The Rake's Rebellious Lady (13 page)

‘But who could have done such a terrible thing?’ Caroline asked.

‘Jackson did not see it happen, but there were so many people crowding about the canopy that it is not surprising. It is unlikely that we shall be able to trace the culprit, though I shall see what can be done.’

‘You are sure that it could not simply have been an accident?’ Caroline asked.

‘Quite certain. It was the first thing that Jackson checked. He is meticulous in all his preparations—and the more so because he knew that you were to go up in the basket. I particularly stressed that all care must be taken.’ His look was so severe that Caroline felt sick—he was clearly very angry.

‘Oh, dear…’ Julia swooned. George was just in time to catch her as she fell forwards and lowered her to the settle with gentle care. ‘I am so sorry…’ she whispered as her eyelids fluttered open. ‘What a silly goose I am.’

‘This has all been too much for you,’ George said. ‘I must get you home, for you are not well, Julia.’

She made a faint protest, looking apologetically at Caroline. ‘I ought to stay with you,’ she said, ‘but in truth I do not feel well.’

‘You must go home,’ Caroline said. ‘I shall stay with my brother for the time being.’ She looked at Sir Freddie. ‘Would you mind fetching my mother? I think she would want to be here and I cannot leave him.’

Freddie hesitated, giving her a hard stare. She was wondering if he meant to refuse her, when someone came into the parlour.

‘The young gentleman is conscious now,’ the physician announced. ‘He is in some pain and will need nursing of the kind that I do not think may be procured here, for such injuries can sometimes turn infectious. Perhaps some arrangement could be made to convey him to his home?’

‘Yes, I shall fetch his mother and a suitable vehicle,’ Freddie said. ‘You get Julia off, George. We don’t want her fainting again…’ His gaze turned to Caroline, seeming to her to become colder. ‘Go upstairs to your brother and stay there until I bring Mrs Holbrook. It would only start a deal of pointless gossip if someone were to see you here. I shall be no longer than need be and until then you must stay with Tom. Do you hear me, Caroline? You are not to leave the bedchamber for anything!’

‘Yes, yes, of course.’ She left the room immediately, feeling chastened. It was obvious that Sir Freddie thought that the blame for this débâcle lay squarely in her court. But did he really need to be so harsh to her? She felt tears prick her eyes, but blinked them away.

She knocked softly at the door and then entered her brother’s bedchamber. He was lying propped up against a pile of pillows, but opened his eyes and looked at her as she approached, attempting a weak smile.

‘I’m sorry, Caroline,’ he apologised in a faint voice. ‘Seems I made a mess of the whole thing, ruined your day.’

‘How could you think that? Besides, it was hardly your fault!’ Caroline’s throat was tight with emotion, for it was like him to think of her. ‘I am merely distressed for your sake, dearest.’

‘What happened?’ Tom looked puzzled. ‘There was an odd sound and then we just fell like a stone.’

‘One of the ropes gave way. Sir Freddie says the rope had been tampered with deliberately.’

‘Good grief! What fool would do a thing like that?’

Caroline agreed, giving a little shudder as she realised how close they had all been to a terrible death. ‘Why should anyone want to harm you, Tom, or me? I do not under
stand…’ A soft moan broke from him and she hastened to his side. ‘Is the pain very bad?’

‘I should like a drink of water, if you wouldn’t mind,’ Tom said. ‘I think there may be some in that jug over there, on the washstand.’

Caroline went to investigate, but it was empty. She picked it up and turned to look at him. ‘I am afraid there is none left, Tom. The doctor must have used it to wash his hands. I shall go and fetch some more.’

Tom seemed not to have heard her. He was lying with his eyes closed, clearly in some pain. She went softly from the room and down the stairs, wondering how best to discover her host, but as she hesitated at the bottom of the stairs he came out of a door to her left and saw her hovering uncertainly.

‘Ah, there you are, miss,’ he said. ‘I was about to send the chambermaid up with a jug of fresh water. Is there anything else you would like for the poor gentleman?’

‘Yes, please,’ Caroline replied. ‘I think a little brandy might not come amiss, sir, if you please.’

‘Right you are, miss. You go up to him and I shall send it immediately.’

Caroline turned and ran up the stairs. As she did so, she heard a burst of laughter and some gentlemen came out into the hall behind her. She paused on the landing at the top of the stairs to glance back for a moment and then hurried down the hall to her brother’s room, unaware that she had been recognised by one of the party.

Tom was looking for her as she came in, and she explained that the landlord was sending up water and brandy.

‘It might help with the pain if it is very bad,’ she told him.

‘Yes, it might,’ he agreed with a grimace. ‘But you ought
to have rung for the maid, Caroline. It won’t do for you to be seen here alone, love. You know what Aunt Louisa is like and the rest of the tabbies with her—they will put two and two together and make six.’

‘I was only a moment,’ Caroline said. ‘Besides, you are my brother. Only a mean spirit could find fault with my being here with you, I believe?’

‘Yes, well, most people would understand once they knew,’ Tom said. ‘But whispers can do a lot of harm, and people always think that there must be some truth in these rumours.’

‘No smoke without fire?’ Caroline said and smiled at him. ‘I dare say you are right, but I shall not let it weigh too heavily, for truth to tell I do not care if some think ill of me.’ Though in her heart she knew that she cared very much for the opinion of one person in particular.

* * *

Caroline sat with her brother for two hours before she heard voices at the door and then her mother came in, looking upset and anxious. Marianne had clearly shed a few tears on the way here and Caroline got up to go to her and embrace her as soon as she entered.

‘It is all right, Mama,’ she said. ‘Tom is just sleeping. He was in some pain, but after he drank a little brandy he fell asleep and seems to be resting easily.’

‘Is there any fever?’ his anxious mother asked, and laid a gentle hand on his brow. A look of relief came over her face as she realised that he was resting quite peacefully. ‘Thank God! We owe his safety to Sir Frederick, I am sure.’

‘I believe it is merely a slight break,’ Caroline reassured her. ‘However, he will be better at home. Have you brought our own coach?’

‘Yes, I have,’ Mrs Holbrook said. ‘I was out when Sir Frederick first came for me, but he found me on my way home from the lending library. I hope you appreciate how much he has done for us today, Caroline?’

‘Yes, of course, Mama,’ Caroline said, her manner a little reserved—she could not help thinking of Freddie’s coldness to her earlier. ‘It was very kind of him to help us as he did. Did he return with you?’

‘No. He asked if he should, but I refused—I am sure he had something on his mind, though he would undoubtedly have come had I needed him. However, I have my coachman and two grooms, and I am sure we can manage well enough without him.’

A slight moan from the patient brought her head round to him at once, and for the next few minutes all her attention was for her son. She fussed over him, but, receiving a request not to do so, laughed in relief. Clearly Tom was feeling much better and when asked if he felt up to making the journey home was quick to say that he would do so if she could arrange for him to be helped down the stairs.

Mrs Holbrook rang for the maid and gave instructions. A chair was duly produced and Tom helped into it. Two strong men then carried him from the room and down the stairs. Caroline went ahead to alert the coachman, and her mother followed, urging the men to be careful and not to drop their precious burden. Her fretting possibly made their task that much harder, but it was accomplished without too much pain for the invalid, and within some ten minutes or so Tom was settled in his mother’s carriage as comfortably as could be arranged.

Mrs Holbrook, inquiring what she owed for the care of her
son, was told that Sir Frederick had already paid for everything, including the doctor’s fee, and she was overcome with gratitude, which she continued to pour into her daughter’s ear all the way home.

‘He is the perfect gentleman,’ she told Caroline twenty times. ‘Everything that is kind I am sure. He will make some fortunate lady a very satisfactory husband.’

Although she stopped short of saying that Caroline should make a push to gain his affections, as her aunt had many times, it was clear to her daughter that she thought it a perfect match. Caroline did not protest as she would have to her aunt’s bullying, for there was little that she could say. It was perfectly true that Sir Frederick had done all that could have been asked of him, but his generosity was not a reason for marriage. Caroline liked him very well, had counted him one of her best friends. Indeed, she had wondered if she might like to be married to him, but she was not sure after that morning if he liked her as well as she had thought.

She was subdued on their return to the house, and followed the servants who carried her brother up to his own room. His arm had begun to hurt again, and Mrs Holbrook shooed her from his room, while retaining the services of the butler to help her settle her son as comfortably as possible. She then went down to the stillroom and made up a tisane to her own prescription, which she allowed Caroline to take up for him.

‘It will help him to sleep,’ she said to Caroline. ‘I shall not go out this evening, for I could not bear to leave him in this condition, but you must go with your aunt to the soirée as arranged, dearest.’

‘Do you think I could cry off for once?’ Caroline asked. ‘I would much rather not go this evening, for although I was not
harmed I was a little shaken by the accident—and I could help you to sit with Tom.’

‘Very well, my love,’ Marianne said and looked at her with approval. ‘Yes, it must have been a shock for you when the balloon fell, and I dare say it will not matter in the least if you miss one evening’s pleasure. And it would be a help to me to have you here—just in case he should take a turn for the worse.’

Caroline did not believe that anything of the kind would happen, but she was pleased that she did not need to go to the musical evening with her aunt. Lady Taunton had not been pleased when they returned to the house, and Caroline could only think that she had done something to annoy her.

* * *

The next morning Aunt Louisa was still in a foul mood and her annoyance with both Caroline and her sister was not alleviated when she informed them that she had learned that rumours had begun to circulate concerning her niece.

‘But you know the truth of it, Aunt,’ Caroline said when she was subsequently questioned by the older woman. ‘Tom was hurt in the accident, and that was the reason I was at the inn. It is unfortunate that someone saw me there, but you may easily scotch such tales by telling the truth.’

‘Which I did, as you would expect,’ Lady Taunton said with a scathing glance. ‘I dare say we shall brush through this easily enough, but had you been a little more circumspect in your behaviour, miss, it might never have been thought possible in the first place. I have warned you. If you gain a reputation for being fast, you will lose more than you bargain for!’

‘I do not think I have done anything particularly wicked,’ Caroline said, crossing her fingers behind her
back. Had anyone seen her dressed as a youth, she might have been in serious trouble. ‘When our friends hear the tale and put their side of the story about, people will soon forget this nonsense.’

‘Well, it is to be hoped so,’ her aunt said. ‘But once this kind of thing happens, the tales often linger. You must be particularly careful in future that you do nothing that could cause further gossip.’

They were in the small back parlour, to which her aunt had summoned her, and neither of them heard the knocker, so it was with some surprise when a visitor was announced. Caroline turned to look at the young man standing in the doorway and ran to him with a cry of delight. ‘Nicolas dearest! It is so good to see you. I had hoped you might get leave while we were here, but I thought it unlikely.’

‘Well, here I am, puss,’ Nicolas said and embraced her in a bear hug. Looking up at him, she thought that he had grown since she had seen him, and he looked wonderful in his scarlet uniform. ‘Now tell me, what is this I hear about Tom?’

‘Oh, do come up and see him,’ Caroline said, linking her arm through his. ‘It will cheer him up immensely to talk to you. He is very annoyed that Mama has forbidden him to get up again for at least two days.’

Nicolas inclined his head to his aunt. ‘I hope you are well, ma’am? I shall greet you properly later, but I am eager to see my brother—if you will excuse us?’

Caroline drew him from the room, hugging his arm. ‘You arrived in the nick of time,’ she confided. ‘Aunt Louisa was giving me a fearful scold! I know it was my fault that Tom was hurt, for he wouldn’t have been in the basket if it hadn’t been for me, but I couldn’t be blamed for being in that inn.’

‘I suggest that you start at the beginning, puss,’ Nicolas said, grinning at her. ‘Then I might have a hope of understanding.’

‘Oh, you!’ Caroline said, but obliged him with the full story, which took them up to the landing where Tom’s bedchamber was situated. ‘So you see, she was quite unfair!’

‘Yes, she was, but you should learn to dissemble, puss. You are defiant and it puts her in the right of it. Bite your tongue and think before you answer. There is no point in antagonising her. After all, she did stump up the blunt for this trip.’

‘Yes, I know, and I am behaving very ungratefully,’ Caroline said, feeling a little ashamed. ‘I shouldn’t wrangle with her, for no doubt she means well—but I cannot like her.’

‘As to that, she is not my favourite person by any means.’ He grinned at her. ‘But let us see what Tom has to say, shall we?’