Lady Vengeance (8 page)

 ‘Sign it!’ ordered the lady.

 When he had finished she motioned him to move away, then she glanced quickly at the paper.

 ‘There are some very dangerous men on that list,’ he warned her, mopping his brow with a handkerchief. He was feeling very uncomfortable, and was beginning to wish he had not eaten quite so freely at the supper table. ‘You would be well advised to stay away from them.’

 Elinor cast him a contemptuous glance.

 ‘I do not fear them,’ she said coldly. ‘I fear nothing now, not even death.’

 A sudden, strangled cry from Poyntz made her raise the sword again, suspicious of his actions: he was leaning heavily upon the table, one hand pressed to his chest.

 ‘My heart!’ he gasped, ‘help me!’

 She frowned, suspecting a trick, but the gentleman’s pallor was real enough. He was on his knees now, gasping for breath.

 ‘Pray, Madame – quickly, summon help for me!’

 She did not move.

 ‘What help did you give
me
, sir, eight years ago?’ she asked slowly.

 His faded blue eyes grew wide with terror as she spoke, then all expression left them and he keeled over, hitting the floor with a dull thud.

* * * *

 Elinor stared down at Poyntz’s lifeless body: blood from the small wounds upon his neck had made crimson stains upon the snowy white lace under his chin and his eyes stared out unseeingly from the livid face. Shuddering, she turned away and it was some moments before she could collect her scattered thoughts. Then, placing the dress-sword carefully upon the table, Elinor worked quickly, dusting the list of names before folding the paper and slipping it into her pocket. She fumbled for the key and with trembling fingers fitted it into the lock and opened the door. With a final glance back at the inert form upon the floor, she snatched up her cloak and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

 Elinor hurried along the deserted passageway, tying her cloak as she went. She reached the stairs before she remembered that her head-dress was still in the bedchamber. It was too late to go back, already a clock somewhere in the house was chiming the hour and she had given instructions for her carriage to be waiting. In any event, she told herself, the unmasking would have taken place by now and she would look conspicuous if she continued to hide her face. She drew her cloak around her, the hood pulled up over her hair and hurried down the stairs, hoping to slip out of the house unnoticed. Her heart thudded painfully as she descended and the noise from the ballroom grew steadily louder. Elinor turned a corner and gave a frightened gasp as she collided with a large figure coming up the stairs. Panic threatened to overwhelm her as the black figure seemed to tower above her, blocking her way. Without looking up she muttered an apology and hurried away, scarcely pausing until she was out of the house and being carried homeward in her carriage.

* * * *

 Elinor did not allow herself to relax until she had reached the safety of her own bedchamber. Dismissing her maid, she drew the paper from her pocket and unfolded it with fingers that were not quite steady, then she sat at her dressing table to study the list. With the exception of Lord Thurleigh, the names meant nothing to her, but she did not doubt that she would be able to trace them and perhaps, just perhaps she could exact revenge. The following morning found her still considering her plan of action as she sipped her hot chocolate. There was a light scratching upon the door.

 ‘Miss Nell?’ Hannah entered the room, ‘Bella told me you were not quite yourself last night, and I have come to see how you go on this morning. Would you like me to summon a doctor?’

 ‘Of course not, Hannah. As you can see, I am very well.’ She put aside her cup. ‘Hannah, when my mother died, I gave you her jewel box, do you recall?’

 ‘Why yes, madam,’ replied Hannah, surprised, ‘the box and all its jewels. You would have none of them, and said I might do with them as I wished.’

 ‘Yes I know, and I meant it, Hannah, but I should like to know what became of them.’

 The older woman regarded her fondly.

 ‘Why, they are still in their box, safe and sound in my room. Bless you, Miss Nell, what would I want with fancy jewels? And since you have been kind enough to house me
and
to give me a pension, I want for nothing, and have had no need to sell any of the gems.’

 ‘Could I perhaps look at them, Hannah?’ asked Elinor, getting out of bed and reaching for her wrap.

 ‘But of course, Miss Nell! And you may keep them all, with my blessing. I have no need of them.’

 Hannah hurried away, returning a few minutes later carrying a small wooden box, its dark surface highly polished and inlaid with an intricate pattern of ivory. She placed it down upon the dressing table in front of Elinor, who turned the key and slowly opened the lid. Inside, her mother’s jewels lay just as she had left them, the strings of pearls and gold chains tangling together, with the occasional glint of a precious stone shining through from beneath. Elinor’s long fingers sifted through the ornaments until she found what she was looking for, buried deep at the back of the box. Her fingers closed around a large brooch and she brought it out into the light.

 ‘Do you know when Mama was given this, Hannah?’

 ‘Why no, Miss Nell. I never saw your dear Mama wearing such a thing. Indeed, I did not know of its existence until now, for I confess I have never liked to sort through the sainted lady’s things.’

 Elinor stared down at the ornament: from the centre of its ornate gold setting the large ruby glared sullenly back at her.

 ‘Will you let me keep this, Hannah?’

 ‘But of course, madam! You may keep the whole box with my goodwill.’

 ‘No, thank you, you shall have the rest. Take the box back to your room, Hannah, and you may as well begin to pack your things. We are going to England.’

 ‘England!’ Hannah gasped. ‘Dear lady! When do we depart?’

 ‘As soon as may be,’ came the brisk reply, ‘so you can give orders immediately to begin packing up.’ Elinor dismissed her companion and turned her eyes back to the jewel. ‘Lord Thurleigh’s ruby,’ she murmured. ‘With blood did we pay for this, and in blood shall I return it.’

 The house in St James’s did not stand out from its neighbours: there were no outward signs that it was not a private residence, and if the burly individual who opened the door to Lord Davenham was in danger of bursting the seams of his tight-fitting livery coat, the viscount showed no concern. He ran lightly up the stairs to a large, well-appointed salon on the first floor where candles burned brightly in their sconces and little groups of gentlemen were gathered around the tables, indulging in various games of chance. The viscount’s entrance caused little stir, most of the gentlemen being too concerned with their fortunes to observe his entrance, but a richly clad gentleman at one of the green-baize tables called out to him in a bluff, good-natured voice.

 ‘Davenham, my dear boy! Come and join us – I’m about rolled-up, but we can include you in the next rubber.’

 ‘Thank you, Derry, but no,’ Lord Davenham smiled faintly as he approached the table. ‘I came in search of Lord Hartworth – is he not here?’

 Lord Derry inclined his head towards a door at the far end of the room.

 ‘Your father’s been in there playing euchre for the past couple of hours.’ He paused, surveying the viscount’s frock coat and riding boots with some disfavour. ‘How came Jacob to let you in, dressed like that?’ he demanded.

 ‘Jacob knows a rich patron well enough,’ laughed another gentleman at the table.

 Lord Derry shook his head sadly.

 ‘There was a time when they wouldn’t let you into this club unless you was properly dressed. No – well, look at you, lad. Never saw such a plain coat in all my life! A touch of gold lace would not go amiss.’

 ‘I’ll wager Davenham picked up these bad habits from those damned Frenchies!’ added a freckle-faced gentleman. ‘When did you get back, my friend? I did not look to see you in London again this side of Christmas.’

 ‘I am but this day arrived, Sir Robin.’

 ‘Have you come from Paris?’ asked Derry, ‘heard about poor old Poyntz, I don’t doubt.’

 ‘Yes – in fact I would have come back sooner, but I took over the poor fellow’s affairs. There was no one else to do it, so I remained in Paris to act on behalf of his family.’

 ‘Bad business,’ remarked Sir Robin, shaking his head, ‘I heard of it from George Rowsell a couple of weeks back. Poor fellow was most upset.’

 ‘They were always close friends,’ put in Lord Davenham.

 ‘Aye, but from what I hear he’s found consolation in the arms of yet another beautiful woman,’ grinned Derry. ‘Damme if I know how he does it, but Rowsell is rarely seen without some fair charmer upon his arm.’

 ‘He falls in and out of love at the drop of a hat!’ declared Sir Robin, ‘although I must say, having seen the lady I can well understand the fascination. The woman is captivating!’ His attention was caught by a movement at one end of the room and he added, ‘here’s Earl Hartworth now, Davenham. ‘Tis mighty unusual for him to leave the table so early. I pray for your sake, lad, that the luck’s not been against him.’

 Davenham pulled a wry face.

 ‘I shall soon discover the truth of it, sir.’ He bowed to the gentleman and moved away to greet his father.

 There could be no mistaking the tall, grey-haired gentleman in the silver-laced coat who now crossed the room to approach the viscount. The resemblance between father and son was striking. The older man favoured a more elaborate style of dress, with the skirts of his coat stiffened to swing out from the waist and a quantity of fine Mechlin lace at his cuffs and neck contrasting sharply with the viscount’s plain coat of dark-blue velvet and snowy white neck-band. However, both men shared the same high cheekbones and square jaw-line, and if the earl’s blue eyes had lost a little of their colour, they were no less keen as they fell upon the viscount.

 ‘Well, this is an – unexpected – honour,’ murmured the earl. ‘To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you, Davenham?’

 The viscount took the long slim fingers that were held out to him and bowed over them.

 ‘I called at the house, sir, to pay my respects to you ‘pon my return from Paris – your man told me I should find you here.’

 ‘Your sense of filial duty is most touching, Davenham, but I believe I would have survived another few hours without knowledge of your safe return. You could as well have waited until morning.’

 The viscount’s eyes held his parent’s gaze unwaveringly.

 ‘I have yet to hear of you quitting your room before mid-day, sir, and as your temper is never at its best until dinner-time, I cannot but feel that this is a more propitious moment for our meeting.’

 Lord Hartworth raised his brows at this cool speech, but there was the merest hint of a smile upon his thin lips.

 ‘Mayhap you are right, dear boy,’ he admitted in his quiet way. ‘Give me your arm and we will abandon this hell.’ His eyes lighted upon the viscount’s dress and he added: ‘Much as I applaud your eagerness to inform me of your safe return to these shores, it was not at all necessary for you to come to see me directly you arrived in Town. A few moments spent at your rooms to change your travelling clothes would have been quite understandable – may I say,
desirable
.’

 Davenham grinned.

 ‘I
have
taken the time to change sir, before presenting myself to you. As for my coat – I have already been informed that it is too plain.’

 Taking his son’s arm, the earl sighed audibly as they sauntered out of the salon.

 ‘It is my misfortune to have fathered a child with no sense of fashion.’

 ‘Much you care for that!’

 Lord Hartworth looked pained.

 ‘But I
do
care for it, my dear boy. I am relieved, I admit, that you do not favour the
excesses
of the mode, I even take pride in the fact that your coats require no additional padding at the shoulders, and your excellent leg is much admired-’

 ‘Two gifts of heredity sir?’ queried the viscount dryly.

 ‘Undoubtedly.’ It was a warm night, the chill of autumn had not yet descended upon the town and the earl waved away the offer of a cab and set off with his son to walk the short distance to Hartworth House. ‘Have you spoken with your mother?’

 Lord Davenham shook his head.

 ‘She too was out when I called, dining with friends I believe, but I was informed that you were both expected to be at home for supper, so I left word that I would join you.’

 ‘The countess will be delighted.’

 The younger man glanced sharply at his father.

 ‘And you will not, sir?’

 ‘Of course, my dear boy. I am always happy to see you. In fact, I would like to hear a little more of your sojourn in Paris, although not at the supper-table. You do not appear to have had any marked success there.’

 Davenham’s countenance was grave.

 ‘I had great hopes that Julian Poyntz would help us. Indeed, I believe he was ready to do so.’

 ‘Then it was unfortunate that he died before he could be of use. The word in Town is that he expired in the arms of his lover.’ He paused, observing his son with interest as the young man kicked a stone from the flag-way with an unwarranted amount of force. ‘Of course, one cannot always believe such tales – ‘

 ‘There is no reason to doubt this one!’ retorted Davenham. ‘The only incredible point is that any woman could bear to have such a barrel of a man near her!’

 A smile touched the earl’s lips as he glanced at his son’s tall, slim frame. He asked, ‘Were you in the vicinity when Poyntz died?’

 ‘It occurred on my doorstep, you might say. Charles Charrière held a masked ball, and one of my fellow house-guests went up to his room to find Poyntz stretched out upon the floor. It was assumed he was involved in some amorous intrigue, and upon his collapse the lady was thrown into a panic and fled the scene.’