Regency Masquerade (18 page)

The
little woman looked flustered but answered, certain that he must be here
because of Frances. “I am Mrs Pearson my lord, I am Lady Murray’s companion.  I
was nurse to Lady Amanda,” she added.

“Ah,
I see,” murmured Carleton.  “To be honest, I was hoping to see Miss Frances
Metcalf.  I understand she is staying here.” 

Mrs
Pearson looked back nervously at the door.  “I am afraid I cannot stay out here
talking to you any longer my lord, but if you should happen to be in Regent
Street’s lending library later this afternoon at about 4 o’clock, I might see
you then.” 

“I
shall hope to see you there,” he replied and bowed his head.  “Good day, ma’am.”

Mrs
Pearson went back inside.

“What
were you doing out there?” demanded Lady Murray.

“Apologising!”
she answered resolutely. “Hanson was so rude to that poor man.”

Lady
Murray curled her lip, “That poor man as you call him was the rake who debauched
Frances!” she exclaimed crudely.

Her
companion stared at her in disbelief, she could not credit it, he had been so
polite, so very much the gentleman.  She thought she would still go to the
library later that afternoon.

Lord
Carleton was inside waiting for her when she reached the library and he came
over to the same shelf she was looking at and picked up a book.

“Can
you tell me what has happened?” he murmured in a low voice.

“You
know Miss Frances is her granddaughter?” she replied quietly. He nodded.
“Everything was going along famously when my lady received a report from her
solicitor Mr Pilkington, that Frances had been.. had been..” she faltered.  “It
mentioned a place called Chatswood, my lord.  Are you familiar with that?”

Carleton
drew in his breath. “That is my home ma’am.  Let me reassure you that whatever you
have heard, Frances has not done anything to be ashamed of but, in any case ...
well, the long and the short of it is I wish her to be my wife.  I would marry
her tomorrow if she wills it.”

“Oh!
My lord, I had hoped as much when you came to visit today.  But my lady has
taken against her and will not let anyone see her.  She says she has lost her
senses and has locked her in the old nursery and put a guard outside her door. 
I do not know what is to be done!”

“Can
you meet me again tomorrow?  I would think on this.”

“Let
me see,” she thought. “I will borrow a book she has already had, then I can
return it tomorrow.  I will try to be here around the same time, my lord.”

They
separated and Carleton went off to keep his appointment with John Hopgood at
the Regent Hotel.   The two men took a couple of mugs of ale over to a table in
a quiet corner of the taproom, and sat down while Carleton told John what had
happened that afternoon.  The manservant nodded, “I guessed it must be summat
like that, my lord.  What do you reckon we should do next?”

 “We
can hardly force our way into the house!  At least not without creating a
shocking scandal.”  He took a sip of ale and continued ruefully, “I confess I
did consider whether one of us could break in at night and bring her out, but I
doubt that would be as easy as it sounds.”

John
had been thinking, “This woman, the old nurse, feels kindly towards Miss
Frances you say?”  Carleton nodded.  “Do you think she could get something to
her?  Her pistol mayhap?  I reckon Miss Frances could get out of that house
easier than we could get in.”

Carleton
considered the suggestion, “That’s a good idea,” he said.  “In fact.. are her
male clothes still here, in her room?”  John nodded.   “Then perhaps you could
pack a small bag, including the pistol and give it to Mrs Pearson..  No wait,
she does not know you, it would be better for you to give me the bag and I will
pass it to the nurse.  Then if she can get the bag to Frances, she will be able
to leave the house much easier in breeches than in skirts, she could even climb
out a window if necessary.”

The
other man was nodding in agreement, “But I don’t like the idea of her coming
back here,” he mused.  “It would be too easy for Lady Murray to swoop in with
her tame doctor and whisk her off again.   We will have to return to France.  I
will pack the rest of her belongings here, hire a post-chaise and we will be
off to Dover tonight.”

Carleton
stared at him aghast.  “Dover! I was expecting that she would come home with
me!” he protested.

The
other man stared at him in return. 

Carleton
flushed.  “She will come to no harm with me.  I plan to ask her to be my wife.”

John
was sure his mouth had dropped open.  “What if Lady Murray sends the runners
after her?  She could say you had kidnapped her.”

“I
do not think so.  Not even Lady Murray would wish to cause such a scandal.  And
in any event, she will be safe staying with me as Peter Francis.”

“I
do not wish to offend you my lord,” said John carefully, “but I will need to
hear from Miss Frances whether she is happy to go with you or not.” 

Carleton
nodded, “Of course. I suggest you pack up and settle the account here as you
intended but come to my house and I will put you up.  I will wait for Frances
tomorrow night in my carriage, then bring her home and she can decide what she
would rather do.  There will still be time to travel to Dover if that is her
wish.  If you will trust me to do so, I will write a note explaining our plan
to her, and it can go in the bag with her clothes.”

John
agreed.  “I hope this will all go as planned my lord.  If you can wait here a
moment I will go and get the bag for you now.”  He was back in less than ten
minutes with a small haversack.  “Here you are my lord.  I will be around to
see you tomorrow afternoon with the rest of our baggage.”

Carleton
took the bag, “Very good, I will tell Rawlings, my butler to expect you.  I
will be at the library to meet Mrs Pearson all being well.”  They took their
leave and Carleton went home to have his dinner and write a letter to Frances. 
He hoped he could persuade Mrs Pearson to deliver it to her.

Mrs
Pearson had endured a half-hearted scold from Lady Murray over the twice
borrowed book and allowed herself to be persuaded that she should return to the
library the very next day to exchange it.  Again Lord Carleton was already
there when she arrived.  He waited at a distance until she had dispatched the
maidservant who had accompanied her on an errand, then approached her this time
as an old acquaintance for the benefit of anyone else in the library, “Mrs Pearson,
I hope I find you well ma’am?”  He lowered his voice, “How is she? Have you
seen her?”

“Not
yet,” came the disappointing reply.  “I will try again on my return.”

 
“I have a small bag here containing items she may be able to use to help her
escape.  Do you think you might be able to get it to her?”  He spoke urgently
and she looked a little flustered.

“Oh
my lord, I am sure I don’t know...what does it hold?”

“Some
clothes she can use as a disguise, and a letter from me,” he admitted.  “I know
you would not normally be involved in a clandestine correspondence, but these
are far from normal circumstances!  You may read it if you think you must but
it is merely a letter reassuring her of my intentions,” he added, hoping the
last comment would dissuade her from the attempt.  She blushed slightly and
took the bag from him.

“I
will be waiting outside tonight in my carriage,” he told her.

Feeling
as if she were engaged in a thrilling adventure, Mrs Pearson said conspiratorily,
“If I am not able to get the bag to her by tonight my lord, I will leave a
light on in my window, it is at the front of the house on the first floor.”

“What
a clever notion.  You have my gratitude ma’am.”  He had a sudden twinge of
conscience.  “If per chance you should suffer from this nights’ work, come to
me and I will help you.”  They parted just before the maidservant returned from
her errand.  “Where ever did that bag come from ma’am?” she exclaimed.

“I
brought it to carry some library books I have borrowed for Miss Frances,” the
old nurse improvised.  I am becoming quite good at this she congratulated
herself.

When
she returned, she sought out Lady Murray straight away.  “My lady, no matter
what Miss Frances has done, I do think I should see her and make sure she is
all right up there.  I have brought some library books for her that I think
will prove helpful, a book of sermons my late father was very fond of, most
edifying.  I am sure I shall be safe if Tom is with me,” she added craftily.

Lady
Murray thought for a moment.  Mrs Pearson held her breath.

“Very
well, Tom will take you up in a minute.  Don’t be upset if she appears a
little.. wild, Dr Russell said the medicine she is taking has some odd side
effects.”  In fact thought Lady Murray, I hope she becomes hysterical, it will
help persuade Mrs Pearson and everyone else she is not quite right in the head
and needs to be confined.

Carrying
the haversack herself, Mrs Pearson followed Tom up the stairs with some
trepidation.  Tom opened the door without knocking and stepped inside.  “You’ve
got a visitor Miss,” he said and ushered the old nurse into the room.

“Oh
Mrs Pearson, thank heavens!” said Frances with a hitch in her voice, coming
towards her.  The old nurse put up a hand to fend her off.  “Now there Miss
Frances,” she said soothingly, “you must keep calm, you know how the doctor
said any excitement is bad for you.”  She closed one eye, hoping Frances would
take the hint.  “I have brought you some books.  You will find them very
instructive.”  She put the bag into Frances hands, standing in front of her so
that Tom could not see her face for a moment.  It was just as well that she did,
for Frances nearly dropped the bag in surprise, there were certainly no books
inside it.  Quickly she put a tremulous smile on her face, “Thank you, that is
kind of you.”  She let a tear roll down her cheek, only half acting.  “I don’t
like this place.  Grandmother said I might go to stay in the country, do you
know when?”

“No
my dear, soon I hope.  I will talk to Lady Murray and see what is happening, I
am sure she is doing what is best for you.  I will come up and see you again
tomorrow if you would like that.”

“Yes
please,” Frances replied in a docile voice, “I am so lonely up here.”  She let
her voice tremble and was unpleasantly surprised by how easy that was.  She
flung herself on the bed after the nurse left in case Tom was waiting outside
to come back in and check up on her.  She waited a good half hour until her tea
was brought to her, a slice of bread and butter and a glass of milk, then
waited again until Tom came to clear it away, before she carefully opened the
haversack.  There was a note on pink writing paper on the top. 

“My
dear,

Tonight,
when everyone is asleep, pretend to be taken ill.  Call out for Tom and ask him
to fetch me, then leave quickly when the door is opened.  A friend awaits you
in the street.

MP”

She
almost burst into tears as took out her breeches, shirt and jacket, boots for
her feet and best of all her silver pistol.  Wait, there was another paper
folded in quarters at the bottom of the bag.  She hastily drew the bed spread
up to cover the clothes before unfolding the letter.

“Frances,

I
love you.  Come to me, I will be waiting below, all night if necessary.

Carleton”

Her
heart thudded like a runaway horse while she read it again.  She would wait
until the house had settled for the night and then she would go to him.

CHAPTER
FOURTEEN

Carleton
sat fretting in silence in the dark.  He had hired a hackney cab for the whole
night, giving the driver ten pounds to be at his exclusive disposal.  As this
was more than he would make in a month, the man had been ecstatic to oblige. 
Every so often he would flick the horse awake and they would take a turn around
the block.

Impatiently
Frances waited for her dinner things to be cleared away and the household to
retire for the night, then dressed thankfully in the items Mrs Pearson had
brought to her.  She sat down on the bed and checked that her pistol was
loaded.  Patience she told herself, wait a bit longer.  The minutes passed with
agonising slowness until finally she heard the watchman call out the midnight
hour.  It was time. Hopefully Tom would have roused a little with the call. She
started groaning, gradually getting louder, “Oh my stomach,” she moaned.  She
stumbled noisily from the bed and banged feebly at the door.  “Help me Tom, I
feel so sick, I think I’m dying!”

She
heard a shuffling noise, then his voice came through the door in a hoarse
whisper.

“I’m
not allowed to come in there, Miss.  You’ll be alright once you’ve cast up your
accounts.”

“It’s
not that Tom, it’s ..oh, I can’t tell you, you would not understand.  I need a female
to assist me, get Mrs Pearson, please Tom!”  She moaned again.

Alarmed
and fearful about these mysterious feminine problems, Tom wavered for a moment
then left his post in search of the old nurse, this was not something he could
deal with by himself.  Mrs Pearson rose quickly and draped a cloak over her
nightclothes, “Whatever is the matter Tom?” she remembered to ask.