The Heiress (16 page)

“Actually, my lord, I was just coming to seek you out about that,” the man said unhappily. “It appears Lady Radnor was unable to find me and went in search of your valet herself and has now found herself in something of a fix.”

“What kind of a fix?” Richard asked with alarm.

“Well, I happened to be passing Freddy’s room and overheard him saying that he intended to take her and force you to pay to get her back safely,” he admitted grimly. “I believe he is planning to take her around to the office to try to find something first, however, so if we were to hide ourselves away in there and wait for him to approach we may be able to take him by surprise and relieve him of Lady Radnor without her coming to harm.”

“That’s actually a good plan,” Daniel said, eyeing the butler with a new respect. He then glanced to Richard. “We should move quickly though, I don’t recall a lot of places in the office to hide.”

Richard nodded and turned away, pausing when Langley said, “I am coming too.”

“And me,” Lord Madison said firmly.

“Me too,” Suzette announced.

Daniel frowned and was about to suggest she and the others wait in the parlor when Richard stopped and did it for him.

“There aren’t enough hiding spaces for everyone. Robert and Daniel only will come. The rest of you need to get into the parlor and out of the hall so you don’t scare Freddy off.” His gaze slid to Lord Madison as the man opened his mouth to protest. “I trust you are the only person here who could keep Suzette and Lisa in that parlor.”

Much to Daniel’s relief, Lord Madison swallowed whatever protest he’d been about to speak and nodded with resignation.

“D
o you think Christiana is all right?” Lisa asked, drawing Suzette’s unhappy attention.

“Of course she isn’t. Freddy has taken her by force and intends to hold her for ransom,” Suzette pointed out with exasperation, and then frowned to herself, thinking that if she’d just gone with Christiana things may have turned out differently. That guilt was also making her wish she was out there now, helping to resolve the issue. Instead, she was stuck here in the parlor, being guarded by her father and Haversham.

Suzette scowled. Why was it that whenever there was trouble, the women were expected to sit about and wait, while the men charged in to the rescue?

“I believe I will go have Cook prepare a tea tray,” Haversham announced suddenly, starting toward the door to the hall.

“Richard said we were to wait here,” Lord Madison reminded him sharply, getting to his feet as if prepared to tackle the man did he not stop.

Suzette felt her eyebrows rise slightly at her father’s aggressive stance. Whether he would have actually stopped the man or not, they would never know, because the butler paused at the door and turned back.

“Yes, he did, my lord,” the man agreed politely. “However, it does occur to me that if we do not attempt to present at least a semblance of normalcy, it may spook Lady Christiana’s kidnapper. And while it would seem perfectly natural for the three of you to be visiting in here together, my being here is far from natural.”

Suzette glanced to her father to see him looking uncertain. “He is right, Father. It isn’t normal, and that alone might spook Christiana’s kidnapper and make him leave with her rather than risk going to the office. Surely, Haversham should just go about his duties?”

“I suppose,” Cedrick Madison murmured reluctantly. Heaving a sigh, he nodded. “Very well, go ahead, but stay away from the office and don’t do anything that might spook him.”

“Very good, my lord.”

Suzette watched enviously as Haversham slid from the room, and then stood and hurried to the door, murmuring, “I will just tell him to ask Cook for some pastries as well. Something sweet might settle my nerves.”

“Suzette,” her father said sharply.

“I won’t be a moment,” she assured him, speeding up to escape the room before he could protest further.

As she’d hoped, Haversham was already gone from the hall when she burst into it. Suzette turned to glance toward the office, debating going to listen at the door to see if anything was happening, but then turned sharply toward the kitchen instead when she heard her father’s voice through the door, muffled but drawing closer. Hurrying up to the kitchen door as if she’d really intended to go that way all along, Suzette pushed into the room just as the parlor door opened behind her.

She heard her father hiss her name, but then the door closed behind her. Besides, Suzette wasn’t paying attention anyway. Her eyes immediately searched the room for Haversham and widened when she found him. The butler was just heading out the back door with a rather large, wicked-looking butcher knife in hand.

“I suspect we shall be waiting a long time for that tea,” she commented dryly.

Haversham froze and turned guiltily. He then stepped back inside and eased the door quickly closed before saying, “I was just . . . er . . .”

When he paused at a loss, Suzette smiled wryly and suggested, “Going to cut back bushes?”

Bewilderment covered his face until he noted she was eyeing the butcher knife in his hand. Grimacing, he lowered the weapon and said with great dignity, “I have already requested that Cook make up a tray.”

“He did, m’lady, and the kettle’s on,” Cook assured her as she ran a rolling pin vigorously over a swath of pie dough on the counter. She then added, “Then he saw one of the boys slip past the window with a sack over his shoulder and started out of the kitchen after him.”

“A sack?” The question came from behind Suzette and she glanced over her shoulder, not at all surprised to see her father there. Lisa stood behind him, wringing her hands worriedly.

“Well, I think it was a sack,” the woman said, pausing in her rolling to move to the stove and stir a pot of something bubbling there. “But I didn’t really catch more than a glimpse meself.” She peered questioningly over her shoulder at Haversham, apparently expecting him to clarify the matter.

The butler grimaced, and said, “It was a certain sack that Lord Richard is awaiting in the office.” He glanced to the cook and then back before continuing, “I just thought to follow and be sure he was headed to the office as expected.”

Suzette frowned. It was possible the man holding Christiana had decided to go around to the office via the yard rather than risk carrying her through the house where he might be spotted by servants. However, if Chrissy was the sack over his shoulder, that wasn’t a good sign. And the men were no doubt expecting him to come in through the hall door. They wouldn’t be prepared for his arrival via the French doors. If he should approach the glass doors and spot something that spooked him, he might simply slip away with Christiana completely unnoticed.

“Good idea. I shall join you,” Lord Madison said suddenly, selecting the largest of the knives remaining in a wooden block on the counter. “You girls return to the parlor. We shall be back as soon as it is over.”

On that note, he moved to the door and followed Haversham out.

“Are we going back to the parlor?” Lisa asked.

“What do you think?” Suzette asked dryly, snatching up the rolling pin the cook had been using and moving toward the door.

“Wait for me,” Lisa gasped.

Suzette glanced over her shoulder to see Lisa picking up and discarding several kitchen items before settling on a long, wicked-looking two-pronged cooking fork. Apparently satisfied that it would do, she hurried after her as Suzette pushed through the door.

Suzette crept along the back of the house, staying as close to the wall as she could. She didn’t have to glance around to be sure Lisa was still behind her. Her younger sister had one hand on her back as they crept along several feet behind their father and Haversham.

The butler was in the lead, with her father on his heels, and beyond them Suzette could see their quarry. The man was standing outside the French doors to the office, peering in through the window panels. He had Christiana slung over his shoulder like a sack, holding her in place with an arm around her legs, and at first Suzette thought her sister was unconscious, but as her captor eased one of the office doors open and began to slip inside, she noticed that Christiana’s eyes were open, and she was peering about to take in what she could see.

“She’s alive,” Lisa whispered with relief behind her.

Suzette nodded, but didn’t say anything and continued forward, raising her rolling pin in case the fellow burst back out of the office and made it past Haversham and her father. She would feel no compunction at all about bashing him over the head with the item rather than let him escape with Christiana.

Haversham had reached the French doors now and Suzette saw him hesitate. Christiana’s kidnapper had left the door open just a crack and the butler peered through the window briefly before easing the door open and slipping inside the room. A couple feet behind the butler, Lord Madison paused at the door as well to take in the situation, and then he too slipped inside.

Suzette began to move more swiftly then, rushing along on her tiptoes as she worried about what might be happening in the room. As she drew near she heard Richard say, “I won’t let you leave here unless it’s in chains,” and knew they were confronting the kidnapper, but still moved as quietly as she could until she reached the door. She paused then on the threshold and took in the tableau, as much as she could around her father, who stood just inside the door. The butler stood in front of him, a bare step behind the apparently oblivious kidnapper, who still had Christiana over his shoulder. Suzette could see Richard approaching the desk from the opposite side of the room and Daniel was coming from around a settee, but she had no idea where Robert was.

“Where’s Robert?” Lisa breathed behind her worriedly, and Suzette shook her head and raised a hand to shush her as the kidnapper cried, “Stay back or I’ll cut her.”

Suzette hadn’t noticed the man holding a weapon in the brief glimpse she’d gotten earlier, but he must have one because Christiana suddenly squawked, “Ouch! That is my bottom.”

“Put her down,” Richard ordered.

“Go to hell!” the kidnapper snarled and whirled toward the door only to crash into Haversham.

From her position, Suzette saw the startled look on the man’s face and then saw him turn a bewildered expression to Haversham. Even so she didn’t realize what had happened until the kidnapper started to fall back and she caught a glimpse of the butcher knife protruding from his chest, blood blossoming around the wound. He’d skewered himself on the butler’s weapon.

“Oh dear,” Lisa said faintly behind her, and recalling her dislike of blood, Suzette turned quickly to see that the younger girl had gone terribly pale and was swaying on her feet.

“It is all right,” Suzette said, quickly catching her arm and urging her a step away from the open door. “Take deep breaths.”

Lisa inhaled several times and after a moment seemed to recover a bit, her color returning.

“All right?” Suzette asked with concern. Lisa had been known to faint at the sight of blood. But she appeared steady enough on her feet at the moment, perhaps because there hadn’t been all that much blood, just a slow blossoming on the cloth of his livery. Whatever the case, she was recovering nicely and Lisa nodded, even managing a smile.

Suzette smiled back and then glanced toward the door as her father ushered a somewhat shaky Christiana out.

“I need a word with your sister,” Lord Madison murmured as they approached.

Suzette nodded and watched them move toward the back of the garden and then turned back to Lisa. “We should go in now. Can you manage it?”

Lisa nodded. “I just won’t look at him this time.”

Suzette squeezed her arm, then led her to the door. Haversham was gone, but Robert had joined the other two men. All three of them were gathered around the body and pretty much blocking their entrance to the room, so Suzette and Lisa paused as Robert said, “Well, that is one problem taken care of anyway. The blackmail threat is over.”

“Now we just need to figure out who poisoned George and is still trying to kill Richard,” Daniel commented in dry tones.

“Well, I’m afraid Lisa and I didn’t find out anything of use today,” Robert said apologetically to Richard. “I think people were reluctant to gossip about you with Lisa there. She is your sister-in-law, after all. Perhaps Christiana and Suzette were more successful at discovering what servant may have administered the poison.”

“We should ask them,” Richard murmured and turned toward the doors. His eyebrows rose when he saw Suzette and Lisa there, but no sign of his wife. “Where—”

“Father wished to speak to Christiana. They have stepped out into the garden,” Suzette explained.

Richard glanced past them toward the yard, and then swung back to the room as the office door opened.

Suzette leaned to the side a bit to see that Haversham had returned. The butler entered stiffly, leading two men into the room. The red vests the men wore announced that they were Bow Street runners.

“Oh dear,” Lisa said suddenly. “I don’t think I can stay here.”

Suzette glanced to her sister with surprise, but then realized it wasn’t the arrival of the authorities that had so overset her, but despite her assurance that she just wouldn’t look at the dead man on the floor, Lisa was now staring at him transfixed, her face paling by the minute.

“Come,” Suzette said with a sigh. “We can wait in the parlor while the runners sort this out.”

“Thank you,” Lisa whispered gratefully, as Suzette ushered her quickly around the men and toward the door.

Chapter Ten

Y
ou don’t have to stay with me. I’ll be fine by myself if you want to rejoin the others.”

Suzette glanced to Lisa and shook her head. “No, it’s fine. The Bow Street runners are probably asking a thousand stupid questions and doing . . . whatever they do,” she said, waving a hand vaguely.

“Hopefully removing the body is one of those ‘whatever they do’s,’ ” Lisa said wryly.

“I’m sure it is,” Suzette reassured her. “Or they’ll bring in whoever does or tell Richard so he can. They certainly won’t just leave the body lying about here forever.”

Lisa grimaced at the very idea, and sighed. “I do wish I was not so squeamish about such things.”

Suzette shrugged idly as she paced to the window and glanced out. “Everyone has their flaws, and as they go, yours is not so bad. It isn’t often you run into blood. Imagine if you fainted at the sight of pastries or something.”

Lisa chuckled at the ridiculous idea as she’d intended, but then they both fell silent and glanced toward the door as it burst open and Daniel hurried in. Robert was on his heels, but Suzette’s attention was on Daniel as he hurried across the room. The man was looking very pleased.

“It’s done, they’ve gone,” he announced as he paused before her and reached to pull her into his arms.

“That’s good,” Suzette said, peering up at him uncertainly. The man had seemed to be pushing her away and trying to make her behave since she’d met him, so she was a little surprised to find herself in his arms and to see his head lowering as if he meant to kiss her, right there in front of Robert and Lisa.

He didn’t kiss her, however, not on the lips at least. Instead, his head moved to the side at the last moment and he pressed the kiss to the side of her neck below her ear and murmured, “The blackmail and murder are resolved and there’s nothing more to keep us here. You know what that means.”

“Gretna Green,” she sighed, tilting her head a little to the side as he pressed butterfly kisses along the column of her throat. The gentle caresses were sending shivers down her back and raising desire to fog her mind, so it was a minute before his words sank in, and then she stiffened and said, “The murder is resolved too? Was Freddy the murderer as well as the blackmailer?”

“No,” he murmured against the flesh covering her collarbone.

“Who was it then?” she asked with a frown.

Daniel straightened, a smile curving his lips when he saw her expression. “God, I love it when you get that annoyed look. It just makes me want to kiss you.”

“Daniel,” she growled, but his response was to kiss her, right there in front of Robert and Lisa . . . and her father, she realized as he cleared his throat in a very loud, intrusive manner to announce his presence.

Daniel released her to glance around and give the man a completely unrepentant grin. “Are you coming with us to Gretna Green?”

“Of course,” he said, and while his voice was solemn, there was a twinkle in his eyes that suggested he was not displeased.

Daniel then turned his gaze to Lisa and Robert in question, who both nodded at once.

“Daniel,” Suzette said, poking his chest to get his attention. “Who poisoned George?”

“I’ll tell you on the way,” he promised, catching her hand and heading for the door at almost a jog.

Suzette laughed a little breathlessly at his eagerness, but didn’t protest or try to pull free as he led her into the hall. Once there, however, he released her hand and started toward Richard and Christiana, who were by the stairs.

“Richard, now that the blackmailer is caught and the identity of the murderer found, there is no reason to delay. We are heading for Gretna Green at once.”

Richard groaned, but then straightened and said, “Certainly, we shall leave first thing in the morning.”

“The morning?” Daniel asked, and Suzette wasn’t surprised at the displeasure in his voice.

Richard nodded. “Well, the women will have to pack and—”

“The chests are still packed from this morning. At least mine is,” Suzette interrupted and then glanced over her shoulder to Lisa as she, Robert and their father also stepped into the hall.

“Mine too,” Lisa assured her.

Suzette glanced to Christiana next. While her older sister hesitated briefly, she did nod in the end and admit, “So is mine.”

Richard immediately ducked his head to whisper something to her. Christiana whispered back, but the couple paused and turned their attention to Daniel again as he asked, “Richard, is your carriage still out front? I don’t recall you sending your driver to the stables.”

“I didn’t,” Richard admitted. “I wasn’t sure we wouldn’t need it again.”

“Mine is still out front as well,” Robert announced. “They just need to be loaded.”

“Excellent.” Daniel clapped his hands with satisfaction. “Then we merely need to have mine prepared and brought around, load them up and we can—damn,” Daniel paused to mutter, “I forgot my carriage is presently out of commission. I will have to rent one for the maids.”

Suzette bit her lip with frustration. There always seemed to be something to delay or interfere with their getting to Gretna Green. She was beginning to think someone had cursed them.

“We can use mine,” Lord Madison announced. “It is out front.”

Suzette beamed at her father. Everything was going to be all right. This time, surely, nothing would interfere with their traveling to Gretna Green and getting married.

A
fter three days of travel, Suzette shouldn’t have been so confused when she opened her eyes to find herself in yet another strange bed. However, it took a full moment before she recalled that she was in yet another inn room she was sharing with Lisa, and on the way to Gretna Green. The moment she did, however, Suzette was suddenly wide awake. It was the fourth and final day of their journey. They should arrive at the village of Gretna Green by dinnertime that day and moments later would be married. Afterward, they would have a celebratory meal with everyone, and then she and Daniel would finally consummate the marriage and be husband and wife.

The last thought took some shine off the smile that had been blossoming on her lips. It wasn’t the finally being husband and wife part that dimmed her happiness, but the consummation itself. Suzette wasn’t looking forward to it, and really wasn’t pleased at the idea of her wedding night being spoiled by it being her first time. While Christiana had answered her question as to whether it hurt the first time or not with a weak, “A little perhaps,” Suzette was not convinced. It had been obvious that Chrissy was distressed at discussing the subject, but had that been because it was such a personal matter, or because she didn’t wish to scare Suzette by telling her the truth? Christiana had certainly changed the subject quickly at that point, and Suzette couldn’t forget what she’d read about streams of blood and enough pain to make her faint.

She really wished she and Daniel had done the consummating part before now. Unfortunately, they hadn’t been left alone since leaving London. Her father was taking his duty to guard her innocence until marriage very seriously during this journey and had enlisted her sisters as well as Robert and Richard to aid in the chore. Neither she nor Daniel was ever alone. Even when sleeping. They had taken three rooms at each of the inns they’d stopped at, one for Richard and Christiana, one for Lisa and Suzette and one for their father, Robert, and Daniel to share. Suzette didn’t mind sharing with Lisa, but knew Daniel found staying with Robert and her father something of a trial. It seemed both men snored, and hogged the bed they shared.

Suzette smiled faintly at the idea of him crowded between the two men each night, an effort by her father to be sure he didn’t slip out to meet her, she suspected. Tonight, Daniel would not have to share with them, however. He would be sharing with her . . . and there would be streams of blood and pain.

Sighing, Suzette shifted the blankets aside and slid out of bed to quickly dress. She had finished with the task and was brushing her hair when Lisa stirred awake and then sat up to glance around.

“What are you doing?” she asked around a yawn.

“Getting ready to go,” Suzette said with a laugh. “You’d best get up and start dressing. Christiana will—”

“Dear God,” Lisa muttered, dropping back in the bed. “We are not leaving early today, remember? We are leaving later, mid morning they said. We get to sleep late today.”

Suzette paused in her brushing. “We do? Why aren’t we leaving until mid morning?”

“I don’t know,” Lisa muttered, rolling on her side. “Father just said to go ahead and sleep late today, we wouldn’t be leaving until mid morning.” She glanced over her shoulder in question. “Did he not tell you?”

“No,” she said with a frown.

“He must have forgot,” Lisa sighed and turned away again. “Come back to bed and sleep.”

Suzette stared at her silently, her frown growing. Why weren’t they leaving until mid morning? They had left bright and early every day until now, and this was the last day of the journey. She would have thought out of all of them, this day would be the one where they set off with the rising sun.

Suzette set the brush on top of her chest with a sigh and considered undressing and getting back into bed, but knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep. However, she didn’t wish to pace about the room until everyone else began to stir either. And she was thirsty. Grimacing, Suzette moved silently to the door and slid out onto the landing.

The soft murmur of voices from the great room below reached her ear as she eased the chamber door closed. Suzette moved to the rail to peer down over the empty tables. It wasn’t until her gaze reached the door to the kitchens that she spotted the speakers. Daniel was there talking in low tones to the innkeeper.

Suzette smiled as her eyes slid over him, taking in his serious expression and slightly ruffled hair. It looked as if he’d just woken and hadn’t yet even run a brush through his hair. There were also sleep creases on his cheek that made her smile widen. He was just so adorable and she found that the mere act of peering at him made her chest ache a bit. Unsure what that was but not ready to face it, she started along the landing toward the stairs, intending to join the two men, but she’d barely taken a step when the innkeeper nodded and slipped away into the kitchens. The moment he did, Daniel turned and strode through the room full of long empty tables and straight out the front door.

Eager to catch up to him, Suzette hurried down the stairs and outside, reaching the courtyard just in time to see Daniel enter the stables. She hurried after him, one part of her mind wondering what he was doing up so early when they weren’t leaving until mid morning, and another part pointing out that they would finally have a moment alone together.

Suzette slowed as she reached the stables. She didn’t see Daniel at first, but a slow scan of the building revealed him in one of the stalls near the back. He was saddling a horse, she saw, and moved forward at once.

“What are you doing?” she asked as she reached the stall where he was working. Her sudden question made Daniel jerk around with surprise. She’d obviously given him a start, but once he saw that it was her, a smile lifted the corners of his mouth.

“Good morning,” he said, leaving the saddle sitting unfastened on the horse’s back and moving to the stall rail to meet her.

“Good morning,” Suzette said automatically. “Why are you saddling a horse?”

“Because I’m going to ride it,” he said simply. “It will be faster than a carriage there, though we will have to return by carriage, I suppose. Mother enjoys riding on horseback, but she is getting older and was ill this last year. I don’t wish to overtax her more than necessary.”

“Mother?” Suzette echoed blankly.

Daniel chuckled at her expression and slipped out of the stall. Pausing in front of her, he slid his arms around her waist as he said, “Yes, Mother. I should like you two to meet, and I would like her at our wedding, so I am going to collect her. It’s why we pressed on an extra hour last night. This inn is only an hour from Woodrow.”

“Oh,” Suzette breathed. Dear God, she was going to meet his mother! What if Lady Woodrow didn’t like her? What if she hated her and refused to condone the marriage? What if—?

“What’s going on inside your head?” Daniel asked with a frown. “You look horrified. Don’t you want my mother at the wedding?”

“I—yes, of course. I just—what if she hates me?” Suzette asked plaintively.

Daniel chuckled again and hugged her close. “She will not hate you. No one could hate you,” he assured her and then pulled back and said, “Now, this is the first time we have been alone in days. Do you think I could have a good-morning kiss to see me off?”

Suzette blinked, her worries about his mother’s liking or not liking her suddenly sliding away, if only temporarily, at the suggestion.

“Hmm?” he asked, lowering his head.

“Oh yes,” she breathed and then his mouth was on hers.

It was not a good-morning kiss, Suzette decided as his tongue slid out to urge her lips open. At least it wasn’t to her. Good-morning kisses, in her mind, were sweet pecks. This was more of a good-morning, good-afternoon and good-evening kiss all in one, she thought as his mouth devoured hers. Or perhaps it was more of an “I want to throw you in the straw, toss up your skirts and have my wicked way with you kind of kiss,” she decided as his hands began to roam.

Damn, the man could kiss, Suzette thought faintly, slipping her arms around his neck and arching into him as his mouth slanted over hers. She then moaned as he slid one hand down to press against her bottom, urging her hips forward. When she felt his maypole press against her through their clothes in a “good morning” of its own, Suzette sighed and rubbed herself against him in a return greeting that made them both groan.

Tearing his mouth from hers, Daniel gasped, “I have to go,” even as his hands found her breasts and he began to squeeze them through her gown.

“Yes,” Suzette agreed, reaching down to cup his hardness through his trousers.

Daniel groaned, and kissed her hungrily again, his hands kneading the flesh of her breasts almost painfully in time to the rhythm of her hand along his hardness. Finally, he tore his mouth away again and muttered, “Damn, Suzette, if you don’t stop that—”