Ice Angel (17 page)

He stood up, dragged both hands through his hair and gave a deep sigh. ‘You are right, ma’am. I was angry that Isabella could not trust me, but I should have known better – I have seen how fragile she still is. But where do I begin to search for her?’

There was a tap at the door and Julia entered, looking pale and wan but with a glint of determination in her dark eyes.

‘I’m sorry to interrupt, but I wanted to know if you have sent the note to Freddy, Mama?’

‘It was dispatched a short time ago.’

‘Good, because nothing is going to stop me resolving our differences today.’ Julia then eyed her brother thoughtfully before asking about Isabella.

Having explained and listened to his sister’s scathing opinion of Lady Portland, Hal continued, ‘I need your help, Julia. Can you think of anything – a word, a phrase or passing reference which may give us any clue to Isabella’s destination?’

‘The first time we called in Curzon Street, Isabella remarked on their new house in the country, but I cannot recall the name.’

Hal’s dark brows were drawn together in concentration. ‘The house was called Haystacks.’

‘But that doesn’t help much,’ said Lady Bramwell. ‘It could be anywhere in the country.’

‘Dominic told me that his Great Uncle James had left the house to his mother and it was near the coast,’ said Julia.

‘At such short notice, Isabella must have gone to her own property,’ said Hal. ‘Now we know that the property is called Haystacks, it was left to her by a relative and is near the coast, but it is still not enough information to find her.’

There was another knock at the door and Jennings entered. ‘This package was delivered by Lady Vane’s footman, my lord.’

Hal took it and, when the butler had left, tore off the
wrapping
.

‘What is it?’ asked Julia eagerly.

Disappointment was clear in Hal’s voice as he replied, ‘Only a brief note from Isabella, explaining that these are the items she had purchased for Sarah and that her agent will contact me regarding payment towards Sarah’s education. There is nothing else.’

‘So Isabella kept to her word, despite her anguish,’ murmured Marguerite.

Hal put the clothes aside and stared at the note in his hand as if it were his last remaining link with Isabella.

‘Hal, I have been thinking,’ mused Lady Bramwell, ‘you mentioned that Isabella’s house was called Haystacks and it was not far from the coast. This may not be connected, but Lady Pargeter told me about an elderly gentleman whose estate in Sussex ran parallel with her own property there. He was
something
of a recluse and there was surprise locally when it emerged that he had left his property to a female relative. Lady Pargeter told me that the relative was a young widow with a small son who lived in Yorkshire with her aunt.’

‘So you think the relative could be Isabella?’ asked Julia.

‘It is possible,’ replied her mother. ‘I had not made the connection until a moment ago – Lady Pargeter said the house was not large and had fallen into disrepair, but I distinctly recall it was called Haystacks and it was five miles from the coast, near the village of Swanborough, just outside Lewes.’

‘It must be the place,’ said Hal. ‘There are too many
coincidences
.’

The door opened and Theo poked his head into the room. ‘So this is where you’re all hiding – I have some news.’

‘Come in, Theo,’ said Lady Bramwell.

He did so, observing, ‘Some very odd things are happening this morning. I didn’t think it was worth going to bed at five o’clock, so I went for a ride along Rotten Row and what should I see during my journey home? A coach and four trundling out of Curzon Street with, of all things, a parrot in a cage strapped to the back.’

‘A parrot,’ echoed Hal and Julia in unison.

‘A parrot, I tell you,’ said Theo, nodding. ‘Strangest thing I ever saw! For a moment, I thought I must have drunk too deep myself last night.’ He grinned suddenly. ‘Surprised the creature didn’t wake the whole of Mayfair: I could hear it repeating “bacon-brained gudgeon” from the other end of the street!’

Lady Marguerite, Hal and Julia looked at each other,
apprehension
dawning as to the significance of what Theo had seen.

‘It appears you have unwittingly observed Lady Vane’s
departure
from London. You see, Dominic numbers a parrot called Jemima among his menagerie,’ explained Hal.

‘A-ha, does he indeed?’ said Theo, glad to have this mystery solved. ‘Then it must have been Lady Vane’s carriage. Didn’t know she was planning to leave London, mind you. However, there’s something else: a rider was accompanying this carriage – a gentleman, tall figure on a big brute of a chestnut horse. He was too far away for me to see him clearly, but both he and the horse looked familiar and I have only just realized who it was – Freddy!’

‘
Freddy!
’ cried Julia. ‘Freddy has accompanied Isabella! Oh, all this is my fault! Our stupid quarrel has driven him into the arms of another woman and I cannot bear it.’

‘Julia, do not be so dramatic,’ said her mother reprovingly. ‘Freddy is besotted with you. Most likely he has gone with Isabella because he offered his assistance, although how he discovered what her plans were, I cannot imagine.’

‘Jennings told us that Freddy left shortly after Isabella. If Freddy encountered Isabella and her distress was evident, he would offer to help,’ said Hal.

‘Well, I suppose that must be it,’ said Theo, ‘but when I advised Freddy to stay away from Julia last night to help his cause, I hardly thought he would take my advice to the extreme and quit London at dawn. I expected him to be here this morning so you could throw yourself on to his chest with relief, Julia. Trust Freddy to get a maggot into his head and go too far!’

By the time Theo had finished this enlightening speech, a hush had fallen over the rest of the assembled company. Julia, rising from her chair, broke it by saying in an ominous tone, ‘What did you say?’

Puzzled, Theo asked, ‘Which part, Ju?’

‘About your advice to Freddy. Did I hear correctly? You advised him to stay away from me last night?’

‘Oh, that! Er – yes, I suppose I did,’ began Theo hurriedly, observing Julia’s rising temper and narrowed eyes, ‘but only because I thought it might help matters. Now, there’s no call for you to look daggers at me, Ju – I was trying to help.’

‘Help!’ she retorted in disdain, her fingers closing around the Sévres china figure on the nearby table.

‘Julia! Put that thing down … damn it all, there’s no reason for you to get so annoyed,’ pleaded Theo, eyeing her nervously.

‘I could murder you right now, Theo,’ she muttered and, with alarming accuracy, she threw the figure at Theo, who moved just in time for the Sévres to smash against the wall.

‘Well, of all the ungrateful—’ declared Theo.

‘That is enough,’ said Lady Bramwell. ‘You are worse than when you were children. Theo, what possessed you to interfere and offer Freddy such advice? It was badly done, and I will be interested to hear your reasoning and your apology later. For now, let us try to be more constructive. Hal, what are your plans?’

Hal, who despite being abstracted had watched the preceding scene with some amusement, replied, ‘I intend to go to Lewes. I don’t want to wait until Freddy returns to discover where Isabella is, and it seems the best chance to find her quickly. I’ll travel on horseback – I have suitable horses posted along the London to Brighton route and, although I won’t overtake them, I should arrive by evening.’

‘That seems the best course of action,’ agreed his mother.

‘Well, I’m not staying here for the whole day without speaking to Freddy,’ said Julia bluntly. ‘Theo, you must take me to Lewes in Hal’s curricle.’

‘Me!’ he expostulated. ‘Can’t do it: I’m engaged to go to Tattersall’s with Barnaby Tume.’

‘No, you can escort me to Haystacks instead. It is the least you can do after offering your helpful advice to Freddy.’

‘I advise you to comply before you have more china thrown at your head, Theo,’ said Hal.

His brother hunched a grudging shoulder. ‘Oh, very well, but I hope I won’t have to suffer your recriminations for the whole journey, Julia.’

Julia replied sarcastically, ‘I may just refrain from boxing your ears.’

‘Theo, you can change the team if necessary. You should make good time that way,’ said Hal.

He nodded in agreement. ‘At least this gives me chance to try out your curricle.’ With a wicked grin towards Julia, he added, ‘You had better hang on to your bonnet, dear sister.’ Theo then looked at Lady Bramwell. ‘What are you going to do, Mama?’

‘Enjoy a quiet day here, of course. I have no intention of dashing down to Lewes and hopefully, you can all sort out your affairs without my assistance.’ Marguerite chuckled. ‘The drawing-room at Haystacks could become rather crowded this evening.’

Sir Seymour, meanwhile, had arrived in Curzon Street shortly after Lord Bramwell had departed. He rang the bell and idly studied his new blue and white striped waistcoat while he waited, thinking with satisfaction that his tailor had excelled himself this time. Silwood opened the door, but when Sir Seymour asked to be announced, Silwood replied that both Lady Vane and Mrs Forster had gone out of Town.

Dinny goggled at the butler in astonishment. ‘What was that? Gone out of Town! You must be mistaken.’

Silwood raised his brows. ‘I assure you that they left early this morning, Sir Seymour.’

‘How very odd,’ muttered Sir Seymour, before asking rhetorically, ‘What am I to do now?’

Silwood then handed Sir Seymour a letter, saying, ‘Mrs Forster asked that this be given to you when you called, sir.’

‘Ah, at least there is a letter,’ observed Sir Seymour eagerly, taking the note and removing the single sheet. As he read it through his quizzing glass, his mouth fell open in surprise. With no further word to Silwood, he pocketed the note and hurried back down the steps.

Climbing back into his carriage, he addressed the coachman, ‘Stop dawdling, Thomas – we are leaving for Sussex at once.’

As the coach left the courtyard of The Black Swan in Redhill, Isabella reflected that all her travelling companions seemed to share her sombre, reflective mood. Harriet, who was seated next to her in the carriage, gazed silently out of the window. Mary sat opposite, dozing, with a sleeping Dominic resting against her arm, his blond head jolting whenever the wheels travelled over rough road. Joshua, the kitten, was asleep in a wicker basket and even Aesop lay in the crook of Dominic’s arm, regarding the
sundrenched
fields of sheep and cattle with uninterest. Freddy rode alongside on his chestnut gelding, but his expression was fixed and offered no relief from the gloomy atmosphere inside the coach.

When they had stopped at the inn, Freddy procured a private room for breakfast, but no one had been inclined to much conversation. Isabella had been wondering if Freddy knew of Hal’s involvement in the wager and she felt anger and
embarrassment
at the thought of the Ice Angel providing private amusement for Hal and his friend. However, when she touched on the subject of wagers and gentlemen’s clubs over coffee, Freddy had evinced no reaction at all – it seemed he knew nothing of what Hal had done.

Isabella was grateful for Freddy’s help; the journey had gone more smoothly due to his presence because, like most of the
top-sawyers
, he stabled his own horses on the route. All the landlords knew him and provided the best parlours and
refreshments
for Mr Isherwood and his companions. However, the normally gregarious Freddy was morose and Isabella did not think this could be entirely attributed to his delicate constitution this morning. She wondered what had caused his unhappiness. At any other time, she might have tried to coax the details from Freddy, but with her own sadness weighing heavily, she felt unequal to the role of confidante.

Isabella’s most difficult task had been to tell Dominic about their change of plan. When he had discovered they were leaving London, he had not seemed too disappointed, saying, ‘I wanted to see more of London, but I’m looking forward to exploring our new house.’

‘You will make many exciting discoveries there, Dominic,’ replied Isabella.

‘Will Hal come to Haystacks tomorrow, Mama? I should like to show him too.’

‘No, Dominic,’ she replied, ‘Hal will not be coming to see us tomorrow.’

Dominic looked quizzical. ‘When will he come then? Soon, I hope.’

Isabella exchanged a meaningful glance with Harriet, knowing that the inevitable moment of truth had arrived. It was hard enough dealing with her own wretched feelings without giving disappointment to her son, but she could not lie to him. ‘I’m sorry, Dominic, but you will not be seeing Hal again.’

‘Not see Hal again?’ he asked in a tremulous voice. ‘Or Julia, or Theo?’ When she shook her head, he began to cry. ‘I like Hal and it is unfair to have to go away and not see him or my other new friends again, Mama. I did not even say goodbye.’ Dominic raised his gaze to hers hopefully. ‘But I will still be able to see the tree house at Chenning, won’t I? You promised me that I could.’

Isabella felt as if her heart were breaking in two. She placed her arm around her son and said, ‘No, love – you cannot go to Chenning after all. I know this is hard for you to understand, but Hal has done a bad thing which has upset me very much and that is why you will not see him again.’

‘I – It’s not true,’ he faltered, sobbing. ‘Hal would never do a bad thing – I know he wouldn’t – and now you’ve broken a promise and that’s a bad thing to do as well.’

‘I’m truly sorry, Dominic, but it could not be helped.’

He had continued to cry, but she had spoken soothingly to him until he had fallen into an exhausted sleep. Isabella felt both physically and emotionally exhausted too. She hoped that given time Dominic would forget Hal, but she knew she would never forget him despite what he had done. Resolutely, she pushed these melancholy thoughts away, knowing that it did no good to dwell on what might have been.