Lady Ellingham and the Theft of the Stansfield Necklace: A Regency Romance (16 page)

The carriage bearing
the Marquis, the Duke and Emily arrived at Ivy Cottage.  All was in darkness
except for the dim glow of candlelight coming from the bedchamber window, a
worrying circumstance.  Alex sprung from the carriage before it had hardly
stopped, he would need to gain entrance quickly and Emily had informed him that
she did not have a key.  He wasted no time and was already assessing the best
way to gain admittance.

The Duke sprang down
from the carriage, assisting Emily and instructing her to remain quiet if she
valued her husband’s skin. She gave him a fearful but obedient nod, not daring
to make a noise.  She knew the Marquis to be temperate but could not guarantee
his actions if he were crossed and his father appeared to be of very much the
same ilk. The Duke walked forward to the Jarvey instructing him to remain and
slipped him 5 shillings with the promise of further enumeration if he stayed. 
The Jarvey looked in disbelief and gave a low whistle; it was five times the
amount he charged. ‘No problem guvnor,’ he beamed, ‘I’ll wait all night if I
have to.’ The Duke satisfied that the Jarvey would remain, slipped into the
garden after Alex who had already checked the front door and all of the
windows.  They were all locked. Alex called Emily over and whispered, ‘Is there
a back door.’ Emily affirmed that there was a door that led directly to the
kitchen but she doubted that her husband would leave it open. ‘We could just
knock,’ the Duke whispered, ‘after all he will be expecting Emily home.’

‘But not this soon,’
Alex whispered back. ‘I think surprise will be the best element of attack.’ 
The three of them crept slowly around to the back of the cottage.  The Duke was
not taking any chances and he kept Emily close in case she decided to sound the
alarm, but Emily lacked the courage to disobey.  Emily had been right, the back
door was locked but as luck would have it, he noticed that the kitchen window
was slightly ajar.  He moved his fingers under the frame and slowly and quietly
raised the sash until there was enough room for him to crawl through.  Alex
went through first and then opened the back door to admit Emily and the Duke. 
The cottage was in darkness with only the dim light from the failing moon to
guide them.  Alex felt a growing sense of urgency; he had not forgotten that
the only light from the cottage emanated from the bedchamber window.  He
recalled Emily’s description of the house and silently but swiftly headed in
the direction of the bedchamber, with the Duke and Emily following in his wake.
He reached the door and stopped to listen. All was silent.  Instructing his
father to stand back and pulling the pistol out from his belt he stepped back
and with one powerful kick knocked the door off its hinges.

The sight Alex met
terrified him. Adrian was sitting on the corner of the bed leaning over Felicity
and fingering the luxurious curls on her golden head with increasing lust
reflected in his eyes.  The scoundrel’s heart missed a beat in total astonishment
as the bedchamber door fell in and he jumped up in shocked surprise.  He faced
Alex who was ruthlessly approaching with blazing fury on his face.  Adrian did
not stand a chance; the Marquis was upon him like a man possessed.  The two men
grappled and although Adrian struggled valiantly, he was no match for Alex’s
violent temper.  Alex spared no compassion and pummelled him to the floor, his
rage fuelling his anger.  Adrian was practically unconscious when the Duke
stepped forward and hauled his son off his battered body.  The Duke had never
before seen his son in such a rage and believed he would have killed the man if
he had not been there to stop him.

Alex stood up and shook
his father away.  He walked over to the bed where Felicity lay fast asleep,
unconscious of all that was going on around her.  He checked her body for vital
signs and then realising that she was just in a swoon, lifted her unconscious
body and held her close. ‘Thank God.’ Alex exclaimed, ‘She is all right.’

The Duke picked Adrian
up off the floor and sat him in the chair.  He had a cut above his left eye and
blood was dripping down his battered face. He looked over to Alex, ‘Can I trust
you to stay here without killing him.’ Alex nodded, Felicity was all right and
his fury had abated so the Duke left him and went out to instruct the Jarvey to
go and fetch the magistrate and two constables.

Emily stood looking at
her husband aghast.  The compromised situation she had found him in had not
escaped her. She had seen the lustful way her husband was looking at Felicity
and she did not know whether to feel sorry for him or angry.  Alex laid
Felicity back down on the bed and addressed Emily. ‘Is this the kind of man you
have married, a man who abducts innocent women and would betray you in a moment? 
I almost feel sorry for you Emily. You certainly cannot rely on his constancy.’
Emily started to cry as she was bitterly disappointed in her husband, and she
had no words with which to reply.

Lord Stansfield came
back into the room. ‘I have sent the Jarvey for the magistrate; he should be
here in thirty minutes.’  Emily looked horrified and looked at Alex, ‘but you
promised in the theatre, that if I helped you would not send for the
magistrate.’

The Duke coughed, ‘It
is I who called the magistrate not the Marquis, so you cannot blame him.’

Alex sighed, ‘Emily, I
do not know how you came to be involved with such a man as this but things have
gone too far even for me to ignore.  Your husband’s behaviour here tonight is even
beyond my power to forgive. ’

Emily looked around her
desperately.  The Magistrate was the last person she wanted to see; she sidled
towards the opening where the door once hung. When she thought that the Duke
and Alex were not looking she made a bolt for the opening but the Duke spied
her out of the corner of her eye and grabbed her wrist. ‘A loyal wife I see.
Would you leave your husband to face the constable alone? I think not.’

Emily cursed and
brought her little foot down hard on the Dukes toes.  He winced but he held her
firm. ‘Showing your true colours now aren’t you my dear. Don’t think that you
will get the better of me.’

They had not long to
wait until the magistrate arrived accompanied by two local constables.   The
duke ushered them into the already crowded small bedchamber.

The magistrate took one
look at Emily then glanced across the room to Adrian who was still sitting
slumped in a chair with his arms dangling at his sides and beamed. ‘Well well,
what have we here? If it is not Patrick and Rosie Fielding!’  He looked like a
cat that had licked the cream.  Emily defiantly put her chin up and retorted,
‘I am quite sure that I do not know what you are talking about.’

Alex and Gareth looked
at each other in astonishment and Alex turned to the magistrate. ‘I have never
heard of Patrick and Rosie Fielding, are you sure?’

The magistrate walked
over to Adrian, grabbed him by the hair and lifted his head from his chest to
get a clearer view.  ‘The pair appear a little different but it is them all
right.  Bow Street has been after this pair for nearly two years now.’ He
rubbed his hands together in obvious glee, ‘my, this is a very productive
evening.’

Emily tried to bolt
again but the two constables quickly restrained her.  She struggled but they
held her firm and when she realised that the game was truly up, she burst out
in a barrage of unladylike abuse in a broad cockney accent.   Alex would never
have believed it if he had not heard it with his own ears.  

The magistrate took
over. ‘I shall take it from here gentlemen.’  He nodded to The Duke. ‘I know
your direction; we will probably need to speak to you again.’

Alex walked over to the
bed and picked up a still unconscious Felicity who groaned on being disturbed. 
‘We shall be on our way then gentlemen,’ he said and the three made their way
to the waiting carriage.

On reaching the carriage,
Alex handed Felicity to his father so that he could climb into the carriage. 
Gareth duly handed her back as Alex settled in the swabs and placed Felicity
across his knee.  Gareth climbed in after him and instructed the Jarvey to move
on.   Felicity lay restless in Alex’s arms and as he looked down upon her, he
affectionately swept back the loose tendrils of hair that had long since loosed
from its pins and fallen over her face. She was still very drowsy and groaned
but was slowly coming to her senses.  Alex did not know what Adrian had done
but he had knocked her out for a good while and he could only be grateful that
she could not remember the compromising position in which he had found her, and
prayed thanks to God that he had not arrived too late.  

******

      When John the Coachman eventually dropped the ladies off at Stansfield Park,
the Dowager had managed to reassure Lady Ellingham with some success.  She took
Sophia’s hand and patted it, ‘Do not worry Sophia I have known my grandson for
29 years and my son for another 20 years before that.  I have never known them
to fail in anything that they have put their minds to.   They will be back
before midnight I can guarantee it.’

The Dowagers words give
Lady Ellingham some  comfort and the old ladies confidence had her almost believing
it, never the less she could not rest until Felicity was safely back in the
bosom of her family.  Sophie gave the Dowager a wan smile, ‘I am sure you are
right Elise but goodness knows how I am going to break this news to Richard. 
He is a gentle soul, but in circumstances such as this, I do not think that
that he will rest on his laurels.  I cannot see him being prepared to leave
everything to Gareth and Alex and he will want to chase after them.  Oh Dear,’
she continued despairingly, ‘what am I to say to him, he cannot possibly go out
as late as this, being indisposed as he is, and yet I fear he will try.’

Elise looked at the ormolu
clock on the mantelshelf to check the time. It was only ten to eleven.  She
looked at the Countess, ‘then my dear I suggest we delay in telling him and
with a bit of luck they will be back before we need to say anything.’

Lady Ellingham looked
shocked. ‘Not tell him! Oh but don’t you think that I should?  He would be as
mad as fire if he knew I kept such a serious matter from him, he would never
forgive me.’

The wise old Lady just
smiled. ‘I think you over react Sophia.  He will be annoyed of course but I am
sure he is not going to hold it against you for all eternity, especially when
he knows that you just have his interests at heart,  and when Felicity is
returned safely he will be too relieved to even think about it.’  The Countess
bit her lip; she was divided between her duty of telling Richard and her desire
to keep him from doing anything rash.  She would never forgive herself if he
did further damage to his injured foot.

 The decision however
was taken out of her hands because Richard’s bedchamber was at the front of the
house and he had heard the carriage pull into the driveway.  He had guessed
that the party had returned home early, was curious as to why and still more mystified
that no one had called into his room to see him.  Felicity had a habit of
unceremoniously bursting in to see him whenever she had been somewhere exciting
and regaling him with a detailed account of her whole evening.

 He called for William
his valet and sent him downstairs to enquire after the party.  William knocked
on the drawing room door and poked his head around.  The Countess gave a start,
‘Oh it is you William, do come in.’

William entered
gingerly. ‘His Lordship has sent me down to enquire after you as you appear to
have returned from the theatre rather early.’  Lady Ellingham sighed; Richard
was not going to make this easy.  William only had to take one look at the Countess
and the Dowager to realise that something was seriously amiss.  He ventured to
enquire, ‘Is anything the matter My Lady, Your Grace? Perhaps I can help.’

William had worked for
the Marquis for 8 years and she knew she could trust him. ‘Oh William, I am
afraid the most dreadful thing has happened and we are not sure how to tell
Richard, but now he knows we are home there is no avoiding it I suppose.’   She
proceeded to recount the events of the evening, and swearing the Valet to
secrecy. ‘You see,’ she concluded,’ we do not want Richard doing anything silly
and racing off to Harrogate, but there will be no stopping him once he finds
out.’

William agreed that
Richard was in no fit state to be going out this time of night, especially when
things appeared to be in hand but thought that he should be told. ‘Perhaps My Lady
he will listen to me.’

The Countess looked
hopeful. ‘Oh do you think so William, maybe between us we can dissuade him from
doing anything premature.  Ah well, he will be wondering where we are, I
suppose we cannot delay much longer.’ 

The three of them
climbed the stairs and entered Richards’s bedchamber.  He greeted them with a
smile but it disappeared as soon as he noticed the troubled look on all of
their faces.  Richard listened in silence as his mother related to him the
events of the evening, how Entwhistle had taken Felicity and that Gareth and
Alex were hot on their tail. The Dowager asserted that her son and grandson
could be relied upon and that they would be back before midnight.  The three
stood and watched Richard as he lay on the bed quietly absorbing the information
and then suddenly he swung his legs over the side. ‘William bring me my riding
jacket and boots and send the groom instructions to saddle my horse.’