Dangerous Knight by Elizabeth Johns
Chapter Three
By the time Jack cried defeat and took himself off to the Cavalry and Guards’ Club to look through the documents there for the address to the townhouse, then to find the said property, he was in no mood to greet an unknown ward. Why was it that all the houses in the area looked the same? He stayed at the club that night, yet was in no state of mind to enjoy himself. He requested a tray to be sent to his room and a bottle of brandy.
The next morning, though, he was little better rested, having wondered what he was to do with a ward who was apparently old enough and competent enough to have handled his grandmother’s estate for the past three years. Wilson had mentioned that, but it had not fully sunk into his consciousness at the time. He had been too dumbfounded by the news that he could not sell the estate unless he married the ward.
He had a ward!
Please let her be a reasonable chit.
What he really ought to do was read through the papers and become fully acquainted with the situation. How long was this person to be his ward? He could not actually contemplate marrying her, if for no other reason than he refused to allow his grandmother to control him from the grave! Besides, he had never met a female he cared to be shackled to for more than a few hours. At least no unmarried ones. There were a few good ladies who followed the drum, he supposed, but they were a rarity. His life was far too complicated to take on that burden.
The only thing for it was to go to Yorkshire, discover the condition of the estate, hire a competent steward, and settle the ward in some situation that would satisfy them both. He eyed the packet of reports with distaste. He spent a good deal of time writing reports in the army; the last thing he wanted to do was read them. So much for a holiday!
Opening the satchel, he saw that they went back five years. He knew very well the condition the place had been in when he had left, so he began with the latest. He might as well know where things stood now, he mused ruefully. First, he began with the last monthly report, written in a neat, firm hand. There were over fifty pigs and three hundred sheep after the spring lambs; new thatch for ten of the tenant cottages and a drainage ditch installed between two of the farms to help with flooding.
Jack frowned but turned to the ledger. Neat columns of debits and credits swam before his eyes, and at the very end, a positive balance.
Could it be possible?
He went back to the beginning, and for five years past there were hardly any entries. Even to his untrained eye it was clear the old steward had been pocketing any profits. Yet as the years passed, he could see where the ward had taken over and not only improved the estate, but made it profitable.
There was nothing left for it but to go and meet her—after he had breakfasted, of course.
When Jack arrived in the dining room, he was surprised to find Everleigh there.
“That bad at home already?”
Philip cast him a look of disgust. “You have no idea.”
“Actually, I think I can up you one or two,” Jack said as he took a seat across from Philip.
“Shock me,” his friend said as he patted his lips with a napkin and sat back in his chair.
“I have a ward,” Jack said slowly, letting the word sink in.
Philip frowned. “I am glad I was not drinking anything. That is far worse than dealing with overly affectionate parents and siblings,” he conceded. “What are you going to do with her? I assume it is a she, or you would not be so appalled.”
“You surmise correctly.”
“An antidote, is she?”
“How could she be otherwise?”
“You have not met her?” Philip queried in an accusing tone.
“I intend to go there as soon as I have finished eating. I only found out about her last night.”
Everleigh looked skeptical. “Where is this ward of yours?”
“At the townhouse I also inherited. Apparently, she has been nursing my grandmother, which makes her a saint. It seems she has brought the estate out of dun territory as well.”
“If she is old enough to do those things, then why is she your ward?”
“My question precisely, and hopefully soon to be answered. Would you care to come along for the fun?”
“Oh, I would, but only if you agree to dinner and the theater.”
“Fair enough,” Jack agreed. Anything would be better than facing an unknown female alone.
Everleigh was driving his curricle and they rode to the address on Half Moon Street.
“Not a bad thing to inherit,” Philip remarked, looking up at the house as his tiger jumped down and he handed the man the reins.
“I had forgotten about it,” Jack admitted.
“I might have to stay here with you,” Philip went on as they climbed the steps to the neat, white stone house with the cast-iron railing and red door.
Jack stopped in front of said door. “Do I knock? It is my own house.”
Philip twisted his lips thoughtfully. “I would probably knock if I had not been here in years. You do not know what lies behind the door.”
Jack knocked.
The door opened and thankfully the manservant was known to him. “Wethersby?” Jack asked, recognizing the face.
“Master Jack, is it you?” The butler held the door wide open to allow them into the entrance hall, which was narrow with a staircase against one wall that rose to all four stories.
“How do you come to be here?”
Wethersby looked at the floor. “The steward dismissed Mrs. Owens’ household about three years past. A few of us were fortunate enough to find positions here.”
Jack cursed.
“No one blames you, sir. If you don’t mind my saying so. The old lady may have been bound to her bed, but she still…” his voice trailed off as though he thought better of whatever name he was about to call her.
“She was determined enough to make everyone miserable, I am well aware, but I knew how she was and should have stood up to her.”
“Miss Rafferty did, in her own way.”
“My ward?”
“Yes, sir. The old lady would never have given permission, but Miss Rafferty did what she could behind her back, so to speak.”
Jack’s admiration reluctantly grew for this paragon of a ward he had suddenly acquired. Hopefully, he could find a way to break the guardianship without leaving her in a bad situation. “I have seen the miracle she has wrought on the estate books. I have yet to go to Winterbourne, however.”
“The little I know, I have heard from Mrs. Dewey, who is still there.”
“Yes, well… I will thank my ward when I have the chance to meet her. Would you be so kind as to send her down and a pot of coffee thereafter?”
“The coffee is no problem, sir, but I am afraid Miss Rafferty is not here.”
Jack had gone to look through to the back window that led to what looked like a small garden of Eden, but he turned at those words. “When do you expect her back?”
“She did not say, sir.”
Jack flashed a look at Everleigh, who gave a little shrug.
“Very well, send her in when she does return.”
“I do not think you understand, sir. She was here for a week or so, but she packed her belongings and left.”
“And when was this?” All of a sudden, Jack had no patience for his wayward ward regardless of the fact that she had done his work for him. He wanted this matter over and done with as soon as possible.
“Just last evening sir. A grand carriage took her away.”
Jack could not think of anything good that might have come to his ward by leaving in a grand carriage. Had she already found a protector? There was no possibility such a carriage belonged to the Winterbourne estate. He would eat his right toe if he thought there was a single equipage that still functioned in that coach-house.
“That will be all, Wethersby.” The butler withdrew and Jack could only stare at Philip.
“Perhaps she left a note. I would not think she has simply disappeared.”
“I hope you are correct. I did not envision my time here to be spent searching for a missing person I have yet to meet,” he said dryly.
They looked through the other rooms on that floor—a drawing room, a study, and a dining room. Then they went up a flight of stairs to look through four bedrooms, though two were covered in Holland covers. One of the rooms held a lingering scent of rosewater as though Miss Rafferty had just been there. There was no note, however.
They went into another room which was more masculine – the one Jack would select for himself, he supposed. There was a large four-posted bed, a wardrobe, and a small desk, though there was no sign of anyone having been there for some time.
“No letter.” Jack stated the obvious.
“None,” Philip agreed.
“I do not think it necessary to lift the floorboards.” It was what they would have done were they spying. It was hard not to be suspicious of everything in their line of work.
They returned downstairs to the study, where Weatherby had brought up a fresh pot of coffee. They sat and drank and contemplated. It was strange, being in a house that he owned and yet feeling no attachment to it—which was just as well since he would not be there long.
He set down his empty cup. “There is nothing else to do but return to the solicitor for a description of Miss Rafferty.”
“You could hire a Runner,” Phillips suggested.
“If I were the lazy sort.”
Philip raised his brows at that. Jack did not exert extra effort unless required, but he always did what he must.
“Yes, I would love to proclaim to the world that I not only lost my ward, but I do not know what she looks like.”
“It is hardly your fault,” Philip argued.
“But it is. Had I done my duty and returned to England during the past three years, I would not be so ignorant.”
“You are hardly the first, and it does not sound as though your grandmother warranted any such devotion.”
Jack snorted. “No. Rather the opposite.”
Philip set his own cup down and placed his hands on his knees before standing. “Then let us go back to the solicitor. We are two of England’s finest spies; how hard can it be to find a young girl who is very likely not attempting to disguise herself from us?”
“Very true.” How hard could it be?
*
Kate could notbelieve how kind the Mottrams were being to her. By the time she had returned with her belongings, Lady Mottram and her maid had already chosen a dozen or so gowns for Kate. She spent the rest of the evening trying them on and suffering the fabric to be pinned for alterations.
The next day, she was taken shopping for new hats, gloves, slippers and all those things her ladyship thought necessary for a young lady to be outfitted properly.
Now she was dressing for the theater, which was something she had always wished to do, but she had never thought it would be in the grand style, with a prominent family of the Town.
“Lawks, miss, that gown looks a right treat on you!”
“It does look as though it had been intended for me from the beginning. I believe you will have a chance to style my hair like a fine lady after all.”
Simpson smiled and began to do just that.
“Did you know that the son of the house has arrived, miss?”
“I had not heard of his return, no. When was this?”
“A couple of hours ago, miss. He has come back for the victory celebrations.”
“Alas. It is to be quite an event, I hear.”
Maria came through the door at that moment, looking as fresh as a daisy in a pretty gown of jonquil silk with white trimming. Despite her plainness, there was something about her which made her quite beautiful.
“You will put me in the shade!” Maria said, admiring Kate as though she were her own child.
Kate laughed. “Do not be ridiculous. You are a picture of perfection.”
“If I did not love you so, I would be quite jealous,” Maria remarked. “No one will look at me with you nearby.”
“That is not true,” Kate protested. “I have neither your fortune nor your connections, and those are what people really want.”
“If I were given to wagering on such matters, I would bet a great deal that you are wrong. But never mind, we will have a grand time together!”
“Is it true your brother has returned?”
A flash of concern crossed Maria’s face before she masked it. “It is. I shall introduce you when we go downstairs. He is to accompany us tonight.”
Kate could only feel trepidation as Simpson wound a green ribbon through her hair. Of a watered silk, the riband perfectly matched the gown.
Suddenly Kate felt nervous. She may have been taught how to be a lady, but she had not had the opportunity to put it into practice in such a grand fashion. During the last three years she had been a steward and a housekeeper, for goodness’ sake!
“Calm yourself, you will be perfect,” Maria said, as if reading Kate’s mind.
They made their way downstairs and she could hear voices coming from the drawing room. When they entered, there was a handsome soldier in full regimental dress standing with Lady Mottram and another gentleman whom she assumed to be Lord Mottram.
“There you are!” the countess exclaimed. “Oh, Kate, do you come and meet Gabriel.”
Kate had never seen a soldier in full dress regimentals, and it was quite a sight with the bright red jacket adorned with gold trim and ribbons. There certainly was something to be said about a man in uniform, as she had heard many of the girls at school remark. This brother of Maria’s certainly shared her features, yet they were extremely handsome on the man. However, there was something not right about him which Kate could not quite put her finger on. He executed a proper bow and gave her a slight smile that did not reach his eyes.
Was he simply of a taciturn nature or was there something disagreeable about Gabriel? Kate was not certain she wished to know. Her immediate reaction was to move closer to Maria.
“Shall we go? You know I abhor crowds,” Lord Mottram said, trying to usher them out of the door.
“I shall meet you there,” Gabriel remarked.
“Yes, yes, five is a crowd in a carriage,” the countess said, though her tone was disappointed.
Kate would have preferred Lord Mottram to go with the son. They had been all that was kind to her, yet she was still not comfortable with these strangers or the grandeur. It will not be for long, she reminded herself, wishing the soldier she had encountered this evening was her guardian instead of this cold creature.
Briefly, Kate wondered if her guardian would look the same in his regimentals as the young Mottram, but shook away the thought. She actually had no idea how old her distant cousin was, nor anything about his looks. She did not think he could be greatly older than herself, but she had never asked. Mrs. Owens was wont to fly into a tirade whenever he was mentioned.
It was hard not to think the worst of Captain Owens, since he had neither written nor shown his face in three years, but then Kate reminded herself she would not willingly have visited the old woman either. To be fair, he had been fighting for King and country as well.
As Kate and Maria waited for the countess to be helped into the carriage, Kate thought something might be wrong.
“What is it?” she whispered to Maria.
“It is Gabriel. Something seems different.”
So, Kate wasn’t imagining her feelings. “He has been at war,” she pointed out.
“Yes, I suppose that is so. He was always such a pleasant fellow before. I would hate to see that changed.”
Kate could not imagine what war must be like, and how the soldiers must feel on returning home. Would they be glad to be home or would they be wretched, returning to supposed normality after what they had done and seen? It was a deep thought Kate had never pondered before. She determined to make an effort to be kind to Gabriel Lloyd. Then she made a little hiss, chastising herself for such silly thoughts. As if he would want to be chatting with the likes of her!
When the town chariot pulled up in front of the theater, she was surprised to see Major Lloyd waiting to hand them down from the carriage and escort them inside. The crowd was not yet thick and they easily made their way inside. When they reached the Mottram box, Kate was glad of being early, for she stared at the grandness with awe. There were some beautiful buildings in Yorkshire, of course, but London was filled with them. Even she had heard about the theaters in London and teemed with excitement to see a real play. It was equally fascinating to watch as members of the ton began to arrive. Maria was quite entertaining as she pointed everyone out and made some little comment about them.
“Lady Eugenia Tinsley, née Knight, is newly married and secured the biggest catch on the Marriage Mart last Season.”
Kate thought Lady Eugenia was one of the most beautiful creatures she had ever seen.
“Lady Sutton, the old matron with the large turban sprouting several feathers, is an old biddy but someone to be wary of. Her word is gospel in the ton. You would be wise to stay on her good side,” Maria warned.
Kate was quite sure she would not be in the ton long enough for that to matter.
“There is Lord Marsden. It appears Lord Philip has also returned home,” Lady Mottram exclaimed.
Kate and Maria turned and her breath caught while Maria audibly gasped. Two soldiers were sitting in a box directly across from them and it was quite clear all the ladies were taken with the new arrivals. Lorgnettes and quizzing glasses rapidly pointed in that direction and fans beat a rapid tattoo in front of many a face.
Major Lloyd made a noise of disgust, if Kate was not mistaken, and quickly excused himself from their box.
“Who is that?” Kate whispered, trying not to stare at the two men who, even at this distance, exuded an essence of both masculinity and danger.
“The dark one is Lord Philip. I do not know his companion.”
Kate’s eyes were drawn back to the soldiers and her eyes met with the one Maria had referred to as the unknown companion. She shivered unconsciously and barely kept from squirming in her seat.