"So we are still really no further ahead, are we, James? Everything is merely hearsay and conjecture at this point. However, I think it would be best if you come with me after all. I was planning to go by myself, but Ridley has granted his permission to speak with the servants, and it would likely go more smoothly if there are two of us. Besides, some may be more comfortable talking to you. You seem to have a way with people" The earl laughed in selfmockery.
"You have a way with people too, milord. It's just your title that sometimes gets in the way," returned the younger man calmly.
"Well, James, we had best get a good rest tonight. I want to make an early start tomorrow and get these interviews over with. The longer we take to find the girl, the greater the risk to her safety. As it is, I am beginning to doubt if she is ever going to be found"
"I hope you are wrong, milord. We will see what we can find out tomorrow. Good night."
After James let himself out of the room quietly, Philip leaned back in his chair thoughtfully. Talking about what he would do if he had children to provide for had gotten him thinking. He was intrigued by the ideas running through his head. He really did need to consider setting up his nursery. The countess had recently begun asking after grandchildren. As his mind drifted into thoughts of his future, he was shocked to see Emily's face smiling down at his hypothetical children. He shook his head in dismay; he really was becoming obsessive about the little maid. She was a striking young woman, but, really, his mother's companion was not a suitable mother for the heir to the earldom of Yorkleigh.
James and Philip rode out not long after the sun rose the next morning. It would take them at least an hour to ride to Ridley's estate, and they were hoping to get as much accomplished that day as possible. They went across country, taking shortcuts the earl was familiar with in order to make faster time. Despite the gravity of their errand, the two men enjoyed the beautiful morning and the view as they passed, but they harbored disquieting thoughts about what they might or might not find out that day.
James was the first to break the silence. "I can't help being surprised that his lordship has given his permission for us to question his staff. How did you convince him?"
Philip laughed ruefully. "I didn't. It was actually the king who commanded Edwin to allow the questioning. The old marquis made his home on the estate much of the time, and Ridley has retained most of the staff, so we realized that some of the servants might know something. They may even know where the girl is or whom she might confide in or turn to for help. It might provide us with some new leads, at least"
"I wonder if they will feel free to speak if they are aware of their new master's past sins. There may be considerable fear to overcome," replied James dubiously.
"That is part of the reason we have started out so early, my boy. I heard Lord Ridley never rises before noon. With luck we will be able to speak to many of the servants before he even realizes we have arrived"
"Clever plan, my lord," congratulated Mr. Dale as they clattered into the courtyard of their destination. Unfortunately, their plan was soon to be thwarted.
Philip approached the door and was reaching for the knocker when it was opened by a gaunt-looking butler. The butler ushered them into the foyer unsmilingly and waited for them to state their intentions.
"Good morning. I am Philip, Earl of Yorkleigh. The king has sent me here in search of information about Lady Emmaline. The marchioness is missing, and we have been authorized to question the staff. Would you please arrange for us to speak individually with the servants who would have known the previous residents?"
The cadaverous-looking servant just stood there blinking at the earl as if he didn't understand what Philip was asking. Philip tried again.
"Did you know the Marquis of Edenvale?"
"Yes, my lord. I have served here for forty-five years. I knew the marquis and his father before him," the butler answered in a gloomy tone.
"Excellent, then we will start with you. Did you know Lady Emmaline?"
Philip noticed the first real emotions cross the old man's face. It was obvious he knew and was fond of her. But he also appeared sad and afraid.
"Yes, my lord, I knew her," he answered shortly with a sad smile. "She was the sweetest child ever to grace this house"
"Do you know what has become of the young lady?" Philip questioned gently. He could not help but notice that the butler had used the term was in reference to the marchioness. He wondered if the servants knew what had really happened to the gently bred woman.
"No, my lord, that I do not, and that's all I have to say on the matter. I'll let his lordship know you're here, my lord" The old butler began to shuffle away.
Philip tried to stop him. "It's not necessary to disturb Lord Ridley. Mr. Dale and I can speak with the servants without waking his lordship. We do have his permission to ask our questions."
"You may have permission, but I have my orders," replied the butler before continuing on his way.
Philip and James looked at each other in chagrin. Their plan of questioning the servants without the viscount's presence was about to be ruined. They were left standing in the foyer for several minutes before the butler returned.
"Lord Ridley will be with you in a few minutes. If you'll come with me into the salon, a footman will offer you refreshments. Please make yourselves comfortable. My lord will be with you momentarily." With that the old butler bowed himself politely from the room as quickly as he could.
Philip turned to James with a quirked eyebrow. "That was exceedingly strange. The fellow seemed most uncomfortable with our questions, don't you think?"
"Yes, it does seem as though he was afraid of what we were asking. Do you suppose the viscount has instructed his servants not to answer our questions?"
"It would seem so, James. Let's see what he has to say when he gets himself out of bed. I hate to think that we have wasted our time in coming all this way"
"I wouldn't call it a waste of time, my lord. If we know he has forbidden the servants to speak to us, it proves he has something to hide, don't you think?"
"But we still cannot prove anything, James, can we?"
"No, it seems not," James concluded in dismay.
"Don't worry, James, we will get to the bottom of this eventually. It is just going to take a little longer than we had planned. Let's wait and see what Ridley has to say."
"Sorry to keep you waiting, my lord. I had not expected callers so early," apologized the viscount smoothly as he entered the room.
Philip had to repress a shudder. He wasn't sure if it was his imagination combining with what he had learned about the Lord Ridley, but to his mind the man looked as if he was involved in shady dealings. From his greasy hair combed back in an unflattering style to his small, shifty eyes and his clothing that looked as if too much effort went into making him appear a man of means, the new viscount looked like trouble. Ridley reminded one of a weasel eyeing up the henhouse. Again he wondered how the marquis could have left a vulnerable young woman in the care of such a scoundrel.
"We haven't been waiting long," Philip replied politely, hoping he would still be able to speak with the servants who had known the marquis and his family. "We actually did not mean to disturb you at all; we were hoping to speak to some of your servants about your cousin, the marchioness. The king is most dismayed over her continued absence in his court, and he wishes for this matter to be resolved as quickly as possible. I'm sure you understand"
The viscount paled slightly at the mention of the king and the missing marchioness but maintained a calm veneer. He cleared his voice before replying.
"Of course, I fully understand the gravity of the situation. It is such a tragedy that my poor, dear little cousin has gone missing, and it is such a comfort to me that our faithful sovereign has taken an interest in the matter. I truly appreciate your efforts, but I was not aware that you would be coming today. None of the staff will be available to speak with you today, as they are all very busy with var
ious tasks. However, if you would care to make an appointment, I will ensure that they will be prepared to speak with you at a more convenient time. The other problem is that many of the servants who were most familiar with the marquis and his family have dispersed among his various holdings. If you wish, I can have them all gathered in one place, but that could take a considerable amount of time, which I am sure you can appreciate. So, my lord, when would you like to return so that I can have everyone ready to speak with you?" Edwin's smile held a tinge of smugness, as if he was sure he had thwarted the nosy earl and his assistant.
Philip itched to plant Ridley a facer for his obvious lack of cooperation. However, he maintained his equanimity through sheer force of will. The smile he turned on the viscount had an edge of steel to it, and Ridley lost some of his assuredness.
"I am sure the king will be ever so pleased with your willingness to help," Philip said sarcastically. "Do not bother gathering the servants. I am expected at my mother's estate in a week's time. After my visit with her, I will return to speak with whichever of the marquis' servants are still in residence here. Shall we say in two weeks time, if that will not inconvenience your household overly?"
"Oh, yes, two weeks notice should be most adequate. Thank you. Can I offer you gentlemen some refreshments before you go?" With any threat to himself delayed, Edwin seemed more inclined to be generous.
Philip was repulsed at the thought of sharing this man's hospitality. "I do not think so. We need to be going. This has been a waste of our time, and there are many other things we could accomplish this day. We will see you in a fortnight, Ridley."
Philip and James strode from the house briskly, surprised to see that their horses had been left standing outside and had not been provided for. They shook their heads in disgust over such poor, miserly manners, mounted up, and rode to a nearby village with an inn where they could feed their horses and have refreshment themselves while they gave thought to what their next move should be.
After seeing to their horses and being served by the landlord, who had profusely proclaimed his honor at their presence, Philip and James sat down to discuss their options.
"James, I think the best plan would be to go back to the house in London, pack a couple of bags, and set out on a round of as many of the old marquis' holdings as we can manage in the week before we are promised to my mother. The viscount will then not have an opportunity to train all the servants on what they are to say or get rid of any who do not want to cooperate with him. And we will not have wasted two weeks of precious time while the young marchioness is still missing. Maybe we will have found her before we leave for Rosemount"
James shook his head in doubt. "I think it is a sound plan, milord, but I would advise you not to expect to find her any time too soon. By my thinking she either does not want to be found or she has met some foul end, and we may never find out what happened to her"
"Don't be a pessimist, James. I have full confidence in our ability to locate the wench. Now drink up. We should be on our way. If we can make good time, I want to reach the seat of the earldom of Spence, one of the marquis' lesser properties. We could make it there in a couple of hours, find a room at the inn, and speak to the servants on the estate tomorrow morning."
The two men quickly finished their repast, paid the landlord, and got on their way. They had many miles to cover in the next week and not a moment to waste.
Philip and James were nearly numb with fatigue by the time they rolled into the courtyard of the Hatfield Inn late that night. The last few miles had been rough going in the dark, their lanterns casting only a weak glow upon the road ahead. Philip's eyes felt as though they were filled with sand, and he could barely keep them open. Only his keen determination had kept them on the road; he could not bear the thought of having wasted so much time and needed to at least reach a destination where they could ask about the marquis.
It was with profound relief that the two men climbed down from their carriage and entered the inn. They were shown to decent rooms and provided with a light repast before they retired to sleep off the effects of their mad dash around England.
The next morning they were up with the cock crowing, determined to find answers. The landlord was happy to provide directions to the Spence estate after serving them a hearty breakfast. Philip felt refreshed and optimistic as he and James rode out of the inn yard.
They clattered to a halt before the magnificent main building on Spence land. Philip gazed in appreciation at the unique architecture of the old manor house and its wellkept property. The front door of the dwelling was quickly opened by an alert footman, and the dignified butler stepped out to greet them.
When Philip explained the purpose of his visit, the butler ushered him and James into a comfortable front room and sent a footman for refreshments while he explained that, regrettably, he knew little about the young marchioness.
"I am truly sorry, my lord. The young lady was popular among the servants, but the family really kept to themselves. The only one I can think of that my lady might have confided in is her old nurse. Have you spoken with her?" questioned the worried butler.
"We have not yet had the pleasure, but we fully intend to, sir," Philip answered kindly. "Is there anyone else you could think of, preferably on this estate, with whom we might speak?"
The older man thought the matter over for a moment before answering doubtfully. "The housekeeper would be your best bet, my lord. She and the old marchioness were quite close, so she might know more about whom the young lady would turn to if she were in trouble. I will bring her here to speak with you, if you will excuse me" The butler bowed himself from the room as a footman came in with small sandwiches and drinks to offer the gentlemen.
The two men were left cooling their heels, waiting for the housekeeper. They heard her coming long before they could see her, and the two men exchanged a glance as they heard the clink of the housekeeper's ringful of keys.
"Terribly sorry to keep you waiting, milord. Hodges tells me you have some questions about the young marchioness?" she questioned briskly as she jingled to a stop in front of Philip. "We are all just heartsore that something has happened to the dear young thing! But we haven't seen hide nor hair of her since before the marquis and his dear wife passed on, so I wouldn't be able to say where the wee thing might be, milord" She paused, deep in melancholy thought, before her face hardened and she continued in a different tone of voice. "Have you spoken to Lord Woolfe? He's a shifty fellow, that one. Came here a couple of weeks ago, sniffing after the young marchioness' belongings. He claimed to be an agent of the young lady's guardian, but he seemed like he was up to no good, if you ask me"
At the mention of Max Woolfe, Philip grew more attentive. He had been disappointed to learn that once again no one in the household had anything constructive to add to their search, but this was a new bit of information.
"Why would Ridley send an agent to Spence?" he wondered aloud.
"Greed," was the housekeeper's succinct opinion. "We sent him on his way. Told him that unless we learned otherwise, our mistress was the Marchioness of Edenvale, and he was to mind his own never-mind. None too happy he was, I can tell you that much, milord. Left here in a bit of a snit, not that any of us minded much. Sinister young man-didn't want to let him around any of the maidservants, that's for certain"
"How long ago did you say he was here?" questioned Philip gently.
"Oh, nigh on a fortnight, I would say, milord. I think he went back to tattle to Ridley that we wouldn't make him comfortable here" The housekeeper didn't seem overly concerned about the viscount's good opinion.
"Thank you so much for your help, ma'am. We should be on our way. We need to find the young lady as soon as possible, as I am sure you can imagine"
The kindly old housekeeper nodded sagely. "You'll find her, milord. You seem to be a good sort of man, even if you're a bit too shiny"
Philip was unsure how to react to that pronouncement, so he merely accepted his hat fr
om the butler and made to leave before the housekeeper interrupted him again. "Milord, we took the liberty of having the cook prepare you a basket. You'll need some sustenance while you search for our wee lady. You bring her back to us safe and sound, milord. We'll be waiting"
As Philip and James swung themselves up into their carriage, the old butler and housekeeper stood waving them off until they drove down the lane.
"That wasn't terribly informative, but it was a much warmer reception than we received at Ridley, wasn't it, James? How do you suppose Woolfe figures into all of this?"
"I was wondering the same thing myself," James said. "We will have to speak to him at our earliest opportunity."
Philip fell into silence as they continued their travels. They had a fair distance to cover as they headed out toward Edenvale, near Grantham. The two men were hoping to make it as far as possible that day in order to reach the estate and speak to the servants the next day. Their intention was to also visit at the seat of the barony of Westland on their way back toward Rosemount. They were going to be covering many miles in the next few days, and the task was daunting, but Philip kept his disquieting musings to himself as the miles rolled slowly by.
A few hours later he had reached one conclusion. "I am certainly going to have a conversation with His Majesty about the condition of these roads once all this is said and done, James. If it didn't take so long to get from place to place, our search might be not be so arduous. I'm not sure if my nerves can handle much more of this, never mind the state of my wheels," grumbled the earl.
James laughed. "Perhaps you should take your seat in the House of Lords and stir up some politics toward road maintenance"
"Let's not get carried away, James. There's a large gap between complaining and campaigning" The two men laughed good-naturedly and continued their journey, in better humor.
Tempting the Earl Page 7