Clarendon Estate (The Sinclair Society Series, #3)

by Swafford, Bethany

  And if one of the servants found me? Even if the maids had completed their work, there was always the chance someone might come along. What excuse could I give for being where I shouldn’t be?

  “Her ladyship is searching for a trinket, and could not remember where she put it,” I said aloud. It was flimsy, but perhaps it would be believed. After all, didn’t women who were with child have odd notions?

  As helpful as she had been, I didn’t think Lady Leith would appreciate me creating rumours about her.

  AN HOUR AFTER THE PARTY left the house, I approached the guest room door. The maids had long completed their work. Unless Miss Hanson or Mr. Stone thought to spy on me, I would be completely alone.

  The door opened easily and I glanced in each direction before stepping inside. It was a well-appointed room, and the sun shining through the windows showed it to advantage. Breathing out, I went straight to the little table by the bed. It would be the worst place to hide anything incriminating, so I didn’t truly expect to find anything there. However, I had to search it to be certain.

  As I’d expected, there was nothing of any interest. On the top, a pen lay on its side and a drop of ink was beneath the tip as though it had just been used. Mr. Bladen must have finished a letter before he went down to breakfast.

  It wasn’t unusual for a gentleman to continue his correspondence while he was away, whether on business or for pleasure. But to do so in his room? What message had demanded the man’s attention so early?

  I turned away from the desk. Where else in a room might a gentleman hide something of importance?

  As I had done in the Green Room, I went to the wardrobe. My search there revealed nothing. With those two obvious places searched, I stood in the middle of the room, trying to think of other likely hiding places.

  Under the bed would have been foolish, as the maid who cleaned would be sure to find anything there. As I turned in a circle, I noticed a scenic painting hung slightly askew.

  Slowly, I walked to it, studying it. Mrs. Horner would not have permitted this if it had been crooked when she went through before the guests arrived. Therefore, I could only assume something had happened to knock it off centre after Mr. Bladen arrived. Surely the maid would have corrected it when she tidied the room.

  Taking the frame in my hands, I shifted it so that it hung correctly. As I did so, a couple of folded papers fell to the ground.

  Dread twisted my stomach. Hidden papers? I knelt down and picked them up. A few grains of sand fell to the floor as I unfolded the first paper. Three lines of numbers was all that was written, and recently at that.

  What did it say?

  My fingers began to tremble as I shifted my attention to the second paper. This one had been folded and refolded several times. Before my eyes, the numbers were all too familiar. Even worse, though, were the letters over those numbers, spelling out the message. It began with one letter than made my heart sink: ‘H’:

  ‘H, N dance with truth. Unless pay, past come to light and you hang. You know my price. Or remove N from equation. C.I.’

  Lady Leith had been right. The ‘H’ I had been seeking was Henry Bladen, the man I’d once hoped to marry.

  Chapter Sixteen

  C.I could only mean Conrad Ingram. That evil man had sought information and sold it for his own benefit. What had he held over Henry Bladen? Had Henry then decided he’d had enough of the man’s blackmail and then killed Ingram to be free?

  If he’d killed once, he could easily have done so once more.

  Remove N from equation. ‘N’, for Nelson. Me. Why hadn’t Mr. Ingram, who had known my identity, revealed that to Henry? What game had he been playing at? Was this message why Mr. Bladen had found his way to the Leith estate?

  A chill went down my spine. Henry had come to kill me. Should I trust Sir Horace or Mr. Harper to protect me? Until I knew for sure, nowhere in the house seemed safe. Somehow, I had to hide the letter until I could get it into the right hands. Where could I put it that a stranger to the grounds would think to look?

  Through the windows, I caught a glimpse of the maze and the tall hedges that made up the walls. Perfect.

  Without a bonnet or shawl, I rushed for the servants staircase and fled down the steps.

  The one person I knew I could trust was out of my reach. Celia had taken her guests to watch the shooting to give me enough time for my search. Even if I knew I could trust them, Mr. Harper and Sir Horace were both shooting with the other gentlemen.

  As I crossed the yard, the back of my neck prickled. Was I being watched? I didn’t want to look over my shoulder and check. That would look as though I were hiding something and I didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to what I was doing.

  For all any of the other servants knew, I was taking my half day.

  I had just stepped up to the entrance of the maze when a hand reached out and caught my arm. Startled and already on edge, I spun to the right and my instincts made me attempt to jerk away. A relieved breath left me as I recognized the young man who had caught me: Simon Leith.

  Wait. Why was he accosting me in such a manner?

  There was no time to even think as he pulled me towards him. I stumbled towards him, confused about what he was doing. At the same time, I heard a loud crack, almost like an explosion. Pain sliced along my right arm and a cry left my lips.

  It took a second for me to comprehend what had happened. Someone had shot me!

  Young Mr. Leith kept tugging on my left hand, dragging me into the maze with him. Off balance and in pain, I didn’t try to fight him. All at once, he dodged out of the path and into one of the many alcoves that were all over the maze. The space was tiny, made even more close by the ivy growing thick around the entry. The young man held me close to him and even went so far as to put his hand over my mouth.

  Up close, I could see the worry in his eyes. He had saved my life. If he hadn’t acted, would the bullet—it wasn’t a hard guess as to who had fired the gun—have been more deadly? When had Henry seen me? Had he laid a trap, one which I had stumbled into without considering the possibility?

  Stupid, stupid, stupid!

  “Miss Nelson.”

  Maybe it was a good thing Simon’s hand was over my mouth because I knew I gasped.

  Henry.

  “I know you are here, and I know you took my letters. Come out and let us have this discussion face to face.”

  Even if young Mr. Leith was not holding me in place, I would not have gone to Mr. Bladen. Not after what I had learned. Did he honestly think that I would trust him? He must not have a high opinion of my intelligence.

  “You and I have been dancing around each other long enough, don’t you think? From London to Bath and now here at Clarendon. How clever you must think yourself to have followed such an old trail. Who put you up to it? Harper? I would not have expected such a move from a gentleman such as he.”

  His voice was moving, slowly yet surely though the maze. How well did he know it? Would it be wiser to remain in the alcove and hope he did not notice it? Or, should I navigate to the other exits of the maze?

  It was difficult to think straight. My arm throbbed with pain, and I could feel the cloth of my jacket becoming soaked with blood. How badly had I been hit? How much time did I have to act before I was rendered completely helpless from blood loss?

  “I assume I have you to thank for turning my dear Miss Sinclair’s heart from me. She would have accepted me if you hadn’t been on the scene. What did you tell her about me to accomplish that? The truth or some tale to spare her feelings?”

  There was an unmistakable note of anger in his voice now. He blamed Julie Nelson for my rejection of his suit? He hadn’t realized my secret. How would he react if he did learn it, if he did catch me in this maze? Would he really let me go? Or would he still kill me for knowing too much?

  Mr. Leith’s breath was hot against my ear, though he was as still as a statue. He may not have been able to hear, but he was alert anyway. At t
hat moment, I knew what I had to do. I could not risk his life and whatever plan I made had to include the young man getting out of the maze unharmed.

  Was Henry far enough away for us to make a break for the closest exit?

  “Really, Miss Nelson, there is no point in playing this game.” Henry’s voice sounded closer than before. “I’m told this maze confounds all who enter, save those who know have spent hours studying it. I doubt you have had that kind of time with your duties to Lady Leith.”

  It was true that I’d had little time to explore the maze, but I had someone on my side that Henry Bladen wasn’t expecting: Simon Leith. He’d grown up near the maze. He must know the path that would take him to safety.

  How was I going to communicate with the deaf man, though?

  Twisting around, I made eye contact with him. His expression was perplexed. No doubt he was curious about what was going on and had no way of comprehending any of it. What a gentleman he was to come to my aid in spite of it!

  “I feel it only gentlemanly to warn you that my temper is not appeased by this game, Nelson,” Henry said, his tone sharper than before. “I was prepared to have this out peacefully but you are only making this more difficult for yourself.”

  As if that would make me more willing to meet him face to face. The wound he’d already caused throbbed with pain and the stickiness of blood ran down my arm.

  Young Mr. Leith cocked his head to the side. I brought my finger up to my lips. As much as I didn’t want to offend him by the reminder, he may not be able to hear but he was still capable of making noise. He gave a nod, understanding my concern.

  “Miss Nelson, this is really tiresome. Unless you are an expert at this maze, you must know you are merely delaying the inevitable. If you think you are going to hide the messages, you are mistaken. I will find them and you.”

  Really, Henry Bladen was doing a terrible job of convincing me to come out. He must have been truly confident that there was no chance I would escape the maze before he caught up to me.

  Why had no one come to investigate the gunshot, though? True, the gentlemen of the party were hunting, so of course the sound would not be surprising. However, wouldn’t someone have realized this one had been too close to the house to have come from the hunting party?

  With a shake of my head, I focused on getting myself out of the danger I’d thrown myself into. Mr. Leith stared at me, his expression puzzled. I made a zigzag pattern in the air with my finger. His brow furrowed even deeper.

  How to explain? With my other hand, I pointed to the bushes that made up the wall of the maze. Then, I again made a pattern in the air. I could think of no other way to mime the maze and prayed he would catch on.

  After a moment, the young man gave a nod. His eyes flicked to my arm and he pointed to the left. I waited another moment, listening carefully, and then stepped out of hiding. Mr. Leith followed me and stepped around me. His fingers curled around my wrist and he began to lead the way.

  “Nelson! You are only making this harder on yourself. You do not want to test my patience.”

  There was an edge to my former beau’s voice that was more convincing than his words. He was growing angrier with every passing moment. If he caught us...

  “Nelson! Stop being a fool and come out!”

  How could I have been so mistaken in him? If I’d ever been asked, I would have sworn he was as mild mannered as a sheep. Never had he spoken a sharp word in my presence...not until Bath, when I had told him to leave me alone, that is. How much of what I knew about him was a lie?

  What would be his reaction if he knew it had been me all along?

  As I followed Mr. Leith around one corner and then another, my mind continued to race. Somehow, I had to get the letter to Mr. Harper. Henry’s comment about Harper putting me up to it convinced me the man could be trusted. Perhaps it was the blood loss, but the distance from the maze back to the house seemed too great for me to cross safely.

  I glanced over my shoulder and did not see any sign of Henry Bladen immediately behind us. That gave me a moment to do what needed to be done. Digging in my heels, I came to a stop, in turn pulling Mr. Leith to a halt. He faced me, a frown creasing his forehead. He tugged on my hand as though to encourage me to keep going.

  Shaking my head, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the letter. “Take this,” I mouthed, fearful of speaking aloud in case Mr. Bladen was within earshot. “Give it to your brother.”

  Mr. Leith stared at me for a moment and then shook his head. He pulled on my hand again and used his free hand to gesture in what I assumed was the direction of the manor house.

  “No,” I mouthed, again afraid to speak out. I held the letter out to him. “Your brother must get this. Please. Your brother.”

  Why hadn’t I thought to learn some of the hand signs I knew he made to communicate with others? There was no time for discussion. He had to go and I had to stay to give him time to get to his brother.

  After several long seconds, he released my wrist and took the letter from my hand. He made a sign I didn’t understand. Breathing out, I nodded and pointed in the direction he had indicated. Mr Leith took a step backwards, his face twisting with indecision.

  “Please,” I mouthed, desperate to get him on his way. “Go. Go now.”

  Just when I thought I hadn’t made him understand, he gave a nod and then made a left. I stepped to the intersection and made sure he didn’t come back. Whatever happened to me, Sir Horace and Mr. Harper would know the truth of their friend’s death.

  Trying to walk softly, I ventured back the way I’d come from the maze. Mr. Bladen was not speaking anymore, but I was certain he was still in the maze. Perhaps he was listening for me. My vision blurred for a moment and my head swam.

  An arm came around my throat and a hand grabbed my right wrist. A cry left my lips. “There you are,” Henry Bladen said, his breath hot against my ear. “Where is the letter?”

  The longer I kept his attention on me, the more time Mr. Leith had to carry the evidence to his brother and Mr. Harper. I kept silent as I struggled to get free. Did he not recognize me yet?

  “I will find it, you know, if I have to search every inch of this maze,” Mr. Bladen continued angrily. “You did not have time to hide anywhere else. You have been a thorn in my side for far too long, Julie Nelson, and for what? Who set you on my trail?”

  Every time I tried to jab my left elbow back, he evaded me. His arm tightened around my neck. “I am resigned to being curious, Miss Nelson. I have no doubt I shall forget this encounter soon enough. Remaining silent will not save your life.”

  That I could well believe, so perhaps speaking was my only way out of the situation. “Did you enjoy killing my family, Henry?” I asked with my last bit of breath. It was highly inappropriate for me to use his Christian name, of course, but the situation was not one where the rules of propriety applied.

  Mr. Bladen went still. My use of his name or just my voice? “What did you say?” His arm loosened just enough that I was able to suck in a deep breath.

  “You heard me, Henry Bladen!” I didn’t even try to rein in my anger. It sent a surge of strength through me. I’d endured so much and searched for months to know the truth. Now I could finally know it all. “How did Jonathan work out that you were the traitor he was searching for? How did you discover that he had discovered your secret? Did you truly believe we had a future after you killed my family?”

  “J-Juliet?” Mr. Bladen stammered. “No. You’re in London. It can’t be.”

  His grasp on me had loosened enough that I was able to twist around. For a moment, the world seemed to spin around me. “Indeed, it can!” I said. As hard as I could, I shoved him away. I would have to trust my words to hold my once beau at bay. “Did you not see me yesterday when Lady Leith chided you?”

  He stared at me with undisguised horror. “Juliet...you don’t...”

  “Don’t what? Understand? I’m afraid I understand all too well! Did you imagine th
at I would sit by and allow my family name to be disparaged and blackened by rumour? Or was that part of your grand plan? Make me grateful you came after so long and no one else would look at me?”

  “That’s not—”

  “Do you mean to tell me that you had no part in the rumours?”

  Mr. Bladen’s face was flushed, whether from embarrassment, anger, or exertion was difficult to say. His hands shot out and grabbed my shoulders. “Juliet, would you please stop talking for one minute? Let me think?”

  The movement sent pain through my arm and again, everything spun around me, my gaze going dark for a brief moment. “Mr...Mr. Bladen,” I managed to say, trying to keep from swaying. “I did not give you permission to use my Christian name.”

  “You’re...you’re bleeding. Juliet...” His eyes widened in shock.

  The show of concern only made me angry. “Yes, that’s what happens when you shoot somebody, Mr. Bladen. There tends to be blood! And what did I just say about my name? Do you ever listen?”

  “I-I didn’t know it was you! What are you doing here?” Mr. Bladen asked, seeming to recover himself. His eyes were still wide with horror. “I was...I was looking for...I mean, I have to find...”

  “Have you really not put two and two together?” I asked with what was probably too much derision. As much as I wanted to break free of his grasp once again, I couldn’t muster the energy to do so. “Do you not remember the maid you saw in the hallway just yesterday? Lady Leith scolded you for being interested. It was me the whole time.”

  “Y-you don’t know what you’re talking about. Juliet—”

  He seemed determined to find some way to prove what was right in front of him was not the truth. “Don’t I? Who do you think discovered Bridges was the one pilfering information from Mr. Burnham? Or who else could know that Conrad Ingram sniffed out scandals and then sold the details to the highest bidder?”

  “That was you?” Henry’s voice rose several octaves. “Impossible!”

  “And yet, here I am before you. Why do you not believe what is in front of your eyes?” Taunting him was not the smartest idea, but I could think of no other way to buy time. It felt freeing to lash out with every ounce of anger I had. “How could you? How could you take my entire family from me?”