Nicola Cornick (35 page)

‘And Lady Carberry? How is she?’

Fordyce paused. James could barely curb his frustration. What was the matter? Where was everyone? Fordyce spoke with lugubrious deliberation.

‘Her ladyship is much better, my lord. However, she is from home. The Earl and Countess of Kilgaren are in the drawing-room, should you care to—’

But James was gone.

Caroline had never seen James enter a room so precipitately. She had been sitting on the window-seat in the sunshine, dozing contentedly over a book, listening to the soft rustling of the pages turning as Marcus read a two-day-old copy of the
Gazette
. Then the door slammed and James had erupted into the room like a tornado.

‘I understand Alicia is from home!’ he began, without preamble. ‘What the devil is going on here?’

Marcus put down his newspaper and got to his feet in a leisurely manner.

‘Good day, James,’ he said mildly. ‘How nice it is to see you again!’

James had the grace to look a little ashamed of himself. He shook Marcus’s hand and came across to the window-seat to kiss Caroline.

‘I beg your pardon. I hope that you are both well. I have but this minute arrived, and been told by Fordyce that Alicia is not at home! I apologise for the fact that it put all other thoughts out of my head!’

Caroline put down her book and rose to her feet, smiling. ‘It’s too fine a day to be cooped up indoors. Come outside and we will tell you
what has been going on here! But first tell us what happened in London. Is Westwood safely locked away?’

She slipped her hand through James’s arm and steered him out of the French windows. Beyond the formal terrace stretched the woodland garden, and the three of them strolled through this as James gave them the details of what had been happening in London. The grassy glades were thick with bluebells and they sat down on a couple of rustic benches in a patch of sun as James turned expectantly to them.

‘Well? You must know that I am positively expiring with impatience! How can it be that Alicia, who should by rights be considering herself an invalid, should go off visiting or whatever at such a time?’

‘You mean,’ Marcus corrected dryly, ‘how can it be that Alicia, who should be here waiting for you in a fever of gratitude and impatience, should have the bad taste to be from home when you choose to call!’

James scowled at him. ‘Well, I’ll allow that I did expect some show of appreciation, even if it was too much to expect the wretched girl to fall into my arms!’

Caroline sighed, propping her chin on her hand. ‘I don’t know what’s going through Alicia’s mind at present, James, for she does not speak to me. At first when we brought her home she simply slept all the time. We called Dr Pym from Bath, but he said that no real harm had been done, though, of course, she was deeply shocked and distressed. After a few days she seemed a little better, but she was quieter than I have ever seen her and she barely spoke a word. She wasn’t difficult about anything,’ Caroline added thoughtfully. ‘In fact she was quite docile and passive, but it was most odd—and most out of character!’

James raised his eyebrows, struggling to come to terms with this completely alien description of his beloved. One might describe Alicia in many ways, but mild and submissive she was not. God forbid that her experiences had turned her into a mouse!

Marcus smiled slightly. ‘Yes, I must admit I’ve never seen Alicia like that before! Caro finally got her to talk about Westwood and the ordeal she’d been through, but Alicia showed no emotion whatsoever and when Caro tried to turn the conversation to you James, Alicia simply wouldn’t speak at all!’

Caroline’s mouth drooped despondently. ‘It’s true, James,’ she said unhappily. ‘Then two days ago we got your letter telling us to expect you soon, and Alicia said nothing, but—’

‘Yesterday she rose very early and left without a word!’ Marcus finished for her. ‘She left a note apologising for abandoning us like that, but said she could not face you at the moment and needed time to think. Nobody knows where she has gone!’

‘Well, Fordyce knows,’ Caroline amended, ‘but he told us that Alicia had sworn him to secrecy. Oh, it really is too bad of her! When I see her again—’ She broke off with a rueful smile as Marcus took her hand in his in a soothing gesture.

James was tight-lipped with annoyance. ‘So Fordyce knows, does he?’ he asked, getting purposefully to his feet.

‘James,’ Caroline called after him, hopelessly, ‘don’t make him tell you…Don’t!’ But it was too late. James’s tall figure could be seen cutting across the terrace and into the house without a backward glance. Marcus gave a resigned sigh and pulled his wife to her feet.

‘What a delightful place this is—when our friends are not here to cause us problems! Come along, my love! We may be needed to keep the peace!’

‘Fordyce,’ James said directly when the butler had made his usual stately entrance in response to the bell, ‘I understand that you know of Lady Carberry’s present whereabouts. Is that so?’

Fordyce permitted himself a small, discreet nod of the head. ‘It is so, my lord.’

‘Where is she?’

‘Her ladyship gave instructions that her whereabouts be divulged to no one, I fear, my lord.’

James gave him a hard stare. He had his impatience well in hand now, but he was still taut with annoyance.

Fordyce maintained a prudent silence. Every last one of the servants was behind the Marquis of Mullineaux in his courtship of Lady Carberry, but it was evident to them all that she was making things extremely difficult for him. Fordyce considered Lord Mullineaux thoughtfully. He suspected that he was the sort of man who could be relied upon to bring matters to a successful conclusion and would very likely brook no opposition. The delicate question from Fordyce’s own point of view was how much help he should offer. He decided to test the water.

‘Her ladyship is expected back in a few days, my lord,’ he offered. ‘If your lordship would be good enough to wait—’

‘No, thank you.’ James was polite but firm. ‘I have an alternative plan. I wish to go and meet Lady Carberry.’

Fordyce swallowed hard. Both Caroline and Marcus, who had not said a word, were looking at him with identical quizzical expressions. Fordyce capitulated.

‘I hope, sir,’ he said severely, looking at James very straight, ‘that you will understand my motives for divulging the following piece of
information. Her ladyship is visiting her sister, Mrs St Auby, in Taunton. She has sent a message to the effect that she expects to set out for home the day after tomorrow.’

James’s face broke into a grin. ‘Thank you, Fordyce. You’re a good man! I know you have your mistress’s best interests at heart, and I assure you that in that we are at one!’

Fordyce could not be said to have smiled, but he almost did. ‘Very good, sir. Shall I give orders for the carriage to be prepared?’

James laughed. ‘Certainly, Fordyce.’ He turned to look at Caroline and Marcus as Fordyce made his stately exit from the room. ‘We are all three going on a journey to Ottery!’

Marcus groaned. ‘You push the bounds of friendship a long way, James! In the last few weeks you’ve dragged us halfway across the country!’

James came across the room to them. His face was alight with amusement and a new determination now that he could at last plan a course of action. ‘Patience, Marcus! I know you would both wish to be present at my wedding! Here is what we shall do…’

It was a sunny afternoon on the road to Ottery. The sky was a bright, clear azure without a cloud in sight and a light breeze blew across the levels, carrying the scents of summer.

The brilliant splendour of the day suited Alicia’s mood ill. She had spent a miserable few days visiting Annabella, who had been loud in her discussions of their father’s death and tiresomely superior about her own married state. It was easy to see, however, that matters were not very happy in the St Auby household. Although Annabella had proved to be Bertram Broseley’s sole heir, his fortune had not been as great as expected and tempers were short.

Annabella’s ill-concealed enquiries about Alicia’s future plans all too obviously stemmed from her own self-interest, so in the end Alicia had told her that she was thinking of retiring from Society and living as a recluse. Annabella had appeared delighted, pressing her to stay as long and as often as she wished, exchanging a glance of obvious complicity with her young husband. Alicia had felt vaguely sickened and was glad her visit was but a short one.

Now, of course, she had ample time to consider her own situation. Once the shock of her abduction had faded, she had chafed at the idea of sitting waiting for James to come back to Chartley. She really did not feel that she could bear to face another proposal from him. Would he forever be rescuing her from the consequences of her own folly? It was intolerable to consider. Despite her own deep feelings for him,
Alicia was even more determined that he should feel under no obligation to offer for her. If the only way to avoid him was to live retired, she would quite happily do so. She even considered living abroad in order to ensure that she kept out of his way. It was a miserable thought, but it had to be considered. Once James realised that she was determined not to accept his suit, surely pride would ensure that he left her in peace?

Alicia was so lost in her thoughts that it was a moment before she realised that the carriage had stopped. They were a couple of hundred yards away from the village of Ottery, for she could see the spire of the church against the sky and the stone walls of the first cottages. Alicia would have chosen just about anywhere else to be delayed, the village bringing as it did memories of her first encounter with James a bare few months before. She sighed with vexation and pushed the carriage window down.

‘Jack! What is going on? Why have we stopped?’

There was a pause before the voice of the coachman, noticeably expressionless, floated down to her.

‘There’s a gentleman here wishing to have speech with your ladyship. He requests that you step down from the carriage.’

A strong premonition seized Alicia. She could not see around the front of the coach, but then she did not really need to in order to know who was there.

‘Ridiculous!’ she snapped. ‘I will do no such thing! Drive on at once, Jack!’

There was another pause before Jack spoke again.

‘Begging your pardon, my lady, I cannot.’

‘Cannot?’ Alicia stuck her head out of the window in exasperation. ‘From whom do you take your orders, Jack?’

‘Why, from you, ma’am, of course.’ Jack sounded infuriatingly placid. ‘The trouble is, my lady, that the gentleman has a pistol.’

Inside the carriage Miss Frensham heard this and began to twitter. She had been extremely highly strung ever since the episode at the inn outside Bath, where she had spent a very uncomfortable time until being rescued by Marcus Kilgaren.

‘Oh, Lady Carberry, I cannot bear it! Do as he says, I implore you!’

Alicia ignored her. ‘You surely cannot believe that he would use it, Jack! Drive on, I say!’

‘I have a responsibility to my passengers and for the horses, ma’am,’ the coachman returned. ‘I cannot risk injury or damage. Please dismount, ma’am.’

Alicia slammed the window shut in fury and wrenched the door open.
There was no doubt about it—she would have to face James, for she was sure it was he. As she let down the steps he came alongside the carriage, smiling wickedly at her furiously flushed countenance.

‘Alicia, did your grandmother never tell you that it is very bad
ton
to cause a scene on a public highway?’

Alicia’s voice was squeaky with annoyance. ‘You are the one causing the scene, Mullineaux, with this outrageous behaviour!’

‘Then step aside to speak to me, my love,’ James said whimsically, ‘before I add to the scandal further by dragging you bodily from your carriage!’

Miss Frensham, an interested bystander, gave a little scream. Having been robbed of her chance to defend Alicia on the previous occasion, she threw herself into the part now.

‘Oh, that I should ever live to see such goings on on the King’s highway! You, sir—’ she pointed her umbrella at James ‘—are a black-guard and a bounder masquerading as an honest gentleman! To think that Lady Carberry should be subject to such an outrage…’

James was smiling broadly. ‘Doing it too brown, ma’am! Never fear, I mean Lady Carberry no harm! My apologies for interrupting your journey—Jack will convey you to Ottery Manor, where you will find the Earl and Countess staying with the Squire and Mrs Henley. If you would be so good as to ask them to join us at the church, we may proceed with the nuptials!’

Miss Frensham subsided on the seat, her face the picture of affronted dignity. ‘A runaway match! And with the connivance of the Earl and Countess of Kilgaren! Well I never—’

‘Just so, ma’am!’ James turned back to Alicia and held out his hand with a grave courtesy to help her descend.

Alicia, who had stood by all this time in astonished silence, looked at him thoughtfully. He was looking particularly handsome, but also definitely unyielding. In an undignified tussle of wills or, worse, a physical struggle, she was certain that she would lose. She put her hand tentatively in his and felt his fingers close round hers strongly. There was a glimmer of a smile in the look which he gave her, then he closed the carriage door on Miss Frensham, gestured to Jack, and the carriage set off at a brisk pace, leaving James and Alicia alone in the road.