nodded curtly. “Very well. Let us be off.”

  Turning to an anxious Dibble who had just entered the hall, Julian said, “Should word come—any word—we shall be at the Dower House.”

  Dibble nodded.

  As they exited the house, Julian asked, “Are you armed?”

  “Always,” Charles said.

  Once at the Dower House, they concentrated their efforts in the area near the kitchen, the place where Cesar had lost the man in the cloak. His features taut, Julian tackled the wall in front of him, prepared if necessary to tear the house apart, stone by stone, board by board…

  Nell glimpsed the faint flicker of light in the blackness and swallowed back a gasp. The Shadow Man was coming! She could hear footsteps approaching and like a dove mesmerized by a viper, she watched as the yellow glow increased and came closer. Shrinking back against the stone walls, she tried to melt into them and disappear.

  The footsteps stopped in front of the cell and light flooded her prison. Nell blinked, blinded by the sudden light. After a second she could make out the form of the man standing behind the lantern and her heart raced.

  “Well, well, well, what have we here?” Raoul drawled from behind the lantern. “Why, can it be? Her ladyship?” He laughed. “You’ll be happy to know that your husband is tearing up Heaven and Earth trying to find you.” He laughed again. “But he won’t…at least not in time.”

  Nell slowly stood up. Throttling back her fear, she said coolly, “I would not be so certain. He knows about this place…and what you do. He will find it—and you.”