Lady In Disguise (The Langley Sisters) (30 page)

“Perhaps she’s enjoying the change,” Joseph said, lowering himself onto the seat beside Hera and Ares.

“I think that’s highly unlikely as Ares would be spending most of his time off battling foes,” Will said, joining him.

“And your point is?”

“True,” Will grunted, stretching his legs out before him.

“So how was your trip to London?”

“Brief, successful, and frustrating.”

“Come here, Billy and I will remove your mittens if you don’t tell your mother.”

Eager to shred leaves and play in the dirt, the little boy came to his father instantly to have this hands freed.
 

“Start with the successful,” Joseph said, pocketing the mittens.

The brothers discussed warehouses and ships and the town house Will had purchased for some time, and slowly he began to relax as Billy dashed around the room returning every few minutes with another gift that he handed either Will or Joseph. So far they had flowers, leaves and a small pebble.

“If there’s any insects prepare yourself, he loves them and they are the highest form of offering he can give a person.”

“Excellent,” Will said. “I shall hope that particular delight eludes him then.”

“Now tell me of the frustration, brother.”

Blowing out a loud breath Will thought about what he would say and then simply started with, “I think I’ve found the woman I want to marry, Joe.”

“Olivia Langley.”

“Yes.” He was not surprised his brother had guessed.

Opening his arms Joseph caught his son as he ran to him and Will realized he wanted to do that to his own children, his and Livvy’s children. He wondered if they would have red-gold locks like their mother.

“Why is loving Olivia Langley frustrating?”

“I didn’t say I loved her,” Will clarified. “Just that I want to marry her.”
 

Ignoring his brother’s snort he continued. “Something is very wrong in that household, Joe. Freddy and I encountered Phoebe and Livvy in Damply waiting for the stage to London.”

“What! I hope you bloody well took them yourself. Christ, it doesn’t bear thinking about all the things that could have happened to two woman alone on a stage coach to London.” Joseph shuddered.

“After a heated debate with Olivia I managed to convince her that my carriage was her only option.”

Joseph laughed. “I can imagine that debate, Olivia Langley is not a lady who would willingly take a backward step.”

She wasn’t and that was just something else he liked about her. Livvy would never let him have everything his own way.

“’ill,” Billy said, reaching for his uncle. Hefting the boy into his lap he was then rewarded with a throaty little chuckle as the boy held out something wriggly for him to inspect.

“Delightful,” he said, taking the offering and hefting it over his shoulder while the boy wasn’t looking. Yawing loudly, Billy stretched his legs onto his father’s lap and settled his body into Will’s arms.

“Freddy said that the Langleys only have one servant and that when he walked through the house many of the paintings have been removed because he could see the darker patches of paint left behind.

“If they are indeed struggling they have hidden it well, because when Penny and I visited them at Thea’s prompting everything appeared the same as it always had.”

“Something’s wrong, Joe,” Will said, running his fingers through his nephews soft locks. “Livvy was happy enough when we reached London. I took them around the warehouses and gave them gifts and hot chocolate and then I left for a few hours to go to an appointment. When I returned everything had changed. Both she and Phoebe had been crying and told me they had to return home immediately.

“Who had they seen in that time?”

“Their cousin, Lord Langley.”

“Sniveling little weasel. I never liked that man. However, I saw no indication that he was not supporting his cousins as he should so Penny and I did not interfere. You believe otherwise, don’t you?” Joseph looked at his brother.

“Yes, and Freddy is now digging as deep as he needs to, to find anything that may indicate what I suspect.”

They brothers were silent, both looking at Billy who had pushed his dirty face into Will’s jacket and was now snuffling happily in his sleep.
 

“I never thought much of children before him, you know. But he tugged at my heart from the first glance.”

“It’s because you share blood, makes things more complicated,” Joseph said. stroking his son’s soft cheek. “When he was born I cried like an infant and vowed from that day onwards to love and cherish him, even when he hands me worms.”

Will sighed. “Love is a painful uncomfortable thing, brother, and I’m not sure if I’m up for the challenge.”

“Too late,” the Duke drawled with a smug expression on his face. “I was thinking…” he then added.

“I’m shuddering.”

“Christmas Eve is soon and we should invite the Langleys to join us for the burning of the Yule log and you could then coerce Olivia under the mistletoe after I have coerced Penny.”

I think that is a very sound notion, brother, get Thea to invite them, they won’t refuse her.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“Are you not wishing to tie us up and take our jewelry too?”

“No, we just want your coins thank you, Madam, now please return to your carriage,” Livvy said.

“But surely you need to search my sister and I to ensure we are not concealing anything of value,” the woman persisted.

The Langley sisters had been surprised when the two elderly ladies had stepped from the carriage they had pulled over. Neither of them had swooned or cried, in fact they appeared delighted with the turn of events. One had dived back into the carriage, returning with a large velvet pouch carrying a substantial amount of money if the size was any indication of what it held.

“We carry this in our carriage for just such an occasion,” the woman had then said before throwing it at Livvy. “Your need is obviously greater than ours.”

“We have no wish to inconvenience you further, ladies, our purpose was to gather money to feed our family, nothing more,” Livvy said, feeling the need to explain in the face of such generosity.
 

“Oh well in that case we insist you take some of our jewelry, don’t we Hester,” the woman said, beginning to remove her necklace.
 

“Dear God,” Livvy whispered, her horror turning to laughter as the second lady started doing the same.

“Ladies, please! We have no wish to take your jewels and really must insist you return to your carriage. I would hate for you to get overly cold on such a night.” Livvy could hear the tinge of desperation in her words as she struggled to stop laughing. Beside her Phoebe was making noises behind her hand.

“Such a lovely thing to say, Hester, don’t you think?” one of the ladies said, looking at Livvy once more.
 

“Lovely,” Hester agreed.

“I have a gun pointed at you, my lady.” Livvy felt she had to point out the obvious.

“Yes, but I’m a good judge of character, young man, and desperation is the only thing making you do this, therefore we will not hold it against you,” the woman said, turning towards the carriage.
 

“Are you sure you don’t want a necklace or two? They’re quite valuable I believe,” Hester said.

“Positive but thank you again for your generosity and allow me to apologize to you for any inconvenience,” Livvy said, knowing that neither Jenny nor Bella would believe them when they recounted tonight’s events. She hardly believed them herself.
 

It was as the women finally closed the carriage door that Livvy looked at the trees beyond and saw the man watching them from horseback.

“Ride, Phoebe, we are being watched!”
 

Turning Boris Livvy charged after her sister, who was by now a few feet in front. Crouching low over his neck she urged her mount on as she followed Phoebe who was weaving in and out of the trees. The thunder of hooves told her that whoever was pursuing them was gaining fast.

Sending Boris a silent apology she kicked him in the stomach which sent him leaping forward until she drew level with her sister.
 

“Split up!” Livvy called and then she veered left as Phoebe kept going straight, seconds later the sound of hooves told her that whoever was chasing them had elected to follow her.
 

Livvy knew the roads well and was about an hour’s ride from Twoaks, so she would need to try to lose whoever followed her by changing direction frequently before she reached her home.

Urging Boris on he sailed over a fence and then Livvy pulled hard to the right and headed back along the road. Whoever followed her was an excellent rider as her maneuver did not deter him. They rode at breakneck speed for a time until Livvy felt Boris slowing beneath her. Desperate now to lose their pursuer she saw the forest ahead and charged recklessly into it. Branches tore at her hat and scarf but Boris kept going as she turned him left and right until finally she dared to look behind her once more and saw that she was now alone. Pulling Boris to a halt she ran a trembling hand down his sweaty neck and listened. There was no sound of hoofs or breaking twigs. She would stay here for a while until she was sure her pursuer had finally gone.
 

Livvy waited until her teeth were chattering from the cold before she urged Boris from the trees and back onto the road. She missed Phoebe’s company as the darkness closed in around her and she tried not to look at every shadow and jump at every sound. It would not be fair to ride Boris hard again so soon, yet she longed to crouch over his neck again and race home. Urging him into a gentle trot instead, Livvy sang softly until she saw the welcoming light of her home.
 

“Livvy! Dear God, I thought you had been caught and I did not know what to do,” Phoebe said, hurrying towards her.

“I’m all right, Phoebe.” Livvy climbed wearily down from Boris’s back. Leading him to his stall she unsaddled and brushed him down and then threw a blanket over his sweaty flanks before filling up his trough with food and water. “You did well tonight,” she said, patting his cheek before shutting the stable door and leaving him to his much needed rest.

I was so scared,” Phoebe said, following her up the path to the kitchen door. “I turned around to look behind me and found you had disappeared with whoever was following us behind you.”

“We will talk inside, Phoebe, we need to warm up my hands and face are so cold,” Livvy said, hurrying towards the house, she then yelped as her feet started to slide on a patch of ice but she could do nothing to stop falling. Landing on her bottom she slid several feet and came to a rest against the kitchen door. Turning the air blue with several choice curses, Livvy tried to regain her feet.

“Did you just cuss, Olivia Mary Elizabeth Langley?”

“Oh and you’ve never heard those words before, Phoebe Jane Emily Langley,” Livvy said, taking the hand her sister held out to her.

“Let go!” Phoebe cried as her feet started to slide too.

“Ouch,” Livvy grunted as her sister sat on her. “Get off me you lump.”

“Lump? I’ll have you know I’m considered petite.”

“By whom, not those blind idiots you call admirers surely?” Livvy hissed as she tried to push Phoebe to her feet.
 

Phoebe started giggling as she struggled to get off her sister only to fall back into her lap. The aftermath of fear soon had Livvy joining her and in seconds they were both laughing hysterically. It was their youngest sister who found them minutes later rolling around on the icy ground laughing like two candidates fit for Bedlam.

***

Will was weary when he finally returned to Rossetter after pursuing the highwayman. Stabling his mount he then made his way through the silent house to his rooms. A fire had been lit and the warmth was welcome as he shrugged out of his jacket. The scarf and hat he had tucked inside fell to the floor. The foolish highwayman had plunged recklessly into the thick forest in hopes of escaping him and in doing so he had lost his belongings. Lifting them to his face Will sniffed. Frowning he did so again and felt ice fill his veins.

Knocking on the front door of Willow Hall early the following morning Will’s mood could be termed at best, dark. He’d spent the night with visions of Olivia being clamped in irons and him visiting her in Newgate prison. Any sleep he’d got had been fleeting and he was feeling mean after a long restless night. Maybe he was wrong about her being a highwayman, and he was willing to ask questions before he shook her so hard her teeth rattled, yet the gnawing anger inside him told him he was not
 

“Good morning, Mrs Bell, I have called to see Olivia.”

“She is in the stables, my lord. If you like to come inside I shall fetch her for you.”

“Don’t trouble yourself, Mrs Bell, I know the way,” Will said, heading around the side of the house before she could refuse. Lengthening his stride he walked down the path to the rear and then over the grass towards the stables. There had been no fresh falls of snow for several days now and although it was still bloody chilly he was relieved to be outside without something icy dripping down the back of his neck. His boots made crunching noises as they walked on dewy grass and he could see the trail of Olivia’s footprints to his right leading towards the stables.