A Fine Caprice - A Regency Romance (31 page)

‘Merridew?’ Hughenden said interrogatively.

I shall tell her to go the moment I return to Abbey Cross
. Cass brought himself firmly
back to the here and now. ‘There is still the matter of the night’s arrival.’

‘You’re sure somebody did arrive?’

‘No,’ Cass admitted. ‘But the Grand Duchess and my dear cousin were certainly expecting somebody. It’s possible they were not disappointed.’

‘I would dearly like to know one way or the other.’

‘I doubt the lady will tell us. Hadley, however…’

‘Your cousin?’ Sir Darryl raised an eyebrow.
‘I have heard certain things about the fellow.’

‘I’m sure you have,’ Merridew sighed. ‘I think I might head back to Abbey Cross
now
.’

‘Don’t you want to see this tun
nel your uncle employed? It lies
but three hundred feet from here.’

He di
d want to see it, actually. Cass was sick to death of that
wretched tunnel. If he could find out where it came out, he would have the bloody thing boarded up and the family tradition of smuggling could go hang. He doubted his brother John would appreciate some enterprising freetraders popping in for a visit whenever they felt like it. ‘Lead on,’ he invited grimly. ‘I’m sure my interview with my cousin can wait a while.’

‘You think he’ll talk?’

‘He will if I squeeze his scrawny neck hard enough. I’ve had just about enough of his nonsense. It’s about time he learned that my patience is finite.’

It was a conversation Lord Merridew discovered he was very eager to have.

Chapter Thirteen

Caprice was not surprised to discover that his lordship had not returned. H
aving left th
e Comte
in the attic, she stood hesitating in the entry hall,
wo
ndering what to do. As the man
was in pain she could hardly just leave him ther
e indefinitely
.
It would be inhumane to do so.

‘For it is
n
ot
at all
what we thought,’ she murmured, having thought matters through
. The Comte de Fronsac was clearly
not
a spy.
Apart from anything else, he appea
red to be far too stupid to
qualify
for the role
. The Grand Duchess had brought him here, which meant… Caprice pursed her lips, thinking about it. The Comte was certainly a
very
good looking young man. Could it be that the woman was actually in love with him? Or was there something else behind her bringing him to Engla
nd?
Perhaps
not.
He seemed a man who had been b
lessed in certain areas but
sadly lacking in others.

The most logical thing was to talk to the Grand Duchess who was yet to emerge from her bedchamber. Apparently importing French refugees played havoc with the lady’s rest and she was still abed. It might be a difficult conve
rsation but, while Caprice
was not overly fond of the woman,
the lovely
Maria would probably like to know about her guest and his state of health.

S
h
e
made her way to the woman’s bedchamber
and knocked gently. Anna opened the door after a moment and looked
at her, great dark eyes enquiring
. ‘Yes?’

‘I’d like to see her ladyship. Is she up?’

S
uch a question
– that of a servant requesting an interview with a noblewoman – allowed the girl to put aside her natural diffidence for she straightened her
spine and eyed the impudent visitor
with hauteur.

‘It is not her
ladyship
,’ the girl corrected Caprice coldly, ‘you may address my mistress as Your Highness.’

‘My apologies.
Is Her Highness receiving? I need to speak to her.
’

They stared at each other for a long moment. Anna broke first. ‘What do you want? You may tell me and I will tell my mistress.’

‘
I’ve just said.
I wish to see her.’

‘Well you cannot. It is not fitting.’

Caprice sighed. ‘Tell her it is about her guest.’ When the girl looked at her blankly, she added, ‘In the attic?’

This did provoke a response for Anna’s face went very white. ‘I… I…’

‘I know,’ Caprice agre
ed, ‘it’s all very vexing but there is no help for it. I must talk to
you mistress.’

Abruptly, the door shut. Caprice stood there, blinking at the wooden surface but before she could knock again it opened abruptly and reaching out, Anna seized her wrist and dragged her inside. The Grand Duchess was seated before her dressing table, half dressed for she was clad in yet another filmy peignoir, this one in a rich, vivid scarlet. She had turned in her seat and
was staring at the new arrival wearing
an expression of anxiety, something Caprice had not thought her capable of.

‘What is it you are saying?’ she demanded, voice having lost its throaty edge to climb up towards the shrill. ‘What did you tell Anna?’
On the bed the little dog Minouche stirred
and sat up
, alerted by his mistress’ tone that somet
hing was amiss. He
eyed the new arrival
lugubriously
, clearly wondering if he needed to launch a defence
.

‘Your guest.
Upstairs?’ she jerked a thumb upright. ‘I think he may have broken his ankle.’

There was an exclamation in French and the woman waved an agitated hand towards her maid. ‘Quickly! I must get dressed.’

Caprice was surprised by this response. She thought she would be asked a dozen questions or at the very least be met with denial but instead the Grand Duchess was all
of
a flutter. She eyed the woman tho
ughtfully and wondered if
they really had made a mistake
about the reason for her presence here. Could it be nothing more than love? It did not explain Hadley Ra
vener’s role
but surely a little more digging would reveal the truth
. ‘I think he should see a doctor.’

‘I know something of tending
wounds. I will see to him.’

She knew something about tending wounds?
How curious
. She watched the woman’s
hasty preparations
.
The Grand Duchess didn’t seem like the type
to hurry with her toilette so this unseemly haste had to indicate considerable anxiety.
‘So… who is the Comte de Fronsac?’

Maria looked at her sharply. ‘You spoke with him?’

‘Oh yes.’

‘It would be better if you forgot that you saw him.’

‘Better for whom?’ Caprice enquired politely.

The woman stood up and, shucking off her robe, impatiently gestured Anna to help her with her dress.
‘For me, of course.
I would prefer it if nobody knew that the Comte was here.’

Caprice was
very
sure that was the case. ‘I must tell Lord Merridew.’

Maria bit her lip. ‘Please… there is no need. Louie will be gone soon, as will I.’

‘Is he a spy?’

‘No! He is a nobleman, fleeing the tyranny of the war,’ the Grand Duchess said passionately.

‘But we give refuge to such people in England. Why is his presence
here
a secret?’

There came a sigh. ‘You do not understand the circumstances
enfant
. It is complicated.’
She paused
, turning to eye Caprice with narrowed eyes
. ‘Are you the only one who knows of his presence?’

‘I am. Well, a
part from Mr. Ravener of course. I assume he knows as well. And I must tell his lordship when he returns
-’

‘No!’ Maria looked at her, exasperated. ‘Can you not take my word that Louie is no threat to anybody?
We love each other and want to be together
, that is all
.’ She looked at Caprice appealingly. ‘Is that so wrong?’

‘I thought you were marrying Mr. Ravener?’

For a moment, the Grand Duchess closed her eyes. She was dressed, now and waved a hand
, as if to dismiss the necessity of this conversation
. ‘I must go to Louie. I will discuss this with you later. But only wait,’ coming across, she laid a hand on Caprice’s arm, ‘wait
before
you tell anybody. You do not want anything bad to happen to me, do you?’

The woman was no taller than Caprice and her fluttering eyelashes
and trembling lips were
very close.
A little overwhelmed, Caprice
took a half step back. ‘Why should anything happen to you?’

Maria pouted. ‘You don’t understand. You could
not
understand how things are for me. I must go to Louie but just remember… you hold my fate in your hands!’ And with a dramatic swish of her skirts she hurried past Caprice and out the door.

Anna met Caprice’s bemused eyes. ‘The Comte is very dear to her.’

‘And Mr. Ravener?’

The maid shrugged. ‘They have an understanding.’

Caprice was sure they did although what kind of underst
anding remained to be seen. She followed in the footsteps of the Grand Duchess, curious to see the pair together and found Maria on her knees beside the man, examining his ankle tenderly while murmuring gentle words of encouragement. One glance at the
Comte’s besotted
face was enough to convince Caprice that he had been serious when he said he loved ‘his Marie’, but
quite clearly
she felt the same way about him.

So why was she making up to Lord Merridew the evening before, Caprice wondered. Unless she was trying to
get his cooperation the only way she knew how…
Her heart wasn’t in it.
Apparently not but a
woman like this probably only knew one way to secure a man’s assistance.
Even so, she thought with a touch of indignation, she had seemed quite prepared to do what she must.

It didn’t take long before the Grand Duchess had her fetching and carrying
as she set about tending to her beloved. On Caprice’s
second trip, this time to fetch a linen sheet, she met Mr. Ravener, almost bumping into him on the narrow stairs leading up to the attic. He paused and scowled at her.

‘What are you doing?’ he demanded suspiciously.

‘Getting a sheet.’

‘A sheet?’ Hadley Ravener repeated blankly. ‘Why?’

‘The Grand Duchess needs one.’

‘Where is she?’ he demanded sharply. ‘I could not find her.’

‘In the attic with the Comte.’ Caprice was unable to resist seeing
how the man would react
. She was gratified when he sucked in a swift breath and blinked rapidly.

‘The… Comte?’

‘In the attic.’

‘But how could you…’

‘My bedchamber is up there
and I heard him.
’

‘Nonsense!’ he snapped. ‘The servant’s quarters are in the other wing.’

‘I was moved.’ Really, Caprice reflected, they weren’
t very good at concealing people
if they didn’t check out the hiding place first. Hadley Ravener stared at her, clearly at a loss.
‘I’
d best get that sheet,
’
she murmured and continued down the stairs, leaving him to his uneasy ruminations.

When she returned it was to what could only be described as a Scene. Mr. Ravener’s shrill tones could be heard from the
foot of the
attic stairs, sounding a little hysterical.

‘But it has all gone wrong! Merridew’s boy knows everything!’

Caprice moved faster, unwilling to miss the exchange.

‘So? He has been helping me with Louie.’

‘He will tell my cousin!’

‘Perha
ps not.
He has been very accommodating
.’

Caprice s
mirked a little at this. Accommodating
, yes.
Silent on the subject… not likely.
She could hardly wait for his lordship to return.

‘Don’t be a fool. We have to get him out of here.’