Courting Lord Dorney (26 page)

Lord Dorney waved his hand and they vanished to the kitchen quarters. He led her to the drawing room and made her sit down. In a daze, she removed her hat and driving gloves.

‘Well? What’s happened? Why are you here?’

‘Jackson was already worried, and when the note came he guessed something was amiss. Apparently the farrier thought the horse’s shoe had been loosened deliberately, and Jackson suspects it was done to get him out of the way. He didn’t know how long you’d be away, so he came round to me. Sir Daniel’s house where I am staying is just round the corner. I opened the note and read it.’

About to protest he had no right to read her letters, she had second thoughts. In such a situation speed might be all important.

He handed her a sheet of paper, and after a startled look she read it. It was short and it made her go cold with a mixture of dread and fury.

‘You were not there with your little pistol this time. If you want to get your maid back unharmed, tell no one, do nothing, and wait for further instructions. But have plenty of money ready.’

* * * *

‘She’s been abducted! Poor Mary! What can we do?’ Bella asked.

‘What it says, wait. We can’t have any notion of where they’ll have taken her, or who they are, though it would seem it’s the doing of at least one of those rogues you threatened at the inn in Gloucester.’

‘How - oh, yes.’ Bella was annoyed with herself. She ought to have understood that immediately. ‘My wits have gone begging. But I can’t just sit here doing nothing! Should we call in the Runners? Perhaps someone near the dressmaker’s saw something?’

‘Sir Daniel took his man and a couple of friends to make enquiries in the streets and houses near there. As for the Runners, not yet. They may be watching this house.’

‘Then they’ll have seen you come here! And they warned me to tell no one. They’ll guess I told you!’

‘It’s not so obvious. All they’ll have seen is a gentleman caller. They won’t know I’ve read the note, for you’ve been out all day and wouldn’t have read it when you met me.’

‘But you’ve stayed a long time. When did you get here?’

‘I came back with Jackson to read the note, then went to ask Dan to help. I’ve been back here for less than an hour, waiting for you to return. There is nothing unusual in that. Nor will there be when Dan comes back here to let us know what, if anything, he has discovered.’

Despite her concern over Mary, and what she might be suffering at the hands of those villains, Bella could not help reflecting that her reputation, damaged though it now was, would be irretrievably ruined if Lord Dorney stayed for much longer, and if she were seen to be receiving other young gentlemen. She didn’t care for that. She needed his support and calm good sense.

‘Is there nothing else we can do?’

‘We have to appear to do as they say. In truth, we cannot do any more until they get in touch again.’

‘If only we knew something about them! Who they are.’

Lord Dorney was frowning. ‘That confrontation at the inn. When those young men tried to persuade Mary into their carriage. That must be what they meant by the pistol. Unless you have been threatening others with it since then?’

‘Of course I haven’t!’

‘Think back, carefully. Can you recall everything that was said?’

Bella forced her whirling thoughts into order. ‘They said they’d take her to Bath. They - they said she could sit on their laps, something about being a bit squashed.’

‘Then you produced that pistol and threatened them. Or at least threatened a delicate part of their anatomy.’ He grinned, and Bella went hot with embarrassment.

She was calmer now, thinking back with deep concentration. ‘And they scoffed, said a woman couldn’t shoot straight. Oh, if only they were here now, I’d show them!’

‘Then,’ Lord Dorney exclaimed, getting to his feet and striding about the room, ‘then the mail coach moved out of the way, and someone in their chaise called out to leave her. Can you recall the exact words?’

Bella frowned in concentration. ‘He said she wasn’t worth the trouble. No, that’s not exactly it.’

‘He mentioned a name. Wait, I have it. It was Land - Lambert!’

‘Lambert?’ Bella beat her fist against her brow. ‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes, quite sure.’

‘Then I’ve recently met him. I thought his voice was familiar, though I didn’t recognize his face.’

Lord Dorney crossed the room and took her shoulders in his hands. ‘Bella, in that case we have something to go on! He’s been in town recently. Tell me all you can. Where did you meet? When? Did he say anything to indicate where he was staying? Anything!’

She tried to ignore the feelings that threatened to overwhelm her as he held her shoulders. ‘It was at a small musical entertainment. Alexander was there, with Felicity, and he and Mr Ross were vying for her favours. I was more intrigued with watching them, than paying attention to him.’

‘What did you both say?’

Bella concentrated. ‘I asked if we’d met before, said I thought I’d recognized his voice. He made some joke about it not being his face or figure, appearing to be disappointed. But he did not appear to know me.’

‘I suspect he did! You are not easy to forget, my dear. Especially in the situation when you worsted him.’

She leapt to her feet in excitement, forgetting that Lord Dorney still held her. ‘I’ve just remembered. He introduced himself as William, William Lambert.’

Suddenly she was clasped in his arms as he slid them round her. ‘Wonderful! What’s the address of the house where you met him?’

Bella, rather breathless, told him. ‘But you know what these occasions are, even the hostesses sometimes don’t know who is there, if people bring friends and relatives who’ve just come to stay. Lady Fulwood took us to all her engagements with her the first day we arrived, and I knew no one.’

‘Even so, someone will know him, and where he is staying.’

‘It might not be him. It could be one of the others.’

‘Don’t be such a wet blanket,’ he said, shaking her slightly. ‘If we find Lambert we can find the others. They were friends of his.’

‘Yes, of course. I can’t think straight.’ And that was less because of Mary’s abduction than the fact she was held in Lord Dorney’s arms.

‘Bella, I must leave you now, go and find Dan, and we will start asking around, at the clubs and so on.’ He held her away from him. ‘Will you be all right on your own? Is there a woman friend I can ask to sit with you?’

Bella thought of the people who had snubbed her. Did she have any friends left? Did she count Amelia as a friend? She certainly could not trust her, she decided.

‘I’d rather be on my own. Go quickly, try to discover what you can.’

‘I’ll come back here to let you know if we’ve had any success. Eat some dinner, try not to worry.’

With a swift kiss on her cheek he released her and was gone. Bella sank back into the chair and held her hand to her cheek. They would find Mary. She would be released. And Lord Dorney no longer seemed angry with her.

* * * *

He started at White’s, but no one there seemed to know Lambert. He wasn’t a member, so Lord Dorney decided to try some of the other clubs. He was leaving when he almost bumped into Alexander.

‘Richard! I’ve been looking all over for you.’

‘I thought you were going back to Bath?’ Lord Dorney spoke impatiently. He didn’t have time for Alexander’s problems.

‘I - well, I thought about what you said, and I intend to forget Felicity. She is not worth my attention if she can behave in such a fashion, and it’s as well I have discovered it before we were married. So there is no need for me to go home and wait for her to find out she is mistaken.’

‘Well, no,’ Lord Dorney replied, suppressing the glimmer of amusement at Alexander’s air of noble renunciation.

‘Besides, I could not bear to listen to my mother’s complaints and questions. So I will stay here, until she has had time to forget it.’

Lord Dorney doubted whether his Mrs Yates ever would, but he sympathized with Alexander’s less noble desire to avoid the inevitable inquisition. ‘Wise,’ he commented. ‘Now, Alex, pray excuse me, I have urgent business to attend to.’

‘At this time of night? I was hoping we could dine together. I won’t sleep, I need to make a night of it.’

‘I’m sorry, Alex. Maybe in a few days, but I don’t know where I’ll be for a while.’

‘Oh, are you leaving town?’

An idea struck him. Alexander could be useful. ‘Do you really mean that? Making a night of it? Would you be prepared to go to Dan’s house and wait for messages? Dan will be coming back there, but I need to be at Bella’s, in case they contact her during the night.’

‘Bella Trahearne’s? Whatever for?’

Lord Dorney drew him to one side, where they could not be overheard, and briefly explained. ‘If Dan comes home, tell him where I am and both of you come round.’

* * * *

It was almost midnight when Lord Dorney returned. Jackson, who had been sitting in the hall, let him in. Bella had sent all the other servants to bed, saying they could do nothing at this late stage, but she might need them in the morning. She had seen no point in keeping them ignorant of what was happening. They had known something was wrong when Mary had not returned, and the behaviour of Jackson had alerted them to its being some disaster. Bella had been touched at the concern they showed.

‘We all liked Mary,’ the cook had said when she came and tried to persuade Bella to eat some of the dinner she had prepared. ‘She had no side on her, like some of the ladies’ maids we’ve had here. And Jackson’s going demented. Sweet on her, he is.’

Which explained his frantic demeanour, Bella thought. Lord Dorney would find her, get her safely back, she was sure. And his refusal to go to bed with the others was explained. Poor man, he must be even more worried than she was. She trusted he wouldn’t be impelled to do anything silly which might endanger Mary or hamper Lord Dorney’s efforts to find her.

‘Have you found him?’ Bella demanded as Lord Dorney came swiftly into the drawing room. Jackson followed him and hovered beside the door. Bella hadn’t the heart to send him away.

‘We know where he had lodgings, Dan found out from a friend of his, but he left there this morning, saying he was going to Brighton. He had hired a coach, which his landlord thought odd in a single gentleman, but he explained he was escorting an elderly lady. Alex is riding down the post road, enquiring at all the inns. We’ll know in the morning if he went that way, but I think it’s unlikely. He’d have said that to put us off the scent, should we suspect him.’

‘Alex?’

‘I found him at Whites, waiting for me. We’d had a slight disagreement the last time we met, and he’s eager to make it right. When I told him what had happened he wanted to help. As he vowed he would not be able to sleep sending him on a night ride to Brighton seemed the best way of occupying him while we reserve our strength for tomorrow.’

‘I won’t sleep!’

‘My dear Bella, there’s nothing you can do tonight. You’ve heard no more, I take it?’

She shook her head.

‘It will take him a while to get to wherever he’s going and then send his demand for money. That is what I anticipate. Tomorrow we will try to discover where he hired the coach, and where it was going.’

‘I’ll do that,’ Jackson interrupted. ‘I know most of the stablemen round here.’

‘There are a good many, and he might have gone further afield, to the City, for instance, where he was not known.’

‘I’ll get a couple of friends to help. They’re London born and bred and will know where best to ask.’

‘Good. But try to sleep for a few hours. We’ll do Mary no service if we are all too weary to stay awake.’

Jackson nodded, but with reluctance, and with a brief bob towards Bella left the room.

‘Are you going back to Sir Daniel’s?’ Bella asked. She felt horribly alone.

‘If you have a spare room, and are not worried about your reputation, can I stay here? I’d like to be on hand if a message is delivered, to question whoever brings it.’

‘You can have the room Miss Perkins used. I had the bed made up in case I ever found anyone else I could trust.’

‘What do you mean? I heard, as I imagine most of the
ton
did, that you had dispensed with her services, but no one seems to know why.’

Briefly Bella explained about the theft.

‘You poor girl! She’s the culprit, but it’s your reputation that is being made to suffer.’

‘My reputation is the last thing I care about!’ Bella said with a grim smile. ‘People cannot think anything worse of me than they already do.’

* * * *

Bella tossed and turned and fell into an uneasy sleep just as daylight began to creep into the room. She was horrified to see it was almost ten in the morning when she awoke.

Hastily she dressed and went downstairs. Lord Dorney was eating breakfast, and he rose to pour her coffee, and filled a plate for her from the dishes on the sideboard.

‘Come, eat some of this excellent ham your cook has prepared. And there are eggs too. Or do you prefer the devilled kidneys?’’

‘I can’t eat. Is there any news?’

‘You won’t help Mary by starving yourself. Be a good girl, Bella.’

She shook her head, but sat down at the table and sipped the coffee. After a few moments the appetizing smell of the ham made her pick up her fork and take a small mouthful, then another.

‘Is there any news?’ she repeated.

‘Not yet. Jackson went out early, but it will take time for him and his friends to visit every livery stable.’

‘Alex?’

‘I’m expecting him back soon. He’s had time to ride all the way to Brighton and back.’

‘I’ve been thinking. Amelia, the woman who organized the party to Richmond, mentioned a William.’

‘It’s a common enough name.’

‘I know, but I’m wondering if I was enticed away deliberately.’ She explained her suspicions about the card party. ‘If Amelia knows Lambert they could have plotted this together. My dress was torn after I’d been to that card party. It could have been done deliberately there. The loose horseshoe could have been to get Jackson out of the way.’