A Reason to Rebel (25 page)

“How clever!”

Mr. Porter’s face glowed and his efforts to appear modest fooled no one except Marianne.

“I explained I had time to kill before returning to Ramsgate in the morning and thought I might as well try to give Cowper a helping hand. He was no longer feigning disinterest by that point and wanted to know what more I could tell him. Now,” he said, leaning forward, his expression intent, “this was the tricky part. I said that I would not say much more unless he made it worth my while, at which point he pretended to lose interest. I said I could understand he may not believe I was who I said I was, what with so many rum’uns being about nowadays, but if he doubted me he could check for himself easily enough.” He paused before delivering his
coup de grace
. “I then mentioned, as though it was an afterthought, that I understood Mrs. Travis had gone missing, along with her sister. He did not respond but I had his complete attention again, I could see that at once.”

“What did you do then, Benjamin?”

“I said I was surprised Winthrop had not informed him they were both safe and well, speculating aloud as to his reasons for withholding that information from his close associate. He responded by asking me, as we had hoped he would, if I had seen both of the ladies. He tried to make the enquiry sound casual but I had the measure of him by then and knew it was a sham. It was more important to him than anything. He really wanted to know.” Marianne stared at her intended with a besotted expression and sighed at this further display of his heroic qualities. “That is when I told him that both ladies would be calling to see my superior at eleven o’clock tomorrow morning.”

“The devil you did, Porter!” cried Matthew. “Both ladies? We did not agree to that.”

“I did,” said Marianne. “Benjamin mentioned the matter to me before departing for work yesterday. It was Lord Crawley’s suggestion and naturally I agreed at once.”

“Why was I not consulted?”

“Your pardon, Winthrop,” said Alex. “I intended to consult you but in all the rush to get away it clean slipped my mind. But the fact of the matter is that we want Cowper to believe that neither sister ran away and that they have both been acting according to their father’s dictate all this while. Porter obliquely implied that Miss Winthrop was whisked away from him because he was starting to insist upon fixing a wedding date. Winthrop hoped to be held innocent in respect of her desertion so that he, Cowper, would hand over whatever it is that Winthrop so covets.”

“Which is when I clammed up unless he made it worth my while to stay, and he dug deep in his pocket without quibbling,” said Porter, resuming his story. “I then implied that I knew of the subsequent plot to do away with Travis. Winthrop was anxious to relieve his conscience in that respect and as much as admitted it to his solicitor, placing the blame entirely at Cowper’s door.”

“But that is brilliant!” cried Estelle. “He is bound to believe Mr. Porter and will not be able to help recovering his papers and confronting my father.”

“That is my expectation.” Eyes half-closed, Alex leaned back in his chair, one booted leg resting on his opposite knee. “We know from the men whom I have keeping watch over Cowper that he did nothing unusual after seeing Porter yesterday. He merely stayed in the tavern for another hour and then returned to his lodgings, remaining there all night. If he has accepted the bait then we expect him to make for Ramsgate sometime today. He cannot risk being delayed and not observing the ladies attending the solicitor’s office tomorrow. Once he sees them for himself he will have to believe that Porter told the truth in all other respects as well.”

“By gad, sir, I do believe, with your assistance, we will get to the bottom of this farrago before any of us are much older.” Matthew’s face was flushed with admiration. Alex acknowledged the compliment with an inclination of his head and continued speaking.

“Porter has already hinted that Winthrop, having disinherited his only son, is putting his affairs in order and drawing up papers to split his fortune equally between his two daughters,” said Alex. “A reward for doing all he asked of them.”

“Whereas Cowper was expecting to marry Estelle and gain it all,” said Marianne.

“Yes, and now he will suspect Winthrop had never intended him to marry either of his daughters and did not mean to reward him financially either. Not only that, but he has implied to a solicitor that he alone, Cowper that is, was guilty of murdering Travis.”

“Cowper will be furious. He has a fearful temper and will not be able to resist confronting our father with the information he has against him,” said Matthew confidently. “But, hang on, how will that help us if we are not there to hear it?”

“Oh, but we will be there,” said Alex. “My spies tell me that your father recently returned to Hampshire. That does not mean he is no longer looking for you, Estelle, merely that he has assigned the task to others. And so Cowper will most likely recover his papers and head straight for Hampshire, demanding explanations.” Alex paused, his expression set in stone. “But I, and some of my men, will be there to listen to their exchange.”

“How will you manage that?” asked Matthew, who was looking rather awed.

“That is indeed the question, and I was rather hoping for your help in that respect. Where does your father traditionally hold his business meetings? Is there more than one method to gain access to that room? I need you to remember all you can about the layout of the estate you grew up on. Few secrets escape the notice of small boys.”

“The summerhouse,” said Estelle and Marianne together.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Of course!” Matthew thumped his thigh in excitement. “The summerhouse is built directly over the ice house.”

“And there is a trapdoor leading to steps and then to the passageway,” said Estelle. “Marianne and I found it when we were children.”

“Ah, I see.”

“It was a useful means of escaping from the house unseen.”

“Where does it lead to in the house?”

“The cellars. There is a stout door from the cellar to the steps up to the kitchen but it is often locked.”

“That should not cause much of a problem. Can you draw a diagram of the exact location of the trapdoor, Winthrop?”

Estelle bridled. She knew the passageway better than any of them and it was she who had just supplied Alex with the information about it. But it was as if she had not spoken. He was ignoring her and addressing all of his questions directly to her brother.

“No need for drawings,” said Matthew, “since I shall accompany you.”

“Out of the question. Sorry, Winthrop, but you’re not fit enough. If there is trouble you would be a liability.”

“Not necessarily, I can still—”

“You’ve done naught but sit in a chair for the past two days and yet you look fagged out,” said Alex, not unkindly.

“Damn it, this is my family. It ought to be my responsibility.”

“I am sound in wind and limb,” said Mr. Porter. “If you will pretend need of my services to my employer, I will accompany you.”

“It could be dangerous and it is not your fight.”

“It is more my concern than it is yours.” Steely determination underlined his tone. It was as though he was reluctant to surrender his newfound taste for adventure, which lent him the courage to challenge Alex’s plan. “Marianne’s family will soon be united in marriage to mine and you cannot prevent me from playing my part in curbing her father’s unlawful activities.”

“Very well, since you put it like that, I welcome your assistance, Porter.”

“And I shall come too,” said Estelle. “I can guide you to the passageway.”

“Absolutely not!”

“I beg your pardon.”

“You and your sister will attend Nesbit’s office tomorrow morning, which will require fortitude enough on both your parts. I have contrived to put every protection in place but the outing is still not without danger. I shall send one of my footmen to escort you. I discovered that your father’s retainers wear a plain livery of green coats and green and gold waistcoats, easy to obtain. My man will be dressed accordingly, accompany you to the solicitor’s in an anonymous cab and see you safely back here. And then Matthew will keep you entertained until we return. Is that quite clear?”

“No, it is far from clear. I would have a word with you in private, my lord.”

“Not now, Mrs. Travis.” Alex dismissed her objections with a casual flap of his hand. “The matter is not open to debate. You
will
do as I ask and can have nothing more to say to me, either here or in private.”

“Oh can I not!”

“If you wish to help,” he said, apparently unmoved by her anger, “draw me a diagram of the summerhouse, the best way to approach it from the road and the direction the passageway takes once I have located it.”

Estelle, infuriated with his dictatorial attitude, stood to confront him, hands on hips as the anger churned away inside of her. She was more than ready to put him right on a few basic facts. Faced with this harpy towering over his chair, blistering rage sparking in her eyes, Alex had no option but to stand also.

“This is my fight. I am the one who will be forced into marrying the vile man if we cannot find a way to prevent it and I will not be left out of things.”

“You will do as I say, madam.”

They faced one another like two prize fighters, each waiting for the other to pounce. He still looked perfectly composed, as though he did not have the slightest doubt that he would prevail and her objections were of no consequence. The atmosphere seemed to vibrate with his presence. Estelle was briefly overwhelmed by the attraction she felt towards this arrogant, annoyingly disrespectful, formidably alluring and utterly compelling male who, when he chose, could also be relentlessly gallant and persuasively convincing.

“I shall do precisely as I please.” She tossed her head and blinked back tears of frustration.

“You will do as I have requested or I will have Matthew lock you in your chamber as soon as you have completed your errand in the morning.”

“You would not dare!” She threw the words at him, forgetting about their audience, who were enthralled by the exchange.

“I would not recommend that you put that theory to the test.” His expression softened into a tender caress. She blushed as she felt herself reacting to it deep in her innermost core. “I cannot bring myself to deliberately put you in danger’s path,” he said so softly that she scarce heard the words.

“Do you consider me to be such a goose that I am incapable of facing my father without swooning? Is that what so bothers you?”

“I think no such thing. Your courage is not in question,” he assured her passionately. “But you appear to have lost sight of the fact that there is considerable danger involved. If something goes amiss you would finish up precisely where your father wishes you to be, which is back under his control.”

“I suppose you are right.” Estelle felt the air leaving her lungs and the fight draining from her body. “But I must face him, Alex, can you not see that?” She changed tack, her mood swinging from bellicose to passionately persuasive, her eyes fastened upon his profile as she pleaded for his understanding. “I cannot live the rest of my life wondering if I might one day encounter him or how he might manipulate me if he finds out where I am living. He must see with his own eyes that I no longer fear him, will not be controlled by him and intend to live my life as I see fit, without reference to him.”

“If my plan succeeds you will never have to see him again and so your fears are groundless.”

“What do you intend then, sir?” asked Matthew, his words breaking the tense atmosphere between the combatants.

Estelle dropped her eyes and looked away, embarrassed by the passion which had crept into her expression. It was a passion which had little to do with her fear of her father.

“Ah yes, perhaps if I explain that, you will better understand the impossibility of your attending, Estelle.”

“Anything is possible, I suppose.” She moved away from him and resumed her seat.

Chuckling, Alex leaned against the mantle. “You and I, Porter, plus two of my best men, will reconnoitre the estate tomorrow morning, whilst Estelle and Marianne are acting out their part. We must be sure we know how to get in unobserved.”

“We can give you a lot of help there,” said Matthew. “There is a seldom-used cart track on the northern part of the estate that leads to the back of the woods and on to the garden. You will be able to see the summerhouse from the edge of the woods. Crossing the expanse of open lawn in daylight will be the difficult part.”