The Duke's Alliance Book Two: A Dangerous Husband (12 page)

'Then one of you go there and raise the alarm. We need a vehicle of some sort to transport Lady Madeline – I daren't risk carrying her myself in case she has sustained a serious injury.'

Smith touched his cap and gestured to his companion as he rode up. 'Jenkins, you go to the house and ask for assistance.' The man kicked his horse into a gallop and vanished into the night. God willing he wouldn't come to grief travelling at that speed.

'Smith, I want you to continue to the inn that Lady Carshalton is staying at and tell her not to wait for us – that we'll join her at Blakely Hall as soon as we're able to.'

His valet came across to join him. 'Slater, what the hell am I going to tell these people? I can hardly reveal our identities – but I can't think of any respectable reasons as to why we should be gallivanting around the countryside unchaperoned in the middle of the night.' He'd spoken more loudly than he'd intended and the injured girl overheard him.

'I'm not going to shout at you; could I ask that you come to my side so I can participate in this conversation? I believe I've a solution for you.'

He returned to her and dropped down so he was crouching beside her. 'Well, sweetheart, what pertinent contribution do you have to make to this impossible situation?'

'I think we should say we're eloping. We must give false identities and make much of the fact that my wicked stepfather intended to marry me to an elderly friend of his in return for his gambling debts being settled.'

He was about to laugh at her nonsense but then reconsidered. 'Your suggestion has merit, but we must be very clear on our facts so we don't give ourselves away.'

She reached out and clasped his arm. 'Your men can keep their own identities – but you must be someone else entirely. I shan't be a member of the aristocracy but the daughter of a nabob whose father perished when I was still in leading strings. My mama remarried but she died in childbirth, leaving me in the clutches of this monster.'

This time he couldn't keep back his amusement. 'Sounds like something from one of your romances, Madeline. As you have worked this out so splendidly, what part do I take? It might be wise to make me a captain – perfectly respectable but not wealthy.'

She clapped her hands. 'Perfect. Now all we have to do is think of our names and, of course, from where we've come and what our destination is.'

He joined her on the comfortable cushion of his coat rather enjoying this game of make-believe. 'You must be Miss Charlotte Devenish, and I shall be Captain Robert Clark. I think we can refuse to reveal from whence we've come, and the name of your supposed stepfather, on the grounds that we don't wish news of our whereabouts to reach him.

'I'll say that I've a special licence in my pocket and we intend to be wed when we reach the coast. I've permission from my commanding officer to marry and bring my wife with me when I return to my regiment.'

'After you've told your men our new identities we'll be ready to begin.' She managed a weak smile and he admired her bravery. 'How fortuitous that you joined in the charades the other night and are now quite adept at playacting.'

'You'll soon be warm and comfortable, my love, and I'll find you the best doctor in the vicinity.'

'Grey, do you really think I've fractured my hip? If I have done so I'll be laid up for weeks. We'll have to inform my brother and everything will become unravelled.'

Chapter Twelve

'I sincerely hope not, but I'm not taking any chances.' Grey regained his feet in one bound. 'Pray excuse me, Miss Devenish, I must speak to my retainers.' His hand dropped slightly on top of her head and then he was gone.

Madeline could hear him talking quietly to his men. He was a kind man underneath his brusque exterior. Slater spoke to her from the darkness.

'Never you mind, miss, his lordship will get things sorted for you. No one under his command is left to fend for themselves.'

'Do you think I'll be obligated to sit here for much longer? Can you see the house he was sent to?'

'I don't reckon it'll be much longer. I'm sure I can hear a carriage of some sort approaching from behind us.'

Grey must have heard it too, although sound couldn't penetrate through the thick folds of her hood, as he returned to her side leading his horse.

'Here they come, sweetheart, I'll ride out to meet them and explain the circumstances. I think it might be better if you remained quiet and kept your face hidden as much as possible. It's just possible they might recognise you.'

'We must be miles away from Silchester Court; we’d been riding for hours before I had my tumble.'

'I prefer to keep the risks to a minimum. I'll be back directly.' He vaulted into the saddle and vanished into the night. She still couldn't hear a carriage even when she lowered her hood for a moment. A full fifteen minutes passed before she too heard the welcome sound of jangling harness and carriage wheels and there was the flicker of lanterns in the distance.

The pain in her hip was still acute and any inadvertent movement of her right leg sent shafts of agony from her toes to her shoulder. She sent up a fervent prayer to the Almighty that her injury might prove to be far less serious than she feared.

Grey dismounted and tossing his reins to his valet crouched beside her. 'This is going to be both painful and undignified, my love, but you must be stoic. I suggest that you pretend to be in a swoon.'

She nodded and allowed him to support her so she was prone, and then she closed her eyes as instructed. A male voice, well-modulated and articulate, was talking quietly to Grey about the correct procedure for transporting her.

'The trestle is the best way to carry Miss Devenish to the cart, sir, but it's essential we put no pressure on her injury and keep her horizontal at all times.'

'I agree, which is why I didn't attempt to carry her to your house.'

There was scuffling and bumping and then she held her breath as the trestle was gently pushed beneath her. Even so the experience was unpleasant and she had to bite her lip to avoid crying out and revealing that she was fully conscious.

Several excruciating minutes later she was safely lying flat in the back of a cart. From the pungent smell she guessed it to be a farm vehicle of some sort and if the situation were not so dire she would have smiled at her predicament.

The unknown voice spoke again. 'Captain Clark, it's going to take a while to transport Miss Devenish back to my house. With your permission I'll administer some laudanum. It would be better if she's completely comatose.'

'I'll do it, Doctor Faulkner, she'll rouse enough to swallow it.'

Then the vehicle rocked and he was beside her. 'I know you don't want to take this, my love, but it will spare you from the pain of being jolted and bounced.' Reluctantly she swallowed the noxious fluid and he cradled her in his arms until she drifted off into a drug-induced sleep.

*

Grey gently placed her head on the pillow made from a saddlebag, checked that Madeline was securely tucked inside the blankets the doctor had provided, and carefully slithered from the cart.

'I'll ride alongside, Faulkner, but my men can go on ahead and get our baggage inside.' He remounted and edged his horse close to the side of the cart so he could watch her and be ready to assist if she got into difficulties. Although laudanum was a boon for such times it could also have a deleterious effect on the patient taking it. If she were to cast up her accounts he wanted to be able to take care of things himself.

Doctor Faulkner stretched across and placed his fingers at the juncture of her neck and chin. From the light of the lanterns Grey saw him nod. 'I'm satisfied with her condition, Captain, but will be more sanguine once I have been able to examine her.'

'I'll be forever in your debt, sir, for offering to take us in. I can't believe our luck that it was your house my man came to.'

'What's even more fortuitous is the fact that I'd just returned from a difficult delivery and was fully dressed and wide awake.'

The cart trundled on and Grey rode in silence reviewing his options. His lie about the special licence might well prove to be the undoing of this escapade. If they were forced to remain for more than a night or two with the doctor he might well expect them to make use of this certificate and summon the local curate to perform a marriage ceremony.

When they eventually reached the house he was unsurprised to find it fully illuminated and half a dozen servants were waiting to greet them. He also saw Smith lurking in the shadows. He beckoned the man across.

'Her ladyship weren't there, sir, I spoke to an ostler and he says no one has stopped there recently.'

This was another disaster, but not one he could concern himself with at the moment. 'At least that's one thing we don't have to worry about. I must go in – but the doctor has arranged for all of you to be accommodated above the stables. I'll talk to you tomorrow when I know more about Miss Devenish's injury.'

This establishment was substantial, no comparison to Heatherfield, but demonstrated that the doctor was a man of means. He was directed to the rear of the house where he was compelled to kick his heels in a sitting room whilst the housekeeper and the doctor took care of Madeline.

After a while he marched to the room in which the patient was situated. He banged on the door and a maid appeared. She didn't open it wide enough for him to see into the room. He raised his voice to parade ground level. 'Doctor Faulkner, I'm going to my room and will return here later.'

The poor girl recoiled at his noise but it served the purpose. An equally loud response came from inside. 'I'll speak to you then, Captain.'

Grey, despite the circumstances, smiled. He doubted this house had ever heard two gentlemen yelling at each other in this way.

His chamber was commodious, but had no adjoining sitting room. Slater was there before him and had laid out fresh raiment. 'There's hot water in the dressing room, sir, for your ablutions.' His valet didn't comment on the fact that it was the middle of the night and these clothes would only be worn for an hour before being removed again.

Soon Grey was dressed in clean clothes and his top boots had been restored to their customary shine. He strode through the house and returned to the rooms in which Madeline was resting.

He was greeted by the doctor when he stepped into the sitting room. 'Captain Clark, I'm delighted to tell you that Miss Devenish hasn't sustained any serious damage. Her hip is severely bruised but she will be able to continue in a day or two.'

'Thank you, sir, I'm relieved to hear you say so. As you can imagine it's imperative that we get on our way as soon as possible.'

The doctor was of average height, a similar age to him, and he was no fool. 'I must assume that you've already travelled a considerable distance as I've never heard of a Miss Devenish, or her family, and I know everyone within twenty miles of here. As you cannot leave immediately I'll arrange for a curate to come so that you can be married at once.'

'An excellent idea, once the knot's tied there will be nothing her stepfather can do. However, can I ask you to refrain from contacting the reverend gentleman until I've seen my beloved?' He was thinking fast as he spoke, trying to come up with a believable reason for delaying matters. 'We were compelled to leave her wardrobe behind when we eloped. I promised Miss Devenish that I would supply her with her bride clothes so she could be married in style.' He shrugged as if puzzled by this requirement. 'I'll do my best to persuade her, but I can't promise she'll agree. I have family in Kent and we were to be married there, with them as witnesses.'

'Surely that is the first place the search will go?'

'There's no reason to suppose the whereabouts of my family home is known to him.' He wasn't enjoying this conversation one jot – he prided himself on being a truthful man and was drowning in his own falsehoods. 'I wish to see Miss Devenish before I retire. Thank you again for your assistance – but don't let me keep you up any longer. You must be desperate for your bed.'

The man nodded. 'Indeed I am, I'll take myself off and see you in a few hours. Miss Devenish is asleep and won't be aware of your presence. I'm leaving a girl with her in case she requires anything.' Faulkner pushed open the door so Grey could look inside.

From the light of the many candles he could see Madeline was sleeping peacefully and there was no need for him to go inside the chamber. 'In which case, I too will go up. Good night, Doctor Faulkner.'

*

Madeline opened her eyes and looked around with interest. The curtains were still closed but there was sufficient light filtering in to tell her it must be late morning. She hesitated before attempting to push herself upright knowing how painful every movement had been last night.

'Good morning, miss, how are you feeling? Doctor Faulkner said you must stay in bed today but can get up tomorrow.'

'I'm feeling perfectly well and whatever the good doctor said, I must get up immediately.'

The maid smiled and flicked back the covers. 'I'll help you to the commode, miss, and then will fetch your breakfast.'

Putting weight on her injured hip was painful but not impossible; she managed to hobble in both directions without too much trouble. Once she was safely reinstalled in bed the maid left to fetch a tray.

Where was Grey? She needed to speak to him and discover exactly what he'd said about their outrageous excursion. Was Lady Carshalton still waiting for them at the rendezvous point?

There was a soft tap on the door, but before she could respond it swung open and he strolled in. His smile made her cheeks glow. 'Good morning, my love, I'm delighted to see you looking so much better.' He raised an eyebrow towards the dressing room.

'The girl has gone to fetch my breakfast so we are alone.'

He pulled up a chair and sat next to her – far too close for her composure.

'Doctor Faulkner says you should be well enough to ride tomorrow but we have to leave before that. My grandmother didn't stop at the hostelry as planned – God knows where she is. And I had to tell our host I carried a special licence in my pocket and he's determined to fetch the curate so we can be married before we leave here.'

She wasn't sure which piece of news was the more worrying. 'If we were who we said we are then his suggestion would be sensible. What did you tell him?'

'I said we'd intended to marry at my family home in Kent, and that you would be devastated to be required to marry without your bride clothes being ready.'

'How ingenious! I cannot think how a rough soldier was able to think of something so sensible – I wouldn't have expected you to even know about bride clothes.'

'I've heard talk of such nonsense in the mess. Refusing to marry me because you don't have the correct ensembles won't work as a reason, sweetheart. Any young lady who was prepared to ride through the night with her betrothed would be eager to marry as soon as the opportunity presented itself.'

'Does that mean we have to creep away like burglars in the night? It seems a poor way to return his hospitality. Once this matter is settled I shall get my brother to visit him and explain…' She stammered to a halt as the enormity of her situation registered. If she was to appear in public again she had no alternative but to make this betrothal genuine and marry Grey.

He had already come to this conclusion and took her hands in his. 'Don't look so stricken, little one, being married to me won't be so bad. I'll make you a good husband.'

'I wanted to marry for love not because I had no choice.'

His smile was sad. 'A lot of unions begin without strong feelings on either side, but I see no reason why this should be an impediment to a satisfactory marriage.' He raised her hands to his mouth and a shiver of something she didn't recognise flickered down her spine.

'There are other things involved between a man and a woman, sweetheart. Do you understand of what I speak?'

His eyes burned into hers and she was transfixed. Slowly he kissed each knuckle in turn and her breath caught in her throat. She wanted to tell him to stop but for some reason the words wouldn't come.

Slowly he stood up and without releasing her hands leaned down. His lips brushed across hers. Something strange was happening to her – she couldn't think straight – her heart was racing and she couldn't stop herself from responding.

Her hands were free and of their own volition they reached out and encircled his neck drawing him down. His kiss deepened and one hand pulled her closer whilst the other cupped her face. She was lost to all sense of propriety, wanted something more from him but didn't know what this was.