The Rake's Rebellious Lady (26 page)

‘George, my dear chap, what on earth are you doing here?’

‘Forgive me for intruding…’ George smiled at Caroline. ‘How delightful to see you, Miss Holbrook. I had to see you, Freddie—just a small matter of business, you know.’

A small matter of business that had brought him here hotfoot from Bath! Freddie frowned, his eyes narrowing. Clearly George had something important to tell him. He turned to Caroline, a little smile of regret on his lips.

‘We must postpone our conversation until another time, my love. I shall see you later.’

‘Yes, of course, Freddie.’

She walked into the house, leaving the two gentlemen together.

‘What is it, George?’ Freddie asked. ‘Why come all the way here, my friend? You have some news, I gather?’

‘I am certain that Farringdon is behind those attempts on Caroline,’ George said. ‘I dare say he probably meant to harm you in that accident with the balloon, but after that he directed his malice at Caroline…to cause you more grief,
Freddie. I thought you should be warned of something I have learned…’

‘Yes, that is much as I had thought,’ Freddie agreed. ‘It was good of you to come, my friend, but, as I told Caroline’s brother, I have made certain arrangements. Even now, you are being watched—just as I have been all morning.’

‘Then I need not have bothered,’ George said ruefully. ‘I was not perfectly sure…’

‘No need to apologise,’ Freddie said and grinned at him. ‘Now that you are here, you must stay to nuncheon.’

* * *

‘Congratulations, sir.’ Tom shook his stepfather’s hand. ‘Mama, I wish you happy, but I know that you will be.’

‘Oh, yes, very happy,’ Marianne said and embraced her son. ‘I am sorry that you must leave us so soon, Tom—but I know that you have much to do. You will write to me as often as you can?’

‘Yes, Mama, of course,’ Tom replied. ‘When do you leave for Italy?’

‘We have decided to postpone our trip for a week or two,’ Marianne said. ‘I wish to know that Caroline is safe, and I have something to say to Bollingbrook. We shall call there first and then go on to Holbrook, where I must supervise the packing of some things I wish sent down to Mr Milbank’s estate—and then I intend to call on Lady Stroud to make sure that Caroline is all right.’

‘Yes, well, I am sure that Caroline will be pleased to see you,’ Tom said. ‘I must leave now, Mama. I have much to do…’

Tom smiled as he put his other problems to the back of his mind for a moment. Before he left Bath there was one more call he must make.

* * *

‘Come to gloat over me, have you?’ Bollingbrook glanced askance at the new Mrs Milbank. ‘Well, I cannot say that I blame you. I have not behaved well to you or your children.’

‘There was a time when you might have done much to help me,’ Marianne said, retaining her dignity. She had thought that she would exact revenge for past slights but, seeing him looking wretched, the desire had left her. ‘However, that is past and I need nothing you can give me, sir. I have come to tell you that you have endangered the lives of my children and to ask if you will make it plain to whomever it concerns that you are no longer intending Tom, Nicolas and Caroline to be your heirs.’

‘Well, I ain’t able to oblige you,’ Bollingbrook said, ‘for I have signed most of the money over to Tom, though Caroline will have her dowry and Nicolas has something substantial. I’ve arranged for the funds to be available from my bank and that is that. Besides, I have news this morning that means it would make no difference if they were to die.’

‘I assure you that it makes a great deal of difference to me!’ Marianne looked at him indignantly.

‘Oh, stop your mithering, woman,’ Bollingbrook said. ‘You know very well that I did not mean it that way.’ He gave her a scathing look. ‘Do you think I want anything to happen to that girl?’

‘No, I do not,’ Marianne said, ‘and I suppose I must thank you for what you have done for them—though it might have been done sooner.’

‘For once in your life you have said something that I agree with,’ the Marquis said. ‘And if you will listen, I shall tell you why you need not fear the Jamaican connection. I have
received a letter just now telling me that the boy was killed in an accident some two months ago.’

‘Then who is trying to harm my daughter?’ Marianne was shocked. ‘This changes things. Someone must speak to Sir Frederick about this, for he should be warned. It must be him who has an enemy…’

‘If anyone had asked me, I would have said that that seemed the most likely in the first place.’ The Marquis cleared his throat. ‘We have all been damned fools! Will you forgive the past, ma’am—and will you and your husband stay to dine with me?’

‘Thank you.’ Marianne inclined her head. ‘I think we can agree not to be enemies, sir—if only for the sake of my children. However, we wish to be at Holbrook by nightfall. I do not expect that I shall see you for a while, sir—but I wish you good health.’

Holding her head high, she walked from the room, leaving the Marquis to stare after her. He muttered beneath his breath, ringing the bell for Jenkins with some vigour. His valet, who had been hovering in the next room, came immediately.

‘You rang, sir?’

‘Of course I damned well rang, Jenkins,’ the Marquis growled. ‘Don’t give me that injured look, man! I’ve had enough of it from that woman—though she isn’t quite the milksop I thought her. At least she had the decency to tell me what was going on. That rogue has taken my gel off to stay with his godmother—and intends to marry her, I dare say.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Jenkins looked at a spot just above his head. ‘I expect he does intend it. He loves her as she loves him.’

‘Yes, I know I’ve only myself to blame that they’ve gone off without a word to me,’ the Marquis said. ‘Well, I can’t do much about it now, but I think it’s time to mend fences if we can, Jenkins.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Jenkins tried not to look pleased, but failed miserably. ‘Your writing slope, sir?’

‘No, damn you! What do I want with letters? Put up enough clothes for two days, Jenkins. We are off to Lady Stroud’s estate to see how the land lies!’

‘Ah…’ Jenkins said, a gleam in his eyes. His master had hardly left his room in the past year. ‘Are we certain about that, sir?’

‘Damn your eyes, man! I’ll get there if you have to carry me.’

‘Yes, certainly, sir,’ Jenkins said. ‘And when do you wish to leave?’

‘As soon as you can be ready, of course. You may give my instructions to the rest of the household and then come back and help me. And I shall want my knee breeches. Lady Stroud is a stickler for dress, as I recall…’ He smiled as his valet went off to do his bidding. It might be the last thing he did, but he was going to see what could be done about this wretched business.

* * *

‘Ah, there you both are,’ Lady Stroud said, coming into the parlour where Freddie and Caroline were sitting together that afternoon. ‘What are you doing indoors on a day like this? You should be out enjoying the fresh air, my dears.’

‘Yes, you are perfectly right, Godmother,’ Freddie agreed and looked at Caroline. ‘I was just about to ask if you would like to take a turn about the gardens, my love?’

‘I should enjoy it very much,’ Caroline said, and gave him her hand. He pulled her to her feet and into his arms, looking down at her for a moment before he kissed her forehead. ‘It is so warm that I do not think I need to put on my pelisse and I shall not bother with a bonnet.’

‘Then let us go,’ Freddie said, offering her his arm.

Caroline took it and they went out into the hall and through the door that an obliging footman opened for them. The garden was a riot of colour and perfume, for Lady Stroud was very fond of her borders, which were beautifully kept. A gardener was busy taking the dead heads from the rose bushes, and, seeing Caroline, he broke off a perfect pink rose bud and handed it to her with a little bow.

Caroline thanked him, and they strolled off. Birds were singing their hearts out because it was such a lovely day, and, as they walked towards the woods that lay beyond the wall at the end of the long garden, they were both aware of a feeling of perfect peace. It was a little cooler in the woods, but that was only to be welcomed on such a warm day.

‘It is lovely here, isn’t it?’ Caroline said, looking up at him. They had been walking for a few minutes in perfect harmony. ‘I was only thinking last night that I should like to walk in these woods…’ She frowned as she remembered something. ‘I forgot…I meant to tell you that I saw someone lurking out here last night when I glanced from the window—twice, actually.’

‘Indeed?’ Freddie arched his brows at her. ‘I shall have to reprimand them, Caroline. My men are supposed to be guarding us, not frightening you.’

‘Oh, no, I wasn’t frightened,’ she said. ‘I remembered that you said you had set someone to watch over me in London—and I thought perhaps it was them.’

‘Does nothing frighten you?’ Freddie asked with a smile. ‘Most young ladies would be near fainting if they thought that their lives might be in danger. But hopefully it will all be over soon, and you must not be distressed whatever happens, my love.’ Something in his eyes seemed to carry a warning, and a little chill started at the nape of her neck.

‘What do you mean?’ she asked, gazing up at him in surprise. ‘Ithought…’ The rest of her sentence was lost as she saw something in the trees just ahead of them, and then a man stepped out, and instinctively she knew what was happening. ‘Freddie…be careful…’

‘Yes, I know,’ Freddie told her in a low voice. ‘He has been following us since we entered the woods.’ He let go of her, his hand moving slowly towards the deep pocket of his coat. Only when his fingers had closed over the pistol he sought did he turn his head to look at the man, noting the pistol in his hand, and the desperate look on his face. Freddie smiled slightly. ‘Good morning, Farringdon. I have been expecting you. Your rogues have not served you well, I think? I thought you might feel it time to step out of the shadows and do the business yourself.’ He took a step forwards, standing just in front of Caroline, shielding her from the line of fire. ‘I hope you mean to be sensible? This business may all be settled without need for bloodshed. If you feel yourself ill used, I am sure we can come to some arrangement.’

‘Damn you, Rathbone!’ Farringdon snarled. ‘It is always so easy for you, isn’t it? You made it easy for me, but you humiliated me…stripped me of my pride and my pleasure in life by taking my horses. If I have nothing left, I may as well be hanged—but I’ll see you and her dead first…’

He raised his arm, pointing his pistol at Freddie’s chest. Caroline saw what he meant to do and launched herself at Freddie’s back, pushing him so hard that he stumbled. As Farringdon fired, the shot went over his head and Caroline gave a cry as she felt his ball strike her arm. And then another shot rang out…

* * *

Moments after Freddie and Caroline had entered the woods, the noise of thundering hooves and clattering wheels announced the arrival of an old-fashioned coach at the front of the house. Grooms came running to attend it, for it bore the arms of a marquis. One of the grooms jumped down, and rapped at the doorknocker with some urgency. He was admitted into the hall, and asked for Sir Frederick.

‘Sir Frederick has just gone out, but my mistress is at home,’ the footman told him. ‘May I ask who is calling, sir?’

‘You may say that the Marquis of Bollingbrook has arrived and asks if Lady Stroud will see him.’

‘Certainly,’ the footman said. ‘Be so good as to ask the Marquis to step inside, sir. I shall inform her ladyship that he has arrived.’

‘What is it, Blake?’ Lady Stroud had heard the voices and came out into the hall just as the Marquis had stepped out of his carriage. She went to the open doorway to look at her visitor and frowned. ‘Damn my eyes, if it ain’t Bollingbrook,’ she said. ‘All it wants now is for Southmoor to turn up and I shall think myself twenty years old again!’

‘Harriet,’ Lord Bollingbrook said and doffed his hat to her, with a creaky attempt at gallantry. ‘I hope you won’t refuse to put me up. I’ve travelled a deuced long way in too short a time and I’m done up. If you turn me away, I must go to an inn and it will probably be the end of me.’

‘Burned your boats, have you?’ She gave a cackle of laughter. ‘Serves you right, you old rascal. Very well, I’ll give you a bed, but if you upset Caroline I’ll have my servants throw you out without the blink of an eyelid! I’ve become very fond of that gel, and that’s the truth of it.’

‘And you would,’ Bollingbrook said, a glint of laughter in his eyes. She had swept him back to the old days when he had wanted to make her his mistress and she had shown him the way home. ‘Like her, do you? She’s a grand girl, ain’t she?’

‘Come about, have you, you old fool?’ Lady Stroud eyed him severely. ‘Well, you had best be prepared to grovel, for she will be back soon—’ She broke off, for she had seen them advancing across the lawn, and she sensed that something was wrong. Freddie was supporting Caroline, and, even as she watched, he suddenly bent down and swept her up in his arms.

Bollingbrook turned and saw them. ‘Something has happened,’ he muttered and would have gone to them had his valet not forestalled him, hurrying to reach them and confer with Sir Frederick. He returned almost immediately.

‘Miss Holbrook has been winged, sir. It is just a flesh wound and Sir Frederick has sent for the doctor—but I’ve told him that I’ll see to her for the moment. It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve patched up a similar wound.’

‘Damn it!’ Bollingbrook said wrathfully. ‘What has that idiot been up to with my gel? If she takes harm from this, I’ll have his hide!’

‘Stop your mithering, you old fool,’ Lady Stroud said. ‘Whatever happened, it will not have been Freddie’s fault.’

The Marquis glared at her, but Freddie had reached them now. He paused for a moment to glance at the Marquis, and then down at the girl he carried in his arms.

‘Your grandfather is here, dearest.’

‘Put me down for a moment, Freddie.’

He set her gently on her feet, keeping an iron grip about her waist, supporting her as she smiled at her grandfather. ‘Do
not worry, sir, it is merely a little scratch,’ she told him, though her face was deathly pale. ‘I shall be better in a moment, but please do not quarrel with Freddie, for I cannot bear it. Besides, it was entirely my fault that I was shot.’