Authors: Wendy Soliman
“Oh, sorry,” she replied sweetly. “I must have misheard you.”
He tightened his grip upon her and frowned. “Look into my face and try to pretend you enjoy what you see.”
“That’s asking a little too much,” she replied, enjoying herself almost as much as he obviously was now. “I have never been good at cutting a sham.”
“You, my lady, have all the makings of a jade.”
Since she had just shamelessly allowed him to kiss her witless in public, she had to concede he had a point. She wasn’t about to admit it though.
“Coming from one with experience as extensive as yours, I shall take that as a compliment.”
“You would to be considered in that light?” he asked, looking surprised.
“Why not?” She paused, nibbling at her lower lip as she pretended to think about it. “It seems such creatures have more than their fair share of fun.”
“This is hardly the time or—”
“You started it by calling me a jade.”
He grinned. “So I did, but we are here now and must delay this charming conversation until a more suitable juncture. Right, act!” he hissed as he carried her into the dining-parlour.
All conversation stopped as they walked, or in Abbey’s case, was carried in. Several pairs of eyes viewed them with speculative interest. Several more jaws dropped in surprise or disapproval. Abbey knew not which, nor did she much care. Sebastian made an inordinate amount of fuss about placing her gently in her usual chair, calling to a footman to bring a stool upon which to rest her ankle, and to another for a cushion to support the small of her back.
“Are you quite comfortable, m’dear?” he asked with all the solicitation of a man gripped by the fiercest of passions.
“Perfectly so, my lord, although how I should have managed without your strong arms to support me I can scarce imagine.”
She batted her lashes at him and smiled into his eyes in a gesture that was supposed to combine innocence and bald provocation. She was overacting to a ridiculous degree, but also enjoyed the revenge she was exacting too much to care. She wondered whether it would be going too far if she attempted to simper but, suspecting from Sebastian’s warning frown he wouldn’t be above kicking her bad ankle if she tried it, she decided not to.
***
Sebastian watched Abbey carefully as he continued to fuss over her. It was obvious she was having the time of her life, even if she was an appalling actress. He reminded himself she had almost never done anything the tiniest bit scandalous before. But today she had calmly permitted a rakehell not only to carry her, far from innocently, into a room full of her friends and relations but to kiss her in public, too. She had also got her wish and discovered a little more about her passionate nature. The fact that she could survive both experiences, as well as a further attempt on her life, and find the strength of character to respond to him with such spirit had stirred his blood. He grinned a warning into her eyes, momentarily forgetting they had a spellbound audience, eyes agog as they stored up every word uttered between them for later retelling to their lords.
They had damn well better be
.
Sebastian’s brief annoyance at her terrible acting quickly turned to respect. He took the seat beside her and, barely sparing a word for the rest of the diners, devoted himself to ensuring she ate her luncheon. He speared delicacies with his own fork, placing it between her lips in what could only be construed by his mesmerised audience as a provocative gesture, insisting she take just a little taste.
“It will speed your recovery, my dear,” he said solicitously. “Fish is very good for one’s joints.”
“Well, since
you
insist.”
She took a tiny bite, clearly warming to a role she now played a little too well for Sebastian’s comfort. She ran her tongue slowly over her bruised lips as she captured his gaze and held it. If this was her idea of revenge she could have no notion how well she was succeeding. Sebastian grimaced and shifted awkwardly in his seat.
By the time the meal came to an end, Sebastian was convinced no one in the room doubted the nature of their relationship had undergone a marked change. And they would be bursting to tell their menfolk all about it. Mission accomplished, Sebastian thought, as he carried Abbey back to her room.
He could see she was genuinely fatigued by the rigours of the morning and insisted she rest for most of the afternoon. Sally was inside the room with her and Hodges patrolled the corridor outside. None of the ladies attempted to visit her and it was a refreshed Abbey whom Sebastian carried into the drawing-room that evening. He sent Sally down first to peep around the door and ensure everyone was assembled before he staged his entrance.
The returned sportsmen made straight for Abbey, Evans being hotly pursued by Sir Michael and Simon Graves. Ignoring Sebastian, who had stationed himself beside her chair, his hand proprietarily resting on its back, Evans actually knelt in front of her. His eyes softening, he kissed her hand and enquired how she was feeling.
“Lord Denver has taken prodigious good care of me today, my lord, and kept me royally entertained.” She darted a saucy look in Sebastian’s direction, her eyes sparkling, before returning her attention to Lord Evans. “And my ankle feels much easier this evening, I thank you.”
“I’m very glad to hear it.” Evans straightened up and bestowed a glance loaded with pure venom upon Sebastian.
“How was your day’s sport, my lord? I did try to persuade Lord Denver to catch up with the field but he wouldn’t hear of it.”
“What pleasure could compete with the privilege of being admitted to your company for an entire day?” Sebastian asked.
Throughout dinner Sebastian and Abbey kept up their performance. Sebastian detected varying degrees of surprise, amusement, envy and disapproval in the faces of their audience but, significantly, nothing more telling than the merest flicker of interest in Charlie’s demeanour. Perhaps he wasn’t guilty after all, which begged the question, who else could Mary be in league with? Whoever it was, he couldn’t have failed to notice the closeness between Abbey and himself. By the time he made a flamboyant display of carrying her back to her chamber he was convinced they had done all they could to frighten Mary and her accomplice into showing their hand.
Chapter Sixteen
None of the local hunts were meeting the following day and so the gentlemen escorted the ladies on a morning’s excursion. Harold, at Lord Bevan’s private request, remained behind. So, too, did Sebastian. Harold listened in utter astonishment as his father revealed details of the attempts on Abbey’s life and Sebastian’s true purpose for being amongst them.
“It’s enough to severely test one’s faith.” Harold scrubbed his hands down his face, looking genuinely distressed. “Abbey has suffered a great deal but still manages to handle her onerous responsibilities with dignity and maturity. Who would want to see her dead? What possible reason could there be?”
“That is the very question Denver’s been wrestling with these past couple of weeks,” Bevan replied.
“What conclusions have you reached, Denver?”
“Not ones you will want to hear, but nevertheless…”
In a measured tone Sebastian outlined the case against Charlie.
“It is possible, I suppose.” Harold rubbed his jaw as he made the grudging concession. “Even so, I find it difficult to accept he would do such a thing, no matter how pressing his circumstances.”
“Yes, I agree.” Bevan said. “But the fact remains these attacks
have
taken place and no stranger has been close enough to Abbey to carry them out. It has to be someone she knows.”
“A servant?” Harold asked, clearly not believing it any more than Sebastian did.
“Possibly.” Sebastian replied. “But he would only be acting on orders from his master.”
“Hmm.” Harold’s expression became harsh and unyielding. “You just now suggested there could be more than one perpetrator, Denver. One of our inner circle might be desperate or foolish enough to try it, but I cannot accept that two would join forces. Besides, if you’re right about Charlie, how could he risk approaching anyone without running the risk of them rejecting his proposal and revealing it to my father?”
“How he managed it I cannot say as yet but I’m persuaded he has recruited a woman,” Sebastian replied. “She would have easier access to Abbey in her private quarters and would be able to initiate attempts upon her life, such as the one that happened here two nights ago, without creating suspicion.”
“I can see why you would think that.” Harold frowned, looking as though he didn’t want to ask his next question, but doing so anyway. “I ask you again, Denver, whom do you suspect?”
Sebastian squared his shoulders, aware there was no easy way to answer Harold’s question. Sometimes he hated this work but would not shirk his responsibility. Bevan had insisted Harold be informed of their suspicions regarding his wife and be given the opportunity to refute them. “I am very much afraid,” he said compassionately, “all of the evidence we have points to your wife.”
A gasp of astonished denial was Harold’s first reaction. The ineffable silence which followed it was loaded and uncomfortable. Sebastian levelled a steady gaze on Harold’s face and forced himself not to break it.
“Impossible!” Harold’s tone was glacial. “And I take extreme exception to your suggesting it. As for you, sir.” He turned the dark weight of his gaze upon his father. “That you could even countenance such a preposterous notion grieves me beyond words. My family and I will leave here immediately and I cannot see that we will have anything further to say to one another.”
Harold turned towards the door but his father’s voice stayed him as he was about to turn the handle. “Do you know me so little as to imagine I would entertain Denver’s suggestion lightly?” he asked in a sombre tone. “I know your feelings for your wife run deep and that you are a happy family man. If there was any other way then—”
“Then why do this? I understand your responsibility for Abbey’s welfare is your primary concern, but to think Mary could ever…besides why would she?”
Bevan spread his hands. “Denver’s evidence is too compelling to be dismissed out of hand, however distasteful I find the suggestion.”
“Then I’d better hear it.” Sounding weary, Harold fell into the nearest chair. “And when it has been explained away and she is proven innocent, I shall look forward to receiving your apology.”
“It is my dearest wish to be in a position to offer it,” Sebastian said with heartfelt sincerity.
He then methodically laid out all the evidence he had accumulated. Harold listened, scowling frequently as Sebastian condemned the woman he loved, but didn’t try to interrupt. His scowled intensified when he learned how Mary had sent Miss Frobisher and Ellen to Abbey on the night of her most recent accident.
“Mary would know Abbey’s evening attire was laid out during tea since Sally performs the same service for Mary. But that means nothing. My wife
could
also have tampered with that shoe without anyone being the wiser.” He stood up, clutched his lapels and his voice rose to fill the room as effortlessly as it must fill his church when he got into his stride with a passionate sermon. “But the same could be said of all the other ladies in residence.”
“True,” Sebastian said, “but—”
“I will ask again since you failed to give me a response when I first posed the question. What possible reason could she have to wish Abbey harm? They are good friends. Besides, what would she have to gain from Abbey’s demise?”
“Her motivation is the one thing we have yet to establish,” Sebastian said. “We wondered if you might be able to shed any light on it.”
“To condemn my own wife?” He threw Sebastian a disgusted look. “I’m sorry to disappoint you, Denver, but I cannot think of any reason for Mary to wish harm upon one of her closest friends. That being the case, unless you find definitive proof of her involvement, I will thank you not to bandy about such wild allegations and sully her good name.”
“The matter will soon be resolved since we plan to expose the villains today,” Lord Bevan said. “That is why I insisted you be told in advance of our plans.”
Harold snapped his head in his father’s direction, his expression full of melancholic regret. But his tone, when he addressed him, remained glacial. “So, I am to be called to stand in judgement upon my own wife.”
“If, as I sincerely hope, she is innocent then no one will be more relieved than me,” Lord Bevan replied. “This matter is damned distasteful, but I have never been more conscious of my duty and must listen to Denver’s advice. He has far more experience in these matters than any of us. The point is, only the three of us are aware of his suspicions regarding Mary and if, no when, she is proven not to be involved, no harm will have been done to her reputation.”
Harold inclined his head. “Thank you, at least for that.” He turned to Sebastian. “How do you intend to draw them out?”
“About now my man’s in the servants’ hall, arranging a hamper since I am to drive Lady Abigail for a clandestine luncheon in the folly. Hodges will grumble about how things won’t be the same for him anymore. Far from pursuing Lady Abigail with my usual disreputable intentions, he will pretend I am driving her to the folly to propose marriage. He will even hint I’m thinking of persuading her to forego her season and elope with me straightaway.”
Lord Bevan took up the story. “We already know the perpetrators are becoming desperate. If Abbey’s fortune is indeed their goal they cannot risk her entering into a hasty marriage. That will compel them to act immediately to prevent it from happening. What better opportunity than if they suppose Abbey and Denver to be alone in the folly? They have seen for themselves how much she appears to admire him and won’t doubt his ability to talk her into the elopement. Any sort of accident might be contrived in that far region of the estate, conveniently resulting in the demise of them both.”
“But, of course, we will not be alone,” Sebastian said. “My man and your father’s will be armed and concealed outside the folly.”