by Janet Woods
Mrs Goodman drew her frazzled edges together with a conscious effort and a stiff smile. ‘You must forgive me for keeping you waiting, My Lord. John Howard? The name sounds familiar. Have we met before, sir?’
Adelaide said, ‘Mr Howard is Vivienne’s uncle from Dorset, Mama.’
‘Ah yes … how lovely to meet you, sir.’ Mrs Goodman sent a quick, ingratiating smile his way and Adelaide bobbed a curtsey.
John offered them a courtly bow. ‘Ladies.’
Adelaide recovered first and went into the attack, like a terrier pup that had just found its adult teeth. ‘Will you explain the reason you are handling the baron so roughly, My Lord?’
Alex smiled at the man. ‘You’re a wonderful storyteller, Freddie, so I’ll allow you to relate the tale to them. I will correct you if it differs too widely from the account related to me by Miss Fox – if that becomes necessary, of course.’
Freddie looked sick. ‘Surely this is not the time and place.’
‘It’s exactly the time and place. Unless you wish me to drag you in front of a magistrate by the length of your tongue, tell them … and right now. I must inform you that, as evidence, I have the original note addressed to Miss Fox in Simon Mortimer’s handwriting. I also have a statement from the innkeeper, including a description of the carriage you hired, and a statement from the hire company.’
He’d stretched things a little, but it would be easy to collect such evidence.
Freddie shrugged and turned to Adelaide. ‘It started off as just a lark, you understand. It was Simon’s fault, he was drunk and it all got out of hand.’ He stopped to gaze at the floor and mumbled, ‘If it hadn’t been for me, things would have been much worse for your cousin.’
‘Vivienne? What on earth has my cousin got to do with this?’ Adelaide’s bewildered expression was artless enough to be believed as she gazed from one to the other. ‘What have you been up to, Freddie? Surely she hasn’t eloped with Simon Mortimer? There has been talk, of course, but I didn’t take much notice of it since she loves … but then, I promised her I wouldn’t reveal his name.’
‘Perhaps you should have thought of that earlier rather than help spread unfounded gossip and lies about Miss Fox,’ Alex offered her. ‘The man you intend to wed, and his constant companion Simon Mortimer, collaborated to rob a decent young woman of her reputation, her health, her peace of mind, and of any fortune she may possess.’
The Goodman females exchanged a glance. As if a message was being passed from one to the other. ‘Less said, soonest mended,’ Adelaide said.
Mrs Goodman opened her mouth, and then clapped her hand over it, squeaking something unintelligible. Pressing her fingers to her forehead she emitted a martyred sigh and groaned, ‘This is too much to bear.’
‘Yes, isn’t it. I imagine Miss Fox holds the same sentiment, since she was badly injured in the process.’ Alex turned back to Freddie. ‘Tell them, Lamington – tell your future wife and her mother what you have stooped to.’
Freddie resembled a trapped rat as he gazed from one to the other. ‘It was all in jest, you understand … a lark.’
‘Watching a young woman being beaten by a man twice her size was a lark? Mortimer used his fists. Miss Fox was lucky not to have been killed.’
Mrs Goodman gave a shuddering cry. ‘Oh, my poor Vivienne.’
‘I didn’t mean …’ Freddie looked desperately from one to the other. ‘Simon wrote a letter to Miss Fox suggesting her father was ill. Then he … we … Simon waylaid her on the road. He thought he might put her in a position where she would have to accept his marriage proposal. He was certain she was wealthy and keeping it quiet.’
‘Why should he think that?’ John Howard asked.
‘He had a colleague who knew someone who knew someone else who was signatory witness to her deceased relative’s will. I told him it was more than likely a game of Twisted Whispers someone had started, but he didn’t believe me. Things got out of hand when she resisted. Simon didn’t expect that. As I said, he’d been drinking, and he was rougher with her than I expected … though I couldn’t see much of what was going on in the darkness.’ He looked stricken. ‘Was she badly injured? I told her to run, because I knew I couldn’t hold Simon for long … and she did.’
‘Miss Fox had blackened eyes, a swollen face and lip, choke marks on her neck, and other injuries and bruises that were covered by her clothing. She is shattered by the experience,’ Alex informed them. ‘Also, her maid was rendered unconscious by a blow to the head during the attack.’
‘That’s when I stepped in,’ Freddie said lamely. ‘I thought Simon was just going to kiss Miss Fox and that would be that. Then things got out of hand.’
‘Are you stupid or totally naïve? You know perfectly well what a man is capable of when his blood is up.’
‘I beg you to remember that ladies are present, sir,’ Frederick bleated.
Adelaide took up the attack and hurled at Freddie, ‘You waited long enough to tell me, you coward. How could you, Freddie? Poor Vivienne. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive you … I don’t even think I can bring myself to wed you now.’
Mrs Goodman groaned and sank into the nearest chair. She fanned herself rapidly. ‘You don’t mean that, Adelaide. I’ll never be able to hold my head up in public again.’
Freddie protested, ‘I didn’t lay a finger on Miss Fox. I was turning the carriage around.’
‘How could you have agreed to help that horrible man hurt my cousin in the first place? And how could you have kept quiet about the affair? I thought you were a gentleman, but you’re despicable. What did poor Vivienne do to deserve such treatment? She will never find herself a husband now.’
Alex dropped his pebble into the gossip pond and hoped the ripples would travel far and wide. He wished them a safe journey and prayed his lady love would look kindly on the effort he’d made to save her reputation from ruin. She would probably give him a tongue-lashing for his trouble, and it would be his pleasure to kiss the words from her mouth.
‘Oh … I wouldn’t say never, Mrs Goodman.’ He sent a wink in John’s direction and received a faint smile in return. Like Dominic, John Howard was content to listen, absorb, and cue in on appropriate clues.
Mrs Goodman’s gaze latched on to John Howard. ‘The girl was under my care, and her flight caused me considerable distress. If she is suited then I demand to know to whom she is promised?’
John Howard had a long nose that contributed to his overall haughty expression. He gazed down the length of it at her. ‘Demand? I’m afraid not, madam. Miss Fox is now in her family home in the company of her father … where one presumes she is recovering from her injuries. You have no authority there, and neither do you have any with me. I do not discuss the business of my clients with anyone but them, and those closest to them.’
A knowing smile touched the woman’s mouth as she turned back to him. Alex watched the terrier emerge in her when she wagged a finger archly at him. ‘It’s entirely obvious you’ve offered for her yourself, My Lord, and that Mr Howard has come to settle the details. I must then presume that Vivienne inherited a fortune after all.’
Alex sighed, and suddenly realized what pressure Vivienne had been under. ‘My dear Mrs Goodman, must you keep harping back to that rumour? If you’re so convinced, there would be no purpose in confirming or denying it. I must say though, that your presumption that you have the right to meddle in Miss Fox’s affairs, or indeed my own, is extremely tedious. I must ask you to desist, and at once.’
Much to Alex’s satisfaction she looked stunned by the put down as she stuttered, ‘You must forgive me, My Lord … It was … out of concern for my niece.’
‘Who has seen precious little of that care to date. As for Mr Howard, if I may speak for you, John?’
Howard nodded. ‘By all means, My Lord.’
‘Mr Howard is in London on another matter altogether, one concerning his business dealings. As for who has offered for Miss Fox and who has not …
and whether she has accepted that proposal or not … well, I must ask you not to mention the matter outside of these four walls.’
Mrs Goodman nodded her head several times. ‘And to think we blamed that poor girl. I’m so thrilled. Who would have thought that our little Vivienne would have plucked the prize of the season out from under our nose. Ah well … they say money talks, and no amount of you telling me otherwise will change my mind, My Lord. Vivienne has fallen into the ways of the nouveau riche. And that’s given her away. She has been spending money freely, flaunting new gowns from the most prestigious of dressmakers, and hiring a maid for herself, and at the expense of myself and her cousin. What else are we to do but believe the rumours?’
Alex winced and loosened his cravat with a finger as he offered, ‘Perhaps the subject should be avoided altogether, since nothing is settled between us as yet.’
Her voice grew stronger, more purposeful. ‘Nonsense! I must write to congratulate my niece on her engagement, and at once, and offer to support her through her indisposition, dear child that she is. Blood is thicker than water, after all.’
He imagined Vivienne stamping her foot and throwing a frustrated yowl into the air when she got that letter, and he almost chuckled. The best it would achieve would be to stop her from feeling sorry for herself. ‘As you wish. I must warn you though, Miss Fox was in a confrontational mood when I left her, and may not appreciate your kind support.’
Freddie, who’d been inching his way towards the door, was brought to a sudden halt when Adelaide said, ‘Where do you think you’re going, Freddie Lamington? We have something to discuss.’
‘As I said, I have urgent—’
‘Your other business can wait. You’ve ruined my life and I have something to say to you. Sit, and at once!’
Freddie perched himself on the edge of a seat near the door, as frozen as a threatened hare. Escape was only one leap away but he obviously didn’t have the guts to get up and take it. Alex’s twinge of pity for him quickly evaporated when he remembered Vivienne’s injuries.
John Howard fussed with the buckle on his satchel for a moment or two. ‘Before Lord LéSayres and I depart, may I mention that I’ll be urging Miss Fox and her maid to seek compensation from all parties for their injuries – the amounts to be determined once I have consulted with the two young women concerned.’
A look of consternation crossed Freddie’s face.
It was a master stroke and something Alex wouldn’t even have thought of, which was one of the reasons Howard was wealthy and he wasn’t, he supposed. He fished in his pocket and came out with a purse, which he placed gently on the table in front of Mrs Goodman. ‘Miss Fox asked me to give you this. It’s payment for the gown she had on order. As for her trunks, which she left in your care, she has asked me to deal with them. Perhaps you would send Matthew to my accommodations with them later in the day.
‘There was a message from Miss Fox too … now what was it? Ah yes … she asks that you inspect her dressing table as she can’t remember seeing the necklace and eardrops when she and the maid packed her trunks. Vivienne values the gems highly, and I noticed you were wearing them just a couple of days ago, Miss Goodman, along with her new gown. I remember thinking how pretty they were.’
Adelaide blushed. ‘My cousin must have forgotten she allowed me to make use of her wardrobe.’
‘The blow she received to her head would have befuddled her.’
Adelaide grabbed at the excuse. ‘No doubt it has. I have kept the jewellery safe and will, of course, place anything I have of hers in her trunk. I will pack it myself, since my cousin took the maid with her. Mama is going to ask for a refund of the rent, since Maria’s services were not set to expire for two more weeks.’
Alex nodded. ‘We will take our leave now. I’ve got an urgent matter to attend to before I return to Maidstone. Where will I find Simon Mortimer, My Lord?’
‘He’ll be at his club.’ Freddie stood, suddenly eager to be helpful. ‘I’ll show you if you like, My Lord.’
When Adelaide folded her arms on her chest and glared at her hapless Lord, Alex couldn’t do anything but grin. ‘I would suggest you stay where you are and make peace with your future wife, Freddie. I do know where Mortimer’s club is, but I understood you were to meet in the park, so I will try there first.’
Freddie’s sigh was one of defeat and imminent doom.
They collected their hats and canes from Matthew. ‘Your pardon, My Lord, but may I ask how Maria is?’ he said.
‘She collected a thump on the head from Simon Mortimer that knocked her unconscious for a while. She’s a brave young woman and was in good spirits when I saw her this morning. I understand Miss Fox has offered her a permanent position.’
Matthew looked a bit down in the mouth.
‘Do I sense an attraction between you and Maria, Matthew?’
‘I was working on it, sir. I hoped we’d find work together.’
‘I don’t think the Reverend Fox’s household is big enough to support a manservant. Leave it with me for the time being. Where’s the best place for me to confront Mortimer?’
‘He would have learned you were back in town and would have gone to ground by now. May I ask what your intentions towards him are?’
‘I intend to make him publicly apologize, and then … and then …’ He shrugged. ‘Were we in the country I’d flatten him with my fists and upend him into the pig wallow.’ He groaned silently. That was what he’d done to Vivienne as a child. She’d been so teasible, and he’d been so mean to her.
John Howard sighed. ‘You are not thinking of challenging him to a duel, are you, LéSayres?’
‘Someone has to act on the young lady’s behalf.’
‘Even so, it would be expected that someone of your rank would have had access to duelling skills since childhood and therefore the duel would not be a fair one. He is too far beneath you, and the honour of your family would be discredited. Swords are messy, so it would have to be pistols. I must also warn you that, although a blind eye may be turned from time to time over these matters, duelling is illegal … and however it starts the outcome is usually fatal. Are you prepared to kill a man in cold blood?’
Alex had never killed anything except a few rabbits or pigeons for the cooking pot. He shrugged. ‘There’s always a first time.’
‘How do you think Miss Fox would feel if you were mortally injured on her behalf?’
‘Peeved to an inch I would hope, but before I expired she would box my ears and tell me I deserved it. What say you, Matthew?’
Matthew spread his hands and smiled. ‘Who am I to argue with a peer of the realm? Miss Fox can certainly be quite spirited when the mood takes her. Perhaps you’d wait at the corner for a few moments, then allow me to walk a little way with you, sirs? There is another way to sort this matter out.’
‘A boxing match!’ Alex said five minutes later. ‘I don’t know a damned thing about boxing. The closest I get to it is wrestling with my brother – and he usually wins.’
Matthew cracked his knuckles and grinned. ‘You don’t need to know anything. I’ve seen Mortimer fight a couple of times. He’s not a bad pugilist, but I’m far better. With your permission I’ll be your stand-in since I do have an interest vested in this affair. I can arrange a grudge match at Hyde Park within two weeks, and it will attract heavy betting.’
Viscount Statham appeared from a tavern across the lane. He nodded to Alex and then dodged between the horses and carts to reach them.
Introduced to John Howard, Statham smiled widely and handed John his card. ‘How do you do, sir, your fame has gone before you.’ His bristly gaze fell on Matthew. ‘Tell me, laddie, is your employer in residence? We’d arranged to meet in the park with that Mortimer fellow, so I could look his sister over. I can’t see hide nor hair of any of them there.’
Matthew said, ‘I was just on my way to advise you. Unfortunately there has been an upset in the household, My Lord. The young lady of the house …
’
‘What of her, Man? Quickly, speak up.’
Matthew didn’t even flicker an eyelash. ‘I understand there has been an accident, My Lord.’
‘Accident? Which young lady are we talking about?’
‘Miss Fox.’
‘Ah yes, I believe I heard a whisper about her conduct. She was a rather argumentative young woman who considered herself to be above her station, as I recall. It seems as though I’ve had a lucky escape.’
‘Not yet you haven’t,’ Alex ground out between his teeth, and he clenched his fists.
John Howard stepped between him and the Scottish peer. ‘I advise you not to say any more since I claim kinship. Miss Fox is my niece and the allegations are without credibility, since it was a spiteful act perpetrated against her by another suitor. It is a man well known to us – but not a gentleman, I might add. He damaged a young woman’s reputation in pursuit of her legacy, and in that he was supported by another man, who was a gentleman, but by name only.’
Alex cracked his knuckles for effect. ‘When we catch up with Mortimer he will be brought to justice for his crime and will pay the price. I just hope his sister will survive the scandal.’
‘I see … of course.’ Statham pushed Matthew against the shoulder. ‘You, Man … is anyone there to support Mrs Goodman and her daughter through their troubles?’
Matthew shrugged. ‘Sir Frederick Lamington and Miss Mortimer were still there when we left, sir. I was loath to leave them together, since I formed the opinion that the Goodman betrothal might be in jeopardy. But then I’m only a servant. The business of the gentry is not my business and it’s not something I’d wish to involve myself with.’
Statham’s eyes began to gleam. ‘She will need a wise old head to advise her.’
‘As you say, sir. Especially since Lord Lamington seems fond of both ladies. Although he is recently betrothed to Miss Goodman, should she discard him he would not have to look much further to find another young lady to fill his purpose.’
Statham hurried off and Matthew turned when Alex laughed. ‘If I hadn’t heard you say that I wouldn’t have believed it, Matthew. You hurled the cat amongst the pigeons with a vengeance.’