Lady Alice's Dilemma (Regency Belles and Beaux Book 1)

by Michele McGrath

  “Don’t tell me it isn’t the hour for us to go visiting a complete stranger, I know it well enough. You don’t believe this Miss Fennimore will have retired tamely to bed after a woman was dragged out of her house, do you? Very likely she is having the vapours instead, but she will be able to tell us who took Alice, if she was the one who was taken away.”

  “Do you really think it was?”

  “It looked like her but if it was not, then the governess may be able to tell us where Alice has gone.”

  “Will you call in the Bow Street Runners if we cannot find her?”

  “And drag her name through the dirt and ours as well? It was my house that she ran from, remember and I doubt her parents would be pleased with me if I did so. No, I thank you, I won’t.” Then he murmured something under his breath which Kitty thought sounded like “or at least, not yet.”

  Sure enough they arrived at Fenny’s. Lights were burning in the hall and sitting room. They saw the silhouette of a figure pacing up and down in front of the thin curtains.

  Edward climbed out of the carriage and threw a couple of blankets over his team before tying them to a rail. Then he helped Kitty down. He hammered on the door of the house but it was a little time before it opened and a head looked around.

  “You must be Miss Fennimore,” he said. “I am Alice’s cousin Edward Maitland. Is she here?”

  “No, she’s not. You had better come in.” The door widened and both Edward and Kitty saw that the small elderly lady held a poker in her hand while a taller one brandished a cast iron frying pan. Despite the situation, Edward could not suppress a grin at these war-like preparations by such unlikely warriors. He stood aside to let Kitty enter before him.

  “Hello, Miss Fennimore, I’m Kitty Maitland,” she said.

  “A woman was dragged out of this house or similar one in the row a little while ago,” Edward interrupted. “We gave chase but we couldn’t catch them. Was that woman Alice?”

  At his words, the little governess burst into tears and Amelia Fennimore put her arm around her shoulder.

  “Yes it was,” Amelia answered.

  “Who took her?”

  “He said his name was Staunton. We have never met him before.”

  “Did he indeed? Did he say why he had come?”

  “He wanted us to tell him where her brother, Lord Philip, was but she wouldn’t. Then he suddenly dragged her away. There was another man with him called Charlville. He held a pistol on us to stop us trying to help her. We aren’t very strong or able to move quickly. This Charlville pulled a table over in the hall as he ran out. By the time we got past it, all we saw was another carriage tearing down the street.”

  “That was probably my curricle. If the man was Staunton, then there are two places she could be. I may be wrong, but I think the most likely one is his manor in Richmond. If he takes her to his rooms in Milvert’s Hotel, the porters wouldn’t let him pass without asking questions. They would certainly remember him if he carried her in or if she appeared to be reluctant to go with him. Milvert’s must be checked, though, in case he has taken her there after all. Miss Fennimore, can I appeal to you to take my sister back to her mother’s house?”

  The little governess nodded. “I’d be happy to help you in any way, Sir Edward. Alice must be found before that evil man does her any harm.”

  “I’ll send a hack to fetch you as soon as I can find one.”

  “Where are you going, Edward?” Kitty asked.

  “To Richmond after Staunton.”

  “But I want to go with you,” she protested.

  “If I find Alice with Staunton, you’d be decidedly in the way. You would help me most by sending Reynolds and a couple of the footmen to ask for Staunton at Milvert’s. They are not to take no for an answer and they are to search his rooms. Get Mama to write a note so they can show it the people at the hotel. You can do far more good than by going to Richmond. Will you do as I say?”

  Kitty looked up into her brother’s eyes and saw the anxiety behind them that made her stifle her arguments and say meekly,

  “Yes, Edward.”

  When she thought about it later, it seemed to her as if for once her brother was close to panic.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dawn was breaking when the carriage left the post road and turned down the lane towards Staunton’s manor. The change in the motion woke Alice from a doze which was half feigned, half faint. She had pretended to sleep so that she did not need to talk to her abductor. For his part, he made no effort to persuade her to do otherwise. Neither did he attempt to speak to Charville, who sat idly staring into the blackness outside. Staunton sat back in his seat idly observing her. She remained aware of his scrutiny, peeping through her eyelashes when he turned his head away. Exhaustion and the after effects from her accident soon did the rest. It was not true sleep; she was too scared for that, but near enough. When the coach pulled to a halt and both Staunton and Charville climbed down.

  “No need for you to come any further.” She heard Staunton say. “You’ve done your part. Go back to town and find out if anyone’s talking. I’ll be at Milvert’s in a few days, come and tell me then.”

  “You won’t forget what you promised me.”

  “I won’t, you may be sure of that,”

  Alice heard footsteps walk away. She tried the handle of the other door. Staunton had not lied; it was indeed locked. The only way out was through the door the men had used. She slid across the cushions and peered out. Staunton was standing beside the coach, talking to the driver. They were in the courtyard of an inn. Charville was going through the front door. She wondered if she should scream, but Staunton was close enough to silence her almost immediately. Then Staunton climbed back into the coach and her chance was lost.

  Several miles later, the carriage turned a corner and the road became rougher. Glancing out, Alice could make out the shape of trees black against the star-lit sky. A few minutes more and the coach halted again. Voices called, the door was opened from the outside and Staunton alighted. She could hear the mumble of his voice as he gave instructions to someone. She had to do something now, she might not get another chance. She went to the window.

  The carriage stood outside the doorway of a large house. Lights were flickering inside some of the rooms. Staunton had his back towards her, giving instructions to the driver. Both of them were facing the other way.

  Here was her chance! Alice did not think about it, she just acted. She eased the door open and lowered herself carefully out of the carriage. Then she started to walk in the opposite direction from where Staunton was looking, trying to make no sound. Perhaps the slight change of weight caused the carriage to sway or it was simply bad luck that Staunton should look around at that precise moment.

  Staunton spun and immediately gave ran after her. Alice picked up her skirts and took to her heels but she had never been a good runner, not even as a child. Hampered by her petticoats, she was no match for a determined man. He caught her easily and pulled her back.

  “I’m not finished with you yet!”

  He held her by the arm and marched her toward the house, holding her so tightly she thought he would break her arm. Alice had a glimpse of panelled rooms, a twisting oak staircase, and a long corridor with a room at the end half filled by a four-poster bed.

  He flung her onto the mattress and slammed the door behind her. She heard the sound of a key turning and a lock clicking into place. Alice’s heart pounded but she made herself turn to look at him. Knowing what was happening was better than wild imaginings. Staunton moved one of the chairs near the empty fireplace to face her and sat down. His eyes were bright but she saw no other sign of emotion.

  “Now, my dear, there’s really no need for you to defy me. I will do you no harm provided you tell me what I want to know.”

  Alice looked at him, trying to keep the fear from showing on her face. This man had beaten Celia Staunton on and off for years. Now she was alone with him and no one would
be coming to her rescue. Even if Fenny made a fuss, who would listen to her? Her aunt, her natural protector did not know where she was. She had left no note nor said a word. The only way out of this fix was to use her wits. She just wished her head would stop throbbing long enough so she could think. One thing she was sure of, she must delay Staunton as long as possible. She had no clear idea of the time Philip would need to reach Dover or when the packet boats were likely to leave for France. Bad weather could keep them in port for days. How long would it take Staunton to make the journey to the coast from here? It was still possible he could catch the fugitives, even though they had some hours start. And after she had told him everything, would he just deliver her back to her aunt’s house? Probably not. What would he do with her? Panic started to rise in her throat but she thrust it back. If she started to think about her own fate now, she would certainly be lost.

  Staunton kept staring at her, obviously expecting an answer. He had begun to tap his fingers on the arm of his chair as if he would not wait much longer. So she said,

  “What exactly do you want to know?”

  “Where your brother is.”

  “Which one? I have several brothers.”

  She could see his face redden but he made no move towards her.

  “Don’t be smart with me if you know what’s good for you. Your brother, Philip, of course. The rest of your brothers can go to Hell for all I care!”

  She drew a breath and said carefully,

  “I haven’t seen Philip for the last four years. I believe he fled to France after you tried to kill him.”

  “He tried to kill me, to be precise. The quarrel was not of my making. He attacked me. He’s never been able to accept the fact that my wife preferred me to him. But let’s forget the ancient history. You were seen visiting that house where I found you tonight.”

  “Why shouldn’t I? Miss Fennimore is my old governess.”

  “In the middle of the night? You pick a strange time for paying calls, Lady Alice. So, let’s try again, where is your brother, Philip?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “And you would not tell me if you did?”

  “No.”

  “Then who did you come to see twice in two days at your governess’s house? Surely not her?”

  “My governess, I already told you that.”

  “You show her an unusual devotion to an old lady, a servant who is not related to you.”

  “Why shouldn’t I? I’m fond of her and she has been ill…” She realised he was watching her quizzically and broke off.

  “That might account for you calling on her during the day but it can hardly explain your visit in the middle of the night.”

  “I received a message she was dying!”

  “Did you? Which one of those delightful ladies had the pleasure of teaching you? The one who wanted to hit me with her poker or the taller one? Neither of them looked as if they were at death’s door.” Alice fought to repress a smile. Fenny had been so brave. “You arrived at the house alone in a hack at such an unreasonable hour. Lady Maitland must be an extremely careless guardian to allow you to do so,” Staunton continued, “but perchance she is ignorant of the whole matter?”

  Alice could feel the blush rising to her cheeks. His guess had been so accurate, what could she say?

  “Come Lady Alice, stop trifling with me. Where is that young scamp your brother?”

  “Truly I don’t know.”

  “I don’t believe you. I think he must have been in that house you visited so often; I’d stake my entire fortune on the fact. My man was watching your aunt’s home waiting for you to come out. Originally I intended just to find and question you. I still did not know where Celia was but I thought it possible you were in contact with your brother and I was right. ”

  Involuntarily Alice tightened her lips. The movement was slight but she saw that Staunton had caught it. He rose to his feet and strolled casually to a corner of the room. He bent down and picked something up. When he turned around he held a riding crop in his hand. He came towards her. She leapt up, her heart thudding but she forced herself to face him.

  “Are you going to beat me the way you beat your poor wife?”

  “If it makes you answer me truthfully, yes. Spare yourself a lot of pain and tell me where they have gone.”

  He belted the cane onto the bed and, in spite of herself, Alice jumped. She retreated before him until her back came up against the wall but there was nowhere for her to go. The door had been locked and she would have no time to open the windows before he caught her. Yet she had no intention of submitting to him tamely. She leapt off the bed on the side away from him and ran across the room, looking around frantically for a weapon, something to use to defend herself. There was an ornate vase standing on a table in a corner. She ducked past him and scrambled towards it. In her headlong rush she did not notice the small rug in her path until it skidded under her feet. She pitched forward, headlong, barely saving her head from crashing onto the fireplace. In that split second, she realised what she could do. He can’t question me, if he thinks I’m unconscious, she thought. I’ll pretend to take a while to wake up which will give Philip more time. Perhaps something will even happen so I may yet escape and warn him. Deliberately she let herself go limp and flopped onto the floor with her eyes tightly closed.

  Early next morning, Captain Roper arrived back at his lodgings. He had had a long and uncomfortable journey from the south coast. He was dejected because he had found no trace of the Baron either at Dover or at Newhaven, the other most likely crossing place to France. Nobody at the posting houses or the inns, where a change of horses could be obtained, remembered a Frenchman who matched the Baron’s description. Indeed, most of them did not recall any Frenchman at all. One landlord described a French lady, travelling with an elderly gentleman, who had to be helped into the carriage. Since the man was at least six inches shorter than the Baron, Roper easily acquitted him of being his quarry. He was tired, cold and hungry. He had nothing to report to his superiors, who would be less than pleased with the outcome.

  When he arrived home, instead of being able to attend to his needs Roper was treated to a tongue-lashing by his landlady. She demanded to know why he believed he could ask young ladies to call for him at a respectable house. He had no difficulty in identifying Kitty from her description and was aghast that she had been impetuous enough to have called for him there. He was in no mood to soothe the landlady’s outraged feelings, so he carried it off with a high hand.

  “That ‘young person’ is in fact my affianced bride, so I’ll thank you to refer to her with more respect, if you please,” he said blightingly.

  “She told me she was your sister!”

  “Did she? You must have frightened her to death for her to do so.”

  He whisked himself upstairs and out of her sight, before she said anything more. Once safe in his room, he sat down and wondered what he should do next. He resolved to take Kitty to task as soon as he saw her. He felt horrified that she would injure her reputation. He realised why she had done so, of course. She was undoubtedly been worried about him. Nevertheless it was an indiscretion and, if he did not immediately reassure her, she might commit another. That would certainly not endear him to her brother. Duty warred with his natural inclinations. He argued that making his report was unlikely to make any difference to the chase or to his future prospects, except perhaps to diminish them. Sighing, because he was very tired and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep, he washed, dressed in clean clothes and left the house as quickly as possible. He stopped to break his fast in the nearest tavern and then hurried to Kitty’s house.

  When he arrived there, it was to be told that the ladies were still at breakfast and would not be receiving callers until later in the day.

  “Miss Maitland will receive me,” Roper said boldly. “I have received a communication from her in which she particularly desired me to call. I suggest you go and ask her.”

  Rey
nolds stood there for a moment, unsure what to do, but the young man had been a frequent caller to the house and he was sure Miss Kitty liked him. So he said,

  “Will you wait in the library, sir, while I enquire?” He opened the door and showed Roper in.

  As soon as he announced Roper’s presence to the ladies, Kitty jumped out of her chair and clapped her hands,

  “Charles! How famous!”

  “Kitty, sit down this instant,” her mother exclaimed in a shocked tone. “Whatever will Miss Fennimore think of your behaviour?”

  “Oh, Mama, I must go down to him at once.”

  “Kitty, what is this?” Lady Mary got to her feet, a tinge of alarm in her voice.

  “I’ll explain later, I promise you, Mama.” Without any further ado, Kitty ran headlong out of the room.

  She did not hear Lady Mary declare, “First Alice, now Kitty!”

  Kitty charged into the library and straight into Roper’s arms.

  “Oh Charles, I’ve been so worried about you! Where have you been?”

  Roper, slightly reeling from the impact of his beloved’s assault upon his person, murmured,

  “Why to Dover and then to Newhaven. Didn’t your cousin tell you that I was going away?”

  “She did, but why didn’t you tell me yourself? You might have written to me at least. You were gone so long; I thought something dreadful must have happened.”

  Regaining his senses, Roper took charge of the situation and led Kitty to a nearby sofa. Keeping his arm about her shoulder, he made her sit down and held her hands.

  “My love, listen to me. A Navy man’s life is full of such sudden partings. This will happen again many times if you marry me. You must accustom yourself to it. If I suddenly go away, it does not mean that I don’t love you, it is simply that I must obey my orders.”

  “So you did not desert me? You do love me after all?” Kitty cut directly to the most important question in her mind.

  “I adore you, my darling and I always will. But Kitty, I do not want you to call at my lodgings ever again. My landlady was most displeased and I would not want to expose you to her insults.”