A Perilous Marriage (17 page)

“I did not think I would miss Ashbury Mead quite so much. I know it looks dreadful now, but you must have thought the same about Amberley Hall when you were coming back to England. Coming back to the home where you were born. If we consider the children we might have, we must think of them and choose which home will be our main residence in which to raise our family. I must confess, it will be a hard decision for me.”

He smiled gently at her. “It is not something we have to decide on now. Of course you miss your home where you have spent so many years. On the contrary, I have mixed feelings. I just remember strife and continual arguments in this place and had no intention of ever coming back. I thought to leave everything to my brothers regarding inheritance, so their passing on has given me no choice. When I left home and travelled to a great extent abroad, I wasn’t principally concerned that I found no place I wanted to settle in, save perhaps Canada where I got my horse. I loved the area, but I was moving around, getting to know people and just taking life as it came without any specific prospect in mind. Now I’ve returned, I sense a strange feeling of belonging in spite of my initial feeling of hatred. The more I look round; it is as if the land itself is making me welcome.”

He shook himself as though a shiver had raced through him. “Come; let’s go back to the house if you’ve seen all you want to out here. I need to speak with Walter, and I’m sure you will be occupied with the staff. I’ll send Hicks to fetch you for luncheon back at the inn, unless the cook is able to organise something. If that is the case, let me know in good time. Send someone to find me, I shan’t be far away.”

* * * *

Almost before they stopped to count the days, two weeks had sped by and the changes to Amberley were showing great promise. The broken roof tiles had been replaced and the top rooms cleaned and aired of the reek of dirt and decay to be replaced with the smell of new paint. The glass dome was cleaned and polished inside and out, and brought sunlight into the house which, although it showed up the defects, nevertheless enabled the workmen to see what they should repair. Walls had been stripped and replastered, and the main bedroom suites were drying out and waiting for wallpaper and new furniture. Downstairs, the changes were most evident, with repairs and distempers applied to the ceilings and the cornices picked out with delicate colours. Lucie was amazed when deliveries of glass chandeliers arrived and were promptly put up in the drawing and dining rooms.

“It gets them off the floors, milady, and stops breakages. Terrible to have ’em broke with someone's carelessness,” explained the craftsman who, having been given the task of putting the delicate lamps up, was standing back to look up at his workmanship. “They’ll be right lovely when they are lit.”

Lucie was delighted to agree and could hardly wait to see the rooms furnished. The old furniture had been sent away to be refurbished, but she had chosen a few of the latest designs in comfortable chairs and settees to blend with the old, and she was anxious to see if her instincts were right. It was an ancient type of house, and filling it with the most up-to-date furniture would be wrong. She was seeking a mixture of elegance and comfort that would be enhanced with the warmth of antique woods that would glow with polish.

With all that was going on, she had scarcely seen much of Richard except for evenings, as he was awake and out of bed before she woke every morning. Because it was her time of the month, they had not been together for a while. She had just finished bathing when there was a knock at the door, and she heard his voice say something to Mary. Then there was silence, and he was gone. Disappointed that he had not shown himself, she raised her brows at her maid. “That was a hurried visit…is anything wrong?”

“Milord Richard says you are to wear your habit with the divided skirt. He plans a long ride and a picnic and hopes you will join him. As he seems to have gone ahead and made the arrangements, shall I make the clothes ready, milady?”

“I shall enjoy that. Yes, by all means lay out my clothes. I was hoping to see more of the countryside, and if we are to have a picnic, he probably plans to ride quite a distance. It will make a change from the dust and dirt, and I have missed riding as I’m sure Carley has as well. Hurry, Mary. I don’t want to waste a moment of the day.”

Richard was in the tap room, talking to the innkeeper, when she came downstairs. He turned and, with a gleam in his eye at her appearance, said, “My, that was quick. I thought you were still in the bath. I have the horses ready. Shall we go?”

She smiled back at him and, giving a farewell nod to the innkeeper, went at once to the door and looked back as Richard had paused and was saying something more to the man.

“...I’ll rely on you to keep a watch. If I’m not around, tell Walter Ellis.”

It wasn’t until he was helping her onto her horse that she said, “What was that about?”

“They are just keeping an eye on strangers. It is nothing for you to worry about.”

“Are you sure? You looked very serious just now.”

“I have a number of people keeping an eye out for new arrivals in the village. So far, those they have spotted were merely passing through and were not lingering.”

“But then they wouldn’t, would they? Linger I mean. They’d get the lie of the land, find out what was happening with the old house, and be off to hole up somewhere else.”

He didn’t reply at first as he concentrated on adjusting her stirrup until, straightening her skirt, he looked up with a frown. “I ought to know there is more to you than an empty head only concerned with the fripperies most women like. Yes, you are right, and I won’t try to deceive you. The watchers will be looking for certain types of people and, hopefully, get to know where they are heading when they leave.” He sighed heavily. “It is all we can do for now, sweetheart, that is why I am taking time to relax. Let’s enjoy our ride and especially our picnic. I recall the last time I went on a picnic. It was quite spectacular.”

Her face turned pink with embarrassment. “Do you intend to repeat that occasion?”

He smiled, “Only if the circumstances permit, my dear. Let us enjoy the ride, and whatever happens, let it happen. We are past the worst of the mess, and things are looking much better, so I mean us to take pleasure and leave the worry of the house behind.” He gathered up his reins and swung into the saddle. “We’ll ride beyond the lake and up into the hills for you to see the views. They are quite impressive, and I know all the best places.”

Chapter Thirteen

Bypassing the house and castle grounds, they began cantering slowly over the long meadow towards the distant lake when Richard promptly called out to Lucie, “I’ll race you to the lake!”

She waved her hand in reply and immediately set off in pursuit. He was half a length ahead as he’d had the prior advantage of instigating the race, but she was lighter in the saddle and was slowly catching up. Nearing the trees which lay over to the left of the meadow, he turned his head to see how far behind she was and felt the sudden change of air as something flew past his neck. A moment later, the sound of a shot rang in his ear. Instantaneously, his long relationship with guns and experience with various ambushes he had been involved in abroad triggered his immediate reaction.

“Keep your head down, Lucie! Follow me! Ride like hell, girl!” he yelled.

Scarcely knowing what was up, though she’d heard the distant bang, she bent over her horse—which she was able to manage easily as she was riding astride—and lying low over its mane, did as he ordered, noticing he was veering away from the trees and riding alongside her as though to protect her. Whatever was wrong had come from that direction, but she realised he was still heading for the lake. A retreat back to the house was out of the question as they would still be exposed in the open meadow.

Reaching the edge of the lake, he turned counter-clockwise and kept going until he judged they were some miles away from the shooter. Easing their flight to a stop, he held up his hand to silence his wife and, for some minutes, stayed still to listen for any sounds of pursuit. All was tranquil. Even the breeze had dropped, and the trees were quiet, so that not even a rustle disturbed the air. Richard listened for a moment or two more then looked at his wife.

“It does my pride no good to acknowledge you were right, Lucie,” he said solemnly.

“What makes you say that?” She raised an enquiring brow.

“You did say they could hole up somewhere. It appears that’s what they have done.”

“So it
was
a shot I heard, and
they
in question might possibly be Tasker or perhaps one of his men? But how would
they
know we would ride out this way?”

“Probably a coincidence. I don’t believe I mentioned at the stables where we were going, so no word would have come from there. It is likely whoever it is could be camped in those woods. It was a hasty pot shot,"—he rubbed his neck reflectively—“but near enough to alert me, thank goodness. I am well aware of the sound of a gunshot.”

“Could it have been hunters from the house after game? Perhaps poachers?” Trying to hold her fright at bay, she searched her mind for anything that would take the ferocious look from Richard’s face. It frightened her almost more than the shooting. His face had tightened into severe angles that promised harsh retribution to whoever had used the gun.

He stared back at her wan face, knowing he had to calm her terror and make light of the situation, and calmed his own face to an amenable smile.” You are undoubtedly a brave little bantam! If you had chicks, you would defend them with beak and claws.”

She laughed heartily. “And you, I suppose, are the farmyard rooster? Flap your wings, my brave fighting cock! What do we do now—how do we get back to the village?”

“We don’t. I believe I have planned a picnic to entertain you.” He grinned at her. “I'm going to take you to the best spot I know."

“Oh, surely we must report what has happened?” She stared back, stunned with his smiling face. “You can’t ignore the danger. I can’t bear the thought of someone in hiding waiting to shoot us.”

“Yes, I’ve taken the danger into account. However, we are far from those officials we could tell right now. I judge later will be soon enough, as I need to talk to those who might have more knowledge of those woods and who uses them. As far as the miscreants are concerned, they will wait, thinking we have to come back this way. Instead, we shall return another way and disregard their attempt to spoil our day. Come, my dear, let us explore and enjoy ourselves. I refuse to let that scoundrel get the better of me. I intend to make him pay for all he has done and will move heaven and earth to gain proof he is guilty for your grandmama’s death, if it is the last thing I do.”

“Oh please, Richard, don’t say it will be the last thing! I don’t want to lose you...”

Suddenly, she appreciated how true that was. Losing him would be catastrophic. Already, she knew he had reached her heart, and she was beginning to like him more than a little. Except for one thing, she mustn’t allow him to guess how she felt. She might be married to him, but she was determined he was never going to rule her. Reduced to saying ‘yes sir, no sir’ was never an ideal way to have a happy marriage.

She remembered her grandmother saying much the same thing when they had overheard a husband speaking to his wife in a bullying tone. “What a weak woman she is, to be sure. Had your grandfather ever spoken to me like that, I would have clumped him back!” Eleanor had glanced around to see if anyone had caught her remark. Looking at Lucie again, she said, “But don’t ever tell anyone I said that. Just bear it in mind, girl.”

The thought reminded Lucie how much she missed her grandmother. As for clumping Richard, that wouldn’t happen. She would have to find a more tactful way of dealing with him if he grew too overbearing. Not that he was like that today. He seemed too eager to please her.

He gazed back at her and marvelled at her expressive eyes showing anxiety but also such a loving look his heart reacted with emotion.
She might not know it, but she does love me. Oh hallelujah! I am blessed with a loving wife after all. Aunt Eleanor, you are a wise old woman, and I bless you too.

“Fret not, sweetheart, I gain the evidence and the police take over. I don’t intend for Tasker to hurt either of us. This is why I am taking precautions. Whoever it was who fired that gun made a grave mistake. It has alerted us to their presence, and I can begin a search with hunters who know the district well. He won’t have many men with him, and it will be interesting to see how they cope with their surroundings. If he garnered them from London, are they used to country ways? He has to get provisions, unless he poaches his meat, but eventually, someone will hear the shots or see smoke from a camp fire. He might be good at living off the land, but somehow he does not look the type. Gambling dens, whore houses and dubious inns have been his life. Trying to live like the gentleman he unquestionably is not and never will be, I’ll wager he has a deputy to do the leg work for him. He might have masterminded that bank raid in America, but he didn’t get away with all the money and is probably cleaned out again. He thought he had a chance with you, but that didn’t work, so where can he obtain funds? He’ll need money to pay his men, or they will melt away like snow in sunlight.”

“Why would he come after us again if he wants money? He must know he won’t get it from either of us, so what can he hope to gain?”

Richard thought carefully about his answer. He didn’t want to frighten her, but she was too intelligent to be fobbed off with platitudes and excuses. “An option is to kidnap you, perhaps hoping I am so obsessed with you I’d pay a fortune to get you back, which is true. I would pay all I have. Except that shot was meant to kill one of us, so my guess is he seeks revenge. Someone with that kind of purpose in mind has a vicious brain. I'm convinced he won't give up until he is stopped. I believe the first time I met the man I sensed evil in him. Lucie, I have tried to protect you from someone like him. Always take care. Don’t ever give him a chance to capture you.”

Her gaze was sober as she looked at him. “Thank you for telling me. I truly want to make this marriage work, and I like to know details. I promise I will be a true wife and try to do what you say, but I also hate to be ruled. Grandmama rarely gave me ultimatums unless someone else had riled her beyond bearing. I agree we are facing a dangerous man, and it behoves both of us to stay safe, not only me. That shot was meant for you, and I would be equally devastated if you were hurt or killed. Anything I can do, I will.”

“Thank you too, my dear. It is all I ask for now.”

* * * *

Richard dismounted and, going to Lucie’s horse, checked the girth and stirrups. “We are going to ride high in the hills, and with some ways very steep, I don’t want your saddle to slip,” he explained. “It was fortunate you were riding astride with that mad dash across the meadows. It enabled you to keep your body low. With the climb we have to do now, you are far safer straddling Carley than otherwise, so even though I know it is conventional for a young lady like you to use a side-saddle, you will feel more in control and comfortable.”

She smiled down at him. “Still taking care of me, my dear husband?”

“Always.” He grinned back. “Let’s go.” He swung up onto Jamal and turned away from the lake towards the distant hills. “Follow me, and watch the trail as we ascend. It will get rocky soon, and we don’t want the horses to lose their footing. We shall lead them when we get higher.”

He set a swift pace, and soon, they were climbing high into the hills. The day had turned warm, and Lucie was glad of a cooling breeze as they came to the top of a high ridge and paused to see the rolling landscape of bracken, gorse and heather. Sheep roamed the area happily, able to graze on the steepest of hills. They stopped by a small pool of water in the lee of some trees and allowed the horses to drink.

“This is wonderful, Richard. I never dreamt that places like this existed. We could be the only humans on this earth. It is so wild-looking and free of people.”

“True. I’ve thought that quite a few times when I travelled in Canada—which is equally wild and free of people—and cast my mind back to my youth. When I was a boy, I escaped the noise of home to come up here and explore. Especially when my father was searching for me to beat me for some sin or misdemeanour I had committed. I would eventually get caught, but during the beating, I’d think of this place and be comforted."

“Did it happen often?”

He gave a grimace. “Unfortunately, too often for my comfort. He was not a patient man and had a temper that was easily aroused, seemingly without too much provocation. I often wondered later whether he was merely a frustrated man or if he had something in his history that made him so vitriolic. In the end, I could not take more of his oppression, and my love of exploring took me away and I never saw him again.”

“Oh, how sad,” she said, her voice full of sympathy.

“Not really. He was his own worst enemy and likely died with everyone hating him. I’ve lost no sleep over it. Anyway, the day is too fine to think of things long past. I’ll show you where I used to hide, and we shall stop to eat.”

He turned off the track towards a side gully and led the way down through a tight cleft, just wide enough to take the horses, until it opened out to a narrow sloping valley with the granite, glacial hillsides looming high on either side. A small stream ran down one side of the path in a gulley, and the other side was covered in a coarse grass with clumps of gorse and brambles here and there. He dismounted and helped Lucie off too. “We’ll walk from here on. It’s not far, and the horses can have a breather. It’s amazing really. It hasn’t changed much since the last time I was here, years ago, though the trees have grown a bit taller. I used to come up here in late summer and feast on the blackberries.”

His face lit up with memories, and he looked happy. He pointed to a flat area which lay much further off to one side, and leading the horses, they scrambled over the rocky area and up onto a wedge of turf that lay in the full sun in front of a few spindly aspen trees and clumps of birch and rowan intermingled with gorse and bracken. A granite cliff lay directly behind and sheltered the spot from the harsher winds from the north.

“This is the picnic place, sweetheart. Now we can eat.” Richard pulled the saddles from the horses and turned them loose to graze. He spread out a blanket for Lucie to sit on. The basket of food was soon opened and its contents eagerly surveyed. The fresh air had given them an appetite, and ham and venison pie, hard boiled eggs, cheese, a loaf of bread, and a jar of honey was fine fare indeed. Two sturdy glasses were soon filled with wine, and they set to with enthusiasm.

Finally, Lucie gave a sigh of repletion. “I cannot remember enjoying anything better. It must be the air. I never eat this much for lunch, no matter how hungry I am. This is quite the best day since we have been here, don’t you agree?”

“I really do. Now, before you fall fast asleep, let me show you one of my secrets. I have never brought anyone else here at all, and never will.” Foraging in the basket, he pulled out a small lamp and a tinder box and, to her surprise, took her hand and pulled her up and immediately kissed her deeply. “I trust you never to say a word of this, my love. It will be
our
secret from now on, for I’m certain no one else knows it exists.”

Still holding her hand, he walked to the trees and, searching amidst them, held back the bushes. “Come through here and wait.” He edged through himself, and pulling back a huge clump of gorse, he exposed a low opening in the cliff. Bending down, he crawled through.

Lucie heard him striking the flint, then he called, “Come on through, Lucie, it is clear and your skirt will save you from the prickly gorse.”