The Countess (20 page)

Richard stopped at once, eyes wide and mouth round with surprise. Daniel too was rather agape. However, Suzette and Lisa were both biting their lips to keep from smiling and Robert was grinning like an idiot.

“There she is,” he said with a grin. “That’s the take-no-nonsense Chrissy I grew up with.” Expression turning solemn, he added, “You disappeared after marrying Dicky, and that worried me more than anything else.”

“Me too,” Suzette announced. “I couldn’t believe it when you let Dicky treat you as he did. If one of us had tried it with you, you would have slapped us silly.”

Christiana sighed and merely shook her head. Now was not the time to explain that she hadn’t lost this side of herself right away on marriage, that George had beat it out of her with insults and criticisms until she’d no longer had the confidence to stand up for herself. Instead, she turned her attention back to Richard. “We need to see to your brother before we head back,” she said reasonably. “It seems silly to have come all this way and not at least do that. Besides, we really can’t keep him any longer. All the ice in London is not going to keep his presence hidden much longer.”

Richard glanced toward the carriage roof and the chest there, and then sighed and nodded. “Yes, of course. We should . . . er . . .” He hesitated, and then called the driver over. The man had moved around to the front of the horses to examine the beasts, but came at once and Richard ordered him to drive the carriage around the house to the family chapel. When he then started into the carriage, Christiana backed out of the way to allow it. She settled on a bench seat, squeezing up into the corner to make room as Richard sat beside her. The others climbed in after to join them.

It was rather cramped with the six of them in the cab, but no one complained and the carriage set off the moment Langley pulled the door closed. It was a quick ride around the house, thank goodness, and the moment the carriage stopped they all piled out.

The men lifted down the chest and then Richard paused to order the driver to take the carriage to the stables and change the horses for another journey. When the carriage started away, Daniel and Richard each lifted one end of the chest and carried it around behind the chapel. Christiana and the others followed, walking silently until they reached the family vault, a small, low stone building. Robert then rushed ahead to open the door, revealing steps descending down into darkness.

“We should have thought to bring a torch,” Daniel muttered, peering down the steps.

“We won’t go far from the door,” Richard decided as they started down the steps. “I’ll have him moved to a proper casket later.”

Christiana followed Robert down the steps, aware that Suzette and Lisa were on her heels. Her nose wrinkled as she glanced around the dark interior once they reached the bottom step. The weak early evening light cast a pale square on the floor, but it didn’t light up much more than that. Judging by the smells assaulting her, Christiana suspected that might be a good thing. Her imagination was supplying gruesome enough images of rotten, collapsing coffins and ravaged corpses. She didn’t need to see the real thing.

“We’ll put him here,” Richard said directing Daniel to the very edge of the square of light coming through the doors. The two men set the chest down and immediately turned to head back out, but paused on seeing the others.

“Shouldn’t we say something before we go?” Christiana asked uncertainly.

Richard paused and glanced uncertainly back toward the chest.

“It just feels wrong to simply dump him and hurry away,” she said uncomfortably when everyone was silent.

“Oh, come on then,” Suzette said and slid past her to move to the chest.

Christiana followed and took up position beside her and then waited as everyone else came to form a half circle around the chest.

Suzette then clasped her hands together, closed her eyes and lowered her head.

Biting her lip, Christiana did the same, aware that the others were following suit.

She heard Suzette clear her throat, and then her sister intoned solemnly, “Here lies George Cainan Fairgrave . . . Thank God he’s dead. Amen.”

Christiana blinked her eyes open and gaped at her sister.

“That works for me,” Daniel said with amusement. “Short, sweet and honest.”

Christiana sighed, sure something more should have been said, but at the same time knowing Daniel was right. It was certainly honest. There wasn’t a person there who wasn’t glad the man was dead.

She started to turn toward the steps leading back out of the vault, but paused at the sight of a man standing there, a silhouette against the lighter backdrop of early evening outside.

“Reverend Bertrand,” Richard said with surprise.

“I arrived as your driver was bringing the carriage around the house. He said you’d come to the vault and I presumed it was to visit your brother,” the man said quietly. “Imagine my surprise when I realized it was to lay him to rest here.”

Christiana heard Richard curse and bit her lip as he moved quickly past her to mount the steps.

“If you’ll come with me to my office, I will explain,” he said quietly as he urged the pastor out of the vault.

Christiana and the rest of their group followed, more than eager to escape the musty atmosphere with its pall of death. Richard had started to lead the reverend away, but paused and glanced back to suggest, “Christiana, perhaps you could greet the staff and arrange for a basket of food to be packed for the trip back to London?”

“Yes, of course,” she said at once.

“Thank you,” he said and then continued forward with the pastor.

“Do you think we should go with him to back him up on the story?” Robert asked with a frown.

Daniel considered the question, but shook his head. “He’ll send for us if he needs assistance.”

They were all silent as they watched Richard lead the pastor not around to the front of the house, but in through a pair of French doors Christiana thought must lead to the office here.

“Well,” Daniel said as the two men disappeared. “Shall we?”

Christiana nodded and started forward, leading the way around the house to the front door. The servants were all lined up on either side of the hall when she opened the door and led the way inside. Some time was spent explaining that Lord Radnor had been detained and would be along shortly. Fortunately, the butler recognized Christiana from her one visit and made introductions to the rest of the staff. There was a good number of them, however, and it took longer than she would have liked to meet everyone, but she didn’t feel she could be rude and refuse so smiled and shook hands and nodded to everyone from the housekeeper to the lowliest maid. They had just finished with the last introduction and Christiana was about to ask to have a word with Cook when one of the hall doors opened and Richard peered out.

“Christiana, can you come here please?” he asked and then peered back into the room to listen to something the reverend was saying. He then turned back to say, “Actually, if everyone would come in here, that would be good.”

He then left the door open and moved out of sight. Richard was standing talking to the pastor next to a large, dark wood desk by the French doors when Christiana entered. She moved immediately to his side, catching the pastor’s last words as he said, “absolutely legal.”

“What is?” she asked, pausing beside Richard.

He glanced down at her and smiled. “The wedding Reverend Bertrand has agreed to perform for us.”

Christiana’s eyes widened and she glanced to the holy man in question.

“My lady,” the pastor said, taking her hand and smiling at her kindly. “I am sorry to hear of all the troubles you and his lordship have suffered this last year. George always did seem to have the devil in him. Still, I am a little surprised and saddened to hear just how much devil.” He patted her hand. “We’ll set this right today, though, and make it all legal. And I don’t see any reason anyone else need know about it. George did enough damage without us adding to it, and it seems God meted out his own punishment.”

“Thank you,” Christiana murmured.

“If we’re ready then?” Reverend Bertrand asked glancing to Richard.

He nodded and turned toward Daniel, but then paused with surprise. Seeing his expression, Christiana glanced about the room, her own eyes widening. It wasn’t just Daniel, Robert, Suzette and Lisa who had followed them into the room. Apparently the servants had thought Richard had meant them too when he’d said everyone and every last one of them, including Grace and Christiana’s sisters’ maids, were now crammed into the room as well.

Clearing his throat, Richard said apologetically, “I didn’t mean—”

“It’s all right,” Reverend Bertrand interrupted and then stepped to Richard’s side and smiled at everyone. “The Earl and Countess would like to renew their vows and be married again to each other and you are all going to be witnesses.”

A buzz went around the servants and Suzette immediately moved to Christiana’s side to whisper worriedly, “Will it be legal now?”

“I think so,” Christiana whispered back.

Both women gave a start as the pastor turned and whispered, “Yes, my dear lady, it will. The banns were read, and the license issued for the original wedding between Richard Fairgrave and Christiana Madison . . . and handily the license was right here in the office. Apparently, it was left here for safekeeping when you stopped on the way to London. We will carry out the ceremony in the church here at Radnor in front of several witnesses. Once the ceremony is over and we, as well as witnesses, sign the marriage register in the church, it will most definitely be legal.”

Christiana smiled uncertainly at the man and then gave a start as Richard took her arm. “Shall we?”

“Yes, of course,” Christiana murmured, but felt some trepidation as he urged her to follow the pastor, who was making his way through the now parting people in the room. She was going to be married . . . Again. It hadn’t been that long since Christiana had vowed to herself that she would never marry again and yet here she was doing it, and while she knew they had to for several very good reasons, not least of which was that she might even now be carrying Richard’s child, she couldn’t help worrying that it would be her first marriage all over again. That the moment the ceremony was over, Richard, like George before him, would suddenly find her wanting and turn from the considerate kind man he’d proven to be, to a critical, cold stranger. The thought was a depressing one and she felt more like she was being led to the gallows than to a wedding as they followed Reverend Bertrand out of the house and to the chapel with her sisters, Daniel, Robert and every last Radnor servant following.

Richard, on the other hand, didn’t appear to be suffering the same misgivings, Christiana noted, glancing at him from under her lashes. He was rushing along, nearly treading on the pastor’s heels in his eagerness to get to the church. Weren’t men supposed to be the reluctant ones when it came to weddings?

“Here we are.” Reverend Bertrand led them to the altar in the small church and busied himself positioning Christiana and Richard where he wanted them, then took a moment to arrange everyone else before rushing off to collect his bible. He was back almost before Christiana could take a breath.

The service was a blur for Christiana and she gave her responses automatically without really taking in what she was saying. Her mind was on the worry of what would happen once it was done. In that state, she was taken rather by surprise when it ended, even giving a start when Richard kissed her. Before she could gather herself enough to kiss him back, he was straightening and urging her to follow the pastor to sign the marriage register.

Christiana signed first, her hand shaking as she did, and then she stepped back to make room for Richard to sign and found herself surrounded by her sisters and the servants, all offering congratulations. She managed to smile and nod in response, but was distracted by the panic that wanted to claim her. She noticed that Daniel and Robert signed as witnesses, then the three men put their heads together with the pastor. She wondered what they were talking about when he suddenly nodded and then Richard turned to make his way to her as the pastor clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.

“We shall go back to the house now and eat the fine meal Cook prepared for the arrival of the Earl and Countess and their guests. Come along. Let us head back to the house.”

Richard took her arm as the servants all began to leave. “Did you and your sisters wish to freshen up before the meal?”

“I thought we were going to head straight back to London?” she said with surprise.

“The men convinced me to alter the plans slightly,” he said quietly, urging her to follow the servants outside. “I’m sure you and your sisters would like to wash and change after the long journey today, and a meal would be nice too.”

“I suppose,” Christiana murmured as they started toward the house. It would be pleasant to have a quick wash and change of clothes, then a meal before setting out again. “But Richard, I have been thinking. You can’t pay this blackmailer.”

“I don’t want to,” he admitted, “And we will do what we can to catch the blackmailer rather than pay, but I also won’t risk it getting out that George tried to kill me and married you in my name. The scandal would destroy you and ruin any chance of your sisters marrying well.”