by Wendy Vella
Lifting the brass knocker, he rapped it hard three times.
“Good day.” The butler who opened the door had just the right amount of haughtiness in his expression to please his mistress.
“Here is my card.” Ben handed it over. “I have come to call upon Miss Fullerton Smythe.”
“She is not accepting callers today, sir.”
“Then I shall call on Lord Fullerton Smythe. Please tell him I am here.”
“I am afraid Lord Fullerton Smythe is from home.”
“Lady Fullerton Smythe?” Ben raised a brow.
“Not accepting visitors today.”
To his credit, the butler kept his face calm, but the eyes had a tight look to them that suggested he was under a great deal of strain. Ben wasn’t sure what prompted him to say what he next did. Call it instinct.
“I have information about Miss Fullerton Smythe.”
“One moment, please.” The door was shut in his face. Not terribly polite, but he was sure the drama unfolding behind said door was the reason for that.
Something was off here also, he just wasn’t sure what. But what he did know was that it involved Miss Fullerton Smythe and very likely Primrose. Dear Lord, let it involve her; let the Fullerton Smythes be able to tell him where she was.
Worry gnawed at his gut as he waited.
Where is she?
The problem was that she was impetuous, and he worried she’d stumble into something and he wouldn’t be there to extract her from it.
Guilt over his treatment of her sat heavily on his shoulders. Had he been kinder, had he told her how he felt, none of this would have happened.
“If you will come this way, Lady Fullerton Smythe will speak with you.”
Ben followed, admiring the pristine halls and polished floors. Was everyone forced to go about in their stockings in here?
“Mr. Benjamin Hetherington, my lady.”
Lady Fullerton Smythe was seated in a high-backed chair that resembled a throne. Immaculate as always, she looked as she had every time Ben had seen her… although she did have the same tight expression on her face the butler had, and now he was closer he could see her eyes were red, very likely from crying.
“My lady.” Ben bowed.
“Please, sit down, and tell me what has brought you to our humble doorstep on this day?”
He’d never liked this woman. Her every move was for effect, and she never hesitated to flaunt her status and wealth in the faces of those she saw as less worthy.
Ben already knew Primrose had been the recipient of her ill-will.
“I shall be honest with you, my lady. I am trying to locate Miss Ainsley, and as she is your daughter’s friend—”
“My daughter would never befriend such a woman! The scandal surrounding that… that person is unpardonable, and I will not allow it to taint a child of mine!”
Stay calm.
“Be very careful what you say about Miss Ainsley, Lady Fullerton Smythe. She is a very dear friend to me and my family, and a particular favorite of the Duke and Duchess of Rossetter. I would not want word to get back to them that you have been speaking in derogatory terms about her.”
“Everyone is speaking of her behavior!” She didn’t look quite so confident now.
“Which was not her fault. She was abducted, and I saw that happen.”
“She was alone with men!”
“Which, again, was not her fault.” Patience, Ben.
She made a huffing sound but said nothing further.
“Lady Fullerton Smythe, where is your daughter? I would like to question her about Miss Ainsley.”
“Sh-she is unwell!”
“I hope it’s nothing serious?”
She wouldn’t meet his eyes.
“No indeed, we h-hope she will be herself again in a matter of d-days.”
“Are you sure I cannot speak with her?”
“Absolutely not. Heather needs her rest!”
Ben knew he wasn’t about to get any more information out of the woman, so he rose to leave.
“Good day, my lady. Please pass my best wishes on to your daughter.”
Ben stood out on the street minutes later and wondered what the hell he was to do next. Primrose had run away from Lady Jane’s house last night, but where had she gone?
“Psst!”
Looking to the left, he saw a footman lurking behind a pillar. The man nodded to the right, which suggested to Ben he needed to move in that direction, so he started walking.
“Left,” a voice behind him directed.
Ben found himself in a garden and hoped he was not about to be jumped from behind and robbed.
“Were you asking about Miss Fullerton Smythe?”
Ben turned to look at the footman.
“I was. What can you tell me about her?”
The man said nothing. Ben pulled some money out of his pocket and handed it to him.
“I would rather the lord and lady did not hear of this.” The footman looked suddenly nervous.
“Of course, I will say nothing.”
“They’re not the easiest people to work for, you understand.”
Ben didn’t say anything to that, but he knew some nobility were notoriously mean-spirited to their staff.
“Please continue with the information you have about Miss Fullerton Smythe.”
“A young woman called late yesterday afternoon to see the young Miss. I’ve not seen her here before.”
“Did you hear what they said?”
“Only that she was upset, and the two young ladies hugged. Lord and Lady Fullerton Smythe were from home, so the ladies went up to Miss Fullerton Smythe’s room. They stayed there for two hours. The second carriage was then called, and the young lady taken home.”
“To where?”
The address was Lady Jane’s residence, which told Ben it was Primrose. He had a feeling there was more, so he remained silent.
“The staff aren’t meant to know, but she wasn’t in her rooms this morning when the household rose, and has not been seen since.”
“Miss Fullerton Smythe?”
The footman nodded. “Bill, one of the drivers, said that a young lad named Milky told him he saw Miss Fullerton Smythe leave the house in the early hours of the morning. A carriage had stopped outside, and she got in.”
“Did she now,” Ben said slowly, his mind whirling.
“The carriage was a hired one. Milky followed it up the street until it stopped again. Another lady was waiting there. From the boy’s description it sounded like the one who visited Miss Fullerton Smythe. She got inside, and it drove away.”
“Do you know where it was hired from?” Ben held out more money.
“Jessop Street stables, sir.”
“Thank you, you have been very informative. I will pay for any further information you have, and you can send it here.” Ben gave him his card.
He made for the stables. After handing over more money, Ben learned that a man who matched Mr. Caton’s description had hired that carriage. The driver was to take them to Gretna Green.
Why the hell was Primrose accompanying Mr. Caton and Miss Fullerton Smythe to Gretna Green? He didn’t have time to think about that answer. This was Primrose; she did not think like other women.
“Ben?”
“Will?” He turned to find his friend approaching.
“I had not realized you’d returned to London. I hope you left Alex well?”
“I did.”
“What has you here? Are you looking at a horse?”
“No.”
“Carriage?”
“No again.”
Will frowned. “Have you recovered from your own illness?”
“I have, and now I must go.”
Will moved left, blocking his exit. “What’s going on, Ben? I can see something is bothering you.”
“I have to leave, Will.”
“Why?”
“Must you know the reason?” Ben needed to get moving if
he had any hope of catching Primrose.
“Your brothers are not here, but I consider myself an admirable stand-in.”
He stood before Ben as unmoving as a large tree trunk. He could possibly outrun Will, and likely win in a fight, but the man would not give up, that much Ben knew.
“The story is a long one.”
“As you see, I have nothing pressing. The horse I came to see was not worth my time. I am also very discreet. Whatever you tell me will go no further.”
“That’s a lie, you’re a shocking gossip.”
“Well, yes, but not about anything serious,” Will defended himself.
“I sometimes think it would be quite nice to be unloved. You could get about without anyone knowing in which direction you placed a foot.”
“No, you don’t.” Will laughed. “Now tell me what is going on, Ben.”
“In brief, Primrose’s reputation was shredded after that incident.”
“This I know.”
“Lady Jane wants her to marry Lord Formby. She does not fancy the idea, and it appears she has run away with Miss Fullerton Smythe, who in turn is eloping to Gretna Green with Mr. Caton.”
It took a great deal to silence William Ryder. Ben had just achieved it.
“I am now going to get on my horse and go after them, just as I suspect Lord Fullerton Smythe is doing as we speak.”
“As you should, because you love Miss Ainsley.” Will found his tongue. “And as I am at a loss to know what next to do, I shall accompany you.”
“I could be gone for days!”
“I have two weeks before my family return. That’s plenty of time to get your woman and bring her back to London.”
Ben didn’t argue; in fact, he may need Will’s help. Shaking his head, he left the stables with Will on his heels and hoped that Primrose kept out of trouble until he reached her.
He didn’t hold out much hope.
Chapter Thirty-Three
“You must simply drop me at the first village,” Primrose insisted, and not for the first time.
“We will not be doing that, Miss Ainsley. Heather and I have the rest of our lives together. We can share some of it with you.”
“Primrose, please. As I am involved in your elopement, I feel we must be less formal.”
Heather giggled, looking extremely happy with herself. She showed none of the fear Mr. Caton wore all over his face. She seemed almost lighthearted in her relief at leaving behind London and her parents.
“And my name is Jeremy.”
After Primrose had appeared on Heather’s doorstep distraught over what had transpired yesterday, her friend had smuggled her up to her rooms without the servants’ knowledge. Primrose had serious doubts about this. Servants knew everything.
“Mama will not be happy, you understand, Primrose. Apparently, you are unworthy of me. We both know, of course, that is utter rubbish.”
Lord and Lady Fullerton Smythe were from home visiting someone. Heather had faked an illness to stay and prepare for her elopement.
It had taken her precisely fifty-two minutes to convince Primrose to run away with her and Jeremy. She’d argued, of course. It was a ridiculous thing to contemplate. But Heather would not be deterred. She had even written a hasty note that she’d summoned a footman to send to her beloved. His reply had arrived thirty minutes later.
Of course, we must take her with us!
“I do hope Father doesn’t do anything foolish and take it into his head to follow us,” Heather said, looking out the window. “Although we do have a good head start on him.”
“We are going to marry,” Jeremy said, with more force than Primrose had ever heard him use. “I will not let him take you back to London without me, my love.”
“Oh, Jeremy.” Heather fell into his arms.
Primrose looked out the window to let them have some privacy. The fact that she would never have what Heather and Jeremy did was a bitter pill to swallow now she knew what could be between two people who loved each other. Not that Benjamin loved her, but she loved him.
She was, however, also a realist. She knew how to be happy with her plants and would take steps to make sure she secured a future for herself… whatever those steps may be. Perhaps she could find work as a nanny; that would suit her, as she liked children. Or maybe in a shop? She had excellent handwriting and could read. Could she find work as a companion? References could be a problem, but Primrose was sure she could work around that somehow. Perhaps Heather would write her one?
“I want you to drop me at the next village we pass through.” Primrose put some strength into her voice. “I have enough money to secure a room. I will then see if there is any work available.”
“No,” Jeremy said. “You are staying with us, and I want nothing more said on the matter, Primrose.”
“Jeremy is right, we want you with us,” Heather added.
“But I cannot,” Primrose said. “You will be newlyweds, it is not right.”
“Newlyweds with their dear friend living with them,” Jeremy added.
The thought was not a happy one for Primrose. Again she was to be a burden.
They both looked determined, so for now she kept quiet.
“The trip will take four days, during which time we shall need to stop and change horses,” Jeremy said.
“But the cost will be great,” Heather said, opening her reticule.
“I am not without funds, Heather. Just because I am the third son does not mean I am perpetually short in the pockets. My brother is a generous man, and I have invested wisely. You will not go without.”
“I have this.” She handed him a necklace. “It will be worth something.”
He folded her hand inside his and pushed it back toward the reticule.
“No, love. We will not need that. Now rest as much as you can. The journey will be tiring, but we must reach Gretna Green as fast as we can, or your father may catch us.”
“We will not be parted,” Heather said with determination on her face.
They changed horses and ate food with haste, then took to the road again over the next four days. As the miles passed, Primrose thought that perhaps Scotland may suit her as a place to live. It was far enough away from London that she need not run into Benjamin, and her family would not bother to come after her… or indeed care where she had gone. They would merely be pleased she was no longer a burden on them.
Primrose had come to the conclusion that she did not like her family very much anymore. She may love them, but that was another matter entirely.
“We are to stop once again soon,” Jeremy said, looking at Primrose and Heather. They were all tired and needed to sleep, but knew they must press on.
“We will take some time here, just an hour or two, and I shall see if there is a room for you both to rest.”
“No! Jeremy, we cannot.” Heather clutched his arm.
“We can, my love. Your father will not catch us now.”
They didn’t put up too much of a fight, but staggered into the small posting house, and fell into the bed they were shown by the maid.
“I cannot remember a time when I was this tired,” Heather said, smothering a yawn as she pulled the blankets over them. “I am so very glad you are here with me, Primrose. I have the man I love, and the only friend I truly adore.”
“He is a very good man, Heather.” This time it was Primrose who yawned. “I am glad you are to marry him.”
“As am I.” Heather’s words were slurred now. “I love you, Primrose.”
The words gave her a jolt as she’d never heard them before. Turning her head on the pillow, Primrose looked into the tired eyes of her friend.
“Really?”
“Really.” Heather’s lashes then fluttered downward.
Primrose’s did the same, but this time she slept with the knowledge that at least one person loved her. The thought warmed her to her toes.
Primrose woke first. Heather still slept deeply, so she slipped out of bed.
Washing in the water provided, she changed her dress and brushed out her hair. Braiding it, she tied a ribbon around the ends, then left to find Jeremy and some food.
Dusk had fallen as she stepped outside after searching the interior of the posting house and not finding him.
“You!”
“Mr. Sanders!” Primrose tried to retreat back inside, but he grabbed her arm.
“You and that Hetherington have cost me a great deal of money, Miss Ainsley.”
His face was twisted in an angry mask. He looked nothing like the immaculately presented gentleman she’d once known. His hair stood off his head, and his clothes were creased. His nose seemed to be slightly crooked now too, and bigger.
“What happened to your nose?”
“Mr. Hetherington did this, and one day I will make him pay.”
Primrose opened her mouth to scream, but he slapped his hand over it. She then felt the stab of a blade in her stomach.
“Scream and I will stab you.”
“How did you get off the boat?” Primrose mumbled.
“I was lowered over the side in a rowboat,” he snarled, removing his hand. “I could not go to France, as the man who commissioned me to steal that book paid me a large sum of money in advance. He would have been most displeased.”
Her luck had not improved, it seemed. She was now in the hands of this man again.
“So you are going to Scotland?”
“I have another commission there, and this time no one will stop me from achieving it and receiving the money.”
“Commission,” Primrose scoffed. “You are a common thief, Mr. Sanders, and nothing more.”
“Why are you here? Don’t tell me you and Hetherington are making a run for Gretna Green?” The smug look on his face had her wanting to smack it, but as the knife was still pressed into her she did not. If she could keep him talking long enough surely someone would see her talking to him?
“No. I am alone and making my way there for work.”
She did not want him to know about Heather or Jeremy, and hoped they would simply appear and the distraction would help her escape the clutches of Sanders again.