The Rake's Redemption (24 page)

“In a way that was a great pity Judith, the man deserved your vengeance. But I should hate to see you hang.” Just when she was reassured that he approved of the mission that had taken her to Horsley Hall he had to remind her of the penalty for murder. The man could make any sentiment sound mean spirited. “Had you fired that pistol before? It is a beautiful weapon.”

“It is my father’s. I must thank you for retrieving it. He would be most sorry to lose it.” One minute she was raging at him, the next remembering what she owed him. He could be considerate when he chose.

“What will you tell your father?”

That started a whole other chain of thoughts. Somehow she would have to persuade father that a broken betrothal was a good thing. Then John would have to be told he was to accompany Horsley to St Petersburg. At least there was no need to pretend with him, she owed no consideration to his feelings. The question was whether he would go. Yet what choice did he have, without funds or any position?

“How will John’s debts be settled?” It nearly choked her to ask Thomas when he was being so uncommunicative, but she needed to know. Then Judith realised she was answering a question with a question. “I will explain to father that I did not wish to marry Horsley.” She thought that sounded completely unconvincing. The reason being that it was completely unconvincing. “He will be relieved for me.”

“The first thing he will ask is how John’s debts will be met.” He was tying her in knots, turning her own question back on her without answering it, making it into her fault.

“You should have let me kill Horsley, the debts would have died with him.” Judith knew he wasn’t going to bother to answer her before she’d finished her rant. It seemed quite ridiculous now to think of riding over from Oakenhill with father’s pistol determined to kill her family’s tormentor.

“John would have got himself into another scrape within a year. As long as Oakenhill held value he would think it his right to spend it as he pleased. No thought of cherishing his inheritance.” She should defend her family but Thomas was right. Damn him for it. At least he wasn’t criticising father. “That’s why your father has to sell me Oakenhill.”

Judith nearly let her habit slip from her grasp.” Sell you Oakenhill?”

“I’ll borrow the money from Lord and Lady Guilmor. Enough to pay off John’s debts. But he must understand there will be no more. Your father will live there but I’ll put in a steward I can rely on to manage the place.”

He was watching her closely as he spoke and Judith tried very hard to match his air of detachment. “Oakenhill isn’t worth enough to clear John’s debts.”

“No matter. It’s still a valuable estate and with good management will only accrue in value. I’ll borrow enough to leave John free of Horsley’s money. The Guilmors will make no difficulty about it.”

Judith could feel the bottom sliding out of her world. That Thomas should have all this worked out so neatly beggared belief. He had only just been made aware of her family’s predicament. “How did you come to Horsley Hall just now?”

“Mrs Rogers asked for my help.” He was enjoying this, laughing at her under his breath, she was sure of it.”

“And you charged in?” At least father would be safe, and any steward Thomas chose would be a man of capability. And the Guilmors would lend him any amount. But why would he do it and where did this leave her? All the time she’d spent trying to save the estate.

“I did. Not a moment too soon.” He was enjoying this.

“Then you worked all this out as we rode along?”

“Mmmph. Remarkable isn’t it?” He was so self satisfied she had to puncture that conceit.

“You’ve forgotten one thing.”

The man had mastered provocation in the lift of an eyebrow and he didn’t scruple to show his disbelief. Speech was entirely redundant.

“Jane.”

If she expected him to fall off his horse in shock at her perspicacity Judith was doomed to disappointment. “In what way, Judith?” The tone was one you might employ to a small child and she could feel her gorge rise at his impertinence.

“There’s nothing in your plan” She emphasised the word plan and enjoyed elongating every letter of it. “to keep Jane silent about Charles. Horsley could still use her to cause trouble.”

He just looked quizzical, not worried at all, just mildly amused.

“Well?” She couldn’t help herself but to press for an answer. If Thomas wanted to play silly games and pretend he had it all worked out let him. Then she remembered this was the man who’d manoeuvred Theodore Horsley out of his regiment without too much difficulty. Maybe he did have it all worked out. Perhaps Jane was his key to recovering his inheritance from Charles. The Earl wasn’t likely to leave his precious family line to the care of a son known to have an aversion to women. That was one accusation that could never be levied at Thomas.

“Is that how you intend to get your title back from your brother?” She had a moment of regret after saying it, but Thomas didn’t react with anger. He just smiled.

“That would be clever of me, wouldn’t it Judith? I gain at every turn, the regiment, Oakenhill and Penwick. All masked behind a cloak of sanctity. I can see why you wouldn’t trust me.”

The reason why she wouldn’t trust him was his self assurance that shaded into conceit. That and the fact he’d gone to Spain and left her without a thought. Also his habit of sneaking his brother’s wife off to a frontier village for illicit love making. Fairly good reasons for not trusting someone. If she needed any more reasons there was the fact that Wright had disappeared somewhere along the way whilst they were arguing.

If that wasn’t reminiscent enough of old times she realised that they hadn’t taken the road to Oakenhill. Their route through the woods had brought them to that thicket. It was more overgrown, the shrubs a little thicker now, though they has always been dense. That was why Thomas had chosen the spot. The grass still looked as lush and dense as she remembered, a luxuriant and dark green. Judith’s heart nearly stopped when Thomas reined Swiftsure in. Surely he couldn’t mean to? Now, after what had transpired at Horsley Hall?

“Thomas?”

Her only answer was a smile as he swung down from the saddle then stood with his hands outstretched for her to slide into his arms.

“Thomas, I have no intention of dismounting. This is absurd.” The sunlight caught his face as it had so often before but Judith wasn’t going to be weakened by a handsome smile. All that her time with him had brought her was regret and heartache.

“As you please Judith.” Thomas walked back to Swiftsure but instead of remounting he untied the cloak strapped behind his saddle and carried it over to the thicket. With a flourish he spread it out as a covering on the grass.

Was she a wanton little hussy to feel the desire swim through her body? Their lovemaking here had been achingly tender and perfect. At least for a seventeen year old little fool. There might be nothing she could do to stop the urgency of feeling her desire for him brought to her body but that didn’t mean she had to act on it.

“Is this why you came after me Thomas? You specialise in saving ladies in trouble don’t you? First Jane and now me. Am I to be grateful?”

Judith knew she’d hit home when he stopped flipping out the corners of the cloak to turn and face her. “A little gratitude might not come amiss, Judith. If you can manage that.”

“For exchanging Horsley for you?” She knew she’d gone too far but heaven help her he provoked her.

“I will not force you as he would have done. I would not see that fear on any woman’s face as I saw on yours. And Jane’s.” His sincerity hurt more than any mocking could have. Enough to make her lash out again.

“Then you shouldn’t have taken her there.”

“I didn’t take Jane to Frécada. I would never betray Charles in that way. Though I let him down by not preventing her assignation.”

He couldn’t be allowed to stop there. Judith knew herself consumed with curiosity. “What assignation?”

“A young subaltern of the 13
th
Dragoons. Silly young fool imagined they were in love. He wasn’t the first, Jane attracted them like flies.”

Judith wished now she’d accepted his offer to lift her down from her horse, she was feeling distinctly dizzy in the saddle. This put such a different complexion on things. “What happened to Jane’s young officer, Thomas?”

“She told me he tried to defend her. The French butchered him before they started chasing Jane down the street.”

Judith couldn’t help shuddering at the horror his factual words conjured up. She was feeling very quiet and small now. “I thought you went to Spain to follow Jane.”

“My father told me to go, to look after Charles. He thought Charles too soft for the life of a soldier.” He sounded almost embarrassed to be admitting it to her.

“Then why did he go?”

“Jane wanted the adventure and in those days Charles would have done whatever Jane wished. He tried so hard to keep her good opinion.”

“Your father was harsh to insist you look after him.” Was she too presumptuous in criticising his father?

“Father always had a soft spot for Charles. He had our mother’s look about him.” It was paining him to admit it, she could see that.

“Oh Thomas, I’m sorry.” Sorry for all the thoughts she’d had against him, sorry for doubting him. He was standing in front of her again and this time Judith knew she’d slide down into his arms. Gratefully.

Losing herself in his kisses was inevitable. Inevitable and terribly confusing, her mind was softening and thought came disjointed. “I’ve been foolish, Thomas.”

“Headstrong certainly. In need of target practice before you attempt anything like that again.” Would he never stop teasing and mocking?

“I don’t need target practice. I’ve just never killed anyone before.”

“You haven’t now either. Though I did enjoy hitting Horsley.” His grin inviting her to join his conspiracy was irresistible. “He’ll be no further trouble, Judith so long as he gets his money. No need to worry on that score. Or about Jane. I know too much about her for her to feel able to humiliate Charles. I must ask you to convey that message to her and make sure she understands her ruin will follow any unfortunate rumours about my brother. Will you do that for me, Judith?”

There it was. She was to be left behind again. They would make love now, she could feel his fingers unhooking her skirt and the will wasn’t in her to stop him. Thanks to Horsley it would take Thomas only seconds to strip her of her habit and shirt. The urge for his lovemaking was strong enough in her to damn any consequences. He would leave her to browbeat Jane and explain to father why their home must be sold. Doubtless she could remain at Oakenhill as long as father lived. But they would make love now and that  would have to be enough for her.

“Yes, I will. I love you Thomas.”

19th June 1815, Belgium.

“Please be careful, milady” If Perkinson wittered on one more time she’d be sending him back to the coach. The fields were littered with bodies, red, blue and green uniforms scattered in profusion and there was no way but carefully to pick your course through them. Piteous cries of men who’d spent the night where they’d fallen tore at her ears but Judith wouldn’t let herself be diverted. Not even the whinnies of the horses in their agony were going to turn her from what she had to do, though they upset the silly nag that was all she’d able to find. She didn’t care for herself but holding little Jeremy in his sling on her saddle bow was a sore trial. Every time her beast stumbled her heart leapt in fright.

“If they are anywhere they’ll be behind the ridge.” No British regiment would have bivouacked amidst the worst of the carnage, no matter how tired they’d been at the end of the day. Judith set the hired horse at the slope taking a route that avoided the largest heaps of men and horses even if it meandered drunkenly back and forth across the hillside. After Toulouse she’d promised herself she’d never do this again. Yet here she was not knowing if he were alive or dead.

She should have stayed at home instead of coming to Brussels, but she couldn’t help herself. Even moving back to Oakenhill for the duration of the campaign would have been intolerable. Not that Oakenhill held any fears for her now. With John gone and the estate thriving it was a delight to visit. Thomas had been as good as his word, borrowing enough to pay off John’s debts and invest in improving the estate. Father was undisturbed as nominal master though what he truly thought of selling Oakenhill she never had found out.

The real surprise was Thomas’ choice of steward. The noxious Tomkin would not be missed but Charles Stainford would never have figured in Judith’s list of possible candidates. She couldn’t deny either his commitment or his success, though having sufficient funds to play with made his task far easier than hers had ever been. When Thomas had written to her from Spain to advise his choice, she’d been delighted but doubtful that the tenure of Charles and Jane at Oakenhill would endure.

Yet it had. Perhaps Jane had been stymied by the brothers’ reconciliation and the threat that Thomas would ruin her reputation if she spoke against Charles. Perhaps it was because she was friendless and dependant on Charles. In any event she gave remarkably little trouble. Amara in her waspish way endorsed the couple as a sterling example of spousal devotion though she of all people could surely see past appearances. It just suited her mischief to tease Judith over the benefits of marriage. Till Judith trumped her game with the news of her own marriage to the most eligible of men.

In a few minutes she’d top the crest of this hill and find out if she was still a wife, or had been relegated by yesterday’s events to the black weeds of widowhood. The battalion was easily spotted with its blue regimental colour flapping defiantly. Wherever she was Judith could have spotted that flag from miles away. Terribly, terribly few clustered round it but a ragged cheer greeted her approach. “Three cheers for the Countess lads.”

He ducked out of a tent and her heart leapt. He was alive. Looking exhausted, filthy and ragged, but alive.

“Judith.” Her heart continued its somersaults at the smile that creased his features.

“You’re alive.”

“Last time I looked, yes.” He didn’t seem to mind her accusation, just held out his arms for her to slide down into. She caught little Jeremy up and did just that, to another outbreak of cheering from the men.

“So few, Thomas.”

“It was a hard battle Judith. Touch and go. The French fought like tigers under their little corporal. But we beat them. Wellington has his victory over the Emperor.”

“Thomas no more war, please. I’ve followed you through Spain and France: Vitoria, Sorauren, San Sebastian, Toulouse, now this. I can’t do it any more.”

He nodded, but not hard enough to satisfy her.

“I mean it, Thomas. You are the Earl of Penwick since your father’s death and you have Jeremy’s inheritance to see to. This must be the end of your soldiering.”

“Jeremy will have his inheritance: Penwick thanks to Charles’ courage in bearding my father and Oakenhill thanks to the Guilmors’ money. The Hampton line will still rule at Oakenhill but as your bloodline not John’s.”

“As the Penwick bloodline, Thomas. In our son.” She looked at his strong face with proprietorial pride. “I still can’t believe you worked it all out so quickly that morning.”

Even before he broke into that sly smile of his she knew he wasn’t about to rise to the hook and give away how much he had planned before he took her back to their thicket. “You’ll never know for sure, Judith. Now my dear, sit down with your son in my tent. I have my battalion to see to.”

~