A Murderous Masquerade (3 page)

“I’ll travel straight from Caithwell Brook to Ormond. Where’s Craddock? I’ll need him to pack.”

Mrs. Mingle hurried to the door.

“Sit yourself down and eat. I’ll sort everything else.” She bustled from the room as Giles moved back to his desk and picked up the letter once more.

His heart began to pound in his chest. He had never been that close to his uncle or cousins due to his own father falling out with his brother many years previously. After his father passed away he’d visited them on occasions when he’d been passing just to keep up a link with their relationship, but he had never considered that he could come into the title. His cousin John had been so robust even with his father’s meagre provisions.

There was no note as to how John had met his own demise, but it had to have been something quite sudden. The man had been in good health when they had last met. Giles tried to recall when that had been but his memory appeared to be failing him. Perhaps it had been more years than he recalled. It had to have been on a short leave from the war. He seemed to recall Charlotte admiring his uniform.

She had been so young, maybe nine or ten, a long legged, blonde bundle of effervescence who wore him out with her chatter. John had been nearly grown. Already as tall as Giles himself and very broad at the shoulder. The young man had drunk a whole bottle of port at the dinner table and Giles had been amazed when he had stood up and walked from the room without a hint of a wobble in his stride.

He folded a slice of ham into a crusty roll and chewed slowly as he re-read the letter once more.
Good grief!
If the letter was telling him the truth, he would now be Lord Caithwell. He wiped his hand across his brow and ran his fingers through his hair as the implications of his sudden rise in status filled his mind. He’d never even considered what it could mean. A title had been so far out of his reach that there was no reason that it should ever cross his mind. Maybe Anne’s family would be able to see over their resentment of his common status and accept him for her husband.

His hand fisted as he brought it down onto the desk. He knew that he was fooling himself. An unexpectedly acquired title and crumbling estate wouldn’t be good enough for the likes of Lavenham. He puffed out a deep sigh. If Caithwell was in the same state as it had been at his last visit, this title wasn’t anything to celebrate. The place had needed a fortune spent on it even then. One wing had leaky roofs, the other rotten window frames and part of the servants’ quarters had been unliveable for years, not that his uncle had employed many staff. He preferred that Charlotte did as much as she could, relying on the child to organize the household even at that tender age.

John had only been interested in his father’s stables. Giles recalled the fabulous hunters that his uncle had ridden and wondered if any were still at the manor. The stables had been his uncle’s one indulgence and the horses were housed in far greater comfort than the occupants of the hall.

There was a knock at the door and Callum strode in.

“All ready for you, Sir. Craddock just brought down your trunks and I’ve already loaded them. I take it that you will want me to drive.” The young man looked ridiculously hopeful and Giles didn’t disappoint him.

“You know the way to Caithwell Brook? It’s several hours away.”

Callum gave a huge and delighted grin.

“Aye! We will be there by sun up if you can sleep in the carriage, lunchtime if you want to stop over at Bigman’s Hollow.”

Craddock appeared behind Giles.

“I’ll not stay in that flea infested excuse of an inn. Better to sleep in the carriage than risk the bed bugs and lice in that place.” Craddock’s horrified expression had Giles wanting to scratch his head. He resisted the urge.

“I think we’ll press on through the night if you think you are up to it. I have to get there as soon as possible, but I don’t want you to exhaust yourself or the horses.”

“Trouble?” Callum's concerned eyes searched his master’s face.

“I don’t know yet. Something has cropped up that I certainly need to investigate. We’ll be returning via Ormond in three days time. I’ve promised to escort Lady Anne to the masquerade ball and I cannot let her down.”

Craddock lifted a brow.

“You hadn’t given me direction for your costume, Sir. I understood that you and Lady Anne were to be wearing corresponding outfits.”

Giles shook his head.

“I haven’t been able to discuss it with Lady Anne and unfortunately I don’t have time now. I’ll just wear my black suit and a mask. I’ll send word from Caithwell to Evenleigh to let Lady Anne know my change of plan.” For the merest instant he wondered if he should bother, but dismissed the thought just as quickly. He was behaving like a lovesick youth. He shouldn’t have let his temper get the better of him. He had played right into Lavenham’s hands by storming off and leaving the way open for any of the man’s other cronies. The thought burned in his gut. “I have a slight change of plan. I must leave a message for Lady Anne tonight. We’ll detour and take in Evenleigh on our way. If we take Pegasus with us I can leave him there and ask Geoffrey to collect him before the ball. It will only delay us by an hour or two at the most.”

Callum beamed.

“Good plan. It’s not a good idea to leave a Lady guessing your intentions. They have a stubborn streak that makes them likely to do something stupid...like marry the wrong man.” He raised his eyebrows significantly.

Giles glowered at the man.

“And how come you are so much of an expert on the fairer sex and what they are likely to do. You’re barely out of your nursing strings!”

Callum laughed.

“You wish that I was! While you’ve been romancing your fair lady for the last couple of years, I’ve been doing lot of hanging around in the Bear and Dragon. It’s astonishing what men reveal while in their cups. Half the men there sit around lamenting the fact that their favoured bride escaped them through their own stupidity. I could tell you a tale or two.”

Giles smiled fondly as he remembered three hazy days with his newly married and very drunk friend, Alexander. At various points during their mammoth drinking session, Alexander had convinced Giles that his new and very beautiful young wife was either a mermaid, a donkey in disguise, a banshee from Ireland or a Medusa, where in actuality all the poor young woman had wrong with her was a speech impediment brought on by being profoundly deaf. At least Alexander hadn’t been stupid enough to let Lily escape him. After a shaky start the man was now blissfully happy with his delightful bride.

Giles knew that he couldn’t let Anne escape either. He had to see her and convince her to marry him as soon as possible. Letting Lavenham parade all his eligible friends in front of the poor woman was asking for trouble. Although Anne was strong minded and fiercely independent, with both her brother and her father chipping at her resolve, there was just the chance that she might give in. His stomach went cold at the thought and he stepped up into his carriage. Craddock looked in at the door and Giles beckoned his valet inside.

A few seconds later Callum clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth and the horses lurched forwards. Dusk soon caught up with them and it was full dark by the time they pulled into the gates of Evenleigh. Giles jumped down from the carriage and strode towards the door but it opened just as he reached it and Whittaker welcomed him in.

“My mistress is in the library. She will be pleased to see you.”

Giles nodded quickly and strode through the hall. He gave a brief knock and walked in.

Anne sat in the fireside chair, a slim book in her lap. Giles pretended not to notice as she shut the book and slid it down the side of the chair. He came forwards as she stood up and stared at him with wide eyes.

“Anne, I am so sorry for my appalling behaviour this afternoon. I should have never walked out on you like that. Can you ever forgive me?” He didn’t care that his voice sounded so unlike his own.

Her green eyes misted in the lamp light before they cleared and glistened hopefully.

“I thought you might have gone for good. I couldn’t believe you left me here at their mercy. I’ve put up with nothing but listening to their plans for me since. It appears that I am to be married before autumn. Father says that I must pick a man of his choosing to lessen the scandal of being associated with my husband, Phillip.”

Giles took her hands in his. He rubbed the backs of them with his thumbs as he pulled her closer.

“There is no scandal to being associated with Phillip and no one is going to marry you but me, and that will be at a time of our choosing, not your father’s.” He gathered the trembling woman in his arms, more than relieved that she melted against his chest. He brushed his fingers gently over her hair before lifting her face so that she looked up at him. “Anne, there is much I have to tell you, but a family crisis has arisen and I need to go to my uncle’s estate immediately. I’ll not be able to see you again before the ball at Ormond. Do you think that you will be able to hold out against your father and brother for another few days? That is all I ask. Do not give into them before then.”

She breathed into the skin above his cravat and let out a small laugh.

“For your treatment of me earlier today I should tell you that I’m marrying the first eligible lord who asks me.” She cupped his stricken face and leaned up to brush her lips against his. “But I won’t. Don’t worry, my love. I’ll hold my own for a few days longer.”

Giles held her close and breathed into her lush curls.

“You will marry me then? This isn’t the proposal I had hoped to make, but I want to announce our betrothal to the world at the masquerade ball. I want everyone to know that you are mine forever.”

Anne kissed his lips again.

“Yes, my love. I’ll marry you. I am yours forever.”

Giles let out a groan of relief and scooped her into his arms. He twirled her around before setting her down again and taking a resolute step back.

“I want to stay, but I have pressing matters to sort out. I’ll be at Ormond in three days. We can announce our betrothal at the ball and be married as soon as you want after. Set the day Anne. I don’t want to wait any longer.” He turned to the door and was about to go out when it opened and Lavenham stood on the threshold.

“What are you doing back here, alone with my daughter again? We thought we’d seen the last of you. Lady Anne needs a far better man than the likes of you. Leave while your dignity is still intact.” He pointed an imperious finger towards the door.

Anne gasped in fury, slapped the offending digit down and was about to speak when Giles held up a hand to stop her. He stood up to his tallest which was several inches above the Earl of Lavenham’s balding head and looked down his nose at the annoying man.

“I am taking my leave of your daughter, but not due to any threat that you or your son could make.” He bowed to Anne. “My Lady, I will see you again at Ormond.”

Anne gave him a secret smile before he strode towards the front door and marched out into the night.

His boots crunched on the gravel drive and he gave Callum a light, celebratory punch on the shoulder as the young man doffed his cap and laughed delightedly into the evening air as he stood at the carriage door.

Giles bounded up the steps and Callum folded them inside as soon as Giles was seated. He glanced at his grinning valet and then out of the window, but the front door of Evenleigh was already firmly closed. He didn’t care. She could hold her own for three days. He leaned back in his seat as a huge smile spread across his lips. She was his at last and he was officially the happiest man alive.

Chapter Three

Even in the early morning light Giles could see the tussocks of grass that dotted the centre of the long drive up to the manor house. Caithwell’s outward appearance was belying its good name.

He yawned and stretched his legs in the cramped space. Craddock grunted and opened a bleary eye. He looked out of the window just as the house came into sight and blinked rapidly.

“Good God! What on earth has happened to the place? It looks like the whole of the west wing is collapsing.”

Giles was about to groan loudly when a streak of white came galloping across the front lawn. The young boy riding the horse looked across at the carriage and pulled his mount into a sharp stop. The horse snorted at his interrupted run and began to rear up but the boy held on and calmed the animal quickly. The pair stared as the carriage came nearer.

Callum pulled to a stop in the weed ridden forecourt. He jumped down from his seat and opened the carriage door as the horse and rider walked slowly up to them. The boy slid from the animal and stood staring curiously as Giles stepped down the steps.

He had no time to take in the rundown frontage of the property. All the wind was knocked out of him as he was suddenly engulfed in a pair of squirming arms and legs. The boy’s cap fell to the ground and a cascade of blonde curls tumbled down as a girlish voice squealed out his name.

“Giles! I couldn’t wait for you to arrive. Cook threatened me with the workhouse if someone didn’t show up soon. I told her that you would be here as soon as you had the news, but I couldn’t travel to fetch you by myself. I had to wait for that stuffy old solicitor to send you official word. It’s been so grim waiting for you.”

Giles leaned his head back and stared down at the long haired ragamuffin whose arms were still clasped around his neck.

“Charlotte? Good heavens, girl. What on earth has been going on, and what on earth are you doing riding around in flat caps and breeches?” His surprised tone did nothing to stop the young girl’s enthusiasm.

“Oh, don’t you go all pompous on me too. Someone has to exercise the horses and since John is no longer here to do it then it falls to me. I think I do the job a lot better though. Lightning is looking magnificent, don’t you agree?”

Giles unwound the girl’s arms and dropped her to the ground in front of him. He glanced at the fabulous horse that stood staring down at the pair of them.

“He is certainly one of the most beautiful specimens I have come across. Is he part of your father’s breeding programme?”

Charlotte shook her head as her expression became sad.

“There isn’t one any longer. Father gave up all his interest when John died.” She sighed as she took in Giles’ confused expression. “Come on inside. I’ll just take Lightning back to the stable and then I’ll join you. I expect that we have much to discuss.”

Callum stepped forwards.

“It would be a pleasure to take the beast for you ma’am. I need to settle our own horses for a while as we have driven through the night.”

Giles nodded in agreement and Charlotte acquiesced with a small smile.

“You had best come straight in afterwards. There’s no one in the stables to offer you any refreshment. Come up to the house. I’ll see what rooms cook and I can manage to make liveable for your stay.” She turned towards the front door and pulled a key from her breeches pocket.

Giles narrowed his eyes. Was she telling him that there wasn’t even a man about the place to see to visitors? He glanced about again and realized that there was probably no need. It was quite clear that no one had come visiting for a very long while. A chill crept into his heart. The house, which had looked almost derelict before, had gone to ruin since his last visit. He only hoped that his uncle had some hidden reserves that would pay for repairs, though, if he had any, he couldn’t imagine why the man hadn’t spent the money himself.

Craddock followed them up the crumbling steps, hauling a trunk with Callum. Charlotte opened the creaking front door and they deposited it inside before fetching the second. A thin, grey haired woman bustled into the hall. She wiped her bony hands down a grubby apron.

“At last! Thank the Lord for small mercies!” She exclaimed loudly as she looked Giles up and down. “Maybe we will see some sense about this place now. The last ten years ‘ave been bad, but the last year ‘as been worse than ever. It was the Master’s fault, ‘im leaving that son of ‘is to run the place. Would have been better to leave it to the girl rather than that great fool, beggin’ your pardon for talking about your brother like that, Miss Charlotte, but it’s no more ‘un the truth.” She bobbed a rough curtsey at Giles. “I’ll go and see if I can stretch the haunch of pork to three more places. Was going to save a slice for tomorrow’s dinner but we’ll have to fetch in from the village. I hope that you can see your way to payin’ for the extra expense, Sir. We haven’t seen hide or hair of a coin since the Master passed on.”

Giles raised an eyebrow at Charlotte who studied a broken nail with great interest.

“Mrs...?” Giles stopped short and the woman broke in.

“Downham, but you can call me Cook.”

“Well, Cook. Would it be possible to find something to drink? Some tea perhaps? And if you have any bread or cakes I’m sure that we will survive until supplies can be replenished.” He thought of the small purse of coin that he carried in his pocket. It certainly wouldn’t cover anything like all the immediate needs of the household but it would cover a decent amount of food. He almost wished he had brought along one of the sides of pork that he had hanging in his own larder. “Charlotte is there somewhere comfortable that we might talk. I’m afraid that the solicitor’s letter has confused me somewhat. I had no idea that John had even passed away. I offer you my sincerest condolences.” He gave a small bow but Charlotte strode to his side and linked her arm through his.

“We can sit in the library and I will tell you all. It faces east and the sun will be warm in there now. The rest of the house is full of drafts even during the summer.” She began pulling him towards a closed door before she stopped suddenly. She turned back to Craddock who looked slightly bemused as stood at the bottom of the stairs. “Third door on the right upstairs. It’s basic but I keep it aired. There is a small room adjoining if you would like to use that one and the room next door could be cleaned for your man without too much ado.”

Craddock smiled at the young woman and nodded as he made for the stairs.

Giles opened the door of the library and waited until Charlotte had seated herself before he spoke.

“You had best tell me everything from the beginning. I am feeling rather ashamed that I haven’t been in touch for some time. I can barely remember my last visit.”

Charlotte laughed.

“I drove you mad with my chattering and father sent me to bed so that I couldn’t bore you to death over dinner. I think I was about ten at the time.”

“And how old are you now?” Giles looked at the young woman’s flawless skin and shining eyes. She couldn’t possibly be older than sixteen but he was long past guessing the age of young women.

“I’ll be eighteen at Christmas, not that it matters seeing that I have no money for a coming out. Not that I want a coming out at all. I never have you know, I don’t like the sound of all that preening in front of the King and all his courtiers.” She spoke brightly without a note of regret in her tone.

Giles laughed at her. His young cousin was exactly as he remembered her. Young and exuberant. She was a complete delight.

“I never fancied that world myself though I understood that most young ladies enjoyed it.”

Charlotte shook her head and lifted her dainty chin.

“Not this one. I have no use for it what-so-ever. As soon as I am able to resurrect the breeding stables I’ll be an independent woman.”

Giles looked about the shabby room. The arms on the chairs were worn, the rug had threadbare holes and the curtains looked thin on the edges. Though the room was free from dust to about his head height the upper shelves of books were covered in a layer of greying dirt.

“Do you have any money to resurrect the stables?” Giles asked doubtfully.

Charlotte looked momentarily confused.

“I thought you would bring money. I assumed that father had left everything to you.” She shot up from the chair. “Don’t tell me that you’re a miser like the rest of them.” She was about to bolt for the door when it opened and Mrs. Downham came in with a tray of tea and what looked like a plate of scones with a small pat of butter and a dish of jam.

Charlotte eyed the platter and for a moment looked as though she might still stalk out but her stomach suddenly growled. She heaved a great sigh and plopped back into her chair.

Giles motioned for her to eat and he began buttering a scone for himself as Mrs. Downham poured the very weak looking tea. As soon as the woman had left the room Giles spoke up again.

“As of this moment all I know is that I am now the title holder and owner of Caithwell. I know nothing of any money or even if there is any. I sincerely hope that there is some because my own estate barely holds its own as it is. I have no reserves to put into a place of this nature. Did your father do nothing for the upkeep? What about the lands? The rents and incomes from tenants must have brought in something, surely?”

Charlotte brushed crumbs from her lips.

“What John didn’t drink, he gambled. I only kept Lightning by hiding him in a long forgotten barn in the lower wood. Father had kept John in check until a few years ago when he had a seizure and took to his bed. After that, there was nothing I could do to stop John. He lost his prize mount and one of our best breeders, Dancer in a round of cards. He died the same night after falling from a horse he had borrowed at the inn. The inn keeper told me that he was so far gone in his cups that he was surprised he could even mount the thing. He broke his neck trying to jump the wall at Stoney Brook. Father was inconsolable at the news. He seemed to go even further downhill. Nothing would cheer him or even make him smile. It was all I could do to keep him eating but in the end I failed at that. He began refusing all food about a month ago. When Doctor Michaels tried to force feed him it all came back up and left father in an even worse state. He died three weeks ago. Doctor Michaels helped me with the funeral. It was just as well that we have our own plot here or father would have gone into a pauper’s grave. I had no money to pay for anything.” She brushed a tear from the corner of her eye and Giles fished in his pocket before passing his handkerchief to his cousin.

“I am sorry that I wasn’t aware you were in such distress. I had no idea of the circumstances that you were enduring. I would have come earlier if you had sent word.”

She shook her head.

“I couldn’t leave father. He wouldn’t have Mrs. Downham near him even though she was the only staff who stayed with me. I’ve been here alone since John lost us everything but the house, and I feel lucky that he hadn’t gambled that away.”

Giles snorted.

“He couldn’t. It’s an entailed estate. Even if he’d gambled it he couldn’t have honoured the bet.” He pressed his fingers to his brow and took in a long breath before he spoke again. “You do understand what this means for us? I suppose that I am now your official guardian until the age of your majority. You are my ward and it’s now my responsibility to look after you.”

Charlotte gave a grim laugh.

“I don’t need looking after. I just need some money to bring the stables back up.”

Giles held up his hand.

“It’s not as easy as that, I can assure you. You can’t possibly go on living here on your own with the place in this condition and I can’t give up my own estate to bring this one to order.”

Charlotte gave him a horrified glare.

“I’m not leaving my home and my dreams and coming to live with you, if that’s what you are thinking. I want to be an independent woman with my own income. If I can breed from Lightning...” The enthusiasm died as she watched Giles’ expression. “You’re not going to let me?” Her bottom lip trembled.

Giles shook his head and put on his most serious frown.

“Not this week. I have rather a lot of pressing engagements, including going to a masquerade ball and getting married, but afterwards we shall see what we can do.” He laughed as Charlotte squealed in delight and threw herself into his arms again.

She punched his shoulder playfully as he set her in the chair again.

“You are a rotten tease cousin! A ball? Where? And who are you marrying? Will I like her? Does she ride? What will happen if she doesn’t like me? Will you send me away? John threatened to once, you know. I hid in my room for three days afterwards.”

Giles leaned forward and pressed his finger to her mouth.

“I’m not surprised at his threat. Your questions are enough to send anyone to the mad house. Let me answer one or two for you before you think of any others. We will be attending a masquerade at Ormond where I am to announce my betrothal to Lady Anne, sister in law to the Duke. I have a special license and hope to be married to her by the end of the week. She’s a widow, older than you but young still and very beautiful. I love her deeply, have done since the day I set eyes on her, and you will adore her too. She rides like a demon and has her own fabulous stables. The Duke, his wife Lily, Anne and I have already set up a breeding programme and hopefully you and Lightning can be part of that, so no, I won’t be sending you away even if you do drive me mad.”