The Reluctant Heiress

by Dilly Court

  I cannot insist that you should go to Warren House, but I would ask you to consider it seriously if you feel at all threatened. I promise you that this will end, but I cannot be more explicit at this time.

  I remain your most loyal friend and admirer,

  Harry Lyndon

  Kate read the letter again and again, and was still studying it when the cab drew up in Finsbury Square. She paid the cabby and stepped down onto the pavement outside her home. Harry’s warning had both alarmed and worried her. Although she had not received any direct threat from the Monks gang, she had seen the state in which they had left Spears, and he was only just getting over the beating. One thing was certain: she must persuade Lady Lyndon to leave town, at least for the time being. Annie might be more difficult to convince, but perhaps her affection for Harry’s mother would be the key. All Kate knew was that she must try. There was, however, one of Harry’s instructions that she was prepared to ignore. She would only close the soup kitchen as a last resort.

  Henry answered her knock on the door and Kate went straight to her room. She needed time to think, and that meant being on her own for a while. It seemed as though she was always surrounded by people. When she was at home her mother was constantly bemoaning her fate and criticising Kate for working with the poor when her father was an invalid and needed her attention. Jenny was always on hand, too, but Jenny knew when to talk and when to remain silent. Then there was the soup kitchen, which was so hectic that it gave Kate no time to think about anything other than satisfying an increasing number of hungry people.

  She had read Harry’s letter for the third time and had come to the conclusion that the first step must be to visit Warren House. She could hardly persuade Lady Lyndon to move somewhere that might be totally unsuitable, and the little that Kate knew of Harry’s mother was that the lady had a mind of her own. A knock on the door made her jump.

  ‘Who is it?’

  ‘It’s me, Jenny.’

  ‘Come in.’

  Jenny opened the door, peering into the room with an anxious frown. ‘Did the trial go well, miss?’

  Kate shook her head. ‘He pleaded guilty. I don’t know why.’

  ‘Oh, no.’ Jenny’s eyes widened. ‘Does that mean he’ll go to prison?’

  ‘The judge gave him twelve years.’

  ‘I am sorry, miss. I mean, I know he’s a villain, but he’s a nice man. He always had a cheery word for me and the others. Annie thinks the world of him – she’ll be so upset.’

  ‘Don’t take off your bonnet, Jenny.’ Kate folded the letter and placed it back in her reticule. ‘You and I are going to get a cab to Walthamstow.’

  ‘That’s across the River Lea and over the marsh. Might I ask why, miss?’

  ‘Harry thinks his mother and Annie will be safer living out of town, but I want to take a look at the house before I try to persuade either of them to make the move.’

  ‘Surely the Monks gang will cease hostilities now that Harry Trader is out of the way.’

  ‘He doesn’t seem to think so, and who am I to argue? I know virtually nothing about how the gang laws work, and I don’t want to find out. Look what they did to Spears.’

  ‘I don’t like him, but I feel quite sorry for him now.’

  ‘Spears is old enough to look after himself. It’s Ivy and the children I worry about.’ Kate stood up and reached for her bonnet. ‘Let’s do something positive. I can’t bear standing around doing nothing.’

  ‘Shall I ask Henry to have the carriage brought round, miss?’

  ‘No. I think we’ll take a cab. I don’t want my mother asking questions. She wouldn’t understand. I doubt if we’ll be there for long and I’ll pay the cabby to wait for us.’

  Warren House was situated at the end of a country lane on the edge of Epping Forest, with open fields leading down to the marsh. The house itself was hidden behind a high red-brick wall with tall wrought-iron gates and a curved carriage sweep.

  Kate paid the cabby, securing his promise to wait for them outside with a generous tip.

  ‘I ain’t got all day, miss,’ he said grumpily.

  ‘We’ll be as quick as we can, and there’s a bonus for you if it takes longer than an hour.’ Kate opened a narrow side gate, lifting her skirts to avoid snagging her lace-trimmed petticoat on a creeping shoot from a bramble. She marched up the overgrown carriage sweep with Jenny close on her heels.

  ‘It looks spooky,’ Jenny said in a stage whisper.

  They came to a halt in front of the red-brick façade. The whole house seemed to be losing its battle with the ivy that clambered up towards the roof, wrapping its tendrils around the windows as if trying to gain access to the interior.

  Kate glanced over her shoulder at what must once have been a lawn, but was now more like a wildflower meadow. ‘It certainly needs a little love and attention, but it’s off the beaten track and I can see why it could prove to be a good hideaway for Lady Lyndon and Annie.’ She rapped on the door knocker several times and there was no answer.

  ‘No one’s at home,’ Jenny said with a sigh of what sounded like relief.

  ‘Perhaps the caretaker lives at the back of the house. Come along, Jenny. I doubt if any monsters or ghouls abide in Walthamstow.’

  Laughing, Kate strolled off along the pathway that led around the house, skirting a shrubbery. The house was considerably larger than she had at first thought, and what might once have been a beautifully kept rose garden stretched out towards a stand of trees and another overgrown grassy area. Rose petals had been scattered by the wind like confetti and their rich scent filled the air, mingling with the brackish odour from the marshes. Kate, however, was not here to enjoy the beauty of nature. She headed for the stable yard at the far side of the house, which had obviously been unused for some time. Moss covered the cobblestones and a stable door hung off rusted hinges, groaning as if in pain.

  Kate knocked on the back door and when no one answered she tried the handle. To her surprise the door opened and she stepped into a narrow passageway with a flagstone floor.

  ‘Is anyone about?’ she called loudly.

  ‘I say we leave now,’ Jenny muttered.

  ‘Ho, there! Is anyone at home?’ Kate opened a door, which turned out to be a boot cupboard, although there was only one pair of muddy pattens on the rack. The next door was a preparation room of some sort, again seemingly unused but spotlessly clean, and at the end of the passage she walked through a scullery into a large kitchen.

  Seated facing each other on either side of the range, an elderly man and woman were sound asleep and the man was snoring.

  Kate cleared her throat. ‘Ahem. Good afternoon.’

  The woman woke up with a start and she kicked the man, who staggered to his feet, still half asleep.

  ‘I’m so sorry to disturb you,’ Kate said hastily. ‘I’ve come here on Mr Trader’s behalf.’

  ‘Who?’ The woman stared at her suspiciously. ‘Don’t know anyone of that name.’

  Kate realised her mistake. ‘I mean Sir Harry Lyndon sent me.’

  ‘Why didn’t you say so in the first place?’ The old man brushed a stray lock of thinning grey hair off his forehead. ‘Martha, put the kettle on. We’ve got visitors.’

  ‘You do it, Arthur. You’re the nearest.’ Martha stared suspiciously at Kate. ‘Where is Sir Harry? Why has he sent you here today?’

  ‘My name is Kate Martin, and this is my maid, Jenny. I’m here because Sir Harry asked me to come.’

  Arthur puffed out his chest. ‘Me and the missis have worked for the family for forty years. Arthur Boggis, at your service.’

  ‘I’m very pleased to meet you both, but I’m afraid I am the bearer of bad news. Sir Harry won’t be visiting here for quite a while.’

  ‘Why not?’ Arthur placed the kettle on the hob. ‘He ain’t took sick, is he?’

  Kate shook her head. ‘He has …’ She paused; the anxiety on the old couple’s faces was too much to bear, and she could not upset t
hem further by telling them the truth. ‘Sir Harry has had to go away for a while, but he’s quite all right, so no need to worry. He wanted me to tell you that his mother will be staying here for a while with her ward, Miss Blythe.’

  ‘Her ladyship is coming to live here?’ Martha exchanged worried glances with her husband. ‘What does she want to come to this place for?’

  ‘For her health,’ Kate said firmly. ‘The air in Walthamstow is much cleaner than that in London. I would like to inspect the rooms to make sure that they are suitable.’

  ‘I keep the house spotless, miss. You won’t find a cobweb nor a cockroach. I keep the house ready for the family whenever they choose to arrive.’

  ‘That’s exactly what Sir Harry told me,’ Kate said hurriedly. ‘But I would still like to see the rest of the house.’

  ‘Show the young lady, Arthur.’

  Arthur shot a weary glance in his wife’s direction. ‘You’re younger than me, Mattie. You do it.’

  ‘I’ve got the miseries in me legs, Arthur. You know very well I can’t do the stairs like I used to.’

  ‘I’m sure we can find our way round without troubling either of you,’ Kate said hastily. ‘We’ll be very quick and we won’t disturb anything.’

  ‘You won’t find a speck of dust or a cobweb in this house.’ Martha bustled over to the dresser, despite her alleged disability. ‘I can’t do it like in the old days, but a girl comes in from the village every day, and I make sure she keeps up my high standards.’

  ‘Thank you. I’m sure everything will be perfect.’ Kate headed for the door, followed by Jenny.

  ‘What a pair,’ Jenny said when they were out of earshot.

  ‘I’m sure that Lady Lyndon can keep them in order.’ Kate led the way through a maze of wainscoted passages that ended in a wide, oak-panelled entrance hall. Sunlight streamed through the lattice windows, creating diamond patterns on the polished floorboards. A heavily carved oak chest stood against one wall and a huge stone fireplace occupied most of the opposite side of the hall. Kate could imagine a blaze roaring up the chimney in winter, but now, in high summer, the grate was filled with greenery placed in a large copper pot.

  ‘It seems that Martha is as good as her word.’ Kate ran her finger along the top of the mantelshelf. ‘No dust here.’

  ‘Let’s see the rest of the house then,’ Jenny said, shrugging. ‘I doubt if it’s like this everywhere.’

  They explored several rooms on the ground floor, including a book-lined study, a morning parlour and a dining room large enough to hold a ball. Without exception all were comfortably, if not fashionably furnished, and so clean that Jenny said she could eat off the floor in all of them. The drawing room was scented with roses from a bowl spilling pink petals on the top of a mahogany side table. The furniture was old-fashioned but it was set out as if expecting guests to enjoy its undoubtedly comfortable, if out-dated style. Kate could imagine ladies in sack-back gowns seated at the small ornately carved tables, playing hands of whist or three-card loo.

  ‘She’s right,’ Jenny said in a low voice. ‘The place is so spotless it looks as if the family still live here.’

  ‘Maybe the ghosts of the Lyndons do haunt this house.’

  Jenny shuddered. ‘Don’t say that. We’ve got to go upstairs now.’

  ‘Don’t be a baby. I was teasing you.’ Kate squeezed Jenny’s cold hand. ‘The house has a very warm and welcoming atmosphere. I’m sure that Lady Lyndon and Annie will be very happy here – if I can persuade them to leave London.’

  ‘I’m not sure I’d want to live this far from the city.’ Jenny glanced nervously over her shoulder.

  ‘You can stay here and I’ll go upstairs if you’re scared.’ Kate went to the door and opened it. ‘I really like what I’ve seen so far.’

  ‘Don’t leave me. I’m coming.’ Jenny hurried after her and they crossed the hall to the wide oak staircase, its treads polished to a satin sheen after more than a century and a half of footfall.

  There were six large family bedchambers on the first floor, all with their own dressing rooms, and at least eight good-sized rooms on the second floor, with the servants’ sleeping accommodation on the top floor. Kate could not find fault anywhere, and it was clear that Martha Boggis had been telling the truth when she said she kept the house as if the family were still in residence.

  They returned to the kitchen where Martha had laid a tea tray with what appeared to be the best china, and a plate of tiny cakes.

  ‘Perhaps you would like to take tea on the terrace as it’s such a warm day, miss?’

  Kate pulled up a chair and sat down at the kitchen table. ‘Thank you, but we can’t stay long, Mrs Boggis. We have a cab waiting to take us back to town, but I have to say that I’m very impressed with the house, and you are to be highly complimented on the way you’ve kept it. The family could move in today and it would be as if they had never left.’

  ‘I told you not to worry, Mattie,’ Arthur said gruffly. ‘My wife is very diligent, Miss Martin. She wages war on dust and dirt.’

  ‘I can see that.’ Kate reached for the teapot. ‘Won’t you join us? A cup of tea is most welcome, especially in this heat.’

  Jenny sat down next to Kate. ‘May I have one of them cakes? They look almost too good to eat.’

  Martha’s tense expression melted into a smile. ‘They are tasty, even if I say so myself. I make them once a month so that when the vicar calls I have something to offer him. The poor man has gone down with some sort of sickness, so he couldn’t come today.’

  ‘Do take a seat Mr and Mrs Boggis, or might I call you Martha and Arthur?’ Kate filled her own cup and one for Jenny.

  ‘We don’t think that’s proper, miss, if you’ll excuse me being frank.’ Arthur moved closer to his wife and slipped his arm around her ample waist. ‘We like to do things proper in Warren House. Start as you mean to continue, that’s my motto.’

  ‘Do whatever feels best for you,’ Kate said easily. ‘The house is more than suitable, but can you tell me anything about the village? Would it be a safe place for two ladies to live?’

  ‘Safe, miss?’ Martha exchanged puzzled glances with her husband. ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘In London there are gangs of men who flaunt the law. I don’t suppose any of them come this far to the east, do they?’

  ‘Heavens, no, miss.’ Arthur shook his head. ‘We get people breaking the law but they are dealt with immediately. This is as safe a place as any you’ll find in the whole country. But do you think Lady Lyndon really will want to live here?’

  Chapter Eleven

  ‘My dear girl, why would I want to leave my home in London?’ Lady Lyndon leaned towards Kate with a questioning look in her ocean-blue eyes, so like those of her son.

  Kate could see nothing for it but a slightly watered-down version of the truth. ‘It’s Harry’s wish, my lady. He’s had dealings in the past with some very bad men who have made threats against him and his family.’

  ‘I don’t see why they would do anything to me, my dear. Harry was always very protective, but I think he’s worrying unnecessarily.’

  ‘Maybe, but I’ve seen an example of what these people can do, and I have to agree with your son.’

  ‘I’m sure you mean well, Kate, but this is my home and I have no intention of leaving.’

  ‘Warren House is quite delightful, my lady. It wouldn’t be for ever, and by moving to the countryside you would be so much safer from the dangers of cholera.’

  ‘I’m sure that people become ill in Walthamstow, just as much as they do in Finsbury Circus, Kate. I appreciate your concern, but I want to stay in London as I intend to visit Harry in prison.’

  Kate stared at her in dismay. ‘I don’t think that’s a good idea. Harry wouldn’t want you to expose yourself to the squalid conditions in which he’s forced to live.’

  ‘But Harry is a member of the aristocracy. Surely the authorities wouldn’t treat him like an ordinary criminal?
’

  Kate shook her head. ‘I doubt if they care either way, ma’am. But Harry’s instructions were clear. He wants you to be safe.’

  ‘And I appreciate his concern and yours, my dear. But I am not going to be driven from my home by some ruffians my son has offended.’

  Kate had sudden vision of Spears after his encounter with the Monks gang. To call them ruffians was an understatement, but it was obvious that Lady Lyndon was not going to be easily persuaded.

  ‘I understand,’ Kate said patiently. ‘However, should you change your mind I know that Mr and Mrs Boggis would be delighted to have the opportunity to make you welcome.’

  ‘What is this? Are you planning a trip somewhere, Aunt Margaret?’

  Kate turned with a start to see Annie making her way carefully across the room.

  ‘Annie, dear. Do come and sit down.’ Lady Lyndon rose to her feet and pulled up a chair. ‘I didn’t expect to see you today.’

  ‘I heard voices. Who is with you, Aunt Margaret?’

  ‘It’s Kate, she came to see me because she’s worried for my safety. I told her that I’m not afraid. It would take more than a threat from some villains whom Harry has crossed in the past to make me leave my home.’

  Kate reached out to touch Annie’s hand. ‘It’s more than that, Annie. You know the situation better than I do.’

  Annie’s pretty face puckered as if she were about to cry. ‘It’s true, and that’s why I came here today. I wasn’t going to say anything because I didn’t want to upset you, Aunt Margaret, but I must speak out.’

  Lady Lyndon tugged at the bell pull. ‘We’ll have a nice cup of tea and some cake. You’ll feel better then, Annie.’

  ‘No, I’m afraid I won’t. These men are very dangerous and because of them I’ve had to leave my lodgings. You should listen to what Kate has to say.’ Annie turned her head so that she was facing Kate. ‘Is that what you were planning when I walked into the room?’