Fate Is A Stranger: Regency Romance (22 page)

He looked down and was surprised to see a horse and rider shoot out from the front of the castle and headed north in a cloud of dust that in the light of the moon looked like blue mist.

"Damn!" he said to himself, "I should have listened to what Jared said. Now he's off alone—that reckless boy!"

Hawk stopped only to take his sword from the wall and his pistol from the case. He donned his cloak hurriedly and raced out his bedroom door and down the steps two at a time.

He rushed into the stables and startled the watchman who had begun to again fall asleep.

Soon he was on the same road as Jared, yet he knew that Jared, a fine rider, had at least twenty minutes advantage over him. He cursed himself for not paying heed to Jared's concerns. He must have heard something that alarmed him to have shot out of the stables in such a manner. Yet the duke could not stop to see what it was for he would have lost even more time. Jared had said that he was going to look in on Lady Kelly. Had he perhaps found her gone? A chill ran along Hawk’s veins as he realized that had Jared only found Lady Kelly gone he would have gone to Hawk with this disclosure.

He must have found that Violet was also missing!

CHAPTER 22

Lady de Compte gazed at Sadie, who sat hunched up against the seat, whimpering in pain, and tried to come up with an alternative plan to Souten's.

Vera decided she was not going to be caught in this imbroglio if she could help it. What if Lord Kelly alerted the Magistrate of this? Vera then realized that Lord Kelly was not even at the castle and what was more, no one in the castle even knew that Sadie and Violet had been whisked out of there.

Maybe she was panicking without reason. She knew that the concoction of herbs she had given Lady Kelly to make her ill would wear out in a few hours' time and she would be all right again, albeit with some stomach discomfort for a few days. So, as it was not poison, Vera’s involvement in this was not criminal—
yet.

Souten had assured Vera that Violet would agree to marry him rather than bring disgrace on Lord Kelly, once it was obvious to everyone that she had left the castle with Souten and they had spent the night together—or several nights.

He had convinced Vera that given the choice between agreeing to marry Souten or live in disgrace and bring disgrace to her family, Violet would not hesitate to marry Souten. There was no other choice for her.

But what if Violet refused to marry Souten and exposed all of them? Would she do that? Maybe Souten was right that Violet would not do anything that would harm her father’s name. Marrying Souten would be for Violet the only alternative.

But would Violet live as wife to a man she was surely to despise after being forced to marry him?

Oh, if only she could be sure of this, it would calm her thumping heart. What if Violet instead refused to marry Lord Souten and exposed everything that they had done to her and her mother? What then?

Lady de Compte knew that however Souten fared, his peerage and resources would keep him from the gallows. She, on the other hand, as the impoverished dowager widow of a minor baronet had no connections and no resources to draw from.

A shiver shook her and her lips trembled. She again wished she had been able to avoid getting tangled in this mess.

Vera realized as she looked out the back window, that the other carriage where Violet and Souten were was now not visible at all. She felt a strange feeling of liberation and relief when she realized that Souten was no longer nearby to give her orders or force her into compliance.

But where had he taken Violet? Surely not to his estate! He was much smarter than that. He had not told Vera where he intended to take Violet. No one was to know, in fact, and that way no one could give him away.

Vera pondered her situation further. So far, she didn't even know where Violet was being taken by Souten.

If caught, could Vera claim ignorance of Souten's plan for Violet? And would she be believable? But perhaps she was manufacturing perils. Lord Kelly was up north and ignorant of what was going on. So far no one knew of this except the perpetrators and Violet, who by now must be getting an idea of Souten's intentions concerning her.

Violet would soon realize that she had a choice between spending the rest of her life with Souten as Lady Souten or exposing him as an abductor. Souten intended to say, if caught, that she had agreed to leave with him and had later changed her mind. It would be his word against hers and society had already rejected both Sadie and Violet. It was not as if society would be very anxious to believe Violet over Souten.

Perhaps everything would turn out all right, thought Vera. Lady Kelly need never find out that it was Vera who had given her the herbs that made her ill. As far as Sadie was concerned, Vera and Souten had only tried to help her.

These and other things churned and churned in Vera's mind as the carriage ate up the miles and she tried to calm her trembling hands. She had a pounding headache and had not her powders with her so she was forced to endure not only the pain in her head but the pain in her heart from the belief that nothing in this scheme was going to go according to plan. Nothing in life ever did.

As Sadie moaned beside her, Vera reclined a bit on the seat and tried to talk herself into believing that perhaps everything would be all right. Then she suddenly sat bold upright. She had forgotten one very important thing!

She had forgotten the Duke of Hawkinston!

The duke was in love with Violet. How well Vera knew the signs of a passion that would not be denied! But the duke knew nothing of what was going on this night and when he did find out it would be too late. Would he, like the rest of society find it hard to believe Violet over Souten?

The Duke of Hawkinston despised Lord Souten, that much Cade had told her a hundred times. Why on earth would he believe Souten over the woman he was passionately in love with?

Over and over Vera turned the problem in her mind. The duke wanted only to make Violet his mistress. If this was explained as an elopement by Violet (if she chose to take the safer course) or if she refused to marry Souten and accuse him of abduction, either way it would be a scandal and the duke's interest in Violet might wane.

But Vera knew that this was highly unlikely. The duke was in love with Violet. A great love like that didn't die in a few seconds. Vera was certain of that. A chill wind went across the carriage as she fearfully opened the window and leaned out to see if the carriage was being followed.

And Vera had very strong intuition. She felt certain that the duke had found out about the events of this night
.

What to do? How could she untangle herself from it? She could end up in gaol!

Vera glanced at Sadie and saw that Sadie had drifted off into fitful pain-filled snatches of sleep. She must take Sadie to a physician. That would be her cover. She could say that all she knew was that Sadie was ill and needed help. Yes. The first thing was to take Sadie to the physician. She leaned out the window and yelled to the driver to halt. But the driver ignored her! What was going on here? Was the driver and outriders on orders not to heed Vera's orders?

Vera banged with her cane on the roof of the carriage to no avail. Now she felt as if she herself was being kidnapped! She would surely use this to her advantage later on if questioned, because she was certainly being taken to a destination unknown without her consent. The dark road whizzed by as she leaned out the window again and yelled to the driver until she was hoarse, waking up Sadie momentarily.

Then Vera realized that the carriage had increased speed and was going at a breakneck speed. She leaned out the window again and saw that a rider in the distance followed! Who would be so intrepid as to follow alone a carriage that had not only the driver and tiger but two outriders, as well?

Sadie was stirring and moaning from the noise and the increased movement of the carriage and the speed it had picked up. She whimpered in her sleep. Vera gave her some of her warm tea and helped her until she could swallow a few sips. Sadie's face was cold and clammy and her hair was plastered to her face.

Vera looked out the window again and saw that the rider was gaining on them. Then she heard a shot from a pistol! The carriage began to slow down and finally came to a halt.

"Who goes here?" asked the rider as he reached them. The rider's horse was in a froth as the rider alit.

One of the outriders went up to him and angrily demanded to know why he had halted them with a pistol shot. Was he a highwayman? He asked.

"I am Jared De More, Viscount Falweir," Jared shouted, pointing both his pistols "Identify yourself and your business or feel gun powder in your chest!"

"I am Beacon Case, my lord," said the outrider quickly, "And this is Lord Souten's carriage. We are in the process of taking Lady Kelly to a physician as she has taken extremely ill."

"Who is with Lady Kelly?"

"Lady de Compte is with her, my lord."

"Who else?"

"No one else."

"Did Miss Violet Durbin accompany her?"

"At first she did, my lord." The outrider's voice was now hesitant.

"Where is Miss Durbin
now
?"

"I have no idea, my lord, I swear! They were following in another carriage and we lost sight of them some miles back."

Jared opened the door of the carriage and ordered Lady de Compte out. Lady de Compte almost sighed with relief. She would now pretend to know nothing of any plans of Souten other than the aiding of Lady Kelly.

"Explain your participation in this business, madam," said Jared, his voice grim.

"As Beacon—as the outrider said, my lord, we are taking Lady Kelly to a physician. She has taken ill."

"Where is Miss Durbin?

"She was following in the other carriage, my lord. Something must have detained them for we do not see them now." Vera mustered her most beguiling and innocent voice as she spoke to Jared. "The carriage was having trouble with the axle."

"Who is 'they,'" asked Jared, his voice grim. "Was it Lord Souten?"

"Yes, yes," said Vera, "He has been most helpful to Lady Kelly."

"You call this helpful?" Jared asked as he leaned into the carriage and examined Lady Kelly. He shook his head.

"Lady Kelly," he said to her, "It is Jared. You will soon be well, madam, I will take you to the physician at once."

Lady Kelly tried to answer but could not. Jared turned back to the outrider.

"Where are Lord Souten and Miss Durbin
now
, Beacon Case," he asked, pointing his pistol at Case.

"Even were you to discharge the pistol at me it would not make me disclose something I am ignorant about, m’lor," said Case, highly agitated. "I only started working for his lor'ship a month ago and do not know any details of this night's events other than we are to take this lady to the village of Linkwell."

Jared turned to the driver and posed the same question to him and received the same answer. The driver disclosed his name was Barnaby Linney and that he had worked with Souten for the last four years.

"Four years? That's good enough for me. Get down," Jared ordered the driver.

Jared then ordered the outrider, Beacon Case, to drive the carriage. He ordered the driver onto the outrider's horse, switching their jobs.

"Take the ladies to the physician's house
at once
," said Jared to the outrider who was now in the carriage driver's seat." And remember, there is a garrison nearby. You will answer to
me
. Understand?"

"Yes, my lord," said Beacon Case, as he glanced sideways at Lady de Compte, who ignored his glance as she desperately tried to appear as though her only mission in this business was as companion to Lady Kelly.

He then turned to the driver. "Let's go, Linney."

"Me, go with you, sire? But I don't know where his lor’ship's carriage is," said the driver.

"You will, if you know what's good for you, Linney," said Jared as they took off.

Lady de Compte sighed in relief as she leaned out the window and saw Jared and Linney speed away on their horses. Now Lord Falweir would bear witness that she had only been there to take Lady Kelly to the physician. But then she remembered something as Lord Souten's words rang out in her memory. She had asked him when he was devising this plan to abduct Violet what he would do if for some reason he were followed.

"I have a contingency plan on the ready for such an event," he had replied, his voice assured. Whoever of the two reach you—the duke or  Falweir—he will probably force Linney to tell him where to find me, as Linney has been in my employ the longest, and Linney will be well rehearsed to be 'forced' into disclosing the location. Of course, this location will be a false one—it will simply be a trap, from which whoever follows me will be hard put to escape!"

"And where do you intend to take Miss Durbin," Lady de Compte had asked.

"My dear Vera," said Souten with a malevolent grin, "What you do not know, you will not be forced to disclose."

"I suppose you're right," Vera agreed, "I would really rather not know."

"Good, good. Just understand that wherever it is, Miss Durbin will eventually appreciate it as the lovely love nest it will be."

Lady de Compte realized in that instant that without meaning to, Souten had given her a very important clue as to where he intended to take Violet. Vera would rather have not known where Violet had been taken, but there it was, locked in her mind now, in spite of her not wanting to know the destination.

She was familiar with Souten's childhood friends and Souten had on a couple of occasions mentioned the Malcom Forest where he hunted on occasion. He had once referred to "The Crow's Nest," a hunting lodge in that forest as a love nest where he often took his paramours.

"Vera…Vera," Sadie said in a weak voice, "Where is Violet?"

"She's following in the other carriage, my dear," said Vera. "Go back to sleep, Sadie, we will soon be at the doctor's and you will be well again."

"Violet—Violet," Sadie murmured and drifted off again into fitful, pain-riddled sleep.

* * *

"Are you abducting me?" asked Violet.