Lord Somerton's Heir (13 page)

Bragge’s eyebrows rose but he made no comment, just appended a note in his book. He looked up.

‘There is one last matter my lord.’

‘That is?’

‘Her ladyship. Have you broken the news of her jointure to her yet?’

A heavy weight settled on Sebastian’s shoulders. ‘No.’

‘It is just that she has tradesmen working on the dower house. Those bills must be paid…’

‘Have them sent to me.’

Bragge hesitated for a moment. ‘As you wish, my lord.’

He bowed and left the room.

Sebastian stood up and walked over to the window, which afforded an excellent view out across the garden and parkland. He could see the chimneys of the dower house rising above the trees. He would never let Isabel suffer for the sake of her husband’s foolishness. While he was Lord Somerton she would live comfortably, but the matter of the charity school that she had mentioned remained. He knew he had to talk to her, and the sooner the better.

Isabel sat at her desk penning a letter in reply to Lady Ainslie. A suitable premises had been found and Harriet was keen to sign the lease.

‘May I disturb you?’

She looked up as Sebastian entered the parlour, sliding the letter beneath the blotter. She rose to her feet and gestured at one of the chairs. He sat down heavily on one of the elegant gilt seats and she heard an ominous creak from the protesting furniture. Sebastian flushed and, to cover his embarrassment, Isabel picked up a second cup from the tray that had just been brought in to her.

‘Would you care for some tea?’ she enquired.

‘Thank you, Lady Somerton.’

As she handed him the cup, his hand shook slopping tea in the saucer. He upended the contents of the saucer into the cup. Her mouth fell open but, before Isabel could compose herself, he looked up at her with a rueful smile.

‘The bad habits of a lifetime are hard to break, Lady Somerton,’ he said.

‘Unfortunately it is those little habits that you are going to have to break,’ she observed.

She took a dainty sip of her own tea and set her cup down, folding her hands neatly in her lap. The fingers of his right hand drummed the delicate arms of the chair.

‘Is there something troubling you?’ she enquired.

‘I have spent the day with Bragge,’ he began. ‘We’re not quite in the workhouse but I’m going to have to make some serious economies. Were you aware of the position of the estate?’

He brought his clear, strong gaze around to meet hers. She shifted uncomfortably, wondering what this conversation was leading to.

She gave a small shrug. ‘I had my suspicions. Like his father before him, Somerton was a profligate spender and I knew the money didn’t all come from his success at the races.’

‘No, it didn’t,’ Sebastian said. He leaned forward, clasping his hands together on his knees. ‘Lady Somerton, I have some bad news to impart to you.’ He took a deep breath. ‘It is about your jointure. Your late husband…’

She stared at him, the implication of what he was saying beginning to dawn on her. Surely not her jointure. She put a hand to her mouth as her life shattered at her feet.

‘It’s gone,’ she said.

‘You knew?’

She took a deep breath. ‘I had my suspicions.’

He nodded. ‘He forged your signature on the papers.’

‘What did he spend it on?’

Sebastian shrugged. ‘It seemed every penny he could raise went on a gold mine in Guinea.’

She let out a heavy breath, fighting tears. ‘And what charlatan got him to invest in such a venture?’

Sebastian shook his head. ‘I don’t know. It was called the “Golden Adventurers Club” but who its members were, I have no idea. I have asked Bragge to look into it further.’

She looked away, her heart hammering as she battled her emotions. It had all gone and with it her freedom, her dreams…the school… What would she tell Harriet?

With difficulty, she brought her attention back to Sebastian, seeing the concern in his eyes.

A good man
, she thought,
but how could he possibly even begin to understand?

‘I want to assure you, Lady Somerton, that it will be my responsibility to ensure you want for nothing. The dower house is yours and I will provide a monthly allowance…’

‘The dower house?’ She heard her voice catch and she rose to her feet. Swallowing, she managed to say, ‘It is not the dower house, Lord Somerton…it is my life. Please excuse me.’

Without looking backwards, she left him and barely made the sanctuary of her own bedchamber before the flood burst. She fell face down on the covers of her bed, curling into a small ball as her heart broke. Just when she thought Anthony could hurt her no more, he had reached from the grave and stolen the last of her dreams from her.

Chapter 10

The day of the horse auction dawned bright and clear. From early in the morning, a large crowd began to gather in the grounds, where Sebastian, at Freddy’s suggestion, had obligingly arranged for the erection of a large marquee and light refreshment. In discussing the plans over dinner, Freddy had pointed out that a crowd that had been fed and watered with a pleasant ale would be more likely to be feeling in an expansive mood when the bidding began.

Sebastian had twelve horses to sell and, to judge from the crowd, they would fetch a pretty penny. Not for the first time, he considered that Anthony’s eye for horses could have been the man’s one redeeming feature. It may well be the saving of the estate.

As he circulated among the crowd, he noticed Lady Kendall in conversation with her brother as they inspected a handsome bay mare. They both looked up as he approached. Lady Kendall smiled as Sebastian took her outstretched hand. His nose caught the scent of roses.

‘Do you have an interest in horses, Lady Kendall?’ he enquired.

Her eyes crinkled at the corners. ‘Indeed I do. My last husband owned several winners at Newmarket and I rather enjoy carrying on his tradition.’

‘Are there any horses here that take your eye?’ Sebastian indicated the magnificent beasts being paraded around the crowd.

‘I rather fancy that chestnut with the white sock on his off foreleg,’ Lady Kendall said.

‘I don’t believe he has any wins to his name,’ Sebastian responded.

‘Not yet,’ she said. ‘What about you, Harry?’

‘My man is bidding on the sorrel filly,’ Harry said.

She nodded. ‘Excellent choice, but I doubt father will be quite so sanguine if you are successful. Now I really must go and talk to my own man about the chestnut.’ She dipped a curtsey and, smiling sweetly at both men, excused herself.

Sebastian stared after her as the crowd parted to let her through. Although it was predominantly a male occasion, a few wives and families had accompanied their menfolk, no doubt, Sebastian considered ruefully, hoping for a chance of an early encounter with the new, and eminently eligible, Lord Somerton.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the county mamas, with her clutch of eligible daughters in tow, bearing down on them.

‘Come inside and join me in an ale,’ Sebastian said, grasping his friend by the elbow and propelling him bodily towards the house.

Inside the cool hall, they encountered Fanny tying on her bonnet.

‘What a crowd,’ Fanny said. ‘Who would have thought such a boring thing as selling horses could be such a social occasion? I thought I should like to join Freddy and see the bidding.’

Harry bowed low over Fanny’s hand as Sebastian introduced her.

‘Enchanted. Of course, Mr Lynch and myself are acquainted, but Alder never mentioned you were cousins.’

‘Well she’s not actually
my
cousin,’ Sebastian pointed out. He nearly added ‘I appear to have inherited her with the estate’ but refrained.

‘Are you a friend of dear cousin Sebastian’s?’ Fanny enquired, tucking her hand around Sebastian’s arm. His jaw clenched at the unwanted intimacy and the assumption of ownership the gesture entailed.

‘We served together in the same regiment, my dear,’ Harry said.

‘Oh, then you must have some wonderful stories to tell about Seb — Lord Somerton.’ Fanny flashed Sebastian her prettiest smile but he was becoming inured to her charms.

As Harry opened his mouth to speak, Sebastian shot him a warning glance and Harry said, ‘Just boring military stuff. Nothing of any interest to a pretty, young thing such as yourself.’

Fanny giggled, covering her mouth with her free hand and patting her curls. She cast a dimpled smile at Harry. ‘I do hope you will be attending the ball, Colonel?’

‘What ball?’ Harry cast an enquiring eye at Sebastian.

‘Some ghastly soiree Fanny is organising to allow me the opportunity to meet the neighbours,’ Sebastian replied, removing the clinging hand from his arm. ‘Although, by the look of this crowd, I think they’re all here today. They seem hell bent on introducing themselves to me and I’m damned if I can remember a single name.’

‘Cousin Sebastian is being quite churlish about it,’ Fanny pouted.

‘Sebastian Alder? Churlish about a ball? Never!’ Harry said with a wink.

‘As I have explained to Miss Lynch, a certain French musket ball ended my dancing days.’

‘Nonsense. You hardly limp. I don’t see why you can’t dance,’ said Harry unhelpfully.

‘I am certain an invitation has been sent to your sister, so I do hope you will come as well.’ Fanny continued.

‘Wouldn’t miss it for the world, if only to see Bas here in dancing slippers!’ He glanced at Sebastian and winked. ‘I’ve got no immediate plans that would take me away from Lincolnshire.’

‘I think that is the auctioneer’s bell,’ Sebastian said.

‘You’re not going to watch?’ Fanny pouted.

Sebastian shook his head. ‘No. Bragge can give me the good news later.’

After Fanny left the house, Sebastian shook his head and clapped his friend on the shoulder. ‘You have just set your cap at the silliest female it has ever been my misfortune to meet.’

Harry grinned. ‘Just a bit of fun, Alder.’

‘Odd pair, those,’ Sebastian remarked. ‘You said you know Lynch?’

Harry shook his head. ‘I’ve met him a few times, in London. Always happy for a hand of cards. I must confess she is a pretty thing.’

‘No dowry, no pedigree that I am aware of and one of the most foolish females I have ever met.’

Harry shook his head. ‘Alder, you are too quick to judgement. Apart from the lack of dowry and pedigree, she may well have other redeeming features.’

Sebastian admitted Harry to the peace of the study and the two men subsided into the masculine, leather chairs that stood by the empty grate. Johnson brought two stout ales on a silver tray. The absurdity of the gesture did not escape Sebastian. He caught the footman’s eyes but, beyond a slight quirk of the mouth, the man was too well trained to react.

‘I can’t tell you what a relief it is to have a familiar face here,’ Sebastian said.

Harry smiled. ‘It’s good to see you too. Not sorry to miss the fun at Waterloo.’

Sebastian laughed without humour. ‘Oh, trust me, you missed nothing. The rain and the mud for starters…and when the Imperial Guard charged us, I thought my day had finally come.’

‘Ah, but you stood up to them, Alder.’

‘The square held but I got nicked by a musket ball in the process.’

‘You look well enough on it.’

‘I have Lady Somerton to thank for that. She’s the one who found me. If I’m honest, she probably saved my life.’

‘Ah yes, the formidable Lady Somerton,’ Harry said. ‘I can imagine she let nothing stand in her way when she thought she had found Lord Somerton’s heir.’

Sebastian regarded his friend for a long moment. ‘I’ve heard that it was not a happy marriage.’

Harry took a draught of his ale before replying. ‘A more mismatched couple you would never meet, but they tried.’

This was news to Sebastian. ‘What do you mean?’

‘In the early days of their marriage, they were the centre of quite an influential circle of the “ton”. The house in London was the place to be seen.’ Harry drained his cup and seemed to contemplate the empty vessel for a moment before he said. ‘There was a child, you know.’

Sebastian nodded. ‘Yes, that was a tragedy.’

‘After that, she shut herself away. I don’t think she’s been seen in London since.’

‘And Anthony?’

Harry swilled his beer. ‘Well, I don’t think he was seen much at Brantstone.’

‘Tell me about Anthony. Did he have any enemies?’

Harry frowned. ‘Enemies? A man like that is sure to have enemies. Possibly a few cuckolded husbands, certainly cheated card players, but none in particular. Why do you ask?’

‘I think…’ Sebastian voiced, for the first time, the thought that had been growing in his mind since Bennet first told him about the saddle. ‘I think he may have been murdered.’

Harry’s eyes widened. ‘Good lord! What on earth makes you think that?’

Armed with the intelligence Bennet had passed on, Sebastian had slipped unseen into the stables and inspected the saddle for himself. The cut had been subtle but the evidence damning. The saddle had been tampered with in such a way as to cause a rider serious injury…or death.

‘I’ve got evidence,’ he said.

‘What sort of evidence?’

Sebastian shook his head. He’d said too much, even to Harry whom he would have trusted with his life. ‘I’m probably seeing shadows where there aren’t any. Take no notice of me.’

Harry shook his head in disbelief. ‘You must be mistaken, Alder. God knows he could be irritating and he certainly owed money to all and sundry, but I can’t think of anyone who would want to
kill
him.’ He paused and laughed, raising his glass to his lips again. ‘Apart from you, that is!’

‘I didn’t even know he existed and, besides, I have an impeccable alibi.,

Harry frowned. ‘Be sensible, Alder. Who would want to kill him?,

When Sebastian didn’t answer, Harry laughed. ‘No, you are seeing shadows. Somerton broke his neck taking a fence. Accidents happen. It doesn’t mean there is anything sinister about it.’ When Sebastian didn’t respond, Harry’s face sobered. ‘You surely don’t suspect someone in this house capable of such a thing?’