The Heart That Lies (26 page)

Finch’s
instructions had been followed without any difficulty. It had been easy enough to find her way to Southampton and the Dolphin inn was one of the largest buildings in the High Street. Although it was late when she had arrived, she had managed to sell the horse and get a bed in the inn. What she had not managed to do before she had taken her place in the coach was to buy another coat. For that reason she had kept Rivers’ coat for longer than she had intended. A man travelling without a coat in December would have attracted too much attention. Each time someone looked at her she feared that she had been found out or would be found out when someone asked why there was blood on her coat. She had burned it as soon as she was out of the village where the coach had left her. It was the last time she had felt warm.

There had been
plenty of time to think about what had happened yesterday, but her thoughts refused to find any order in those events. Was it more incredible that a French spy should come all the way to Hampshire on the remote chance that James had given her something important or that Meldon had proved capable of killing a man so efficiently, or that Finch seemed to have skills that she would only have associated (if she had ever thought about it) with a murderer of many victims? None of it seemed possible, yet it had happened.

Since
she had come to Meldon Hall she had thought that she had understood Meldon, but now she saw that he was even more a stranger to her than he had been to Jonas Smith. As for Finch, she had liked and trusted him immediately and had only had cause to doubt that trust yesterday. It was only the knowledge that Meldon had saved her life and that Finch was helping to keep further events of this kind away from them that kept her calm.

Coming round the corner of a barn she saw the hunting lodge in the distance. A thread of smoke curled out of the chimney. Then she saw the rider coming towards her and all thoughts of asking any questions about what had happened disappeared.
The rider urged his horse to go faster and Anna smiled. Meldon and Finch could keep their secrets. James’ death was avenged and they had both done everything they could to protect her.

Meldon reined his horse in as he came abreast her and he
dismounted quickly. He opened his arms for her, but she shook her head.

“What would anyone passing by think of
seeing their lord kissing another man?”

Immediately Meldon turned away and bowed his head. “I was so relieved to see you that I forgot for a moment...”

Anna looked around; there was no one in sight.

“Let us go
quickly to the lodge.”

Meldon mounted the horse and gave her his hand so that she could swing herself up behind him.

“You must be very cold,” he said when her arms were around him.

“Very,” she agreed.

“There is a fire in the bedroom of the lodge. I wanted you to change in the warm.”

“As I shall never tire of telling you, you are very kind.”

Meldon’s response was to start the horse to a fast canter.

Inside the lodge Anna found a
spacious hall. It contained a large table and many chairs.  It was cleaner than she had expected and she guessed that it was kept ready for Meldon’s rare visits.

“
Now may I kiss you?” Meldon had come in quietly behind her after tending to the horse.

Anna turned round and into his arms. Her kiss was everything she had
promised him yesterday. They were both breathless when they finally broke apart.

“Forgive me,” said Meldon, “I meant to wait until we were by the fire.”

He took her hand and led her into the bedroom where a fire burned fiercely in the grate and her riding habit lay over an armchair.

“I have food, too, if you want it.” Meldon pointed to a
small table where he had laid out a pie, some cheese and a bottle of wine.

“I’m not hungry. I’d rather you kissed me again than...”

Before she could finish, Meldon’s mouth was over hers. This was a different kiss, something new. She felt she knew Meldon’s very soul. She saw his sorrow that she had risked so much for something she didn’t understand, his regret for keeping things from her, but most of all she felt his desire. She had been aware of his desire from the first time they had met and she had seen his struggle to control it. Since their engagement he had been less concerned to hide it from her, but what he revealed now was a desire that all but consumed him. Anna could only respond in kind.

Meldon removed her jacket and waistcoat and they broke apart so that he could lift her
shirt over her head. He stared down at the bandages as if he had forgotten about them. Anna started to unwind them.

“Too slow,” he s
aid, as he bent down to pull the knife from his boot. He began to cut through the bandages. Anna could have told him that it would have been quicker if he allowed her to unwind them, but she said nothing; he was enjoying himself too much.

Anna and Meldon walked side by side for a while. Just in case anyone at the house was suspicious, it was important that Anna’s riding habit look as if she had been walking about all morning.

It was late afternoon by now.
They had slept in the bed and woken ravenously hungry. Having shared the food and wine between them they had tidied the lodge and set off for the house. They said little, but every now and again Meldon would stop, take her in his arms and kiss her. Anna was happier than she thought she had any right to be.

Finally Meldon had to get back on the horse, for it still pained him to walk very far.
He pulled Anna up in front of him.

“It’s a shame Jonas Smith will not be riding with me tomorrow. We
could visit the lodge again.”

“Do you prefer
Jonas Smith to Lady Anna?” Anna could barely ask the question for fear of hearing the answer.

“No, but as I watched you dress I realised it would take me the de
vil of a time to get you out of that habit again.”

Anna laughed. “Then perhaps you should take Jane’s place tonight and practise.”

“Oh, my love, you should not be so generous.”

Anna rested her head against his shoulder. “It is not generous to give you
what is yours.”

When they arrived at the house it seemed the
whole household was waiting for them. Anna had not thought until now how worried Lady Meldon must have been by her prolonged absence.

“Oh, Anna, it’s such a relief to see you.” Lady Meldon took Anna’s hands into hers.

“I’m so sorry, Lady Meldon. If I had known I would give you a moment’s concern I would have returned to the house immediately.”

“These are dangerous times,” said the older woman.

“I told you there was no reason to worry, Mother,” said Meldon, handing a bag down to Finch. “I found her quite early and we have been talking. Our quarrel is quite made up. It is my fault she was away so long.”

The
countess looked up at her son. “I don’t know how you managed to quarrel with someone as sweet-natured as Anna and I can’t forgive you for allowing her to walk off. You should have caught her.”

“Sometimes, Mother, you forget that I am lame.” Meldon’s tone was
sharp.

“And sometimes, George, you forget your manners.” The countess turned back to Anna, “Come inside. I don’t know why George didn’t bring you straight back, you must be
freezing. Simpson, arrange a bath for Lady Anna.”

Anna spared a rueful glance for
Meldon before she allowed herself to be led into the house.

Meldon looked around the gaming room and was glad he had not brought his countess with him. Lady Anna would not have fitted in with the men and their courtesans who filled this hot and smoke-filled room.

He glanced briefly at this companion.
The young man seemed to be enjoying himself. He had certainly won a great deal of money this evening and two women stood by him, hoping to be noticed. The object of their attention looked up and, seeing Meldon looking at him, smiled.

“
It seems you are lucky as well as skilled.”

“I think, my lord, only you know how
lucky I am.”

Meldon
thought it impossible that anyone could be luckier than he himself. He was fortunate in his wife, a woman of sense and intelligence and, it now seemed, fruitfulness.

Marriage had not lessened her interest in the
running of his estate. When the time for lambing had come in the early spring, she had cut her hair and gone to live with him in the hunting lodge, rising at all hours to assist where she could. It had been a time of great happiness.

Meldon had found that
he enjoyed the company of Jonas Smith again and, once lambing was done, had had fashionable clothes made for him. One morning in April he had told his mother that they would be away for a week and then driven Anna to the hunting lodge. All the time she had protested that she had not packed and there were things she needed to do before she could go away for any time.

Once inside the lodge
Meldon had laid out the new clothes. Still Anna did not know his plans, but she smiled and laughed as he helped her out of her clothes. It was mid-afternoon before they were dressed again and had set out in the phaeton to Southampton.

“You
deserve a week’s rest,” he had said as they had driven up to their fashionable lodging.

“I shall certainly need to take the waters
if you are to use me every day in the way you did this morning.”

She made no comment, however, when, once installed in their suite he used her again.

In their lodgings and the gaming rooms Anna was Nicholas Bowen, a distant cousin of Meldon’s; in their bedroom she was the wife of his heart.

Each morning they took the waters and visited the assembly rooms. Each afternoon they took
the phaeton out, taking it in turns to drive out into the countryside around Southampton. In the evening they went to the gaming rooms risking little and winning much.

Meldon’s favourite part of the day was when they closed the door to their suite and he took Anna into his arms and kissed her.

“Do you mind?” she asked one evening as she held his face and looked into his eyes.

“Mind what?”

“That you can only kiss me once a day.”

“It is a small price to pay if you are enjoying yourself.”

“I am. More than I expected.”

“I think I miss Jonas Smith almost as much as you do.”

“We can certainly do some interesting things together,” she said as she unbuttoned his waistcoat.

There would not be much more chance of that for a while, thought Meldon. Anna had conceived
during lambing and was no longer the slim young man she been when they had first met. It was now early July and her figure was filling out. Not enough to disturb the two young women standing either side of her now, but enough to be obvious to the man who knew every inch of her body intimately.

She caught his eye frequently and he guessed that she longed to be in their lodgings as much as he did. In his impatience he lost his hand.

“You seem unable to concentrate this evening, George.”

“If you are ready, we should return to our lodgings, before I lose any more money.”

They walked back in the evening heat and Anna unwrapped her breasts as soon as the door was closed behind them.

“It grows uncomfortable,” she explained.

“Perhaps after the baby is born...”

“Do not think you have seen the last of Jonas Smith.”

Now that she was more comfortable, she sat in his lap, untied his cravat and kissed him.

“I think, though,” she said when he released her much later, “that tomorrow will probably be the last day that anyone else should see him.”

Meldon rose from the chair and carried her into the bedroom.

“As you wish.”

Stafford

24
th
February 1812

My dear Meldon,

I have travelled to Staffordshire in the hope of finding some resolution to the events of this last winter, without success. I did, however, have the satisfaction of visiting the new Marquis of Wreybourne and informing him of Lady Anna’s marriage. His indifference was not, I think, entirely feigned.

I trust that you and the countess are in good health. I do not expect to see you in London for some months. Indeed, I am shortly to go abroad to learn about a new process for strengthening glass during its manufacture. Freddie sends you his love and his thanks for the almost continuous supply of biscuits from Meldon house. If you could find some time while I am away to write to him, I know it would cheer him.

I shall remain here a few days before I return to London, for I am convinced that there is something to be learned and I hope I am the man to learn it.

I saw my father on the way here and he sends his regards. The manufactories are doing well and I shall have news about your investment when next we meet.

I wish I could have had your company as I go away, even thought you know as much about glass as I know about sheep. Nonetheless, I shall miss you.

Your friend, Edmund Finch.