Her benefactress was beckoning someone forward. He came closer and Kate started violently. She felt herself turn pale, her thunder-strained nerves jumping with superstitious horror.
‘Katharine?’
She ignored Lord Redesmere’s urgent undertone and, as if in a nightmare, watched the dandified young man halt in front of her chair and execute an elegant bow.
When he straightened, she saw that his eyes were not a soulful Celtic blue, but merely nondescript grey and her pent-up breath was released in a sudden rush.
What a fool she was! Just because he had a distinct resemblance to her late husband, there was no need to let a stranger rattle her into a panic! To be sure, he had the same slight build and romantically tousled black curls, but on closer inspection he was nowhere near as handsome as Francis had been and was obviously several years younger to boot. Probably no older than twenty-two or three, in fact.
Distance, and her nervous dislike of thunder, had lent him that uncanny likeness to Francis, nothing more!
Draining the contents of her champagne glass to settle her nerves, she summoned up a polite smile. ‘Good evening, sir.’
‘Is that all the greeting you can spare for me,
mavournin
?’ The stranger’s voice had a soft Irish lilt.
It sent a cascade of ice down Kate’s spine and her fingers clenched convulsively upon the slender stem of her glass as she stared at him in helpless dismay.
Chapter Ten
Lightning streaked across the sky, bringing with it a heavy curtain of rain to drum against the window.
‘I take it I am still in the suds then?’ the newcomer continued lightly. He flaunted a charming smile in her direction. ‘And here was I hoping you had forgiven us for our lack of welcome, Cousin Kitty.’
‘Cousin…Cousin Sean.’ Feeling as if she was about to faint Kate struggled for composure. ‘I trust you are in good health?’
‘Excellent, thank you,
mavournin
.’
Kate saw that his gaze was fixed upon the locket she wore around her neck. With a thrill of horror she realised that he must know that she had been in contact with Kitty.
‘And before you ask, I can tell you that I left my parents blooming like the roses.’ He smiled at her again. ‘They charged me to deliver their best regards.’
‘How kind.’ Kate’s tone was sugar-sweet, but her blood was racing with a violent mixture of fear and rage.
How dare this monster turn up here after what he had done!
Sean Sullivan turned to Lady Edgeworth. ‘There now. Didn’t I tell you she would be pleased to see me once the first shock was over, Lady Alicia?’
What the devil was he up to? He
must
know she wasn’t Kitty!
A light touch on her arm reminded her of Lord Redesmere’s presence.
‘Are you all right,’ he asked in a quiet undertone as Sean loudly assured Alicia of his desire to be Kitty’s friend.
Seeing an opportunity to escape, Kate shook her head.
‘This storm…’ She let her voice trail off piteously.
Right on cue, a particularly loud clap of thunder rent the air and Kate let her empty glass slip from her fingers with an artistic little shriek.
The effect was all she could have hoped for.
Heads turned in their direction and several people came hurrying up.
‘Kitty! My love, you are as white as a ghost!’ Lady Edgeworth fussed over her charge, patting her hand anxiously.
‘Permit me, ma’am, to escort my cousin to her room.’ Lord Redesmere’s deep voice cut decisively across the babble of comment and advice. ‘She will do better if she is allowed to rest quietly until the storm blows itself out.’
‘I shall come up with you—’
‘Mary will look after me,’ Kate interrupted in a faint voice. ‘Pray stay with our guests, ma’am, and make my apologises. I don’t want my affliction to spoil anyone’s enjoyment of the party.’
Alicia hesitated and then nodded assent.
Randal assisted Kate to rise and put a steadying arm around her waist. ‘Lean on me,’ he ordered and Kate was only too glad to obey.
‘I hope you will feel better soon, Kitty.’ Sean Sullivan’s voice matched the concerned expression on his narrow face, but as they passed him, Kate glanced up and saw that his grey eyes were filled with anger.
She shuddered and Lord Redesmere’s arm tightened around her waist.
‘Steady! Don’t faint on me, I beg of you!’ he commanded with a touch of his usual dry humour.
Their progress was slow, hampered by anxious enquiries and good wishes for her recovery, but at last they left the reception rooms behind and reached Kate’s bedchamber.
Randal announced their presence with an imperious knock and flung open the door.
Mary leapt to her feet in startled dismay as his lordship calmly steered Kate into the room and sat her down on the bed.
‘God-a-mercy, what’s wrong, lass?’ Mary flung down the sewing with which she had been occupied and hurried over to Kate’s side.
‘The thunderstorm has upset your mistress,’ Lord Redesmere replied, giving no indication that he found this greeting in any way untoward. ‘See to it that she rests.’
Mary bobbed an obedient curtsey. ‘Yes, my lord.’
‘Thank you for your help.’ Kate judged it safe to speak at last. She had been playing the part of the invalid for all it was worth for fear that he might ask awkward questions. God knows, it was imperative he didn’t connect her agitation with Sullivan’s arrival! ‘I am sorry to be such a nuisance.’
‘Nonsense!’ Lord Redesmere replied briskly. ‘You cannot help being afraid of thunder. My sister Milly is the same. An indomitable woman in all other respects, she hides in cupboards at the first clap, I do assure you.’
Kate permitted her mouth to curve in a brave smile. ‘All the same, I fear I may have spoilt the party,’ she murmured, vastly relieved that her exaggeration of her own natural dislike of tempests had succeeded in deflecting his attention.
‘On the contrary, you’ve given them something to talk about.’ A hint of amusement lit his lordship’s bright gaze.
‘I’ll come down again if the storm ceases.’ Kate made the offer, knowing it was expected.
‘I’ll send up urgent prayers to Jove asking him to cease his thunderbolts.’ The warmth in his lordship’s voice was marked.
Mary let out a judicious cough.
‘Quite right.’ Randal bowed elegantly to them both. ‘It’s time I took my leave.’
As soon as the sound of his footsteps died away Mary demanded to know what was going on.
‘Sullivan!’ She let out a low whistle. ‘Fancy him resembling Francis! And all this thunder too. No wonder you are feeling shook up, love. Shall I brew you a soothing posset?’
Kate refused this well-meant offer. ‘I can’t afford the time to have a fit of the vapours,’ she commented wryly.
She slid from the bed and went to stand before the fireplace. Staring into the unlit black grate, she muttered, ‘What the hell are we going to do, Mary?’
Mary grimaced. ‘Damned if I know, lass! Sullivan! Who would have reckoned he’d have the brass neck to show up here after what he did to Kitty?’
Kate looked up and gave a short laugh. ‘I strongly suspect that
gentleman
has enough impudence for anything,’ she stated, remembering the coldness of those grey eyes. ‘I just wish I knew what his game was.’
Mary shook her head in bafflement. ‘By rights, he should have denounced you the minute he laid eyes on you.’
‘He didn’t even seem surprised,’ Kate said slowly. ‘It was almost as if… Mary, do you think he came here
expecting
to find an impostor?’
Mary rubbed her nose thoughtfully. ‘It’s possible I suppose. Leastways, they must have suspected that their plan had gone wrong when Mr Hilton wrote to them asking the old man to come and identify Kitty.’
‘Let’s try and think this through.’ Kate drummed her fingers against the marble mantelpiece. ‘The Sullivans must have realised that Kitty, if she had survived, would had to have had help from someone.’
‘Aye, she couldn’t have got away on her own. The poor lass was in a terrible state.’
‘So, they would wonder who helped her. Now it’s likely any respectable citizen fishing Kitty out of the river and hearing her claim her cousin had tried to drown her would have immediately alerted the authorities. Even if Kitty had persuaded them not to do so, it’s odds on that they would have gossiped.’ Kate frowned thoughtfully. ‘But there wouldn’t have been any gossip filtering its way up to Ballyhad House because the Gillman Players were the only ones who knew what really happened.’
Mary sat down heavily in the chair by the window. ‘You think that the Sullivans might have guessed Kitty’s helpers weren’t locals?’
‘It makes sense.’ Kate nodded. ‘And our playbills were plastered all over town.’
Brushing back a strand of hair from her hot forehead, she took a deep steadying breath. ‘We’ve got to face the possibility that Sean knows that the Gillman Players are somehow involved in Kitty’s disappearance. If he does, he must also be aware that we know what he is.’
‘Aye, a would-be murderer.’
Mary’s eyes met hers across the room and Kate saw her own fear reflected in her friend’s anxious gaze.
* * * *
The thunderstorm did not abate for several hours, giving Kate an excuse to avoid returning to the party. However, the next morning dawned clear, although much cooler than it had been of late, and she knew that she couldn’t hide in her room for ever.
A confrontation with Sean Sullivan was inevitable.
‘I believe he will call on me this morning,’ she told Mary as she finished her ablutions.
‘You could pretend you were still feeling ill,’ Mary suggested.
Kate shook her dark head. ‘I’d as lief get it over.’
She had made poor work of the breakfast Alicia had insisted on sending up to her bedroom, but she had recovered her nerve. ‘At least he can’t offer me violence in Alicia’s house.’ She gave a wobbly grin. ‘Too many witnesses!’
‘Don’t joke!’ Mary whirled from laying Kate’s clothes out on the bed. ‘That man is dangerous. We know he’s prepared to commit murder to get at the Nixon fortune. You can’t afford to take chances, Kate!’
‘I know, but having come this far, I’m not prepared to give up tamely and let him walk off with Kitty’s fortune.’ Kate threw her towel onto the washstand. ‘Don’t you see, Mary? By acknowledging me last night Sean has confirmed my claim to be Kitty!’
She began to put on her underclothes. ‘He can’t turn round and say I’m an impostor after half of Chester heard him call me cousin. He has furnished the final proof and I’m going to demand that the lawyers pay up.’
‘Aye, but why did he acknowledge you?’ Mary demanded. ‘He must have realised it would give you the advantage, unless he is a complete idiot.’
‘I don’t know,’ Kate admitted. She bent to slip on her shoes and the rest of her reply was slightly muffled as she added, ‘He must have some scheme in mind.’ She straightened up again. ‘But I’m not going to let him scare me off.’
Mary sighed. They had argued whether it was safe to stay last night. Then, as now, Kate had worn her stubborn face.
‘At least consider my idea of contacting Ned,’ she urged. ‘He ought to be told what’s going on and so should Kitty. With any luck she might agree to come out of hiding.’
‘Not a chance. Once she knows Sean is here, she’ll fly into a panic.’
‘Happen, happen not. Don’t forget she’s had a few weeks to get over the shock of what he did to her. You remember her as a terrified little creature, but I reckon she wouldn’t want us to run into danger on her behalf.’
‘Maybe you’re right, but I don’t want to worry her or the others. At least not until I’ve found out what Sullivan is up to.’ Kate wanted to deal with Sean herself. ‘This impersonation was my idea. I don’t want to drag Ned here to save my bacon. It isn’t fair on him.’
‘He’d gladly help. You know he’s sweet on you.’
‘All the more reason then to do it on my own,’ Kate retorted tartly.
‘You are as stubborn as a mule, Kate Devlin,’ Mary exclaimed in exasperation. ‘We ought to be packing to leave and you won’t even ask a friend for help!’
‘I
will
ask Ned if I can’t manage to deal with Sullivan on my own, but this mess is of my making and it’s up to me to try and sort it out,’ Kate answered more quietly. ‘Ned’s done enough for me already and I won’t take advantage of his feelings for me.’
Mary shrugged irritably and picked up the gown from the bed. ‘Have it your own way.’ She held out the gown to Kate. ‘But for God’s sake be careful and don’t let that Irish bastard get any opportunity to be alone with you.’
‘I won’t.’ Kate laid her hand on Mary’s arm and gave it a quick affectionate squeeze. ‘I promise.’
She breathed in the fresh scent of newly-laundered and ironed cotton as Mary helped her into the jonquil dress and took comfort from its normality. Truth to tell, she wasn’t sure she was doing the right thing. Part of her longed to book a ticket on the next coach out of Chester. Playing a brave heroine on stage was one thing, acting the part in real life was quite another!
Mary seemed to think it was folly to stay and fight. Yet she hated the idea of letting the Sullivans win. Hated it almost as much as the thought of inflicting hurt on Randal. And he would be hurt if she suddenly ran away.
The alternative, of course, was to confess that she had lied to him from the start, but she didn’t think she had the courage to do that. She couldn’t bear to see the warmth fade from his eyes and watch his expression harden in contempt!
Kate stared at her reflection in the glass as Mary put the finishing touches to her hair.
You are an idiot
, Kate Devlin, she told herself and went to find Alicia.
‘My dear! I didn’t think you would be down so soon!’ Lady Edgeworth exclaimed as Kate walked into the morning room. ‘Are you sure you are feeling quite the thing?’
Kate went over to her chair and bent to kiss Alicia’s cheek. ‘I am perfectly well, thank you, ma’am,’ she said, feeling a rush of genuine affection for the older woman. ‘And I do hope that my stupid affliction did not embarrass you last night, particularly after all your kind efforts on my behalf.’