Regency Romance Collection From Christina Courtenay (27 page)

‘Thank you, yes. As you know, with my late wife’s financial assistance I made all the necessary repairs and improvements. My holdings are beginning to be prosperous again, which is a great relief. It was touch and go when my father gambled away almost my entire inheritance, but I do believe everything is going the right way now.’

‘Excellent, glad to hear it. Then how can I be of assistance?’

‘Well, I’m really only here because I need clarification regarding certain matters pertaining to my late wife’s will.’

‘Oh, how so? I thought we dealt with that satisfactorily at the time of her demise.’ Mr Willis looked puzzled, as well he might, Synley thought.

‘So did I, but there appears to be something we overlooked. Could you have it brought from your archives, if you please?’

‘Certainly.’

The fawning young man was called in and soon returned with the required documents, which Mr Willis spread out on his desk. ‘Now, what was it that needed to be clarified, my lord?’

‘As far as I remember, Catherine left her entire estate to me to do with as I wished, is that correct?’

‘Yes, indeed. It was not entailed and therefore her late husband had bequeathed it to her outright, with just a few small gifts to distant relatives. As you know, he had no close kin of any kind.’

‘He had a cousin, I believe.’

‘Yes, a Mr Henry Torrington, but he didn’t stand to inherit anything and there was no title to be passed on. Your late wife was a lady in her own right and Mr Downes not even a knight.’ Mr Willis looked as though he disapproved of such an unequal match, but Synley knew that Catherine had married for love and had been supremely happy until her first husband died.

‘Tell me if you would, Mr Willis, what the will says should happen to the Downes estate if I pass away in the near future.’

‘You, my lord? Hopefully that won’t be for many years to come, but in that case the estate will be inherited by your children, should you have any.’

‘And if I do not?’

‘Ah, uhm, let me see.’ Mr Willis perused the documents in front of him for a few minutes, then frowned. ‘Lady Catherine’s will makes no mention of this, but refers to her first husband’s will.’ He moved another sheet of paper to the top of the pile. ‘I have it here, since they were kept together.’ Another lengthy silence followed, then Mr Willis looked up. ‘Well, this is most unusual and I’m surprised I didn’t immediately recall it. The will states that should Lady Catherine remarry, she must first have a pre-nuptial agreement drawn up so that she retains full control of all the Downes’ land and wealth.’

‘I know, we did that and it was her choice to leave it to me upon her death.’

‘Just so, my lord. She could bequeath her property and possessions to her new husband and his or their children if that was what she wished. However, if there were no children from her second marriage either ... well now! Look for yourself, my lord.’ Mr Willis pushed the document towards Synley and pointed at the clause in question.

‘Ah, I thought so. Damn.’

‘My lord? Would you care to explain further?’ Mr Willis was blinking at him, as if struggling for comprehension.

‘Would it surprise you to hear that there have been several attempts on my life in the last few weeks, Mr Willis?’

Willis’s eyes opened wide. ‘Attempted murder?’

‘Most definitely. And you might also be interested to hear that the person mentioned in this will is at present residing in my neighbourhood.’

‘Well, I’ll be ... I mean, that’s intriguing, to be sure.’

Synley gritted his teeth. ‘Isn’t it just?’

‘But really, my lord, the late Mr Downes’s will has no bearing on anything. Once ownership of his estates passed to his wife and you had complied with the clause about a pre-nuptial agreement, his wishes cannot dictate what happens next. They are just that – wishes. So if someone is trying to have you ... er, removed, shall we say, he would only be benefiting your heir. Could he be behind it? Your second cousin Henry, isn’t it?’

‘No, I shouldn’t think so. He’s in India, busy making himself a fortune as a Nabob. And he’s never been the grasping, jealous kind, quite the opposite. No, I’d say it’s the person mentioned in Mr Downes’s will. He must have misunderstood and obviously thinks this is legal.’

‘You must find him with all speed then, my lord, and disabuse him of this notion.’ Mr Willis blinked, consternation and worry clear in his eyes. ‘Surely he would then cease his ... uhm, heinous activities?’

‘I don’t know. We are dealing with a single-minded and presumably desperate individual here. I doubt he’d believe me. He’d probably just think it a ruse.’ Synley sighed. ‘But I will try my best. Would you mind having someone make a copy of those wills for me, please? They might come in handy in the near future. And please could you write me a note to say that your professional opinion is that the wishes mentioned in Mr Downes’s will are not legally binding. At least then I’ll have it in writing and it won’t just be my word against his.’

‘At once, my lord. But, how will you approach this dangerous person?’

‘I’ve no idea, Mr Willis, but I’ll think of something, you may be sure of that.’

CHAPTER EIGHT

‘Miss Holloway, where are you going?’

The voice that came hissing out of the darkness gave Lexie quite a shock. Her heart hammered so hard she had to put a hand up to her chest to try and contain the frantic beating.

‘Mr Torrington, you scared me half to death.’

‘Please, do call me Nick. I can’t stand all this formality, it’s so deadly dull, don’t you agree?’

Lexie hesitated, then decided not to stand on ceremony. ‘Well, perhaps when no one else is about, but only if you’ll call me Lexie then.’

‘Agreed. Now tell me what you are about, please. It’s nearly midnight and you look to be dressed for riding. Rather unusual, wouldn’t you say?’ He eyed her outfit and Lexie knew she would have to tell him at least part of the truth.

‘I was ... er, going to spy on someone. I believe there is some mischief afoot and if I am to prevent it, I need to know more. I thought I might go to the local inn and listen to a few conversations.’

‘The local inn? Have you taken leave of your senses? I mean, I do beg your pardon, but that’s not a place for a lady such as yourself. You could be accosted or worse.’

Lexie sighed. ‘I suppose you’re right, but then how will I find anything out? I ought to have dressed up as a serving woman or something. Besides, I was only going to loiter outside.’

‘How about pretending to be a boy?’ Nick grinned at her, his teeth gleaming white in the moonlight.

‘What?’

‘I’m not that much taller than you are. My clothes should fit you tolerably well. What do you say? It would be an adventure.’

‘Really, Nick, you shouldn’t be aiding and abetting me.’ She tried to sound stern, but failed. She had been terrified of going out on her own, but now that Nick was saying he wanted to help her, it seemed much more feasible. If only she could be sure she could trust him. What if he was in cahoots with the very people she was about to spy on? It would seem she’d have to take that chance.

‘And why not? To my mind, girls need to enjoy themselves occasionally too. My sisters were forever playing such pranks and no one ever found out. Come on, let’s see if we can’t find you a disguise.’

Fifteen minutes later Lexie was walking towards the stables once more, dressed in breeches that felt very strange as they hugged her legs, a man’s shirt, waistcoat and ill-fitting jacket. On her head, Nick had crammed a curly beaver hat, which kept her hair confined, and she had a scarf wound round the bottom half of her face. So too did Nick.

‘We don’t want anyone to recognise me either,’ he whispered. ‘They might put two and two together in that case.’

They extracted two horses from the stables as quietly as possible, then set off for the inn. Riding astride felt very decadent to Lexie, but she marvelled at how much easier it was and wished she could ride this way every day.

‘So who are we spying on?’ Nick asked, when they were out of earshot of the house. ‘I take it you had someone specific in mind?’

‘Er, I’d rather not say.’ Lexie couldn’t very well tell Nick that she thought his brother and uncle might be murderers, and that he was under suspicion himself. He’d soon lose his taste for adventure then, she thought.

‘Ah, so it’s my brother then,’ he said and nodded. ‘Thought so.’

Lexie gasped. ‘I didn’t say it was.’

Nick held up a hand. ‘You don’t have to. He’s a thoroughly bad egg, is Jasper, as I know to my cost. And I’ve seen the way he and Uncle George keep putting their heads together. They’re up to something, you mark my words.’

‘Perhaps, but I can’t be sure. Someone else may be using them. I just wish I knew who that someone could be.’

‘Doesn’t matter, because we’re going to stop them, right? That’s why we’re spying on them, isn’t it?’

‘Something like that, yes.’ Lexie took a deep breath, trying to draw strength from Nick’s optimism. It would seem she’d been wrong to be suspicious of him, unless he was very clever and was just playing a role. She decided to carry on being on her guard, just in case, but she was beginning to like Nick and found herself hoping he was being sincere. Either way, she couldn’t help but feel that they were on a wild goose chase and she should never have had the notion of going out in the first place, never mind allowed him to accompany her. ‘Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. I mean, if they catch sight of you, they’ll clam up and I doubt this disguise will fool anyone. Your brother and George will both know it’s me.’

‘Not if we don’t show ourselves. Inns are crowded places of an evening and usually fairly dark. We should be able to sit down with our backs towards them, but close enough to listen to what they’re saying.’

‘You think?’

‘It’s worth a try anyway. If they catch us out, we’ll just say Rupert dared you to dress up as a boy and go have a drink at the local inn and he sent me along as a witness. Jasper will believe anything with regard to wagers because he’s never refused one in his entire life.’

‘And you, do you gamble, Nick?’

‘Never. By the time I was old enough to do so, Jasper and my father had already spent every penny. I decided to work for a living instead. Perhaps I shall be a lawyer.’

‘Very wise. Oh, look, we’re nearly there.’

The inn was impossible to miss since it was the only house in the village with noise coming out of it and chinks of light spilling through the window shutters. There was also some mêlée going on outside, with several drunk men swinging punches at each other without much success. Lexie stepped closer to Nick and averted her gaze.

She couldn’t help but wonder why George and Jasper would frequent such a lowly establishment, but assumed they were both desperate to gamble. Perhaps this was the only place to offer such entertainment every night? She also wondered whether Margaret knew about this. Surely her sister would object to her husband spending time here?

They’d left their horses safely tethered outside the village and walked the rest of the way to the inn. Nick showed her how to walk with a more manly stride, rather than her usual ladylike steps, and Lexie had to hide a smile. If their undertaking hadn’t been so serious, she would have enjoyed this hugely. She had never imagined wearing breeches would give such a sensation of freedom.

‘Don’t say anything, leave all the talking to me,’ Nick instructed. ‘Your voice will be too high-pitched. I’ll pretend you’re my younger brother. Try to look surly in the manner of adolescents. That will be best.’

Lexie did as she was told. She knew she ought not to be here at all, but now they had come this far, she didn’t want to turn back.

Inside the inn the noise level was deafening and Lexie could see that Nick had been right – it was dark and dingy, with smoke from the fire hanging like a low cloud over the room. It smelled awful; a mixture of sweat, stale ale, candle wax and other things Lexie would rather not think about. She tried not to wrinkle her nose and took shallow breaths through her mouth so as to avoid the noxious odours. The scarf around her face helped somewhat as well. There was laughter and singing, shrieking and shouting, and Lexie had no idea how anyone made themselves heard at all.

‘This way,’ Nick shouted, taking her elbow to tug her along. He grabbed two tankards of ale from a serving wench, tucking a coin into her bodice as payment.

‘Oi, you cheeky sod, those were for me other customers.’ She fished the coin out, but when she saw that it was more than the ale was worth, her tone changed abruptly. ‘But seein’ as you’re such a fine young feller ... Come see me later, if you’ve a mind.’ She winked at him and sashayed away through the crowd. Nick’s cheeks turned pink above the rim of his scarf.

‘I think I see my brother over in the corner. Follow me and keep your face down.’ Nick ploughed his way over to where, by some miracle, there were a couple of empty seats on a high-backed wooden settle. This prevented them from being seen by anyone behind them, which was ideal. They sat down and he handed Lexie a tankard. ‘Here, hold this and pretend to drink. I doubt you’ll like it, so don’t take more than a sip.’

Lexie tried it and shuddered. He was right. It was vile and she was very grateful he had warned her. ‘Can you hear them?’ she whispered in Nick’s ear.

He listened for a moment, then nodded. ‘Yes, shhh now and let’s see what we can glean.’

For the next hour, they sat on the hard seat, ostensibly drinking ale and whispering together. No one paid them any attention and they were able to listen to most of the conversation behind them. At first, George and Jasper appeared to be playing dice with some other men, but when their funds ran out, the others left them to nurse their drinks and their bad tempers. That was when the conversation finally became interesting.

‘Damnation, but I need an inheritance now,’ they heard Jasper grumble. ‘It’s intolerable, always being out of pocket. Can’t even play a decent game of dice without having to stop halfway through for lack of funds.’

‘Yes.’ George sounded if anything even more morose. ‘You should count yourself lucky you don’t have a family to support as well. Margaret’s just spent a small fortune on new clothes for the boy and for what? He’ll have grown out of them come August. And now she’s pestering me for new gowns as well. Well, unless she wins the money for them at the card tables, she won’t be having any.’

‘I’ve told you, George, if only you’ll help me with my plans, I’ll give you a sum to put you in the clear again. Come now, it’s not as if you have to kill the man with your bare hands. It’ll be an accident, for heaven’s sake.’

‘You tried that and it didn’t work. Damn near killed my sister-in-law instead and that doctor fellow kept pestering me afterwards, saying he was sure it wasn’t food poisoning. You’ll have to be a bit more subtle, my friend. Besides, it’s all too risky if you ask me. There’s bound to be questions asked when you come forward with your claim afterwards. Someone’ll smell a rat, mark my words.’

‘Well, I’ve come up with a better plan. You know Emma is having another of her little parties on Friday?’

‘Yes, what of it? No point going if we don’t have the means to play.’

‘Never mind the gaming. Listen, Emma’s convinced she can get his lordship to attend and if so, there’s only one direct route from his house to hers. We’ll have to set a trap.’

‘What kind of trap? And keep your voice down, anyone could hear you.’

Nick and Lexie both hunkered down even though they knew they weren’t visible. Lexie held her breath, expecting to be denounced at any moment, before they learned anything really useful, but nothing happened.

‘No one’s listening in here. They’re all too drunk and minding their own business,’ Jasper said, but lowered his voice nonetheless, which made it difficult to catch what he was saying. ‘After the party ... rope across the road ... the bend near ...? That’s the ... place ... off the horse ... neck ... mine at last.’

Nick and Lexie exchanged a glance and she could see that he was as pale as she felt, his eyes huge with shock. This proved to her beyond doubt that he wasn’t in league with his brother, and was very far from being a ‘bad egg’, as he’d described Jasper earlier. ‘Let’s get out of here,’ he hissed and she was nothing loath. They set their tankards on a nearby table and hurried out into the fresh night air. Lexie bent over for a moment, breathing heavily. Nausea churned inside her at the thought of what Jasper was planning, but she told herself that at least now she could try to prevent it.

‘Do you know who they were talking about?’ Nick asked.

Lexie nodded. ‘Yes, Lord Synley. There have been at least two attempts on his life these last couple of weeks that I know of. They must be planning another. Dear God ...’

‘Synley? But why?’

‘Your brother spoke of an inheritance. I know you’re related to Synley through his late wife, so does anyone in your family stand in line to inherit anything from him?’

‘Not that I know.’ Nick frowned. ‘But then again my father and Jasper never told me anything. Said I was too young. So if either of them were due anything, they’d keep it to themselves. I can’t see how that can be though. I mean, old Mr Downes died ages ago and Lady Catherine was free to leave everything to her new husband.’

‘Well, there must be something in it for Jasper, otherwise why would he be contemplating such a drastic plan?’ Lexie shuddered. It didn’t bear thinking of.

They walked in silence back to their horses, but there Nick stopped and leaned his head against the horse’s neck. ‘I’m sorry, Lexie,’ he whispered. ‘I mean, he’s my brother, but right now I’m ashamed to own it. I had no idea he would sink that low. He must be truly desperate.’

‘Do you think your father gets Downes House if Lord Synley dies?’

‘Our father is dead. Jasper is the one who’ll inherit in that case, but I can’t see that this would be possible. Synley must have other heirs.’

‘And you?’ Lexie hated having to ask, but she had to be sure he really had nothing to do with this vile business.

He
smiled ruefully. ‘I’m the younger son and we receive nothing as a rule. It would all be for Jasper. There could be something, I suppose, a small bequest of some sort? Maybe he’s just making sure Synley never has any children?’

‘But that’s ―’

‘Heinous, I know. I don’t know what to say. I’ll understand if you don’t wish to speak to me ever again.’

‘Don’t be silly, Nick. I don’t tar you with the same brush. If you’d been a part of this scheme, you wouldn’t have taken me to that inn tonight, now would you?’