The Danbury Scandals (33 page)

‘He knew who
you were?’

‘Yes, he had
made his own enquiries after you told him my name. He thought we had all died
in the Terror, and said if he had known I had survived he would have done his
best to trace me. Far from forgetting me, he said I was often in his thoughts.
I don’t know why I went, perhaps because I was beginning to revise my ill
opinion of him, perhaps because I hoped I would see you again. I wanted to tell
you everything then, but you had gone to Beckford with Mark.’

‘That was when
I decided I could not marry him,’ Maryanne said.

‘My father
talked to me about the family and the estate and how he had not wanted to
inherit the dukedom. He said he would have preferred to remain Viscount Danbury
and Squire of Beckford. He spoke about the villagers and their grievances, and
told me he was afraid Mark would ruin the estate and hurt the people. He also
mentioned his suspicion that Mark had engineered the curricle accident. Those
men had been paid to upset the logs.’

‘Not by you?’
she exclaimed.

‘
Mon Dieu
!
Did you think that?’ He was almost angry again.

‘I heard Lady
Markham say you needed more than luck.’

‘She meant I
needed advice on a good rig and plenty of practice.’

‘Oh, I’ve been
such a fool. Can you ever forgive me?’ she cried.

He kissed her.
‘Does that answer your question?’

She wriggled
comfortably in his arms and he went on, ‘Mark came in while we were talking
and, before I could stop him, my father told him who I was. You can imagine his
reaction. He raved and threatened, and because I had no intention of coming
between them I left. And then, foolish, foolish girl, you decided to take
matters into your own hands...’

‘And my timing,
as always, was terrible.’

‘It was
catastrophic.’

‘You did not
want me with you?’

‘I wanted it
more than anything in the world, my love, but not that way, not fleeing the
country followed by accusation and scandal. Mark believes you know the truth,
that you saw what happened, which is why, when Robert told me of the murder, I
had to take you with me.’

‘Why didn’t you
tell me?’

He smiled
ruefully. ‘I learned in a very hard school not to confide in anyone, however
close they seem. Ever since I was twelve, I have had to solve my own problems,
and it did not come easy after all that time to find I had an accomplice,
willing or unwilling.’

‘I was... am
your willing hostage,’ she said softly.

‘I was never
sure if you came as friend or foe. One day I thought one thing and the next I
was convinced of the opposite.’

‘You are a fine
one,’ she said, scrambling to a sitting position so that she could look down on
him. ‘You expected me to know you were innocent without being told, but you
could not dispel your own doubts about me. Why, in heaven’s name, did you think
I came with you? For a jaunt? I can tell you it has been no jaunt. Curiosity?
Not even I am as curious as that. And why have I stayed? I could have left you
at the inn by the river and gone back with the fishermen. When we were in
Montmartre, I could have gone to the British Embassy for help, and when I saw
Mark in Paris I could have thrown myself on his mercy and told him I had been
held against my will. Even when you sent me home, I stayed. I did it because I
love you. Oh, Adam, can you not see what is under your nose?’

‘A very pretty
little mouth,’ he said, pulling her down and rolling over so that he was above
her. ‘Don’t you know I love you more than life?’

‘You only ever
said it once and it did not stop you from going to war again, did it?’ She ran
her hands over his muscular torso, making desire well up again. ‘I was furious
with you.’

‘I did not want
to go, believe me, but when the Duke heard I was going to Challac he asked me
to send him reports of Napoleon’s movements and I could not refuse him. It was
why I was away from home so much. That last time, when I was gone so long, I
went to Vienna to report in person. His Grace convinced me it was my duty to
re-enlist. He said he still needed an Englishman in a French uniform. Before I
could return and tell you about it, we were ordered to Challac. You can have no
idea of what went through my mind.’

‘I was angry,’
Maryanne said.

‘So was I, but
with myself, not you.’

She lifted her
head to kiss his cheek. ‘What happened after I left?’

‘Nothing, that
is the irony of it. The regiment went over to the Emperor without firing a
shot.’ He smiled wryly. ‘When Napoleon marched on Belgium, my usefulness seemed
over and I deserted, went back to Paris...’

‘And I had
left.’

‘Yes. Now, if
you please, I will have that explanation. Why did you decide to ignore my
instructions?’

‘I didn’t
ignore them, I simply delayed obeying them. We kept hoping,
Maman
and I,
that you would come back. When we finally decided to leave, there was only one
way we could go.’

‘Oh, my
impetuous duchess, when I think of what could have happened...’

She was
thoughtful. ‘Adam, don’t you think we should put that behind us? The
inheritance, I mean.’

‘Is that what
you want?’

‘I... I don’t
know. I simply want to be at peace with everyone. I don’t want to stir up old
enmity, especially as Caroline seems to have changed so much. We could be
friends.’

‘Our quarrel is
not with Caroline, Maryanne.’

‘No, but she
will always be loyal to her brother.’

‘I am also her
brother, my darling.’

‘Half-brother.’

‘So? What would
you have me do? Hide away for the rest of my life? If I do, you will soon tire
of it, I can tell you. We should fight, until one or other of us was completely
subdued and, because I am a strong-willed man, it would be you.
 
I would make you miserable. Is that the home
life you want for our child?’

‘Oh, Adam, I am
so confused.’

‘Then let me
decide what is to be done. I have to go to London.’ He smiled. ‘Robert and
Jeannie are to be married. I have been asked to give the bride away. While I am
there, I will ask his advice.’ He stroked her face gently, kissing her
forehead, murmuring endearments, soothing her. ‘You may go back to Challac and
wait for me there, if you wish.’

‘Oh, no! I will
not be left behind. We go together or not at all.’

‘Very well,’ he
said, cradling her head back into his shoulder and smiling to himself; the last
thing he wanted was to be parted from her again. ‘Go to sleep now,’ he said
softly. ‘All will be well.’

It had been a
long, long day, full of horror and despair, but out of it had come reunion with
Adam and a new understanding. There was no longer any need for her to be mindful
of her responsibility towards
Madame
Saint-Pierre, to be strong and
forceful, to decide which road to take, when to eat, when to take shelter, to
be cheerful when she felt like crying, to pretend she was well when she felt
sick. She could relax. She slept, leaving him to stare up into the darkness,
wide-eyed and awake.

It was ten days
before they were given permission to leave and by that time Richard was judged
well enough to travel. He had to use crutches but was amazingly cheerful and
full of plans for the future. The two couples went together.

England, when
they reached it, was jubilantly celebrating all over again, with bells ringing,
flags and banners flying, music and fairs, but Maryanne was more concerned with
wondering what she would do if they were arrested than with the festivities.
She saw constables round every corner and imagined they were being followed by
the two henchmen Mark had sent after them before.

Once in London,
Richard and Caroline left for their estate in Hampshire, not far from Castle
Cedars, while Adam, Maryanne and
Madame
Saint-Pierre went to Adelphi
Terrace. Robert and Jeannie, who cared not a pin about scandal, made them
welcome, insisting they stay with them.

‘Unless you
plan to take over Wiltshire House,’ Robert laughed as he led them into the
drawing-room they had left so suddenly the year before. ‘Danbury has put it up
for sale.’

‘Oh?’ Adam
raised an eyebrow. ‘Why is he selling?’

Robert gave
orders for a meal to be prepared and beds to be made up, before replying. ‘Gambling
debts. He is on his uppers. He has already sold almost everything of value at
Beckford Hall. The Dowager died last month, so it will not be long before he
begins emptying Castle Cedars of its treasures too.’

‘But he can’t
do that,’
Maman
said. ‘They are not his to dispose of.’

Robert smiled
at Adam. ‘Well, my friend, what do you propose to do about it?’

‘What can I
do?’

‘Come out into
the open. Force his hand.’

‘No,’ Maryanne
said quickly. ‘It is too risky.’

‘Doubts,
Maryanne?’ Adam queried with a half-smile that lifted the scar on his brow.

It was an
expression which meant he would do exactly as he pleased. She wished Robert
would not encourage him, and
Maman
too. In some ways, she wished they
had not returned to England. She wanted her child to be born in her homeland,
but not at the price of Adam’s life. If he were convicted of murder... Oh, if
they could only prove his innocence!

‘No, of course
not,’ she said hastily. ‘But Mark holds all the cards.’

Adam chuckled.
‘But we have just been told what a poor gambler he is.’ He turned to Robert.
‘Tell me, what cards do we hold?’

Robert
shrugged. ‘
Madame
Saint-Pierre can prove who you are.’

‘But we cannot
prove who killed James,’ Maryanne said. ‘Until we can, I think Adam should do
nothing.’

A servant
announced that supper was served, and they went in to the dining-room, and for
a little while the conversation was of other things: their adventures, what had
been happening England, the latest gossip, food prices, anything but the
subject which was most on their minds. Afterwards, the ladies went back to the
drawing-room to talk of weddings and clothes and babies, leaving the two men to
a more serious discussion over port and cigars.

‘You know,
Adam, even without the accusations of murder there was enough gossip about you
before, but to return and do nothing to silence it...’ Robert paused, but Adam
did not interrupt. ‘And you and Maryanne are not the only ones to consider. You
will have an heir one day...’

‘Very soon,’
Adam murmured. ‘The end of October, I am led to believe.’

Robert smiled
and lifted his glass in a toast. ‘Congratulations. But all the more reason to
fight. If you do not, the estate will be broken up, furniture, pictures,
valuable heirlooms all scattered. It is already happening. And it is not just
your family who will suffer, but the estate workers and villagers who depend on
the landowner for a livelihood. Your half-brother has already put up a bill to
enclose the common land at Beckford. When it is done, he will sell at a good profit,
no matter what hardship it causes others. Adam, you have a responsibility to
those people; you cannot let him do it.’

‘And if I am
arrested?’

‘Then I will do
my best to defend you,’ Robert replied.

Adam smiled
wryly. ‘Thank you, my friend. But I am not at all sure I am brave enough to
face my wife’s wrath if I go against her wishes.’

Robert smiled.
‘I am sure you can think of a way round that. You must have done it before.’

Adam threw back
his head and laughed. ‘It will be a battle royal.’

He was right.
Maryanne was adamant; if he insisted on putting his head in a noose, then she
would accompany him, and nothing he could say would dissuade her. Knowing she
was quite capable of riding after him and risking not only her baby’s life but
her own as well, he gave up his intention of riding to Wiltshire and ordered a
post chaise.

‘But you will
stay in the carriage,’ he said, facing her across the breakfast table. ‘I shall
see him alone. I mean to give him the opportunity to retract his accusation. If
he does, I’ll help him to go abroad and stay there. There will be no need to
make the reason for his going public.’

She laughed.
‘One more Danbury scandal is neither here nor there and he will never agree.’

‘We will see,’
he said.

They arrived at
Castle Cedars in the middle of the morning three days later, having spent the
previous night at an inn a few miles short of their destination. The gate was
opened for them by the young son of the gatekeeper, who told them that the Duke
had gone out in his carriage not ten minutes before.

Adam cursed
under his breath. He wanted the confrontation over and done with. It was like
going into battle; the plans had been made, the ground chosen, the dispositions
of the troops set, and all that remained was the order to charge. The waiting
always keyed him up, made his stomach churn, killed his appetite, made him
restless and sharp-tempered, and the only cure was action. As soon as he was in
the thick of it, his nerves disappeared.