"Too many things to list, sweet."
Another voice interrupted them. "Sorry, not today!" And then Nathan emerged from around the corner of the tower. The sheer power of his tall, strong, young body was accentuated by the pistol he carried. "Release the lady, sir."
"Mind your own business," Frakes-Hogg retorted.
"Miss Beauvisage is my business. Loose her." Nathan drew the hammer back and touched the trigger. "I realize that this weapon may not be very accurate, but at close range, I find that it is surprisingly effective."
Adrienne felt the pincers leave her arm. She was numb below the elbow. Blinking back embarrassing tears, she hurried to Nathan's side. "Oh—thank you."
He gave her a dazzling grin. "I'm pleased to be of service. Now then—go on. Wait for me in St. Cross Hospital. The brethren will keep you safe."
"No. I want to stay with you." She slipped the paring knife from the sleeve of her spencer and smiled. "I can help now."
"Adrienne, at least stand away." Nathan sighed. "You are still in danger. That knife is a toy."
Frakes-Hogg was weighing his slim chances to get away from this lithe, strong fellow, who was undoubtedly a fast runner as well. It hardly seemed worth the untidy scene that would ensue. "Now that you've rescued the fair maiden, I admit that you've won the day. Let us part friends." He bowed as if to bid them farewell.
"Don't be ridiculous. A crime has been committed, and I intend to turn you over to the authorities." Nathan could scarcely believe his good fortune when he saw a constable crossing the bridge, coining in their direction. He raised a hand to call him to their aid.
"Well, well, it's Frakes-Hogg, isn't it! I surely enjoyed the pint you bought me yesterday," the jolly officer exclaimed as he drew near. His brow furrowed at the sight of Nathan's pistol. "This fellow ain't bothering you, I hope, sir!"
A benign smile spread over Frakes-Hogg's long face. "As a matter of fact, he is. I think the man must be mad, or else he and his accomplice mean to rob me, Constable! He accosted me, brandishing that pistol, and the woman drew a knife!"
"That's not true!" Adrienne cried. "Walter Frakes-Hogg accosted me! If you search him, I'm sure you'll find a weapon!"
"Why on earth would I want to bother this young lady?" he countered. "But, to prove my own innocence, I insist that you conduct a thorough search of my person, my good fellow."
"But, sir, you're a gentleman! I don't see how—" Clearly embarrassed, the constable obeyed. No weapons were discovered, and he turned accusing bloodshot eyes on Nathan and Adrienne. "Perhaps I ought to take the two of you in—"
"No, no." Frakes-Hogg waved off this suggestion. He exuded an air of gracious forgiveness. "I am inclined to hope that it was all an unfortunate error on the part of these young people. Perhaps a case of mistaken identity, hmm? In any event, I am late for an appointment. Will you walk with me to the market, Constable? Good, good." He drew on dark-gray gloves with a satisfied smile.
Adrienne stared, pale and disbelieving, as the constable warned them to put their weapons away and obey the law. Then the two men walked off down College Street and turned north.
"I can't believe it," Nathan murmured.
"He is evil." Her voice wavered. "Oh, Nathan, I'm frightened!"
He drew her into his arms, patting her curls. "No need to worry. I didn't let any harm come to you, did I?"
"I believe he is capable of anything." She let the tears come. "He despises me and means to exact revenge beyond my worst nightmares...."
Nathan held her closer, staring out over the river as his own jaw hardened with concern. Unfortunately, he feared that Adrienne may not have overstated the situation at all.
Above them, on the castle-wall walk known as the allure, Huntsford Harms saw and heard everything. He'd been shocked by his own protective feelings toward Adrienne Beauvisage. When Frakes-Hogg led her into the tower, he had been ready to go to her rescue himself, but then that damned Essex had interfered! How dare he come into Winchester on his own, to watch over Adrienne, when Huntsford had made it perfectly clear that he intended to be her protector today! It made him seethe now to watch them embracing from above, to hear Adrienne's sweet sobs and Essex's murmuring reassurances.
Somehow, Huntsford Harms would bring matters to right, so that one day he might be the man to rescue fair Adrienne and embrace her in the aftermath.
* * *
Huntsford rushed to bring the landaulet back to get Adrienne. However, she explained that she had encountered Mr. Essex on her walk and had been persuaded to let him see her home. It was his duty, after all. Huntsford had managed a stiff smile, seething inside, and proceeded to drive straight to the White Ostrich.
"No need to call attention to our vehicle," he told the tiger, handing over the reins. "Wait near the market."
Frakes-Hogg was waiting within. He was eating kidney pie and drinking brandy at a table deep in the shadows when Huntsford Harms approached.
"What are you looking so nervous about? Go on, sit down." The older man poured more brandy for himself. "Have you come to hear a report of my confrontation with Miss Beauvisage?"
"Well—uh—" The waiter arrived then with a glass of negus, and Huntsford drank. The sweet, warm concoction contained just enough wine to soothe his nerves. "As a matter of fact, sir, I saw most of what transpired on Riverside Walk. I was on the castle wall above you."
"Ah!" Frakes-Hogg's manner changed; he put on a smile. "Then you witnessed my skillful finesse of the unsuspecting constable! Not only did I extricate myself from the clutches of that insufferable thug who guards Adrienne, I managed to put the two of them afoul of the law!" He rubbed his thin hands together. "Congratulate me, young fellow."
"Yes, that was very shrewd of you, sir... and I was frankly relieved that no harm came to Miss Beauvisage." Huntsford avoided his companion's piercing stare and took another gulp of negus. "I mean, she's been awfully good to Mummy and unfailingly pleasant to me and my guests. I really don't see why you bear her such ill will!"
"I don't think, given the financial arrangement you and I have struck, that it is your place to decide the merit of my intentions toward Adrienne." Frakes-Hogg's voice was low, but each word carried a sting. Pushing his plate aside, he drank more brandy and continued, "Don't tell me that you fancy her yourself!"
Huntsford scowled. "Of course not—but I don't see why you should find that notion so amusing. Not as if I'm a freak of some sort, or even the least bit unattractive to ladies! In fact, I'm known in Town to be a particular favorite—"
"My point has nothing at all to do with you, dear boy," he interrupted. "It's simply that Adrienne can't be enamored of you, because she's carrying on with that awful man—"
"Who? Nathan Essex? But that's absurd! You are funning, sir. Is that it?"
"Funning? Hardly. Remove your hat and gloves, old fellow. Have a nip of my brandy; it will steady your nerves." Frakes-Hogg watched him through narrowed eyes. Then, with exquisite timing, he delivered another blow: "I perceive that your feelings for the irresistible Adrienne run deeper than even you had realized. I am sorry. However, my news about her and Essex is not a vile rumor or merely conjecture on my part. You see, I saw them together. Late one night, before you arrived from London, I walked the grounds at Harms Castle, just to get a feel for the place."
"I'm not sure I like the idea of you lurking about in our garden," Huntsford protested.
"Oh, but I wasn't lurking there," he countered suavely. "I was among the stand of elm trees, and I saw them together."
"T-together? You don't mean...?"
"I fear so. If not quite, something very near. They were interrupted by the gardener, who had spied me a few minutes earlier."
"This is—simply shocking!"
"Really? Come now, my boy, do you mean to say that your set don't go in for love play?" Frakes-Hogg winked. "As for Adrienne Beauvisage, I can assure you that she is hardly the virtuous lady she pretends to be. Perhaps now you can understand why she has driven me to see
k justice in my own way. I have been badly hurt by that baggage."
Huntsford Harms stared at the man across the table from him. He would not give up longing for Adrienne, but this news about her and Essex deepened his feelings of jealousy. Perhaps she was simply smitten because of his role as her protector? If so, the first step toward having Adrienne to himself would be to usurp Nathan Essex's place in her life.
Fiddling with his watch fob, Huntsford muttered, "I can see now that I have misjudged both of them. And your revelation calls to mind something that was said about Nathan Essex the other night. I didn't give it any credence at the time..."
"About him? Hurry, damn it! What is it?"
Huntsford pursed his lips. "I think that this information is far too valuable to be given away. I think that this might be a good time for you to make another payment toward my gambling debts."
"Are you referring to the three thousand pounds I promised when our project is finished?"
"I think I should receive that, as planned, plus an additional two thousand tonight for the information I am about to pass along."
"The Tulip of Fashion would seem to be growing fangs and claws!" Frakes-Hogg stared hard, but he could not force one crack in the young man's smooth, handsome visage. There were already enough problems that could crop up at Harms Castle; it didn't seem wise to risk losing Huntsford as an ally. "By Jove, you're coming along magnificently, my boy! Learning well. I'm impressed, and pleased to give you the additional sums. You may come back to my rooms when we're finished here, and I'll pay you immediately. Ah, I see that I've made you smile. Good show."
"I'm glad that we are in accord, sir. And, you'll be glad when you hear what my guest Lucy Beauchamp had to say about Nathan Essex." Lounging in his chair, Harms began his tale. "One recent night my friends and I were in one of the common rooms of the castle, and Essex appeared. He'd apparently forgotten his spectacles, and when he left, Lucy remarked that he looked exactly like a certain roguish sea captain who had become rather mythic in London of late. The ton took to calling him the Scapegrace...."
"By God, I know about the sea captain you're speaking of! He's known for daring exploits at sea and is quite the rake when on land! But, the Scapegrace's name is Nathan Raveneau, not cursed Essex! " Walter Frakes-Hogg's eyes were ebony flames. Other people in the taproom were turning to see what the fuss was about, so he made an effort to keep himself in check. "Could it be?"
"If it's true that he's in disguise," Huntsford mused, "then I wonder what the purpose might be. Why would a sea captain want to play nursemaid to my mother's paid companion?"
"It's quite inexplicable, but I do know now why I despised Essex at first sight." Sipping his third brandy, red-cheeked, Frakes-Hogg seemed to forget that he was speaking aloud. "The bloody Scapegrace has been a thorn in the side of my business partner, Xavier Crowe. They both live in Barbados, and Raveneau is one of those insufferable men who feels duty-bound to impose his rules of conduct on everyone else. He has hounded poor Xavier almost from the day my friend arrived on the island."
"Barbados! I've always wanted to go there." Sighing, Huntsford reasoned, "Perhaps if I tell Adrienne the truth about Essex, she'll simply send him away."
"Or, more likely, she'll want the dashing Scapegrace even more than she does the bourgeois Nathan Essex!"
Huntsford's brown eyes widened. He took snuff and bit his lip. "That's a good point. She might do."
"Lean closer, my boy, and heed me well." The skin tightened over Frakes-Hogg's cheekbones as he bent across the table. "There's nothing for it but to put him out of the way, perhaps even before I resolve matters with Adrienne. If you help me finish off Raveneau, I'll see to it that you not only have the means to pay off all your debts, but to travel to Barbados—to stay, if you like. Xavier has a grand mansion called Crowe's Nest, and he would be eternally grateful to you for helping dispose of his nemesis. Do you take my meaning?"
Huntsford gulped. "Yes. Yes, I do." The thought of murder turned his stomach. "I'll find a way, sir. I accept."
Part Two
Come, woo me, woo me; for now I am in a holiday
humour, and like enough to consent.
—William Shakespeare
Chapter 9
The sight of Nathan made her almost giddy. How odd it was for Adrienne to realize that she now gazed fondly at his worn top boots and dreamed of tightening buttons and mending the frayed places in his jacket.
"Who will have more soused herrings?" Lady Thomasina was looking at Nathan as she gestured at the array of silver breakfast dishes that lined the sideboard. "They're very fresh. I am also very pleased with the honeycomb. Isn't it delicious, Miss Beau?"
"Mmm. Yes!" Adrienne was glowing. The days since their run-in with Walter Frakes-Hogg had been rich with pleasure. Nathan was careful to stay close at hand, fearing that the villain would strike again, and the two of them had decided on a joint project: an attempt to improve Lady Thomasina's lot in life. They'd made suggestions for small events like this morning's formal breakfast in the dining room, which would nudge the old woman to venture out of her rooms before noon. In some cases, her ladyship dug in her heels and clung to more slothful habits, but she had made changes, and Adrienne and Nathan were hopeful.
"Have you given any more thought to an outing, my lady?" Nathan helped himself to more herring and poured fresh chocolate for Adrienne from a silver pot.
"You two are becoming rather annoying on this subject!" Lady Thomasina smiled as she spoke and finished her buttered eggs. "Besides, it's raining."
"Would you prefer to have people in?" Adrienne wondered. "We could arrange a reception for local neighbors. There must be people you knew in years gone by with whom you've lost touch. I am convinced that human contact would be a great tonic for you, my lady."
"I thought I had hired you to provide companionship! And we have Mr. Essex with us, and dear Hunty and his lovely friends. I don't need any other tonics."
Nathan passed her a scone with clotted cream. "I see a furrow in your brow, my lady. Why not give us one of your lovely smiles instead? Haven't you noticed the rays of sun breaking through the dark clouds?"
"If you're going to force me to go out or have people in, I shall choose the former. Perhaps we might visit Winchester's lending library and inquire exactly when we might expect Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Alistair has read it and he says it is quite terrifying!" She scowled again, this time in the direction of the five extra place settings down the table. "I do wish those young people would make a little effort to placate me. They did say that they would join us this morning, didn't they?"
Jarrow sidled over from the doorway. "I beg your pardon, my lady, but I may be able to explain the absence of Lord Harms and his friends from the breakfast table. I believe that the time may have gotten away from them last night. The ladies are still sleeping—"
"What about Hunty? One expects a bit more from one's own son!"
"Quite so, my lady," the butler agreed, nodding his big head. "However, as you doubtless know, his lordship requires several hours to bathe and dress."
Adrienne couldn't resist interjecting, "Would it be improper for me to ask if it is true that Lord Harms bathes each morning in water mixed with eau de cologne? I find that notion fascinating!"
"Indeed, his lordship uses imported eau de cologne," Jarrow confirmed. "His bath is a very involved process, followed by shaving, the dressing of his hair, and the arrangement of his cravat, known as 'creasing down.' His lordship's valet, Roland, works night and day to keep his possessions immaculate."
Lady Thomasina shook her head with a mixture of pride and annoyance. "I don't know where he gets it. All that fussing is a great waste of time, I'd say."
The sound of Nathan's decidedly sardonic chuckle caused Adrienne to take a different tack. "Speaking of new books—"
"Were we?" Nathan wondered. "I was hoping to hear more about the habits of Lord Harms and Roland."
Adrienne hiked up her skirt and gave him a sl
ight kick under the table, smiling politely. "You jest, as always, Mr. Essex. Her ladyship expressed a desire to go into Winchester, in search of new books. I am a great admirer of Jane Austen—"
"Ah, Miss Beau, again we are in accord!" cried Lady Thomasina. "Are you aware that there will soon be two more of Miss Austen's books published?"
"I am! One, I am told, was written some years ago but was mislaid until now by her publisher, and the second novel, called Persuasion, was completed just months before Miss Austen's... death." Adrienne's expression changed from lively enthusiasm to sadness. "When I was in school, I saw her once at a millener's in London. I told her how deeply I admired her work, and she was so very kind; warm and genuinely modest. When Miss Austen died last summer, I grieved, truly...."
"You do know that she was living in Winchester at the time of her passing?" Lady Thomasina asked softly. "Jane Austen now rests in the nave of our cathedral."
Adrienne nodded, bright-eyed. "The bookbinder reminded me during my visit to his shop. Oh, my lady, he told me that Miss Austen's house is located on College Street, just a short distance from the cathedral. I would love to make a pilgrimage there, and then to take flowers to her final resting place. Would you not come with me?"
"All three of us can make the journey," Nathan said. "And I know an inn where we can take luncheon."
"I must admit," her ladyship conceded, "that would be a meaningful outing. We can visit the lending library as well. Perhaps we ought to get out Miss Austen's other books and read them aloud. I have been missing the Bennet family."
"Oh, yes, let's read Pride and Prejudice first!" Adrienne got up, bent next to Lady Thomasina's chair and reached for her plump hand. It was an act of great fondness, given the stale smell of her perfume and powder. "And then next, shall it be Emma? I do so agree with her views on the respectability of old maids! How pleasant it is to discover more common ground between us, my lady."
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