Runaway Miss (19 page)

‘Are you going out any more today?’ he asked.

‘Not unless Mrs Summers has errands for me.’

‘I am going into Ambleside. When I come back, I want to talk to you.’

‘What about?’ she asked guardedly.

‘Oh, something and nothing,’ he said enigmatically. ‘Your role as a kidnapped damsel.’

‘Oh, that. I’ve been thinking of that myself.’

‘Keep it until I return.’ He laughed suddenly. She had stopped turning, but Bonny had not and the reins were now wound about her waist. Realising what had happened, she twirled herself round and round, endeavouring to unwind herself, and Sam was curled up with laughter.

He rode into Ambleside with the echo of her laughter in his ears, rehearsed in his mind what he would say to her, how
he would convince her that he was in earnest when he said he loved her and wanted to marry her. But should he tell her he knew she was Lady Emma Lindsay, or continue the pretence, which he hated? Was that any more a good basis for marriage than marrying her for pity, which certainly was not the case? He was sorry for her, yes, but pity came nowhere near it. For one thing she did not invite it; she was independent and courageous to the point of recklessness. The thought of someone like Bentwater trying to kill that spirit spurred him on.

He dismounted at the door of the lawyer’s office, which was in the centre of the town, and threw his reins to an urchin, telling him to mind his horse, and then, turning, found himself face to face with Jeremy Maddox.

The young man was dressed in his usual flamboyant style, peach-coloured pantaloons and a striped coat, his shirt collar scratching his cheeks, his elaborately tied cravat fastened with a diamond pin. He grinned when he saw Alex. ‘We are well met, Malvers. I was about to come and look for you.’

Alex’s thoughts flew to Emma. Maddox had been present when Lord Bentwater had made that outrageous offer to Sir George and he had said he was going to the ball at Almack’s to see what happened. Had he done so? Would he recognise Emma in Fanny Draper? ‘What are you doing here?’ he demanded.

‘Hold on, old fellow, you will make me think you are not pleased to see me.’

‘Sorry. I was taken aback. You are so far from the capital.’

‘A man can take a holiday, can’t he? London seemed devilish dull, so I thought I’d find out how you were faring. Brighten your life up a little.’

‘I am well, as you can see, and my life is not dull, but how did you know where to find me? I did not know myself, the last time I saw you.’

‘Admiral Lord Bourne’s death was reported in the news
papers and the fact that you had succeeded to the estate. You did not return to London, so I assumed you were still here.’

‘I’ve been kept busy.’

‘So I discovered when I enquired after you. Making a name for yourself with plans for a grand regatta, I hear. Come to my hotel and share a glass and you can tell me all about it.’

Alex abandoned any idea of calling on the lawyer and, leading his horse, accompanied his erstwhile gambling partner to the Unicorn. They were soon sitting in a corner of the parlour over a bottle of good claret. ‘Now,’ Maddox said, leaning back in his seat and smiling, ‘tell me all about it. Was it expected, this inheritance of yours?’

‘No, it came as a surprise. I did not know until after my uncle’s death. I learned he was ill and wanted to see me, so I dropped everything to come up here. What news of the capital? When we last spoke, you were thinking of going to Almack’s.’

‘So I did and saw Lord Bentwater and Sir George Tasker and his wife and the young lady.’

‘Young lady?’ He tried not to sound too interested.

‘Yes, you remember. Sir George tried to barter her for his vouchers. Bentwater danced with her. Good-looking gel, though a mite too tall for most men. She did not look happy.’

‘I am not surprised, are you? How would you like to be ordered to marry someone so loathsome?’

‘I wouldn’t. The funny thing is, she disappeared.’

‘Disappeared? How?’ He managed just the right amount of surprise.

‘No one knows. She simply vanished. There are all manner of rumours flying around. Sir George has put it about she has been kidnapped for a ransom, which he swears he will not pay. Well, you and I know he cannot because he is in debt up to his ears. Lord Bentwater is telling everyone she is affianced
to him and has offered a reward for her return, pretending to be heartbroken over her abduction and swearing vengeance on the perpetrators. It was in all the London papers, with a description of her. So far nothing has come of it. At any rate, not when I left town three days ago.’

‘What do you think has happened to her?’

Maddox shrugged. ‘No telling, is there?’

‘Perhaps she simply ran away.’

‘How could she do that on her own? Lady like her wouldn’t know where to start. And, according to rumour, she took nothing with her. Can’t see a chit like that moving far without a mountain of luggage, can you?’

‘So you favour the kidnap idea?’

‘Makes more sense, but why hasn’t someone asked for a ransom or come forward for the reward?’

‘Perhaps they have and no one’s saying.’

‘Or perhaps she’s dead. Kidnappers aren’t always gentle with their victims, are they? It’s been weeks now and neither sight nor sound of her. If they wanted money, they would have asked for it before now. Can people disappear so completely unless they’re dead? One minute there, the next gone.’

‘I don’t know.’ He paused and took a deep breath to ask the question uppermost in his mind. ‘Would you know her if you met her again?’

‘I don’t know that I should. I only saw her for a minute and not close up. Why do you ask?’

‘No reason. I just wondered how anyone could be sure it was her if they did not know her.’

‘They can’t, of course. There have been reports of her being seen, but none of them turned out to be her after all. If she isn’t dead, she’s being hid.’

‘Possibly. Can you imagine her friends and relations giving her up to that man?’

‘Depends how frightened they were of the consequences.
For all we know, she might have been willing to marry Bentwater and he is in the right of it.’

‘Possible, I suppose, but unlikely.’

‘Not our business anyway, is it?’ As far as Jeremy was concerned, he had said all that needed to be said and was ready to move on. ‘Now, tell me about this regatta you are organising.’

Alex did not want to arouse Maddox’s curiosity by continuing with the subject, so he spent some minutes telling his friend about the regatta and his plans for the future, though he was careful to say nothing about Miss Fanny Draper. He had barely finished when they heard someone say, ‘Oh, Mama, there is Lord Malvers.’

Alex looked up to see Lady Pettifer and Charlotte coming towards them. He rose to bow to them. ‘Good morning, my lady. Miss Pettifer.’ He could feel Jeremy tugging at his coat tail. ‘My lady, may I present my friend, Mr Jeremy Maddox? He has lately come up from London.’

Jeremy bowed and smiled. ‘Enchanted,’ he said.

‘Are you related to Lord Maddox of Pelham Park?’ her ladyship asked.

He grinned. ‘His son and heir. Do you know him?’

‘I did many years ago. How is he?’

‘Hale and hearty. Will you join us? We were about to partake of refreshment. Tea and cake, perhaps.’ He beckoned to a waiter and in no time at all they were sitting down together and he was telling the ladies his life history.

Charlotte was glowing with triumph and Alex knew she would soon be crowing to her friends about this new conquest. And Jeremy appeared to be enjoying himself hugely. If Alex had hoped the man’s stay in the area would be short, he soon realised how wrong he was because he heard them talking about the regatta.

‘I certainly intend to stay and see it,’ Jeremy was saying.
‘And if I can prevail upon my friend here to allow it, I should like to take part. It might be fun.’

‘Oh, we are all looking forward to it, aren’t we, Mama? They are going to build some viewing platforms near the water and we have already booked our places. And afterwards there is to be a ball.’

‘Then I shall certainly attend and ask you to stand up with me.’

Alex was sunk in gloom. The last thing he wanted was for anyone who had ever seen Emma in London to come here. He knew common courtesy dictated that he should ask Jeremy to stay at Highhead Hall, but he did not want him anywhere near the place, not while Emma was there. He broke up the party at length by saying he had been on his way to visit his lawyer when he met Mr Maddox and, if they would excuse him, he would go now.

Jeremy was enjoying being flattered by the ladies and he waved him off with a dismissive hand. ‘Yes, you go, old fellow. I’m perfectly content in the company of these lovely ladies.’

When he arrived back at Highhead Hall, he was told by Joe that Mrs Summers and Miss Draper had taken Mrs Yates, Lizzie and Sam into Kendal to do some shopping. He paced about the yard, unable to settle, then went down to the jetty at Waterhead to see how the ships were coming along and to hold a rehearsal. He would look very foolish if the boats all sank when they were called on to rescue the maiden.

Mrs Yates needed clothes and so did Sam, whose trousers were halfway up his skinny calves and his elbows were through his jacket sleeves. And really, Mrs Summers said, he should not be running about the yard barefoot. It did no good for Mrs Yates to protest; the lady took no more notice of her than she had of Emma in a similar situation. Servants
needed uniforms, especially if they were to be seen by her friends.

It took the rest of the day to kit out all three, but Mrs Summers was in her element. ‘What are you going to wear for the regatta, Fanny?’ she asked when they were all sitting in a private parlour in the Woolpack, drinking tea. ‘I believe you are to be carried by two burly men and forced into a boat; it ought not to be anything too elaborate.’

‘I really had not thought about it. I suppose a riding habit and I could wear breeches under it, but my habit is far too good for that, I would be afraid of spoiling it. Perhaps my grey stripe with lots of petticoats.’

‘Grey will not show up against the water or the walls of the fort,’ Mrs Summers said. ‘You must have something bright so that the spectators can pick you out, struggling with your captors and tied to the flagpole at the top of the tower.’

‘Mrs Summers do be right,’ Annie Yates said. ‘I could stitch you something in red or yellow. A full-tiered skirt, perhaps, and a bright blouse…’

‘Yes, but I do not want it to come up round my ears when they carry me off. I should be mortified.’

‘Matching breeches, perhaps,’ Annie said.

‘Good idea,’ Mrs Summers said. ‘Let us go and purchase the material now, it will save another journey.’

It was late afternoon by the time they passed through Bowness and turned towards Waterhead, well satisfied with their shopping trip. The horses were cantering along the road beside the lake when Sam spotted some strange-looking craft on the water. ‘Look at those!’ he cried. ‘It’s Mr Lord’s fleet. Can we stop and watch them?’

Mrs Summers instructed the coachman to pull up at the approach to the jetty and they all went down to the water’s edge to watch the flotilla making its way back to the landing
stage. Alex was captaining the
Lady Jane
and was standing in the prow, looking very tall and almost piratical with his shirt sleeves rolled up, no cravat and the breeze blowing through his hair. Emma, watching him, was almost overcome with mixed emotions. He was so big and handsome and so kind and generous, even to a nobody like Fanny Draper, but that could not be love, not the sort of love that led to marriage. That was for his social equal, which Emma Lindsay was, but not Fanny Draper. She loved him and ought not to have secrets from him when he had done so much for her. Her feelings for him, her love, were all mixed up with a terrible fear, not that anything would happen to him while on the lake, but what would happen if her stepfather found out where she was? What could he do to this man who had become so dear to her?

The craft bumped against the jetty and he jumped down and secured the mooring rope before walking over to them.

‘We’ve been shopping,’ Sam told him. ‘I’ve got new shoes.’

He ruffled the boy’s hair. ‘Then make sure you take care of them, but surely it has not taken all afternoon to buy a pair of shoes?’

‘Oh, no, we bought heaps and heaps of things. Mrs Summers said you were paying for it.’

‘Did she, now?’ He looked over the boy’s head at Amelia. ‘Did you get everything you needed?’

‘Yes, and some material for Fanny’s dress for the regatta. Mrs Yates has volunteered to make it up for her.’

‘Bright red,’ Sam put in. ‘And yellow. Mrs Summers says she must be seen.’

‘Oh.’ He was thoughtful. Was that such a good idea, making a spectacle of her, especially if Maddox was going to be there? Perhaps it would be better to dissuade her. ‘I want to talk to you about that,’ he said, addressing Emma.

‘So you said. Is there a problem?’

‘Later,’ he said, looking up as a horseman was heard on the road, cantering towards them. He cursed under his breath. It was Jeremy and he had spotted them.

‘There you are, Malvers.’ He dismounted, threw his reins carelessly to Alex’s coachman who was standing beside the greys, and strolled over to join them. He looked at the strange collection of vessels and laughed. ‘Is this your invasion fleet?’

‘Yes.’ He could see his aunt looking questioningly at him and realised he would have to introduce them and that meant he could not really avoid naming Emma as well. If Maddox recognised her, if he said he knew she was Lady Emma Lindsay, should he pretend surprise, pour scorn on the whole idea, or admit it and swear the man to secrecy? But he hadn’t even told Emma he knew the truth yet and now he wondered if he should. She had been right to be cautious.

‘Aunt Amelia, may I present my friend, Mr Jeremy Maddox? He has recently come up from London.’ He saw Emma’s eyes widen in shock as he added, ‘Mr Maddox, my aunt, Mrs Summers.’

Amelia shook his hand. ‘Always pleased to meet a friend of Alex’s,’ she said. ‘Are you here for long?’