The Purloined Papers (23 page)

“What changed your mind about staying?”

“Someone ransacked Moorside last night.”  She repeated the tale. “It has to be connected to the trouble at Fields House, though why anyone would think I had the prize, I cannot understand.”

“Obviously he is desperate. It must be more important than I thought.”  Which was a troubling idea. He turned the facts over in his mind, but they made no better sense the second time. “So Laura’s tirade started because her things were disturbed?”

“In part. She blames me for the break-in. If I hadn’t insisted she accept this invitation, we would have been home to deter the intruder.”

He swore. “Has she no sense?  If you’d been there, you might have been burned in your bed like Peter.”

“I know. But I didn’t tell her about Fields House, so she doesn’t understand the danger. Her reaction was unreasonable enough that I resigned. This was the result.”  She stooped to retrieve the pieces of the jewelry casket.

Andrew cursed himself for letting her return to Moorside after Sir Nigel’s funeral. From the moment he’d first seen Laura, his instincts had told him that she was dangerously unstable, but he hadn’t wanted to believe it.

He’d been wrong. Something wasn’t right in Laura’s head, something that went beyond selfishness and self-pity, beyond a yen for adventure and a need for admiration. To put it bluntly, she was mad and might pose a danger to herself and to others.

To distract his mind, he accepted the shards of the casket. It hadn’t actually broken. Age had loosened the pegs joining the corners, which had separated when the box hit the floor. So it could be reassembled.

“The estate carpenter can repair this quite easily,” he said, fitting the pieces together, then restoring the contents.

“Don’t bother. I must leave today.”

“Why?”  He moved to the fireplace so he was out of reach. His fingers were itching to remove her gown so he could explore every inch of her body.

“Now that I’ve resigned, I’ve no reason to stay.”

“Certainly you do. You are a neighbor and a longtime family friend. William will be unhappy if you miss his betrothal ball. And I will be devastated. I’d hoped we could share a waltz.”

Where had those words come from?  He hadn’t intended any such thing, for it would play havoc with his libido. But she could not leave yet. She had nowhere to go.

“It would be scandalous if I danced so soon after Father’s death,” she reminded him.

Disappointment swept over him, so profound that he nearly staggered. “I’ll have my sets anyway. How about the fourth and the sixth?  I’ve already promised the third to Sarah.”

She smiled. “You will have too many other obligations.”

“Never. And don’t tell me I must dance every set,” he added, forestalling further protest. “My leg is too weak. We will talk.”

“Very well. If you are sure William won’t object…”

“He won’t. Henshaw can repair your jewelry box so it doesn’t come apart again.” 

“Thank you.”

“You are welcome.”  He paused. “Did Sally know anything helpful?”

“Not much.”  The change of subject seemed to settle her. “Last month Father paid the arrears in staff salaries and brought local merchant accounts up-to-date. Gramling was relieved, for the chandler had threatened to cut Fields House off. Sally has no idea where the money came from. She saw Father’s journal in the library on Saturday afternoon. Either he hid it, or someone took it afterward.”

Peter or the intruder, he decided.

“After Father’s funeral I collected a folio of animal prints Kevin had bequeathed me,” she continued. “I can’t imagine what anyone would want with them, but we’d better check. Attacking Moorside may have been an effort to retrieve something taken from Fields House.”  She rummaged in her trunk until she found the folio.

Andrew took half the prints to the window. Chloe worked at the dressing table. It took them half an hour to examine every page. The prints were beautifully tinted. But the folio contained nothing else, not even a margin note.

“Take care of these,” he ordered when they finished. “This is a fine set and probably printed in limited quantity, making it valuable. I’m sure Kevin mentioned it once. Grayson could tell you about it. He collects such things. Some of his are quite valuable.”

Ignoring her shock, he picked up the box and excused himself. He could not risk being caught in her bedchamber. The servants would be cleaning this floor soon.

Saturday

Chloe folded her hands and pasted an attentive expression on her face – false, of course. She had little interest in Exeter gossip or the latest London scandals. Nor did she wish to draw attention to herself by participating in the discussion. Now that she was a guest rather than a companion, she felt even more out of place. Her one black gown was frayed and several years out of date. She could not wear her pearls during deep mourning. Lacking jewelry that was more suitable, she remained unadorned. Her hair was scraped back in her usual knot, unlike the curls and waves of the other ladies. Yet she could hardly command Sally’s services during the day. Sally worked for Seabrook Manor at the moment.

The drawing room was full this afternoon with the addition of two dozen neighbors. Many more would attend tonight’s ball. The crowd made her uncomfortable, for it had been years since she’d shared space with so many people.

Miss Truitt laughed at something Miss Sullivan said, drawing a wide grin from her father. He clearly doted on the girl. Chloe suffered a spurt of envy, for she had never found that sort of closeness with her own father.

She already regretted yesterday’s decision to stay at Seabrook. She’d been uncomfortable ever since. Adequate breeding couldn’t overcome two years in service. Never mind that companions usually joined their employers in drawing rooms. Once they quit their post, that last remnant of consequence disappeared. She would never again be a carefree baronet’s daughter.

Carefree?

She nearly snorted.
Carefree
did not describe Sir Nigel’s unwanted daughter. The only carefree hours of her life had been those spent adventuring with Andrew, William, and Kevin. At home she had failed to meet even the minimal expectation of attaching a husband. Then she’d abandoned her class for life as a companion. In the eyes of the world, Chloe Fields was a disgrace.

Lady Rockhurst laughed, pulling Chloe’s attention back to the drawing room.

“It might seem funny now,” admitted Lady Grayson. “But I was not amused to find a snake in the wardrobe, however harmless.”

“You’ll grow used to it,” said Lady Rockhurst. “Nicholas is bound to gift you with all sorts of creatures as he grows older. And once he discovers your love of animals…”

“What was his nurse about to let him scare you so?” demanded Mrs. Truitt.

“Nurse?”  Lady Grayson seemed puzzled. Then she laughed. “Oh, dear. Nicholas wasn’t responsible this time. He’s barely eighteen months old. The snake was a gift from my husband.”

“Gift!”  Martha Truitt gasped.

“Well,
gift
might be too generous. Grayson found it in the conservatory this morning. He put it in a sack, intending to release it in the woods so it wouldn’t return to the house. But when he set the sack down to change his clothes, it escaped. I found it in the wardrobe while changing for tea.”

Chloe smiled. Lord Grayson shared his wife’s interest in natural history, so perhaps the snake incident wasn’t surprising. “At least he didn’t put it there on purpose, as Andrew used to do,” she said, joining the conversation. “Didn’t one of his pranks involve toads and a biscuit tin?”

“Heavens!  I’d forgotten that,” exclaimed Lady Rockhurst.

“What?” demanded Lady Grayson. “No one ever mentioned toads.”

“Not surprising. You were an infant at the time,” said Lady Rockhurst. “Andrew would have been about seven. We had a very strict nurse in those days, who laid down rigid rules. Anyone who broke one was denied biscuits with their afternoon chocolate.”

“Did losing his treat make him angry?” asked Sarah.

“Not exactly. He rarely earned biscuits and claimed not to care. But when Nurse opened the tin one day, two huge toads leaped out, scaring her half to death.”

“She deserved it,” drawled Andrew. “She only found fault with me so she could eat my share.”

His sisters laughed.

Chloe shook her head. “Don’t pretend you were perfect. I know better. Who was it who poured fish heads on Mr. Floyd’s doorstep so he tripped over a flock of gulls when he left for the market?”

“Really?”  Lady Grayson’s eyes widened. “I hadn’t heard that tale, either. It is obvious that I led a very sheltered childhood.”

“At least I didn’t slip tonic into Mrs. Jessup’s tea,” said Andrew smugly. “She suffered dysentery for three days.”

Chloe blushed. “That was not well done, I admit. But she was so very stuffy.”

“Agreed.”  Lady Grayson turned to Andrew. “Thomas must have inherited your love of mischief. The day after you left for the army, Laura’s ribbons turned up in the stable, fluttering from old Willow’s tail.”

“I remember Father telling me about it,” said Lady Rockhurst, who had married Sarah’s father the year before Andrew bought colors. “Thomas thought that pony was the most beautiful creature on earth, so he primped its hair just as Laura primped hers. Father laughed himself blind, though he had to punish Thomas for taking the ribbons without permission.”

Chloe gasped when she spotted Laura in the doorway. The fury blazing behind those blue eyes sent cold shivers down her back. The reminder of that ancient insult had pushed her over a precipice. And there was nothing Chloe could do about it.

Laura cut Chloe dead, then began talking quite loudly to Miss Sullivan. “It’s disgraceful when servants intrude into polite society – especially those who have been turned off without a reference.”

Chloe caught Andrew’s eye, silently pleading with him to do something.

Miss Sullivan tried to escape, but Laura held her in place.

“For heaven’s sake, Laura,” snapped Lady Grayson. “What idiot notion have you spawned now?  Miss Fields has been a family friend for more than twenty years. Her breeding is every bit as good as yours.”

Laura cut her sister as well. “Ignore her,” she commanded Miss Sullivan, pulling her into the center of the room. “Lady Grayson dares put on airs only in the country. London society banished her two years ago for the underhanded way she seduced Grayson away from his fiancée. Protecting a trollop will ruin her completely. Yes, a trollop,” she repeated loudly when Chloe choked. “After finding her lover’s letters, I had to turn her off. Liaisons cannot be tolerated. And to think that I welcomed her into my home!”

The lies left Chloe speechless. She’d known Laura could be vindictive, but she’d never expected this.

“Enough, Laura.”  Andrew barked, moving forward. When Laura whirled to face him, Miss Sullivan fled. “I warned you what would happen if you spread more of your lies.”

She tried to slap him, but he caught her arm.

“Every word you’ve uttered since crossing Seabrook’s threshold has contained untruth. The only fact in this latest claim is that Miss Fields is no longer in your employ. She resigned yesterday when your abuse passed the bounds of sanity.”

“Abuse!”

“Exactly. I followed you yesterday when you raced off in the throes of a tantrum. Thus I saw you storm into her room and destroy her possessions. If I hadn’t caught up with you, I’ve no doubt you would have attacked her person as well. Knowing that your wrath had not run its course, I should have expected you to hatch some new plot against her. We all know that you blame others for your own misdeeds and abandon sense when your temper is running high.”

“How dare you insult—”

“Truth is never an insult.”  He glared until she shut her mouth, then turned to Miss Truitt. “Forgive me for disclosing family scandals before so many, but I have little choice. I warned her that I would reveal the truth if she continued her selfish attacks.”

Martha nodded slightly.

Chloe braced herself. She didn’t know what Andrew intended, but it would not be pleasant. His eyes had turned to green ice.

Laura sneered. “You know nothing of truth.”

“On the contrary. I know far more than I wish about your antics. Shall we start with Kevin Fields, who had to buy colors because you accused him of rape?  Falsely, of course. His only crime was ignoring you, thus pricking your conceit. Your plot killed him, for he was no soldier, but he preferred death to surrendering to blackmail. And he wasn’t your first victim. At least two grooms sacrificed good jobs rather than endure your attempts at seduction.”

“You lie.”

“How easily that charge leaves your lips. It is your response to any fact you dislike.”  He turned to Chloe. “I commend your decision to leave the employ of the person morally responsible for your brother’s death.”

Martha gasped. Mr. Truitt left the room, cutting Laura on his way out. Two ladies followed.

Chloe forced her mouth shut.

“Then there is the truth about those scars you try to hide,” continued Andrew. “You were shot while in the arms of a known scoundrel. Learning that the assignation was your idea should surprise no one, for you’ve never considered virtue a virtue. And you’ve long schemed against anyone beloved by others – which explains your attack on Miss Fields. How it must gall you that people like your former companion better than you.”

“No!  She’s a whore, I tell you!  I saw the letters myself.”

“As have I. Her brother wrote them to her mother while he was at school,” he snapped. “They are all she has left of him.”

“You lie!”

“See?  Another fact you cannot accept. I heard someone refer to you as two-faced not long ago. And it’s true. But at least we can now see both your faces, for the accident peeled back the false façade to reveal the twisted soul within. Too bad I didn’t see it years ago. I should have carried tales to Father the day you arranged for that ladder to collapse, breaking Mary’s leg. Her only crime was to garner a kind word from him the day before. But you could never stand any man noticing another female.”