Courting Lord Dorney (29 page)

She had to be patient. Much as she wanted to find Mary, she accepted she could not do it on her own. She needed Lord Dorney, even more now Sir Daniel was injured, unconscious and unable to tell them what he had discovered at the manor.

* * * *

As they approached the tiny inn, little more than a tavern, a man appeared in the doorway. Lord Dorney hailed him.

‘Come and help us lift our friend down,’ he said, and the man slowly moved forwards, chewing a piece of straw.

‘What’s the matter wi’ fellow? If it’s cholera he’ll not set foot in ‘ere.’

‘He’s been shot, and was knocked unconscious when he fell from his horse. Help us, there’s a good man, he’s heavy.’

Bella steadied the horses as Lord Dorney and the innkeeper lifted Sir Daniel down and began to carry him towards the inn.

‘There’s only tap room table,’ the innkeeper warned. ‘Two ladies are in the only bedroom.’

‘I doubt we could carry him upstairs without disturbing the bandage. Is there a doctor nearby?’

‘Ten miles or more, and by this time he’s most like under the table, too drunk to see straight.’

‘Then we’ll have to manage as best we can. Bell, take the horses round to the stables,’ he added.

Bell? Confused, Bella wondered if this abbreviation of her name was a form of familiarity, even endearment, then, as she caught the innkeeper eyeing her bare neck, revealed by her lack of a shirt, she realized he was preserving her identity, as if Bell was her surname.

She turned away to hide a grin, and tried to make sure her jacket was fully fastened as she led the horses to the back of the inn. There was no one in sight, and no other horses in the stable. There was plenty of straw, though, the stable looked used. She tied them up, found a couple of hay nets and hung these up for them to nibble at, unsaddled them and rubbed them down with wisps of straw. Then she filled two buckets from the well, picked up the saddle bags and was able to go into the inn.

Had Sir Daniel recovered his senses? Had he been able to tell what he’d discovered at the manor? Would they soon be able to resume the search or Mary? And where was Jackson?

Until now she had only had time for fleeting concern about the groom. Had he hoped, unarmed, to catch the gunman? Why should anyone want to shoot them, unless it were Lambert? He didn’t know any of them apart from herself, and she thought her male disguise would have fooled him, at least at a distance. He probably knew Jackson, she realized, if he’d been watching the house in Dover Street.

Sir Daniel, lying on the trestle table in the dimly-lit tap room, was still unconscious. As Bella’s eyes adjusted to the gloom she saw a thin, elderly woman hovering round, holding a cushion clutched to her bosom. Lord Dorney glanced up from where he was cutting away the remains of Sir Daniel’s riding coat.

‘Bell, lift his head so that the cushion can be put there. Gently, now.’

She nodded and did as she was told. She dared not speak, her voice would betray her. The woman fetched a bowl of water and an old sheet which Lord Dorney handed to Bella.

‘Tear it up.’

He undid the makeshift bandage, took the first rag and began to clean the wound. The bleeding was less now, and when the woman came in again with a salve she said was her own recipe, with comfrey for healing xxx and xxx. Lord Dorney spread some on a clean rag and laid it against the wound, bandaging it up more tightly.

Sir Daniel was stirring. He opened his eyes, groaned, and tried to touch his shoulder with the other hand. ‘What - ?’

‘You’re all right, Dan. It was probably poachers, you were shot,’ Lord Dorney said. ‘Lie still, or you might roll off the table! You’ll be able to sit in a chair soon. Landlord, could you find some food for us? And some ale?’

When the innkeeper and the woman departed, Bella was able to speak. She had been fretting to know what he had discovered.

‘Is Lambert at home? Has he any other places to hide Mary?’ she demanded.

‘Lambert?’ Sir Daniel replied, looking puzzled. ‘Richard, it’s you. Mary? Who are they?’

‘Oh no, he’s lost his wits! That bump on the head.’ Bella almost wept with frustration.

‘Just his memory. We’ll just have to find out elsewhere. The innkeeper will know.’

‘He’s not exactly welcoming,’ Bella muttered.

‘If he thinks we’re friends of Lambert, and Lambert has a bad reputation here, is that surprising? When we’ve had some food we’ll ask him.’

The woman came back in then, struggling to control a large sack filled with straw.

‘I’ve two o’ these. When my man comes back ye can lift yer friend onto ‘em, so ‘e’ll not roll off table.’

‘Thank you,’ Lord Dorney said gravely, and went to help her lay it out in a corner. When the second had been brought in, and a sheet spread over them, the innkeeper returned, and the two men, with Bella steadying Sir Daniel’s head, lifted him onto the makeshift bed.

The woman smiled, and went to fetch a tray, laden with plates of ham, loaves of bread, and a sirloin of beef. She placed the food on the table, and Bella realized with some amusement that she had been less concerned with Sir Daniel’s comfort than her own need for a table on which to set the food.

The innkeeper brought in jugs of ale and two tankards. ‘Yon fellow won’t want any food yet,’ he said. ‘Best if he can sleep.’

He was turning to leave when footsteps could be heard approaching. The door opened, and Alexander walked in.

* * * *

‘What the devil?’ Alexander demanded, looking at Sir Daniel lying on the pallet.

‘Alex, glad you caught us up. Bell, go and take his horse to the stables. And find yourself another shirt. Alex, go and get your own gear.’

Bella was about to demand how he expected her to find a shirt out in the stables when she recalled her new role. She was dressed in groom’s clothing, she had to play her part. Alexander was looking puzzled, about to burst into speech, so Bella jerked her head and marched out of the room. Meekly he followed.

She didn’t speak until they had reached the privacy of the stable, and found Alexander’s horse tied to a ring outside. Then, as they worked together, she swiftly explained what had happened.

Alexander frowned. ‘So we’re no further on.’ He opened one of his own saddle bags. ‘Here, you’re more my size than Richard’s. You’d best have my spare shirt. I wondered why I got sent out here as well. It must have been so that I could sacrifice my shirt.’

‘I don’t have a spare shirt, only a gown!’ Bella said, laughing. ‘And if they think I’m a groom it would hardly be fitting for him to let them see him give me his!’

‘What do we do now?’

‘How can I guess what’s in your cousin’s head? I don’t think he trusts the innkeeper, but we’ll have to ask someone about possible hiding places. The entire village will know we have been to call on Lambert. So will he if it was him that shot Sir Daniel.’

‘I’ll go back in and you can change,’ Alexander said. ‘I think I saw some food, and I’m devilish peckish.’

Swiftly Bella put on the new shirt, and was just shrugging the jacket back on when Jackson’s head appeared round the door.

‘Miss Bella, I think I’ve found her!’

* * * *

‘Jackson! Thank goodness you’re all right!

‘I’m fit, Miss.’

‘Why did you ride off like that?’

‘I saw the flash as he fired, but he was well away by the time I got round those bushes. His horse was fleeter than mine, but I managed to follow for a while. It wouldn’t have made sense to drag his lordship away from Sir Daniel. Was he badly hurt?’

‘Just a flesh wound, but he fell and hurt his head. He can’t recall anything of what he learned at the house.’

‘So he’s out of it.’

‘Alexander is here. Who was it you were chasing? Did you discover it?’

‘I’ve never seen Lambert, but who else would shoot at us? Who else has cause?’

He might know they were in the area, if had been Lambert who shot at them, and Bella could find no other explanation.

‘I wonder if he was at the house when Sir Daniel called? How else could he have known about us? So what happened?’

‘He made for a creek. His land goes right down to the sea, I think. It’s marshy round about, lots of little streams, but this one was wide, big enough for small boats. Anyways, I lost sight of him, so I scouted around for a bit. The creek got much wider, and there was a sort of boathouse, he’d tied his horse up outside it. There was another horse too.’

‘Were they the two who’d pulled the coach? From what we heard, they didn’t sound like fleet ones.’

‘No. I reckon those are in the stables at the manor. The coach, too. These two were high bred nags. Lambert probably keeps them here for when he’s at home.’

‘Mary might be inside the boathouse.’

‘I don’t think so. There was a boat, looked like a little yacht, moored a few yards out. A little rowing boat was tied up to it, so I guess he’d gone aboard. Two of them, there were, standing on the deck. It must be Lambert and the other one.’

‘He didn’t see you?’

‘No, I’d left the horse way back. I was on foot, hidden by some sort of reeds. Miss Bella, they must have her there! I was tempted to try and tackle them, but they’ve got a pistol, and there were two of them. I’d never be able to get near!’

Bella was thinking rapidly. ‘What we need is some sort of diversion, to draw them away from the boat. Before they take her away. They could sail her somewhere else, and we’d lose them again.’

‘We’ve got to hurry, Miss.’

* * * *

‘You’ll stay here and care for Dan. There’s three of us, we can overpower Lambert and his friend. But when Dan recovers his senses he’ll need to know what’s happening.’

‘We can leave a note! I’m coming with you! Mary is my maid, my responsibility.’

Lord Dorney sighed. ‘Bella, you’re wasting time! I don’t want you hurt, nor do I want to be distracted by having to guard you.’

With that he turned away and went out of the inn. Alexander, with a sympathetic glance at Bella, followed. Jackson was already in the stables, saddling the horses.

Was it male arrogance that assumed a woman could not take care of herself? Or did he, a small hopeful voice within her said, really care for her, if he didn’t want her to be hurt?

She watched from the small window as they rode past, going back the way they’d come, away from the manor.

Whatever Lord Dorney meant, she was not staying here, meekly playing nursemaid. Then she swung round, hearing a rustle of straw. Sir Daniel was stirring. He’d probably recover his senses soon.

She was wondering whether she dared ask for paper and a pen, to leave him a note, whether the risk of betraying her sex was worth it, when Sir Daniel spoke.

‘Miss Bella? Where’s everyone else? And what happened?’

‘Oh, you’re better! Do you remember going to Lambert’s house?’

‘Is that where it was? But my shoulder’s bound up.’

‘You were shot. Don’t you remember? As you rode back down the drive. And you fell of the horse, that’s when you hurt your head. It was Lambert, we assume. But it’s not serious, Lord Dorney said, just a flesh wound.’

‘Serious or not, it’s damnably sore! I don’t remember a thing about being shot. Where are we? This looks like an inn. And where is everyone?’

‘It’s the village inn. They couldn’t carry you upstairs, and some ladies have the only bedroom. Jackson chased the man who shot you, and found a boat moored in a creek. Mary is probably on it. He’s taken the others there. Do you remember what happened at the house?’

Sir Daniel frowned. ‘They were a surly couple, and they seemed upset. They said I’d just missed Lambert, he’d been to the house demanding food. When I asked if he was expected back soon they muttered something about they hoped not. It would seem he’s provisioning the boat, and means to stay there. Oh, and they said he’d taken a fowling piece and a rifle, as though he meant to shoot duck.’

Bella went cold. ‘So he’ll have more than a pistol! And they won’t know! I’ll have to go after them. You’ll be all right here, the landlord’s wife seems kind enough. Friendlier than he is, I think. I must go.’

He began to speak, but she shook her head and ran to the stables. Her fingers seemed numb as she struggled with the bridle, but eventually she fastened all the buckles. Then she heaved on the saddle, led the horse out into the yard, and used the mounting block to scramble into it.

She set off after the others at a gallop. They had ten minutes start on her, but she might be able to catch them up before they reached the boat. They’d be going cautiously, anxious not to announce their presence.

It was so overgrown with straggling bushes she almost missed it. A small track left the main road half a mile out of the village, and as Bella paused to try and decide whether they might have gone that way she was certain she could smell the salty tang of the sea. She looked more closely at the ground. It was soft, and there were several imprints of horses’ hooves. She pushed her way through the bushes and followed.

* * * *

Lord Dorney held up his hand. ‘I think we’ll leave the horses here. There’s less cover ahead. How far is it now, Jackson?’

‘Half a mile, I’d guess. Less as the crow flies, but there’s some deep streams in between, too deep to wade and too wide to jump. We have to go round ‘em, where we can cross.’

They dismounted and tied the horses so that they could graze.

‘You know the way, Jackson. Let’s go. As soon as we see the boat we’ll decide what to do. No talking, the sound will carry over water.’

They went in single file, Lord Dorney bringing up the rear. The ground was criss-crossed with small streams, and more than once they had to retrace their steps when they came to places which were too wet and marshy to pass over. The only cover was the reeds, growing in clumps. They could hear the sound of waves as they broke against the shore, and this sound gradually got louder. Suddenly Jackson halted and lay down amongst the reeds. The others followed suit.

Lord Dorney edged his way forward until he was beside Jackson. He could see the yacht, no more than fifty yards ahead of them. There was no sign of life aboard her. Jackson pointed to his left, and there was the boathouse. Only one horse was tethered there. Then he pointed to where a small rowing boat could be seen, partly hidden amongst the reeds.