Ducal Encounters 01 - At the Duke's Discretion (11 page)

“Well,” the duchess said, putting aside her napkin and standing. “I have things to do, and I am sure you girls have as well. Let us leave your brothers to their port.”

The gentlemen stood, but the port was circulating before Faraday closed the door behind the females.

“Come on then, Amos,” Zach said. “Out with it. You’ve barely said two words all the evening. What’s wrong?”

Amos told them what he had seen on the common, and about Miss Brooke’s unwillingness to tell him the truth.

“I wish I had been here to meet your Miss Brooke,” Nate complained.

“I dare say you were usefully employed elsewhere,” Vince replied.

“Yes well, there were other compensations.” Nate grinned good-naturedly. “Did you know what Martha can do with her−”

“We know,” his brothers assured him in unison.

“Are you convinced it was Reece who attacked her?” Zach asked, pushing his chair away from the table and resting one foot on his opposite thigh as he savoured his port. “I know you don’t like the man, and antipathy might be clouding your judgement.”

“I am absolutely sure. I followed him there myself. If it wasn’t him, he would have been close by when she was attacked and would have gone to her aid.”

“Hmm, I see your point.” Zach fell into momentary contemplation. “I told you not to interfere in her affairs, but this puts a different light on matters. If she’s so scared of the rogue she can’t bring herself to tell you why, then there must be something odd going on. I don’t like to think of her being coerced into a situation against her will.”

“Does she really make the jewellery instead of Chesney?” Vince asked.

“Oh yes, I saw her with my own eyes.”

“If that got out, then there really would be all out war between the two villages. Just see how much fuss they make over a little contraband lace and questionable buttons,” Nate said.

“What do you plan to do about the situation?” Zach asked.

“I’ve sent Maynard down to the Crown to ask about Reece. I need to know how long he’s been here, what reason he has given for his presence, and what he does with himself all day. I’m fairly sure he doesn’t make jewellery.”

“No, he makes eyes at Martha,” Nate said, scowling. “I think I’ve seen him in the taproom, the impudent upstart.”

“Well, you’ve practically been living in the place yourself this past week,” Vince replied. “So you should know.”

“I have lost time to make up for,” Nate said, aggrieved. “I have needs that must be met.”

All his brothers laughed.

“Martha will wear you out if you aren’t careful,” Amos said, topping up his glass and passing the decanter to Nate.

Nate grinned. “I live in hope.”

“If you need to have Reece followed, let me know,” Zach said. “I can spare some men to put on it.”

“Thank you. I think it might well come to that.”

“Did you learn anything more about the mysterious Miss Brooke while rescuing her from attack?” Vince asked.

“Frustratingly little. She is the mistress of prevarication. I did discover her father recently died, and she has a sister living in London who is about to be married.”

“What did the father do to make a living?” Nate asked.

“She didn’t say, and I thought it better not to ask.”

“It is refreshingly unusual to meet a female who does not wish to talk one’s ear off about herself and her family,” Vince remarked, elegantly sprawled in his chair as he topped up his own glass and sent the decanter on its way to Zach.

“I have an uncomfortable feeling about the whole matter,” Zach said. “Keep me informed, Amos.”

“That I will.”

“Shall I meet Miss Brooke at the garden party?” Nate asked.

“She hadn’t planned to attend,” Amos replied. “I persuaded her otherwise.”

Vince shared an amused glance with Zach. “His powers of persuasion being legendary.”

“I have my moments.” Amos stretched his arms above his head and yawned. “It will be interesting to see if Reece attends. If he is what he says he is, then he will have every reason to want to be here, but I’ll be willing to wager ten guineas we don’t see him.”

“You won’t get any takers around this table,” Zach said, pushing his chair back and standing up.

The rest of them stood also and went their different ways. In Nate’s case, that would almost certainly be to the Crown. Amos suppressed a grin, wondering why he had bothered to send Maynard when Nate could have served him just as well, except Maynard was more likely to keep his mind on the business in hand.

***

Crista managed to slip up the stairs without encountering her uncle, who would have asked her awkward questions about her ripped gown and grazed forehead. She gasped when she looked in the glass and saw her dishevelled hair, her forehead caked in dried blood, her eyes sparkling unnaturally bright. She looked wild, but actually felt alive, truly alive and desirable, all because she had spent ten minutes in conversation with an elegant gentleman who wanted nothing from her. That, in Crista’s recent experience, was high unusual.

Except, of course, Lord Amos
did
want something from her. He had decided to take an interest in her affairs, perhaps because he suspected all was not as it ought to be in her uncle’s establishment. The desire to confide in him, to relieve herself of the burden that weighed heavier by the day, grew ever more tempting.

But she could not do it. The only way to ensure she did not give way to temptation was to keep out of his way. She did not anticipate seeing him again until the garden party in five days’ time, and that event would be too crowded for him to single her out. She didn’t take seriously his offer to show her his stud, of which he seemed justifiably proud. If he did happen to recall the invitation, she would think of an excuse. She simply did not trust herself to be alone with him, and not just because he was so curious about her circumstances. It was her feelings for him that concerned her. She was ashamed of her acute awareness of him, of the fierce longing that had gripped her when he sat beside her with the purest of intentions. The intelligence and elusive warmth in his eyes as he settled his gaze upon her had the most disconcerting affect upon her. She, who had seen quite enough of the destructive power of one-sided love, ought to know better than to fall for his lethal charm.

But she had. Against her better judgement and all common sense, she had formed an attachment towards Lord Amos and, short of telling him the truth about her circumstances, there seemed little she could do about it. She flashed a quixotic smile, aware the shameful truth would see him leave her life with a speed that defied gravity.

Crista quickly washed away the blood on her brow, changed her gown and brushed her hair over her injury, leaving it loose so the graze would not show. She closed her eyes for an expressive moment, waited for her racing heart to slow to a more regular beat, and left her chamber.

“Ah, there you are, my dear.” Her uncle looked up from his chair beside the fire, a book open on his lap, and smiled at her. “Did you enjoy your walk?”

“Yes, thank you. You were quite right. It was just what I needed, and I feel quite revived. It is a lovely evening.”

Uncle Charles peered at her from over his glasses. “You certainly look a great deal better. You have some colour and…” He peered more closely. Crista endured his scrutiny, wondering what he saw there, glad for once for his short-sightedness. “Well, there is something different about you.”

Kate called out their meal was ready, saving Crista from the trouble of formulating a reply.

“Good. I am sharp-set,” she said, taking her uncle’s arm and walking with him to the small table beneath the window.

She and her uncle ate in near silence. Crista had too much to think about to instigate a conversation, and her uncle seemed unnaturally quiet. He got tired so easily nowadays, and ought to be allowed to retire and live out his remaining days in peace and comfort. She hated what Reece and, by association, her father had forced him to become. An honourable man, she could see shame daily eating away at him. If they escaped this situation without being thrown in gaol, Crista knew her uncle’s richly deserved retirement would be plagued by unwelcome recollections of their narrow escape from disgrace. No, in his eyes they
were
disgraced, even if they were fortunate enough not to be apprehended. She knew that very well because she felt the exact same way.

Her uncle caught her watching him and smiled. But the smile did not reach his eyes. He looked shrunken and defeated, a thousand times removed from the tall, upright, cheerful man she had known and loved her entire life. She blamed Reece for the transformation. But most of all, she blamed herself.

She ought to put aside her personal feelings for Lord Amos and put her uncle’s welfare first. With all the power and influence at his disposal, he would be able to help her. But why would he? He would be disgusted and think her weak for falling in with the villains who now controlled her. His first allegiance was to his family, as evidenced by their recent conversation. The only time he had seemed severe during the course of it was when he said the duke would not tolerate ne’er-do-wells in the district. He had been referring, she thought, to pick-pockets, or men who prayed on helpless women. God alone knew what his reaction would be if he learned what Reece had brought upon Shawford.

No, she definitely could not tell him.

The following morning all three brothers accepted Zach’s invitation to ride with him towards the furthest reach of the estate. It did not require them all to examine the dairy herd of Friesian cattle Zach was so proud of, but it was a fine morning, and none of them had anything better to do. Such moments of fraternal compatibility were rare, and though none of them would dream of admitting how much they enjoyed one another’s company, it was nevertheless a fact. Zach’s dogs, with their long legs, rangy bodies, and lolling tongues, loped along beside the horses, deviating off every so often in pursuit of rabbits.

“The herd is looking good,” Amos said, leaning on the pummel of his saddle as he cast an eye over them.

“I’m thinking of cross-breeding for meat,” Zach replied. “What do you all think?”

“You could do worse than speak to Lady St. John,” Vince replied, sharing a grin between his brothers when Zach scowled. “She has two first class Hereford bulls on her estate.”

“You think Herefords and Friesians would produce decent beef cattle?”

Zach and Vince fell into an animated conversation on the matter. Amos had little to contribute. He knew a great deal more about horses than he did cattle. He drank in the view of the rolling Hampshire countryside, one he would never tire of, and counted his blessings. The verdant fields dotted with livestock and wooded slopes with trees in full leaf was all part of the Sheridan estate as far as the eye could see. Zach prided himself on being fair to his tenants and workers, treating them well, but even so, it seemed unjust that one family should own so much.

Not that they really owned the land, he thought. They were merely custodians for the next generation. Amos snorted, wondering why his thoughts had veered in that direction. Was he turning into a lily-livered liberal or was the state of political unrest that had plagued England since the end of the war affecting him? The Sheridan estate might look as though it ran without a hitch. As a general rule it did, he reminded himself, but only because the four of them were fully occupied with various aspects of its management, ensuring its smooth-running. Not a day went by when problems of one sort or another didn’t vie for Zach’s arbitration. Quite apart from that, it was nothing short of a juggling act, keeping the residents of Compton and Shawford from one another’s throats.

“What news did Maynard bring you from the Crown?” Zach asked Amos as they turned back towards the house, walking their horses side by side.

“Reece has been at the Crown for a month. He claims to be a merchant looking for a market for his produce.”

“Not a jeweller then?”

“No, but that’s hardly a surprise.”

“What are his products?” Vince asked.

“No one knows, but he hasn’t made himself popular at the Crown. He struts about the place as though he was a person of consequence, but isn’t fooling anyone. Martha washes his linens. She says they aren’t top drawer. It’s as if he’s trying to put on an act.”

“What? He hasn’t asked all and sundry in the taproom for advice on whom to contact about his merchandise?” Zach scowled. “That’s the first place merchants in the know would think to enquire.”

“Precisely.” Amos removed one hand from the reins and scratched his chin.

“A month is a long time to do nothing but swagger about and annoy people,” Zach said. “Especially if he has business interests to pursue. What the devil is he up to? And why did Chesney pretend he’s his assistant?”

Nate shrugged. “Why not call Chesney up to the house and ask him?”

“No!” Amos shook his head decisively. “This situation calls for tact, not a heavy hand. Chesney claimed the rogue was his assistant for a reason.”

“Well, of course he did,” Vince said. “And that reason obviously involves your Miss Brooke.”

“Chesney and Miss Brooke are afraid of Reece,” Amos said. “We need to find out more about Reece before I confront either one of them.”

“How shall you do that?” Vince asked.

“To begin with, I shall set Martha to work her charm on him.”

“The devil you will!” Nate’s scowl caused his brothers to laugh.

“Fear not,” Amos said. “She doesn’t like the man, I gather, but he keeps trying to win her favour. Martha knows how to flirt and extract information from her customers without compromising her…er, honour.”

Nate continued to glower at nothing in particular. “Do you want me to ask her?”

“No, I shall call at the Crown and talk to her later myself,” Amos replied. “I think it might be as well to have a couple of men follow Reece, if your offer still stands, Zach.”

“I’ll see to it.”

“Thank you.”

“Your concern is for Miss Brooke, Amos,” Zach said, sounding unusually serious. “Mine is for maintaining the status quo between Shawford and Compton. I shall leave you to decide what to do about the situation with Chesney, but if it looks as though it might have an effect upon local politics, then I shall have to intercede.”