Runaway (25 page)

‘Sweet tempered be damned! She did her best to savage my poor girl!’

‘You’ll remember, my lord, I spoke to you about this yesterday and have done in the past … ’

‘I know what you said! But you weren’t there, were you, John?’

‘No, my lord, but … ’

‘Then how can you know what happened? Judith was there and she told me! The damn horse bucked her off and then tried to savage her!’

‘With the greatest respect, I don’t believe that is quite what happ … ’

‘Are you accusing my granddaughter of lying?’ interrupted Rutherford furiously.

‘No, my lord, merely suggesting that her version of events is … ’

‘Damn it, you are! How dare you? This is not the first time you’ve made insinuations about Judith and I won’t stand for it!’

Lord Rutherford was red-faced and shaking with anger in defence of his beloved granddaughter. I could see why Lawrence had said it was difficult to speak to him.

‘My lord, please! I insinuate nothing. I merely wish to suggest that it is not a coincidence that Judith has problems with
all
her horses.’

‘You hope to get my favour by slandering my closest surviving relative! Well, you are wasting your time! If you continue, I shall have something to say about the way you select dangerous and unsound horses for her!’

‘I understand you, my lord,’ said Lawrence quietly. He attempted no further representations and, after a short silence, finding himself unchallenged, Rutherford added: ‘The horse will be destroyed. It’s a shocking waste of money, but it’s clearly dangerous and therefore I cannot in conscience sell it on.’

A strangled squeak escaped me. Lawrence turned slightly so that I could see his frown and faint shake of the head. He was warning me to stay silent and he was right. No words of mine would convince his lordship. I put my hand to my mouth and bit down hard on my knuckles to stifle my distress.

‘Brookes is coming over in the morning to put a bullet in her and that will be the job done,’ continued Lord Rutherford brutally. ‘I’ll commission someone else to select her next horse.’

Lawrence bowed his head slightly. ‘I hope both you and Judith will be better pleased with the choice,’ he said.

Lawrence took a left turn from the village to get to the farmhouse near Doynton. He said no more. As we lurched over the rough surface, I had to cling on tightly to the rail and couldn’t prevent a tear or two trickling slowly down my face, gathering silently on my chin, and dripping onto my livery.

When we drew up in the farmyard, I jumped down from my perch and took the heads of the first two horses, keeping my face averted from my employers. Lawrence hitched the reins and assisted his lordship in climbing out of the chaise and gave him his arm to the house. He returned to me after a moment.

‘Don’t be distressed, Charlie.’ he said softly. ‘There’s still time to think of something.’

‘Think of what?’ I demanded in a voice that shook. ‘How do we find a way to convince him by tomorrow? It’s impossible!’

Lawrence bit his lip, his eyes downcast, silently admitting the truth of my words.

‘Poor Belle!’ I exclaimed passionately. ‘She’s done
nothing
to deserve this!’

‘I know,’ Lawrence replied. ‘I’m so sorry there’s no opportunity to speak today. This wasn’t at all how I’d planned this trip.’

‘I know,’ I said, my voice low. But at least I’d discovered the truth. I was forewarned. If I’d not heard this conversation, I would have left tonight, unwittingly leaving Belle to her fate. This way, I had the chance to do something. I just didn’t know what yet.

‘Drive the horses into the shade over there, would you?’ Lawrence asked me. ‘They mustn’t stand in the sun and nor should you. We won’t be more than an hour.’ Glancing over at the house to check no one was observing us, he swiftly caught one of my hands in his and pressed it lightly before releasing it.

With a heavy heart, I mounted the chaise, climbing up into the box seat and gathering the reins. In the confusion, Lawrence had quite forgotten that I’d never once driven a team. But I only had to drive the horses some twenty feet; how hard could it be? I found I was right. The principle of driving a team was not fundamentally different to a pair, though I struggled with how best to hold so many reins.

In the shade of the beech trees, my troubles continued to plague me. Belle was sentenced to death in fewer than twenty-four hours. I searched my mind for ways to rescue her from her hideous fate. I pictured myself trying to persuade Lord Rutherford, but I knew if I actually tried to speak to him I would merely stutter uselessly and become tongue-tied under his fierce gaze. Could I persuade Judith to speak for her horse? No, that too was a lost cause.

When the two men returned, I held the horses as Lawrence helped Lord Rutherford climb back into the chaise, then jumped lightly in after him. I swung onto my perch as the carriage pulled away. I noticed Lawrence slowed the carriage for me, a courtesy he had never shown before he had discovered I was a girl.

No sooner was the chaise underway than Lord Rutherford interrupted Lawrence’s talk of the tenants they had just visited to speak of Miss Judith again.

‘I’ve taken a decision, Lawrence!’ he announced. ‘Judith must have a London season this winter! I daresay I shall dislike it greatly, but it must be done. I’ve put it off too long. She must be brought out in form and given something other than her horses and unsuitable young men to think about. I thought she would find a husband at the Bath, but I was mistaken. Nothing but octogenarians, half-pay officers, and fortune hunters! We need to go to London. I won’t have history repeating itself! I’ll leave it to you to supervise the opening up of the town house and engaging of servants, if you please.’

‘Yes, my lord,’ Lawrence replied.

‘I daresay this whole thing will cost me a fortune, but nothing I can’t afford. I’ll buy Judith a new horse myself when we get to London! Until then, she can ride that new gelding you brought back from the last auction.’

‘I bought Caspar for myself, my lord. With my own money. I will be riding him.’

‘If you won’t lend him, I’ll buy him from you, damn you!’ cursed Rutherford.

I bit my lip, appalled at the old man’s autocratic ways. Would Caspar now go the same way as Belle? I waited to hear what Lawrence would say to this.

‘He is not trained to side-saddle, my lord. I could not advise it.’

‘Pooh, I’m sure … ’ began Rutherford.

‘He’s not for sale.’ Lawrence’s tone was firm.

Lord Rutherford’s hands clenched and unclenched in his lap a few times but he said nothing.

‘Have you considered the possibility that it might be better for Judith’s romance to be allowed to run its course?’ asked Lawrence cautiously. ‘That if she were allowed to see the young man regularly in company, she might quite naturally discover for herself that she is not as in love as she thought? If she were … ’

‘Are you giving me advice on raising my own granddaughter?’ demanded Lord Rutherford, turning an interesting shade of purple. I looked at him curiously, wondering if he would suffer an apoplectic fit one of these days with such rages. ‘It’s the outside of enough, coming from a poor relation I’ve rescued from poverty! You’re suggesting I allow my only grandchild to consort with indigent officers who have nothing to live on but their pay? Perhaps you believe I should actually consider allowing her to marry such a lowly fortune hunter? You must be out of your mind, John!’

‘I simply fear that confining such a high-spirited girl, and denying her the one thing she wants above all others … ’ began Lawrence.

‘Silence!’ shouted Rutherford. ‘Good God, you are suggesting I allow her to disgrace not only herself but also me and our family name? Unthinkable! I would disown you if
you
made a marriage half as shameful! You will drive me home without another word.’

Lawrence flinched, but did as requested in tight-lipped silence, driving the team up to their bits at a smart pace. A heightened colour had crept into his face at such a verbal lashing, but he bore himself with his usual quiet dignity.

It seemed I had guessed correctly the root of Judith’s unhappiness and periodic escapes. She was thwarted in love. Not that this excused her cruelty in the slightest, of course. But I could see that perhaps she was venting her deep frustration and unhappiness on her horse.

We were about halfway down the carriageway through the park when I noticed a figure walking down the hill ahead of us. The sun was in my eyes making it difficult to see but there was something vaguely familiar about him; the set of his shoulders and his slight stoop. I watched him pause, open a snuff box, and take a pinch. A prickle of unease ran up the back of my neck.

As we drew level with him, Lawrence drew the horses to a halt. ‘Why, Mr Johnson,’ he said. ‘How do you do? It’s good to see you! Can we take you up?’ He reached down a hand and the other man looked up and shook it. As he turned, I caught a glimpse of his face and my unease turned to terror. It was the magistrate from London.

Lord Rutherford moved over to make room and the man climbed up beside him. I stood behind them rigid with horror. I was now absolutely certain I’d been recognized in London and this man had come after me. So far he hadn’t so much as glanced at me, but I dreaded the moment he did. Through a haze of fear, their conversation reached me. ‘So how is our matter going on, Johnson?’ Rutherford was asking.

‘I’ve done as you instructed, my lord. I’m afraid the business hasn’t prospered so far. But I’m hopeful there may be some better news soon.’

‘That’s capital! I look forward to hearing more. You will dine with us, of course?’

‘Your lordship is too kind.’

We reached the yard and Lawrence reined in the horses. Feeling as though I was caught in a nightmare, I jumped down and ran to the horses’ heads. The magistrate, or Johnson, whoever he really was, climbed down from the chaise and reached up to assist Lord Rutherford. As he did so, his eyes met mine and I knew that he knew me; that he’d expected to see me. His eyes were as hard as stones.

I watched the three men walk off together. The most insane conjectures ran wild through my mind. How did they all know one another? Were they plotting together? What kind of scheme was this?
I’ve done as you instructed.
Could Lord Rutherford be implicated in my father’s death? And what of Lawrence?
Good to see you!
he’d said. An appalling thought struck me. What if it was
Lawrence
who had told him to follow me here? Had all his sympathy and kindness towards me been a lie? But what about last night? I shivered, my mind in turmoil.

‘Come, Charlie, don’t stand around!’ called Steele impatiently. ‘We have a team to see to!’

I set to work in a daze. Numbly, I helped unhitch the team and lead the horses away one by one. I ran to change out of my livery, hanging it carefully on a hook on the wall before racing back down to help groom the four horses.

I glanced at Belle’s box as I worked, but she wasn’t looking out over her half-door at me. I longed to run straight over and check on her. Her warm, comforting presence would help soothe my worst terrors. I also wanted to reassure her that I wasn’t going to let them hurt her. Terror for myself had not made me forget Belle’s danger for an instant.

My last horse stabled at last, I ran to Belle’s box. But as I unlatched the door, I realized the box was empty. ‘Where’s Belle?’ I cried out, fearing the worst at once. ‘Where have they taken her?’

‘Belle?’ asked Steele, bemused. ‘Why, she’s there, in her … Oh!’

Losing all sense of my proper place, I grasped his arm and shook it. ‘Have they shot her? Have they! Tell me at once!’

‘Shot her? No! Why would they?’ asked Steele, astonished. He shook himself free of my hand. ‘Have you lost your mind, Charlie?’

‘But where is she?’ I demanded.

‘Bridges has been in charge of the yard this afternoon while I took Storm to the farrier. Let’s ask him. He’s in the tack room.’

‘Belle?’ Bridges asked bewildered. ‘Isn’t she in her box?’

‘Her saddle is missing!’ I said, pointing to the empty space on the wall where the side-saddle normally hung. I looked across and saw that the hook for the bridle was also empty. Relief swept through me. It didn’t seem likely that anyone would have saddled and bridled a horse to shoot it. She must have been taken out. But there was only one person who would have taken the side-saddle.

‘Has Miss Judith ridden her out?’ I demanded. ‘Belle is not fit enough to be ridden! Her eye!’

Bridges looked concerned. Steele’s eyes were running along the walls. ‘Two saddle-bags are missing,’ he said, indicating an empty shelf. He looked back at us. ‘Why would she take saddle-bags? Has she run away for real this time? How did this happen?’

Bridges sank his head in his hands with a groan. ‘She sent me up to the lodge about two hours ago with a message for Mrs Saunders … And like a fool, I fell for it! If she’s eloped, I’ll never forgive myself.’

‘Charlie, run across to the house and ask them to give an urgent message to his lordship and to Mr Lawrence,’ ordered Steele. ‘They’ll want to send out a search party. Ask if … ’