Love at the Tower (16 page)

“I would assume so, my Lord.”

“Did the stables ensure that it was in full working order?”

“Of course, my Lord. It has only just been returned from the carriage-works in town. If you recall, there was a loose spoke on one of the wheels which had been causing concern.”

The Earl remained silent as he thought.

Finally he explained.

“It is Miss Melville – she has not returned from the carpenter's workshop. I am worried that she may have met with an unfortunate accident. I think it would be wise to send someone to the village to make enquiries.”

“Very good, my Lord. I will see to it at once.”

Marriott disappeared and the Earl began to pace up and down the floor of the study again.

“If anything has happened to her, I will hold myself responsible,” he said out loud. “
I love her
! I love her and I will die if she has come to any harm!”

He contemplated saddling up his horse and racing off to find her, but he realised that she might well be found and return to the Castle whilst he was out.

‘I will stay here at least until the boy we have sent returns,' he resolved.

*

Robina was getting increasingly hungry and thirsty as the hours went by.

There was no sign of Ellis and she felt frightened and alone.

Everything he had told her was going around and around in her head.

Could her stepmother really have taken Ellis as her lover?

And what was it that she stood to gain by forcing her into marriage? If she was left alone with her father, she would be unable to continue her illicit trysts with Ellis.

‘I just don't understand what is going on,' sobbed Robina. ‘Oh, Mama, if you can see me and hear me, find a way to bring the Earl to me. I cannot remain here and be married off to Lord Drury tomorrow –
I simply cannot
!”

The only one who could save her now was the Earl.

‘Oh, Robert,' she whispered, ‘I think I have been a fool as far as you are concerned. Please send out a search party for me. I am in
very
grave peril!'

She prayed and prayed as hard as she could with tears running down her face.

“Do not hesitate – come and rescue me,” she cried, hoping against hope that her prayers would be answered before it was too late.

“Robert, oh, Robert – ”

Whilst Robina was trying to prevent her limbs from going to sleep, tightly tied to the chair at the farm, the Earl was beside himself with anxiety at the Castle.

He continued to pace up and down the study until the stable boy returned a few hours later.

“Where is Miss Melville?” he called, as he ran out to the drive to meet him.

“Couldn't find 'er, my Lord,” panted the stable boy. “I went to Mr. Armstrong's workshop and 'e told me that she 'ad been there earlier for a time and 'ad got back into 'er carriage and left just before lunch.”

“But that was hours ago! Has there been no sign of the carriage?”

“No, my Lord.”

The Earl dismissed the boy and walked slowly back towards the house. If Robina was not in the village, then, where on earth was she?

‘I don't care what has happened to my carriage, my only concern is for her,' he muttered to himself, as he went into the drawing room.

The windows overlooked the drive and gave him a good vantage point should the carriage return.

The drawing room was one of the rooms Robina was helping him to renovate. Although there was nothing structural to change, the Earl had decided that he wanted a different colour scheme and new furnishings.

He picked up a book intending to read it, but found he could not concentrate.

All he could see was Robina's lovely face and the ugly thought that she might be lying somewhere, injured or worse, tore him in two.

He could not rest – he put the book down and went to look out of the windows for a second time.

Straining his eyes he could make out in the distance what appeared to be a cart ambling down the drive.

A shout out in the hall prompted him to leave the window and run outside.

“My Lord!”

The Earl hurried towards the cart, not caring if he appeared undignified in doing so.

As he approached he could see that two of the villagers were driving it and there was a slumped figure in the back.

‘Robina!' he breathed, straining to make out who it was.

But as he drew nearer, he could see that the person in the back of the cart was a man and not Robina.

The cart pulled up to a halt and one of the villagers doffed his cap at the Earl.

“Beggin' your pardon, my Lord, but we found this poor man crawling down the High Street in a daze. He's been hit over the head, so he has.”

The Earl leaned over the side of the cart and saw that it was Morton, his coachman, who lay there.

He was semi-conscious and was holding his head and groaning. Congealed blood was caked upon his temple and his hair was matted with the stuff.

“Morton, what has happened to Miss Melville? You must tell me how you came to be in this terrible state.”

“I am so sorry, my Lord, but someone came at me from behind. I was mindin' my own business at the back of the carpenter's shop waitin' for Miss Melville to come out, when someone hit me over the head.”

“I repeat, where is Miss Melville?” he cried again, becoming quite agitated.

“I don't know, my Lord. Whoever knocked me out stole the coach and I suppose Miss Melville with it.”

“Abducted! But why?
Why
? Who on earth could have done this to her?”

“I don't know, my Lord. Tis all very curious.”

“Take Morton in and see to him at once,” ordered the Earl. “He has been a very brave man.”

He indicated to the men to take their cart round to the stables and swiftly ran back inside the Castle.

“Marriott, I am going out to look for Miss Melville. I would like you to assemble as many of the male servants as you can spare. Tell them to meet me at the stables.”

Marriott nodded and hurried away.

The Earl picked up his riding whip and gloves and headed off towards the stables.

The Castle became alive with the sound of shouting and people running hither and thither as he strode across the courtyard to where Saladin, his new Arab stallion, was waiting for him.

A small collection of stable boys and grooms were already mounted and ready to obey his commands.

“Come, my fine beast, we shall see if you are as swift as I have been led to believe,” whispered the Earl, as he leapt onto Saladin.

As he led the throng down the drive, he murmured under his breath,

‘Hold on, Robina, my darling – wherever you are! I am coming for you! Oh, God, I do hope I am in time to rescue you from whatever peril you face.'

*

The afternoon was wearing on into the evening and Robina was becoming more and more distressed.

She had cried and cried until she had no more tears left and now she was utterly exhausted.

Every sound she heard outside made her jump and at any moment she expected a drunken Ellis to come crashing in through the door.

‘If his idea of a game is to attempt to kiss me in order to frighten me, I cannot bear to think what he might do if he has been drinking at the inn,' worried Robina, as she steeled herself.

‘Oh, Mama,' she implored, looking up to Heaven, ‘Ask the Earl to make haste to save me! Should Ellis tire of Stepmama's company, he may come back here seeking mischief!'

Outside the wind was blowing a farm gate open and shut.

Each bang made Robina's heart race so fast that she found it difficult to breathe.

‘Oh, Mama keep me safe,' she prayed, as the gate banged noisily in the breeze outside.

*

The search party arrived in the village and the Earl wasted no time in locating the carpenter's workshop.

He found it closed, but, undeterred, he hammered on the door until Mr. Armstrong came to answer it.

“My Lord, what a delightful surprise,” he declared, wiping cake crumbs from his face.

The Earl had obviously interrupted his tea.

“No time for pleasant chit-chat,” remarked the Earl, walking into the workshop, much to the amazement of the two workers seated at the bench drinking tea.

“My Lord,” they chorused as they jumped to their feet.

“I am looking for Miss Melville. I believe that she was abducted outside your workshop this lunchtime. Did you, by any chance, hear or see anything?”

The men shook their heads and remained standing.

“Sorry, my Lord,” said Mr. Armstrong. “I have not seen her since she was here this morning when she took away a sample of oak panelling to show you.”

“She never reached the Castle,” responded the Earl, “you are all certain that you did not hear or see anything? My coachman, Morton, was clubbed over the head and is now nursing quite a severe wound.”

“Goodness,” exclaimed Mr. Armstrong. “But we wouldn't have heard a thing with the noise of the machinery in here. If we had the saw running even gunpowder going off would not have disturbed us!”

“Thank you, anyway,” sighed the Earl, “and I am sorry to have interrupted your tea. Good afternoon.”

Mr. Armstrong took him to the rear of the building so that he could view where Robina had last been seen.

He walked over towards the smithy to talk to the blacksmith, but he had not seen anything, as he had been to the ironworks that morning to buy some materials.

Grim-faced the Earl returned to the post where his horse was tethered.

‘I will now find Robina,
no
matter what it takes,' he vowed to himself, as he climbed back onto Saladin.

“Where to now, my Lord?” asked one of his men.

“We should split up into groups,” he said taking charge of the situation.

He had faced many dangers in India and mounting a manhunt had been quite commonplace for him.

But never in his life had a search mattered so much to him.

‘If anything has happened to Robina, I will never be able to forgive myself,' he repeated over and over as his men formed groups and went riding off in search of her.

*

At
The Three Oaks Inn
in the village, Laura and Ellis Hampton were emerging from their private room.

They both held a look of the truly triumphant.

“His Lordship will be delighted with the way that you have conducted this affair,” Laura smirked, diving into the small handbag that swung from her wrist. “Here is the next instalment of your fee – Lord Drury will pay you the remainder tomorrow morning once the ceremony has been conducted.”

Ellis fingered the large notes lovingly.

He planted a tender kiss on the bundle, as he gazed lasciviously into Laura's eyes.

“It's been a great pleasure doing business with you. I cannot think why I didn't come to you the moment my brother cut the purse strings!”

“It's of no consequence, Ellis, the important thing is that we have succeeded. Although I would have made certain I achieved my aim in the end, your intervention has brought matters to a much swifter conclusion than I had thought possible. You are sure she is safely locked up at the farm?”

“Tied up like a suckling pig ready for the spit!”

“You have not harmed her too much, I hope, or laid a finger upon her? His Lordship will not want to receive spoiled goods – ”

Ellis caressed the side of Laura's face with his big square hand and let out a low chuckle.

“Fear not – her virtue has not been compromised. Although I must confess, she is a pretty little thing.”

“Just curb your impulses, Ellis,” she snarled. “Lord Drury is paying you well for your trouble.”

“I didn't know that he was an acquaintance of yours before now. Of course I have come across him in London at the
Gaiety Theatre
.”

“He and I are distantly related. When I married Sir Herbert, there were certain aspects to my past I wished to remain private – a certain filthy newspaperman found out a titbit or two and attempted to blackmail me on the eve of my wedding. Thank Heavens Lord Drury is a powerfully persuasive man.”

“With very deep pockets – ” added Ellis.

Laura simply laughed and did not commit herself to a response.

“Ellis, I will see you tomorrow morning. You will, naturally, be a witness?”

“
Naturally
. I am looking forward to it.”

He moved towards Laura and planted a kiss on her cheek.

“Now I intend to have a few more drinks to keep out the cold before I return to that dreadful farm.”

“Have you fed the girl?”

“No, should I?”

“We will both be in severe trouble if she tells Lord Drury that we mistreated her. I am concerned enough as it is that you have been forced to restrain her in the manner you described – you must take some food and drink back with you.”

Ellis curled his lip and ran his fingers through his hair in a dismissive gesture.

“Very well, if you insist. I am certain the landlord will provide me with some bread and cheese.”

“Until the morning, then, Ellis,” murmured Laura, casting him a sideways glance.

Before she left the inn, she drew a long veil over her features and wrapped her thin cloak around her.

The brougham was waiting outside for her, together with the faithful coachman she had brought from London when she married Sir Herbert.

As he took up the reins, she cast one last look up at the window where she had had her tryst with Ellis.

‘Nothing can stop me now!' she smiled to herself, with a satisfied air, ‘
nothing
!'

With one slap of the reins from the coachman, the brougham took off up the road towards an empty Trentham House with Laura ensconced inside, congratulating herself upon her own cunning and resourcefulness.

*

Only a few miles away, Robina was still waiting for Ellis to return. Out of the dirty window she could see the sun dipping in the sky.