He turned and cupped her face in his hands. “I will face a thousand attacks, just to remain by your side. I am fearful, yes, but I will not abandon you.”
“Do you mean it?”
“With all my heart, sweet one.” He dipped his head and kissed her on the lips, adding the most delicious pressure. She found her arms looping about his neck as she pressed closer, eager to be as near to him as possible. In that moment, she did not care if Danson walked in. If Edward was on some sort of borrowed time, then she knew she needed to make the most of the time they did have.
“I will watch out for you, of an evening,” she promised, as she pulled away. “I will burn a candle in my window. If you see two candles, you will know that something is amiss. If there is but one, it means all is clear.”
He chuckled softly and kissed her again. “My own guardian angel.”
“I would not see any harm come to you, not now that I have asked you to stay. I could not bear that, either.”
“You do not need to keep your candle burning in the window, My Lady. I shall retire to the staff quarters each evening, instead of sleeping in the hayloft. That way, whomever my assailant was, he will have a difficult time trying to get to me.”
She smiled. “That is far more sensible.”
“Although, it means that you and I will not be able to meet like this.” He held her tighter, smoothing a strand of hair behind her ear.
“We will find a way, Edward. I shall leave a clue within my request to ride.” A hint of mischief lingered in her voice. “If I say that I wish to have Conker appropriately saddled, then you will know that I wish to see you here, at midnight. If I say that I wish to ride Conker, then you will know that I cannot meet you.”
He smiled. “You are rather too good at this. Should I be worried? Have there been gentlemen before me, who have captured your heart?”
“Do you tease me, Edward?”
“I do, Lydia. For your heart is as pure as fresh-fallen snow. Not that I would adore you any less if it was not.” He leaned close and caught her mouth in his, his tongue gently exploring. It felt strange, but exceedingly pleasant, prompting her to let her own tongue dance with his.
Her breath became ragged as his hands gripped her waist; her own fingertips ran through his beautiful curls. She wanted more, so much more…
And yet, she felt a feminine fear of what potential there was between them. What could he teach her? She had read enough in her Grecian stories, but the reality was somewhat scarier than the fiction. Already, she could feel a peculiar hardness pressing against her hip.
How would such a thing feel? Her abdomen tightened as she thought of it, her hands tugging at Edward’s hair as she kissed him deeply. Truly, it was an exciting prospect, too. But not one that she could entertain without marriage. She would not push her reputation to such limits, no matter how keenly she desired him.
“I should go in search of Mrs. Benton,” Edward said, tearing himself away. “You are too great a temptation out here, alone in the stables.”
She flushed with happiness. “Then, you must go to Mrs. Benton and have your hand seen to. I will retire to my chambers and keep watch over you.”
“But I will be thinking of you, Lydia.” His eyes twinkled with desire and affection, and she wanted to lose herself in their gaze.
“As I will be thinking of you.”
They headed out of the stables together, with Edward veering off to take a different path into the house. Lydia watched him go until he was no longer in sight. Only then did she make her own, stealthy way back into her home. Rushing up the stairs, she locked the door of her bedchamber and hurried to the window.
There, she lit a single candle, to keep him safe for tonight. The flame flickered wildly in the draught that swept in through the pane, and she let her gaze drift across the moonlit expanse of land beyond the stables. A true sentinel, she was checking for any signs of foul play.
Her eyes moved along the bank of the far river and stopped dead at the top of the snaking edge, where the water brushed past the forest. A shadow lurked there. She had seen the same shadow before, only she had thought it a figment of her imagination back then. Now, she was not so sure.
Although she could not see the face of the shadow, she felt the burn of hidden eyes glowering in her direction. She blinked, and the shadow was gone. Whoever the attacker was, he had blended back into the darkness of the woods.
And, despite her best efforts to think otherwise, she knew he would be back. Someone wanted Edward to be running scared, and she was determined to find out who. If her father had ordered this, she would uncover the ploy.
She placed a second candle in the window, just to let know Edward that he was not quite safe. However, as she turned to retreat to her bed, she did not see the shadow re-emerge from the distant trees and smirk at the sight of the two flames flickering…
Chapter 14
The next day, James sat in a dingy back room at the nearest town’s local public house, the Tap and Spile. He peered over his untouched flagon of ale at the figure opposite. Adrian stood behind him, like an overly-anxious guard watching their every move. James did not feel comfortable in his own home after Adrian had arrived, and that unsettled feeling continued, even beyond the boundary walls.
I am quite capable of interviewing this man alone. Adrian had insisted on coming with him, and James had been unable to refuse.
“Manners, is it not?” James said, setting his flagon down. He had asked for brandy and received this instead. Naturally, he did not have the stomach to drink it, especially as it smelled faintly of river water.
The man nodded nervously. “Silas Manners, Your Grace.”
“Lord Chamberlain will do,” James replied, receiving a puzzled look from Adrian. James had not quite filled his cousin in on all the details, as there had not been time. With Edward’s absence shrouded in total secrecy, he had thought it best to use a pseudonym with this man.
“Yes, Lord Chamberlain,” Silas murmured. He had the same look that all these common-folk did—worn and weathered and suffering under the duress of a less-than-leisurely life.
“I suppose you are wondering why I have called you here?”
Silas nodded. “Yes, Lord Chamberlain.”
“I have heard from several associates that you were close to one of the grand houses near here, a week or so ago.”
“I don’t know, My Lord.”
“Try to think, Mr. Manners. Were you in the proximity of Summerhill Hall at any time in the last week or so? It would have been evening time, with the sun close to setting.”
Silas looked confused. “I might have been, My Lord.”
“And did you happen to see a rider, or two riders come away from the house?”
He paused for a moment, before nodding. “I did see two riders, yes. It were nighttime, and I were on my way home from a long day in the fields. They charged past me at a mighty speed.”
“Did you see either of them?”
“One were the Duke of the manor, My Lord. The other…I didn’t know him from Adam. He had his face covered. A hood or something similar.”
James felt his chest swell with hope. “And did you see which direction they went in?”
“I believe so, My Lord. They was headed up the main road towards the North, and didn’t show signs of stopping.”
“You think they may have traveled North?”
Silas nodded. “Looked like it, My Lord. They might have cut down a different path, but that road is straight as an arrow. If they was on it, they was going North.”
“Excellent, Mr. Manners. It is of the utmost importance that you give me all the information you can, as one of those fellows—the Duke you spoke of—owes me a great deal of money, and he appears to have gone to visit with one of his acquaintances. I would like to narrow the possibility of which acquaintance that might be, so that I might discover him.”
“As I said, My Lord, I saw ‘em on the Northern road. If this Duke has gone, he�
��s gone North. Mark my words.” He drank deep from his flagon of ale, unperturbed by the foul scent.
James smiled. “Then I thank you for your time, Mr. Manners. Might I call upon you again, if I require further information?”
“Certainly, My Lord.”
“Wonderful, then we shall leave you to the rest of your morning.” James rose and made to go. He cast a sharp look at Adrian, who followed him out of the room. The two men did not speak until they were outside, in the crisp, fresh air of the street.
“Did you not wish to question him further, Cousin?” Adrian said. “The North is a rather large field of investigation. It does not assist us in any way.”
“That is where you are wrong, Adrian. If we follow the Northern road, we might see something that I have previously missed. Indeed, I may not have searched far enough.”
“You wish to look now?”
James nodded. “There is no time like the present, and my brother is running out of time. He has often disappeared for days on end, but this is different. I am worried for his safety, though I would never disclose such information to my mother. She is distraught enough in her own imaginings.”
“Might I ask something?” Adrian sounded sheepish.
“You may.”
“Why did you lie to him about your identity?”
James sighed. “If anyone were to discover that Edward was missing, the scandal would spread across the country like wildfire. I will not allow my mother to endure such gossip, not even for Edward.”
“You are quite right, James.” Adrian dipped his head in apology. “We should ride along the Northern road now and return before dark. I am still eager to look through Edward’s belongings, to see if he has left any hint of his troubles behind.”
James grasped hold of the saddle of his horse and swung himself up. “Then we have no time to lose.”
* * *
Adrian and James returned after a long day of investigating the Northern road, but they had not found a single thing to suggest that Edward had ridden along it. Too much time had passed since his disappearance, and the trail had all but gone cold. However, Adrian was not the sort of man who gave up lightly. He could not bring himself to believe that Edward might be dead, and until he saw a body, he would not contemplate it.
Leaving James downstairs in his bedchamber, to slough away the grime of the roads they had charged along, Adrian found his way to Edward’s chamber. The door was unlocked, so he let himself in. Everything inside seemed to have been left the way it was on the day Edward disappeared. The covers were still rumpled, and one of the drawers was half-open where Edward had removed a silk handkerchief.
Adrian slowly surveyed the room, leaving no stone unturned. He searched the handkerchief drawer, just in case, but found nothing more than a vivid array of silk squares.
Next, he went to the bed and lifted the pillows, but they held nothing special. He ducked beneath the bed itself and swept his hand under the slats, but there was nothing there either. He plunged his fingertips deep beneath the mattress, but that remained devoid of treasure, too.
There has to be something here—something you left behind, Edward. A clue.
He delved into every box and drawer and closet that he could find, but each one handed him nothing in return. It was beginning to perplex him. The room was almost too clean, considering Edward was a man of means, who enjoyed the exploits of London. There were no debtor’s slips or tickets to speak of.
Confused, Adrian stepped into the center of the room and took his time to look around with fresh eyes. He paused when he saw the bookshelf, tucked away in the far corner. With his heart pounding, he approached the innocuous item of furniture and began to sift through the myriad of books upon it.
He had just picked up Love Sonnets, Volume I, when a sheaf of papers fluttered down from within the pages and landed squarely on the floor. They were sheets of cream-colored vellum, each one stamped with the same red seal—the letter ‘V,’ ensconced within twirling vines that arched above and across it. A tiny rose could be seen in the bottom right corner.
Adrian bent to pick them up and carried them over to Edward’s bureau. There, he sat down and began to read what he had found. With every word that passed beneath his eyes, his shock increased, his mouth falling open in complete surprise.
My Beloved,
I hope this letter finds you well, for I have been thinking of you a great deal in the last few days. When will you come to London again, my love? I miss you so. My bed is cold without you, and I feel your absence more keenly with each passing day. I know you said we could not, because of your station, but might you reconsider what we spoke about? If we were to marry, would that be such a terrible thing? I am certain your family would come to terms with it, in due course, and my own would be thrilled.
I hope this will not make you cease to visit with me, for I do not wish to add any more pressure to your weighted shoulders. I am only imagining the future I so desperately desire. If that is not to be, then I shall bear it with a glad-enough heart, for as long as I have you, in any capacity, I shall be content.
I hope that you are thinking of me, darling. I look forward to your words, to keep me warm on the nights when you cannot be beside me.
Yours Always,
V.
Adrian flipped to the next letter, and the next. All of them were signed in the same way, giving no further indication of who the writer might be.
Who are you, V? Was Edward with her at his very moment, giving not a fig for the worries of his family? Perhaps, this was his intention, to disappear into the ether and make a new life for himself. He had never wanted the dukedom and had always wished for a simpler life. Had he achieved that by running from his responsibilities?
Would you do that to your poor mother? He did not want to believe it, but he knew his cousin was headstrong and passionate. If he had felt overwhelmed or trapped, there was every chance he might have done just that and run from everything that made him feel weighed down.
He picked up the last letter in the pile, and read it with a sinking heart:
My Beloved,
You cannot know how delighted I am to hear that you have changed your mind, and I am ready to leave at your earliest convenience. Tell me the time and the place and I shall meet you there, where we might begin our lives afresh. I do not care that you will have no worldly wealth or possessions, for I will have you. That is all I have ever wanted. And if, in time, you seek reparation with your family, that will only increase our happiness.
I love you so very much, darling. I will await your response with bated breath. It would be for the better if we can leave sooner, rather than later, as I believe my brother has some suspicions as to our affair. I would not wish any harm to come to you, at his hand. Once we are wed, there will be nothing that he can do.
Write to me very soon, my love.
Yours Hopefully,
V.
The letter was dated three days before Edward’s disappearance, and the evidence was mounting. Adrian let the pieces come together in his mind, though he did not know whether to be angry or saddened by the image that was appearing.
If this is the path you have chosen, Cousin, I am sorry for you. For you cannot be allowed to do this. It is not the Godwin way, nor the Summerhill.
He stood to lose too much if he had planned to elope with this mysterious ‘V’ and he hoped he could reach his cousin before it went too far. The only trouble was, how could they decipher the code in time? And what if this brother was the very man who had followed him on horseback, that fateful night?
He turned at the sound of someone stepping into the room. James stood there, with his hair damp from his bath, his shirt sticking to his clammy physique. He looked concerned, his brow furrowed as he glanced from Adrian, to the letters, and back again.
“Have you found something?”
Adrian nodded. “I believe I know where Edward might have gone. There are two possibilities, in fact.”
“There are?” James closed the gap between them and peered down at the letters on the desk. He picked up the last one and read it, his face falling as he did so. “No…this simply is not possible. He would not do this to us.”
“What other explanation can there be?” Adrian folded his arms across his chest. “Either Edward has gone to this ‘V’ lady, and they have plans to elope, or her brother got to him first. I do not know which is the better outcome, considering your mother will kill him if it is the former.”
Wicked Temptations For The Seduced Duchess (Steamy Historical Regency) Page 10