The Theft of a Dukedom (21 page)

There was a delicate tap on the door. ‘Your
Grace?’ a maid said softly as she opened the door a
crack. Robin kept quiet so he didn’t frighten the only
hope he had away. The door opened a little more and
then the maid saw Harriet’s bloody body on the carpet.
‘Your Grace!’ she said in horror and opened the door
wide. Closing it quickly, she moved to Harriet’s side and
then she saw Robin. ‘Oh! My Lord!’
‘Quickly, cut these blasted ribbons, so I can
check on your mistress!’ he said calmly and jerked his
chin towards the knife on the tray beside the decanter.
The maid rushed to the tray, snatched up the
knife and with one slash parted the silk her side of the
bed. She tried to hand Robin the knife, but he couldn’t
grasp it. ‘Please?’ he begged and the maid was struck by
not only the pale colour of his face, but the look of
horror in his eyes. Suddenly she understood. They had
been caught by the Duke. Not that she was surprised.
She slashed the other ribbon and Robin flew off the
bed.
Gently he grasped Harriet’s shoulders and
turned her over, clutching her trembling frame to his
bare chest. He looked up at the maid. ‘Can you send for
a physician?’ She nodded and handed him a wet flannel.
Carefully he wiped the blood from Harriet’s beautiful
face and sobbed as he saw the swelling around her
eyes, the blood running from her nose and her swollen
lips.
‘What did he do to her?’ the maid whispered in
shock.
Robin looked at her and shook his head. ‘You
don’t want to know.’ Carefully he got up and lifted
Harriet back to the bed. He settled her gently onto the
silk and the maid spread an eiderdown over her
battered body.
Robin went to the washstand and rinsed her
blood from his hands and tried to crush his rage at her
treatment. He liked to think if he came home and found
his wife in bed with another man he would wonder why,
before he offered the blackguard to a duel. He couldn’t
see himself taking it out on her, but then all men were
different and dealt with shocking events differently.
Robin dressed carefully; making sure his cravat
was tied perfectly and his coat wasn’t wrinkled.
‘Do you know where the Duke is now?’ he asked
the maid as she returned.
‘I understand he’s gone to White’s, my Lord.’ She
replied quietly.
‘Thank you.’ Robin said softly and returned to
the bed. He stroked his palm over Harriet’s hair,
smoothing it off her face. ‘I shall deal with this matter,
my love. I don’t want you to worry about him again.’ He
leaned down, pressed his lips gently to her cheek, her
body jerked in response and the trembling worsened.
He looked at the maid. ‘Stay with her. Don’t leave her
alone for a moment.’
‘Yes, My Lord.’
Robin had quietly left and gone to Almack’s. He
was greeted affably by the young bloods in attendance
and found Viscount Allen in the card room.
‘Pikeston! Join us for a hand?’ David Allen had
bellowed at him.
‘I’d rather not. I have a favour to ask, if you
could withdraw before the next hand?’
Allen nodded. ‘Be with you as soon as I’ve
emptied this pot!’ he said and threw down a King of
Hearts. ‘Trumps!’
Robin wandered away and found a quiet corner
and ordered a bottle of Claret. It didn’t take long for
David Allen to join him. David had been a long time
friend and confidante, so Robin felt comfortable telling
him every thing that had occurred in Harriet
Farrington’s boudoir.
‘In front of you?’ David Allen gasped in shock.
‘Yes. In front of me.’ Robin said sadly. ‘I was tied
to the fucking bed! I couldn’t break free otherwise I
would have torn him apart with my bare hands!’
‘So, you need a second. I’ll be happy to
accompany you.’
‘Thank you.’ Robin said and sighed in relief. They
had spent the rest of the night at Almack’s after the lock
in and were served tea and toast at four o’clock.
At dead on six o’clock Robin was walking under
the trees beside St. George’s Row, pistol in hand and
listening to the mediator count the steps. He was filled
with rage at the way Albany had treated somebody so
beautiful and precious. When the count reached
twenty, Robin turned, cocked his pistol, aimed and fired
all in one smooth movement. His ball took the Duke
straight between the eyes. He calmly walked over to the
body and stood looking down on him, remembering
every punch and thrust of his treatment of Harriet. ‘I’d
say that has sorted you out!’ He spat. ‘Now you’ll never
touch her again, you bastard!’ and he laughed like a
hyena. He could feel the madness in his laugh and
struggled to control it.
He left the park quickly and went straight to
Hanover Square. When he arrived, he was greeted with
the news that Harriet was dead!
‘Dead?’ he gasped at the butler. ‘How?’
‘I’m sorry sir, but I can’t tell you that. His Grace’s
orders.’
‘Well, His Grace is dead on his back in the park,
so tell me what happened with Harriet.’ Robin said
forcefully as he pushed his way into the house. At that
moment the Harriet’s maid appeared her eyes red from
crying.
‘Oh! My Lord. I’m so sorry. I only stepped out for
a moment.’
Robin grabbed the poor girl by the arms and
shook her. ‘Tell me what happened.’
‘His Grace came to see her before he left for the
park, My Lord, and he threatened her with a whipping
and said you would be dead before sun up.’ She sobbed
again. ‘I only stepped out to ask for some tea and when
I went back in the door, she’d stabbed herself in the
throat with the knife I left on the nightstand!’
Robin’s knees buckled in shock and he slumped
down in the hall.
‘Lord Pikeston?’ The Butler pricked his grief,
calling him by his proper title.
‘Can I see her?’ he asked softly and the maid
took him straight to Harriet’s bedroom. She had been
laid out properly. All traces of blood had been washed
away and she looked calm and at peace. Robin gently
kissed her cold lips. ‘Thank you,’ he said calmly to the
staff and promptly left to go home. He took his carriage
to Regent’s Park and walked around for at least an hour,
trying to assimilate how everything could change so
suddenly. In his solitude he cried for Harriet and his loss
of a warm hearted woman, that he’d loved with an
unrivalled passion. Eventually he retuned to Grosvenor
Square and dragged his feet up the steps.
Havers greeted him at the front door. ‘Good
morning, My Lord. His Grace would see you in his
study.’
‘What does my father want?’ Robin asked in a
dead voice.
‘I’m afraid I don’t know, my Lord.’ Havers said
evenly and took Robin’s cloak, hat and gloves.
Robin knocked on the study door and waited,
hearing the come in he turned the knob and walked into
his father’s wrath.
‘Good Morning, father.’ Robin said evenly.
‘Is it?’ Thomas demanded harshly. ‘I saw you kill
the Duke of Albany this morning, so how could it be
good?’
‘He deserved it!’ Robin spoke angrily and
without caution.
‘Why did you just gun him down, without a care
for the rules?’ Thomas shouted. ‘Was it just to feed your
reckless nature?’
‘No! But I won’t stand by and watch a man rape
and beat his wife!’
‘What business is it of yours?’ Thomas shouted
louder, vexed with his son. ‘If Albany wants to tie her to
a punishment frame and give her the cat o’ nine tails,
you have no right to interfere. She’s his wife!’
‘I loved her!’ exploded from Robin’s throat. ‘And
that bastard killed her as if he took a knife to her throat
himself!’
‘What?’ Thomas demanded ‘Harriet Farrington is
dead? Jesus Christ, boy, what have you got yourself
into? You do realise the Bow Street Runners have been
here looking for you?’
‘That’s not a problem for you, father.’ Robin said
coldly. ‘You’ll soon fix that.’
‘I have no intention of fixing it.’ Thomas said just
as icily. ‘I can’t fix it. You murdered a peer of the realm
and the runners are looking for you specifically.’
‘That’s not fair!’ Robin spat his anger rising.
‘What is not fair is that you expect me to be able
to extricate you from your own stupidity, again!’
‘It wasn’t stupidity!’ Robin hollered, his control
of his temper waning fast. ‘You have no idea what
happened last night and I couldn’t just let him get away
with it.’
‘It wouldn’t have happened at all if you kept
your cock in your britches!’ Thomas bellowed. ‘How
could you be so stupid as to fuck Albany’s wife?’
Robin glowered. ‘I didn’t expect to be caught!’
he said viciously.
‘Well you were!’ Thomas still shouted. ‘You were
caught fucking the wife of a Duke and the first thing you
did was call him out!’
‘I did not call him out!’ Robin shouted.
‘Why are you shouting so loud?’ Kitty asked
softly from the door. Thomas looked at her in horror
and Robin turned towards her.
‘Get out!’ he shouted ‘this isn’t any of your
business! Get out I say!’ and he chased her out of the
door. As it shut he sighed and was just going to try and
explain the night’s events to his father. He sighed and
turned back only to receive his father’s right fist in his
face. It was such a shock that he fell back against the
door. He struggled to retain his temper and not
retaliate.
‘Leave this house and don’t ever come back.’
Thomas said coldly and quietly. ‘I will disinherit you in
favour of Charles, there will be no more money and you
are not welcome at any of the family estates.’ Thomas
walked to his desk and picked up a sheaf of papers.
‘Here is a ticket for the Caribbean, the ship sails at
teatime, so I suggest you pack what you need and make
haste for the Pool of London.’ He held the paperwork
out.
By this time, Robin had lost all reason and he
snatched the papers from his father’s hand and stormed
from the study, slamming the door behind him.
When he got to his room, he sat on his bed and
dropped his head in his hands.
What happened to my
life?
He asked himself, disbelief vying for a place
alongside the shock he felt at Harriet’s death.
Yesterday
I was happy, how could everything change so fast?
‘My Lord? I’ve packed you a bag of necessary
items.’ His valet said from the dressing room.
‘Thank you, Bates.’ He looked at the man that
had looked after him for his whole adult life. ‘I’m sorry I
won’t be able to take you with me.’
‘I understand, Sir. I don’t think I’d like the tropics
anyway, a little bit too hot for me!’ He said with a
cheeky smile.
‘Probably too hot for me as well.’ Robin replied
and snorted out a small laugh.

His carriage dropped him off at the wharf and
Robin stood there looking at a very bleak future.
‘I’d hoped to find you here.’ A very silky feminine
voice said from behind. ‘I had a feeling the Duke would
buy you a ticket on the first ship to leave these shores.’
‘What do you want Emily?’ He asked softly. At
one time he’d found his sisters friend attractive, but
that had faded as he’s recognised the venal streak in
her.
‘I think it’s more of a case of what I can do for
you.’ she said and laid her hand on his arm. ‘He’s
disinherited you, hasn’t he?’
‘Yes.’ He gasped as the realisation of exactly
what his father had done finally sunk in.
‘Then I think Thomas Stafford should pay dearly
for his folly.’
‘What do you want?’ he asked a little more
firmly.
‘I want you to come and have a drink with me at
that Tavern.’ She said and pointed up the wharf at The
Anchor public house.
Robin indicated for her to lead the way and he
followed this slip of a girl, wondering if he would just
make matters worse, if he didn’t go to Jamaica.
It was a typical rough riverside tavern. She
ordered wine and they sat in a window seat.
‘You’ve always been devious, Emily. So what is
going through that idiot brain of yours?’ he asked
deprecatingly.
‘There’s no need to be rude.’ She said and
smiled coyly, making him shiver. ‘I have a plan to
redeem your titles and the financial security. But my fee
is non-negotiable.’
‘What do you want? Half of the money?’ Robin
asked disparagingly.
‘No. I want to be Mrs. Robin Stafford.’ She said
coldly.
Robin was just taking a sip of his wine and it
sprayed across the table, as he choked in shock.
‘I want to be your wife, so that I can become the
Duchess of Durham.’ She said coldly and as he looked at
her profile, he didn’t like the expression in her eyes.
‘Why?’ he asked softly.
‘I’ve been the butt of your sister’s contempt for
a few years now. Ever since Millicent married and
became a Marchioness, the Frilly Five have looked down
their noses at me. They are all of a higher rank than me;
I’m just the daughter of an Earl.’ She finished
vitriolically.
‘I thought Louise is just the daughter of an Earl?’
Robin ventured and was surprised at the frigid look she
turned on him.
‘Westbrook’s Earldom is on mainland England,
my father’s Earldom is a puny little Island in the middle
of the Atlantic Ocean and when he dies and leaves the
title to my idiot brother, I won’t be allowed to live
there. I need a good marriage and even though I’m this
season’s incomparable; I’ve still to receive an offer.’
He wondered whether she was mad. ‘Why
would marriage to me help your cause?’ he asked
stupidly.
‘Because then I would end up the Duchess of
Durham and even Millicent won’t be able to look down
her nose at me.’ He definitely didn’t like the evil look in
her eye or the dead sound of her voice.
‘And just how are you going to get me reinstated as the Marquis? My father is going to disinherit
me.’
‘It won’t matter. You are his first born son and
the title is rightfully yours.’ She turned and looked at
him coldly. ‘Make your choice. Marry me and get your
titles back or climb aboard the ship and sail to the
tropics for the rest of your life!’

As he hung over the saddle of the horse, Robin
thought
my father was right. I’m a fool and I should
have sailed away when I had the chance, instead of
getting mixed in with that greedy witch and allowing her
to feed and stoke my hatred. Jesus! I killed my father!
And the shock he felt that he’d been so skilfully
manipulated was terrific. A carriage disturbed his train
of thought as it pulled up beside them.