His Michaelmas Mistress (18 page)

“I shall help you,” Julia said.

She pulled open one of her wardrobes, and reached for the red gown she thought would suit Ruby. Laying it out on the bed, she went back to the same wardrobe, and picked out a few more frocks. “Now…what do we do with them?” she asked innocently.

Ruby sighed, and carefully folded them, and then went and pulled out a portmanteau. Julia smiled. She knew exactly what to do with them. Ruby was one of those people who always had to feel useful, and the more helpless Ruby thought she was, the more needed Ruby would feel.

“As soon as Freddie returns, he shall simply have to make short work of whatever kind of rabble is roaming our estate. I want it to be safe for me and my guests. I don’t like to feel threatened in my own home.”

“Well, with Freddie around, you could hardly feel as if you were in jeopardy.”

“No, Freddie has a way of making me feel safer than anyone else has ever made me feel.”

Once Ruby had packed the portmanteau, Julia reached for it, and Ruby pulled away.

“I can carry it, Julia, really I can.” She held it with both hands, and though it looked a little heavy for her, Julia sighed, and allowed her to have her own way.

“Let us depart this place. I shan’t return here until Freddie is back. The house feels a little too cold without him in it.”

“I agree. The servants…did you keep them all from the previous lord? Because…” Ruby paused and then continued, “Maybe you should have sacked them all and hired those you had checked out yourself.”

Julia considered her words. She and Freddie hadn’t thought of sacking the staff. Well, she had, and Freddie had balked at it, saying that it wasn’t the servants’ fault that Lord Lumley had such a terrible vice, and had bankrupted himself.

They opened the bedchamber door to be confronted with a frightened maid. She put her finger over her lips, and gestured to them to move back inside of the bedchamber.

With her arm on Ruby’s, she and Ruby did as the panicked maid bid them to do. Once the door was firmly shut behind them, the maid sighed, and went about ensuring that the door leading into the dressing room was locked securely.

“They…your ladyship, you’re in terrible danger. I don’t know if you can get away…but…but…I want to help you to try to escape…they are talking down in the kitchen right now about what to do with you and the little Miss…they’re going to do you harm…they’re going to hurt you.”

“What…take a deep breath, and tell me exactly what you mean to say,” Julia said, a little rattled by what the maid had said.

“They…they’ve done and killed him, they have.”

“Who did they kill?” Julia asked shakily.

“Mr. Browne, and they gone and tied up the other two lords, and they’re trying to figure out what to do with them, and now…now, they don’t think they got anything left to lose. They had a fine enterprise going before you and the Marquess stumbled onto it. They, they was afraid of the Marquess…but in his absence, they done got cocky again, didn’t they? Lord Lumley, he was always away in London, he didn’t know hide nor hair of what they done when he was away…but you’re a nice lady, and you always treat us with respect, and the Marquess…he’s a one of us…or he was one of us, and he loves you, so me and a few of the other maids…we ain’t gonna see you meet the same fate of Mr. Browne.”

“They…” Now Julia felt quite shaken, and she and Ruby clung to each other so tightly, she knew she’d have bruises on her skin come the morrow. “Are you telling me that the servants killed Mr. Browne?”

“Aye, my lady. They are working with a bad sort of people. Mr. Browne knew too much, and he was going to report them to the authorities so they said he had to go. They bludgeoned him over the head, and he dropped like a sack of flour. His body ain’t even cold yet, and we alls been told not to say nothing because we’re all in it together, ain’t we? They told us we’d all hang…but they didn’t expect you to come here before they got rid of the body, and I ain’t going to be part of seeing you and Miss Massey get hurt.”

“Murder?” Ruby asked. Her face lost all of its colour, and Julia didn’t have to look in the mirror to know that she looked the same way. “Did she say murder?” Ruby asked again.

“Whatever you do, Ruby. Don’t you dare scream,” Julia warned.

Ruby’s body started to shake. She let go of Julia’s arm, and went over to sit down on the bed.

“What do we do? How…couldn’t we just slip out of the house?” Julia asked.

“No…they have lost their minds. They’ve gone straight to Bedlam. They’re not thinking clearly anymore. All they know is that they have to find a way to avoid the noose.”

“They can’t. They have been discovered, haven’t they? They can’t think to figure a way out of this one…not if they’ve killed the gamekeeper…and what exactly were they doing that they were found out for, anyway?”

“They had profitable business going with the game on these lands. They was poaching and selling the game to them in London who pay big money for it. It’s a gang that runs things, you see, and Mr. Hargreaves is a part of that gang. He wasn’t always. Once, he was a good respectable butler, but the extra blunt he could earn from working for the gangs…well, he couldn’t resist.”

“Freddie caught the poachers. They were Enoch Smith, and his wife, Madge.”

“Enoch? Oh, he wasn’t a part of the gang. He’s a useless sod, aye, but he don’t run with that sort. He was just here trying to use Freddie…I mean to use the Marquess, I suppose. I don’t even know if they knew about the gang that operated out of here…I don’t think they did.”

“We are trapped,” Ruby whispered. “How are we going to get out of this one alive?”

Julia chewed her lower lip. “You mentioned two other lords…where are they being kept?”

“They’re being kept in the Billiards Room…they’ve tied them up and gagged them, they did. They’re not going nowhere, though they are fighting. They won’t get out because they have someone watching the door. And the blackguards are armed. They’ve got it all figured, they does.”

Julia tried to quell the sickening sensation in her gut. Somehow, they had to get out of this pickle alive. She’d been bloody determined not to be foolish and put herself in harm’s way, and here she was…in harm’s way.

Damnation.

What was it with the Lovett women? Were they just magnets for trouble?

“There are secrets that only pass to members of the family and owners of the homes. These secrets will work to our advantage. Servants never know about them. No matter how old of a retainer they might be…it is information that is never shared outside of the family. This secret was only passed to the head of Lord Lumley’s family. No one else in his family knew about it save for him, and his father before him. He wanted to only share it with Freddie, but Freddie insisted I be privy to it as well, and now, that stubbornness of his, shall be our saving grace.

“Lord Lumley told us about the secret passages, and showed us where they were, and where they led to. Freddie couldn’t believe it. He thought it great fun. I thought it a mild inconvenience, and I didn’t like the way the passages were so dark, and a little damp, and filled with spiders, but now…now, they just might be the only thing that saves us from the fire.

“I will gladly use them to get out of this bloody mess we are in. Alas, they won’t be a secret any longer, once we save the boys. Now, luckily for us, one of the passages leads into the Billiards Room. I think that is one of the reasons why Freddie likes it so much. He used it once or twice to drive the servants mad. He would exit the Billiards Room from using the secret passages, and he told me later that he heard them saying they couldn’t believe how quickly he could move,” she laughed. “They said he moved like a ghost.”

“Did they?” the maid asked.

“Ruby, do you know how to shoot a pistol, perchance?”

“Mama wouldn’t let me learn. Uncle Thomas didn’t agree with her, and went about teaching me anyway. I might not be the best shot, but I do know how to shoot one.”

“Good.” Julia moved over to where Freddie kept his weapons. She already wore the dagger he had given her. Freddie loved to collect dueling pistols, and fortunately, had quite the collection stored in their bedchamber. She reached for two cases, and put one case into the basket that Ruby would carry, and then, readied the other two pistols for her and Ruby. “I hope this isn’t too heavy for you,” she said, handing Ruby the pistol. “This is just in case we run into resistance while trying to free Charles and Tobias.” Ruby nodded her head, and took the pistol from her.

Julia turned her attention back to the maid. “I don’t remember you,” Julia said softly. “What is your name?”

“Millie. The name is Millie, my lady.”

“I see.” Something about the young woman unsettled Julia, but she shook it off, and returned her attention to the pressing issues at hand.

“See this wardrobe,” Julia said, moving over to it. “Come, Alfie,” she called. The little terrier eagerly came over to her. She couldn’t leave him here, he’d have to come with them. Fortunately, he seemed to stay close. He was one of those dogs that would eagerly shadow her every step, if invited.

Carefully, she set aside her pistol, and opened the wardrobe, and took out some of the dresses. Then, she started feeling the back of it, and hoped that she would trigger whatever made the door slide open to reveal the secret passage. She pulled her hand back when she hit it, and it made a strange grating noise, as it slid open to reveal the doorway that led to the secret tunnels.

“Millie, grab that candle, would you? We shall need something to light our way.” She reached for her pistol, and she stepped into the secret passage, and waited for Alfie, Ruby and Millie to follow. “Close the wardrobe door behind you,” Julia said.

Standing in the tunnel, Julia sighed, and attempted to gain her bearings. She’d only been here once before, and then, well, then, she hadn’t actually been paying attention. However, she had one talent she could always rely on. Even if she was barely paying attention to something, she could still absorb the information. All she had to do was concentrate, and it would all come flooding back to her.

“This way,” Julia said, pointing in the direction they had to go. They walked down a few hallways, and then reached the narrow staircase that would take them down to the main floor of the house. Alfie was right at her heels, and stopped when she stopped, and walked when she walked. He hadn’t barked once, and for that she was relieved, because they didn’t need him to give them away.

“Everything is so spooky,” Ruby breathed.

“It’s not spooky, it is damp,” Julia said, curling her lip. “And there are too many spiders and spider webs too count. I am going to need a bath when we get out of here. Now, why can’t you be like Millie and not complain, Ruby?” Ruby tapped her on the shoulder. “What do you want?” She stopped and turned around to look at Ruby. Ruby looked like she’d seen a ghost. She stood holding the flickering candle, with her eyes wide. Julia sighed. “Where is Millie?”

“She didn’t follow us into the passageway. I turned around to hear the wardrobe door shut, and she was gone. It was like she vanished into thin air, Julia. It was quite disconcerting.”

“That is silly. No one can vanish into thin air. I suppose she went back so they wouldn’t suspect.”

“What if Millie is leading us on a wild goose chase, Julia? What if the servants aren’t corrupt, and nothing is amiss? What if it was all a trick?”

“Well, if it was all a trick, we shall know once we walk down that narrow stone staircase. It looks like you could break your neck going down it, doesn’t it? Be careful, we don’t want to fall holding these ruddy things. I didn’t think much about it the last time, as Freddie went in front of me…but now…I don’t know if I want to navigate it or not.”

“We don’t have much choice, do we?” Ruby asked nervously. “We have to continue and go downstairs and reach the Duke of Stoneleigh and Lord Charles, or we have to go back upstairs and hope we can keep ourselves locked in the Scarlet Bedchamber. Either option isn’t the one I really want to pick. I wish we were all back safe and sound at Lark Hall.”

“They shall start to miss us soon. Don’t worry, Ruby. Someone will come out and help.”

“And what if they fall into their trap? They sound pretty ruthless. I wouldn’t want Simon or Uncle Edward to fall into their nefarious clutches,” Ruby said.

“No, you are quite right, Ruby. We shall have to get ourselves out of this scrape all on our own. I don’t know how we shall make it off the grounds. Oh, how I wish Freddie was here.”

*****

Freddie was relieved to be back in Castleton.

They were riding toward Lark Hall, and he prayed that Julia would be there. He wanted to hold her in his arms, and steal a kiss when no one was looking. The weather had let up, and now the sun was coming out from behind the clouds. Once they reached Lark Hall, he was going to get out and give his legs a good stretch.

“You look like you’ve just eaten a slice of sunshine,” Clarence mused. “Love certainly looks good on you, Freddie.”

Freddie chuckled. “I only hope that Julia is at Lark Hall.”
“She usually is, when she’s not at Castleton Court,” the Duke mused. “I haven’t seen such a closely knit family before.”

“You didn’t get to see much of Clarence and Cyril’s family. They’re close as well, aren’t you, Clarence?”

Cyril had fallen back asleep, and his soft snoring echoed around them.

“Aye. We will do just about anything for each other. Val even fought a duel for Ginny once. Well, she fought the duel for Ginny’s first husband…terrible wretch, he was,” Clarence said, shuddering. “Of course, Mama would tell me not to speak ill of the dead.”

“At least she fared better the second time around,” Freddie said.

“Aye. All of her dreams have finally come true. Ah, Lark Hall, is a sight to be sure. I never get over how beautiful these country estates are. It looks so serene and tranquil, as if it’s sitting on its own patch of heaven,” Clarence remarked. The carriage turned into Lark Hall’s long drive and drove up to the house. The carriage stopped, and after a few minutes, a footman whisked open the door. Cyril muttered something they couldn’t understand in his sleep, and his eyes snapped open.

“We are here, Cyril,” Freddie said patiently.

Cyril looked around a little dazed, and then, smiled. “Splendid. I don’t think I could have spent one minute longer in this blasted carriage,” he said, as he stepped down from the carriage.

“You slept for most of the trip, you bloody twit,” Clarence muttered.

The grounds were unusually quiet. No children were out playing. Freddie could only figure that it had only recently stopped raining here as well.

The sound of dogs barking, met Freddie’s ears, and Lark Hall’s front door opened, and Artemis and Athena came running out.

He smiled and greeted the affectionate mastiffs. They rubbed against him for head rubs.

“Big, aren’t they?” Clarence asked, as he looked uneasily at them. “I only remember them having a little dog…a cute pup named Cleo. These giants, well, they’re new.”

“Oh, aye, but they won’t hurt a friend of the family. You needn’t fear them, Clarence,” Freddie said.

“I am not afraid of them…not really anyway,” he muttered. “Where is Cleo?”

“Cleo was Rose’s dog. She is with Rose and Micah at Maidstone Manor.”

“Ah. I see,” Clarence muttered, as Artemis and Athena affectionately nudged him.

Edward and Alice emerged from the house with a few of the children walking behind them.

“Ah, the rain has finally let up. I might just go for a walk,” Edward said. “You’ve brought friends with you, Freddie. And I know who your friends are. They are family of ours. The Deville boys. Well, it is good to see you two, again. How are your parents? And your sisters?”

“They are all well, sir,” Clarence said solemnly. “Pop told us to send his felicitations to you, and he said to tell you that he and Mama shall be coming to your Michaelmas Ball.”