Deception (4 page)

Chillhurst looked down at him. “A friend of the family.”

“What the hell do you mean by attacking me?” Draycott demanded. He gingerly touched his jaw. “I’ll have the magistrate on you for this, by God.”

“You will do no such thing, Mr. Draycott,” Olympia said crisply. “Your behavior was quite atrocious, as you are no doubt well aware. I’m sure you will want to take your leave immediately.”

“He will apologize to you first, Miss Wingfield,” Chillhurst said softly.

Olympia glanced at him in surprise. “Will he?”

“Yes.”

“Damnation. I didn’t do anything wrong,” Draycott said in an aggrieved tone. “I was merely trying to assist Miss Wingfield down the ladder. And this is the thanks I get.”

Chillhurst reached down, took hold of Draycott’s neckcloth, and hauled the groggy man to his feet. “You
will apologize now,” he said deliberately. “And then you will leave.”

Draycott blinked several times. His eyes met Chillhurst’s unblinking gaze and slid uneasily away. “Yes, of course. All a mistake. Terribly sorry.”

Chillhurst released him without warning. Draycott stumbled and stepped hurriedly back out of reach. He turned to Olympia with an expression of acute discomfort.

“I regret any misunderstanding that may have occurred between us, Miss Wingfield,” Draycott said stiffly. “Didn’t mean to give offense.”

“Of course you didn’t.” Olympia could not help but notice that Draycott appeared very small and quite harmless standing next to Mr. Chillhurst. It was difficult to recall that for a few minutes there she had actually been somewhat alarmed by his behavior. “I believe it would be best if we both were to forget this matter entirely. Let us pretend it never happened.”

Draycott cast a sidelong glance at Chillhurst. “As you wish.” He straightened his coat and adjusted his neckcloth. “Now, if you will excuse me, I must be off. Don’t bother summoning your housekeeper. I can see myself out.”

Silence descended on the library as Draycott walked hurriedly out the door. When he was gone, Olympia looked at Chillhurst. He was studying her, in turn, with an unreadable expression. Neither said a word until they heard the outer door close in the hall behind Draycott.

Olympia smiled. “Thank you for coming to my rescue, Mr. Chillhurst. It was quite gallant of you. I’ve never been rescued before. A most unusual experience.”

Chillhurst inclined his head with mocking civility. “It was nothing, Miss Wingfield. I’m glad I could be of service.”

“You certainly were, although I doubt that Mr. Draycott would have done anything more than try to steal a kiss.”

“You don’t think so?”

Olympia frowned at the skepticism in Chillhurst’s eyes. “He’s really not a bad sort. I’ve known him since I came here to live in Upper Tudway. But I must admit that he’s been acting rather oddly ever since his wife died six months ago.” She paused. “He has recently developed a great interest in old legends, which happens to be my own field of interest.”

“Somehow that does not surprise me.”

“What? That I am interested in them?”

“No, that Draycott developed a sudden interest in them.” Chillhurst’s expression was grim. “He obviously did so in order to seduce you, Miss Wingfield.”

Olympia was appalled. “Good heavens, surely you do not believe that what happened here this afternoon was intentional.”

“I suspect it was very much a premeditated action, Miss Wingfield.”

“I see.” Olympia considered that briefly. “I had not thought of that possibility.”

“Apparently not. You would be wise not to see him alone again.”

Olympia brushed that aside. “Well, it’s not really all that important. It’s over. And I am completely forgetting my manners. I expect you’d like a cup of tea, wouldn’t you? You’ve probably had a very long journey. I shall summon my housekeeper.”

The sound of the outer door being flung open with a crash interrupted Olympia before she could ring for Mrs. Bird. A loud barking filled the hall. Dog claws scrabbled on the wooden floor outside the library. Boots pounded. Youthful voices rose in a booming chorus.

“Aunt Olympia? Aunt Olympia, where are you?”

“We’re home, Aunt Olympia.”

Olympia looked at Chillhurst. “I believe my nephews have returned from their fishing trip. They’ll be anxious to meet you. They’re very fond of Uncle Artemis and I’m sure they’ll want to hear everything you have to tell us about your visit with him. You might also mention your skills in pugilism. My nephews will have a great many questions about the sport.”

At that moment a massive furry dog of indeterminate breed burst into the library. He barked once, very loudly at Chillhurst and then galloped toward Olympia. He was soaking wet and his massive paws left muddy tracks on the library carpet.

“Oh, dear, Minotaur is off his leash again.” Olympia braced herself. “Down, Minotaur. Down, I say. That’s a good dog.”

Minotaur bounded forward without pause, his tongue lolling out of the side of his grinning mouth.

Olympia hurriedly backed away from him. “Ethan? Hugh? Please call your dog.”

“Here, Minotaur,” Ethan yelled from the hall. “Here, boy.”

“Come back here, Minotaur,” Hugh yelled.

Minotaur paid no attention. He was bent on greeting Olympia and there was no stopping him. He was a friendly monster of a dog and Olympia had actually grown fond of him since her nephews had found him abandoned and brought him home. Unfortunately the beast had absolutely no manners.

The huge dog halted in front of her and leaped up on his hind legs. Olympia held out a hand to fend him off but she knew it was a useless effort.

“Stay, boy. Stay,” Olympia said without much hope. “Please sit.
Please.”

Minotaur yelped, sensing victory. His dirty paws began
their inevitable descent toward the front of Olympia’s clean gown.

“That’s quite enough,” Chillhurst said. “I have never liked having unschooled dogs about the place.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Olympia saw him move. He took a single, gliding stride toward Minotaur, grabbed the animal’s leather collar, and tugged him firmly downward until all four wet paws were once more on the floor.

“Stay,” Chillhurst said to the dog. “Sit.”

Minotaur looked up at him with an expression of canine astonishment. For a moment dog and man eyed each other. Then, to Olympia’s everlasting surprise, Minotaur obediently sat back on his haunches.

“That was quite amazing,” Olympia said. “How on earth did you manage that, Mr. Chillhurst? Minotaur never obeys commands.”

“He simply needs a firm hand.”

“Aunt Olympia? Are you in the library?” Ethan came barrelling around the door, his eight-year-old face alight with excitement. His sandy brown hair was plastered to his head. His clothes were as wet and muddy as Minotaur’s fur. “There’s a strange carriage in the drive. It’s ever so big and it looks like it’s packed with trunks. Has Uncle Artemis come to visit again?”

“No.” Olympia frowned at his dripping attire and started to ask why he had gone swimming in his clothes.

Before she could speak, Ethan’s twin, Hugh, charged into the room. He was as covered in mud as his brother. In addition, his shirt was torn.

“I say, Aunt Olympia, have we got visitors?” Hugh asked eagerly. His blue eyes gleamed with enthusiasm.

Both boys skidded to a halt as they caught sight of Chillhurst. They stared at him while water and mud dripped onto the carpet at their feet.

“Who are you?” Hugh asked bluntly.

“Are you from London?” Ethan asked eagerly. “What have you got packed away in your carriage?”

“What happened to your eye?” Hugh demanded.

“Hugh, Ethan, have you both forgotten your manners?” Olympia gave each boy a gently admonishing look. “That is no way to greet a guest. Please run along upstairs and change your clothes. You both look as though you fell into the stream.”

“Ethan pushed me in, so I pushed him in,” Hugh explained briefly. “And then Minotaur jumped into the water after us.”

Ethan was immediately outraged. “I did not push you into the water.”

“Yes, you did,” Hugh said.

“No, I did not.”

“Yes, you did.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Olympia said quickly. “Go upstairs and make yourselves presentable. When you come back down I shall introduce you properly to Mr. Chillhurst.”

“Ah, Aunt Olympia,” Ethan said in the obnoxious whining tone he had recently perfected. “Don’t be such a killjoy. First tell us who this cove is.”

Olympia wondered where Ethan had picked up the cant. “I shall explain everything later. It is really quite exciting. But you are both very muddy and you really must go upstairs first. You know how annoyed Mrs. Bird gets when she finds mud on the carpet.”

“The devil with Mrs. Bird,” Hugh said.

“Hugh,”
Olympia gasped.

“Well, she’s always complaining about something, Aunt Olympia. You know that.” He looked at Chillhurst. “Are you a pirate?”

Chillhurst did not reply. Most likely because there was yet another crashing noise from the hall. Two spaniels bounded into the room. They barked joyously to
announce their arrival and dashed about wildly. Then they rushed across the library to see what the matter was with Minotaur, who was still sitting politely at Chillhurst’s feet.

“Aunt Olympia? What’s going on? There’s a strange carriage in the drive. Who’s here?” Robert, two years older than the twins, appeared in the doorway. His hair was darker than his brothers’ but his eyes were the same vivid shade of blue. He was not soaking wet but his boots were caked in mud and there was a great deal of dirt on his face and hands.

He had a large kite tucked under one arm. The long, dirty tail dragged on the floor behind him. Three small fish dangled from a line he was holding in his other hand. He stopped short when he saw Chillhurst. His eyes widened.

“Hello there,” Robert said. “I say, who are you, sir? Is that your carriage outside?”

Chillhurst ignored the bouncing spaniels and gazed meditatively at the three expectant youngsters. “I’m Chillhurst,” he said finally. “Your uncle sent me.”

“Really?” Hugh asked. “How do you come to know Uncle Artemis?”

“We met recently.” Chillhurst said. “He knew I was traveling to England and he asked me to stop here in Upper Tudway.”

Robert beamed. “That means he probably sent presents to us. Are they in your carriage?”

“Uncle Artemis always sends presents,” Hugh explained.

“That’s right,” Ethan chimed in. “Where are our presents?”

“Ethan,” Olympia said, “it is extremely impolite to demand one’s gifts from a guest before he has even had a chance to freshen up from his journey.”

“It’s quite all right, Miss Wingfield,” Chillhurst said
softly. He turned to Ethan. “Among other things, your uncle sent me.”

“You.”
Ethan was thunderstruck. “Why would he send you?”

“I am to be your new tutor,” Chillhurst said.

A stunned silence gripped the library. Olympia watched as the expressions on the faces of her three young nephews changed from eager expectation to horror. They stared, aghast, at Chillhurst.

“Bloody hell,” Hugh breathed.

“We don’t want another tutor.” Ethan wrinkled his nose. “The last one was a great bore. He was forever droning on in Latin and Greek.”

“We don’t need a tutor,” Hugh assured Chillhurst. “Ain’t that right, Robert?”

“Right,” Robert agreed quickly. “Aunt Olympia can teach us whatever we need to know. Tell him we don’t want a tutor, Aunt Olympia.”

“I do not understand, Mr. Chillhurst.” Olympia stared at the pirate standing in her library. “Surely my uncle would not have hired a tutor for my nephews without first consulting me.”

Chillhurst turned to her with an odd glittering expression in his silvery gaze. “But that is just what he has done, Miss Wingfield. I hope that does not present a problem. I’ve come all this way on the promise of a position. I trust you will find me useful.”

“I’m not at all certain I can afford another tutor,” Olympia said slowly.

“You need not concern yourself with my fee,” Chillhurst said gently. “It has been paid in advance.”

“I see,” Olympia said. She did not know what to say.

Chillhurst turned to the three boys who were watching him with acute dismay and apprehension. “Robert, you will go back out the way you came. You will take
those fine-looking fish around to the kitchens and clean them.”

“Mrs. Bird always cleans ’em,” Robert said quickly.

“You caught them, you will clean them,” Chillhurst replied calmly. “Ethan, Hugh, you two will remove all dogs from the premises immediately.”

“But the dogs always come into the house,” Ethan said. “Leastways Minotaur does. The spaniels belong to one of the neighbors.”

“Henceforth no dogs except Minotaur will be allowed inside and Minotaur may only enter the house if he is clean and dry. See that the spaniels are sent home and then take care of your own dog.”

“But, Mr. Chillhurst,” Ethan began in his new high-pitched, grating tone of voice.

“There will be no whining,” Chillhurst said. “Whining annoys me.” He removed a gold watch from his pocket and checked the time. “Now, then, you have half an hour to get yourselves bathed and into clean clothes.”

“I don’t need a bath,” Robert grumbled.

“You will take one and you will be quick about it.” Chillhurst slipped his watch back into his pocket. “When you are all three finished we shall meet together and I will outline the course of studies that you will be following while in my charge. Is that understood?”

“Bloody hell,” Robert whispered. “He’s a raving madman, he is.”

Ethan and Hugh continued to stare at Chillhurst with stricken expressions.

“I said, is that understood?” Chillhurst repeated in a dangerously soft tone.

Ethan’s and Hugh’s eyes went to the knife that was strapped to Chillhurst’s thigh.

“Yes, sir,” Ethan said quickly.

Hugh swallowed. “Yes, sir.”

Robert gave Chillhurst a sullen look but he did not argue. “Yes, sir.”

“You are dismissed,” Chillhurst said.

All three boys turned and bolted for the door. The dogs followed in a concerted rush. There was a temporary crush in the doorway but it was soon cleared.