Realm 06 - A Touch of Love (52 page)

“Having one’s days and nights confused is difficult to correct.” He motioned her to a nearby chair. “Is there any word on Blakehell?”

“The baroness reports her husband will recover quickly, assuming they can stave off infection.”

“Excellent,” the earl declared. “I am very proud of you, my Dear.”

Lucinda shared, “The baroness received word from Lord Hellsman. He, the baronet, and the marquis rescued Lady Arabella, but Sir Carter killed Lord Ransing in the chaos.”

The earl’s expression darkened. “I hate to know the baronet has stumbled into a scandal. It will be difficult to avoid the gossip.”

Lucinda’s eyes filled with wariness. “The scandal will taint your door also, Sir. If you wish to withdraw your protection, I shall understand.”

The earl peered at her with irritation. “I will not hear such protestations. You are my dearest girl. Roderick would never have abandoned you, and neither will I.”

Lucinda looked away before her tears could betray her. She had become quite the watering pot of late. With a great effort, she presented her uncle a tremulous smile. “I must plead for your assistance, Uncle.” Lucinda reached for the letter. “This came for Sir Carter. It bears the directions the baronet gave when we sought news of Simon’s family. Would you do me the favor of reading it?”

“Would you not wish to read it first?’ He accepted the letter, but made no move to open it.

Lucinda shook off his suggestion. “I have been anxious to be free of Simon for nearly seven months, but now that the possibility exists of his leaving, I find I would miss him sorely.”

Charleton nodded curtly. “Then permit me to be your emissary.” He chipped the sealing wax from the closure and unfolded the single page. Lucinda bit her bottom lip in anxious anticipation. “This is from a Mr. Cohen.”

“That is the man Sir Carter and I met in Manchester,” she explained. “He is a respected member of the Jewish community. The baronet told Cohen we found a babe in one of the Spanish villages, and we had assumed responsibility for the boy.”

Her uncle nodded absent-mindedly as he read the message. “Sir Carter honestly shared his interaction with Mr. Cohen when I questioned him in Manchester.”

“Has Cohen found Simon’s mother?” she asked in exasperation. The not knowing was worst than the knowing.

Her uncle held the letter while he paraphrased. “Mr. Cohen believes he has located Simon’s grandparents. He is concerned because the Cottos’ story does not coincide with the one the baronet has shared; yet, Cohen expresses confidence in his find. He asks Mr. and Miss Patrick to meet him on Monday at the same inn as previously. He will bring the boy’s grandparents with him.”

“This is Friday,” Lucinda reasoned. “Should we travel tomorrow or Monday?”

The earl motioned Mr. Priest to fetch paper and ink. “I will write to Cohen immediately and arrange a late afternoon meeting. I prefer not to travel on the Sabbath.”

Lucinda could not hide the disappointment. “Then we will remain at Blake’s Run for two more days.”

The earl’s eyebrow rose in question. “I thought you would wish to wait for Sir Carter’s return–to assure yourself of the baronet’s health.”

“I would,” she admitted reluctantly. “I am just anxious to begin my new life as your niece.”

“You are already my family,” he said lovingly. “There is no waiting necessary.”

“We are agreed.” Worthing controlled the conversation, but it had been Carter’s ideas upon which they had settled. “We cannot keep Mrs. Warren’s name from the investigation, but we will tell everyone the earl discovered Colonel Rightnour’s suspicions regarding his daughter’s husband. When Charleton shared the colonel’s private papers with his niece, Mrs. Warren turned over the information to Lowery.”

“It is good to bury a lie deeply within the truth,” Godown observed. “But we should send word to Charleton to secure any papers which could prove otherwise.”

Carter nodded his agreement. “I will see to it. As Law will not return to Blake’s Run until tomorrow, I will ask him to ferry the message to Charleton.”

Lexford played with the stem of his glass. “We must locate more of the paintings. Even if we are correct about the two in the attic, we must prove there are more pieces in question. It is necessary to portray Ransing as the vile creature he was.”

“It goes to say we must search the viscount’s residence in Staffordshire, as well as his father’s manor in Cheshire,” Godown reasoned. “I could oversee the Staffordshire search and Lexford the one in Cheshire.”

Carter rationalized, “We must also search Woodstone’s property in Oxford and Monroe’s in Cornwall. It would be best if we organized the searches,
coordinating them to occur on the same day and time. Doing so would prevent word spreading and providing a warning to the others.”

Lexford added, “We should look also into the minor estates. If I had stolen artwork, I would hide it in a less obvious place.”

Godown reasoned, “I am certain Pennington will be aware of all the appropriate properties.”

Worthing pursued the topic further. “What of Captain Warren? He must have had an accomplice in England. Someone beyond Cyrus Woodstone.”

Worthing’s words circled in a loop in Carter’s mind.
Where would Warren hide artwork? Who would he trust not to betray him?
“I know,” he said excitedly. “His parents’ home in Devon. When Mrs. Warren returned to England, her husband’s family turned her away, claiming their grief too severe. They would not admit her into their home.”

“Sounds as if the Warrens had something to hide,” Lexford observed.

Kerrington agreed. “Did you not say Monroe held connections to those in Devon? Perhaps there are several sites in close proximity.”

A renewed wave of protectiveness caught Carter off guard. “I wish to lead the investigation into the Warrens,” he declared. “It would do me well to right the wrong they presented to Mrs. Warren.”

On Saturday, Lord and Lady Hellsman returned to Blake’s Run, but Sir Carter did not, and Lucinda knew instant disappointment. She had celebrated Arabella Lowery’s arrival for Lady Hellsman remained Lucinda’s dearest friend. “It was terrible,” Bella confessed as Lucinda assisted her friend into a clean dress. “I was certain Lord Ransing would kill Hellsman, but Carter completed the deed before Lawrence could react.

Lucinda tied Bella’s laces. “How did Lord Hellsman respond to his brother’s sacrifice?” Lucinda asked tentatively.

In the mirror’s reflection, Bella could observe Arabella’s pronounced frown. “Lawrence knew shock. I believe my husband felt robbed of his manhood; Hellsman meant to save me, but Lord Godown freed me, and Carter ended Lord Ransing’s threats.”

Lucinda ventured, “I would imagine Sir Carter meant to spare his brother the pain of knowing death first hand.”

Bella nodded knowingly. “I have said the same to Hellsman. My husband’s brother is a man built to protect those he affects. I am certain there will be less controversy with Carter’s position than if Lawrence delivered the deadly blow. My husband and the viscount held a long history of animosity.”

“Lord Hellsman’s reputation could suffer,” Lucinda reasoned. She despised how her late husband’s perfidy had tainted the lives of the Lowerys. The thought added to her resolve to place Sir Carter from her life.
But never from your heart
, she silently chastised.

Bella straightened the seams of her dress. “We shall weather whatever comes our way.” She turned to face Lucinda. “Am I presentable enough to call upon the baron?”

Lucinda smiled weakly. “You are exquisite, but I am certain Baron Blakehell would easily have accepted the smudges on your other gown. The baron has worried for your return.”

“I carry the title’s heir,” Arabella said petulantly, “but my father in marriage’s concern is a welcomed step in bringing the family together.” She squeezed Lucinda’s hand. “I shall see you at supper. I am most anxious to learn more of your rescue and your bravery.”

On Monday, Lucinda and Lord Charleton made their farewells as the baroness and the Hellsmans looked on. A message had come from Sir Carter, but Lucinda was not privy to its contents. It was meant for the baroness only. She knew it was improper for him to write to her, especially when she kept company with his family, but a part of her had wished for a small gesture upon which to hang her hopes. Despite recognizing how well they would not suit, Lucinda could not forget Carter Lowery.

“We should be in Manchester within the hour,” Lord Charleton announced.

Lucinda placed her wayward thoughts away on a mental shelf. “It shall be wonderful to have this matter settled.” She stroked Simon’s hair. The boy had
tired of asking questions of her and the earl and had settled upon the bench seat beside her for a nap.

“The boy could remain with us,” Charleton suggested.

Lucinda’s hand stilled. “I appreciate your willingness to assume Simon’s care, but I cannot help but to think the boy should be with his family.”

“Family is important,” Charleton agreed. “And I understand the pain of losing those important in one’s life.”

“As do I,” she said softly. “I imagine Simon’s grandparents most anxious to be reunited with their daughter’s child.”

S
ir Phillip had arrived on Friday and Pennington on Saturday. The magistrate agreed they could not contact Ransing’s family until Pennington could organize the governmental counter raids. Carter had been pleased the magistrate had acted so sensibly. Because of the smell of decay, which had already set it, they had wrapped Ransing’s body, as well as the two other men who had lost their lives that evening, in several sheets and placed them in the barn.

With the pressing need for secrecy, they also agreed to keep Ransing’s associates imprisoned at the viscount’s estate. The fewer people who knew of their plans the better. “At eight of the clock on Wednesday,” Pennington confirmed. The Realm’s leader had thought the coordinated raids an excellent idea and had praised Carter’s ingenuity.

“We should depart,” Godown reasoned. “If we tarry too long, I suspect the locals will begin to question our presence in the area.”

Pennington agreed, “Henderson and Van Dyke will escort the prisoners to London. I will send one of our men to take possession of Woodstone’s associates later in the week. From what Lexford and Worthing have shared, I suspect the two who assisted with Mrs. Warren’s abduction were nothing more than a pair of unemployed lackeys.”