A Companion for Life (18 page)

“Curse you Penryth Bowen, you hateful Welsh
leek!” The words screeched through the wet air disturbing the tired
horses. The carriage lurched forward sending it’s swearing occupant
into the arms of her footman whose cold stiff limbs promptly
dropped her. Penryth was waiting inside the door when the snarling
Rosamund, sporting a deep flounce of mud up to her knees stomped
into the Inn. “Go on, laugh. You were hoping he’d drop me weren’t
you, you poltroon?”

“I admit it freely. Morley hired a room for
himself and his ‘wife’ an hour ago.”

Rosamund’s face paled in fury. “I’m going to
kill him!”

“I should extract Grace from Morley on my
own. The process is bound to be upsetting for a mother. I’ll hire
you a room.”

“I’m not going to sit on my hands while that
filthy beast is ruining my darling girl.”

“I think it might be best not to talk so
loud.”

“Get out of my way! I’m going to save my
daughter.”

“Your daughter may not want saving. You’d
best let me handle this; I have no emotional attachment…”

She stomped off towards the Innkeeper. “Which
room is the Earl of Morley in?”

“He said he didn’t want to be disturbed.”

“I’m sure he did.” Rosamund pulled a ladies’s
pistol out of her reticule and pointed it at the Innkeeper. “But
I’m in the mood to disturb him to death…” Penryth grabbed the
pistol out of her hand and discharged it into the thick black beam
above.

“That should let Morley know I’m coming while
you wait elsewhere…the lady needs a room; preferably one I can lock
her in.”

“I hate you. Give me my pistol. I’m going to
brain Morley.”

“You don’t really want to hang for murder
after you’ve spent a fortune on face creams and face paint. Go sit
by the fire and let me deal with Morley.” He waited as she made a
show of walking over to the large fire and holding out her hands.
“Stay there and I’ll bring her down.”

It was easier said than done; all he had to
do was remove the girl from Morley’s clutches without being
murdered for his pains. Morley was known to have shot innocent
bystanders just to see if they’d fall to the left or right. If the
man had a heart it was carved from ice. The only way to deal with a
man like Morley was to stay calm and refuse to be afraid. The man
fed on fear like a glutton. Penryth stopped outside a door; he
could hear he had the right room. He grimaced at the mental image
of Morley taking his pleasure and knocked hard on the door. “Miss
Philips? This is your Uncle Penryth. Your mother and I have come to
take you home.”

“Go away!”

“Miss Philips, you’re barely more than a
girl. Your mother isn’t going to go away.” Penryth cursed under his
breath as Rosamund pushed up beside him and pummeled the door.

“Grace Darling, I’m here to rescue you. Come
away with Mamma; we’ll find you a handsome young man to marry.”

“I’ve found a husband. I’m going to be the
Countess of Morley.”

“Darling, he’s lying…he won’t marry you. He’s
ruined countless silly girls who thought he was taking them to the
altar. Come away before it’s too late.”

“Why would you let me ride with him in the
park if he was such a cad?”

“Because if you’d listened to me he might
have married you, but he won’t now. He’ll think you easy. He
doesn’t want a countess who might bed every footman in the county.
Now come away before he gives you more than the pox.” Her
daughter’s answer was a trill of triumphant laughter. “Grace!”

“Go away!” Girlish giggles hinted at Morley’s
silent attempt to keep the war going.

Penryth sighed with relief as Rosamund fled
back down the stairs her face red with fury.

“Grace if you want to ruin yourself that’s
your right, but don’t you think you owe your mother a goodbye kiss?
If this wedding falls through you’re going to need her help. It
would be prudent…”

“Morley says you just want me to open the
door so you can drag me away.” Penryth silently cursed Morley to
hell and tried another tactic. “If you want your mother to give you
your dowry you’ll have to act like a woman and come tell your
mother to her face that, that’s what you want.”

“Morley doesn’t care if I have a dowry. He’s
so rich it doesn’t matter now go away I hate you.”

“Your mother’s very upset…”

“I don’t care. Morley says you can go to the
devil.” Girlish giggles were joined by loud masculine moans.

Penryth felt his stomach heave as his calm
mask crumbled in disgust. “Come away from Morley or I’ll stand here
and sing all night. Sheep have been known to jump off cliffs to
escape the sound. There’s nothing like a captive audience!” He’d
reached the second verse when he caught sight of flickering light
in the corner of his eyes. “Rosamund, what the devil are you
doing?”

“I’m saving my darling girl.” She held a
candle against the door trying to set it on fire.

“You’re going to set yourself alight…give me
the candle…”

“No! I’m going to save Grace.”

“She doesn’t want saving.” He said the words
loudly in hope Grace would open the door. “We should leave her to
face the consequences of her actions. She’ll come to her senses as
soon as she realizes Morley isn’t going to marry her.”

“I’m not leaving…” Rosamund kicked the door
to emphasize the statement. “…without my daughter.”

“Stop kicking the door and go away! You’re
ruining my life.”

“I’m not leaving ‘till you open this door you
stupid little fool.”

“Rosamund, calling the child names won’t
endear you…”

“Shut up you Welsh leek. What do you know
about raising children?”

“Beside the fact I used to be one, I have
been raising my nephew.”

“A fine cad he turned out to be. I’m glad I
didn’t marry you. All our children would have been half leek.”

“If you continue calling me a leek I shall
address you as carrot.”

“And you call yourself a gentleman?”

“Both of you shut up and go away! Morley says
he can’t make love with you talking and singing outside our
room.”

“It sounds to me as if you neglected to teach
your eldest brat basic manners. It’s just as well she’s ruined
herself. She’d have embarrassed the whole family given another
season, but then she is rather young and stupid. Thankfully William
fell over and hit his head the other day and now he can’t remember
being engaged or what possessed him to contemplate such a
harebrained…”

The door jerked open. Grace, her face red
with rage glared at her two unwanted rescuers. She was oblivious to
the fact that the neckline of her chemise had been untied and was
exposing one of her breasts. Rosamund moaned in horror as she
reached to cover up her daughter. “Darling…” Her hands were slapped
away. “Your uncle can see your charms.”

“
I don’t care. You’re too late; I’m going
to be the next Countess of Morley and you’re going to grow old
somewhere else.” The girl was joined at the door by the aging
rakehell who’d thrown on a dressing gown, his naked chest and legs
suggesting his previous activities. Rosamund hyperventilated in
horror as Morley put a
proprietary
hand on Grace’s bare flesh and made a show of
kissing her neck.

“Your graceful daughter will make a
magnificent countess…don’t you think? She’s so lovely…so
innocent…at least she was.” The man’s thin lips smiled mocking
Rosamund’s rage.

“Take your poxy hand off my daughter.”

“She tempted me with a sample of our future
wedded bliss and I did eat.”

“You’re not going to get away with this you
scab. You’re going to marry her or her father will call you out and
kill you.”

“Which father would that be? The blind drunk
or Thomas Grayson who I understand spends time at Mr Philip’s
estate every summer, nine months before the birth of your children?
A ducal bastard to father your hopeful ducal bastards; how
thorough.”

Grace’s eyes went wild with shock and anger.
“I’m not a bastard! I’m Grace Philips…Mamma; tell Morley I’m a
Philips!”

“Mr Philips couldn’t consummate the marriage.
Your blood is nobler than a Philips. You’re a Grayson. It’s why I
named you Grace Anne.”

Grace paled with horror. “My godfather can’t
be my father. I can’t be Mr Grayson’s…I can’t! I’m Grace
Philips.”

“It doesn’t matter who your real father is
darling. You’re not a bastard; Mr Philips recognizes you as his
legal daughter. It doesn’t matter who provided the seed.”

Morley’s cynical smile was turned on Penryth.
“I’d wager my fortune you’re glad she jilted you. I wonder how many
bastards she’d have given your name.”

Penryth looked the man in the eyes. “The
girl’s as pale as death, or doesn’t that mean anything to you? She
clearly didn’t know.”

“How could she not know she’s a Grayson? She
must have heard the gossip as she passed similar looking blonde
debutantes as they wondered which of their fathers had provided Mr
Philips with a daughter. It’s a pity the rest of Mr Grayson’s
bastards didn’t turn out as comely.”

Rosamund slapped the sneering Earl who merely
smiled in amusement. “Darling, don’t get upset…it’s nothing…” Grace
was turning blue as her angry eyes focused on her mother. “Please
don’t look at me like that…if I hadn’t bed Mr Grayson you wouldn’t
exist. I’ve done everything for you…you’ve always been my favorite…
calm down…we’ll go sit by a fire and calmly talk about this… you
needn’t get upset…” Grace suddenly gasped for air causing Rosamund
to back away in fear. “Don’t lose your temper Grace Anne…Morley
will think you’re a harridan. Grace I love you; I’d do anything for
you…” Grace clenched her fists. Her face contorted with rage, an
ear splitting scream made the two men cringe in pain as she rushed
at her mother like a demon unleashed from hell. Penryth was
momentarily stunned senseless as the slim girl who didn’t look
strong enough to lift more than a full chocolate pot clawed her
mother’s hat off and pulled chunks of hair from her head.
Rosamund’s screams of pain and cries for help pulled him into the
fray.

Dragging the girl off her mother, Penryth
found himself the new focus of her rage. Her fingernails were
knives clawing at his face and then his cravat was being twisted
until he couldn’t breathe as he resisted the impulse to smash his
fist into his attacker’s face. He could hear Morley laughing and
clapping at the improvised entertainment as he fell to his knees
gasping for air. Vicious bare feet kicked him in the chest. He
grabbed a foot and pulled his niece to the ground, but a solid kick
in the lungs with her free foot winded him and she was running
towards Rosamund who was hurrying for the stairs. Penryth was
crawling into a run as the demon in white jumped onto her mother’s
back screaming curses. Rosamund beat off her daughter with her
fists and floored the girl with a blow. She reached the top of the
stairs, but her daughter raced up behind her and shoved her hard.
The girl stood there glaring at her mother as the older woman
tumbled down the stairs. Penryth grabbed the girl’s arms and held
them behind her as he wrenched her around to face Morley lounging
in the door smiling. Penryth could taste blood, but he needed to
turn the girl’s attention away from her mother so he could carry
the older woman to safety. “Morley; take your bride back to bed and
calm her down with a few kisses. You’re the one who dragged her out
into the cold; you should be the one to warm her.”

“I’m not chaining myself to a raving
virago.”

“You said you loved me!”

“I lied. You silly little girls are all the
same. You think if you ride off into the rain with a Lord he’ll
make you his Lady. I want a woman who doesn’t want my title or me.
You’re too easy. Quel dommage!” Grace burst free of restraint and
flew at Morley. Penryth didn’t wait to see the debaucher being
savaged. A masculine scream of pain was enough to know Morley was
receiving a taste of justice. Hopefully the girl would tear the
rakehell apart. Penryth rushed down the stairs, relieved to see
Rosamund slowly sitting up as the travelers in the common room
gathered around the bottom of the stairs to stare at her exposed
silk stockings.

“Innkeeper! Send for the doctor…”

The man appeared at the bottom of the stairs
with an apprehensive expression. “We’re waiting for the mail coach.
As soon as it’s come…”

“I’m going to carry her to a room.”

“You’ll have to pay first; we’ll have to
change the bed linen if she dies.” Penryth threw the man a coin and
received a deep bow. “The room at the end on the left is free
Sir.”

“Thank you.” Penryth was sure his sarcastic
tone was wasted on the smiling yokel. “Rosamund? Does anything feel
broken?”

“I just fell down the stairs, what do you
think?”

“Your tongue is uninjured.”

“Oh my head…my shoulder…”

“We’ll send for the doctor. We’ll stop here
overnight and return to London tomorrow.”

“I’m not stopping in this bed bug infested
mouse-hole. I’m leaving and without that she-devil. Morley can have
her and good riddance.”

“You can’t leave your daughter at Morley’s
mercy…I think she just bit him. He’ll kill her!”

“Better him than me. Imagine the scandal if I
were to be hung for killing my own daughter. If anyone deserves an
early trip to hell it’s Morley. You heard her; she wants me to go
so I’m going.” Rosamund pulled herself up and clinging to the
banister carefully continued the descent still being watched by
people below.

“She’s your child!”

“She tried to kill me. She’s a lunatic. I’m
leaving.”

“We’re not leaving without her.”

“She’s put herself beyond the pale. I disown
her.”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“You can’t stop me, you’re not my
husband.”

“Don’t be a cow Rosamund. She’s only
seventeen. We’re not leaving her.”