The Belligerent Miss Boynton AND The Lurid Lady Lockport (Two Companion Full-Length Regency Novels) (31 page)

On Christmas Eve, Amanda sat in the blue room contemplating the small feet stretched out before her on a brocade footstool. "You know, Aunt, if it were not for Sally's good judgment I could be wearing green slippers with a blue gown. I cannot remember when last I saw my toes. I believe I must be the most ungainly creature alive."

Lady Chezwick harbored some reservations on the, to be polite, rather enormous size of Amanda's stomach, but as she had never borne a child herself perhaps she was just being overly concerned. Or at least that was what she'd told herself, up until the moment Nanny had confided her own concerns. "Nonsense," Aunt Agatha said now bracingly, "Jared tells me daily how beautiful you are."

Amanda pulled a face. "Perhaps he has been drinking too deep. He must be castaway if he finds his swollen wife appealing. Even Sally giggles as I struggle in and out of the tub. It's really quite embarrassing."

Her aunt laughed and shook her head as she applied herself again to the tiny sweater she was knitting—blue, of course, for the child had to be a boy—when the doors of the blue room burst open and two sets of legs surrounded by a huge, snow-dripping evergreen came crashing into the room. "Good heavens, what's this?"

Jared poked his head out from behind the branches, his handsome face red with cold and his blue eyes dancing like a child's to ask, "Do you like it, infant? Kevin spent a Christmas in Germany and swears the locals often lug whole trees indoors and decorate them with strings of berries and such. He went on about it for so long that I decided to humor him. What do you say, imp? Does it sound like fun?"

Amanda, in the way of women in a delicate condition, promptly burst into tears, whereupon Jared dropped the tree on Kevin's booted foot and dashed to her side.

"Dear heart, what have I done to upset you?" he asked on bended knee. Amanda shook her head and kept on weeping. Jared sat back on his heels, turning to his aunt in mute appeal.

"Oh, you men. The child is overcome with happiness, Nephew. Any fool can see that," Lady Chezwick informed him while wiping away a tear of her own. "But an entire tree, Nephew? The fir branches on the mantel weren't enough for you? Who brings an entire
tree
into a household?"

Jared slapped the palm of his hand against his forehead. "I give up. Amanda, darling, dry your eyes before you flood us all out of the room. I only meant to make you happy."

Amanda lifted her head from her hands and smiled moistly at her concerned husband. "I know, Jared. Forgive me for being such a noodle. I don't know what could be the matter with me, for I was never so poor-spirited before. And I never cry, you know that. Except that now I find myself crying all the time, even when I'm happy."

Lady Chezwick stepped in and explained, "It's the baby, of course. Women do some dashed queer things when they're breeding. Your mother, Jared, as I recall, developed a terrible craving for pigs' feet. Made me positively ill, it did."

A muffled voice came from the depths of the tree. "How splendid for all of you. But now that we have all that settled, would you mind terribly lending me a hand with this, old friend? It isn't a small twig I'm holding up, remember? I should have kept my mouth shut, that's what I should have done. Holly ain't half so heavy. Ah, that's better," he said as Jared went to help him. "I was beginning to feel like a pin cushion. By the way, while half-buried in this thing, I think I espied a birds' nest on one of the branches. You might want to remove that."

The next half hour was spent dragging the tree from room to room, and then from corner to corner, as Amanda and Lady Chezwick tried to decide where it would show to best advantage. It finally found a resting place in the music room when Jared and Kevin became balky and refused to move "the damned thing" another inch.

Nanny and Sally and the rest of the staff busied themselves in decorating the branches with bows and flowers, and Cook supplied some freshly-made popcorn to string around it, because Kevin insisted he distinctly remembered seeing popcorn on the tree in Berlin. By the time everyone finished a late supper it was more than time to retire, but Jared asked Amanda to stay behind a moment while he fetched something from his study.

When he returned she was snuggled up cozily in the corner of the sofa, her hair shining in the firelight that was the only illumination in the room. He stepped up behind her and placed a kiss on her hair. "Happy, pet?"

To answer him, she reached up her hand and drew him down to her for a kiss. She then motioned for him to join her on the sofa and they sat, her head on his shoulder and his arm about what was left of her waist, gazing into the fire.

After a time Amanda felt her eyelids starting to droop and suggested they retire to their bed. "It will be a long day tomorrow, love. I believe Aunt Agatha will be up with the chickens to oversee our Christmas feast, planning to cut Nanny out of the proceedings."

"Have I thanked you enough, imp?" Jared pressed his lips to her hair and murmured, "Have I told you lately what a wonderful job you've made of our home, of my formerly empty, useless life? Even Kevin has remarked on it, and begs your help in restoring his late uncle's residence, which he swears is as morbid as a tomb, although I believe he prefers to remain a rakehell a while longer. He says Bo and I have gone soft and tame on him."

Amanda grinned at this, then sobered. "I've been meaning to discuss Kevin with you, darling, but don't wish to appear to be wanting to see him gone. You know how much I enjoy his company, but isn't it time he took up his duties as earl? He's been in the country with us since Bo and Anne were—well, you know what I mean. That's an extremely long fit of rustication, is it not?"

"Perhaps he can't tear himself away from my wife. Do you think I should ask him his intentions?"

"Now you're bamming me, Jared. I know Kevin stayed so you would both be on hand if your cousin were to make another attempt on our lives. No, don't shake your head as if I were rambling. And please don't treat me like a child, Jared. I wish to know the whole truth."

Jared knew that their the uneasy peace was over. While he had been busy trying to protect Amanda from the whole truth, insisting that Bo and Anne had been the victims of highwaymen, she had only been allowing him to think she had come to believe his version of the story. "Why don't you tell me, imp, as you seem to know so much?"

Amanda faced forward and stared into the flames. "I know that Lady Wade is involved in some way. I feel sure of it, only I can't quite understand why she should hate us so much. Poor, gullible Peregrine. He was just a pawn in her game, wasn't he?" She turned toward her husband. "That was her purpose in coming here, wasn't it? To hurt us?"

Jared found himself telling Amanda everything he knew and believed about the plot that could have ended with their deaths, and after Amanda indulged herself in some quiet tears she asked, "And that's why Kevin is still here? There's nothing we can do but continue sit here and wait for them to try again?"

"I'm afraid so. Blanche left London after Kevin paid her a little visit in my name, and we've also lost all track of Freddie's whereabouts. We know he was in Scotland at one time, the Runners tracked him that far, but none of the people I've sent to find him have succeeded in locating him since. Maybe he'll never come back." He paused a moment and then stated coldly, "He must realize that if he ever shows his face in London again I'll know it."

"Which means he has nothing else to lose now, isn't that right? The only way he can win is to kill you, kill us all, and take over your lands and title." Amanda shivered and Jared hastily tried to reassure her that he, Bo, and Kevin were more than able to deal with any of Freddie's schemes now that they were aware and on their guard. "But you're right, pet. After the New Year, Kevin must be on about his business if he's to enjoy the coming season in London. I shudder to think of all the enterprising mamas he'll have to face now that he has the title." He got up from the sofa and knelt in front of Amanda as the music room clock struck twelve.

"It's Christmas, my love, and past time for upsetting subjects. Besides, I have a small present for you." He reached into his jacket pocket, drew out a thick cream-colored envelope, and gently laid it in her hands. "I vowed this to you long ago, before we were wed, although you had no idea of my intentions at the time except, perhaps, to believe them all rather nefarious. Don't dawdle, imp—open it."

Amanda looked puzzled as she slid a fingertip under the seal, and then drew out a sheaf of very official-looking documents. She had Jared bring a candle so she could read them. After a few moments she uttered a faint cry and threw herself into her husband's arms.

The deed to Fox Chase fell unheeded to the floor.

There was a break in the weather a few days after Christmas, and Kevin and Jared rode out to Squire Bosley's so that Kevin could pay his respects to the family once more before taking his leave of Storm Haven. Nanny's charge, being in a "delicate condition," was forbidden carriage travel, leaving Amanda to sit in the blue room destroying some particularly fine wool in an attempt to knit it into something vaguely resembling a tiny sweater.

And so, with the men gone for over an hour, Amanda was more than happy to hear the approach of a horseman and went out into the hallway to greet their visitor.

A man dressed in the smock and leggings of a laborer was brought to her in short order, gasping out that Lord Storm had been thrown from his horse on the road to the Squire's, and was even now lying at his master's cottage beside the grist mill.

Lady Chezwick grabbed hold of the near to swooning Amanda, guiding her to a small bench, then quickly asked the man the whereabouts of Lord Rawlings. "If you be meanin' the dandy wit the guinea gold hair, he said how's he darsent leave hiz lordship, that hurt he be," the man said, then turned to Amanda. "Hiz lordship's askin' fer yer, milady."

"I'll go to him at once! Aunt Agatha, call to Sally and have her fetch some blankets and bandages—and my cloak. And, oh yes, some brandy, too. Send a footman for Jennings and tell him I need the carriage brought around immediately. He is to drive me, for Harrow is still abed with his sneezing and coughing." She looked up at the butler. "Have another groom ride for the surgeon. Hurry, all of you! There's no time to be lost."

During the ensuing confusion no one noticed the man as he slipped into the blue room for a moment, or observed his actions as he studiously positioned a seated envelope atop Jared's desk.

Within minutes Amanda, wrapped in a voluminous cloak, was descending the steps of Storm Haven, and Jennings helped her into the carriage. Once inside she was amazed to see Lady Chezwick already installed and tried to make her go back into the house.

"Nonsense, child. Nanny is taking care of all preparations there, and you cannot set out alone. I do have some small experience in nursing, you know. Very small experience," she added under her breath as she reached up and tapped on the carriage roof with the stick Jared had given her for Christmas. At her signal Jennings nodded to the man on horseback who would act as their guide and set the carriage in motion.

Amanda was nearly frantic with worry, so that the carriage seemed to crawl along the roadway. By the time they'd finally turned off the main road and onto a muddy track, Amanda was almost beside herself with anxiety. She alighted almost before the carriage came to a complete halt beside the miller's cottage, with Lady Chezwick directly on her heels.

The women were too distraught to notice that Jared's Devil and Kevin's mount were nowhere to be seen. It wasn't until Amanda pulled open the door of the cottage, however, and stepped inside, that she heard Jennings' quick "Milady, somethin's queer here!" before he was swiftly silenced by a blow to the head from their guide.

Amanda froze on the doorsill in confusion as a silky voice from the large kitchen sent a shiver of pure terror down her spine. "So we meet again, Cousin. How kind of you to answer my summons so promptly."

"Sweet Mother of God," Lady Chezwick cried out angrily as she pushed past Amanda and into the room. "Frederick Crosswaithe, you deranged monster, what is the meaning of this? I should have known the thaw would bring out the slime!" She marched directly up to where he stood, and would have dealt him a resounding slap but for the quick averting of his head.

"Peter! Get this old harridan off me!" he screeched.

"Harridan, is it? I never did care a rap for you, you odious boy." She raised her walking stick and advanced again toward her nephew, intent on clubbing him heavily about the head and shoulders. "I'll rattle your brains for you, you vacant-faced nitwit!"

Freddie was saved from a sound beating by the intervention of his valet, who approached Lady Chezwick from behind and grabbed her in a bear hug, lifting the slight woman clear of the floor and depositing her on a decrepit chair in a nearby corner. Her attack thwarted, Aunt Agatha remembered she was a gently-bred lady, and promptly swooned.

All this took place in only a few moments, moments during which Amanda experienced profound relief that Jared was not injured, followed by the realization that she and Lady Chezwick were good and truly caught in the unholy clutches of a man who wanted nothing more than the deaths of everyone she held dear.

Her mind moved swiftly on, figuring that Jared would soon be returning to Storm Haven to discover her disappearance. She also knew that this trap Freddie had set up was not meant only to capture her, but her husband as well. Capture them, and kill them.

Freddie broke into her frantic musings by roughly taking her arm and drawing her further into the room. "Unhand me, you villain, or it will go badly with you when Jared arrives," she warned, rather theatrically she feared, but she hadn't had time to think up anything more clever. "He'll —he'll have your liver on a spit!"

"Oh, I doubt that, dear cousin," Freddie replied. "There's an old acquaintance of yours here who has some very unpretty plans for you. Our plans have been delayed already by this dratted weather, and we really do need to be rid of you before you whelp." He chuckled at his private joke and bowed for her to proceed him to a chair.