The Countess (26 page)

Chapter Seventeen

D
o you know that fellow?” Richard asked. They’d just pulled up in front of the townhouse and Richard had been about to open the door to get out when he’d noted a man pacing back and forth on the path leading to his front door. The gentleman would walk toward the house as if to seek entrance, stop, shake his head and walk away from it, only to pause halfway to the gate and turn back to approach the door again. The fellow was well dressed, with gray hair, and a hat and cane, but his noble appearance was belied by the fact that he appeared to be talking to himself as he repeated the bizarre behavior.

“He looks vaguely familiar,” Daniel said, leaning to peer out the window as well. “He seems a little troubled about something.”

“Grand.” Richard sighed, opening the door to get out. “More trouble at my door.”

“You do seem to attract it of late,” Daniel said dryly as he followed him out of the carriage.

“Hmmm,” Richard muttered, and headed up the path. When he reached the fellow, the man had again approached the door and stopped to peer at it as if it were some insurmountable mountain he dearly wished to climb. Richard was about to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention, when the fellow shook his head again, muttered under his breath and turned abruptly, then leapt several steps back as he found Richard standing there. Richard raised his eyebrows, but asked politely, “Is there something I can assist you with, sir?”

“What?” the man asked with disbelief.

“I am Richard Fairgrave, Earl of Radnor,” he offered, holding out one hand. “Can I be of assistance?”

The gentleman peered down at his hand as if it were a snake and then scowled at him grimly. “Surely you jest, my lord. After all you have cost me with your shady dealings, you think to act like you do not know me?”

Richard let his hand drop to his side, his eyes narrowing. This was obviously someone his brother had known and had dealings with. And someone not happy with those dealings, which put him on the list of suspects who might have wanted Dicky-George dead. So far it was a list of one, the man before him.

“Why do we not go inside and discuss this?” Richard suggested, moving past him to open the door.

“Why do you not go in there and fetch the girls back to me while your friend and I wait out here instead.”

Richard glanced back to insist they go inside, but paused when he saw the man had moved up next to Daniel and now held a very large black-and-ivory pistol to his side. For his part, Woodrow looked somewhat startled, but not unduly alarmed. Richard, on the other hand, noted the fine tremor in the man’s hand and was worried for him.

“Ha! Not so clever now are you, Dicky?” the man asked grimly. “Now give me my daughters. All of them. I’m not leaving a one of them here for you to abuse any longer.”

“Your daughters?” Daniel asked with interest, half turning toward the man. Fortunately the action didn’t get him shot; Richard had spoken at the same time, saying, “Lord Madison?” in an amazed tone and the old man appeared more interested in him than Daniel, though he kept the gun pointed at Woodrow.

“Save your games, my lord.” The man said with dislike. “You have managed to fool me one too many times already. I know you have mistreated my Chrissy. Robert told me everything after the Landons’ ball the other night. He said the girls told him that you’ve treated her terribly and I’ve sorted it all out from there. You never loved my gel, it was all an act to get your hands on her dower, and now you’ve somehow swindled me again hoping to force my Suzette into the same position. Well I won’t have it, and I am not leaving my Chrissy in your hands either, marriage or no marriage. I’ll have it annulled. I’ll take it to the King himself if I have to. Now fetch me all three girls before I lose my patience.”

“Father?”

All three men glanced to the woman hurrying up the path toward them: Lisa Madison with Robert Langley on her heels.

“Father, what are you doing pointing that pistol at Suzette’s fiancé? Put that away before you hurt someone.”

“Nay,” Lord Madison said firmly, grabbing her arm with his free hand and urging her to the side to keep her out of harm’s way as he dug the pistol more firmly into Daniel’s stomach. “I’ll not let Suzette marry this blackguard. No doubt he’s a friend of that devil’s there, which means he’ll be as bad as Dicky. Now, be a good girl and fetch your sisters, gel. We are leaving here and going back to Madison. I’ve sold the townhouse to pay the debts. There is no need for Suzette to marry anyone.”

“You sold your townhouse?” Daniel asked with alarm.

“Aye.” He smiled meanly, his eyes darting from Daniel to Richard. “The two of you didn’t think I’d do that, did you? But I’d sell the estate itself before I let you rope another one of my girls into a miserable marriage.” He stood a little straighter and added, “And I will see Chrissy out of her marriage as well.”

“Oh Father,” Lisa said with a sigh. “That wasn’t necessary at all. Daniel agreed to let Suzette keep half her dower to pay off the debt and use the rest as she wished. He is not the devil Dicky was.”

“And actually, Richard here is not the villain you think he is,” Robert added, moving to the man’s side. Pausing, he leaned forward and whispered in the old man’s ear, and whispered, and whispered. Really, while Richard knew it was quite a bit to explain, he thought Langley could have been a little more succinct. It seemed to take a very long time before Madison’s mouth dropped and the hand holding the gun fell to his side.

“What?” he squawked with amazement.

Robert nodded solemnly. “Chrissy is very happy with the Earl of Radnor.
This
one,” he added firmly. “And Daniel is a good and honorable man. He’ll make Suzette a good husband.”

“Only if he doesn’t tell her he sold the damned townhouse to make good on his debts,” Daniel muttered with disgust. “If she finds that out she is just contrary enough that she may very well not marry me.”

“I’m sure Lord Madison will keep that information to himself for now,” Richard said dryly.

“Why would I do that?” Lord Madison asked. “If Suzette doesn’t wish to marry him, I will not let her be forced into it.”

“Under normal circumstances I would agree with you,” Richard said solemnly. “However, after what I interrupted in the parlor between the two of them this morning, honor demands he marry her, and as her brother-in-law I feel it my duty to ensure he does.”

“Eh?” Madison’s eyes shot to Daniel, who was suddenly grinning.

“I’d forgotten about that.” He nodded cheerfully. “Yes, she has to marry me to avoid ruin.”

Madison’s eyes narrowed and he turned to Robert. “You’re sure he’s a good and honorable man?”

“Positive,” Robert assured him, obviously fighting a grin. “Truly, just look how eager he is to do the right thing. Besides, the fact that Suzie allowed him to take liberties with her proves she is not averse to the marriage. However, she can be contrary. It may be best to allow her to continue thinking for now that the marriage is necessary.”

“Hmm.” Madison grimaced. “Of the three of them she has always been the most stubborn and difficult.” He glanced to Daniel. “Are you sure you know what you’re getting yourself into? She won’t make life easy.”

“Perhaps not,” Daniel said with unconcern. “But life shall certainly never be boring with her either.”

Madison relaxed and nodded solemnly. “There is much to be said for that. She is like her mother and that woman had me hopping to keep up with her from the day we wed. Never regretted marrying her even for a moment.”

“So you won’t tell her that there is no need to marry?” Daniel asked hopefully.

Madison pursed his lips, his gaze moving first to Lisa, who nodded solemnly, then to each of the men before he heaved a sigh. “I shall talk to her, and if Suzie doesn’t seem averse to marrying you, I will keep the sale of the townhouse to myself for now.”

Daniel relaxed and nodded. “Thank you.”

Madison turned to Richard then, his gaze moving slowly over his features, and then he shook his head. “You look remarkably like Dicky.”

“We were twins,” he pointed out quietly.

“Aye, well, there is a difference in the eyes. When you looked into his they were usually empty or calculating. Yours . . .” He shook his head, apparently unable to come up with a way to describe the difference.

“Perhaps we should move inside now,” Richard suggested, his gaze sliding to the road as a carriage passed.

“Aye. Let’s go in. I could use a cup of tea nice and sweet. I got myself all wound up to come here and now feel quite worn out,” Madison admitted.

“Tea it is, then,” Richard said, opening the door and leading the small group into the house.

“What are you doing? Unlock that,” Christiana snapped, trying to grab the key from Freddy, but he merely caught her hand with one of his own, while his other dropped the key in a pocket.

“Shut up and sit down while I figure out what to do,” Freddy barked, pushing her toward the bed.

Christiana stumbled back under his push, landing in an ungraceful heap on the edge of the bed, but promptly sprang back to her feet. “I demand you unlock that door this instant and let me—” The rest of her words died as he slapped her face and pushed her down on the bed again.

“I said sit down and shut up,” he growled, looming over her to prevent her rising again. “I need to think what to do.”

Her hand clasped to the spot where he’d slapped her, Christiana stared at him for a moment, and then slowly let her hand slide away. “You are the blackmailer.”

“Yes, and I want that money. I’m not going to spend the rest of my life as some lackey to the gentry, helping them pull on their drawers and pull off their boots.”

“You knew what George had done to his brother from the start?” Christiana asked, though she was sure she already knew the answer to that.

“Yes, yes,” he said on an impatient sigh. “I knew from the beginning and was paid well to keep my mouth shut. You and your sister had the right of it.”

Christiana jerked back as the words struck her. “How do you know what my sister and I were talking about? You were listening?”

“I was in the office trying to find something when I heard your voices approaching the door. I slipped out through the French doors but left one cracked open to hear when you left so I could continue my search and instead heard a whole lot more.” He grimaced with irritation, but went on, “The moment I realized you were heading to look for me I rushed around the house to try to get here before you, but was not quick enough.”

He turned his back to her then and paced the floor a couple times. Christiana glanced around, hoping to see something to use as a weapon, but really the room was as sparse as a monk’s cell. Glancing back to the man, she asked curiously, “What were you looking for in the office?”

He hesitated and then apparently decided there was no harm in telling her and admitted, “Your father’s marker. Between that and the blackmail money, I can set myself up well in France or Spain. Have a good life as a man of means.” He sighed at the thought.

“Why would Dicky have the marker?” Christiana asked.

He scowled her way and then propped his hands on his hips. “Bloody women, always asking questions, just have to know everything. I suppose you won’t shut up and give me a moment’s peace until you know everything?”

“Probably not,” she admitted unsympathetically.

His mouth twisted and he snapped, “Fine. I knew all from the start. I knew when George hired those men to kill his brother, I knew he then stepped into his shoes and pretended to be him, enjoying his wealth and title in his place. I knew when John Butterworth told George about the dowers for you and your sisters. I—”

“So it
was
all for the dowers,” Christiana interrupted with disgust. While she’d suspected it for quite a while, actually hearing the words made her angrier than she’d expected.

“Oh, yes,” Freddy said with amusement. “He drugged your father and dragged him to the gaming hell to make him think he’d gambled so deep he would accept an offer of marriage for you in exchange for George’s supposedly paying off markers he already held. And he did the same again, this time to force Suzette to be married to one of his friends. The markers were to be George’s payment for acting as procurer.”

“Who was the friend who was supposed to marry Suzette?” Christiana asked curiously.

“Does it matter? She’s set her mind on marrying that damned Woodrow,” he pointed out dryly, and then shook his head. “Were George still alive he would have arranged an accident for the man or some other such thing, but the stupid bastard went and hired idiots to kill his brother. They failed him and now Richard is back and poisoned him to get his title back.”

“Richard did not poison him,” Christiana said firmly.

“Well someone did,” Freddy snapped.

“Yes, but it wasn’t Richard,” she assured him and then tilted her head in question. “How did you know he was poisoned?”

“Because I saw him die,” he said grimly. “He dragged me into his office the morning your sisters arrived to crow about the latest success of his plans. He was sure they were there about your father’s latest apparent faux pas,” he explained, and then continued, “Once assured I was properly impressed with his cleverness, George sent me for snuff. When I got back the whiskey was there, and he was clawing at his throat, then he died right there in front of me.”