‘Do you really think that either he or Andrew would do that when we are threatened? Neither of them would be satisfied to leave it to others.’ Lucinda took her arm. ‘Come, dearest, we shall wait downstairs in the parlour for their return. I am certain that they will manage the thing very well. Shall we play cards or would you rather play the pianoforte? You play so well, dearest.’
‘I should strike all the wrong notes,’ Mariah said and laughed. ‘I am such a fool, but I keep thinking that…’ She shook her head. It was impossible to explain her feelings even to Lucinda. How could she tell her that she had never confessed her love to Andrew? Impossible to say that she was not certain he loved her, because he might still be in love with Lucinda herself. ‘No, I must be positive. Neither of them will be harmed. They will catch the rogue and all this horrid business will be over.’
‘Yes, I am sure they will,’ Lucinda said. ‘They have planned it so meticulously that I am certain nothing can go wrong.’
* * *
The inn was a seedy affair, the kind of place that thieves and rogues might habitually patronise, but no honest traveller would ever set foot in. Its appearance was rundown, the windows grimy and steamy inside, and though a welcoming light spilled from a lantern outside, the surrounding area was dark with plenty of places that a man might hide.
‘We must hope he is already inside and waiting,’ Andrew said as they dismounted and left their horses out of sight of the inn windows. ‘I shall leave you here, Justin, and make my way to the rear of the place. If he is my enemy, one sight of me and he will be away.’
‘Yes, we’ll split up and surround the place. Once Jacobs goes in to ask for his money, your men will identify the rogue he meets—and let us know when he leaves. We shall have him, whichever way he chooses to leave, be it a window at the side or the back door.’
Andrew nodded and left him to order his men as he would. His own plan was to keep moving, scout round the outbuildings and stables, where a man might be waiting and watching for Jacobs to arrive. The plan was to let Jacobs go in and then move quickly to surround the place, so that if his employer scented a rat they could grab him before he made a run for it. However, the man might be crafty enough to wait in the shadows and could perhaps escape before they could discover his identity or whereabouts. Andrew hoped that by using the experience he had gained in the army, where he several times went alone on reconnaissance trips to gather information concerning the enemy, he might be able to catch this rogue off guard.
His apparel was dark and the kind any man might wear for travelling. By keeping to the shadows and moving from place to place he might have the advantage. He saw Jacobs enter the inn. Justin’s men waited for perhaps ten seconds before deploying about the inn. Andrew saw them moving silently, following their employer’s orders to the letter, keeping to the shadows as much as possible and communicating by signs. He was moving towards the stables when he saw the man lead his horse out and mount it; then he was suddenly riding towards him, clearly in a hurry and in haste to escape. Andrew knew instinctively that their man had been too wary, perhaps suspecting something might have happened to Jacobs. Justin had moved his men too soon. He made a desperate lunge at the horse and grabbed the reins, trying to halt it. The rider brought his whip down hard on the horse’s rump and it reared up, kicking at Andrew with its forelegs and knocking him sideways as it rushed by—but for one split second he looked up and saw the man’s face and knew him.
‘Grainger,’ he grunted and cursed. ‘Damn the rogue!’
He climbed to his feet as someone fired after the fleeing horseman and then Justin was there beside him.
‘He was too crafty for us,’ Justin said. ‘I did not want to lose him, but I should have waited out of sight a little longer. Did you catch a glimpse of the rogue?’
‘I saw his face just for an instant. He must have seen your men, Justin, but he didn’t notice me until it was too late. It was Lieutenant Grainger. I told you he went missing in Milan during a masked ball at Count Paolo’s house. His aunt was anxious about him and Mariah wondered if he might have been murdered, but I thought he had taken himself off because he was being threatened.’ Andrew looked grim. ‘It seems as if I may have been mistaken. If Grainger arranged that shooting at your home, he must be the one behind all that stuff out there—the prowler at the villa and the attack on my carriage. I was his guest at the villa and he may have invited me simply so that he would be aware of my movements…’
‘Didn’t you say he was with the regiment out in Spain? Did you do something that might have aroused his enmity?’
‘Nothing that I know of,’ Andrew said. ‘I would have said we were friends. Unless he was a particular friend of Lieutenant Gordon. He denied it, said they were mere acquaintances—but he may have lied.’
‘Yes, I see that,’ Justin said. ‘But why should he want to kill you? That part of it makes no sense to me, Andrew. He might have a grudge against you if he holds you responsible for a friend’s ruin—but murder? It sounds too far fetched to me.’
‘He may think I know something. Could he have been responsible for taking that damned silver? It sounds ridiculous, I know. I cannot imagine why anyone would have been foolish enough to think it was possible to sell it for more than a fraction of its worth.’
‘I think we are missing something, Andrew. What could he hope to gain by killing you?’
‘Perhaps he imagines I was in Italy to spy on him. There are gaps in the theory, but Grainger was here tonight, waiting in the shadows—and he was in a hurry to get away. He must be involved in that shady business somewhere, but I can’t be sure how or why.’
‘Damn! The mystery remains.’ Justin looked frustrated. He turned as one of his men approached, bringing Jacobs with him. ‘You saw nothing of your employer, of course.’
‘He weren’t there, sir,’ Jacobs replied. ‘He never meant to pay me the rest. He cheated me like everyone else.’
‘Well, I shan’t cheat you,’ Justin told him with a tight smile. ‘You are free to go home with money in your pocket and the promise of a job on my estate—with one provision. If you ever see this man again, you come to me at once and tell me.’
‘I’ll do that, yer ’onour. He deserves to ’ang, so he does, fer tryin’ ter upset them fine ladies and you, sir.’
‘It is my intention that he shall when we catch him,’ Justin said. ‘Whoever he may be, he will pay the price for what he has done. As for you, sirrah, you may go home. Report to my bailiff in the morning and he will find you work.’
‘God bless yer, sir. May I drop down dead if I ever lift a finger against yer again, milord.’
‘Believe me, you will,’ Justin said and smiled as the man went off with some of the others from his estate.
‘You repay evil with good,’ Andrew said. ‘I am not sure I should have had your forbearance, Justin.’
‘We need the rogue on our side. You saw Grainger ride off and you have reason to suspect him of some involvement in your affairs—but that does not make him the man who paid Jacobs to fire at Lucinda and Mariah. I am for keeping an open mind on this until we know more.’
‘Well, I dare say you are right,’ Andrew replied. ‘It never hurts to keep your enemy close where you can watch him.’
‘That was my feeling. We may as well go home. I am quite certain that neither Lucinda nor Mariah have retired to their beds. They will be waiting anxiously for our return and we must put their fears at rest.’
‘Unfortunately, we cannot tell them that this wretched business is at an end.’ Andrew frowned. ‘I have wondered if we should postpone the wedding for a while. I would not have Mariah widowed for a second time.’
‘Well, that is your affair, but she will not like it—and I cannot see that it will help. Your only hope of ending this business is to draw your enemy out, Andrew. And the best way of doing that is to face him down, let him believe that you think he cannot touch you. If he loses his temper, he may make a mistake and then you may hav
e him.’
‘Well, I have drafted in more men to patrol my grounds and I know you have done the same. All we can do now is to wait and see what happens.’
* * *
‘Thank God you are both home safe,’ Lucinda said and ran to Justin as he entered the salon where they sat, toying with cards that neither of them was the least interested in playing. ‘We have been on edge all night.’
‘My foolish little love,’ Justin said and kissed her. ‘Go up now and I shall follow you very soon.’
Mariah watched their affectionate greeting and felt a pang of envy. She wished that she might run to Andrew’s arms with the same ease and confidence. She lingered after her friend went out, looking at her fiancé.
‘I am glad to see you unharmed,’ she said. ‘Did everything go as you hoped?’
‘No, not at all,’ Andrew told her bluntly and explained what had happened when Grainger’s horse had knocked him down in the rush to escape.
‘So he went missing of his own accord,’ Mariah said with a little frown. ‘What part do you imagine he played in this affair? I believe he is nervous of something or someone—but somehow I do not see him as a murderer, Andrew.’
‘Well, he was certainly there this evening and in a rush to get away, but as yet I do not know where he fits into this business, Mariah. He was at the Lakes and in Milan at the time the incidents took place and I must therefore hold him suspect—but I shall keep an open mind. In the meantime we shall carry on with our lives as if nothing were wrong. I shall stay here this evening, but in the morning I shall go home and set the wheels in motion for our wedding.’
‘We are to go on as before?’ Mariah nodded. ‘Yes, I see. We must hope that draws him out, Andrew. I need not ask, for I know that Justin has made certain arrangements that will ensure no one can reach us in the house again. Well, I am happy to ignore this rogue, whoever he may be—and since I do not believe Lucinda is at risk there is no need to feel anxious. I do not think she needs to know the whole affair.’
Andrew raised his right eyebrow quizzically. ‘You are concerned for her, but not yourself?’
‘Of course I am concerned for Lucinda. She is as a sister to me.’ Mariah laughed huskily. ‘I shall carry the pistol my father taught me to use when I was fourteen. If anyone attacks me, I shall not hesitate to use it. Had I had it to hand the day I was kidnapped, they would not have taken me so easily.’
‘I believe you,’ Andrew said and smiled. ‘Go up now and sleep soundly, Mariah. No one will harm you in this house.’
‘I am sure of it,’ Mariah said. She went to him and kissed his cheek. Had Justin not still been in the room she might have thrown her arms about him and begged him to accompany her. ‘Thank you for not postponing the wedding, Andrew. I am certain it must have crossed your mind.’
‘We must not give in to this rogue. I am not certain who is behind this, Mariah—but if his intention was to force us apart we shall show him that his plan has not worked.’
‘Yes, we shall,’ she said and smiled at him. ‘I shall write to Sylvia and invite her to stay for the Christmas dance. Lucinda has told me that I may invite as many friends as I wish to stay during this time, but the only friends I truly wish to have about me are Jane, Lucinda and Sylvia. I shall invite others, of course—Winston’s sister and aunt must be invited to the dance and the wedding, but they are not my particular friends.’
‘I see you have taken me at my word,’ Andrew said. ‘I am glad that this has not overset you. It worried me that you might fear another attempt at abduction.’
‘If it happens, I shall be ready,’ Mariah said. ‘However, you are probably correct in thinking that Lieutenant Grainger was behind the various attacks.’ She wrinkled her smooth brow. ‘Do you suppose he might have had something to do with the missing silver?’
‘What makes you think that?’ Justin turned from his contemplation of his brandy glass to look at her.
‘It was just a thought. If he held a grudge against you, might he not take it in the hope of having you blamed?’
‘I suppose it could be that,’ Andrew said. ‘Yes, the thought did cross my mind. I dismissed it as unlikely, because each item of silver bears the regiment’s crest and would be hard to sell. A man would need to be desperate to steal it. So it might have been taken for another reason entirely.’
‘That is indeed a possibility,’ Justin said. ‘It makes a great deal of sense. You thought the letter came from Martin’s wife or daughter, but it could well have been Grainger’s work. Perhaps he thought someone suspected him and tried to shift the blame?’
‘Yes, that could well be the truth,’ Andrew said. ‘He is certainly involved somehow.’
‘We shall not solve the mystery tonight,’ Mariah said. ‘Excuse me, gentlemen, I shall seek my bed.’
She left them to drink a last glass of brandy together and went up to her room, feeling thoughtful. Andrew was right in believing that Lieutenant Grainger was involved in this murky business, but she had an uncomfortable feeling that there was more to it than any of them could yet see. Mariah suspected that she herself was involved here but she did not know how. Unless…
Could Count Paolo be involved in this somehow? She did not see how or why, but her spine tingled and the idea grew in her mind as she began to undress. If the count thought Andrew was his rival, he might do anything to be rid of him.
Mariah felt a tingling sensation all over her body. In that instant she was sure that she had hit upon the solution. No, she was letting her imagination fly. Surely she was being foolish, inventing a story to fit the parts. Andrew would laugh if she suggested such a thing to him—but somehow it made sense.
Mariah shuddered, because somehow she could believe that Count Paolo would be ruthless if he believed that another man stood in his way. Yes, he was the kind of man who would stop at nothing to intimidate or threaten another man.
Where did Grainger come into it? There were so many possibilities that Mariah’s head began to spin. She laughed at herself. It was all nonsense, of course; she was inventing complications where there need be none. Yet even though she dismissed her ideas as nonsense, she sensed that she was close to the truth.
He had been going to tell her in Milan, but then something had frightened him off and he’d disappeared. The fact that he’d been waiting in hiding at the inn that night showed that he was still involved somehow—perhaps trying to find some way of communicating with her or Andrew.
Yet why had he tried to run Andrew down?
Mariah finished brushing her long, heavy hair and decided that she must put all the unpleasantness from her mind or she would never sleep. Instead, she would think of the coming dinners and dances leading up to her wedding. Her heart quickened as she remembered the look in Andrew’s eyes earlier. Had she imagined it—or had there been something new in the way he’d looked at her?
She smiled as she slipped in between fresh sheets that smelled of lemon and flowers. She must ask Lucinda what her servants used for washing the sheets, because it was pleasant. Soon she would have her own home to run; although it was not a new thing for her, it would be very different. In the past she had had only herself to please, but in future she would have a husband—a very powerful, physical man who had decided opinions of his own. It was likely that they would argue, for their characters were strong, but Mariah smiled as she contemplated such a future. Being petted and given one’s own way all the time was pleasant, but she rather thought she would enjoy a tussle of wills sometimes, especially if there were certain compensations when it came to making up a quarrel.
Settling down into the softness of her feather mattress, she sighed and closed her eyes, smiling as she thought of how pleasant it could be to make up a quarrel with Andrew by going to bed with him. Her body remembered the way it had tingled when he kissed her and she drifted into sleep, thinking of pleasures to come.
* * *
‘Would you care to ride over to the house with me?’ Andrew asked when they me
t the next morning in the breakfast parlour. Mariah had risen to take breakfast with him, because she knew that once he was at home she would not see him quite as often as when he’d stayed at Avonlea, though it was, of course, merely a short ride away. ‘I thought you might like to look at the main apartments and discuss what repairs you would have me commission to be done while we are on honeymoon.’
‘What a wonderful idea,’ Mariah said and glanced towards the window. ‘The sun is shining. A perfect day for a ride—and I should love to see your apartments, Andrew, though of course I would not dream of changing them, for I dare say you have had them refurbished to your own taste.’
‘As it happens I have not touched them since my father died.’ Andrew looked thoughtful. ‘I was in the army for a long time and did not bother to take over the master suite until I resigned my commission. Jane had her own apartments done and when I came home I saw to some of the guest rooms. I did not bother with what was my father’s room or my mother’s. I fear that has not been touched since she died. My father would not allow anyone near it for years. Jane had it cleaned after he died and kept it fresh, but she did not change the décor. That will be for you to do, Mariah—unless you prefer that we use the best guest suite?’
‘I shall tell you when I have seen them,’ she said and arched her brow at him. ‘Wait while I change my gown—fifteen minutes, no more.’
‘I shall tell the grooms to bring the horses in thirty minutes.’
‘Then we shall waste time. I shall be no more than a quarter of an hour.’
* * *
He had looked at her in disbelief, but Mariah was as good as her word and walked down the stairs in her riding habit no more than sixteen minutes later. The gown was fashioned of dark blue velvet and the slender bodice and skirt set off her figure to perfection, a jabot of creamy lace at her throat. A jaunty hat with curling black feathers sat to one side on her luxuriant hair, which was swept up into a net, and her immaculate York tan gloves finished the elegant ensemble. She looked every inch the wealthy fashionable lady she was and the look of admiration in Andrew’s eyes caused her heart to beat faster.
The Scandalous Lord Lanchester Page 14