‘Would they squeal on a person bringing in a few ankers of brandy?’ the duke asked. ‘Smuggling is considered to be an honourable occupation in many quarters—a crime with many beneficiaries but no victims.’
Lord Romsey waggled a hand from side to side. ‘They have an odd sort of loyalty. They won’t lose any sleep over depriving the treasury of its duty, but forcing respectable young women into prostitution would go against the grain. Many of the men concerned will have daughters of a similar age. In other words, gentlemen, if wagons have been required to bring the girls on to Winchester, I feel persuaded that someone’s conscience would have persuaded him to speak out.’
‘Your intelligence is usually reliable, Clarence,’ the duke said. ‘At least there is still an outside chance of saving the girls from the nightmare that would otherwise await them, as well as catching Cutler and Basingstoke and having them answer for their crimes.’
‘I have been thinking about the men who would frequent Basingstoke’s brothel, for want of a better word,’ Lord Amos said, scowling. ‘They would have to be men of means, from the upper middle classes—or, God forbid, men of our ilk. But I cannot persuade myself that they are all degenerates. Some would attend for other reasons. Don’t forget, the place where Ariana was held was also a thriving gaming club.’ All the men in the room nodded their agreement. Raph merely scowled. ‘Basingstoke might charge a small fortune for the girls’ services, but it would hardly be worth the risk he’s taking.’
The duke nodded. ‘He makes his real money from the gambling, which would bring in respectable gentlemen who know nothing about the activities taking place in other parts of the club.’
‘There are plenty of gaming clubs, surely?’ Raph asked.
‘Not those of Basingstoke’s unregulated nature,’ Lord Amos replied. ‘There are no limits, either on the size or nature of the wagers or on the amount of credit available. He doesn’t care whom he ruins. His father ran the Basingstoke estate into the ground with his own gambling habit, and the current earl has somehow managed to re-establish it. He doesn’t gamble himself, but gets his revenge, one assumes, by encouraging others to do so beyond their means.’
The duke grunted. ‘Very likely.’
‘We should investigate this Beauworth Hall that Lewis’s men told us about,’ Raph said impatiently.
‘What will that achieve?’ Romsey asked. ‘Other than to give the blaggards advance warning that we’re on to them.’
‘At least we will know where they plan to hold their parties, for want of a better word.’
‘Use the brain that kept you alive all these years,’ Romsey replied tartly. ‘Do you really imagine they won’t have someone watching the place the entire time? This is an expensive operation and they’ve got away with it for years, apart from the one time Amos disobligingly broke it up. They obviously look upon that as a minor hitch and it hasn’t slowed them down.’
‘Besides, gentlemen,’ Adler put in. ‘Stone heard them arguing about two issues. One was money. Cutler demanded a higher cut.’
‘How much higher?’ Romsey asked curtly.
Everyone whistled when Adler told them.
‘It is lucrative,’ Lord Amos said softly. ‘No wonder Cutler continues to take the risk.’
‘Did Basingstoke agree to the increase?’ the duke asked.
‘He did, your grace, albeit reluctantly.’
‘What was the other issue of contention?’ Raph asked.
‘Location, sir. Beauworth Hall was mentioned, but Cutler argued against it. He said that the village was too quiet and that any activity at Beauworth Hall at night, which has been a partial ruin for years, would create unnecessary interest. Basingstoke disagreed, said he had it covered, but Stone got the impression that he was thinking of his own convenience, it being the closest location to his estate, but far enough away for him to…well, distance himself.’
‘Where were the other places that were mentioned?’ the duke asked.
‘One was in central Winchester. The Falkirk Tavern.’
‘That den of iniquity!’ Lord Amos cried indignantly. ‘It’s in the poorest part of town and most of its customers would cut your throat as soon as look at you.’
‘Good cover then,’ the duke pointed out. ‘There will be a back entrance, and it would be the last place anyone would expect men of quality to congregate.’
‘Even so,’ Romsey replied, ‘the gentlemen would have to get there and a number of decent carriages in that back street would attract attention.’
‘Possibly,’ the duke conceded. ‘Where was the third location, Adler?’
‘Aldershot, your grace.’
The duke flexed his brow. ‘Aldershot? That’s a surprise. Not much there.’
‘It’s close to Basingstoke, though,’ Lord Amos pointed out.
‘What is Aldershot?’ Raph asked.
‘A notorious stretch of the London to Winchester turnpike passes through Aldershot village,’ Lord Romsey remarked. ‘The stretch between Bagshot and Farnham was a regular scene of highway robberies in times gone by.’
‘It once had a reputation as bad as Hounslow Heath for lawlessness, I seem to recall,’ Lord Amos added.
‘All three sites have one thing in common, gentlemen,’ Romsey remarked.
‘They are close to Basingstoke’s estate,’ the duke finished for him, ‘and none of them is likely to invoke the curiosity of the man in the street after dark—with the possible exception of Beauworth Hall.’
‘So what do we do now?’ Raph demanded.
‘That is what we are here to decide,’ the duke replied, ‘but since Adler’s contact has been so forthcoming, I don’t see any need to involve your sister, or to have you pretending to have disagreed with her and shouting about it in the local taverns.’
‘I was never comfortable with that plan,’ Lord Amos added with an assertive scowl.
‘She will know that we have collaborated this morning and expect answers,’ Raph said. ‘I agree that we should not involve her, but I would appreciate suggestions on how best to prevent her from involving herself. In view of the fact that I let her down so badly, I feel uncomfortable insisting.’ He made a sound that could have been anything from a chuckle to a snort. ‘Not that she would take a blind bit of notice if I do.’
The duke flashed a sympathetic smile. ‘Tell her the truth and she will see that she has no alternative but to leave matters to us. She can hardly go cavorting about the countryside, delving into dangerous places with no clear idea of what to do if she comes across Cutler or, God forbid, Basingstoke. But if she thinks you are cutting her out then she will likely do something precisely that rash.’
‘I agree,’ Lord Amos said. ‘Tell her about the three locations, and that we are conducting discreet investigations, and assure her that she will know when we’ve narrowed it down to the right place.’
‘What will we do when we have?’ Raph asked.
‘Once we know for sure, we can keep watch over it. We will wait for the so-called gentlemen to arrive and then nab the damned lot of them. The girls will have undergone a terrible ordeal, but with great good fortune their virtue will remain intact. We will break up the business once and for all, and the ringleaders will feel the full force of the law.’
‘Basingstoke included?’ Lord Amos asked.
‘Definitely,’ the duke replied with a forbidding frown.
Raph couldn’t see anything wrong with that plan and nodded his agreement, despite feeling uneasy. They were, he sensed, missing something vital. ‘I will speak with Ariana as soon as we have finished here.’
‘Good.’ The duke stood up and stretched his arms above his head, watched by his adoring dogs. ‘Adler, pick some of your most discreet men and have them start making enquiries about any unusual activities in the areas that interest us.’
‘I will do that, your grace.’
‘I would like to see them for myself, your grace,’ Raph said. ‘If we are to surprise them after dark, I know f
rom experience that it’s best to reconnoitre beforehand.’
‘We can do that together if you like,’ Lord Amos offered.
‘Thank you. It will make me feel as though I am doing something useful with my time. There is no such thing as too much planning.’
‘Good, then we are agreed.’ The duke nodded emphatically at Raph. ‘Keep your nerve. Naturally, you are thirsting for revenge, but this will all come to a head over the next few days. I can sense it.’
The gentlemen stood, ready to go their separate ways, but Raph was detained by Lord Romsey.
‘A word,’ he said, taking him to one side and reaching inside his coat, from which he produced a despatch. ‘This just found its way to me from London.’
Raph glanced at the document with apprehension. A missive from Romsey’s Spanish equivalent was never good news—especially since he had tendered his resignation.
He thought back to the story that Lucy had told him about her own father’s attempts in that respect, and vowed that he would not find himself bound to his duty for the rest of his days. A part of him reluctantly admitted that he enjoyed the cut and thrust of undercover work, pitting his wits against those who fought to derail the fragile balance of power within Spain’s borders and beyond. But such dedication came at a heavy price. A price that had almost cost his sisters their virtue and their lives.
A price he was no longer prepared to pay.
‘You know what it contains?’ Raph asked.
‘I do.’
Romsey turned his back, allowing Raph some privacy. He expected another call to arms but quickly discovered his mistake. He read the contents of the letter twice and then tapped it against the fingers of the opposite hand, thinking the matter through, unsure what he was expected to do about it. Aware of what he would once have done without a second thought.
He suppressed his anger and took a moment to reflect. In any event, he decided, no immediate action was possible. He would have time to think the matter through. He couldn’t return to Spain until he had resolved this business with Cutler. It would be the ultimate betrayal of the trust he was slowly re-establishing with his sister if he disappeared before then.
‘Send a message back to confirm that I have received this communication,’ Raph said curtly. ‘As things stand I have nothing more to say on the matter.’
Romsey inclined his head. ‘As you wish.’
Raph nodded to everyone else in the room and went off in search of his sister.
Chapter Twelve
Ariana felt angry and frustrated. She was aware of the gathering in the duke’s library and since Lord Romsey was amongst their number she felt it reasonable to assume that they were discussing Cutler. It also went without saying that they had reneged on their agreement to keep her involved.
She huffed indignantly as she helped Charlotte with her reading, wondering if she should simply barge in and demand to be included. She wouldn’t hesitate to do so if it was just her brother and Amos who were keeping things from her. But the duke’s presence caused her to hesitate. He had been kind to her but would take exception to her laying down the law when there was more at stake than apprehending Cutler. She had heard snippets about the long-standing animosity between the duke and Lord Basingstoke disguised behind a thin veneer of typical English manners, and could imagine the duke salivating at the prospect of finally bringing a man who gave the aristocracy such a bad name to justice.
She could not in all conscience deny him that opportunity.
Sighing, she continued to help the children with their letters and sums, all the while trying to decide if she was being unreasonable. When mid-morning came, she left them napping and escaped from the nursery, but she was no nearer to reaching a conclusion and had only a slight headache to show for her efforts.
‘I was just coming to find you.’ Raph emerged from the library as Ariana passed its doors and smiled at her. ‘Let’s walk outside,’ he said, taking her arm. ‘I hear there is a trout lake that I have yet to see.’
‘I am very cross with you,’ Ariana replied, falling into step with him as they crossed the lawns, side by side.
‘With good reason,’ Raph replied, so contritely that Ariana had difficulty holding onto her anger.
She reminded herself that she was reunited with her brother against all odds. He had toughened up in the intervening years in the face of all the horrors he must have witnessed. The cynical edge he had developed added to a formidable aura of tough resourcefulness, made him seem more dashing than ever. Whatever he had endured, he had come through it unscathed—at least on the outside. He was hale and hearty, which was all that signified. Any differences that still lay between them would be resolved somehow. Raph would be obliged to accept that Ariana’s experiences had changed her too and that she wasn’t about to allow anyone—not even him—to tell her how to behave.
‘I don’t think there are enough days left in my lifetime for me ever to recover from abandoning you. Guilt eats away at me, Ariana.’ She observed the torment in his eyes and knew he spoke the truth. ‘Never doubt it for a moment.’
She sent him a guarded smile as they passed the enclosure holding the duke’s magnificent raptors. Raph hadn’t seen them before and stopped to admire the peregrine falcons dozing on a branch. One opened a piercing and imperious eye, observed them for a moment or two and then closed it again.
‘Mr Pengelly, the gentleman married to the duke’s other sister, is a falconer. He introduced the birds to this estate and the children are fascinated by them. You have probably been told that he was another gentleman pulled into the snare of international espionage by Lord Romsey, and he has never completely escaped from those duties.’
‘The birds are truly magnificent,’ he said instead. ‘But I hate to see them caged.’
‘They get to fly regularly and if they didn’t want to come back, I don’t suppose they would.’
Raph shrugged. ‘True enough.’
They walked past several cottages that Ariana told him were occupied by senior servants.
‘Cal Harrison lived in one of them before he married Petra,’ she explained.
‘The duke certainly looks after the people who matter to him.’
‘It is the English way, although I believe the duke rewards loyalty more generously than most. Indeed, I know that from first-hand experience. You have seen how comfortable they have made me, and I have done nothing to earn any reward. Anyway, as to the cottages, there are always those who are jealous of the duke and waiting for an opportunity to bring him down, so trustworthy servants are a necessity.’
‘I can well imagine.’ They were both aware that Lord Basingstoke likely headed that particular queue.
Ariana led them down a concealed track between trees in full leaf. Sunshine filtered through the canopy above their heads, dappling the ground beneath. Neither of them spoke until they came to a clearing, where the sparkling clear water of a large lake came unexpectedly into view. Ducklings and moorhens negotiated their way between water lilies in full bloom. Frogs croaked in disharmony and Ariana pointed out a colourful kingfisher perched on a low branch.
‘Magnificent!’ Raph said softly, as though speaking in church. ‘A tranquil haven. I would come here all the time if I lived on this estate.’
Ariana smiled. ‘The local poachers are similarly-minded, due to its remote location. The duke’s keepers are constantly pitting their wits against the more determined amongst them.’
‘What is that building?’ Raph pointed.
‘Come.’ Ariana linked her arm though his, feeling a swelling of love for her imposing brother. ‘I will show you.’
‘I have never seen such an elaborate boathouse,’ Raph admitted when Ariana led the way into the structure and explained its purpose. ‘It’s more like a lakeside cottage.’
Ariana chuckled. ‘The duke doesn’t do anything by halves.’
They took chairs on the veranda and sat in silence for a while, enjoying the serenity that made Ariana�
�s former troubles seem more remote. She imagined it must be the same for Raph. Ariana hadn’t noticed Pagan until he sprang gracefully from the reeds at the side of the lake and splashed in the water, presumably attempting to catch a fish. They laughed when he failed in that endeavour and stalked away with erect tail swishing indignantly and water dripping from his jawline.
‘I never thought that I would get to see you again,’ Ariana said after several minutes of quiet reflection, her annoyance with Raph replaced with gratitude. ‘I was absolutely convinced that you must be dead.’
‘I am indestructible,’ he said glibly.
‘What happened this morning?’ she asked. ‘I assume you are here to give me a sanitised version of events.’
‘I was looking for you so that I could tell you myself.’ He pinched her cheek. ‘And I wouldn’t dream of modifying what I know.’
‘Of course you wouldn’t.’
Prepared for a truncated version of the truth, despite his assurances to the contrary, Ariana’s mouth fell open when Raph told her what progress had been made. It was too detailed for there to be any doubt that he was being completely honest with her. Anger reasserted itself, but this time it was directed at Cutler and Lord Basingstoke, whose depravity repulsed her.
‘It makes absolutely no sense to bring the girls all the way from the coast and into the Winchester district,’ Ariana said, wrinkling her brow as she put aside her own feelings and attempted to reason the matter through.
‘The duke thinks he does so for his own convenience—and possibly some temporary amusement—and because he is too arrogant to assume that anyone will suspect him of involvement, should the business be exposed. And with good reason, since he evaded capture when the girls who came in with you were rescued.’
Beyond the Duke's Domain: Ducal Encounters Series 4 Book 4 Page 16