The Duke's Deception (11 page)

Luckily it
didn’t come to that for Theo encountered Arabella riding her docile cob around
the park, her face pale and her eyes red and puffy. He expertly halted his phaeton
and leant down to speak to her.

‘Lady Arabella,
I have come to beg you to accompany me back to Bentley Hall. Charles is
desperately ill and calling for you. I don’t think he will last the night
without you there to comfort him.’

She did not
hesitate. ‘I will come, sir.’ Theo’s tiger jumped down and took the reins of
her mare. He then handed her into the carriage. ‘Take Starlight back to the
Hall and tell my parents where I have gone,’ she instructed him.

The lad glanced
up at Theo, who nodded. ‘Very well, your ladyship.’

‘You will have
to walk home, Jim.’ He tossed the boy a sixpence. ‘Take your time. I’ll not
expect you back before morning.’ Theo flicked his whip; the four matched
chestnuts sidestepped and the phaeton turned. He snapped his whip again and the
horses surged forward.

Arabella hung on
to the side of the rocking vehicle but didn’t utter a single protest. The
carriage rattled back along the narrow lanes covering the four miles in record
time. Three grooms ran forward as Theo pulled up in front of Bentley Hall.

He jumped down
first and reached out to swing his passenger to the ground. ‘What a lark! It’s
a long time since I sprung by horses in a country lane. Hope you’re not too
shaken by the experience, Lady Arabella?’ He smiled down at the young lady
still needing the support of a groom to remain upright.

‘No, it was a
delightful drive, I thank you, Sir Theodore. I was anxious to arrive quickly.’

He grinned. ‘And
we certainly did that, beat my own record, I daresay.’

He offered his
arm and gratefully she clutched it. ‘I shall take you to Mr Grierson, my dear.
I warn you he is as sick as a cushion but my man is taking care of him now.
With you to hold his hand, I don’t doubt he will rally soon enough.’

He set out at a
brisk pace through the house and straight into the sickroom. ‘Here we are,
Vincent, look who I have brought to soothe the poor boy’s fevered brow.’

Vincent bowed
politely at the visitor. ‘You are welcome indeed, Lady Arabella. The patient
has been calling your name repeatedly.’

Arabella run
across the room to drop onto the chair vacated by Lady Grierson earlier.
‘Charles, my darling, I am so sorry I didn’t come before.’ She lifted his hands
and held them to her lips, dropping kisses and tears in equal measure.

Charles opened
his eyes and seeing the one person he loved above all others sitting at his
side his mouth curved, his eyes bright with fever but still lucid.

‘He is awake,
and he recognizes me,’ Arabella cried. ‘Charles, my love, you will get better
now will you not? I promise I’ll stay by your side until you do.’ His fingers
closed over hers and he nodded slightly, too weak to speak.

Theo sat by the
window watching as Lady Arabella sponged the patients face tenderly and held
the cup containing the healing bark to his lips. He hoped Charles would be
sufficiently out of danger by the time the Hawksmiths appeared to collect their
daughter. It could only be a matter of time before they were on the doorstep
baying for his blood.

*

The sound of
raised voices in the hall directly under Marianne’s bedroom roused her. She sat
up, disorientated. How did she come to be in bed? She remembered sitting in the
sunshine in the rose garden but nothing further.

She scrambled
out of bed surprised to discover she was in her chemise. Then she saw the
fresh, sea-green dimity afternoon gown laid out over the back of the chair
ready for her to step into.

The noise from
downstairs was escalating. Whatever was going on? Without waiting for Jane she
pulled the gown on over her head pleased to see it had no buttons or sashes to
do up. She found the matching slippers and pushed in her bare feet. Lady
Grierson would be scandalized by her lack of hosiery but she had no time to
waste.

She ran the
fingers of one hand through her short hair as she sped down the corridor her
skirts held high. From fast asleep to dressed and moving had taken her less
than five minutes. She reached the gallery and paused to see who was creating
such a furore. To her amazement she saw Lady Arabella’s parents were doing the
shouting. And standing nonchalantly in their path was a smiling Cousin Theo.

Chapter
Eleven

For a second
Marianne was tempted to retreat and not risk a second meeting with Lord Hawksmith
but Theo sensing she was there, glanced up and left her no choice. She would
have to go down.

‘Lord and Lady
Hawksmith, what a delightful surprise. I must apologize for not being here to
greet you. I was resting in my room.’

Lord Hawksmith
gave her a cursory nod, Lady Hawksmith ignored her. Theo looked down, his face
hidden from the irate visitors and his comical expression made her an immediate
conspirator.

‘Where is my
daughter, you rogue? I demand she be fetched at once,’ his lordship roared.

Marianne
curtsied politely. ‘I will go and see if she is able to attend you, my lord.
Pay excuse me for a moment.’ She did not have far to go for Lady Arabella was
already on her way.

‘Marianne, I’m
so glad to see you. Charles is not going to die. I am so happy I could burst.’
She ended her greeting by embracing Marianne with
unassumed
delight.

Marianne
somewhat taken aback by this
volte face,
returned the hug. ‘Arabella, I am so pleased to hear your news. It seems all it
needed was for you to come to his side, I believe you may have saved his life.’

Arabella stepped
back, her cheeks wet. ‘I didn’t understand how much I loved him until it was
almost too late. I don’t care what my parents say, I won’t return with them. I
am staying here.’

‘Lady Grierson
is here also so there can be no objection on that score. We are well
chaperoned.’

Arm in arm the
two girls hurried back to the hall. Marianne felt Arabella tense as they
approached. ‘Sir Theo will not let them take you if you don’t wish to go,’ she
whispered.

Lady Hawksmith
spotted her errant daughter’s approach. ‘Come here at once, Arabella. How dare
you journey to Bentley Hall without our permission?’

Arabella halted
beside Theo. ‘No, I’m sorry but I cannot come. Charles is very ill and he needs
me to be here for the moment. I’ll return when he is out of danger.’

Lady Hawksmith
turned purple and appeared to swell. Her husband laid a placating arm on hers.
‘Let her be, my dear, let her be. Shouting will not change things. I do believe
our little princess has grown up.’ He smiled sadly at Arabella. ‘You are
determined on this course, my love?’ Arabella nodded, too distressed to speak
further. ‘Very well - stay. I assume Lady Grierson is here as well?’ The girl
nodded a second time. ‘Then we can have no objection. Go back to your young
man, Bella, with my blessing.’

Arabella ran
forward and embraced her father then turned and fled before he could change his
mind or her mother intervene.

‘She is not left
alone in the sickroom, I presume, Sir Theodore?’

‘No, of course
not. Blake, the housekeeper and my man have been with her at all times. And she
will not remain there overnight; I shall do that watch myself.’

Lord Hawksmith
looked across at his wife. ‘We had to let her go sometime, my dear. And at
least married to young Devenish she will not be so far away.’

At the mention
of marriage Lady
Hawksmith’s
mouth closed tighter and
her eyes became slivers of granite. ‘Until Charles Devenish has a home and
income to support our daughter in the manner to which she is accustomed there
will be no match.’ Allowing her husband no time to reply she stalked out of the
house.

He shrugged
apologetically. ‘She is upset but she will come round. Tell young Devenish I expect
to see him at Bromley Hall when he’s back on his feet again.’ Then he too
turned and vanished through the open front door.

‘Well! That was
most exhilarating. I do so enjoy being shouted at.’

Marianne
giggled. ‘It serves you right. I take it you collected Arabella without their
permission?’

He grinned. ‘I
could hardly ask them, now could I?’ He slipped his arm through hers and pulled
her closer. ‘Is Edward here or at Frating Hall?’

‘I have no idea
but I’m sure Tom and Billy will be around the stables somewhere. One of them
can take the good news to Lord Grierson.’

‘Shall we stroll
out together and find them?’

Marianne knew
she should remove her hand but it felt so good resting where it was. Strangely
breathless she attempted to continue the conversation. ‘Arabella is a different
person today. I find I can like her now.’

‘I agree; a vast
improvement on the simpering miss we met before.’ He glanced down at her. ‘She
looks better than you did when I discovered you asleep in the rose garden this
morning.’

Marianne flushed
and looked away. ‘I did wonder how I had arrived in my bedroom.’

The warm
sunshine began to soothe away the last of her fatigue and she was fully
restored by the time they reached the stables.

Billy was
cleaning tack but on hearing her voice he stood up, smiling. ‘I take it things
have improved with Mr Devenish then, miss?’

‘Yes, he is out
of danger, thank God! But I expect it will be some while before he is able to
walk on his broken leg again.’

‘Do you wish me
to ride over to Frating Hall and let them know the good news?’ Billy asked.

‘Yes, do that.
And tell Lord Grierson I shall be returning tomorrow.’ She felt the arm under
hers tense.

Theo frowned.
‘Why are you returning? There’s no need, Lady Grierson is here to chaperone
you.’

‘I am redundant
as a nurse. Lady Grierson and Arabella are sharing the day and you and Vincent
are doing the night shift. And I have been here overlong already.’

‘I would like
you to stay, at least until Arabella goes home.’

‘No, I’m sorry,
but my mind’s made up, Cousin Theo. I shall stay tonight but tomorrow I leave.’

Marianne knew
the longer she remained at Bentley Hall the greater the danger Lord Hawksmith
would return and not being so distracted would recognize her.

Theo’s eyes
narrowed. ‘Why are you so determined to leave? Have I offended you in some way?
It appears to me you are constantly running away. What are you hiding from
Marianne?

‘It is you who
are the dissembler, sir, not I,’ she replied stiffly

‘Touché
, my love. Come, we shall not
argue but enjoy what little time we have together.’

When he reached
out to regain her arm she stepped aside not wishing for the contact she found
so disturbing. ‘I think it would be better if I return today. There’s no reason
to wait. Please excuse me, Cousin, I must go upstairs and tell Jane to begin
packing.’

She could feel
his accusing eyes burning into her back as she fled inside. He was correct, she
was constantly running away but she had no choice. There was the danger from
being revealed as a flighty miss but far worse was a danger of a very different
kind. She was running from him. Theo was becoming far more than a friend. She
wasn’t ready to form a lasting attachment – she had only just broken free from
the repression of Upton Manor and Bath. She did not wish to exchange it for
another kind of bondage, that of marriage. The sooner she was back at Frating
Hall away from him and Lord Hawksmith the better.

In less than an
hour Tom was outside in the carriage with her trunk tied securely on the back.
She had said her farewells to both Lady Grierson and Arabella and explained her
reasons for returning. Neither seemed to think her departure in the slightest
bit odd. Theo was nowhere to be found. She was relieved she didn’t have to face
him with her emotions in such turmoil.

She turned to
her maid. ‘When do you think John will be back from Town? He has been gone
several days; surely it should not take so long to visit the lawyers?’

‘He’ll be back
any day now,
miss
. Indeed, I think it might be tomorrow
sometime. It’s hard to believe how much has happened in his absence; he doesn’t
even know about Mr Devenish’s accident.’

‘Neither does he
know Lord Hawksmith almost recognized me and that I’m not safe in Essex
anymore.’

Jane patted
Marianne’s hand. ‘It’s not as bad as that, miss. If you keep out of his way for
a while he may forget all about it. He has more important things to worry about
if Lady Arabella is about to become betrothed to Mr Devenish. The young
gentleman hasn’t a feather to fly with.’

She smiled.
‘Lady Hawksmith made it quite clear the engagement will not go ahead unless by
some miracle Charles inherits a fortune.’

‘I suppose
there’s little chance of that, miss, from what I hear they have precious little
funds to even run the estate.’

The carriage
began its bumpy journey down the drive making further conversation impossible.
Emily greeted their return with squeals of delight.

‘Oh Marianne, I
have missed you so badly. It has been so dull here without you and we have all
been so worried about Charles.’ She paused to draw breath allowing Marianne to
speak.

‘You have
obviously heard Charles is out of danger. But did you know Arabella is at
Bentley Hall with him?’

Emily was
stunned. ‘I don’t believe it! Arabella nursing Charles? How can that be? Her
mother never allows Arabella to spend time with him.’

The two girls
walked inside deep in discussion about the possible outcome of Arabella’s

dramatic bid for freedom.

There was to be
no dinner served downstairs that night as Lord Grierson had ridden over to
Great Bentley intending to stay the night with his wife and son leaving her in
nominal charge of the household.

Having eaten
supper in Emily’s parlour Marianne excused herself finding after two hours of
constant chatter her head was aching.

‘I am going down
to the stables, Emily, before it’s too dark to see. I wish to discover if
Sultan is fit enough for me to ride tomorrow.’

‘May I come with
you when you go out in the morning? We could ride over to see Charles.’

‘I think it
would be best to leave our visit until Papa returns. It wouldn’t do to overset
the patient with too many visitors. But you can take me to this Thorrington
Creek that I’ve heard so much about it.’

After fond good
nights Marianne left glad it was warm enough to go outside without a wrap. She
paused to listen for the nightingales and Edward appeared at her side his
normal high spirits absent.

‘Marianne, I am
in a devil of a fix. Can I ask your advice? Although you’re the same age as
Emily I feel you’re more of an adult than she will ever be.’

She wasn’t sure
if this was a compliment. ‘I’m going to the paddock to give Sultan some
carrots. Come with me and you can tell me your problems as we go. I promise
I’ll help if I can.’

They walked in
silence. After a while Edward found the courage to explain. ‘It’s like this.
Charles and I…’ he stopped.

‘Go on, what
about you and Charles?’ Marianne already had a shrewd idea what was coming but
wished to see if he had the pluck to tell her himself.

‘Charles and I
are free traders.’

‘I know you are
,
I overheard you discussing it on the first night I was
here.’

‘But… but you
didn’t report us or even tell Papa?’

‘No, I decided I
would wait until I had proof positive. And then Charles had his accident and I
had all but forgotten about it.’

‘You’re pluck to
the backbone, Marianne; I knew it the moment I set eyes on you. So you will
help me? With Charles knocked up I’m in desperate straits because I can’t
deliver the goods on my own. There are two donkeys you see…’

‘Have you run mad?
I did not say I would join you, Edward. I merely remarked that I knew what you
and Charles were about and I had decided not to inform on you.’

In his agitation
Edward seized her arm. ‘But you must assist me. I cannot manage by myself and I
have no one else to turn to.’ His shoulders slumped. ‘It’s all up for us; the
goods have to be delivered before a specified day.’

Marianne removed
his fingers from her arm. ‘Think about it and you will see you are being
ridiculous. It is one thing to condone your activities, quite another to
participate.’

‘But we’re not
regular smugglers, you know,’ he confided. ‘Not like those villains we met in
Badgers Wood. We only collect the goods in Thorrington Creek and hide them
until we get a message and then deliver them to Colchester.’

She almost
laughed at his naive explanation. ‘You don’t have to sail to France to be a
smuggler, Edward. Handling the goods is enough to get you transported.’

‘You don’t fully
appreciate what we do, let me explain how this all began. An
émigré
, the
Duc
de
Verance
, was staying at Bromley Hall and he asked
Charles if he knew how he could get letters delivered to his family in France.’
He waited to see if she was following his story.

‘Go on, I am
listening.’

‘Well, the long
and short of it is this, Charles had been out with Black Jack, cutting up a
lark you know, and offered to give the letters to him. That is how it all
started. Charles doing the Duke a favour was all.’

‘The letters I
can understand, no one could object to that, but the contraband?’

He shrugged.
‘Our financial situation here was desperate. When grandfather modernised the
Hall he overspent dreadfully and left the family in debt. We were unable to
even pay the bills.’ The misery of his face began to convince her.

‘So when a
smuggler offered Charles large sums of money to deliver goods he agreed in
order to help the family?’

The boy nodded.
‘That was when I got involved; Charles needed me to lead the second donkey. He
has been putting the money directly into the housekeeping chest. I don’t know
if my parents even noticed their debts were less pressing than before.