Surrender of Trust (First Volume of the Surrender Series) (16 page)

Chalifour’s thoughts were preoccupied with
paying Lady Monique a visit and how best to approach her. He had
questions about Lucy and Lucien. Chalifour was sure Monique had at
least some of the answers. Chalifour was determined to have Monique
tell him what he needed to know.

Chalifour sighed. He was being selfish. He
needed to attend to his sister's needs too. As a young lady, Season
was Elizabeth’s best opportunity find a suitable husband and
Chalifour knew she was ready to begin the hunt in earnest now.
Since his parents had passed, he had not given much thought to the
fact Elizabeth was now a grown woman and prepared to seek a life on
her own. It would be a strange emptiness when she left, Chalifour
mused.

After reaching Town on Sunday, Chalifour had
turned the reigns of the townhouse over to Elizabeth. She saw to
the staff and whatever arrangements were necessary to ensure they
were comfortable during their stay. Administering a household this
size was a large job and Chalifour had always happily left it to
his sister to oversee. Chalifour had instead organized his desk and
readied himself for his upcoming meetings and introductions.

Chalifour spent the first part of the
following day on Monday attending meetings related to various
estate matters. His introduction to the representative of a small
distillery in the western area of Portugal had been particularly
exciting. The distillery distilled a decidedly good brandy which
was reminiscent of a fine French Cognac.

Since the war with France began and good
French wines and brandy had been banned, there was a real demand
for a good substitute. England was rife with smuggling and Cognac
and French wines continued to find their way into England, but
Chalifour wanted no part of that illicit trade. His duty was to his
country. Instead, Chalifour wanted to find and import a good brandy
comparable to that made by the French. That endeavor, if
successful, would be both legal and patriotic.
Not to mention, a
good business proposition
.

Chalifour spent the latter part of the day
socializing with other gentlemen at Whites, most of them members of
the Jockey Club. Chalifour stretched his legs out and leaned back
in his chair and savored an ale. The last few days had been hectic
and he was enjoying the respite. As usual, conversation turned to
matters related to the sport.

One topic of interest was the smoother turf
at the Newmarket course which had been achieved through the efforts
of the Duke of Portland and Lord Lowther. Portland and Lowther had
burned off the ground cover of the racecourse and removed old road
tracks and ruts in the area. They laid down manure, grew turf, and
grazed sheep on the turf. The improvement was remarkable and,
consequently, the racecourse now had a turf for racing horses now.
The general consensus was Newmarket could potentially become the
premier racecourse.

The discussion naturally turned to the
upcoming race at Epsom Downs. Lounging in his chair, Chalifour
overheard Lord Tifferson say, "Ah, yes, I believe I heard Lucien
Goodwin is planning to race. I usually like to put my money on him,
but there's been a whiff of rumor about his races at Newmarket last
year, that maybe something corrupt happened."

Chalifour nearly choked on his ale and sat up
straight. "Excuse me, Lord Tifferson, did I hear you correctly? Is
Lucien Goodwin entered to race in the Oaks?"

"Yes, he's entered a filly by the name of
Heather Mist, I believe."

What the devil!
A cacophony of
thoughts raced through Chalifour's mind. He had an interest of
sorts in Lucien's horses now. This should have been discussed with
him first.
More to the point, why was Lucy refusing him access
to Lucien if he was healthy enough to race? And what rumor of
corruption?

"Tifferson, to what rumor are you referring?"
he asked.

"There was some talk recently about the races
last year at Newmarket. Remember how during one race, the horse
Lucien was racing did poorly, only to win big the next day?"

"Yes, but those things happen sometimes. What
of it?"

"Well, someone was making the observation
that last year's race smacked of a certain resemblance to the
scandal the Prince of Wales was involved in when he raced his
horse, Escape, at Newmarket. Remember it? The horse performed so
poorly one day only to run like the dickens the next day. Sir
Charles Banbury banned, Sam Chifney, the jockey, from racing for
life. Huge scandal and all."

"Yes, I'm well aware of that scandal, but I
know the Goodwin family. I just don't see it. I can't imagine
Lucien would be so foolish as to endanger his reputation and
livelihood on the outcome of only two races."

"I agree. However, you could have said the
same about the Prince of Wales. Who knows? We can't afford to have
any taint of corruption, even hints. It could undo everything we've
been working for these last many years. We'll just have to keep a
close eye on him."

Anger and confusion welled within Chalifour.
What was Lucy and Lucien playing at? And what was Lucy's role in
all of this? Was Lucien a cheat? Had he been duped into allying
himself with a scoundrel? "Who has been making these allegations?"
he asked Lord Tifferson.

"Lord Perdan."

The name rocked Chalifour. Why did Perdan
keep appear in connection with the Goodwin family? He was damned
well going to find out. Looking Tifferson in the eyes, he said "I
think you would be well advised to consider the source. There have
been numerous rumors over the years that Perdan is a card cheat and
maybe a cheat in other games of chance as well. The only reason he
has not been accused directly is because he is a peer and he mostly
wagers with those who aren't."

"Yes, I'm aware of those rumors too. I think
they both bear watching at this point until something can be
proven, or disproven as it may be. I heard William Clift and Ben
Smith may be riding as well. Fine race it will be."

Taking his leave of Whites, Chalifour
continued about his business, deliberating the potential
ramifications of what he had heard. Along the way, Chalifour made
several discreet inquiries and got the information he needed. Lady
Monique rode in Hyde Park most mornings. Approaching Monique in
Hyde Park would be his best chance to speak with her alone. Though
Chalifour knew Monique's brother well and could have called on
Monique at her home, he wanted to corner her without the comfort
and security of her affluent family.

Chalifour returned to his townhouse in the
fashionable Mayfair District. Walking into his study, he poured
himself a stiff brace from the bottle of brandy left with him by
the distillery representative. He tossed back one rummer, and
poured another. Elizabeth joined him to report on her progress in
getting the household settled. Chalifour only half listened to
Elizabeth chatter about upcoming events at Almacks and the new
wardrobe she needed. Chalifour's thoughts were focused on tomorrow.
He would surprise Lady Monique alone in Hyde Park morning.

Cool morning air greeted Chalifour when he
set out on his mount and rode into Hyde Park. His head swiveled,
surveying his fellow early morning riders. Where was Lady Monique?
He cantered through the park, searching for Monique. Chalifour
spotted her in the distance. Monique wore a bright jonquil riding
habit and paused to chat with an acquaintance. Chalifour bided his
time until he saw her take her leave and trot off down the road. He
nudged his horse forward. He wanted to corner Monique alone.

"Lady Monique," he called out.

Monique halted and turned to see who had
hailed her. She smiled at him and he drew his horse close to hers,
closer than was necessary. Chalifour watched Monique's eyes widen
and knew she had noted the unusual proximity. He reached out and
pulled the reins from her hands and her mouth gaped in
surprise.

"Lord Chalifour, what on earth are you
doing?"

"I need to speak with you. I'm afraid it's
quite serious and rather urgent. I didn't want your mount to get
away while we spoke."

Monique's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do
you think is so disconcerting it could cause me to lose control of
my mount?"

"Miss Goodwin."

"Miss Goodwin?" Monique reeled with surprise.
"What is so urgent? Has Lucien taken a turn for the worse?"

"That's just it. I need to know the truth of
Lucien's condition. The truth." Chalifour emphasized the last two
words.

"Whatever do you mean?" There was a hint of
suspicion in her voice, as if Monique knew she had said too
much.

"I mean that there is something not quite
right about any of this and I mean to find out."

"Then you need to ask Lucy."

"I'm asking you." Chalifour spoke slowly and
deliberately. "Miss Goodwin has been refusing to let me see her
brother, citing his injuries. I was just informed by the Jockey
Club that he will be racing in the Oaks at Epsom Downs. Why has
Miss Goodwin been lying to me? Further, I was just informed that
Lucien Goodwin is the subject of some allegations of possible
cheating in connection with some races at Newmarket last year."

Monique appeared stunned. "I don't know
anything about that. How could anyone ever say Lucien would
cheat?"

"Indeed, that's what I want to know. I also
want to know why Lucy lied to me."

Monique looked as if she wanted to bolt, but
he held tight to her mount's bridle eliminating that avenue of
escape. Her look of discomfort only increased as he continued to
stare at her, waiting for a response. Refusing to speak, Chalifour
let the silence lengthen, leaving Monique to squirm in the
saddle.

Finally, she said, "Lucy was just trying to
protect Lucien."

"From what?"

A breathless flow of words tumbled from
Monique's lips. "Lucien was hurt badly in the accident. Much more
than she let onto you. She wasn't sure when he was going to
recover, or even if he was going to recover. English society,"
Monique waved her hand in the air to encompass everyone around
them, "particularly members of the ton like ourselves, aren't
accustomed to engaging in that kind of business with a woman. She
was just trying to keep everything from falling apart until Lucien
was able to take care of things himself."

"How incapacitated has he been?"

Monique’s eyes dropped to her hands.

"How incapacitated has he been?" Chalifour
said more forcefully.

Monique looked up at Chalifour and held his
eyes. "He was mostly unconscious when I was there last."

"So how did he sign that contract if he was
mostly unconscious?"

"You'll need to ask Lucy that question."

Frustrated, Chalifour decided to try a
different tack. "Why didn't she tell me he wasn't ready to sign a
contract? Why the big secret? Why not wait until he was
better?"

"After Lord Perdan threatened her and you
showed up ... ," Monique broke off and looked away.

"What do you mean Perdan threatened her?"
People turned to stare at them and Chalifour knew the timbre of his
voice had risen more than he intended. Calming himself, he drew a
deep breath. "I know you and Miss Goodwin are close. I don't expect
you are the type of friend to betray confidences, but something is
not right. There are rumors beginning to circulate about Lucien,
rumors which could compromise him, and me. I need to know what Lucy
Goodwin is up to," he said clearly and distinctly.

"I don't know anything about any allegations,
and I don't believe Lucien would do anything untoward. I just know
she's very worried about money because of some debt to Lord Perdan
and I'm very concerned for her!"

"Why are you so worried about her? It's not
that uncommon for people to have debts."

"Because she has a crazy idea about racing in
the Oaks at Epsom Downs."

"Yes, I've already told you I am aware of.
Which is what I don't understand! If Lucien's been hurt so badly,
how can he race? If he's not hurt, why the deception? Why has Lucy
kept me from speaking with him?" Chalifour allowed his eyes to bore
into Monique.

"No, it's not Lucien who plans on racing in
the Oaks!"

"What? Now I'm completely confused."

"It's Lucy! Lucy is going to race. She has a
crazy idea about racing. She wants to win the purse and pay off the
debt to Lord Perdan. I'm worried because she's never ridden astride
like a man! I'm afraid she's going to get hurt."

"They won't let Lucy race at Epsom Downs!
That's not a woman's race like those races Letty Lade and other
women ride in." Chalifour hoped Monique didn't notice the slip of
tongue and his familiarity in referring to Lucy by her first
name.

"Of course it's not a woman's race. If it
were, I wouldn't be so worried. She's entered as Lucien. After all,
who'll know she's not Lucien? All she has to do is dress like
him."

Chalifour stared at Monique."What are you
talking about? What do you mean who would know?" he said
incredulously. "Anybody with a pair of eyes can see she's not
Lucien." Chalifour didn't need to have ever met Lucien to know Lucy
was all female and could never be confused with a man.

Monique gaped at him as if he were daft and
spoke slowly as if she were just realizing something, "You don't
know, do you?"

"Know what?" This conversation was becoming
irritating.

"Haven't you ever wondered why their names
are so similar?" Monique peered at him.

"No, what the devil does that have to do with
anything?"

"Lucy and Lucien," Monique said slowly,
looking at him meaningfully with raised eyebrows.

Chalifour was supposed to understand
something here, but he was failing miserably. Chalifour shrugged
his shoulders.

When he didn't respond Monique said, "Lucy
and Lucien were twins. They are nearly identical in
appearance."