The Earl hurried up the stairs and Eddie following thought that the Earl’s intuition, which was so much a part of his character, must have been inherited.
He knocked on his grandmother’s door and it was opened immediately by Emma who curtseyed respectfully as he went in.
“Good morning, Grandmama,” the Earl said as he walked across the room. “I have brought Eddie Lowther with me. He is one of your most fervent admirers and I could not leave him outside.”
“Why should you?” the Countess asked as the Earl kissed her. “I am always ready to welcome a handsome young man. I see too few of them these days.”
She held out her hand to Eddie who kissed it and said,
“I need not tell you, ma’am, that you are looking more beautiful than ever and you never grow any older.”
“Flatterer!” the Countess laughed. “But there is nothing I enjoy more.”
Then she looked at the Earl and declared,
“I had a feeling in my bones, as the servants say, that you would come today.”
“I was coming anyway,” the Earl replied. “Then I learnt something before I left which has brought me here post haste.”
The way he spoke made the Countess look at him sharply.
“What has happened?” she asked.
“Ileni Carrington died last night with exactly the same symptoms and I believe from the same poison as did Ludlow’s horse.”
The Countess did not exclaim at the news or even start.
She merely asked,
“What do you intend to do about it?”
“I have been thinking about that as I drove here, but, because we travelled so fast, I have not yet been able to discuss it with Eddie who by the way knows our secret.”
“I guessed that he would have to be brought into it,” the Countess said with a smile at Eddie.
Then she turned again to her grandson.
“I know you are worried about this, but I am sure that Cledra, who is a delightful girl, will be safe here with me.”
“She will be safe with you,” the Earl replied, “but not here.”
The Countess stared at him.
“What are you saying?”
“I have been thinking that it is important that you should both move to The Hall. There are more servants to guard you, it would be almost impossible for anybody to enter the house unobserved and I could be with you.”
He knew as he spoke that his grandmother was surprised at the suggestion.
Then, with a spirit and courage that he thought afterwards he might have expected from her, she answered,
“I always enjoyed myself when I lived at The Hall and I can see no reason why I should not do so again. Certainly, dear Lennox, I am delighted to accept your invitation, although you may have some difficulty in moving me there.”
“You will be guarded properly,” the Earl stated, “and I have a feeling, Grandmama, that we have to be prepared for an assault from a dangerous and very wily man, who is not only evil but also mad.”
Chapter Five
It was three o’clock in the afternoon by the time the Earl had everything settled to his satisfaction and his orders had reached every department at the Hall.
He and Eddie rode back to the Dower House followed by a carriage drawn by two outstanding horses to carry the Countess and Cledra and a brake for the luggage and the servants.
The Earl had given instructions before he left that Mrs. Dorkins was to come to The Hall to look after Cledra.
He had no wish for his own servants to see the condition of her back and he knew that Hannah would not gossip or tell anybody what had happened to her.
Yates had already told him that Hannah had informed the servants at the Dower House that Cledra had suffered from an accident and the Earl thought that this was a very acceptable explanation for her illness that nobody would question.
It was a sunny day with just a touch of wind to alleviate the heat and he enjoyed the ride across the Park, which brought them almost too quickly to the Dower House.
They left their horses with a groom and, as the Earl walked into the house, the old butler said,
“Her Ladyship will be ready in a few minutes, my Lord. And the young lady has asked if your Lordship would speak to her in the drawing room.”
The Earl glanced at Eddie who, realising that it would be best for Cledra to speak to him alone, said,
“I will go into the study. Call me when you are ready to leave.”
The Earl nodded and walked across the hall to the large attractive drawing room, which had French windows opening into the garden.
As he entered, Cledra was standing by one of them gazing out at the flowers and he thought the sun on her hair made it seem as if she wore a halo of light.
She was deep in thought and so was not aware of him until he was halfway across the room.
Then, as if she felt his presence by instinct rather than sound, she turned and he saw the expression of joy in her huge eyes.
He realised that she was thinner than when he had first met her and the white muslin gown she was wearing, which he had guessed had been made by Hannah, made her ethereal in appearance, as if she was not human, but some celestial being who had found herself unexpectedly on Earth.
There was, however, a faint colour in her pale cheeks that made her look very different from when he had last seen her.
She did not speak and, when he reached her side, he asked,
“How are you, Cledra? I hope this move will not be too much for you.”
“No, of course not, my Lord.”
Then, as if addressing him formally made her remember his importance, she gave him a little curtsey.
“You wanted to see me?” the Earl asked at length.
Cledra drew in her breath and looked away from him as if she was shy.
“What is worrying you?” he asked.
“Your grandmother has – told me what has – happened,” she replied, “and I think that – Star and I should go – away as soon as possible.”
“Go where?”
“Anywhere. But we must not bring – you trouble or into – d-danger.”
The way she spoke the last word told the Earl how conscious she was of the menace that hung over them.
“I have said that I will look after you and that is what I intend to do.”
Cledra clasped her hands together and raised her eyes to his.
“If anything – happened to your grandmother,” she said in a voice that trembled, “or to you – I could never forgive myself. Please – let me go away – only I am afraid you will have to give me a little m-money – as I have none.”
The Earl looked at her as if to make quite certain that what she was suggesting was not just a pose or something that she felt conventionally she should say, but it was impossible not to believe the sincerity he saw in her eyes.
“Supposing I agreed to such a suggestion,” he asked after a moment, “how do you think you could manage on your own?”
“It is – it is something I – have to do in the future,” Cledra replied, “for I dare not go to any – friends or the few relatives Papa and Mama have in different parts of the country for fear that Uncle – Walter might k-kill them as he – killed your – your f-friend.”
It was hard to say the words and the Earl saw that her hands were trembling.
He thought that few women, certainly none who he was acquainted with, would be so unselfish or so self-sacrificing.
He was also sure that Cledra had no understanding of the dangers that she would encounter if she rode off on her own.
He knew also that, because she was so sensitive and had been through an experience that would render most women prostrate, to find herself without anybody to turn to would be terrifying.
Because, however, he thought it would be a mistake to over-dramatise the situation he said lightly,
“Even if you are ready to go away, I doubt if Winged Victory would be willing to give up the comfort of his
stable and the very good food he is enjoying as my guest.”
“I-I could leave him – with you and go alone.”
“Again I can only ask you where you would go?” the Earl questioned.
“I was – thinking after her Ladyship told me what had – happened that perhaps I could find a small – village where I could stay.”
“And what would you do?”
“I could – perhaps teach children – or I can – cook quite well.”
She was so small and delicately made that the Earl found it impossible to imagine her working in any menial position or being immune, wherever she was, from the attentions of men who would find her very attractive.
Because he knew that to say so would frighten her more than she was already, although she was making an effort to hide her fears, he said in what he knew would be a different tone from what she expected,
“I find it very hurtful, Cledra, that you don’t trust me.”
“Oh – but I do!” she cried. “How could I not trust you when you have been so kind – so very – very kind?”
“And you said we were friends.”
“Yes, I know. But when I came to you in – desperation asking you to save Star from that cruel man – I had no idea that I would bring such – trouble upon you or that Uncle Walter would do anything so – w-wicked as to kill somebody you – ”
She stopped speaking and the Earl knew that she had been about to say the word ‘loved’.
He thought that it was inevitable that his grandmother in telling the story of Ileni’s death had made it clear that she had played a rather special part in his life.
Even if she had not said so, he was sure that Cledra was too intelligent not to realise that Sir Walter’s reason for killing Ileni was his knowledge that it would hurt him personally.
“What has happened cannot be undone,” the Earl said quietly. “What you have to do now, Cledra, is to help me to protect my grandmother and my horses, including, of course, Winged Victory.”
“Perhaps the only – sensible way I can do – that is to return – to – Uncle Walter!”
The Earl looked at her incredulously, feeling that she could not be sincere in suggesting such a solution, but before he could speak Cledra said in a low voice,
“Perhaps if I – apologise profusely for what I have – done he will forgive me – and not – punish me as he did before.”
She could not prevent the tremor in her voice and the Earl was aware that her whole body was tense, as if she was forcing herself to accept the suggestion that she was making to him.
There was silence for a moment.
Then the Earl said softly,
“Look at me, Cledra.”
Obediently she turned her face up to his and he saw the terror that lay in the depths of her eyes.
But there was no sign of tears and he was aware that she had a courage that he not only admired but felt was almost incredible.
“Do you really think,” he asked harshly, “that I would allow any woman, or man for that matter, if I could prevent them from doing so, to have anything to do with your uncle at this present moment? He is not only a criminal and a murderer, he is also mad.”
Cledra’s eyes dropped before his.
“I thought – that when I was – with him.”
“We therefore have to prevent him from committing any more crimes against innocent people,” the Earl asserted, “and because you know him better than anybody else, I need your help, Cledra.”
She glanced at him as if to make sure that what he was saying was true and he was not inventing an excuse to save her embarrassment.
“Suppose you trust me,” he suggested, “as I have asked you to do. I shall be very disappointed if you refuse.”
“You know I will do – anything you want me to,” Cledra replied. “It is just – that I am so ashamed and humiliated that – you have become – involved.”
“Well, I am involved,” the Earl answered, “and perhaps, because I happen to be in a different position from most people, it is better that it should be me than somebody who would feel quite unable to cope with the whole drama.”
“That is true,” Cledra said quickly. “You are so – wonderful and so – magnificent that I am sure that only you could – prevent Uncle Walter from doing any more – terrible and ghastly things.”
“I can at least try. And now, if you are ready, I think we should take my grandmother to The Hall and get her into bed there as quickly as possible.”
“Yes – of course.”
Cledra picked up her bonnet that was lying on one of the chairs and with it a long stole of pale blue satin.
She put on the bonnet and tied the ribbons under her chin, taking only a perfunctory glance at her appearance in the mirror over the mantelpiece.
Then, as she saw the Earl watching her, she explained,
“Your grandmother has been kind enough to lend me this pretty bonnet and Hannah made me this gown. I can only say how – grateful I am and I do apologise for being such, a – nuisance.”
“But a very charming one,” the Earl said with a smile, “and, when we reach The Hall, you will find that I have brought quite a number of gowns for you from London.”
Cledra stared at him in astonishment.
“B-but how did you – do that?” she stammered.
“I could hardly leave you here with nothing to wear but my nightshirt,” he replied with a grin.
He saw the colour come into her cheeks and he thought that it was a long time since he had seen a woman blush so prettily,
“I think,” she said after a moment, “that you will soon grow tired of my saying ‘thank you’, thank you – thank you.”
The Earl smiled again and walked towards the door.
“Come along. New gowns are not the only things I want to show you when we reach my house.”
Cledra hurried after him and, as they reached the hall, the Countess was being carried downstairs in a chair by two stalwart young footmen.
She was glittering with jewels and wore, the Earl noticed with a twinkle in his eye, a bonnet with a high brim edged with lace that was the very latest fashion.
He was quite certain that, although his grandmother had for the last year found it impossible to leave her bedroom, it had not prevented her from keeping abreast of all the latest fashions and acquiring bonnets, sunshades and pelisses just for the pleasure of owning them.
When the footmen reached the hall, they set the Countess and her chair down on the marble floor and the Earl kissed her hand.
“You look so smart, Grandmama,” he said, “I feel that I should be taking you to Vauxhall where you could be properly admired.”
“You have taken the words out of my mouth!” Eddie said who had come from the study without waiting for the Earl to call him.
He too kissed the Countess’s hand and added,
“May I say your bonnet is the prettiest I have ever seen. It completely eclipses the one worn by Mrs. Fitzherbert last Sunday.”
The Countess tossed her head.
“I was never a great admirer of that woman!”
The Earl laughed.
“If you are going to gossip, may I point out that the horses are waiting and finding it very hot in the sunshine.”
“And nothing can be more important than that the horses should not be incommoded,” the Countess murmured mockingly.
The two footmen lifted her chair again and carried it outside to where the carriage was waiting.
Then the Earl and Eddie lifted her very gently onto the back seat of the carriage, which was made comfortable with a large number of extra cushions. There was also a rest for her legs before they were covered with a rug.
Cledra climbed in beside her, then the coachman whipped up the horses and they started slowly down the drive.
Once they were in the Park, the Earl and Eddie rode like outriders on either side of the carriage.
Only the Earl was aware that both the coachman and the
footmen on the box were armed and that he carried a pistol in the pocket of his coat.
There was, however, nothing to disturb them and the only movement in the Park was made by the flutter of pigeons in the trees as they passed underneath them and by the deer who were frightened by such a cavalcade invading a domain that was usually exclusively theirs.
It all looked very beautiful in the sunshine that turned the lake to gold.
Cledra looking at it with wide eyes gave an exclamation of delight when she saw the white and black swans swimming under the bridge and the Earl’s standard flying above the house itself.
“It is all so enchanting,” she said to the Countess. “It cannot be true. I feel I must be dreaming.”
“That is how I felt when I came here as a bride.”
“You too must have been so beautiful, ma’am – that you looked like a Fairy Princess,” Cledra cried.
“That is what my husband thought,” the Countess answered softly, “and I knew that I was very lucky to be married to such a handsome man who was very much in love with me.
She saw that Cledra was listening wide-eyed and went on,
“My grandson is very like him and it is not surprising that so many women break their hearts over him.”
“I can understand that,” Cledra said, “but Hannah says that he has never asked any of them to marry him. Perhaps one day he will find a Fairy Princess like you, ma’am.”
The Countess sighed.
“That is what I hope and pray, but Lennox unfortunately grows bored very quickly and the beauties he spends his time with are already married.”
Cledra gave a little start.
Hannah had told her of how many lovely women had sighed for the Earl and lost their hearts to him, but she had not mentioned that they were married!
Cledra had imagined that they were young girls, who were ambitious to become his wife,
Now she thought it very strange that the husbands of the beautiful ladies were not jealous or did not do anything to prevent their wives from falling in love with the Earl.
Then, almost as if she was exploring new territory in her mind, she heard her mother saying to her father,
“How can we have been so lucky, darling, as to have found each other and be so happy while everybody else we know is always looking round for new attractions?”
Winged Victory Page 9
