Fenella Miller (24 page)

Jane flopped back, her head spinning. ‘Then what shall we do? How long will the evil man wait before he takes what he wants from you?’

‘I have agreed to marry him at ten o’clock tomorrow. I had no choice; he would have given Annie to his men to rape and murder if I had not.’

‘You cannot marry him, I will not let you.’

Marianne patted Jane’s clammy hand. ‘We must have faith. Do not worry so, it will make your headache worse. It was a ploy to gain us time. I have no intention of marrying him.’

Jane thought she understood. ‘Time for John and Sir Theo to arrive and save us? They will be here, I’m sure of that.’

‘Try and sleep. Your head will be much better in the morning.’ Marianne bathed Jane’s forehead with a fresh, cool cloth and checked both women were asleep before bending down to retrieve her sewing kit. ‘Goodbye, Jane. I am sorry, but there is no other way,’ she mouthed. Sadly she walked into the parlour closing the communicating door softly behind her.

The curtainless windows were inky black. She relaxed—she had a few hours left. She carried one of the two remaining chairs and jammed it under the door knob, locking Annie and Jane inside.

Then she knelt in front of the second chair, resting her arms on the seat and began her prayers. What she intended to do was a heinous sin; she needed to explain to God why she had no choice, pray for his forgiveness and pray for a miracle.

* * * *

Lucifer stumbled and Theo was almost unseated. He swore. ‘We will have to stop; there is an inn somewhere ahead, if I remember rightly. We can eat and rest the horses.’

His companions were too tired to answer. Billy and Tom had been riding
ventre à terre
for hours and had only avoided falling from the saddle by sheer willpower. The inn yard was virtually empty so early and the two ostlers on duty were glad of the opportunity to earn a coin or two from the gentleman.

‘Water, feed and groom the horses, they are cool enough, we have walked them this past half-hour.’

Theo swung from the saddle and waited for the others to dismount. ‘Billy, Tom, get an hour’s sleep, find a quiet corner somewhere. I will send food out to you.’

The boys stumbled off, following the horses, and he and John headed inside. The place was being cleaned; a scullery maid was scrubbing the flagstones in the hall and was obliged to move her pail to allow them by. A sleepy landlord appeared in answer to Theo’s ring.

‘We wish to wash and shave, then eat. We have an hour to do it in.’

‘No problem at all, sir. Follow me, I take it your man will see to your needs.’ Theo was about to explain but John forestalled him.

‘Yes, I will, you rustle up some food. We have ridden hard and are famished. Also, have a substantial tray sent out to the stables for our grooms.’

* * * *

An hour and thirty minutes later they were remounted and ready to leave. The sun had risen in their absence and it promised to be a fine day.

‘We will make better time now we can see,’ Theo remarked. ‘But we must take it steady, neither horses nor ourselves are fit enough to hurry.’

‘But, my lord, it will be after ten when we arrive, if we don’t.’

‘An hour or two will make little difference now, my friend. I am resigned to the inevitable. As long as Marianne is alive I shall be content.’

‘But he will not kill her, why should he? It is her money he wants; he will have forced her to marry him, my lord. She will be as good as dead to you.’

Theo shook his head and his laughed. ‘I have always wanted to marry a rich widow.’

The horses, as tired as the riders, trotted and cantered but the spells of walking became longer as the miles unrolled. It was a little after the expected time when they reached the entrance to Drayton House.

‘Dismount here, leave your horses, they are too tired to go far. We shall complete our journey on foot,’ Theo told them quietly.

* * * *

The morning sun did not shine into the sitting-room where Marianne still knelt, but she sensed a gradual lightening of the gloom and knew she could delay no longer. Her knees were stiff, her legs numb after her vigil and she pushed herself upright with difficulty. She sat on the chair, spreading out her crumpled skirts and opened her sewing case. She selected the silver scissors, their long thin blades ideal for her purpose.

She closed her eyes and put the points to her breast, then she placed both hands on the handles. She would need the strength of both arms if she was to be successful. She was so engrossed in her task she did not hear the rattle of the door behind her, the urgent voices calling out to her. She took several deep breaths knowing her hands needed to be steady.

She heard the crash as the flimsy barrier gave way and Jane and Annie burst in. She would get no further opportunity. She drew back her hands to plunge the blades into her heart.

Annie reached her first, flinging herself forward with outstretched arms, sending the chair and its occupant crashing to the floor. Jane knelt down and prised open Marianne’s fingers, removing the scissors.

‘That is not the way, my dear. It is never the way.’ Marianne rolled over, curling into a ball, moaning quietly.

‘Come along, Miss Marianne, you can’t stay down there. You are overwrought, and you need to rest,’ Annie crooned. Then she and Jane lifted her gently and guided her to the bed.

Marianne was lost in a world of despair. She had failed, again. God had deserted her. In the distance she heard voices she did not recognize. Then welcome blackness swept her away.

* * * *

Jane and Annie removed her garments and pulled the comforter over her. ‘I can’t believe she would try and take her own life. What could have possessed her? We have only one chance on this earth, it’s too precious to throw away. However bleak the circumstances, we must trust in the Lord,’ Jane said.

‘To marry that evil man, spend the rest her life at his mercy, have his children, watch him gamble away her fortune—how could she bear that?’

Jane shook her head and regretted it. ‘Even marrying him is better than being dead. And children are always a blessing; she can find her solace in them.’

‘Well, if Miss Devenish is to be married this morning, she must have something suitable to wear. I heard that man say so last night.’

Packing away the spilled clothes helped to fill the hours they had to wait until Sir James came to collect Miss Devenish. They selected for her a high-necked morning dress in deep cerise, the one she had tried on first and loved so much. The requisite undergarments, hosiery and slippers were placed ready. The matching kid gloves were found. With nothing else to do, they sat either side of the bed, and prayed.

* * * *

Marianne opened her eyes. What had woken her? She could hear voices in the dressing-room and the rattling of a bucket. She felt strange, as though she was seeing the world through the wrong end of a spyglass. Her brain was refusing to function, to tell her what to do. She was unhappy, but was not sure why.

Jane would tell her. She pushed back the coverlet and rolled to the edge of the bed. Then inertia took over and she closed her eyes again. She would rest a little and wait for Jane to come back.

‘Up you come, Miss Marianne. I’ve hot water, you will feel much better after a good wash,’ Jane told her.

Marianne allowed herself to be washed and dressed like a child. She felt removed from it all. If she did as she was bid and did not argue, then perhaps she would be permitted to return to her bed. She wanted to sleep, sleep forever if she could. Jane was tying her sash when she heard footsteps outside.

Ellison appeared. ‘Sir James is waiting in the drawing-room.’

Like an automaton, Marianne, guided by Jane, followed the butler downstairs.

Sir James, dressed in full evening dress, a diamond fob on his snowy cravat, his hair swept back, his eyes alight with anticipation, watched her enter.

The vicar, paid handsomely to conduct the ceremony, stepped up and cleared his throat. He had been told to dispense with the preliminaries and start immediately with the vows.

Chapter Twenty

Theo led his small troop stealthily around the edge of the open space in front of the house. The place seemed deserted. He gestured for them to follow him as he sidled below the window ledges and around to the rear. He intended to break in here.

He removed the first of his pistols, John did the same—Billy and Tom gripped their cudgels firmly. Theo flung open the kitchen door. The cook, terrified by the sudden arrival of a huge man brandishing a pistol, dropped his skillet on his toe.

Whilst he was hopping about in agony Billy and Tom grabbed his arms and bundled him out. The plan was to tie prisoners securely and leave them in the woods that surrounded the house. Theo waited until the boys returned then moved towards the door. He pushed it open a little and put his ear to the gap. He could hear voices coming from the front of the house.

Good—his enemies were located. He slid through the door and with the others shadowing him, stole along the passage, pressed hard against the wall, almost invisible in the gloom. He stopped as he reached the hall. This was the dangerous part, crossing the open space where there was no cover. If he was expected, that would be the time for them to strike.

He pointed downwards and then removed his boots, the others copied. In stockinged feet he walked towards the murmur of voices. The door was ajar—thanking God his luck was holding he gently pushed it open and on silent feet, stepped in. He could feel John at his left shoulder, the boys on his right.

Gathered at the far end of the room was obviously a wedding party. The vicar, fully frocked, with his prayer book open, stood in front of the bridal pair. Two women stood to one side, both weeping softly, two sour faced men stood on the other.

Theo’s vision misted and, his pistol close to his side, he paced forward. Sir James swung round, still gripping Marianne’s hand.

‘Good morning, gentlemen, have you come to offer felicitations to my bride?’

‘No, I have come to offer my condolences.’ Theo raised his hand and fired down the length of the room. Sir James clutched his head and fell, a look of total stupefaction on his face. For a moment the tableau froze, then several things happened simultaneously.

The two men finding themselves staring down the barrels of two pistols capitulated, holding up their hands in surrender. The vicar collapsed in a dead faint and Theo moved smoothly to draw Marianne away from the corpse at her feet. The blank expression in her eyes frightened him.

‘Marianne, sweetheart, come with me. We will go into another room where it is quieter.’

Without demure she walked beside him, her hand trustingly in his, as he guided her to a smaller reception room. Jane was close behind them.

‘Mrs Smith, take care of Marianne for me. I shall be back in a moment. This is not over yet.’ He strode back to the drawing-room and hauled the vicar to his feet. ‘You have a ceremony to perform, sir, it would be best if you woke up.’

The man, no doubt, had already been well paid for his services, but he had yet to earn his money. ‘I will pay you handsomely. Will five guineas be sufficient to clear your head?’

The vicar nodded and looked round for his prayer book. He was in no position to argue with a cold-blooded killer. Theo picked up the book and handed it over. They stepped round the body of Sir James and hurried back to the room in which Marianne was waiting.

He glanced round—he needed John and Tom to act as witnesses. Relieved, he heard them coming back through the open front door. ‘John, Tom, with me. Leave him where he is. I have not yet decided how to dispose of his remains.’

Marianne smiled at him as he came in. ‘I know you. You are Theo, are you not?’

‘I am, my love. I have come to take you home. I am going to take care of you for the rest of your life.’

‘I should like that. Can I go to bed now please, I am so very tired?’

He slid his arm around her and pulled her close. ‘Very soon, little one. Then you can sleep as long as you like.’ He glared at the vicar, who hastily opened his book. Theo remembered he had not given the man the special licence authorising the marriage. With his freehand, he pulled it out of his pocket and tossed it to him.

So, he, Earl of Wister married Miss Martha Frasier. She was in a morning gown, he in his stockings. But however they were dressed the ceremony was legal. The certificate was signed and the vicar paid, but when the man started to back away Theo shook his head. John stepped up, indicating the reverend gentleman was to sit down and wait until he was told he could depart.

‘I shall take Marianne up to her room. She needs to sleep, she is in shock. And anyway, we cannot leave until Vincent comes with the carriage.’ He lifted his wife from the floor and, cradling her in his arms, turned to the door. ‘Where to, Mrs Smith?’

Jane led him upstairs and through a cheerless parlour and into a bedchamber. There he placed her gently on the bed. His stepped back, leaving the girl to take care of her.

‘Mrs Smith, will you come next door. I wish to hear what has occurred in the past twenty-four hours.’

She told him about the attempted suicide and when she had finished his cheeks were wet. ‘It is all my fault, Mrs Smith. None of this would have happened if I had not driven her way.’

‘You have done the right thing now, my lord. Not many men would take her after what has happened.’

Unashamed, he brushed his tears away. ‘I told John I would marry her, whatever happened. I just prayed I’d find her alive. It is a miracle she escaped that man’s attentions.’

‘She will come to you as any young bride should, my lord, but, I beg you, not now—she is not ready.’

He smiled and touched Jane shoulder. ‘Not for a while, Mrs Sampson. I shall take her back to Frating Hall to recuperate. They will be happy to receive Marianne now she is my countess. I shall come to her when I can. I pray that day will not be too far in the future.’

‘You’re a good man, my lord.’

He grinned ruefully. ‘But I am a murderer, Mrs Smith.’

‘No, my lord, that you are not. You are an executioner. If you had not done it, then my John would have. He would never have allowed him to take her.’