Silence of Scandal (4 page)

The horse slowed as he reached the passage leading to the stable yard behind the house. Midnight tossed his head impatiently as Alexander squinted into the shadows.
Was there even anyone to attend his horse?
He dismounted and led Midnight under the arched entrance. The horse’s hooves clattered on the cobbles and there was a sudden flash of a lantern. Hesitant footsteps followed the bobbing light.

“Who goes there? Master Phillip? Is that you? We weren’t expecting…” the voice faded as Midnight reared back. Alexander stepped out of the shadows.

“No, Simon. It’s Alexander.”

There was a stunned silence and then a short snort before an old man appeared from out of the stables.

“Young Master Alex? No, it cannot be. Alexander has gone to war.” The man barrelled forwards on bowed legs.

Alexander laughed with no real mirth.

“No longer, I am returned and can assure you that it’s me, Simon.” The light was thrust in his face and quickly removed as the old man looked upwards at Alexander’s towering form and gasped in surprise.

“By God and all his saints! It is Master Alex. Sir, you have grown like a beanstalk but broadened much too! I would never have believed those shoulders could have become so wide.”

Alexander smiled at the old man’s well meaning shock. The last time Simon had seen him he had been but a bony youth.

“Yes, well I am a little surprised myself considering the rations I have been forced to survive on these past five years. The catering left a lot to be desired but there you have it, I grew regardless though I confess that I am looking forward to some of Mrs. Bottomley’s lardy cake. They have been on my mind for the last five years and especially since I reached port.”

Simon glanced for a moment at Alexander’s puckered cheek but forbore to comment on the scar. He reached out and took Midnight’s reins from Alexander and gave the horse an admiring glance.

“Bottomley is idling by the fire, most likely eating his wife’s excellent lardy cake as we speak. He could do with moving his great backside before he becomes stuck to his chair. Go right on in Master Alex. I will see to this beauty, have no fear.”

Alexander looked down doubtfully at the wizened old man. He smiled again as he saw that there was still strength in the man’s arms and confidence in his stance as he took hold of the mighty stallion. It had been almost impossible to bring the horse home. Space on ship was tight enough already but Alexander had talked the captain around. Midnight was far too great a prize to leave rotting on the battlefields.

“He was rubbed down not long ago. The stable lad at Carter’s mews was competent enough. Maybe some more oats and then bed him down for the night. Come into the house when you are done. I have news for you all that cannot wait.” He turned away from Simon’s quizzical stare and walked straight to the rear door.

The heat of the kitchen hit him as he pushed the door open a moment before the surprised shout reached his ears.

“Lordy! May the Saints preserve us! You scared my ‘eart from my body. Master Alexander, you should have sent word of your arrival. We’ve not ‘eard from Ormond for weeks. Even my sister ‘as neglected writing to me. I am fair put out as I was expecting her new recipe for pig cheeks.” Mrs Bottomley pressed her hand to her ample bosom as she talked about the cook at Ormond.

Her husband’s feet fell from where they had been propped by the fire and Bottomley shot up from his chair.

“My Lord, welcome home.” The rake thin man gave a deep bow, then glanced over Alexander’s face and then down to his mud spattered uniform. “You can have only just arrived from France. We’ll make arrangements immediately. Tilly has this moment gone into the parlour to pull the drapes.” He pulled at his rolled shirtsleeves and grabbed for his coat.

Alexander peeled off his gloves.

“No reason to go to any trouble. This will unfortunately not be a long visit. In fact I have to leave for Ormond as soon as I have been through some of my father’s papers. There are pressing matters that I must inform you of as soon as possible.”  He turned to Mrs. Bottomley. “In the meantime if you could furnish me with brandy and have some of whatever you are all eating brought to the study that will satisfy for now. I need an hour to look through my father’s desk and then I would like you to all join me. I have important news.”

The Bottomley’s both frowned curiously but nodded quickly as Alexander strode from the kitchen to the hall.

“His Grace’s supply of brandy is already in the study my Lord. I’ll send Tilly to light the fire and then come to serve you.” Bottomley’s voice reached his ears and he waved him down.

“I will manage Bottomley. Is there a candle already lit?” It had been a long time since he was there but his father had been an organized man.

“Yes, Sir and the fire is already set. It only needs a flame.”

Alexander pushed open the door to his father’s study and stood for a moment looking around at the dimly lit room. It brought memories of the man to mind. He smiled as he remembered his first taste of brandy, sneaked out of the decanter hidden in the desk drawer at Ormond. He also remembered the spluttering fit he had tried to cover as the liquid heat burned a passage down his throat. The following hallucinations had been even worse. His father’s loud laugh rattled around in his head as he told the young Alexander that the sensation of fire in his chest and spinning vision was punishment enough for his misdemeanour.

He picked up the candle and walked to the mantle. The flare caught the kindling and after adding a few well placed logs of wood, there was soon a glowing fire warming the grate.

There was a light tap at the door and a young woman entered carrying a covered tray. She glanced up at Alexander’s face in the dim light and he noticed her barely hidden shudder as she took in the scar and then looked away quickly. She placed the tray on the desk and kept her eyes down as she bobbed a quick curtsey before rushing back out of the room, skirts flapping about her ankles as she closed the door behind her.

He lit the lamps on the desk before he slumped wearily into the chair and sat staring at the flames for more than a few moments. Then his eyes moved to the brandy decanter sitting atop of the cabinet standing in the chimneybreast recess. He wondered if his father still kept the best supplies in his desk drawer and he pulled it open slowly, smiling fondly when he saw the top of the decanter glisten in the firelight.

He lifted out the heavy bottle and a glass and poured a large measure, drinking it down quickly, savouring the slow burn before pouring another and lifting the cloth from the tray.

There was a selection of cold meats, cheese, pickles and crusty bread at one side of the tray. He smiled as he glanced at the plate at the other end. His stomach gave an audible rumble at the sight of a huge slab of freshly baked lardy cake and dish of custard that sat beside the meats. He ate his fill, savouring all the delicious flavours before he shifted the tray and then delved back into the drawers of the desk.

He considered himself lucky that his father had been an orderly man. Bills had been clearly marked paid and a set of accounts looked current up until the end of the last season. He ran his finger down the previous six months and immediately noticed a regular sum of five hundred pounds leaving the estate income. He frowned at the name beside the debit and turned it to the light.

“Oakley?” He queried aloud before looking up at a smart knock at the door.

Bottomley entered.

“Lieutenant Denvers, my Lord,” he announced the arrival of Alexander’s most loyal friend. They had fought side by side for many years.

“Giles, you made it in good time. Come in and rest yourself by the fire. Bottomley, please ask Mrs. Bottomley to rustle up another plate of food and then will you all please wait up until I call for you. I will probably be about the hour.” Bottomley nodded and bowed out of the room as Alexander pulled a second glass from the drawer and poured brandy for the two of them.

Giles Denvers waited until the door closed behind butler before he lifted his glass and enquired.

“The news was true?” He settled into the chair beside the fire and peered over at his friend.

Alexander nodded. Giles had been left standing at the dockside in Dover waiting for his horse to be unloaded from the ship while Alexander had ridden wildly for London.

“Unfortunately, yes. I can scarce believe the news but I have no time to grieve for I fear the situation becomes worse. I haven’t had chance to check the validity of it all but it would appear that Phillip had passed gaming notes that have not been honoured. A Mr. Gerald Hardacre has bought all the dishonoured debts and is now making enquiries as to how I expect to pay up. At the moment I confess that I am at a loss and I have no one to ask the detail until I can ride to Ormond.”

Giles threw back his brandy and poured himself another before he stood and bowed before Alexander.

‘Your Grace.’ He lifted his glass as Alexander shook his head and waved his friend down.

‘Don’t even think about calling me that when we are private. Ormond in polite company and Alex as usual otherwise, though to be honest, with this potential disaster hanging over me I doubt I will be in polite company any time soon.

Denvers slumped back into the chair.

“By God Alex, this is terrible news. Bad enough that your father and brother have perished but Ormond come to ruin as well? I don’t believe it. There has to be some kind of mistake.” There was a silence as there was a quiet rap at the door and the serving girl brought in another tray of food. She left quickly as Giles immediately began to help himself and Alexander continued with the story while his friend filled his stomach.

“I was of the same mind, but father and Phillip both wrote new wills only a week before the wreck. My mother and Anne are made provision for but I won’t even be able to do that if these figures are correct.” He threw the accounts book across the desk and Giles picked it up. He leafed through the contents, his lips moving silently as he read the amounts. He frowned as he noticed the regular five hundred pound withdrawal. His eyebrows rose into his hairline as he flicked back through the book.

“This has been going on for months, possibly even years if you can check in older books. What in God’s name did he need that much for? The rest looks pretty clear but this is above other household expenses. Who is this fellow Oakley? Or is it there to remind him of the town.”

Alexander took a deep breath.

“I have no idea and have been racking my brains to think if it is a name I recall but apart from the town called the same name near Ormond I can’t think of anyone. It is possibly only a reference for my father. Whether it means anything I have yet to find out. I have to get to the bottom of it or I will go under. The income from the estate will never keep up with this amount and there is already a debt the likes of which you would never imagine. I fear I am staring ruination in the face.” Alexander held his brandy glass firmly.

Giles stared at the book for a moment longer. Regular monthly amounts of this nature could only mean one thing.

“Stinks of blackmail if you ask me. A sum of this size, it can’t possibly be a mistress but even if that were the case this amount would cover a veritable harem besides the fact that your father and brother both seemed the most unlikely candidates for that kind of caper. What on earth had Phillip to hide?”

Alexander closed his eyes briefly as he remembered his elder sibling; a quiet but strong man not easily roused to temper with a brain that far outstripped his peers. It was his avid quest for knowledge that led him into some of his stranger experiments. Pain ripped through his chest as he closed his mind to the disastrous experiment with the steam kettle though others were to follow during school breaks and Christmas holidays. In his dreams at night he could still see little Lily Smith’s smiling eyes and dark, unruly hair and he hoped with all his heart that there were not other deaths to be covered up.

“That’s what I hope to discover. I haven’t been home for over five years Giles. I can only hope that my mother can shed some light on the matter though even asking her is not a prospect that I relish. In the meantime Carter is holding off on the debt. The bank is supporting the mortgage and I have approximately four weeks to come up with a solution. I confess that at the moment one eludes me and all suggestions will be considered.”

Giles Denvers snorted and gave his first smile of the evening.

“Easy, man. You are now a Duke. Marry a girl with plenty of blunt. It’s the beginning of the season; you’ll have your pick of the crop what with a title like yours. Problem solved.”

Alexander frowned deeply.

“If there’s blackmail at its heart then a wife’s dowry won’t last long as soon as the fiend gets wind of it, besides I had always thought to marry for love when the time comes. I’m not going to leap into leg shackles until I have excluded every other avenue open to me. In the meantime I have the delightful duty of telling the staff here that I may be their new employer but I have no money to pay them and may even have to sell this house. I am not looking forward to telling them that they could become homeless.” He flung back another measure of the brandy.

His friend helped himself from the bottle.

“Do you want me to stay? I can go and find a bed elsewhere if you prefer. I don’t want to be an extra burden while you are in crisis.”