Hide in Time (26 page)

Miss Mulberry nodded, but nothing more.
Miss Mulberry was registering the formality; it was one step shy of a
reprimand. To Catherine? Or to her?

The responsibility of the ritual to
entertain the ladies fell upon Raffles for Father Fox simply
observed, but hardly spoke throughout the journey.

As the carriage slowed, Adam drew
alongside and dismounted as they drew to a halt. His graciousness in
assisting her to alight was commendable in Alexandra’s eyes but
it simply could not alter the fact that she had evidence he was
almost as dishonourable as Jack.

Philanderer or no philanderer –
his planning abilities were excellent. This much she must concede. A
marquee, erected on an elevated strip of land, faced the river bank.
Willow trees shaded chairs and tables covered in pristine white
cloths. Vases, filled with colourful wild flowers, stood on the
table, and covered jugs of lemonade had been prepared for the thirsty
travellers. Boxes of fishing tackle stood nearby. Behind the marquee
the woods were carpeted with bluebells and the scents of the flowers,
new buds, and the meadow enticed Alexandra to take a deep breath and
sigh that surely this was heaven.

Raffles drew close and murmured,
“Indeed, indeed. Heaven above in soft blue, earth below in deep
green, and flowers of every colour; such blessings for those whose
eyes see.” Alexandra looked up at the kindly face of the parson
and with the keen observance of a writer, she realized he saw more
than most, and loved it more.

Lunch was a splendid repast laid out in
front of the marquee, and the conversation was peppered with
laughter. Alexandra had been seated between Adam and Raffles and the
wit and wisdom that passed across captured her interest, though,
initially, she would not admit to more. They swapped stories of the
great ships that had been built from the trees in the nearby forests;
how Henry VIII’s navy had been put together from the oaks of
Kent. Raffles, in his deep bass voice, started singing “Hearts
of oak are our ships, Jolly tars are our men.” It was fortunate
that Catherine had eyes only for James or she might have seen even
more to gladden her heart: Alexandra was visibly weakening as Adam’s
eyes sparkled like the sunlight on the river. She couldn’t keep
her eyelashes lowered perpetually and gradually she added her own
gaiety to the company.

“There’s something I want
to explain to you, Alexandra,” Adam said touching the sleeve of
her new blue spencer and running his forefinger across the luxurious
velvet. She withdrew her arm, her stomach lurched, and she wished
Raffles had not begun a conversation with Father Fox to his right.
“There is a girl in the village by “Foxhills”.”
Adam hesitated as Alexandra looked away. “She has been done a
great wrong.”

“Whatever has happened is no
business of mine,” Alexandra said.

“I should like to explain.”

“No explanation is necessary,”
Alexandra said firmly.

“Nevertheless, it impinges upon
the happiness and reputation of members of our family and I ask that
you allow me to…”

Alexandra could feel tears welling in
her eyes; she could not bear to have what she had seen, verified.
“Please – I do not wish to know.”

“It is important to me that you
do know. Truth is not always perceptible.”

“Truth and darkness do not go
together,” Alexandra was thinking of his late-night visits.
“Truth can bear the light, Adam.”

“That is exactly what I wish to
do now.” Adam took his handkerchief and attempted to wipe a
rolling tear before it dropped on to Alexandra’s velvet sleeve.
She pulled away and wiped the tear with her finger. Drat! How could
she cry? She never cried. She was a fighter – of that she was
sure. This damn man – how could he do this to her!

At that moment, a voice said, “Do
please forgive me.” It was so soft that it might have gone
unnoticed, had not the tall, thin Emmeline Carpenter, chaperone to
Charlotte for the day, accidentally knocked Alexandra as she reached
to tap Raffles on his ample shoulder.

Having gained the attention of all
three, the rather dowdily dressed Emmeline said again, a little
louder, “Please forgive me. I am afraid I have failed in my
duty to chaperone Miss Carpenter.”

“Forgiven, my child,” said
Raffles expansively.

“Ah, Raffles, my good man –
I think we are missing the point.” Adam stood up and attempted,
but failed, to prise Raffles from his chair. Raffles managed to raise
himself a little but, by so doing, nearly brought down the tablecloth
and all arranged thereon. “You are saying that Miss Charlotte
Carpenter is missing from our company?”

“With Jack Leigh-Fox,”
Emmeline said in an ominous tone and expression to match.

Adam groaned audibly. “Not
again.” Standing behind Alexandra, he gently squeezed her
shoulders. Swiftly removing his hands, he patted his chair. “Miss
Emmeline, come and sit here and our good Parson Raffles will take
care of you whilst I attempt to take care of your charge.”
Alexandra distinctly heard him say, “and my brother,” as
he strode towards the edge of the woods to disturb Esky from his
contented grazing.

Emmeline looked across at Raffles who
leaned in closer to hear, “Charlotte found him ‘adorably
amusing’ she said, and it seemed to me that he was greatly
enjoying her company too. I last saw them in the landau, doing what
Charlotte does best. Flirting with her fan.”

Adam cantered up to them and called
out, “Which way did they go?”

“I think they’ve taken the
landau. It was by the river and I thought they were safe and…”

“I’ll follow the tracks,”
Adam interrupted. “The ground is damp enough there for wheel
ruts to betray them.”

On any other occasion, the look he gave
Alexandra would have been sufficient to feed her dreams for a year.

Hide in Time ~ Anna Faversham

“I have opened your letter.”
Father Fox looked across the dining table to Jack. “The
situation is utterly deplorable.”

Jack scoffed. Then, curiosity roused,
he demanded, “What letter?”

Alexandra was replaying in her mind the
conversation she had just had with Billy. More than a month had gone
by before he chose to tell her that William declared himself to be
the rider of Esky that night she had caught such a fever. He had
looked a little sheepish – as well he might. But was it true?
Was William taking the blame for his employer?

Jack smashed his fist on the table. The
cutlery chinked against the rattling china.

This could be a big one.

Jack stood up and, like a spouting
geyser, punched his arms in the air, gritted his teeth, and strode
towards his father.

Although it was obvious they were at
the beginning of another of Jack’s riveting volcanic eruptions,
a fact had fallen into place in her mind and she must not lose hold
of it. Billy had said that William understood what Alexandra had
asked and later explained, by drawing pictures in the dirt, something
about it being he who’d been out on Esky. Not Adam. Definitely
not Adam visiting the girl. That’s what Adam had been trying to
explain a whole month ago at the picnic. So was William seeing the
girl? Perhaps he had permission to ride Esky. She should give her
attention to the unfolding spectacle.

“When did this letter arrive?”
Jack snarled.

“Jack, sit down,” Father
Fox entreated. “You know I cannot sleep at nights if I am
challenged.” Jack seemed unable to attend to what had been
said; it was unlikely he’d care anyway. Another one-sided
contest had begun.

“Sit down, Jack,” Adam
thundered, then quietly dismissed Johnson. “Father, I fear the
ladies had expected to eat. Might we not allow the ladies to dine and
we could resume this discussion later or elsewhere?”

Jack marched back to stand opposite
Adam. “You! You haven’t even been seen for a month and
you start telling everyone what to do! Just where have you been?”

“Estate matters.”

“Estate matters? This estate is
not yours and if I have anything to do with it, it never will be.”
Jack prowled around the table.

“That decision lies in father’s
gift,” said Adam.

An unwelcome thought flashed through
Alexandra’s mind. If it was William riding Esky, it was
unlikely he’d be secretly leaving a sovereign for the girl –
unless he was doing it on behalf of someone else. The truth was still
eluding her. She chided herself – it was time to give this
unfolding row her full attention.

Then in staccato fashion Father Fox
said. “You will sit down Jack this very moment or you will be
disinherited – forthwith.” He paused, reverting to his
customary unruffled tones once Jack had seated himself at the far end
of the table in what had once been his mother’s seat. “I
have opened your letter and I shall share the contents of it after I
have made known the substance of this one I have received from Sir
Charles Carpenter.” He looked specifically at the two young
ladies close to him. “Forgive me, I wish you to witness my
words.”

Alexandra blinked as if in affirmation
but more in shock, while Catherine, with eyes wide, nodded.

“Sir Charles tells me that Lady
Carpenter has died.” Surprise preceded puzzlement then concern
on the faces of the two girls. “Her heart stopped following an
altercation with Miss Emmeline Carpenter regarding failure in her
duty to care for Charlotte whilst attending our picnic.” Father
Fox glared at Jack at the opposite end of the table.

“The man’s an idiot!
Blaming us for a foaming row in his household,” Jack bellowed.

As if there had been no interruption,
Father Fox continued. “Miss Charlotte Carpenter has been unwell
in the past week. It may be that she is disturbed by the loss of her
mother but the indication is that they will wish to contact us again
soon.”

Jack shrugged the implication off with
a smirk. “It’s of no consequence to us, one way or the
other.”

“This letter is phrased in the
sternest terms.” Father Fox put the missive to one side as he
said, “Miss Emmeline Carpenter, in disgrace, is obliged to seek
other patronage.”

Whilst it would be incorrect to say
that Adam remained impassive, Alexandra noticed he betrayed little
beyond a practised endurance of perpetual troubles. In contrast, Jack
sneered.

“While you sneer, others suffer.”
Father Fox stood up, leaned forward, and rested his forefingers on
the table-top. “Not so long ago, a young girl from the other
side of town drowned, with my grandchild in her arms.”

Catherine gasped, her eyes widening
further as she looked from her father to Jack.

“You may as well have murdered
them both.”

“It wasn’t I who sent them
to their deaths – he did!” Jack pointed at Adam.
“Interfering in business not his own.” He stood up again,
but discernibly remembering his father’s threat of
disinheritance, immediately sat down sharply. “Just what right
had he to pay for that slut’s passage to America?” He
paused before scoffing, “Start a new life! She only knew how to
start a rumour!”

“It cost your brother his own
happiness.”

“Happiness? With Laura? She left
him!”

Adam looked as though he’d
reached his limit and would send Jack to the hereafter with one blow
but his father raised his palm, urging patience.

“Laura left him because you
allowed her to think the child was Adam’s. When William told
Adam how you’d misled her, you cut out his tongue.”

“Well he could hardly speak
anyway. It was all gibberish. Better a bell with no clanger than one
that’s made of jelly.”

Alexandra now gasped. It was so much
worse than she could have imagined.

“And in that shipwreck, I lost a
child of my blood, and Adam his betrothed.”

Alexandra felt the table move; Adam
could barely stay in his seat. How could he bear to live in the same
house as this monstrous brother? Oh she had so misjudged him. Just as
that Laura had.

“Then,” Father Fox adjusted
his stance and resumed, “Adam had to make arrangements for one
of the maids to leave and you turned your attentions to the
housekeeper. Our housekeeper who had served us for nigh on twenty
years.”

“And me for five minutes!”
Jack laughed pushing himself back from the table and rocking on his
chair.

Catherine gasped and began to cry.

“There is also the girl in the
village. Maintained by Adam, once again, from his personal allowance,
whilst you spend yours on gambling.”

Jack exploded. “And you think
Adam doesn’t gamble? You jobbernowl! What is the Stock Market,
if not gambling?”

Confrontation was not the favoured
style of Father Fox but now he appeared to harden his stance further.
“You are not low-born, John Charles Richard Leigh-Fox; address
your father correctly.” The only sound was yet another scoff
from Jack. Father Fox ignored it and continued, “The knowledge
and wisdom employed in that occupation has kept this family afloat…”

“Pity it couldn’t keep
Laura afloat.” Jack muttered and continued rocking his chair.

With one bound, Adam seized Jack’s
shoulders from behind and shoved his chair forwards. Jack attempted
to stand, pushing his hands against the table but he couldn’t
oppose the force of Adam. Jack raised both his hands to grasp his
brother but Adam seized his forearms and flattened them against the
top of the table, and leant forwards so that Jack’s face was
inches away from the table. Grasping Jack’s two hands with his
own, he took hold of Jack’s hair with the other and it was
quite clear that if Jack moved, he’d be seeing the table even
closer.

Only when Catherine began to sob did
Adam relinquish his hold and return to comfort his sister, but not
before he’d muttered to Jack, “Move and you'll father no
more.” This had the desired effect; Jack’s face drained
of blood, giving him a sickly pallor.