Highlanders (103 page)

Her heart jumped. What if the recognition she'd glimpsed in Kiernan's eyes when she'd talked about her father was more than mere recognition of his name? What if it was also the knowledge that his future father-in-law was a man who would see him hanged for treason given the chance? She'd often wondered how her father had occupied himself all these years. Despite the deceit by the men who had made him an outlaw, he loved his country. He had remained in contact with Alistair. Could that mean he had somehow continued to serve his country? Her excitement took a dive. If true, could that account for Kiernan's unwavering determination to marry her? What better way to control her father than by controlling her?

Phoebe wasn't surprised when Robbie headed north. She was surprised, however, when instead of heading east toward Tain, he continued north of the channel, then veered east into Dornoth Firth.

The elevation grew steeper and when she crested a large hill, she stopped. Below the densely forested hillside lay the coast and the sprawling port city of Dornoch. She searched the hill for Robbie and caught sight of him picking his way down the mountain. She followed.

The city was large enough that Phoebe hoped Robbie wouldn't recognize her among the bustle of the crowded street. He rode at such a slow pace that she realized he was less likely to notice a woman strolling the boardwalk, than a woman on horseback. She stopped in front of a shop, dismounted, and tied the reins to the post outside the shop, then sauntered down the street in Robbie's wake.

He continued through town without stopping. When the crowd thinned, she began to fear that Dornoch wasn't his destination. The sun had begun its descent and she would lose him if she was forced to retrieve her horse. She breathed a sigh of relief when he stopped on the edge of town in front of a three-story house with an overhead sign that read
Madam Duvall’s Boarding House.
Robbie dismounted and went inside.

Two men approached her on the walkway. Phoebe paused and gazed through the window of a general store. She studied a pot that was displayed, while waiting for the men to pass. As they neared the boarding house, a window on the second floor opened and a woman stuck her head out. A woman, Phoebe noted, who could not be mistaken for anything other than the prostitute she was.

“
Cheri
,” the woman called in a thick French accent.

The two men paused at the door and looked up.

“Adele,” one man replied and threw her a kiss.

The woman disappeared back into the house and the man in the lead opened the door to the brothel and entered with the other close behind. Phoebe turned, looked both ways, then crossed the street and headed back into town.

At the sound of a sharp knock, Kiernan swung his gaze from Madam Duvall to the drawing room door. The door opened and her butler entered.

“Someone to see the Lord Ashlund,” he announced in formal tones.

Kiernan looked at Madam Duvall, who sat on the settee beside his chair. “Was I to see someone else today?”

“No monsieur,” she replied. “Only Robbie and, as you know, he arrived over an hour ago.”

Kiernan turned his attention to the butler. “He didn't say who he was?”

“Said you would know him, sir.”

Kiernan rose and removed a pistol from a nearby desk. "Show him in, Phillip. Letty, meet our guest at the door, if you please.” Kiernan strode to the door and leaned against the wall to the left.

A moment later, a familiar figure entered the room.

“What the devil?” Kiernan exclaimed.

The Earl of Stoneleigh whirled to face him. Regan eyed the gun Kiernan pointed at him, then ran his gaze down the length of Kiernan's kilt.

"Never seen you looking so…"

Kiernan lowered in the weapon. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Regan replied.

“No, you can’t.”

Regan turned his attention to Letty, though he addressed Kiernan, “You’re being rather rude, you know. Madam.” Regan lifted her hand to his lips.

“Sir,” she replied with a tilt of her head.

“Letty,” Kiernan said, “do you mind? I need a word with our visitor.”

Kiernan waited until Letty closed the door behind her, then said, “What are you doing here, Stoneleigh?”

"Stoneleigh?" Regan grimaced. "I have annoyed you." He threw himself down onto the sofa. “It’s been a long trip. Aren’t you going to offer me something a drink?”

“Will it get anything out of you?”

“You know how relaxed I get after a drink.”

“Begin the tale,” Kiernan said, “and I might not have you drawn and quartered.”

Regan lifted a brow. “Don’t think I’ve ever seen you so testy before.”

Kiernan went to the sideboard. He set the pistol on the cabinet, then lifted the stopper off the decanter of port. “I wasn't expecting guests.”

“Then you’re due for another shock.”

Kiernan paused in pouring the drinks to look at Regan. “What does that mean?”

“Your wife is here. I assume,” he added, “given that you're staying in a brothel, you didn't bring her with you.”

“Phoebe? Here?” Kiernan shook his head and finished pouring the drinks. “Impossible. She’s back at Brahan Seer, and she would have no idea I’m here—speaking of which, how did you know I was here?”

“Your horse.”

“The Andalusian?” Kiernan picked up the two drinks and crossed to Regan. “So, you happened to be in Dornoch and spotted my horse?” He handed a drink to Regan, then sat down in his chair.

“Right.”

"Not many Englishmen happen to be in Dornoch, Scotland, Regan."

"I had no idea you were here."

"Then why are you here?"

Regan sipped the port. “It’s been far too long since I’ve had good port." He met Kiernan's gaze. "It was, indeed, Phoebe I saw."

“She has no way of knowing I'm here. Not to mention, my father would never let her go.” The memory of how both he and his father had ‘let her go’ the last time they had been at Brahan Seer came to mind.

“She wore no bonnet,” Regan said. “Never does, as you know. There is no mistaking that golden hair.” He took another sip of port.

“Why hasn't she already stormed Madame Duvall's?”

The earl laughed. “How many wives expect to find their husbands at a brothel two days after their wedding?”

Kiernan narrowed his eyes. “You know a great deal too much about my life these days."

He rose, crossed to the secretary and scribbled a note to his cousin to discreetly search for a newcomer, a woman with golden hair and…how did he describe her figure? He decided against the extra description. If Phoebe was in Dornoch, Androu would pick her out of the crowd without any trouble. If she was here, he would congratulate her on her excellent tracking skills—then paddle her pretty bottom. He had a great deal more to learn about his wife than he thought. Kiernan paused while signing the note. What if he wasn't the reason she was here? He cast Regan a glance, then went to the door and called for Phillip. The butler appeared a moment later and Kiernan gave him the note.

"Please have this delivered to Androu immediately." Phillip gave a small bow and started to turn, but Kiernan said, “Oh, and Phillip, please inform Mather we will meet at our friend's place. We've had too many unexpected visitors today for my liking. You will find him at Rhoda’s. He may stay there until our appointed meeting time. He's likely to murder me in my sleep if I ask him to leave her before necessary.”

Phillip bowed and left the room.

Kiernan closed the door, then returned to his seat and said to the earl, "Start at the beginning.”

Regan took another drink, then said, “I know my turning up here is odd—odd enough, I suppose, that I do owe you an explanation. Though, after I’ve told you my story, I hope you’ll see your way to show me the same consideration. I find it just as strange finding you here. First, I must ask you keep this information to yourself, and don’t interfere.”

“Has this anything to do with me?”

“No.”

“Then, I can't see a problem. I don’t make a habit of interfering, you know.”

Regan cleared his throat and Kiernan scowled.

“You’ll never let me live down my matchmaking debacle, will you?” Kiernan asked.

“Neither will Phoebe,” Regan laughed. “Though it didn't turn out all that terrible for you."

No, he had to agree, it hadn't turned out badly at all.

"Now, as to my being here," Regan said. "I’m on the trail of a criminal.”

Kiernan paused with his glass halfway to his lips. “What criminal would that be?”

Regan grinned. “Hard to believe, isn’t it? Who would have thought of me as a doer of justice, righter of wrongs?”

Kiernan took the forestalled sip. “Not I.”

“Well, you would be right. The long and short of it is, I’ve been commissioned by the government to keep an eye on Lord Ronald Harrington.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Harrington is being investigated on matters of national security.”

“National security?" Kiernan blurted, then cursed the government official who had commissioned Stoneleigh in hopes he would stumble upon the secret other
real
British spies had failed to find. When Kiernan discovered the idiot's identity, he would whip him for throwing Regan in his path. "Lord Harrington has an unimpeachable reputation," Kiernan said. "Not to mention, you're no spy.”

“No, I'm not. But it came to the notice of a certain someone in the government that I'm an acquaintance of his and," he shrugged, "well, he asked me to help out.”

“And out of the goodness of your heart you agreed?”

“It's something of an adventure.”

“I’ve never known you to apply yourself to anything for longer than a month.”

“Not so. I did graduate Cambridge with honors.”

“Only because your father threatened to enlist you in the military.”

“Can you imagine?” Regan looked aghast. “Not even a commission.”

“What’s behind this, Regan? I don’t believe you would follow a suspected spy all the way out here for the Crown.”

“No. I wouldn’t.” Regan leaned forward. “I have a particular interest in Harrington, or, rather, a friend of his. I’m of the mind that Harrington is involved.”

“Involved in what, the treason he's suspected of?”

“Well, as to that,” he laughed, “I can't say. No, this involves my father.”

"Your father? How is the marquess involved in this?”

Regan shook his head. “No, not Stoneleigh, my real father.”

"Your real father? Regan, you've gone mad."

“I know, it’s a devil of a mess. About two years ago, I discovered some letters written to my mother from a Lord Henry Ballmore. Quite personal, love letters, in fact. Seems she was to marry Ballmore, and she was pregnant at the time.”

“Bloody hell,” Kiernan whispered.

“Quite right,” Regan agreed. “Of course, I confronted her and found out that Ballmore was my real father. They were, as I said, to be married, but Ballmore was killed outside a theatre in York before the marriage took place. She met Stoneleigh, who, despite her condition, wished to marry her.”

“I’m sorry, Regan,” Kiernan said.

“Never mind about that. I never knew the man, though, it was a shock, and I was furious with Mother for keeping it from me.”

“I don’t know that she had a great deal of choice.”

“No, I suppose not. And Stoneleigh has been good to me. Still, I couldn’t help being curious about Ballmore, so I did some investigating and discovered he had a little actress on the side.”

“Common enough," Kiernan commented.

“True, but he wasn’t the only one. Lord Niles Mallory was in love with the girl as well. Sarah—” Regan snapped his fingers lightly “—some obscure woman, no one we would have heard of—Hazelton, yes, that’s it. Anyway, Ballmore and Mallory were both chasing after her.”

“Mallory, isn’t he the fellow who made all that racket about the labor laws in the House of Lords a few years ago?”
The same man who, so many years ago, accused Phoebe's father, Mason Wallington, of being a traitor to the Crown?

“That’s him," Regan said. "What do you think of this? I found that Mallory was in York when my father was there.”

Kiernan studied him. “What are you saying?’

“I read the reports. Ballmore's death was no ordinary mugging. He was beaten.”

“Muggers often beat their victims.”

Regan shook his head. “This sort of beating was fueled by rage, the kind of beating one gets in a brawl.”

“Those records would have to be over thirty years old. How did you manage to glean so much detailed information? Don’t you think perhaps you’re reading into this what you wish to find?"

“I knew you would think so. But God help me, it’s true. I spoke with the young officer—he’s not so young now. He was, by his own word, ‘the embodiment of all an officer of the law should be.’ He went to great lengths to document and investigate all crimes under his jurisdiction.”

“If he suspected foul play of a different nature, why didn’t he investigate?’

“He did, only he didn’t connect Mallory, and hit a dead end.”

“How did you connect Mallory?”

"It wasn't well known that Mallory was in love with Sarah. When Ballmore was killed, Sarah kept quiet about Mallory. He set her up with a stipend. But, she died a few years ago and, of course, the money stopped. She has a daughter, Harriet, who threatened to bring Mallory’s involvement in Sarah’s life to the attention of the authorities, but something happened to scare her into silence.”

“Mallory threatened her?”

“I don't think it was Mallory. I think it was Harrington.”

“Harrington? Why would he concern himself with Mallory?”

Regan shrugged. “Damned if I know, but I would bet a month's allowance he did.”

But Kiernan was suddenly certain he knew why. Here was the answer to how Harrington had coerced Mallory into falsely denouncing Wallington.

“But you have no real evidence the two are connected,” Kiernan said.

“No.” Regan sat forward, his expression a combination of excitement and sober speculation. “But it’s obvious Mallory despises Harrington, and the hate goes deep. Harrington passes it off as Mallory being angry the labor bill didn’t pass. Harrington opposed him on it. Yet, you find the two men in one another’s company a great deal.”

“And you have found yourself in their company of late? Just as you were the other night at the Halsey ball,” Kiernan said.

“I was acquainting myself with Mallory, which, of course, had me in Harrington’s company. Hence the reason I was recruited.”

“How is it this mess has brought you here?”

“Harrington is here.”

“Harrington? What is he is doing here?” Kiernan demanded, but knew the answer—and didn't like it.

“I have no idea," Regan said. "I'm not even sure what prompted me to follow him."

Kiernan cursed again. "Stoneleigh, I might have you whipped after all."

*****

The Andalusian. There was no mistaking the horse. Phoebe had seen the creature while at Brahan Seer. It was unlikely there was another like it in all of Scotland. The animal belonged to the Marquess of Ashlund. Her husband. She nodded to the stable master, who was saying, “The hotel is just a little ways down the main street.”

“Yes,” she replied. “I rode past it.”

The man smiled. “Aye, then, ye know where you’re going.”

“Indeed,” Phoebe said, and smiled despite the fact her heart was breaking. She knew exactly where she was going.