Chasing Eliza (21 page)

“
Scraggan?”

Peter
nodded and looked at her solemnly.

Dominic
sighed deeply with intense regret. “I wanted to get back to Isobel
and ask for her hand in marriage. We searched for the missing
smuggler, and waited for several days. The band of men we took with
us remained for some weeks afterwards trying to find him but he had
simply vanished.”

“
Unfortunately by the time we did get back to Oxfordshire, my
sister had been kidnapped.” Peter added matter of factly, despite
discussing the first major event to befall the family that had
turned his life upside down, and changed Dominic’s life
forever.

“
Scraggan?” Eliza swung around to Peter again, her eyes wide.
She knew she was parroting herself, but was shocked by the tale the
men were recounting.

“
No, it wasn’t Scraggan this time.” Peter replied with a
smile. “It was my demented and greedy uncle.”

“
Unfortunately, Isobel was treated badly and had to run away
to stay alive. She lived on the streets for several weeks, but she
was a lady and wasn’t prepared for life on the run.” Dominic
shifted uncomfortably in his saddle as he thought about those
worrying days immediately after he found her.

“
In order to stay out of my uncle’s clutches she sought the
help of an old friend, and faked her own death. Unfortunately we
were told she had died as well and even visited her grave.” Peter
added, when it became clear Dominic wasn’t going to continue with
the story.

Eliza
stared at Peter in horror. “You were told she was dead?”

“
I found her near to my home several days later very much
alive but seriously ill.” Dominic added hastily. “She was half
starved and nearly dead from cold and hunger. It was touch and go
for a while. By the time winter had turned into spring, Isobel was
largely back in good health and because we were busy dealing with
her mad uncle, we had completely forgotten about Scraggan. We had
assumed he had disappeared back into the undergrowth and moved up
or down the coast to join one of the smaller gangs, or gone back to
whatever day job he had been doing. We didn’t put any importance on
him, but it was definitely Scraggan.”

“
Small, thin wiry man with a pox marked complexion?” Eliza
shuddered at the mental image of the sly grin the toad habitually
wore swam before her.

“
That’s the one. He isn’t Cornish, I think he is from
Newcastle or somewhere like that. He has a son.”

“
Rogan.” Eliza’s voice was rich with contempt.

“
That’s the one.” Dominic added before looking at her. “So you
see, we are directly involved because if we had stayed in Norfolk
and searched a bit harder, we could have put an end to Scraggan and
stopped any of this happening.”

“
But if you hadn’t gone back to Oxfordshire, by the sounds of
it Isobel wouldn’t have been alive.” Eliza argued, suddenly wanting
to meet Isobel and hear her story.

“
It’s a case of damned if we did and damned if we didn’t.”
Peter remarked. “Now we have the chance to put things right and
finish the job we started over eighteen months ago.”

“
Edward wasn’t involved in capturing smugglers. He had only
just returned from France. Although he won’t discuss it, I gather
from my contacts that the fighting out there was brutal. Edward was
injured and returned to England where he withdrew for several
weeks. I don’t know how he was injured or where, but he returned to
Leicestershire a changed man from the boy we all grew up with.”
Dominic sighed and looked down at his toes for several minutes
before raising wise eyes to meet hers.

“
He was always scrapping, even as a boy he would wrestle both
Sebastian and I down to the ground, fists flying. It drove our
nannies mad. But when he got back from France he was significantly
different; very unhappy and far more cynical. There is less of the
fun-loving side to him now, and more of a seasoned warrior.”
Dominic added after several moments of thoughtful
silence.

“
Unfortunately, he returned to Leicestershire when Dominic
summoned everyone to help locate my uncle and his associate.” Peter
added, recounting the final showdown with his uncle that almost
resulted in Isobel’s demise. “While Edward was outside, he was
dragged into a skirmish and well, in short, uncle’s friend killed
himself. Edward also witnessed the trauma Dominic experienced
seeing Isobel injured. Then there’s Sebastian.”

“
There’s more?” Eliza stared at Dominic in disbelief. She
thought her year had been traumatic. “Heavens above!” She murmured
softly as Dominic nodded slowly.

Briefly
Dominic recounted Sebastian’s story, watching the mixture of horror
and shock on Eliza’s face with amusement.

“
So you see, neither Sebastian nor I had a particularly easy
time on our way to the altar. Edward saw the fear and concern in
both of us and, well, given what he may have witnessed abroad, he
is naturally wary. He is determined he wants a quiet life and
believes that being married will bring him nothing but
trouble.”

“
You can’t blame him really.” Eliza muttered, thinking of her
own current problems. “A quiet life in the country sounds perfect
to me.”

“
Amen.” Peter replied. “I don’t know about you two but I have
had enough of riding to last me a lifetime.”

Both
Dominic and Eliza nodded in emphatic agreement.

“
Edward’s aversion to marriage cannot purely be because of you
and Sebastian.” Eliza added after several miles of
silence.

“
It isn’t. Both Sebastian and I are very happily married. I
don’t know where Edward’s aversion to marriage has come from.
Whether he has injuries he thinks might be an aversion to a wife,
or whether he has seen what happened to Sebastian and me and
doesn’t want to go through the same, I cannot be certain. As I have
said, he won’t talk about what happened to him in
France.”

“
There is one thing for certain.” Peter broke the thoughtful
silence that had fallen over them. “He will be back.”

“
I don’t know why.” Eliza argued, “He couldn’t wait to get
away, and there is really no reason for him to be here. He has
fulfilled any obligation he had to you.”

Peter
merely smiled in reply.

“
I know something else.” Dominic added, his voice turning
hard. “Unless I am much mistaken, Scraggan’s men are right behind
us.”

The fast
galloping of the horses gave no further opportunity for
conversation. Despite their speed, Eliza was thoughtful as they
raced towards Padstow.

It
should have been easy to accept Eliza’s thanks and ride away
satisfied that he had done everything he could for her, and
achieved what he had set out to do. She was now safely in Peter’s
hands, and was on her way to meet up with the small army that had
been tasked with ensuring her safe keeping. She was fine. He could
now get on with his own life.

It
should have been simple.

By the
time Sebastian and Edward pulled to a stop in front of Havistock
Hall two days later Sebastian was reduced to keeping a watchful, if
amused distance as Edward battled with his inner demons.

Tired
and dusty, they dismounted and handed the reins over to the waiting
grooms before making their way into the house. Edward ordered a
fresh horse before following Sebastian through the heavy oak door
into the large cavernous hallway of Dominic’s house.

He
closed the door behind him and turned in time to witness the look
of sheer joy suffuse Sebastian’s face as he swept his wife into his
arms for a loving hug, oblivious to the spectators who had appeared
in the hallway to greet the new arrivals. Spying the Earl of
Eastleigh standing in the doorway of the Library with a bemused
smile on his face, Edward moved over to say hello before turning to
Isobel.

“
Where is Dominic?” Izzy asked, trying to peer around Edward’s
bulk to scan the hallway.

Edward
turned and shared a glance with Sebastian. The last thing he wanted
to do was spend several hours recounting events to satisfy the
curiosity of the ladies.

“
Sebastian will update you on events to date. There is going
to be a slight delay in Peter and Dominic returning. Meantime-,” he
bowed stiffly in a rare display of formality that was unfamiliar in
the laid-back family home. Oblivious to the growing concern of the
women, he stalked towards the door, a dark glower on his face. “I
will take my leave. If anyone should need me I’ll me at my
estate.”

He was
tired. For some reason he couldn’t sleep, despite the exhaustion
that gnawed at him. It would be good to get home and think of
something – anything – other than the troublesome female who seemed
to have taken up haunting his dreams.

With a
scowl, Edward nudged his horse into a gallop, relishing the biting
winds on his face as he swept towards home. If only it was so easy
to race away from his demons.

“
What’s wrong with him?” Amelia asked her husband, staring at
the door Edward had so abruptly disappeared through.

“
He’s in love.” Sebastian replied knowingly, ignoring his
wife’s gasp as he dragged her into the Library to join Isobel and
Eastleigh. Within moments they were seated before the fireplace
while Sebastian brought them up to date.

Later
that night Edward stood with one broad, naked shoulder propped
against the open shutter as he stared out into the darkness beyond
the window.

The
skies were clear, revealing a myriad of twinkling stars and a
large, brilliant white moon that was so clear, Edward felt he could
step out of the window and onto it.

The
staff who had worked for his uncle had all returned, enthusing
about the wonderful new house and master. They had pulled out all
the stops to ensure his comfort. He had been treated to the most
sumptuous feast; a royal court would have been spoilt. The brandy
filling the cellars was the finest he had ever imbibed; the food
delicious and plentiful.

But
there was a sense of dissatisfaction about the whole thing.
Something was wrong. Seriously wrong.

Inevitably his thoughts turned to Eliza and he wondered if
she was eating properly. She never seemed to eat enough, always
picking at her food and tearing it into little pieces while lost in
thought. By his calculation they should be about two days away from
Padstow by now.

He
wondered how Eliza was feeling about returning to her family home
for the first time in a year. Was she scared that Jemima had been
there and not left a note? Or was she worried that Scraggan would
capture her? Had they faced any more skirmishes?

Edward
returned to the bed and lay down, staring blankly at the canopy
high above. He had spent most of the last few years fighting. First
in France; then chasing around after Isobel; then chasing around
after Amelia.

Now it
seemed, he was destined to be chasing around after Eliza. If he
left at first light in the morning and rode hard, he could catch up
with them before they made the journey into Padstow. It would mean
two long days of hard riding, but he could do it.

“
Wait a minute?” Edward growled into the darkness. “I’m not
going after Eliza.” He sighed and turned over, tugging the soft
sheet over his shoulder.

But
sleep was still elusive and he sighed again after a few moments of
staring into the darkness, valiantly trying to ignore the deep ache
in the region of his heart.

“
I’m not.” He muttered several hours later as he watched the
sunlight peep over the horizon.

He
jolted awake a short time later by the sudden thump of a heavy
object on the bed beside him.

“
What the-?” He scowled darkly at Sebastian who stood glaring
at him.

“
Get up. We’ve got work to do.” Sebastian snapped, in no mood
to argue with his recalcitrant brother.

Edward
felt the blood freeze in his veins as he took in Sebastian’s stark
expression.

“
Eliza? What is it? What’s happened?” He demanded, throwing
the covers back and dragging his clothes on haphazardly. Fear
locked in his throat. He was about to pin Sebastian to the wall and
beat the news out of him when his brother turned towards him with a
hard glare.

“
We’ve found Jemima.” Sebastian replied harshly, motioning
towards the saddle bag. “Bring that. We’re going to Padstow.
Now.”

He
didn’t give Edward time to ask more questions and stalked from the
room, slamming the door behind him. He had barely settled in the
saddle before Edward was tearing out of the door and mounting
beside him.

“
Where is she? What do you know?” He asked, wheeling around
and settling into a steady canter alongside.

“
She’s in Derby Gaol.” Sebastian’s voice was stark as he
flicked Edward a dark look that warned him he wouldn’t like the
latest turn of events.

“
In
Derby Gaol?”

“
Yes
in
Derby Gaol.” Sebastian sighed. “There was a note left for us
while we were away. Someone Peter had working for him in Derby had
seen her being transported to the Gaol with some other men. They
did some asking around and apparently she was with a gang that was
picked up attempting to rob a coach on the main road just outside
of Derby.”