“Even if he had, do you think I would tell you?”
Henrietta leveled her gaze at Isobel. “And would you have me suffer for something I did not do? My father dismissed him, not I. I only wished to submit an application to become a physician, and he spurned me in front of my father. That is what caused his dismissal.”
Isobel’s expression changed for a moment. “You wished to become a physician?”
“Are you about to mock me?”
“No… I once thought to be a nurse, but my husband forbade my working as soon as we were wed. It is a noble profession, and one where we women may be as brave and fearsome as the men. I would not mock such a thing. It is, perhaps, foolish, but it is also admirable.” She paused, the cogs visibly whirring in her mind. “He told me that you put one of your pendants into his coat pocket when he was not looking and framed him for the theft.”
Henrietta shook her head. “No, it was only my wish to become a physician. He mocked me for it and was severely punished. I am sorry for how it has affected you. However, I did not expect my father to react with such volatility. You see, trying to stop my father is like trying to stop a stampede of spooked horses.”
“I suppose my husband wished his dismissal to look more unfortunate than it truly was,” Isobel mused, with a touch of sadness. “I ought to have known. He has lied enough to me in the past. Even with our arrival in Scarborough, he told me we would live in grand apartments that he had secured for us. Instead, I found myself in a hovel with two screaming children, and him gone for much of the day, if not all.”
“Isobel, I truly am sorry for you.”
The girl smiled. “Although I feel some sympathy for you, also, I will not spy on my husband for you. I cannot. It would not be worth the repercussions, if he were to discover what I was doing.”
“Then, you are not working for him? You are not his accomplice?”
“I suppose I am, in many ways, but he does not tell me why I am to do things—he simply orders me to do this and that, and gives me little detail,” she explained.
“What kinds of orders?”
She shrugged. “Retrieving letters from the postal office, purchasing objects, following people.”
“People like me?”
“Sometimes. He has not asked me of late, but last week he instructed me to trail you for a while. He told me to tell him who you were with, and what you were doing. He would not say why.”
“If he asks you to do so again, will you at least inform me?”
She nodded. “I will do that, at least.”
“Does he ever get you to send letters?”
“No, he does that himself. I cannot be trusted, apparently.”
Hm, so he must have someone else to do that for him. Perhaps, he did not think it was safe, as I had discovered the existence of his wife.
“Well, I have taken up enough of your time. I thank you for your promise,” Henrietta said, casting a glance back at the entrance of the alley. Ewan was waiting for her there.
As she turned to go, Isobel lunged forward and grabbed Henrietta by the arm. “I must tell you one more thing, before you go,” she said, in a frightened voice. “You must not ask me why I’m telling you this, but simply heed my advice. Can you do that?”
Henrietta nodded uncertainly.
Isobel’s huge eyes widened with earnestness. “Do not go to the Autumn Ball.”
“What did you say?” Henrietta gasped.
“You must not attend, under any circumstances.” Without another word, she darted past Henrietta, leaving her to stand in the alley in a state of abject terror.
Chapter 32
The day of the ball arrived, and everyone was in full swing with preparations. Aaron Oliver sat in the smoking room of the Old Bell, with a small team of his former soldiers, who had come up to Scarborough at his request: Ronscales, Davids, Fletcher, Clutterbuck, and Wright. They made a rather motley crew, sitting stony-faced in the corner of the room.
“And we are to cover all of the exits, General?” Ronscales asked, making notations on a hand-drawn map of Scampston Hall’s extensive gardens.
“Yes, you are to ensure that my daughter cannot be taken from the parkland of Scampston Hall,” the General replied. “There are four pathways that could be taken, as you can see. Davids, you should be present amongst the main attendees. Ronscales, you will take the Northern exit, Fletcher to the South, Clutterbuck to the East, and Wright to the West.”
“Understood, General,” came the murmured consensus.
“Have you seen your target?”
Clutterbuck nodded. “We visited with Lord Averson yesterday afternoon. We have seen this Mr. Booth fellow and will be sure to look out for him this evening.”
“Excellent, then it looks as though all we have left to do is capture the villain,” Aaron said grimly. His nerves were on edge, though he was doing his best to hide it. He had yet to see his daughter that morning, but she had been out of sorts for the entirety of the previous two days. She would not say why, but he knew her well enough to decipher when something was the matter.
Glimpsing Ewan in the hallway, he excused himself from his band of soldiers and strode out into the corridor. Ewan appeared to be collecting letters, the sight of the notes turning Aaron’s stomach. He had not been able to look at a letter in quite the same way after the arrival of the warnings. Each message might contain something he did not wish to see, even though no further notes had come to any of them.
“Lord Peterborough, I was hoping to catch you this morning,” Aaron said, stepping out of the smoking room.
The Marquess looked up, his eyes circled with sleepless purple. “Is everything prepared for this evening?”
“It is.” Aaron paused for a moment. “How is my daughter?”
“She is faring well, considering the circumstances. I believe she is nervous, and she has not eaten much, but that is to be expected. It cannot be easy for her, knowing the part she must play this evening.”
Aaron nodded. “No, I do not suppose that it is. Has she received any further notes?”
“No, there have been none since the one that arrived by express rider.”
“And how are you feeling about this evening’s endeavors?”
Ewan smiled thinly. “I am anxious. It feels as if I am casting my wife into a pit of lions with a tenuous hope for escape.”
“My men will perform their task well, you needn’t worry about that.”
“It is the devious mind of your former manservant that worries me,” Ewan confessed. “We have maintained a level of secrecy, but he may have his ways of discovering our intentions. I only pray that he has not.”
“As do I.” He glanced awkwardly at the door. “My men and I are going to observe the location of tonight’s ball, so we may be in readiness.”
“An excellent idea, General.”
“Would you care to accompany us? It may be a welcome distraction.”
Ewan shook his head. “No, I rather think I should stay at Henrietta’s side, in case Mr. Booth decides to strike earlier than anticipated. Besides, she is unnerved enough without me suddenly disappearing. We may rendezvous later to discuss your findings, if you would be inclined to such a meeting?”
Aaron smiled. “I will do just that, My Lord. Now, I shall not keep you or my men a moment longer.” He moved towards the door of the smoking room, before glancing back over his shoulder. “May I make one further request of you?”
“Of course, General.”
“Look out for her, however you can,” he said solemnly. “She does not know it, and I am not one for shows of affection, but she is more precious to me than she realizes. If any harm should come to her, I would never forgive myself.”
Ewan’s expression softened. “I will do all I can, to keep her safe… for she is precious to me too.”
“The marriage has turned out more fortunate than you expected?”
“I suppose it has,” he said, with a soft chuckle.
“Then
all was not lost in matching the two of you,” Aaron murmured. “I will speak with you again when we return. Good day to you, My Lord.”
Ewan dipped his head. “And to you, General Oliver.”
With that, Aaron gathered his men and set off towards Scampston Hall. The journey was not a particularly lengthy one, and they arrived in good time to find that the Darby family, to whom the Hall belonged, were also in the midst of making preparations. A marquee had been erected in the vast parkland, though the main ball was to be held in the garden’s exquisite ballroom, away from the main house.
There was a great deal of ground to cover, the lawns stretching toward forestry in the distance, whilst walled gardens and semi-wild parkland bordered everything in sight. It was in that moment that Aaron realized the enormity of their undertaking, his eyes scanning the landscape.
I have fought in tougher battles than this, with less favorable odds. Seth will not take my daughter this evening. He will not harm her. I will make sure of it.
However, as he surveyed the surroundings once more, he began to feel a creeping tremor of icy doubt.
* * *
After speaking with Aaron, Ewan retrieved a breakfast tray for his wife and took it back up to her chambers. He had hoped that a conversation about the upcoming evening might ease his qualms, but they had only bolstered the anxiety that thrummed in his veins. With her life potentially on the line, Henrietta had grown more dear to him than he even dared to admit.
He knocked on the main door to her chambers and waited for a reply. He had left her sleeping, but he did not wish to walk in unannounced in case she was dressing.
“Come in,” Henrietta’s voice urged.
Pushing open the door, he stepped inside. “I did not know if you would have awakened yet, My Lady.” He set the tray of food down on the side table and took a seat on the chaise by the fire. She was dressed in a simple gown of duck-egg blue, her hair loose about her face. She had been restless in her slumber, and it showed on her tired features.
“I thought it best to rise, instead of laboring in bed some more,” she replied wearily. “Besides, sleep did not wish to grace me much, and the sunlight streaming in did very little to help.”
“You should eat,” he said.
“How can I eat when my stomach is in knots?”
“Because you must have your strength for this evening,” he replied, feeling a wave of empathy for her. She was the bait for tonight’s trap, and everything rested upon her shoulders. If he was feeling nervous about it, he could only imagine how she was coping. Indeed, her hands seemed to be trembling even now.
She came to sit close to him, reaching for a piece of dry toast. “I shall attempt it, though I cannot promise it will stay in my stomach. I am so terribly restless.”
“Is it Isobel’s warning?”
“Partially,” she said with a sigh. She had told Ewan about her encounter with the evasive woman, and what had been discussed between them. It had alarmed him greatly, though he had tried to put on a brave face for her. He did not wish her to be more frightened than she already was, but the ominous request to refrain from attending had scared him to the core.
“Do you think she knows something of Mr. Booth’s plan?” Ewan asked.
“She must, otherwise why would she have warned me?” She took a small bite of the toast, which cheered Ewan slightly. At least she was endeavoring to eat something. “That man is her husband. If anyone knows of his schemes, it must surely be her.”
“We will be extremely cautious this evening, My Lady. I will not allow you out of my sight, not even for an instant,” Ewan promised.
She smiled nervously. “Do you mean it?”
“I do.”
“And what of my father—have you seen him today?”
“I saw him earlier. He was taking his men to Scampston Hall, to ensure that everything is present and correct, and they will have all exits covered.”
She nodded. “That is a small relief.”
Just then, there came a knock at the door. Ewan rose, whilst Henrietta continued to peck at her toast like a small, fragile bird. He opened it wide, to be greeted by the face of Mr. Chambers. There was a letter in his hands. Ewan frowned—he had only just visited the reception, to enquire about mail, but there had been nothing for him or his wife.
“A letter has arrived for Lady Peterborough,” Mr. Chambers said. “An–”
“Express rider delivered it?” Ewan interjected, his heart racing.
“How did you know?”
“I heard the approach of swift hooves,” he replied, without missing a beat. “And besides, I have only recently been downstairs to check on the mail, and there was nothing for either myself or my wife. Any note now would have had to come from an express rider.”
Mr. Chambers bowed. “I am sorry to have disturbed you, My Lord.” He handed over the letter with somewhat shaking hands, before turning and leaving. Ewan thought his behavior rather odd, considering he had never acted in so sheepish a manner before. Whatever is the matter with him? He realized that he was likely becoming overly paranoid, with the evening looming heavy over him. Everyone was becoming a suspected accomplice in his mind.
“What is it, my Lord?” Henrietta asked, her eyes wide in panic.
“It is nothing,” Ewan replied, hating himself for deceiving her. Then again, his heart was in the right place. She was already scared enough, she did not need another worrying note to amplify her terror. No, this is for the best. There is no reason to bring her further alarm.
“It looks to be a letter, if I am not mistaken,” she replied, with an arched eyebrow.
“Yes, a note from Lord Averson, that is all.” He opened it out before she could see the address, his eyes scanning the words within. There were very few, which was somehow more troubling.
My Lady,
It is All Hallow’s Eve and the ghosts are rising.
A Friend
“Is everything all right?” Henrietta was positively quaking.
What on earth does Mr. Booth mean by this? Ewan thought, as he looked at his wife. What ghosts are rising?
He fixed a bright smile on his face. “Yes, My Lady. All the preparations are in place. We are to take Lord Averson’s carriage tonight—it will arrive for us at seven o’clock.”
No, everything was definitely not all right.
Chapter 33
Henrietta peered nervously out of the carriage window as it rattled towards the imposing estate of Scampston Hall. They had departed Scarborough at seven o’clock, just as Ewan had said, dissipating any suspicions she’d had about the letter. His manner had changed instantly, as soon as the note had arrived, which had piqued her concern. Indeed, she had believed it to be another note from Seth, but now she felt satisfied that it had merely been a message from Lord Averson. After all, his carriage had collected them at the given time.
The gardens and grounds were all aglow with Chinese lanterns and orange-tinted lamps, which cast a reddish, autumnal hue upon everything it graced. Torches flickered to light the paths between the main house and the garden ballroom, which reminded Henrietta of a fairy glen. In truth, it was exquisitely beautiful. She only wished she could enjoy it.
“You look particularly beautiful tonight, My Lady,” Ewan said softly, as he reached for her hand. He squeezed it, giving her courage.
“It becomes you very well,” Lord Averson agreed. “Purple is a tremendous shade against your complexion.”
Ewan laughed. “Anyone would think that she was your wife, Averson.”
“If I see beauty, I must remark upon it,” Lord Averson protested, with an amused smile.
Again, Henrietta wished she could enjoy the striking gown that had been made especially for her. She had espied herself in the looking glass before leaving the Old Bell and had felt almost regal in her attire. Truly, she had not looked like herself, but a wiser, more elegant version of who she was. The amethyst gown of satin was tailored to perfection, with a modest yet daring necklin
e and capped sleeves that showed off her slender arms. A bevy of small jewels had been embroidered into the satin itself, making her sparkle if she turned this way or that. A silver necklace hung at her throat, with a large amethyst in the center. Ewan had purchased it for her as a surprise—a most-treasured gift.
“I have not met the Darbys,” she said, hoping to turn the conversation away from herself. It made her feel rather self-conscious to be so admired. “Are they a pleasant family?”
Ewan nodded. “For the most part. There is a slight history of madness in their family, but they are kind souls. Although, I do not expect you shall meet a single one tonight. They like to show off their wealth with these parties, but they rarely attend in person.”
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