The Viscount's First Love: Regency Romance (The King's League Book 2)
Page 14
“But you found the truth in the end?”
Lord Stevenson put his head in his hands, looking down at the floor. “He told us everything,” he said sadly, as though he regretted ever having asked Lord Fitzherbert to do so. “He then also stated that should we show him to be a spy for the French, should we tell anyone else of what we had discovered, then it would be all the worse for us.” He looked up at her again, his expression troubled. “We were very good friends, Miss Williams. He knew everything about me, and about Lord Marwick and Lord Greyson. There were things he could use against us, to ensure our silence.”
A stone dropped into Daisy’s stomach. “Goodness,” she whispered, pressing her hands to her mouth.
“My sister,” Lord Stevenson whispered, agony in every word. “My dear, sweet sister had managed to find herself in trouble.” He looked at her, then looked away. “I found the gentleman responsible, of course, but he was already married and could not do the honorable thing. I had confided in Lord Fitzherbert about my difficulties, and he had helped me to find a situation for her.” A glimmer of a smile caught one corner of his mouth. “She is married now – and happily so – and the child growing up as the adopted daughter of a very respectable merchant.” He shook his head. “My sister’s husband does not know of the child. And Lord Fitzherbert—”
“He told you that he would inform everyone of this if you did not keep your word of silence.”
Lord Stevenson looked at her for a moment or two as though trying to work out whether or not she judged him for such a thing before nodding and sinking his head back into his hands.
“He told you to leave England for a time then?”
“Yes,” Lord Stevenson said, his voice muffled. “Lord Greyson and Lord Mallick are dead, you say?”
She swallowed the lump in her throat and fought to keep her voice steady. “They caught an illness on board the ship that was to take them to America.”
Lord Stevenson let out a harsh laugh. “Or they were removed from this earth by Lord Fitzherbert for fear that they might not keep their word,” he stated, quite calmly. “Do not think that he would not be able to do such a thing, Miss Williams, for I am quite certain that he would be able to do so. The spies here are many, and his colleagues are great in number.”
Daisy closed her eyes.
“I argued with Lord Fitzherbert,” Lord Stevenson continued, his words slow as though he were speaking a memory aloud and only to himself. “Lord Greyson and Lord Mallick had gone from the house already, cowed by Lord Fitzherbert’s anger and cruelty, but I remained. Lord Fitzherbert mentioned your father.”
Her hand flew to her mouth, her eyes filling with tears. This was going to be very difficult indeed for her to hear.
“I do not think he meant to,” Lord Stevenson continued, still not looking at her but rather keeping his gaze trained on the floor. “But I began to fear for your father’s life. I did not understand Lord Fitzherbert’s reasons for wishing harm to him, but I left with the singular determination to try and warn your father somehow.”
“And so you spoke to him.”
Lord Stevenson’s head lifted at once, a gasp leaving his throat as Lord Watt came slowly out of the shadows, moving towards Daisy and Lord Stevenson with quick, sure steps. As if they had been waiting for Lord Watt’s command, the other men came out also, coming to stand closer to Lord Stevenson and Daisy.
Daisy felt nothing but pain. Looking up at Lord Watt, she saw the hard, angry expression on his face and felt her heart stab with agony again. Putting her hands over her face, she leaned forward and tried not to weep.
Lord Watt’s hand was on her shoulder in a moment, and she leaned into it, suddenly desperate for his strength.
“Lord Watt?” Lord Stevenson’s voice was barely audible, hoarse and filled with shock. “You…you have been…you all have been listening?”
“Lord Harrogate worked for the King,” Lord Watt said firmly, his hand still resting lightly on Daisy’s shoulder. “We are determined to discover the truth. You must tell us what you did, Lord Stevenson. We must know it all.”
Lord Stevenson said nothing for a moment or two, his gaze roving over each and every gentleman’s face, as though trying to work out whether or not he could trust them.
Then he heaved another great sigh. “No, I did not speak to Lord Harrogate,” he said, his words tumbling over each other in their rush to escape. “I was too much of a coward for that. Instead, I wrote to him. I said I did not know why but that Lord Fitzherbert seemed quite determined to bring him harm. I do not know if he ever received my note. The next thing I heard, he had been killed and I was ordered to leave England for a time.”
“Lord Fitzherbert told you to leave.”
Lord Stevenson nodded, pressing his fingertips together as he looked at Lord Watt. “Indeed. I had no choice.”
“And he allowed you to come back thereafter?”
Again, Lord Stevenson nodded. “I had word that I could return. That was all. I did not think he would be here also, but it seems that he likes to torment those he has a hold over.”
“You wanted to protect me from him without revealing the truth of what you knew of him,” Daisy said softly, her words choked with tears. “Is that not so?”
Lord Stevenson looked at her steadily, his face clouded. “I did not know what else to do,” he answered honestly. “Lord Fitzherbert has such a cruelty in him that, most likely, he would have thought it very funny indeed to be wed to a lady whose own father he took from this earth.” He saw her shudder and closed his eyes. “He is not a man to be trifled with, Miss Williams.”
“I am aware of that,” she breathed, still leaning into Lord Watt’s arm as she battled against tears. “You appear to be a man of excellent character, Lord Stevenson.”
Lord Stevenson shook his head, clearly still struggling with what he had revealed. “I do not think I am a very good man at all, Miss Williams,” he whispered, shaking his head. “I did not manage to save your father’s life.”
“But you saved mine,” she answered, as tears began to roll down her cheeks. “Your note saved my life, my mother’s life, and the lives of our staff. My father sent us to my sister’s house but refused to come with us so that we might be kept safe. Had he not heard from you, then we might now all be lost to the grave.” She felt Lord Watt’s hand lift and encircle her shoulders so that she was now able to rest her head against his side. “I have nothing but gratitude for you, Lord Stevenson. And in revealing this to us, then I must hope that all of Lord Fitzherbert’s plans will be brought to an end and that he will face the consequences of what he has done.”
“You need have no doubt in that regard,” Lord Watt stated, both to Daisy and to Lord Stevenson. “With what you have told us now, Lord Stevenson, these gentlemen and I will make quite certain that Lord Fitzherbert faces what he has done and is given the full punishment thereafter.”
Lord Stevenson frowned. “But he is a titled gentleman,” he stammered, his eyes darting from one man to the next. “And a member of the ton.”
“He is working with our enemies,” Lord Watt said firmly. “He is nothing less than a traitor. His title and his wealth mean nothing. The Prince Regent himself has already said as much.”
Daisy saw Lord Stevenson’s eyes flare and then, in one swift moment, he seemed to crumple. His hand went to his eyes, covering them so that no one could see his reaction, his shoulders slumping as he seemed to fold even further into the chair. Her heart ached for him. It had evidently been a terrible burden for him to carry these last two years, and she could well understand what that must have been like.
“Come, Miss Williams.”
Lord Watt’s arm was gone from around her shoulders. Now, he stood with his hand outstretched, clearly waiting for her to rise to her feet.
“Let me take you back to your sister. The gentlemen here will need to speak to Lord Stevenson a little more so that we might then consider how we go about the next part of our plan.”
Lord Watt smiled grimly. “And Lord Fitzherbert has accepted?”
“At once,” she answered, slowly getting up and realizing just how wobbly her legs felt. “He will be in attendance.”
“Then so will I be,” Lord Stevenson said, his voice a little stronger as he looked up at them both. “If this is to be the end of the matter, if this is to be the conclusion, then I want to be present.”
Lord Watt nodded, taking Daisy’s hand and holding it tightly. “Then you shall be,” he said. “And we shall all see Lord Fitzherbert brought to justice. You have my word.”
Chapter Twelve
Matthew looked from one horrified face to the other, feeling himself wince inwardly at the shock he had brought about. “I am sorry,” he said again, seeing how Miss Williams smiled at him. “This has only been confirmed recently and, had it been proven that Lord Stevenson was the one involved, then tonight would be nothing more than an evening of conversation and enjoyment.”
“I—I cannot quite believe this,” Lady Northgate whispered, looking aghast at Miss Williams. “You have been trying to solve the mystery surrounding our father’s death, whilst pretending that you are eager to find yourself a husband?”
Miss Williams leaned a little forward in her chair, a small gentle smile on her face. “It was not out of cruelty that I kept it from you, Susanna. I did not want to tell you the truth for you would only worry about me constantly and try to discuss every detail to ensure that I was kept safe.” She looked towards Matthew, who felt his heart quicken at the look in her eyes. “Once I discovered that Lord Watt was involved, I knew that I would never be in danger, Susanna.” Another look towards her sister. “And now we are drawing near the conclusion.”
Lord Northgate harrumphed loudly, clearly torn between frustration that he had not known what was going on and relief that the person behind Lord Harrogate’s death would soon be brought to justice. “It has come as something of a surprise, I will admit,” he muttered, getting up out of his chair and going straight towards the decanter of brandy, pouring two small measures into two glasses. “But I can understand your desire to find the truth, Daisy.” So saying, he brought back the two glasses to his seat but rather than give one to Matthew or to Miss Williams, he handed it to his wife, who took a sip immediately. Matthew could not help but smile at the sight. Clearly Lady Northgate was well used to the occasional tipple but, if it helped her in her shock, then he was glad to see it.
“I am glad you understand, Northgate,” Miss Williams answered softly. “This evening will continue to go just as was planned, but with a confrontation that should lead to Lord Fitzherbert being taken away to face the consequences of what has done.”
Lady Northgate sighed heavily, looking down at her brandy glass. “There will be a scandal.”
“There will be the truth,” Matthew corrected. “The ton may whisper of it, Lady Northgate, but they will know the truth of what happened to your father.” He watched as Lady Northgate considered this, looking from himself to her sister and then to her husband before she sighed and nodded.
“I have tried to put my father’s death to the back of my mind,” she confessed. “It has been much too difficult an issue to continue considering, and whilst I have been afraid and frustrated over the difficulties his death brought, I have not pursued them like my sister has done.” A quick smile was sent in Miss Williams’ direction. “I am shocked, yes, but I understand, Daisy. I am glad – grateful, in fact, for what you have done and for your dedication to it.” A slight anger brushed the edge of her words. “And pleased that Lord Fitzherbert will face the consequences of his actions.”
Matthew got to his feet. “I will leave you now so that preparations might continue for this evening.” He smiled at Lady Northgate and then bowed. “Thank you for taking the time to listen to all I had to say. Until this evening.” Making to turn around and walk to the door, he was surprised to hear Miss Williams speak.
“I will accompany you, Lord Watt, if I may,” she said, getting up quickly from her chair. “I think my sister will need a little more time before we can continue with preparations.”
Matthew glanced at Lady Northgate but saw that she was now murmuring something to her husband and not even listening to what her sister had to say. Smiling at Miss Williams, he waited for her to walk towards the door before following her, a step or two behind.
His breath quickened as though in anticipation. He did not know why he felt such a thing, not when there was nothing of importance between them as yet – but mayhap he felt something more there now. Something that had to be opened up and spread out so that they both might learn to consider it again.
“I want to thank you, Lord Watt.”
He looked at her in surprise as she closed the door gently behind them both, leaving them alone in the passageway. “To thank me?” he repeated, confused. “For what, specifically?”
Her eyes were alight with a joy he had not seen in some time. “For allowing me to remain a part of this,” she said, with a small shrug. “I am aware that you had some reservations, but you did not push me aside because of them.” Turning away just a little, she began to walk slowly along the hallway towards the front door. “You have allowed my plan to go ahead even though you were uncertain as to whether or not it was the right one. You listened to me. You have helped me. And now we are only a few hours away from revealing what we know to Lord Fitzherbert.” A glance back at him told him that she was close to tears. “You do not know what this means to me, Lord Watt. To know that my father’s death will no longer be considered to be something of a mystery and to have the certainty that the person who killed him will be brought to justice…it means more than I can ever express.”
He swallowed hard, feeling his own emotions beginning to rise steadily within him. “There is nothing to thank me for,” he said softly. “I am only happy that we have found our way here together.”
She smiled at him then reached out and touched his hand. “I want to talk further, Lord Watt, but mayhap this is not the time.”
He wanted to tell her that now was exactly the right time for them to speak but could see from how she glanced about the hallway that she did not feel entirely comfortable at present, which he could well understand. Her sister could emerge from the drawing room at any moment, and given that this evening was yet to come, he had to admit that he too felt a good deal of tension running through him.
“Perhaps later this evening?” he suggested, seeing how she nodded at once. “When all is at an end?”
“When I am free of my burden,” she whispered, still holding his hand. “Thank you, Lord Watt. I look forward to seeing you again soon.”
“Until tonight,” he said, bowing over her hand and kissing the back of it gently. He looked deeply into her eyes, lingering for just a moment longer, before bowing, stepping back and then turning to quit the house.
“Everything is going well thus far, I think.”
Matthew nodded, still aware of the undercurrent of tension that was running through the house. Everyone here this evening was a part of The King’s League—save for a few ladies that Lady Northgate had insisted on inviting before she had known of the true reason for the gathering this evening. The extra guests would not present any particular difficulty, however, for Lady Northgate had already promised to have them entertained in another part of the house with mayhap one or two single gentlemen who could be spared from the League to keep a watch over them. When Matthew gave the signal, Lady Northgate would begin to usher in those particular guests with the promise of a “very special” evening of entertainment.
“Lord Fitzherbert shows no signs of having any awareness of this situation at all,” Lord Templeton continued, as Matthew nodded fervent
ly. “He is behaving just as usual.”
“He is arrogant,” Matthew answered, grimacing. “That comes as little surprise to me.”
Lord Templeton sighed heavily, an angry glint in his eye. “I will be glad to see that fellow taken aside for what he has done,” he muttered, allowing Matthew a small glimpse into the truth of what he felt. “It will be a blessed relief for the family, I know.”
“And for the League also,” Matthew added, although fully aware it would not be with the same intensity. “We will have uncovered and apprehended another spy.”
“Two years later,” Lord Templeton muttered, shaking his head. “But yes, I am glad it will be brought to an end. Perhaps then you and Miss Williams will be able to talk about the other matter that weighs so heavily on your hearts.”
Matthew felt a flush creeping up his face as he cleared his throat, making Lord Templeton chuckle despite the severity of their present circumstance.
“You cannot hide such things from a man who has served in the League for so long,” he stated, as Matthew’s embarrassment continued to mount. “I only hope that there will be a happiness there for you both in the end.”
“As do I,” Matthew agreed, knowing there was no reason to pretend. “Thank you for all you have done, Lord Templeton. Without you, Miss Williams might never have become involved and we might now be no closer to finding the truth.”
Lord Templeton said nothing, only nodded, looked about him and then caught someone else’s eye, seeing the gentleman nod.
“Lord Fitzherbert is well on his way to a drunken state, it seems,” Matthew muttered, seeing the nod from Lord Fraser also. “I must speak to Lady Northgate.”
“And then we shall begin?” Lord Templeton asked, as Matthew nodded grimly, seeing how Miss Williams was walking towards him, her face a little pale.
“And then we begin,” he answered, offering his arm to Miss Williams and turning away from Lord Templeton in search of Lady Northgate.