The Duke's Challenge (14 page)

‘Wait and see,
my love. I have a surprise for you, a pleasant one, I hope.’

Meltham led
them from the drawing-room and, instead of turning right to the breakfast
parlour; took them across the corridor and stopped in front of a room she had
not been in. The two footmen hurried forward to open the double doors. The
butler bowed and stepped aside giving Charlotte a clear view of the chamber.

‘Oh my!
You’ve opened the dining-room for us.’

Jack led her in
and she glanced around in wonder. The long table was covered from end to end in
snowy white damask and a large vase of beautifully arranged late autumn flowers
and russet leaves occupied the centre. Candles stretched its entire length
bathing the room in a golden glow. At the far end two settings were laid, the
crystal sparkling and the ornate silver cutlery reflecting the flickering
light.

‘It looks so
beautiful, thank you so much.’

‘It’s a mirage,
my dear. The candles have been placed down the centre of the table deliberately.
The rest of the room is in a shocking state, I can assure you.’

The meal passed
in a haze. Betty had surpassed herself and managed to produce two courses and
several removes. Jack put himself out to be charming and kept her entertained
with a series of amusing anecdotes about his life on the Peninsula. She had no
need for claret, she was drunk with happiness.

The hour was
late when they parted on the gallery. Charlotte had been anticipating his
goodnight kiss all evening but he disappointed her. ‘I was thinking of having
the gig brought round at nine o’clock tomorrow. Is that too early for you?’

She shook her
head. ‘No, I am an early riser as are the children. I shall be ready in time.
Is there room for all of us and Annie?’

‘I am riding so
that means there will be ample room inside.’

He took her
hands and squeezed them gently. ‘I must bid you goodnight here, sweetheart. I
can’t trust myself not to follow you into your chamber if I come any further.’

‘You are a
reformed character, Jack, if you continue in this way I shall not recognise
you.’

Her oblique
reference to his previous invasions into her chamber didn’t pass unnoticed. ‘In
twenty nights I’ll have the right to enter your chamber and stay there. I can
wait. I count myself a patient man.’

Charlotte’s
chuckle escaped without her permission. ‘If you are a patient man, sir, then I
am the Queen of Sheba.’ Still laughing, she pulled back her hands and ran down
the passage to her room where Mary was waiting to prepare her for bed.

She glowed all
over at the thought of him joining her in her chamber on their wedding night
and exactly what that would entail.

The drive to
Ipswich the next morning was uneventful. Jack’s huge stallion provided plenty
of entertainment for the children as it did its best to tip him off on several
occasions. On the second of these alarms she realized that he was armed. He had
a pistol holstered on either side of his saddle. She was uncertain if she was
reassured by his foresight or perturbed that he believed there was still a danger
of being attacked.

The carriage
slowed to join the queue of other vehicles heading into town. Jack rode
alongside, his horse having finally settled.

‘The lawyers
have an office in Fore Street, I’ve asked Jethro to arrange refreshments for us
all in the Crown at midday.’ He grinned. ‘Is it possible you might have
completed your purchases by then?’

She laughed. ‘I
sincerely hope so. Neither Beth nor Harry
enjoy
shopping overmuch. I might have a rebellion on my hands if I didn’t stop for
luncheon.’

The expedition
was agreed by all concerned to be a success. Just before midday she returned to
the Crown Inn laden with parcels and boxes. These were stacked tidily in the
corner of the private parlour Jethro had bespoken for them.

‘Children,
please don’t eat your barley sugar sticks until after we have had luncheon.’

‘No, Lottie, we
promise.’ Beth took Harry over to the small table by the window where they
could sit and watch the passers-by in the street outside.

‘Annie, I declare
I’m delighted with my purchases. I hadn’t expected Ipswich to have such an
excellent range of emporiums.’ She sighed. ‘We were fortunate that the
seamstress had just had an order returned to her.’

The maid rubbed
her back. ‘Those four gowns will hardly need any alteration to be a perfect
fit, miss. I just hope we have time to complete the sewing of your
undergarments and
nightwear before you are
wed.’

‘We have almost
three weeks which is plenty of time. And I intend to ask Mrs Thomas to loan me
a couple of the new girls to help.’

Harry jumped up
and banged on the window making them both jump. Charlotte opened her mouth to
scold him but saw Jack waving through the glass obviously unbothered by Harry’s
rudeness.

‘Look Lottie,
Cousin Jack has boxes as well, I can hardly see Mr Jethro under all the
parcels.’

‘And Cousin
Jack is carrying two boxes himself,’ Beth announced, her tone expressing her
astonishment that such a top-lofty person as a duke should deign to carry his
own purchases.

Charlotte pulled
the bell strap. If he was here it must be time to have their refreshments
served. Annie moved over to join the children at the small table leaving the
larger one for her employers. Two maids staggered in with trays stacked high
with food. Charlotte surveyed the mountain in dismay. She hated waste.

When the girls
had set out the repast and departed she spoke of her concern. ‘We shall never
consume all this — there’s enough to feed an entire army.’

‘Jethro
obviously didn’t know what we liked so ordered a small amount of everything
they serve.’ He grinned across at the children. ‘Come along, you two, let me
serve you first. I can see you are bursting with curiosity to see that what
there is on our table.’

Annie and her
charges retreated with loaded plates leaving them to converse undisturbed. He
gestured towards the parcels. ‘I see you’ve not wasted your morning, my dear.’

‘Indeed, I have
not.’ She rummaged in her reticule and produced the soft leather pouch he had
given her that morning. ‘I am sorry, but I spent almost half the money. I had
hoped to return far more to you.’

His eyebrows
shot up. ‘Good God! I didn’t expect to see any change. You must be the only
female in creation capable of restraint when shopping for gowns.’

She pushed the
bag across the table but he dropped his hand over hers, restraining her. ‘No,
sweetheart, it’s yours, keep it. I’m certain you will need pin money of your
own. I don’t wish you to be obliged to
come
cap-in-hand to me whenever you have personal needs.’

‘But, are you
sure? I thought we were short of
funds, that
we had to
economise?’

‘We do, but
things are not at such a pass I cannot give you an allowance.’

They ate in
companionable silence until she replaced her cutlery on her plate. ‘I am
replete. I could not eat another morsel. I’m not used to consuming so much in
the middle of the day but the meal was delicious. How did you know this place
served such excellent food?’

‘I have to
admit that I did not. I asked the redoubtable Meltham - he is a fount of all
knowledge - and this is his recommendation and an excellent choice it was too.’
He stood up and strolled across to the children. ‘Well, bantlings, are you
finished?’

‘I’m bursting
out of my breeches,’ Harry announced happily.

Beth, shocked
at his improper comment, interrupted him before he could embarrass her further.
‘That was a lovely luncheon, Cousin Jack, thank you.’

‘Excellent.
Annie, I have something outside with Jethro that might interest these two. And
I think a well supervised run around the yard will help to settle their meal
before we begin our return journey.’

‘What is it? Is
it a surprise?’ Harry asked.

Beth giggled.
‘You’re so stupid, Harry. If we don’t know what it is, of course it’s a
surprise.’

The door closed
behind the children and their argument. The two maidservants completed clearing
the table leaving Jack and Charlotte alone.

‘Charlotte, we
need to talk. I’ve spent an informative hour with the lawyers and wish to share
my information with you.’

‘What have you
discovered? I do hope it’s not bad news, you look so serious.’

He removed a
packet of documents from the inside pocket of his topcoat and handed them to
her. ‘Read these, my dear. I should be interested to hear your views, see if
they coincide with mine.’

She carefully
untied the ribbon and opened the first paper, smoothing it flat with shaking
fingers. There was something amiss, Jack’s expression told her so and she hoped
it was not too shocking. There had been too many unpleasant revelations and
events in the three short weeks she had known him and she did not wish to
experience anymore.

Chapter Fourteen

Charlotte
flicked through each document quickly. She noticed the ones detailing the sale
of the silver and paintings and others relating to essential expenses that had
to be met, debts that had to be paid. They all seemed to be in order. What was
Jack hoping she would discover?

‘Take your
time; I didn’t see anything amiss on my first perusal,’ he informed her
helpfully.

She spread them
out, side-by-side, across the polished table top; perhaps she would see
something when they were viewed like this. She sorted them into a logical order
and began to study them again. The black spidery handwriting was easy to
decipher, her grandfather’s signature clear on each. She studied the dates. The
documents went back over several years, apparently cataloguing a reckless
disregard for economy and the tendency to invest in uncertain enterprises.

She smiled -
she knew what it was. Triumphantly she looked up. ‘These were all written by
the same person and, judging by the clarity of the ink, all at the same time.’

‘Well done! I’m
certain you are correct. These are forgeries.’ He leant over and took her hand.
‘You realize what this means, my dear? Blower and his partner are rogues; they
have been systematically stealing from the estate for years.’

‘My grandfather
was unwell in his declining years and unable to make decisions because of his
mental confusion or so Dr Andrews told me. This would have made it easier for
them; he would not have queried anything they did.’

Jack picked up
one of the most recent papers and studied the signature,
then
he compared it to another earlier document. ‘Then these signatures have been
forged as well. I can detect no difference between the ones done when he was
well and when he was ill.’

Charlotte found
this unpleasant revelation hard to accept. Lawyers were people you trusted with
your money - they should be above suspicion. ‘Perhaps there is some mistake?
Did you confront Mr Blower when you were there?’

He shook his
head. ‘No, I studied them at my leisure in a coffee house nearby. It was only
then I noticed the discrepancies.’

She felt the
band around her chest begin to slacken. ‘Then, I think I have the answer.

Mr
Blower has supplied us with copies of the relevant material, not the originals.
That is why they all look the same.’

He was not
convinced. ‘But why would they all be written at the same time? No, there’s
something underhand going on here, I’m sure of it.’

‘Think. They
knew you would wish to see documentation, proof of the legitimacy of their
transactions. I expect they have had their clerk scribbling away making these
for you, ever since you first contacted them.’ She pushed back her chair.
‘There’s one way to discover the truth. Let’s go back there and ask to see the
originals.’

‘And if they
insist these are they, what then? I’m not taking you into a situation that
could prove unpleasant. I shall return alone, you must wait here with the
children.’

‘Jack, have you
stopped to consider the other side of the matter? What if you charge into the
office accusing them of chicanery and they are innocent? You could be arrested
for slander. Imagine the embarrassment? And the problem of finding another firm
prepared to work with you after that.’

He rubbed his
cheek, his brow creased. ‘Very well,’ he said after a few moments, ‘I
capitulate. We shall go together.’ He sounded so fierce she laughed.

‘We shall stay here
until you’ve recovered your temper. Consider, if they are villains we don’t
wish to alert them to our suspicions or they could abscond with your money
before you have them apprehended.’

‘Charlotte, you
are wise beyond your years and, as always, quite correct. Do you wish to tell
Annie where we’re going?’

His mention of
the nursemaid reminded her of his intriguing comment to the children. ‘What did
you buy them? I hope you purchased nothing extravagant; I don’t wish to see
them spoilt.’

‘I purchased a
terrier puppy for Harry and a pair of tortoiseshell kittens for Beth. Neither
gift was costly I promise you.’

She was
overcome by his thoughtfulness and forgot they were not in the privacy of
Thurston Hall. She flung her arms around him. ‘Oh, thank you,
that’s
the kindest thing. We’ve never been able to keep pets
because mama could not be near one without wheezing dreadfully.’

With
commendable restraint he released her. ‘It was my pleasure, sweetheart.’ He
took her hand and looped it through his arm. ‘We shall go outside and inspect
the new members of the household before we go and see Blower and Thomas.’

Charlotte
declared the puppy adorable and the kittens sweet. The children were perfectly
content to stay in the yard while getting acquainted with their pets.

‘You’ll have to
think of names for them, remember it has
be
something
easy for you to call and for them to remember,’ she told them.

‘I’m calling my
puppy Buttons ’cause that’s what his eyes are like,’ Harry said.

Jack stroked
the little black and white ball rolling around in ecstasy on the seat of the
gig. ‘That’s a perfect choice, Harry. I couldn’t have chosen better myself.’

Glowing with
pride Harry beamed, if Cousin Jack approved, then he was happy.

‘What about
your kittens, Beth?’ Charlotte asked.

‘It’s harder
for me. I don’t know if they’re boys or girls so have to find names that will
do for either.’

‘I’m sure
you’ll think of something special. Now be good whilst we attend to some
business.’

The cobbled
street they had to cross was filthy, its surface liberally strewn with dung.
Charlotte viewed it with dismay. Jack seeing her hesitation swept her up into
his arms and, ignoring the scandalized looks from several passers-by, strode
over and deposited her neatly on the other side.

‘That was
outrageous.’ She fanned her cheeks with her hands. ‘You promised me you would
behave with propriety in future, that vow didn’t last long.’

He was
unrepentant. ‘I’m a soldier; I don’t procrastinate. You didn’t wish to walk in
the
sh
…, the manure, so I carried
you.’ He was highly amused by her annoyance. ‘If you like I shall carry you
back and you can then traverse the road on your own feet.

She almost
stamped her feet in vexation. ‘You are impossible. I don’t wish to stand here
making a spectacle of myself any longer.’ She glared, daring him to return a
flippant answer. He too had become aware they were attracting an unwarranted
amount of attention. ‘The lawyer’s office is situated around the corner no more
than a few minutes from here. Shall we go?’

Reluctantly she
placed her hand on his proffered arm and they completed their walk in silence.
She was too cross to trust herself to say anything civil.

‘I dislike that
bonnet,
Charlotte,
I don’t wish you to wear it again.’

She stopped,
snatching her hand from his arm. ‘It took me two days to line this bonnet with
the pleated silk that matches my gown. It is my very best one and you are the
rudest man I have ever met.’

He had the
effrontery to chuckle. ‘I think it’s a delightful confection, my objection is
to the fact that the large brim obscures your lovely face when I am walking
beside you.’

Somewhat
mollified she replaced her hand. ‘It is the first stare, you know; I copied the
design from a fashion plate in
La Belle
Assemblée
. And it was made to be worn with this ensemble.’

He patted her
gloved hand. ‘Now, the gown I thoroughly approve of, but I preferred it with
the spencer left unbuttoned.’ He prevented her from removing her hand a second
time by placing his own on top. This was the first time either had mentioned
the incident in the inn yard when they had first seen each other.

‘I remember
that you stared at me in an ungentlemanly manner. I was quite unnerved.’

‘Not as much as
I was when I heard you say you were all coming to Thurston Hall. I galloped
home determined to deny you access, to send you packing when you arrived.’ He
caressed her fingers tenderly. ‘I thank God every day that I did not do so.’

She reached out
and brushed his cheek with her freehand. Her impropriety caused a passing
matron to miss her footing and step into the road. In the confusion, as her
maid helped her back onto the path, they were able to slip past and avoid
further embarrassment.

Breathless they
arrived at the steps that led up to the offices they sought. Charlotte’s bonnet
was askew and Jack’s beaver had slipped over his forehead at a rakish angle.

‘We are a
disgrace, my lord. I don’t believe we should be allowed out in public.’ She
straightened her bonnet and retied the ribbons. ‘I do not understand it at all.
I was always a model daughter, never gave my parents a moment’s worry.’ The
mention of her mother sobered her. How could she behaving like a hoyden so soon
after her beloved mama’s demise? She felt her eyes filling and looked down,
hoping to hide her distress. She was not quick enough.

‘Here, little
one, take this.’
A large
cotton square was placed in
her hand and she mopped her eyes. He stood protectively in front, his bulk
effectively screening her.

‘Thank you, I’m
quite recovered. I am not usually such a watering-pot. I promised my mother I
wouldn’t cry for her, but it’s so hard to keep my vow.’

‘It is an
impossible one to keep. You loved your mother; you can’t just pretend she
didn’t exist. I’m sure repressing these feelings is what is causing you to act
so out of character.’

She managed a
watery smile. ‘Do you think so? Then I shall stop worrying about it and try and
get on with my life as I promised.’

He drew her arm
back into his and turned to head up the steps. ‘This is damned odd! The
shutters are closed and the door’s locked.’ He knocked loudly but there was no
answer.

‘I expect they
are away on business, their absence might not be anything sinister.’

‘I shall come
back tomorrow. If they’re not here then, I shall inform the militia and have
them arrested.’

‘I’m certain it
won’t come to that. Everything will be explained to your satisfaction tomorrow.
However, I think we should return to the Crown, the wind has turned chilly and
the carriage has no protection if it rains.’

The traffic was
less dense on their return and they were soon out of town and bowling along the
lane. The clouds had thickened and although barely two o’clock, already dusk
was setting in.

Charlotte was
grateful for the rugs Jethro had provided.

‘There, Harry,
snuggle under this, pull it up to your chin. You will be warm enough then.’

Annie glanced
nervously at the lowering clouds. ‘I don’t like the looks of the weather, miss.
We could be in for a drenching before we get back to Thurston.’

Jack was riding
behind them; the lane at this part was narrow, the high hedges making it
impossible for him to be alongside.

Harry, from his
cocoon of blankets, posed a question Charlotte couldn’t answer. ‘Lottie, what
happens if we meet another coach, we would get
stuck.
Would we have to go backwards?’

‘I have no
idea, Harry, I was wondering about that myself. The hedges are far too high for
Jethro to see ahead and I believe that’s how they normally avoid such
problems.’

‘If you’ll
excuse me for speaking out of turn, Miss Carstairs, this lane is not used much
so I doubt we’ll meet anyone this afternoon,’ Jethro called back.

‘Thank you. I
should imagine backing down this winding lane would be extremely hazardous.’
She shivered. She’d be glad when they’d completed this part of their journey.
It hadn’t seemed nearly so dark and threatening on their passage through a few
hours ago. Things looked different in the sunshine, she decided, this is the
same lane, no more dangerous than before.

She relaxed
onto the squabs, pulling the rug closer around her knees. The weather had
turned from summer to winter overnight. Jack must be freezing on Lucifer; he
had not thought to bring a riding coat with him. She turned round to speak to
him.

‘Are you very
cold? I have a spare rug here you could drape round your shoulders.’ The wind
carried her words away and he urged his horse closer to the rear of the vehicle
and leaned forward over the animal’s ears.

‘Say that
again, I didn’t catch that you said.’ His parade ground voice carried so well
he all but deafened the occupants of the gig. They were laughing when there was
a loud report and a bullet whistled over Jack’s head, missing him by inches.

‘Get down on
the floor. Do it now,’ he roared.

She grabbed
Harry, who was sitting beside her, and gripped Beth’s arm and together they
toppled off the seats and into the well in the centre of the carriage.
Crouching on the floor in a tumble of blankets, her arms around Harry, she
waited for the next explosion.

From her
position she couldn’t see what Jack was doing and the roaring of the wind meant
she couldn’t hear him either. What was the coachman doing? Even the horses were
still, no snorting, no jangling of harness. There was just the sound of the
wind in the branches rustling and creaking. Harry was shaking and she drew him
closer. Then Beth whispered in her ear.

‘Lottie, is it
a highwayman? Will they take the parcels and your purse?’

‘Hush, Beth, we
must be quiet until we know what’s happening.’

*

Jack heard the
report before the bullet passed him and reacted instinctively. He rolled sideways
from his horse pulling out his pistols as he did so. They were primed and
ready, all they needed was cocking. He crept forward, scanning the hedge for
tell-tale movement. From the trajectory of the bullet he knew one assailant was
hidden on the left-hand side but he had to be sure there was no one else on the
right.