Never Turn Away (Kellington Book Six) (4 page)

CHAPTER FOUR

After sending out a dispatch to his expert – as well
as missives to Lynwood, Riverton and the Kellingtons – Joseph arrived back at
Lady Evelyn’s home shortly before one of the clock.  The squire’s rather portly
son had just arrived and was in the process of dismounting.  “Hold him still!”
he said crossly to the stable lad holding his horse’s reins. 

From Stapleton’s view atop Rocinante, the lad wasn’t
at fault.  It was the awkward dismount that was making the horse sidle.  By
contrast, Rocinante held still as Joseph dismounted.  He patted the horse, then
thanked the lad who came to take his reins.

“Who are you?” asked the squire’s son, whose clothes
looked expensive, but uncomfortably tight.

“Joseph Stapleton,” he said with a slight nod.  He
offered no further explanation, leaving that to Lady Evelyn.

The younger man looked Joseph up and down, having to
tilt his head back to get a good look at Joseph’s hat, since he was about six
or seven inches shorter.  “I haven’t seen you around Oxfordshire.”

“I only just arrived.”

It was obvious the young man was trying to guess if
Stapleton was gentleman or servant, and was frustrated by not being able to do
so.  “And you are here because?”

“Because I was invited.”

That answer did not please the squire’s son at all. 
Yet, he seemed stymied in what he should say next.  Evidently, he was someone
who liked to know where he stood.

And Joseph’s uncharitable thought was that the young
man likely always stood about a head shorter than everyone else.

Fortunately, Lady Evelyn chose that moment to join
them.  “Ah, Mr. Stapleton, thank you for coming.  Have you met Mr. Kensington?”

“We were just becoming acquainted.”  He wondered why
she had not referred to him as Inspector, nor explained his presence.  Could it
be that she was ashamed of associating with someone who wasn’t a gentleman,
despite her pretty words earlier?  The notion was more unsettling than it
should be.

“Stapleton, is it?” asked Kensington.  “Are you
related to the Portsmouth Stapletons?  They supply our livestock.”

“No, I am not.”

That abbreviated answer seemed to frustrate
Kensington even more.  Joseph knew he should more fully introduce himself, but
rather enjoyed the young man’s discomfiture.

“Mr. Stapleton is a friend of the Duke of Lynwood’s,”
said Evelyn.  She was wearing a sapphire blue winter riding habit that hugged
her curves.  “I asked him to join us this afternoon.  He is only just arrived
from London and I thought he might like to see a bit of the county.  Mr.
Stapleton, this is Gerard Kensington, if he has not already made himself known
to you.”

It looked like Evelyn knew very well that Kensington
had not done any such thing.  Another groom brought out Evelyn’s horse.  Kensington
moved to boost her into the saddle, but the first lad blocked the way with a
horse.

“Beg pardon, milord,” said the groom, who didn’t
look all that apologetic, especially as it gave Joseph the opportunity to
assist Lady Evelyn.

Kensington looked like he wanted to yell at the lad,
but ground his teeth as he hoisted himself awkwardly into his saddle.

“Is that a hunting rifle?” asked Evelyn with some
surprise.

“Yes.  I thought you might like to see me shoot.”

“I do not believe there is cause for a shoot.  I
know my larder is well stocked and I can only imagine your mama’s is, as
well.” 

“But I’ll be shooting for sport,” said Kensington,
as if this notion made all the sense in the world on an outing with a lovely
woman in need of a husband.   

“Is it not dangerous to go shooting in the woods at
this time of day?” asked Stapleton.  “There might be people walking through
them.”

“I am sure they will clear out at the sound of the
first shot.  At any rate, it won’t be dangerous for us,” said Kensington. 
“Don’t tell me you’re scared of guns, Stapleton.”

Joseph restrained himself from knocking the git
senseless.  “I have no fear of firearms, only of those who wield them
unwisely.”

“Then you have nothing to fear here,” said
Kensington smugly.  “Shall we, Evelyn?”  With that, he kicked his mount and
cantered awkwardly toward a field.

Evelyn turned to Joseph.  “Have I expressed my
thanks for your accompanying us?”

“Not enough, my lady.”  He smiled, then enjoyed the
sound of her laugh as she set her horse into a canter.

An hour later, Joseph was feeling considerably less at
peace with the world.  Though Rocinante made his way through the deep snow
drifts as if he’d been born to it, Joseph was cold – it seemed colder in the
country than in London – saddle sore and bored beyond endurance with
Kensington’s prattle.  He didn’t know how Evelyn could seriously consider the
pup as a possible husband.

The pup was also a dreadful shot, in part because he
talked so much he frightened off his prey.  Joseph preferred it that way. 
While he understood the need to hunt for food, he’d seen so much killing – and
done a fair amount of it himself – that he had no taste to see it done for
sport.  And from the look on Evelyn’s face every time Kensington took a shot,
it appeared she agreed.

“There!” said Kensington, dismounting, as he pointed
to a deer in the nearby woods.  “She’s a beauty.”

“Then why must you shoot her?” asked Evelyn as she
looked at the doe, who had her head turned away.

“Because it is what men do, my dear.  At least it is
what real men do.”  Here, he glanced disparagingly at Joseph.  “Sure you don’t
want to have a go at this one, Stapleton?  I can give you pointers, if you
like.”

“Thank you, but no,” said Joseph, using up the last
of his restraint.  “I have never wanted to kill for sport.  And even if we were
killing for food, I would not shoot a doe.”

“How positively sentimental of you,” said Kensington
as he made a great show of aiming his rifle at the doe, who was still looking
away.

Just as he was about to shoot, Evelyn sneezed
loudly.  It startled the doe, who looked around, then darted out of harm’s
way.  A moment later, three of her fawns joined her, only to be quickly ushered
away by their mother.

“I’ll be able to get one of them,” said Kensington. 
Joseph, who’d quickly dismounted, took the rifle out of his hands.  “Ho!  Not
very sporting of you,” said the squire’s son in response.

“My thoughts exactly.  It is obvious you would like
to impress Lady Evelyn with your shooting skills.  To facilitate you in your
goal, I suggest a shooting match against a target – an inanimate target.  That
would impress you just as much as killing an animal would it not, Lady Evelyn?”

“Much more so.  A target would be smaller and placed
further away.  It would take an excellent marksman to make such a shot.”

“I agree,” said Joseph.  “Might I trouble you for a
ribbon to mark the target?”

“Of course.”  She pulled a blue ribbon from her
coiffure.  A long red curl tumbled down after it.

Joseph’s breath hitched just a bit as he reached up
and took the ribbon.  Both he and she wore gloves and his fingers were numb
with cold.  But the brief touch sent fire through his hand.  From the way her
eyes widened, it appeared she’d felt it, too.

He turned, then awkwardly slogged through the snow
toward the woods, calling out as he did so. “Kensington, do be so good as to
keep your rifle pointed at the ground.  You wouldn’t want to shoot me.”

“Oh, wouldn’t I?” asked Kensington, who then laughed
at his jest.

“No,” said Joseph without bothering to turn around. 
“Because I would then be forced to kill you.”  He continued pacing until he was
almost out of sight.  Then he climbed a tree and tied Evelyn’s ribbon around a
branch. 

“I don’t know what he’s trying to prove by placing
the target so far away,” Kensington said to Evelyn.  “It’s not as if I would
ever have to make such a shot hunting.  Many times you can catch the animals
completely unaware and only yards away.  I do not think this is necessary in
the least.”

“Yet, I am sure it will be entertaining,” said
Evelyn as Joseph grimly trudged back through the snow.

“All right Kensington,” he said.  “We’ll see which
of us comes closer to the ribbon.”

“While I always welcome a challenge, should we not
wait until you have a rifle?”

“I will not need one.”

Kensington laughed.  “That shot would be impossible
with a pistol.  Perhaps we should close the gap a bit.”

“I think not.”

Kensington took his time getting into position,
slowly moving forward a half step at a time.

“Mr. Kensington,” said Evelyn, barely suppressing a
laugh.  “I believe the line is back here.”

“Of course,” he said stepping back so he was only a
foot or so in front of it.

“All the way back here,” she said sweetly.

Kensington reluctantly moved back to the line,
raised his rifle and shot.  His aim was wide.  The ball hit a branch to the
right of the tree and a good three feet above the target.  But once the smoke
cleared, he appeared surprised to have done so well. “That’s not bad, if I do
say so myself.”

“And you do,” muttered Joseph as he took his place
at the line.  He aimed his pistol for a quick moment, then shot, obliterating
both the ribbon and Kensington’s ego.  “I believe I owe you a ribbon, my lady.”

“I shall be certain to demand recompense,” she
replied.

“Where the devil did you learn to shoot like that?”
asked Kensington, affronted by Stapleton’s accuracy.

“Bow Street, among other places.  I am an inspector.”

Kensington’s surprise was obvious.  “And why are you
here?”

“I have come to Oxfordshire on holiday.”  He didn’t
want Lady Evelyn’s suitors to know he was investigating them, no matter how
informally.  Yet, he also didn’t think it hurt to make his profession known to
this jackanapes who had no business handling a firearm.  “The Duke of Lynwood
was kind enough to allow me to stay at his estate.” 

“You know Lynwood?  That’s most queer.  He isn’t in
trouble is he?”  From the tone of his query, Kensington rather hoped that he
was.

“No.  Frankly, I cannot imagine a man less likely to
go afoul of the law.”

“Yet, you claim to be friends.  With him a duke and
you a policeman,” said Kensington in wonderment, as if Stapleton had also
claimed the ability to fly.

“Inspector Stapleton does not claim to be friends
with the duke.  He is friends with him,” said Evelyn icily.  “Now if you
gentlemen would please mount, I would like to return to the house.  The day is
a bit too chilly for me.”

Kensington looked like he wanted to object, but
thought better of it as he walked back to his horse, who seemed none too
anxious for his master to mount.  Rocinante met Joseph halfway, patiently
waiting for him to climb on his back. 

The rest of the ride passed with no further
demonstrations of Kensington’s alleged shooting skills.  He did, however, do
his best to ride next to Evelyn.  While Joseph would have liked to have ridden
on the lady’s other side, he kept to the rear – the better to keep an eye on
Kensington.

“Evelyn, my dear,” said Kensington.  “I was hoping
to have the first dance with you at the assembly.  Do say you will pencil me in.”

There was the briefest of pauses before Evelyn
responded.  “Thank you, I will.”

“Perhaps you will allow me the honor of escorting
you there, as well.”

Lady Evelyn hesitated enough that Joseph felt it was
only proper for him to step in.  “I am afraid that will not be possible, since
I am escorting her.”  He was only doing it for her protection, of course. 
Until he ascertained Kensington’s suitability, he did not want to leave them
alone at night, even with a chaperone.  He would not put it past the clod to
compromise Lady Evelyn and force her into marriage.

Kensington looked none too happy.  “I was unaware
you’d been invited.  Or will you be attending with the servants?”

Lady Evelyn moved her horse away from Kensington, falling
back so she was riding next to Joseph.  “Inspector Stapleton is my guest.  I am
looking forward to introducing him to the people of Caversham.  Ah, we are
nearly home.  Do not worry about escorting me up the drive, Mr. Kensington. 
The Inspector shall see me safely home.  Thank you for a lovely ride.”

Without giving Kensington the chance to respond, Evelyn
cantered down the drive, with Rocinante automatically keeping pace with her
horse.

“Would you like to come in for tea?” she asked
Joseph once they’d reached the house.

“I would like to very much, but I thought to go into
the village.  There are a few items I forgot to pack.”

“If you would like an escort, I can accompany you.”